Why it's time for Guardiola to go
Tuesday 19 May 2009 10:00
When the world’s finest football magazine repeatedly begged La Liga Loca to come on board some 78 years ago - well, offered it a packet of biscuits - those running the show knew they were getting their brilliant hands on an institution that spoke the truth, stuck it to The Man, kept getting its Llorentes confused and would fail to predict night following day.
But it also knew it was banking on a blog that was a straight-talker, a blog that was ahead of the game, a blog that would lead and not follow.
So that’s why it is now officially calling for the handsome head of Pep Guardiola. It’s time for Barcelona’s big guy to go.
"¿Que?"
Barring a wobbly start for Pep’s Dream Boys at the start of the season in la Liga, the Catalan coach has barely put a foot wrong.
After just one year’s experience in Spain’s lower leagues, Guardiola leapt onto a wild horse called culé and has ridden it into the sunset of success.
Women want to be him, men want to be with him and the Madridista press doesn’t hate his guts despite his side making their Castle Greyskull cronies look very silly indeed.
Even grown-up broadsheets go goose-pimply in his presence. “He’s the eternal seducer,” sighs El País. “The triumph of passion,” pants El Mundo. “Miles better than the Pope,” suggests Vatican-crazy ABC.
Pep’s men won la Liga with three matches left. Pep’s men are on course to score the most number of league goals in a season. Pep’s men have just bagged the domestic double for only the second time in half-a-century for the club.
Barcelona don’t even need to win the Champions League next week for golden idols to be carved to glorify Pep’s name, as if he’s the Catalan capital’s very own Kim Jong II.
Things simply can’t get any better for the Barça boss. And that’s why he should jump ship as soon as the final whistle blows on the end of current campaign.
In fact, he should do it as early as next week to avoid a disappointing draw against Deportivo in the last match of the year.
"Careful, Pep, it's a trap!"
Imagine the alternative future if Pep remains at his post for another season.
Barcelona’s laurel-sitting superstars start the new campaign at a canter leaving Roy Keane’s Real Madrid with a 10-point lead by October (Arsene Wenger having quit two days into his role).
The local press, who are currently claiming that the sun shines from Pep’s perfect posterior, begin to blame his lack of experience, say that he’s a first-season fluke, announce that he’s a busted flush.
An editorial in Monday’s Sport is a key to how the backlash could begin. “The key to the transformation of this team is exclusively down to the work of Guardiola,” writes Joan Vehils.
That’s all very nice now from the culé-loving columnist, but does the same principle apply if things don’t go so well in the future?
Run, Pep, run, while you still have the chance.
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About Tim Stannard and Simon Talbot
When he isn't fighting the evil forces of flamenco or attracting libel actions for La Liga Loca,
Tim Stannard is building his media empire in Madrid. As well as contributing to Football365 and doing odd jobs elsewhere, Tim also works in the glamorous world of television as a producer, script writer, news editor, coffee boy and stand-in fluffer.
Simon Talbot? Well, he's a man of mystery.