Guardiola: No change to attacking philosophy
Reuters - Friday 22 April 2011, 14:11
MADRID - Barcelona's attacking
philosophy will remain the same for the Champions League
semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu next
week, coach Pep Guardiola said on Friday.
The Catalans suffered a 1-0 extra-time defeat by their
arch-rivals in the King's Cup Final on Wednesday, days after
being held to a 1-1 draw by 10 men in the league at the
Bernabeu.
Jose Mourinho's side deployed a physical counter-attacking
approach which unsettled Barca in both games, and Guardiola was
asked if he was considering changes to his system for the third
and fourth clashes between the sides over the next two weeks.
"It's as if our style has become an excuse for us having
lost the Cup final," Guardiola told a news conference.
"Whether you win or lose, the style is always the same.
Playing attacking football is the only way I understand, it's
our club's philosophy and I'm not going to change it.
"We are going to attack and to try and score goals at the
Bernabeu."
SOFTLY-SPOKEN
The softly-spoken 40-year-old, who won a treble with Barca
in his first season at the helm in 2008/09, became riled when it
was suggested that only winning La Liga for the third year in a
row might be considered a failure.
"It would be a disaster, a failure, it would be necessary to
change the president, the coach and all the players. The cycle
would be at an end," he said ironically.
"We are up against a recent past where we had a lot of
success. I would be happy if we only won La Liga but if the fans
are sad, what can I do?"
Barca hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Real in
the league with six matches left, starting with the visit of
relegation-threatened Osasuna on Saturday.
Guardiola had no time for talk of players suffering damaged
morale.
"The players need to react because it is their job to," he
said.
"If they are angry or sad they should run more, that way
they'll get over it quicker. Those feeling sorry for themselves
can go and sit in the stands.
"In sport, you lose more than you win. I'm not a
psychologist, I'm a bloke who played football and who qualified
as a coach. Nothing more."
Barca visit Madrid next Wednesday in the Champions League
and play the semi-final return leg at the Nou Camp on May 3.