Pintus' magic wand

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1:23Hello everyone and welcome to this week's edition of the Spanish Football Podcast. I'm Phil Kittrema, ladies. I'm joined by Sid Lowe. We're recording in the afternoon because we've had busy mornings. Hello, Sydney.

1:32Phil Kitromilides:Hello, Philip. How are you? I'm OK. You've been writing about the relegation battle and last-minute goals and what a bloody awful weekend it was for your team and my team as well. Yes. Go and read that on the pages of theguardian.com. This is what happened on Match Day 21, Friday night. So one of those bad results for other teams who are in the relegation battle because Levante were second bottom. They conceded in injury time what we thought was going to be an equaliser at home to Elche. An unbelievable bicycle kick from Adam B to make it 2-2 for Elche. And then Levante go and score with the final kick of the game to make it 3-2.

2:10Big, big win for Levante, their first home win of the season. Then on Saturday, Raya were beaten 3-1 by Osasuna at home. I've written about that in this week's newsletter. So go and read that for Patreons at patreon.com forward slash TSFP. That was an injury-time goal for Osasuna. There was an injury-time goal for Valencia, who beat Espanyol 3-2. Big result for Valencia, moved up the table. Sevilla beat Atletic Club 2-1. Big result for them at the bottom of the table. And Real Madrid came through what was deemed as the first real test for Álvaro Arbaloa, winning 2-0 away at Villarreal. Then on Sunday, a pretty comfortable victory for Atletico Madrid.

2:47They beat Mallorca 3-0 at the Metropolitano, but still no goal in La Liga for Julian Alvarez since the 1st of November. Sydney was at the camp now, getting very, very wet in the end and seeing Oviedo play really quite well in the first half and losing 3-0 to Barcelona. Go and listen to this week's TSFP diary. He's done it as an Oviedo fan going to the camp now. And it's a really good listen. In the end, you can't help but feel for Sydney. He was absolutely destroyed, a broken man by the end. But go and listen. It's well worth checking out and not just because of the football. Real Sociedad beat Celta Vigo by three goals to one.

3:27Two goals from Mikelo Yardaba, La Real playing for the second half with 10 men as Chaleta Carr was sent off. But they managed to pick up a win and Pellegrino Matarazzo has that team absolutely flying. Now they're unbeaten and they've won three games in a row for the first time in the league for nearly two years. and Alaves beat Betis by two goals to one. Another big win for a team at the bottom of the table. Monday Night Football says Girona host Getafe. So the rest of the La Liga season is going to be pretty exciting. Don't miss a thing. Come and join us at patreon.com forward slash TSFP. Patrons get the Monday and Friday podcast without any adverts.

4:05Plus they get a weekly Q &A pod and a bonus pod. And there's the newsletter and the TSFP diary and the discord. Join us. You can sign up from€4.75 a month. It's actually even cheaper if you get an annual membership. Right, Sid, let's start off by talking about the game at the Estadio de la Ceramica, where Real Madrid beat Villarreal by two goals to nil, Kylian Mbappé scoring. You were there, you were pitch side. What did you make of it all?

4:35Phil Kitromilides:What I made of it was that it escapes really easy analysis, although on the face of it, it seems to have very easy analysis, which is to say that this was, I thought, a very good Real Madrid performance in certain aspects of the game and perhaps less so in others. But I think given where Madrid have come from, given the team that they were playing against, I thought this was very, very positive indeed. Now, it opens up all sorts of questions about why these kind of performances didn't happen before. And the reason why I say this and the reason why I say it's both complex and simple at the same time is essentially the big change was they were very intense.

5:08Phil Kitromilides:They were closing people down all over the pitch. There was a determination, a really good attitude about the team, which Courtois said after the game, you know, we've not always had this attitude and now we do. And I thought they performed really, really well and I thought they prevented Villarreal from creating almost anything. A team that have scored a lot of goals this season. Yeah, literally anything. I think Courtois didn't have anything to do in the whole game. There's one really good chance for Moreno, which he puts over. And I think that's about it. I'm struggling to think of another one.

5:39Phil Kitromilides:I feel like there was a moment in the first off with Molay. I mean, there was a shot on target in the 70th minute, I think. And that was from distance and that was comfortable for Courtauld and that was it. Yeah. The flip side of that is that Real Madrid didn't create a huge amount either. I don't think any either goalkeeper made an impressive save at any point in the game. But I think that the sense of where Madrid have come from and I think the competitiveness, I think how quick they were to close people down, how willing they were to press quite high, how well they defended. This felt a little bit, you know what this felt like?

6:13Phil Kitromilides:A little bit like those kind of Champions League games over the last few years when they've been winning Champions League without us in truth feeling like they were the best team in Europe and where there was a willingness, if you like, to say, okay, well, we defend this bit. We go and chase people down. We have our moments when we go at people. We're aggressive and we're determined and we keep going. And I mean, keep going in an attacking sense as much of a defensive one. And we talked about this in the past with Vinicius, for example, and it's something that hasn't happened over the last 12 months.

6:41Phil Kitromilides:The Vinicius is relentless. You know, go at the fullback, go at the fullback, go at the fullback, go at the fullback. Hasn't got past him four times. Go at the fullback again and again and again and again and we'll eventually get there. And this felt a little bit... But that's what happened in this game. This felt like one of those games which we've not really seen. And that willingness to kind of keep on going. And all around the pitch, I thought in that sense, I thought Madrid were very good indeed. Yes, because Pau Navarro had a couple of really good challenges against Vinicius and he kept going and kept going and in the end managed to get past him and provide not quite the assist for the first goal but setting up the chance from which Achille Mbappé scored and then he did also didn't he I think he's the one who plays the ball out wide for Mbappé for the second goal to sort of run into the base and win the penalty so although that's very late in the game obviously and yeah so in in terms of the sort of analytical part of it.

7:34Phil Kitromilides:Not sure how big a part of that play. Vinicius still hasn't scored since the 4th of October in La Liga. Kylian Mbappé very much has, of course. He's now on 21 goals, which is a massive percentage of Real Madrid's goals. I think only Vedat Morici has a higher percentage of his team's goals in La Liga this season than Mbappé. I was thinking, you know, we've talked about this before, it's not necessarily too problematic that your main striker and your best player is scoring all the goals. I guess it's the lack of support from other people, the lack of goals being chipped in by everyone else, which is what's making it eye-catching.

8:10But, you know, Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid rely on Kylian Mbappé to score lots of goals. Well, that's why they waited seven years for him and spent all that money on him.

8:16Phil Kitromilides:Exactly. Although I suppose there is a counter-argument and it's actually one that I haven't got the stats in front of me. I'll admit this. A colleague of mine who works for one of the Spanish studies said he was going through the stats and he was preparing a piece on it. I don't know if he's actually got round to doing it yet. I haven't seen it. in which he was saying, and it was something that I kind of assumed was the case, but wasn't sure, and he said, yeah, no, absolutely it is, that Real Madrid scored more goals before Mbappé was there and since Mbappé's arrived collectively. So, of course, the issue isn't necessarily that Mbappé takes all the goals, it's if the team itself is scoring fewer than before.

8:52Phil Kitromilides:And certainly in the Alonso era, because this conversation I had with him was just before Adobolo was sacked, the figures show that Madrid were scoring fewer goals with Mbappé. Now, obviously, it would be short-sighted to see that purely as about him or even purely as about the forward line. Because a lot of the period that we're talking about is pre and post Tony Cruz. It's pre and post a certain approach to the game where they're more expansive and so on. They're frankly a better team that final season with Ancelotti than they were last year with Mbappe. How much that's a collective functioning, how much Mbappe has an influence on that and so on.

9:27Phil Kitromilides:But the one thing we can certainly say without, I think, any concern about getting it wrong is that Embiid is a phenomenal player and finishes really cleanly. I think the one at the weekend was obviously very simple. There's a lot of penalties in there as well. One of the things that I think is really interesting about the penalties is that they're all the same penalty. It's all him just to the side of the middle. So either an inside left position or an inside right position, running in a relatively straight line at goal, knocking the ball in front of him, and a defender coming across and sliding in.

9:57Phil Kitromilides:Now, I think there's been a few where Mbappé has drawn the foul, I think, last week, to be perfectly honest, he completely invented it. But I think it's something about the speed and the directness of him and the willingness to make that run and the willingness to say, OK, if I get hit, fine. And it's remarkable. And I was thinking this, actually, watching Pedraffa commit the penalty at the weekend, which absolutely is a penalty. What is it about this movement that we think we can all see it coming, but defenders can't stop it? and I suppose what that tells you is the execution of it is so good the speed is so high that even if you think you know what's coming stopping it is a totally different issue.

10:31Real Madrid went top with this result they were subsequently overtaken once again by Barcelona but it's just one point the difference between these two sides I have to say at the moment I know the gap is only one point but it does feel like there is a bigger gap in terms of football in terms of what we're seeing between Real Madrid and Barcelona but it is just It is just one point. And are we going to see Real Madrid improve now, Sid? Now that Xavi Alonso's gone with Arbeloa, is it going to be an upward trajectory now?

11:02Phil Kitromilides:I mean, I think there's a couple of things here. I think the starting point has to be to say that the results, certainly in La Liga, weren't very bad under Alonso. There's a couple of standout bad ones. So there's Celta at home and there's Atletico Madrid away. And those are the standout bad results. Apart from that, there are not bad results. You could say that, you know... Drawing at Girona. Yeah, I was going to say, you should get better at Girona, you should get better at Elche, and you should get better against Raya, that little run. Those are three draws. Those are not disastrous results at all.

11:26Phil Kitromilides:And the fact that we've talked about a Barcelona side who mostly we've been very impressed with this year and they're only one point away, tells you something about that. And that was happening with Alonso as well. Now, I think this is significant because against Villarreal, I think it's significant because the players look happier. And there is a frustration. And, you know, look, it's easy to imagine Xavi Alonso watching this on TV. I'm just thinking, are you bastards? Yeah. And I do think there is a legitimate question there about, you know, what is it that changes so quickly? Because your physical condition doesn't change just like that.

12:06There is a bull-headed Italian man.

12:09Phil Kitromilides:Yes, but, I mean, how long has he had? Ten days? Well, that's all Pintus needs with his magic wand. And I actually think this is a really legitimate question, which is that a lot has been made by Ramblin themselves about the physical condition of the team. That takes time. And everybody agrees that that takes time. Even Pintus himself will agree that that takes time. And so this feels like an emotional sense of being turned, what's the word, angel father? Switched on. Switched on is the right word. I was about to say turned on. That's very different. And just to kind of, you know, there's something about and intensity about them, but that's partly about enjoyment.

12:45Phil Kitromilides:Now, remember what I said in midweek? I'm not saying remember what. That's a very presumptuous thing of me to say. Sorry. I do remember. I remember everything. I will remember what I said in midweek, which was about the Monaco game when the intensity was high. And I said this, partly that's because there's an enthusiasm to it. When you can see the possibility that the other team will give you opportunities. You can see that they're going to lose the ball to the back. And wicked, great. Let's get in on it. You know, let's take this ball off them because there's a chance there. And I guess in part, it is about how you present it to the players, that high press and what they think's in it for them and, and what, and whether they can feel that sense, whether this is conscious or subconscious, that there's a reward.

13:18Phil Kitromilides:and it's a reward and it's immediate as well and I think a part of that's happened and I just think there is a warmness towards Alonso that wasn't there for Alonso and look we've defended Alonso a bit I think or at least I think the tone of our analysis has probably been broadly defensive of Alonso yeah but getting the best out of players even if we can point the finger at the players for commitment and so on even if we can then look at a game like this and think oof it smells a bit doesn't it that they're suddenly playing well now getting the best out of place is job number one of a manager and the truth is that Alonso did not succeed in doing that I would just put a little caveat there yeah and I think you're right too and I'm glad I want you to do you know what it is no but I want you to do it just caveat me up baby whatever it is no no I was just going to say actually I don't know how well they are playing now but they are running around and being a bit more intense and you know showing a bit more commitment but the actual football this is exactly my point.

14:14Phil Kitromilides:So at the very start of this, I said, it's difficult to analyse in a way. In a way, it's simple because they did these things. But it's difficult to analyse in a way because of exactly that and exactly what I mentioned, that neither goalkeeper really had to make saves. Did we see Realmeju play great football? No, we didn't. We did see them compete against a really good team and make a handful of chances. A really good team? Yeah, okay. Let's talk about Villarreal. Let's talk about Villarreal. They were really disappointing. And obviously they've been disgraceful in the Champions League. Historically bad.

14:4835th out of 36. Only Kaidat Almaty are below them in the Champions League. We thought that, you know, listen, in the league, it's actually been their best ever first half to a season. They'd never had 41 points at the halfway stage of a season before. This is literally their best ever league campaign. And yet they were poor, really poor. You were there as well. Yeah, I mean,

15:10Phil Kitromilides:I mean, I didn't dislike them in the first half. I didn't think they were brilliant. I thought they were very imprecise, but I didn't dislike them. They were imprecise. They were imprecise. It was an imprecise game from both sides. I didn't dislike the willingness to get the ball forward, to try and get people into wide positions. And for me, it wasn't the final pass. It was the penultimate pass that was letting them down. I think quite often that ball out that has them running at a defence, or at least has them opening the pitch and running into spaces, I thought was pretty good. And I thought the next ball, which isn't the final one, more often than not wasn't.

15:40Phil Kitromilides:There were moments in those first 15 minutes or so where I thought, you know, I was seeing, and it's partly because, you know, it's exaggerated by sitting pitch side, the quality of Gerard Moreno, his willingness to come deep and turn and receive and make others play. But it didn't last very long. No, he did that really well for about 15, 20 minutes. Exactly, exactly. And then exactly that, exactly that. And so, as I said, I didn't dislike them, which isn't the same as saying I really like them. But yeah, it's frustrating. And I think there's a degree of logic because you look at their results this year in the Champions League, you look at their results this year.

16:12Phil Kitromilides:If you can add together the Champions League results to their results against Champions League playing teams in La Liga, and you get one win in 12. Yeah, I mean, zero points from possible 15 against the top three in La Liga. And then the one win is against Athletic. So of the Champions League teams, the one they've beaten is the one that, of course, is by far and away the worst in La Liga this season. Very disappointing from Villarreal. Let's see if they can pick themselves up and finish strongly. They've never qualified for the Champions League in back-to-back seasons. So that is their task for the remainder of the campaign.

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17:52The instant oatmeal ready to help you tackle whatever your day brings. Like wrinkling your toddler into their car seat. That was fun. Coaching your 6th grader soccer team. Go girls! and carrying all the groceries in one trip. Try Quaker Protein instant oatmeal, granola and bars. Great taste and a good source of protein. Quaker, bring out the good. All right, Sid, let's talk about your magical trip to the camp now. It was a great trip. Well, the first half, Sid, the first half of you had competed, it was nil-nil. he committed a lot of fouls in that first half did you see the numbers? I didn't see the numbers 13 fouls in the first half where you're averaging around 15 in a game the first half there were 13 not to say I just thought it was eye catching because it's certainly breaking up the play but obviously it was a physical approach from Oviedo almost like one to one man marking not giving Barcelona any way of playing out from the back.

19:06And it really worked. I mean, Barcelona were poor in that first half. They really didn't trouble Oviedo until maybe the final minute or so.

19:13Phil Kitromilides:No, I think you're right. And Oviedo had a couple of, I wouldn't call them chances, but a couple of moments where they kind of opened up a little bit for them and it felt like they might make things happen. And at halftime, I was very, very pleased. I did, though, even then feel like, yeah, but at some point, it happens, doesn't it? And then is there a response from Oviedo? And is there enough? And I don't know about you, but I kind of felt... And it did happen, and there wasn't. Yeah, exactly. And I kind of felt like it was always quite likely

19:43Phil Kitromilides:that Barcelona would have the kind of performance where they were fundamentally too good without being sparkling. That it kind of felt like it was that kind of game, that that was what was awaiting us. Because, of course, they've got a really big Champions League game in midweek. I think that it's natural that they think, well, it's Oviedo. I mean, I know you shouldn't think that, and I know you can tell your players not to think that, but I think it's natural that there's an element of that. And I suppose the frustrating thing from an Oviedo point of view was that the two goals that Barcelona scored, the first two, were absolute gifts.

20:11Phil Kitromilides:That said, they were gifts based on Barcelona putting pressure high, and Oviedo being called by that. And that shouldn't be entirely overlooked, even if they were really, really bad mistakes. And then the Laminia-Marl goal was absolutely brilliant. It's a terrific goal from Laminia-Marl. It is not the kind of goal that you're imagining. If you haven't seen it, it's almost like a sort of, a diving scissor kick volley from the edge of the penalty area. The ball is just behind him, but he manages to twist his body and connect brilliantly to it. Go and see it if you haven't. Lamin-Yemal, who's, you know, I think we could all agree that last season he had a very good season, right?

20:45This season, his numbers, I mean, he's on course to put up better numbers than last season, where he scored nine goals and 15 assists in La Liga. I think it's eight goals and nine assists so far in La Liga. He's one goal away from equaling the tally. With us still feeling like he's not physically 100 % and showing exactly what he could do last season. But, you know, he was player of the month in La Liga in December. I think he was player of the month in La Liga in November as well. And that goal was absolutely brilliant.