Suffering with Dignity – Bilbao v. FCB, 6th Nov 2011

FCB and Messi could not have believed their luck, when the Bilbao defender knocked the ball out of his goalie’s hand and straight onto Messi’s left boot. Even on a day as forlorn for him as this, he managed to slip it into the net – 2:2!! They even got to play 11 on 10 against the Bilbao outfit for about 2 minutes at the death. The score remained the same; it began to pour again in the faraway south west India coast. FCB now trail RMA by 3 points and we’ll see they can catch-up through the season.

But this was a game, as the commentary team says, through which FCB suffered. Even before the water-logging took toll of the passing, Fabregas’ passing was all over the place. Square passes up and down the field that would get nicked and spark counters and runners on the flank. It would be interesting to take a look at his pass completion percentages – in comparison to say, a Xavi. My hypothesis, on that one metric, is that he is not in the same planetary system even. Problem being, the incomplete passes carry immense costs!

Anyway, on the day, Cesc did score a very well taken equalizer, heading Abidal’s cross into the unreachable top corner of the goal. Overall, though, FCB were the far inferior team. Bilbao had an answer to whatever FCB could conjure. Bielsa’s tactics weren’t quite apparent or visible to yours truly, but he did have something up his sleeve. Any Messi, Xavi or Iniesta slalom had the extra man to nick the ball; out of defense the wide players could make themselves available, and it wasn’t a surprise when Valdez’s clean sheet record was taken down. Indeed, with better finishing, it wouldn’t have been a good looking football score line.

Pep played his full assortment of attacking wares, sans Pedro (injury?). The dramatic thing about the game was that one-on-one Bilbao were as good and quite often, they were better. That must be the Bielsa acumen pitting his side in battles they can win. It was the first sustained 90 minutes in about 3 years when the FCB passes went absurdly wrong; some of the passes getting nicked even before they left the boot. Yes, and it was played on a field on quarter of which was under a few inches of water, heavy rain, and had players sliding all over the place.

We know the acrimonious rivalry between Pep and Jose will come to define the Spanish league and Champions League at some point this season as well. What was on display last Sunday, however, was two managers who obviously appreciate each other’s work and football ethic – Pep counts Bielsa amongst his gurus; Loco’s precision and measurement driven approach to football coaching should have been a guiding light for even Jose. It should be interesting to watch the RMA and Bilbao lock horns in Jan 2012.

Ultimately, it was, as described in the papers and online, a match full of errors, well-taken goals, grate Bilbao trickery and pressure all over the park, passes stolen in the rain puddles, slides, and champions left despondent. Score wise, it was a thriller, ending even, and both sides showing enormous respect of each other. Bielsa didn’t find it to be fair to substitute a single one of his players until very late in the plot – this, he said was because he didn’t find a single one who was giving it his all. Pep praised Bielsa’s ‘beasts’ but I hope he is figuring out what areas FCB need to get better at. After all, there Jose’s RMA scoring goals for fun against all comers.

The game was also exhibit for Peter Roebuck’s observation that football is after all, a struggle – and beauty, of the sort often ascribed to the FCB method, is merely a by-product. FCB showed they can suffer through such a struggle, in torrential rain, their stars dimmed, their compasses not working, on part pitch, part sodden earth, mostly puddles – with their (and their opponent's) dignity intact. If Bielsa and his men keep it up, their climb up the league table can only make La Liga fans happy!