After the low scores he awarded FC Barcelona players last week, Johan Cruyff returns this week with a different score sheet.


Dutch and FC Barcelona legend, Johan Cruyff, who was blunt in his down-sizing of Barca after the match against Racing Santander, has given some props up to the Blaugrana after better display of more vintage football against Athletic Bilbao. Cruyff was positive in his assessment and also stressed that merit should determine who plays and for how long. Speaking of Barcelona's performance aganist Athletic Bilbao, Cruyff said:

This is more like it. We have seen a better Barcelona. They played a lot more like they should do because Atheltic was the ideal opponent against whom you can hide your failings so that it appears that you do not have any at all. In any case, it is good for everyone. The team won itself time and the fans saw enough for them to forget about the shabby display in Santander.

About the issue of playing time and who plays, Cruyff believes that the solution is to allow each person play as he merits. The Dutchman also campaigned for more playing time to be given to younger ones like Giovanni Dos Santos:

Football is about performances and if that can be improved by giving the young ones, for example Giovani, more time, then there should be no doubts. Giovani is young, but he is a player of the first team to all intents and purposes. If he is good enough, which he is, then he should be given more chances.

Samuel Eto'o was injured and is now out for two months. This is a problem for the FC Barcelona attack, as there are fewer options to play with and strike for goal. Cruyff also agrees to this, saying:

Eto'o is injured. This injury can never be thought of as good news, even though some think it may be, because he is a specialist in front of goal. But unlike a year ago, Barça now have three forward in Henry, Giovani and Bojan. Now there are replacements.