Esteban Browning: Two months in: Jose Gonzales: Jgonzales@marca.com
It would be safe to assume that most of the world is still in a state of shock (or hysterics) over the decision of F.C Barcelona to appoint a complete unknown to the position of manager of this great club. But appoint an unknown they did, mainly due to Joan Laporta’s poor card playing skills and a drunken bet with the chairman of Athletico Madrid. However the more important question on the minds of football fans everywhere after this shock appointment was: what would happen next? Would Browning somehow be able to fluke his way to success? Would this great club descend into free fall in La Liga? Or maybe just maybe this young man actually had the ability to lead his side to success? Well it has to be said two months into the job and things are looking remarkable calm at Camp Nou for the moment at least.
The first thing the boy wonder set about doing was sacking a few coaches that he needed either not good enough or not what he required for the job at hand. Quique Costas and Rojo found themselves on the unemployment line but with their reputations it should be long before both men find themselves back in football. Joop Hiele was signed up as a goalkeeping coach and Berto and Antonio Suárez also joined the backroom team at Camp Nou. But the new man was finished there, oh no, with the board afford him the luxury of some extra transfer money he needed a transfer that would capture the imagination of the fans, bring a buzz of excitement to the club after the shock of his appointment, at 12pm on the 14th of July he delivered his announcement that he had signed Fernando Torres from Athletico Madrid for the cool price of €47m. Needless to say the fans were excited with this new member of the playing staff and were very keen to see what other surprises Browning would deliver. As left the press conference Browning was asked if he would be making any more signings, “I told you all when I was appointed that I felt that the squad could do with one or two additions, but that I would not be panic buying. At the moment we have secured a world class player for a lot less than people expected us to pay, I have my eye on one or two other players but we will only be making a move for them if the price is right” he replied.
With that the young Browning embarked on his pre season against what can only be described as “middle and lower class” opposition.
First off he faced Stuttgart on the 30th of July, the match was a fairly one sided affair with Barcelona beating away and the Timo Hilderbrand’s goal from start to finish, poor finish and maybe a lack of march sharpness are the only reasons this wasn’t a cricket score.
Ronaldinho gave Barca the lead in the 26th minute; Thomas Hitzisperger levelled things up the 59th minute totally against the run of play and with Stuttgart’s first shot of the match. Samuel Eto’o got the second and what proved to be the winner with his 64th minute strike. With the constant abuse of his goal and the miracle that he managed to keep the score to only 2-1 it was no surprise to anyone watching this match that Timo Hildebrand was named man of the match.
Next up they travelled to face Ferrol on the 2nd of August, this match too was another completely one sided affair with Ferrol only have two shots and neither of them hit the target. New boy Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Javier Saviola added the second on the half hour mark and Xavi made it 3-0 two minute before half time. With the game so far out of sight Barcelona treated the second half like a training match. In the midst of all the show boating and flashy tricks captain for the day Deco found himself man of the match.
Barca then faced Palencia on the 5th of August and yet again this was another one sided affair, like Ferrol, Palenica could not manage a single shot on target while their more illustrious opponents ran riot. Mexican defender Rafael Márquez opened the scoring in the 5th minute with his powerful header. Samuel Eto’o made it two in the 25th minute and Lilian Thuram got the third five minutes later, a good day for defenders scoring. The man of the match on this fine summer afternoon was Samuel Eto’o.
Next on the hit list for Browning and his boys was Académica, not the greatest challenge for of a team of calibre of Barcelona; however this lot proved more of a test than the previous opponents and even managed to grab a goal in the process!
Thiago Motta opened the scoring early in this one as he fired home in the 5th minute.
Fernando Torres added number two in the 11th minute. Hélder Barbosa pulled one back for Académica in 35th minutes. Andrés Iniesta restored the two goal cushion in the 65th minute and Ronaldinho added the fourth in the 68th minute.
Ronaldinho’s eye catching performance saw him named the man of the match.
The final warm up game saw Barcelona travel to Sestao and blow them right out of the water. Samuel Eto’o waiting only three minutes before striking with the first, he added the second in the 16th minute, Ronaldinho added another on the half hour mark, Eidur Gudjohnsen got in on the action in the 45th minute and Mikel Mendez sent the ball past his own keeper a mere thirty seconds later to give Barca a 5-0 advantage at half time.
Three minutes after the restart Eto’o had his hat trick, then just for good measure he grabbed a fourth in the 54th minute. Dimas rounded off this mugging in the 89th minute.
With the tour out of the way thoughts turned to the domestic season which was about to begin in earnest. “Of course I am looking forward to the season, we had a very good pre season scoring 20 goals in 5 games so confidence is high here” Browning said, he also said “Yes I believe we have what it takes to finish top of the table, we will have to give our best and always maintain focus, it won’t be easy by any means but we can do it” when asked of his sides chances of winning the league.
Only time will tell.
The first competitive game in charge for the new manager would see him play in the Supercopa against the hated city rivals Espanyol, with the first leg being played at Luis Company on Thursday 17th August, Both sets of fans turned out early for this game and began to fill the stadium an hour before kick off. Browning looked tense of he took his place on the bench, this was his baptism of fire, the last thing you want to do is start your career at your new club with a defeat to your rivals, and he knew he had to get a result in this one. Browning or the fans didn’t have to wait long to have something to celebrate either, as in 4mins from a Ezquerro throw him the lead would come, Xavi collected the ball from the throw in and knocked a 20yard ball to Carlos Puyol who rattled a thunderous shot past Carlos Idriss Kameni in the Espanyol goal. Espanyol suffered another blow in the 24th minute when their biggest goal threat, Raul Tamudo went off injured after a collision with Rafael Marquez. There minutes later Deco doubled the advantage for Barcelona, after his initial shot was saved the little midfielder was first to rebound and stabbed home from close range. Javier Saviola wrapped up the scoring three minutes from full time as he raced clear of Chica to find himself one on one with the keeper, from 10 yards the Argentine made no mistake. Captain Carlos Puyol was named man of the match and his wonder strike no doubt helped his cause.
After the match Browning had this to say “Yes it was a great result and great performance from the lads, many of you expected to fall flat on my here didn’t you, well ha! We have a great advantage going into the second leg now but we will still have to be a little wary of Espanyol, but today is a great day for the fans, it’s always nice to get a victory of your rivals.”
Three days later both teams would clash again at Camp Nou, and even though Barcelona wouldn’t serve up the same exciting football they did in the first leg they still won the first silverware of the season. The goal scoring action in this was one was over pretty quickly as both goals were scored in the opening five minutes, the first of which came in the third minute as Xavi knocked a delightful 25 yard ball ahead of Samuel Eto’o, as Eto’o ran onto the ball he surged past Jóse Mar*e Lacruz and drove the ball low into the net. Literally from the kick off Espanyol found themselves level, Rufete turned Zambrotta inside out on the right hand side before sending a brilliant cross that was met by the head of Pandiani.
After this the match pretty much fizzled out to an exhibition style match. Captain Puyol was named man of the match for the second match in a row.
After the match the home fans chanted “Esteban no es quizá tan malo” (perhaps Esteban is not so bad). Things suddenly didn’t look so bad for the new manager at Camp Nou, although there was still a long way to go.
Browning was about to find how unpredictable football at this level can be and the fine line between success and failure in the eyes of the fans. He led his to the Stade Louis II in Monaco on August the 25th to face Uefa cup winners Sevilla in the European super cup and what a disaster it was!
With
one minute Sevilla found themselves in the lead as Kanoute out jumped Barcelona captain Puyol and as the ball broke to Javier Chevantón he found himself in the clear and made no mistake a fired the ball past Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal. Three minutes later Chevantón was at it again as he skipped past the challenge of Rafa Marquez and found himself one on one with the keeper again, a low right footed shot later and Sevilla where 2-0 up and Barcelona found themselves right up against it. But there was another shock was in store for the favourites in the 13th minute as Kanouté made it 3-0 from a nice pass from Jesús Navas. Barcelona could only find a single reply in the 50th minute from Eidur Gudjohnsen in the 50th minute. Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute was named man of the match. After the match Browning refused to speak to the press and Barcelona fans chanted “¡Diddy hacia fuera!” (Diddy out) and Browning had now witnessed first hand how fickle these fans could be.
Barcelona began their defence of their La Liga crown on Wednesday 30th August as Recreativo paid a visit to Camp Nou, with the defeat in Monaco still fresh in the minds of everyone associated with the club, a good result was required here to settle the nerves, and it was duly delivered as Barcelona went for the jugular right from the off in this one. Samuel Eto’o rattled in the first in the 2nd minute, Javier Saviola added number two in the 13th minute, Eto’o was back at it in the 25th minute as he made the score 3-0, Deco got in on the act in the 29th minute making it 4, and three minutes later Eto’o completed his hat trick. Into the second half and Eidur Gudjohnsen made it 6-0 in the 53rd minute. Iago Bouron was sent off for Recreativo in the 66th minute for his second book able offence, and Gudjohnsen added his second, Barca’s seventh a minute later. Emilo Jose Viqueria pulled one back for the visitors in the 76th minute and Deco made it 8-0 in the 87th minute with his second goal of the game. Viqueria pulled another back for Recreativo in the dying seconds of the match to bring a close to this ten goal thriller.
Deco was named man of the match in this one.
After the match the Barcelona fans chanted “no contar tus pollos todav*a” (don’t count your chickens yet) to the manager.
Ten days later Barca would visit Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to face Sevilla and look to erase the memory of the defeat in the European Super Cup, and they just about managed it. An own goal from David Cobeno in the 8th minute sent them on their way. Altor Ocio levelled things up in the 18th minute with a lovely chip over the helpless Valdes. Javier Saviola resorted the lead six minutes later with a cushioned header and Deco made it 3-1 in the 34th minute with his stunning 35yard volley. Alexander Kerzhakov pulled another back for Sevilla in the 58th minute but they never looked like taking anything from this match.
Sevilla striker Kerzhakov was named man of the match.
After the match the Barcelona fans chanted “está eso el mejor que puedes manejar” (is that the best you can manage) clearly disappointed with their teams effort despite the victory.
Having been drawn in group G of the champions league along with Roma, Olympiakos and Fenerbahce, Barca paid host to the Roma at the Nou Camp on Wednesday 13th September, the match itself was a totally one sides affair with Barcelona dominating the match from first to last. The scoring was opened in the 29th minute after a superb 40 yard through ball by Xavi found Leo Messi unmarked and with space to run into, Messi dispatched the ball high past the advancing keeper to give his side the lead. The lead was doubled nine minutes later with Belletti whipped a great cross at the near post for Ronaldinho to slot the ball home. In the 69th minute Belletti found Ruud van Nistelrooy in the box and a penalty was awarded but Perrotta’s weak effort was saved easily by Victor Valdes. Indeed one of the easiest victories new manager Esteban Browning will ever have in this time in charge of Barcelona.
Ronaldinho was voted man of the match.
After the match the Barcelona fans chanted (in the direction of the Roma fans) “tu encargado es peor que los nuestros” (your manager is worse than ours).
The result that will have endeared Browning to the Barcelona fans most though will have been the match on Sunday 17th September when Real Madrid visit Camp Nou and left with a 1-0 defeat. Madrid under new management themselves after appointing some English diddy called Rob Perry in the summer. The match itself was a close affair with both sides coming close in occasions, although by the end of the first half it was fair to say that Barcelona had been the more dominant team, but only just. The second half was more of the same with both sides going for it hammer and tongs; Barca made the breakthrough though in the 61st minute as Javier Saviola fired the ball home after some great play by Ronaldinho and Eto’o. Madrid did everything in their power to get back into the match in the 29mins that remained but the Barcelona defence held firm to deny their biggest rivals.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was named man of the match.
After the match Barcelona fans chanted “te conseguimos el mal, tú somos grandes” (we got it wrong you are great) towards Esteban Browning.
There you have it, two months in the life of the new Barcelona manager, the only real disappointment thus far has been the defeat in European Super Cup to Sevilla, but the team has bounced back to record some good victories in the league and a good victory over Roma in their champions league group, but the burning question must be can they keep it up? Keep reading Marca to find out the news first!
Jose Gonzales.
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