Identity - Xavi, Barca and NCFC

[Shack Attack 0]

Reading [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/11/xavi-barcelona-spain-interview]this excellent interview with Xavi from The Guardian today[/url] really got me thinking about the identity of our club. What it it that identifies us to the wider footballing world as Norwich City? Now some people will tell you that we are considered ''little Norwich'' or even worse ''Delia Smith''s Norwich City''. Yet whenever I speak to other football fans the most common view that they have is that ''your lot play football the right way''.

 

Now Barca are the greatest exponents of ''playing the right way'' there is right now. They have the potential to be the greatest club side of all time (although such awards are obviously subjective) and their performance against Real this season was probably the greatest team display I have ever witnessed. And what strikes me from this interview is how deeply ingrained that identity is. How possesion and quick passing of the ball ( "Pum-pum-pum-pum, always one touch." ) are so deeply ingrained into their collective psyche that to play any other way would almost be a betrayal.

 

I am not for one minute suggesting that we are anything like Barcelona as that would be absurd. But what I do feel is that Paul Lambert is doing a great job in giving our current team an identity which chimes with the great City teams of the past. I look around the squad and see players who, whilst maybe not as talented, remind me of some of those players who populated the teams of Brown, Stringer and Walker. Midfielders who can pass (Fox and Surman), link men who can create (Hoolahan and C. Martin), full backs who join in (Martin and Drury), central defenders who can play (Ward and Whitbread) and a big striker who looks like your archetypal English centre forward but is so much more (Holt). All tied by this desire to ''play the right way''. To play ''the Norwich way''.

 

I don''t imagine that Paul Lamber knew an awful lot about the sides I grew up watching when I was a kid but he has created a side that makes me believe we can achieve once more. I don''t know whether it''s his own footballing philosiphy, the influence of a man in Ian Culverhouse who played pretty much all the way throughout that era or the coaching education he received in Germany but he gets us. Maybe we won''t lead The Premiership at Christmas, finish third and qualify for Europe any time in the future but the game has changed so much to make that almost impossible. But we will have our identity back and we are a far better club for it.

 

As we digest the news that we are now £2million better off thanks to the generousity of Mr Foulger people are starting to get anxious about how we spend that money. But to me the most important thing is that we only look to sign players on loan who will buy into that identity and improve us collectively. Xavi talks of young kids from the acadamy in that interview ( "You see a kid who lifts his head up, who plays the pass first time, pum, and you think, ''Yep, he''ll do.'' Bring him in, coach him.") who fit the Barca model. How many times have we seen Paul Lambert sign a player who none of us had ever seen linked with the club but who fit almost seamlessly into the team? They are normally young, hungry footballers who are capable of playing the game ''the Norwich way'' and fit the identity of the club. I don''t think you''ll see Paul Lambert bring in too many Premiership reserves who have no intention of being here in six months time because that would dilute the strong identity that he has created. Far better to continue to scour the lower leagues for hidden gems who can be signed on loan with a view to a permanent move and moulded into Norwich players.

 

I''ve gone on a bit but I find the idea of a club almost having an energy source of it''s own derived from the collective attitude of the players, coaches and fans a fascinating one*. We''re all on the same side here and regardless of where we finish the season it is clear we are moving in the right direction.

 

* Plus I really enjoyed that interview and wanted an excuse to link to it on the main part of the forum [;)]

[Legend Iwan 30]

Firstly, it is an amazing interview and exactly why I''d like to get into journalism.

Secondly, you''ve taken the idea I was going to do for my next blog piece, but you are 100% spot on with your assertions Shack. We all know how the team is playing above themselves ability wise and that simply goes down to Paul Lambert''s skill as a manager. I would say Lambert has done a better job to produce such a bond between the players than at the Nou Camp, because in the case of Barca most of the team have grown up through the youth levels and know each others game inside out. His knack of uniting the side after the 7-1 loss - at his hands - and then propelling us to win the league, and produce the goods in the Championship whilst changing half the side says a lot about his man mangement style and the way the team keeps focus.

On a side note, Xavi is spot on with Scholes.

[NCFC4LIFE 0]

My friend forwarded this to me and read it on my lunchbreak, really good insit into the thought of Xavi. Loved what he said about Paul Scholes, how much have England missed him since he has retired...

[E Block Loyal 0]

One of the best interviews I''ve ever read, makes a nice change from hearing ''the lads worked hard and we deserved the three points''. No surprise to see the interview was conducted by Sid Lowe, he''s one of the best journos about. I remember hearing some gobshites - most notbaly Ian Wright I think - saying that Xavi and Iniesta were overated before the 2008 Euros - that''s about the standard of analysis we have to put up with unfortunately.

 

Great read.

[Gingerpele 0]

That interview is amazing. Definatly best piece of Football (or any) journalism i have ever read.

And you points are all very valid as well, i agree fully with you :D

[Shack Attack 0]

[quote user="Legend Iwan"]

Secondly, you''ve taken the idea I was going to do for my next blog piece, but you are 100% spot on with your assertions Shack.[/quote]

I hope you still write that blog and provide a link on here. I''d be interested in hearing more.[quote user="NCFC4LIFE"] Loved what he said about Paul Scholes, how much have England missed him since he has retired... [/quote]It''s difficult to tell really as we never seemed to know what to do with him. Erikkson used to play him out on the left so Gerrard and Lampard could play together! And people wonder why our international side is so poor.Had Scholes been born in Barcelona he''d probably have 100 caps to his name.........and a fair amount of sunburn [:D]

[York Canary 28]

I read that interview the other day too - a truly great read and full of insight. It''s the kind of real interview that people want - a football player talking in depth about other players, styles of play, coaching, tactics and philosophies. Just brilliant. Definitely agree with people about PL being something special.. Let''s hope we go up with him this season!

[York Canary 28]

P.S I thoroughly recommend people read the article

[Herman 9,700]

[quote user="Jin"]P.S I thoroughly recommend people read the article[/quote]

Just have,and yes it''s a great read.Even though i have been watching football for countless years,i still count myself as a learner when it comes to the technicalities of the game,so reading articles like this help my education.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,402]

It would be easy to read this thread without reading the article. You must - what a knowledgable, insightful and eloquent man.

[brownie010 0]

Fantastic post mate! Read through the interview and found it very refreshing that are still intelligent footballers out there. Xavi touches on how players are brought up at barca and how education comes first and football second. I don''t know if you read an article in the sun yesterday about there academy? Well worth a read if you want to see why barca constantly produce world class players (will try and find a link)

Also it worries me how much xavi is worth in the current climate if you consider some of his achievements with club and and country not to mention personal accolades too. The reason I say this is how can Somone like andy carrol be worth £35 million when he has not achieved a fraction of what the likes of xavi, iniestia and messi have. Football has gone beyond lunnicie and I''m sure it won''t be long until we see the first £100 million player but that''s another subject altogether. Anyway small rant over for my first post and heres to a city win today!

[pete 318]

I heard Xavi being interviewed recently on Eurosport, what a level headed, eloquent and all round good guy he comes across as.  Xavi must be one of the best if not the premier midfield player of the current crop.  I don''t know if they get media training in Spain like US footballers, we get David ''Er''Beckham and Rio Ferdinand who would want to read their insights.

[Herman 9,700]

[quote user="brownie010"]Fantastic post mate! Read through the interview and found it very refreshing that are still intelligent footballers out there. Xavi touches on how players are brought up at barca and how education comes first and football second. I don''t know if you read an article in the sun yesterday about there academy? Well worth a read if you want to see why barca constantly produce world class players (will try and find a link) Also it worries me how much xavi is worth in the current climate if you consider some of his achievements with club and and country not to mention personal accolades too. The reason I say this is how can Somone like andy carrol be worth £35 million when he has not achieved a fraction of what the likes of xavi, iniestia and messi have. Football has gone beyond lunnicie and I''m sure it won''t be long until we see the first £100 million player but that''s another subject altogether. Anyway small rant over for my first post and heres to a city win today![/quote]

Don''t want to drag this thread too off-topic,but that is a great point.It is so baffling the pricing of players,esp English guys.

[PurpleCanary 5,553]

[quote user="Shack Attack"]

 

But to me the most important thing is that we only look to sign players on loan who will buy into that identity and improve us collectively. Xavi talks of young kids from the acadamy in that interview ( "You see a kid who lifts his head up, who plays the pass first time, pum, and you think, ''Yep, he''ll do.'' Bring him in, coach him.") who fit the Barca model.

 

 

[/quote]

 

---

 

There was an interview with a Barcelona player a while back (could also have been Xavi) in which he said that if in a pratice game a player took more than two touches (ie, one to control the ball and one to pass it) the coach would stop the game and explain what he had done wrong.