http://tinyurl.com/39kmvo Saviola Returns; But Nothing Has Changed! Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola returns to Camp Nou for the first time since his high profile switch this summer. The big question is: has anything changed? Fate Not Without Irony The diminutive Argentine upset the Camp Nou faithful by signing for Real Madrid on a Bosman despite having repeatedly pledged that he would not. However, the move - supposedly to get more playing time, and to get even with those at Barcelona who had refused to back him - seems to have failed to yield the desired results. Four months on, 'The Rabbit' remains just where he was: on the bench. While his die-hard supporters will call it unfortunate, as it probably is, the Barcelona fans will have little sympathy after the way he stormed out, rejecting the Catalan club's terms. "I want to play regularly," he had said on July 12 during his presentation at the Bernabeu. "I want a chance to show what I can do on the pitch." “It is important to have the confidence of the coach," he had added, sitting next to Ramon Calderon and referring clearly to Frank Rijkaard's lack of faith in him. He returns to Camp Nou for the first time since. In other circumstances, this would have been his chance to silence Rijkaard, but it seems to have all gone wrong. Few would be surprised if I said those statements were made yesterday, and not four months ago! Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. What Happened? A number of factors have conspired against him, and as a neutral, you cannot but feel sorry for this supremely talented individual. First and foremost: nobody, not even Bernd Schuster or Ramon Calderon, had counted on Raul returning to peak form and fitness the way he has. With Ruud van Nistelrooy also banging in the goals, Saviola was duly banished to the bench. The woes do not end there. Bernd Schuster has also played something similar to a 4-3-3 at times, with Raul, Robinho and Ruud in front of three others, one of the midfielders usually drifting towards the right. Even then, the Argentine failed to fit in, much due to the same problem he faced at Barcelona - the inability (and often unwillingness) to play a roaming winger's role. The simple fact is that he is at his best playing an open role behind a number nine, as he showed during the World Cup, or behind Patrick Kluivert during his early days at Barcelona. So unless Raul is sidelined for one reason or another, a first team role looks out of reach, at least this season. Having played only 242 minutes (less than three full games), reports suggest he is already looking for the exit door, in search of 'regular action' and the 'coach's trust'. Whether he gets a chance against Barcelona remains to be seen, but what is certain is that he is unlikely to be received very well even if he heads straight for the dug-out. Little has changed, except for the fact that he will be sitting on the away bench this time around! Abhishek Thakur -- 嗯，沒什麼話好說了。 如果當初讓他去成西班牙人，或許不會是今天這樣... -- Visca el Barca i visca Catalunya ! --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 140.112.214.103 ※ 編輯: kevinishia 來自: 140.112.214.103 (12/18 21:10)