The PUB says "Keep the faith"

Last weekend was billed as the Madrid derbi that Atletico were finally to take something from, the most even in years, a match where anything could happen. Afterwards it was being diagnosed as the match where Madrid sealed the league with Barca dead and buried with 18 games still to go. Both statements were/are complete tosh.

In the words of one Atletico fans "it's been the same game for 10 years". It doesn't matter how Atletico go into that fixture, or indeed how they play in that fixture. Another 3 point haul for the club whose President openly supports baseball bat wielding neo-nazi hooligans is an inevitability. The shouts from Madrid players of "the league's in the bag" are premature and symptomatic of the almost total disdain that exists for the opposition nowadays at the Bernabeu, an attitude provoked by their manager who whenever Madrid fail to win, or fail to win convincingly enough, seeks to place the blame on anybody but himself.

The 7 points that seperate the two teams at the top of La Liga look far more than they are because of Madrid's relentless consistency, not because of any overwhelming quality that they posess. It is also enhanced by a FC Barcelona side which has for a time now looked very unlike Barca. However one result, one defeat for Madrid will completely change the perplexion of the contest because WHEN that defeat comes along it will shatter their growing sense of untouchability within the walls of the Bernabeu as well as outside. Barca simply have to find a way to win, win and win again just like they did in 2004 in the second half of Frank Rijkaard's first season. That time our club managed to overturn a Madrid advantage which at one stage amounted to 18 points and ended up with Barca finishing 2 points ahead of the auld enemy.

If the side can stay injury free, if maybe we get a bit of luck with Etoo coming back early from the ANC, if Ronaldinho can find form again then there is no reason why we can't push right to the end of the season to win back the league title. We CAN go to the Bernabeu and win as Barca sides of the past have done against far better Madrid teams, we CAN get the two other results which would see us ahead of that foul club which continues to give free tickets to overtly fascist fans and we CAN do it playing good football. It needs hard work, it needs unity and it needs belief but if those three ingredients are blended together at Can Barca then we can come back and make those players in white running down the tunnel at the Calderon cheering and whooping and shouting "the league's in the bag" with half a season left look very, very silly indeed.

Visca el Barca i Visca la PUB.