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Regarding Henry

Image: Henry: talking point at Barcelona

Guillem suggests how Barcelona might get more out of Thierry Henry in La Liga.

Valencia are a very confused club at the moment. They got rid of Quique Sanchez Flores at four o'clock in the morning and appointed Ronald Koeman on the day they were playing Real Madrid. They have realised that the signings they made recently are not good enough to replace the players that need replacing and they desperately need alternatives in midfield and at the back. They haven't got players who can come into the first XI and they are suffering for it. Furthermore, their defensive record this season is one of the worst for decades. In three years the chairman has already had four coaches, seven directors of football and four general directors. That suggests there is a very dangerous lack of focus at the club. The fans demand a certain brand of football and they are not seeing it at the moment. Some people are saying Koeman will play the Dutch way, but if you have a look at his teams they are very defensive, so we will see what we get here They are playing Mallorca in Saturday's first live game, and they are surprising everybody with their attacking play. That is down to the combination of Juan Arango, who is one of the top players in La Liga, and Dani Juiza, who was looking for a team in England for a while but is better suited to the Spanish League. They are a lethal and vital combination up front, but with Gregorio Manzano at the helm, you will always get a well-organised team.

Deceived

Sevilla are at home to Real Madrid in our other live game on Saturday, but don't be deceived by their results at the moment. They are 80 per cent back to the way they used to be, especially offensively, although they've got to improve on their defensive capabilities. Having been without Javi Navarro for a long time doesn't help, but it's not just that. Everybody else has to work that little bit harder - but they are getting back to what they used to be. On the other hand, Bernd Schuster has compared Real Madrid to Roger Federer. He says they don't need to be spectacular and they don't even need to start well to destroy their rivals. That seems to be the case. What we are seeing here is a Real Madrid team that has been put together in such a way that not even the coach knows why it is working. But it seems to be coming together with Guti in a free role, Robinho full of confidence and Raul scoring again. Even Fernando Gago looked like he was recapturing the form of his days at Boca Juniors when Real played Valencia in midweek.

On record

At Barcelona, all the talk is about Thierry Henry, who has gone on record as saying the side doesn't have to adapt to him, but he has to adapt to the side. But he has complained in private that the team is not using him to the best of his capabilities, and some of his friends have made it public. That message seems to have reached the players and the idea is to move the ball much quicker and to practice direct football every now and again, which will benefit him. They are playing Betis on Sunday and their coach, Hector Cuper, does not fill everybody with confidence. They have signed 11 new players, but nobody knows what they are playing at. Plus the fans are chanting for the chairman to 'go home'. But as the main shareholder in Betis, he's not going to go anywhere unless he sells the club - and he has no intention of doing that. If he doesn't go, then the first person to suffer will be the coach, so I don't think Cuper will be there for long.
Positive
Our final live game this weekend sees Recreativo travel to Athletic Bilbao. Recreativo haven't scored in five and they have lost the last four. I think coach Victor Munoz felt a bit deceived because the likes of Uche and Cazorla left shortly after he arrived and they have not been properly replaced. However, I do feel positive about Bilbao. They are improving defensively and they've got good young players like Susaeta, Moravietta and Martinez, so there is something for the future. They need to improve offensively, but I think this season is about not conceding goals and giving experience to the young players. Do you agree with Guillem? Let us know what you think by using the feedback form below and continue to email him your questions here

Guillem answers your questions...

As a proud Venezuelan I feel we are well represented (although not in numbers) by Juan Arango in Spain. Mallorca seem to be progressing and not looking over their shoulders or fighting with relegation. How do you see Arango at the moment and could he maybe move to a bigger club? Jesus Zurita (Coventry City fan) GUILLEM REPLIES: Arango was waiting all summer to move to a bigger club and when that did not happen, he started to lose focus and it took him a while to get his form back. But he's back now and he's definitely a La Liga star. He can play behind a striker, or on his own as a striker or on the left-hand side where he started at Mallorca. He's got a very sweet left foot. Hi Guillem, love your work! A couple of questions, firstly what are the chances of Mikel Arteta getting into the Spain squad under Luis Aragones? Do you think he needs to move to a top-four team in order to break through or perhaps he would have more luck under a new national team coach? Also, I remember being really impressed by Ruben Cani when he was playing at Zaragoza, what has happened to him, why has he not settled at Villarreal? Thanks. Michael Knight (Everton & Villarreal fan!) GUILLEM REPLIES: Thank-you very much Michael! I don't think Arteta needs to go anywhere, but he won't break into the national team under Aragones. He has picked a team that has eventually got the results that Spain needed, so I don't think Aragones will use him in the European Championships. But he's got to keep going because there will be a new coach soon and if it's Vicente del Bosque I think he will give him a chance. Last season, Cani was never the player we saw at Zaragoza and that was very disappointing. This season he is in and out of the side and there are other players like Santi Cazorla, Marcos Senna and Martiez Fernandez, who are doing the offensive job. He needs either a move or a run of matches. Hi Guillem, I am an Arsenal fan and I would love to know your opinion on Carlos Vela. I have heard that he may be recalled in January, but if not next summer. He has been dubbed the new Ronaldo by many but is he the real deal and does he have what it takes to succeed at Arsenal and in the Premiership? Harry Goldsmid. GUILLEM REPLIES: Carlos Vela was getting a bit carried away by the hype that was surrounding him. He needs to put his head down, become humble again and work hard for the side. Some people say he will become the next Henry and that's not quite right, but he can become a regular in the Premier League. The fact that he's at Osasuna will help him and I don't think Arsenal will recall him in January. But he's definitely an Arsenal-type player. He loves running with the ball, he's a goalscorer, he can play out wide or as a second forward and I really like him. But he's in that crucial period of his career, where he has to show he really has got the hunger and the consistency to make it. With Juande Ramos moving to Spurs do you feel he will raid La Liga and/or his former club for players? Not many players have made the switch from La Liga to the Premier League with success, why is this? Michael, Sandhurst. GUILLEM REPLIES: Ramos will look very carefully everywhere else before going to Sevilla to get players. I know the likes of Daniel Alves would make it if he had the chance to come to the Premier League. He likes the goalkeeper Palop a lot and he would be useful in that side and lift them. I don't agree that not many players have made the switch from La Liga to the Premier League with success. There have been big failures like Josemi, Reyes and Nunez, but look at Reina, Torres, Luis Garcia, Xavi Alonso, Arteta and Campo. I would say there has been more successes than failures.

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