When Tito Vilanova took over from the successful Pep Guardiola this summer, a lot of Barcelona fans were a little worried about the move and whether Tito could be as successful as Pep was.
Will if the opening couple of months of the season are any indication, it appears to have been a seamless transition to Tito. And now Vilanova has the opportunity to become the only Barcelona manager in the club’s history to notch up seven league wins in a row in his first season in charge.
Barcelona haven’t exactly played their finest football of recent years, but their effectiveness is beyond all doubt. With the exception of the Spanish Super Cup, which they lost to Real Madrid, it has been victory all the way.
And yet these wins have not been all that easy. In several of the matches, Barça have had to fight back from being behind. Here, too, Vilanova has demonstrated his abilities as a manager; he has known precisely what changes to make at the right time in every game, often at great risk.
These actions have not passed unnoticed by his peers. John Toshack said
“Tito has known how to move his pieces very effectively in these first games, and has done it almost perfectly”. Begiristain took a similar view:”I think very highly of him, above all when it comes to making substitutions”, Barcelona’s ex-director of football stated.
