How Guardiola’s influence is stretching beyond the boundaries of the football world

Watching F.C. Barcelona’s attacking wizards effortlessly float around the final third of the pitch leaves both spectators and opposition defenders star struck and in awe.

Every fan, pundit and spectator knows what to expect tonight from the world’s most gracious and dazzling team – complete and utter footballing perfection.

Pep Guardiola’s team now set the bench mark for ‘total’ football. Arsenal, Manchester United and others are playing footballing catch up, desperate to emulate the world’s best footballing side. Heck, even Roy Hodgson has had to warn his West Brom players about ‘trying to play like Barcelona’. Whatever your footballing circumstance, the Barcelona bug is contagious don’t you know!

Pep Guardiola’s influence has touched every corner of the football world, but the Barcelona legend’s style is now being mimicked far beyond the shores of the footballing world.

The newest trainee attempting to import the flawless, flowing style of the Spanish champions comes from as far away as China. This little magician (no, not Lionel Messi) goes by the name of Fu Yandong, and he has been wowing Chinese fans with his very own imitation of the gracious style of the Catalans.

Yandong has taken Guardiola’s flowing, footballing philosophy and applied it to…Goldfish. Yes, that’s right, the man from the Far East has somehow crafted a team of goldfish that imitate the Barcelona style and swim with perfect sync and poise. Some onlookers have been astounded by Mr. Yandong’s skill and have been left marvelling, like football fans at the Camp Nou, at such brilliance.

Others have called foul play, questioning how such brilliance is plausible. Some rivals have even called for Mr. Yandong to be dropped from this year’s Chinese variety shows, and rumour has it they may be successful in having his ousted from the show. Sadly, there can be no such route out of a clash with the best for Arsenal, Barcelona will certainly be at the show tonight, but the Gunners will just be hoping it is them, and not Barca, who are the stars of that show.

Short preview for tonight game

There will have not been enough days, hours and minutes since the draw predictably placed Arsenal & Barcelona together for Arsene Wenger to plot a safe path past the only team that can ‘out-Arsenal’ Arsenal.

The replacement of the clumsy, floundering Zlatan Ibrahimivic in the summer with the more stereotype Barcelona forward, David Villa means that, if anything, Arsenal’s opponents are more Barcelona than last year!

However, there remains hope for the Gunners. Xavi, the majestic magnet that pushes and pulls the midfield strings this way and that is the not so secret mastermind behind the slick, well oiled Barca machine – the battery that ensures the watch ticks precisely as programmed. Should Arsenal disorientate the little Spaniard then there is hope of stopping the three times European champions yet. Just the small problem of Lionel Messi and company after that!

B y Michael Smith