Tito Vilanova declared himself happy with his official debut as Barcelona boss following the 5-1 demolition of Real Sociedad.
A brace from Lionel Messi and goals from Carles Puyol, Pedro and David Villa ensured an emphatic win for La Blaugrana in a game that marked Villa’s return from long-term injury.
“It is always good to win on your debut and to win well,” Vilanova told a Press conference afterwards.
“The fact that we were strong in the first 15 minutes, when we reacted well to their goal, also helped us.
“Villa’s return was important for the team as his teammates have seen what it takes to come back after such an important injury. The goal will have given him a boost.”
However, the 42-year-old believes that Barca are still not at their peak.
“We are still not at our optimum fitness level, although we always tried to push forward, and I feel that we always wanted to give more,” he declared.
Asked about the decision to leave Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Alexis on the bench, he denied it was with Thursday’s Supercopa de Espana clash with Real Madrid in mind.
“I took into account the travelling with their national team teams and also the time they have spent training. I thought about it from the start.”
Vilanova also had words of praise for fellow debutant Jordi Alba and right-back Dani Alves, who played in a more advanced role.
“Alba had a good debut. It’s never easy in your first game, especially at the Camp Nou.
“As for Dani, he has the legs to get up and down but it’s true that we can’t have two people forward at the same time.
“If that’s the case then the other players will try to find a solution,” he concluded.
