![]() All with that unique long-legged gait and magical left foot. However, rather than following Van Gaal’s strict instructions of hugging the touchline, Rivaldo would drift inside, often to devastating effect on slaloming runs or to unleash swerving, bending shots from all angles. It would be during his time at Camp Nou that Rivaldo reached the apex of his career.ĭeceptively quick, often using sideways step-overs and feints, and with the ability to drill low, powerful shots from seemingly any distance, Rivaldo was deployed by Van Gaal on the left of midfield in the Dutchman’s Ajax model. If he thought that playing for Barcelona would enable him to take the step up, he was right. Rivaldo had just come off the back of a very successful debut season in La Liga with Deportivo La Coruna but still hadn’t established himself in the national side. Suddenly Barca had another Brazilian to get excited about. One of his first jobs, after initially trying for Liverpool’s Steve McManaman, was to push through the signing of Rivaldo. Nunez’s response was to appoint Louis Van Gaal in an effort to return the team to its famed Dutch style, with Robson moving into the role of general manager. The Englishman’s style of football was not to the taste of all locals either, but the biggest cause for discontent was when chairman Jose Nenez allowed Ronaldo to leave, also after only one – sensational – season at Camp Nou following a contract dispute.ĭissent towards the chairman was growing. Robson delivered the Cup Winners’ Cup and Copa Del Rey in his one season in charge – but also a second-place finish in the La Liga. Having won four straight league titles between 19, Barca had now gone three seasons without one. Johan Cruyff, who at that point was the most successful manager in the club’s history, had been sacked at the end of the 1995-96 season after two consecutive poor La Liga campaigns – Barca finished fourth and third in Cruyff’s final two seasons in charge – and his replacement, Bobby Robson, lasted only a year before he too was removed as manager. When Rivaldo left Deportivo La Coruna and signed for Barcelona in 1997, unrest and instability were the buzz words in Catalonia. It’s a roadmap of his past seen through fresh eyes, and a triumphant first step in this new chapter. Donovan has managed to create an album that is sonically nostalgic and modern at once, both soul-stirring and dripping with heartache. It’s an album about learning and growing from lived experiences and reflecting on past failures in the interest of future successes. The songs are more reflective than bitter more nostalgic than sad. This Better Be Good is Donovan’s most personal effort yet a loose concept record about the ups and downs of an ultimately doomed romance between two people. With This Better Be Good, Donovan spreads his wings, combining the plaintive soul of indie rock, the heartfelt sincerity of Americana, and the stirring studio pageantry of ‘70s singer-songwriters, drawing them together to explore more intimate depths. His previous releases spun expertly-crafted character sketches that earned plaudits from Paste Magazine, Consequence of Sound, American Songwriter, and more. After finding success and a dedicated fanbase with Seattle’s All The Real Girls and his side project The Rose Petals (alongside Elijah Ocean), Donovan returns in 2022 with his first proper solo album, This Better Be Good. His perceptive songs span genres and feature narratives based on both real-life and fictitious characters, written with a contemplative heart. Peter Donovan is an astute musical storyteller. Peter Donovan : Presented by Sou’wester Arts
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