The Juan who got away..

A loud cheer went up in the away fans' section as he got up off the bench to warm-up. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 in Hull City, with few chances for either team. This type of challenge was what Juan Mata had always excelled at, unlocking the most stubborn of defenses with slide-rule passes. His stature had been diminished significantly since the arrival of Mourinho. Chelsea fans were just about to stat praying for this chance to be the start of a revival. It was just then, when Eden Hazard, Chelsea's new MVP since Jose's return, received the ball wide out on left. He cut inside, past two defenders in a flash, and unleashed a low drive that would have far more serious repercussions on English football than one could have imagined.  Mourinho had the goal he wanted, and the diminutive Number 10 was sent back trudging to the bench. Juan Mata would not play for Chelsea again.

The news of Mata's sale to Manchester United has been met with incredulity from the footballing world (and unbounded delight from United fans, of course). Yet in strictly business terms, this seems to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. For Mata himself, this is a great opportunity to re-establish himself into Spain's plans for the World Cup this summer. He knows he will be the main guy at his new club, as opposed to a bit-part player in Mourinho's plans.

For Manchester United, there are already talks about whether he can fit in their system. But for them, Mata is more than just a player-upgrade. He is the big-name signing, which can lift the gloom around Old Trafford, the one which can kickstart their faltering campaign. Until last week, Moyes was a manager who couldn't convince Leighton Baines to leave Everton. Now he's the man  who has signed Juan Mata. As for Chelsea, a fee of 37 million Pounds for a player who doesn't seem to fit in the manager's plan is indeed a tempting offer, especially in the days of FFP.

So why so much anguish over his departure from Chelsea? To understand that, you must realize that football is far more about emotions than it is about tactics. Mata wasn't just a skilled footballer for Chelsea, he was adored like nothing else by the fans. Even in a team of Hazard, Oscar, Torres and Terry, Juan Mata was their crown jewel. He could do beautiful things with the ball, he loved the club from his heart, and we loved him back like our prince. Mata was closest to a magician Chelsea have had ever since Gianfranco Zola took his last bow at Stamford Bridge. And then it all started to go wrong.

Even though Chelsea won back to back titles in Europe, their domestic performances weren't good enough by the standards set in the Abramovich era. Jose Mourinho returned to plot a revival, and casualties were inevitable in a shake-up. Chelsea fans hoped against hope, but the harsh reality had started to sink in. The disappointed shouts every-time Mata was left out of a big game had dwindled down to mere whispers, as Mourinho's highly-functional Chelsea unit churned out wins. Mata was now a fantasy player, in a team which demanded as much industry as the finesse. Pleasing to the eye, but no more an untouchable. He carried himself with utmost professionalism in these testing times, but a departure had become unpreventable.

Let me make a confession. I have always vehemently defended the way Chelsea play against the so-called purists of the game. I have relished watching us bullishly destroy teams with Drogba and Lampard and Ballack, and enjoyed just as much when we mounted heroic defenses in times of crisis. But today I feel a tinge of regret, even if only for the sake of emotions. If only for a second, I feel wistful that my team plays a system that cannot accommodate a player like Juan Mata. My brain understands that tough decisions must be taken in search of greatness. But then, the heart wants what the heart wants, doesn't it?

On a farewell note, we enjoyed every bit of what you gave to this club, Juan. But perhaps, we did not deserve to keep having you. But that will not stop us from cheering every goal you score, going gaga when you produce those sublime pieces of skills and grinning madly watching you celebrate, even if it's for our oppositions. We do not know what the future holds, but what we do know is that the Blue hearts will continue to beat for Juan Mata, irrespective of the color he wears.

Adios.

The Tenacious Triumph

In the end, the tears told the story. Often hidden behind the facade of a flashy superstar, described unwittingly as "a commander on the field" by the FIFA president, Cristiano Ronaldo showed us his human side. He's already won everything on offer, yet he craves this so much. Declared the Best player on the planet this year, now officially.

Many find him difficult to like, even though he can routinely leave you spellbound. Ronaldo is never shy of creating a show, and he's never hid his ambitions of turning into the greatest to have graced the game. And then there's the small factor of having to compete against Lionel Messi, not just supremely talented but a lot more likable to the neutrals.

That's the funny thing with public opinions. Of course, it's a mark of greatness to be humble when you're successful. Very few can actually manage that. But it does not mean you look down on a guy who dares to display his desire for success, for greatness. In a world seduced by the easy, we scoff at a person who doesn't stop with dreaming big, but mono-maniacally devotes himself to achieving that goal. Ronaldo's latest triumph was not just of talent, but one of sheer willpower, a burning desire to prove himself to the whole world.

It may sound incredible, and even idiotic; but it is not easy being Cristiano Ronaldo. He doesn't just have to compete with one of the greatest footballers of all time for supremacy, but he has to do it while taking constant criticism, being seen in disdain by the so-called "purists" of the game. I came across a superb line by Rob Smyth in the aftermath of yesterday's ceremony, "Ronaldo's most impressive feat is not to usurp Messi; it is to believe he could do so in first place." How many others have been able to take that challenge? Sneijder faded away after one great season. The likes of Ibrahimovic and Suarez glitter, but not as consistently. And Bayern would make a case for Franck Ribery, but the fact is, he's just one component of a well-oiled machine. Take him out, and Munich still have a plethora of options in Kroos, Robben, Schweinsteiger and Muller, not to mention the newly-acquired Goetze and Thiago.

It is finally time we learn to admire Ronaldo for what he is. It's his insatiable hunger for more success that makes him so brilliant. He pushes the physical limits further and further every passing day in his quest. Look at his sculpted physique, see the power he generates with his kicks, watch his outrageous leaps in the air. They aren't god-given gifts, it's practice, it's literally blood and sweats, to go beyond what the world thinks possible, Even as an upcoming star at Manchester United, he would be last to come off the training ground. And it hasn't changed even today at Real Madrid, at the pinnacle of his career.

The comparisons with Messi are inevitable, especially when Ronaldo so openly declares his ambitions of being better than anyone else. But that should not belittle his extraordinary achievements. Because while Messi at his best seems almost divine, but Ronaldo's success is a triumph of human will. And for that alone, no one can deny him his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.

The cries of Crisis...

It doesn't take a lot for many to cry "crisis" while talking about Chelsea. Back to back defeats, injuries to 3-4 starters, shortage of sandwiches in the stadium cafeteria, global warming.. the media are super-quick to flash dramatic headlines about the Blues. Players are unhappy, the manager is under the pressure, Roman's about to pull the trigger, and what not. (Well, the last one does turn out to be true from time to time.) If the reports after the Basel game are to be believed, Jose's homecoming is already a disaster.

To be fair to the critics, Chelsea haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over the last 5 days. While it was erratic finishing that cost them against Everton, they were plain mediocre against a spirited Basel side on Wednesday. It's surprising, really. When it all began on a sunny afternoon on the opening day against Hull, Chelsea were magnificent for the first half an hour. There were talks of them storming away with the title, like in Jose's first season in England in 2004-05. And after that, they just disappeared. The aura around the Bridge because of Mourinho's second coming already seems to be evaporating, and the Blues have no one but themselves to blame.

The transfer dealings:

While most of the talk around Stamford Bridge has focused on the return of the "Happy One", Chelsea's transfers over the summer haven't been scrutinized too much. There's no doubt that the likes of Schurrle and Willian are top-class footballers, and van Ginkel can develop into a long-term midfield anchorman, the question is whether they are what Chelsea needed the most. The West Londoners haven't really managed to replace Didier Drogba ever since his departure. Fernando Torres huffed and puffed since then, along with Demba Ba to little avail. And after a prolonged public pursuit of Wayne Rooney, it was a kind of an anti-climax to end up with Samuel Eto'o. One of the most feared strikers in Europe a few years ago, Eto'o is hardly the same player these days though. And even though he may get better with match sharpness over the next few games, doubts remain on whether he really suits Chelsea's forward needs.

While Drogba was the focal point of all Chelsea's attacks, Eto'o seems to have the tendency to drift out wide often, which leaves the team with no target up front. With the Blues possessing an embarrassment of riches in terms of play-makers, it's vital for them to have a striker who just stays up front and scores goals rather than doing anything else. Romelu Lukaku would have been the most obvious solution. But the Belgian's desire to get regular playing time in a World Cup year means Chelsea are instead left with 3 big-name under-performing strikers. Based on comparative current forms, Chelsea's front-line does make an ominous reading for the fans.

The Mata Conundrum:

This is where even the hardcore supporters are feeling baffled. They love their "Special One" unconditionally. But benching the team's Player of the Year for last 2 consecutive seasons may prove to be too much. The Blues have sorely missed Mata, and the worst thing is, they have missed him while he's been available all along. Mourinho said that two years of continuous football has taken the toll on the Spaniard, and he'll take time to be fit again. But just how long can he afford to claim Mata as a vital part of his team, and continue to keep him away from the starting XI, that remains to be seen.

It's been claimed that Mata isn't a Mourinho type of player, because he doesn't always track back to help his defenders. True, Oscar offers much more with his relentless pressing in that position, but Mata's ability to create chances out of thin air is almost unparalleled. How many play-makers are out there really with finesse like his in world football? David Silva has been out injured. Fabregas perhaps. Ozil. Goetze maybe. That's about that. Chelsea just simply can't afford to not use someone of his stature and then moan about lack of creativity.

It might seem there's too much negativity around the Stamford Bridge right now, but it's too early to be panicking. The title challenges don't get over in September. Well, not unless you are Liverpool. (Even they seem to be extending their challenge-over moment a bit this season). So just a gentle reminder to all the restless Chelsea fans out there. Keep calm, and believe in the "Happy One". There might be plenty of crises around the world right now, but this ain't one of them. 

Sir Alex Ferguson: End of an Era

The tributes will start pouring in now on those social networking sites. There will be tons of stories, tons of analyses of his glorious 26 years at the helm of the most successful club in English history. But what I cannot stop wondering about is how it must have exactly been to be him. I mean, isn't that the ultimate life one can ever dream of? Getting over 70, and still having that boundless enthusiasm to do what you love? And to still be the freaking best at it after 39 years?

I won't talk about the stats and all the trophies he won and everything. Pretty much everyone knows about that, and if even if you don't, you're going to be bombarded with all that information anyways. The only statistic that tells the story of his life for me is this: 5 times Manchester United finished as the runners-up in the Premier League under him. On each and every occasion, they stormed back to win back the title. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will, said Vince Lombardi. Willpower was never a problem with Ferguson. Every goal scored was cheered with the same childlike enthusiasm, that must have been present right from childhood. Every defeat was met with a burning desire to return to the winning ways.

The speculations are already rife about who shall succeed him at Old Trafford. For all we know, that might be the greatest managerial challenge one has ever faced. The kind of legacy he leaves behind, how do you compete with that? And yet Ferguson might not be gone just yet. They say he'll continue on the football board and as an ambassador. You wonder if there's one final challenge left for him. History tells us its a monumental task to continue the same level of success, when a team loses a legend like him. It took decades for United to get over Sir Matt Busby. Liverpool met with similar fate after Bill Shankly. I wonder if that's why Ferguson wants to hang around, albeit in an upstairs job. To ensure that Manchester United continue to move forward with the legend that he has built in last 26 years.

That, might just be the ultimate triumph for the Wily Old Scott.

Work In Progress...

Quite a few must have been surprised with how strongly Di Matteo's Chelsea began their season. They were supposed to be the team in transition; with all those fancy new play-makers coming in who would surely need  time to adapt. Add to that, they'd just lost the talismanic Didier Drogba, and a bunch of dependable squad-players like Kalou, Meireles and Malouda. The hopes went up pretty fast though, once they'd stormed to 7 wins in first 8 games, playing probably the best football in British Islands. Last few weeks have shown enough though, to remind us that, Chelsea very much remain a "work in progress."

So, where do the problems lie? People point out Chelsea haven't kept a clean-sheet in last six games. But, the defenders haven't been poor to be honest, nor the goal-keeper. They haven't really got enough protection from the midfield shield ahead of them. How many times have we seen Mikel so unusually high up the pitch for his holding-role? Some of us wondered how could Hazard and Mata play in the same team. Well, Chelsea even threw Oscar into the mix, and they have formed an incredible attacking-trio quite seamlessly. Chelsea's biggest concerns stem from not the new boys, but adapting the existing ones to the new system.

The Double Pivot:

Ideally to play a double midfield pivot, you'd prefer a combination of a strong ball-winner, and an excellent passer, the one they call "the deep-lying play-maker" these days. A good example would be Busquests and Xavi at Barcelona, or Vidal and Pirlo at Juventus; even though neither of those two clubs employ the the same formation. Last few games have shown us that Chelsea have neither.

With Di Matteo sticking to his preferred 4-2-3-1, it allows Chelsea to field all three of their coveted playmakers. But it has created a new conundrum in the deep-lying midfield positions. Last season, Di Matteo would play Ramires as the part of the advanced trio, leaving Lampard and Mikel  to sit in front of the defense. Lampard adapted to the role brilliantly, controlling the play from deep and even getting into strong tackles frequently. This season though, Di Matteo has had to choose two out of the three, and Lampard has found himself on the bench a few times because the energy Ramires brings to the midfield.

Lampard and Mikel proved to be a solid midfield-duo last season.

As Chelsea's approach was conservative for the big games, Mikel often stayed deep and went on to be one of the stand-out performers last season. But with this season's Chelsea wanting to play with flair, we've often seen him move high up the pitch at times, where frankly, he looks like a deer caught in the headlights. What's worse, it leaves Chelsea vulnerable to counter-attacks like the way United cut them open for their second goal. Oriol Romeu seemed to be tailor-made for a role in this midfield with his performances early last season, with decent tackling skills and excellent ball-distribution. But his form has pretty much fizzled out since.As for Ramires, yes, he's one of the most valuable midfielders in the Premier League right now with his boundless stamina, he's not the guy suited to his current role. Ramires is a proper box-to-box midfielder, tirelessly moving up and down the pitch. Thus, his attacking instincts leave Chelsea outnumbered in the middle of the park during rapid opposition counters. 

The Number Nine Role:

Well, there have been enough columns filled on this one. Chelsea do get goals, but they need more of them coming from their strikers. I feel the criticism handed out to Torres is a bit excessive. He's looked quite sharp recently, ready to take on defenders, even pulling out tricks and dummies. But Chelsea need him to score goals.Anyhow. Without them, the pressure is too much on the trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar. At the moment, they're the ones expected to create chances, and then do the scoring too. Daniel Sturridge simply doesn't look good enough to start week-in-week-out. Which means Torres has to start games continuously without even thinking of rotations and stuff.

To be frank, expectations from Torres have been sky-high because of all the expensive creative talent brought in by Chelsea. During his heydays at Liverpool, everything went through him. But Chelsea's creators are themselves more than able bang in goals themselves, which in fact means, lesser clear-cut chances for Torres than one would expect. He's at his best when playing on the shoulder of the last defender, while currently he often has to come deeper to link with Mata and Hazard. This is one big conundrum to deal with for Di Matteo.

There are already talks of a January swoop for a big name forward. If the current scenario doesn't change soon, that might turn into a necessity rather than a luxury. We've been told Chelsea will be genuine title contenders this season, but all that talk may end up to be premature. This team is yet far from complete. The occasional flashes of brilliance might dazzle us temporarily. But unless Chelsea sort out their current issues, the English title looks unlikely to leave the city of Manchester.

The Return of a Boas...

From the managerial wunderkid to a naive failure. The journey was swift for a young Andre Villas-Boas. A year ago, he was the most coveted man in European football; with all the big clubs showing interest, after that incredible treble with Porto. Yet the gasps were audible when a move to Stamford Bridge materialized. No one had ever paid 13 million pounds before to secure a manager. Not even Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour.

Yet here he stands now, as the newly-named boss of Tottenham, just four months after the unceremonious sacking at Chelsea, where his tenure lasted merely 256 days. Yes, Andre Villas-Boas is back in English football. Perhaps not amidst so  much fanfare this time, but certainly with even more resolve to succeed. His decision to take the reigns at Spurs is indeed a bold one, considering many would've shied away from such a fast return after a nightmarish experience.

We have already been subjected to lots of discussions on whether he can succeed at White Hart Lane, or what are the issues he'll need to handle immediately; from serious tactical debates to amateurish "Get Modric to stay, Sign a big striker and everything will be rosy" types. Let's not get into all that again. Villas-Boas' rise on the footballing circuit has certainly been fascinating. Did he try to get big too fast? Should he have waited another year, like his predecessor Mourinho, before making the big move? The discussions have been endless. And yet, a man as shrewd as Levy chose to put his faith in him ahead of an experienced Englishman highly popular at Spurs. That should tell us something.

Villas-Boas certainly has an interesting persona, although the media didn't exactly do him justice. The confidence was soon labelled as "arrogance" once he took them head-on, and results started dwindling. He came to Chelsea with a clear vision for the future, but the actual implementation was far more difficult. The plan was to play the beautiful passing game, with an extremely high back-line to press heavily (Yeah, we have heard tons about that!). Trouble began when Chelsea's Old Guard struggled to adjust to the new system. You could say Villas-Boas's reaction wasn't exactly diplomatic. Even that could work at some of the clubs, but not at a club where player-power is so rampant.

A few would deny the young Portuguese is an astute tactician; in fact, some would say he's too much of that. His attention to details is immense, inherited from his days as the Opposition Scout. It's said that some of the Chelsea's players didn't take it too well, when AVB tried to dictate even their smallest movements. He was a workaholic, poring over massive amounts of technical data about his players. In the end he became so engrossed with damage-control work, that he'd even sleep at the Cobham training center. Despite having a family home in Chelsea Harbour. People could call him naive, arrogant and loads of other things; but no one could fault his burning desire to make things work at Chelsea.

Some say Villas-Boas was too obsessed with the tactical data, than his own players.

To make things clear, this writer is a die-hard Chelsea fan, so any urge to see as bitter rivals as Tottenham fail should be almost obligatory. One would think that desire would be even more intense against someone who went there from the Stamford Bridge itself. And yet, I just can't bring myself to not like the man, who was willing to sleep on the training grounds, just to make things right at Chelsea.

Some of Villas-Boas' mistakes were glaring. The insistence on high-line with ageing defenders was always highlighted. Although his signing of Gary Cahill showed he understood the issue. No one had better stats last season in catching opponents offside as the last man in defense than the English Centre-back. He wasn't helped by the troubles in Chelsea's striking department, despite the abundance of talent. His success at Porto was built majorly on two phenomenal forwards, Falcao and Hulk. The two scored an incredible 74 goals together in Porto's treble-winning heroics. At Chelsea, neither Drogba nor Torres hit the ground running. Suspensions suffered at crucial junctures didn't help the cause either.

And yet, perhaps the biggest mistake was isolating Nicolas Anelka and Alex, once they handed in transfer request. Maybe a decision too professional for players' liking. These were 2 experienced footballers who had won championships with Chelsea and had greatly successful careers; most of the team felt a strong bond with them that Villas-Boas didn't share. The public humiliation of taking away their first-team privileges didn't go down well with the rest of the team.

Ever since that, Villas-Boas must have known he was on borrowed time. Chelsea looked like a broken team, as if they didn't even want to play under him. The sacking was almost inevitable, but Roman Abramovich did blame his players for the poor performances. Villas-Boas didn't play the blame-games; he fought audaciously  till the inevitable end came. They say Spurs are taking a huge gamble by hiring him. Only time will tell us if it backfires. But for now, the man who once laid claims to title of the "Next Special One" is back in English Football. And the Premier League is going to get a lot more interesting.

The Burning Boats...

There's an awe-inspiring story of the famed explorer Hernando Cortez that I can never forget. He reached the shores of Mexico in 1519. Wanted to conquer the land for the Spanish empire. But the hurdles were too big. A  mighty empire of Aztecs as enemies, deadly diseases, and scarce resources in a totally foreign land. As he marched with his army for the battle, he sent one of his captains back to the shore with a single order, "Burn our Boats." I love that attitude.

When Chelsea's famous Old Guard marched on to the Stamford Bridge turf on Wednesday night, they perfectly knew what future awaited them. They knew that, their boats were burning, and that there was no way back. Fight for survival, or die in the war.Simple. And they delivered. Sometimes, it's better to be under pressure, rather than coasting through everything.

John Terry said before the game it could be one of their greatest nights, and spot on he was. This was a performance that defined what Chelsea are all about. Simply refusing to die, refusing to give up on their long cherished dream of conquering Europe. Chelsea's golden generation knew this would be their last chance, a final onslaught in their quest for the Holy Grail, that is the Champions League. And they fought heroically, for the whole of those astonishing 120 minutes. John Terry, Mr Chelsea as he most certainly is, would lead the way majestically, miraculously just 3 weeks after a surgery on what had looked like a serious knee injury. Didier Drogba, who turned 34 days ago, battled like a monster for the whole of two hours, never allowing a moment's peace to all 3 defenders who formed Napoli's rearguard.

Let's give Napoli the credit they are due, though, for making this tie a memorable one. Any Italian team would try to sit on the two-goal lead they brought from Naples. But then, Napoli hardly play like an old-fashioned Italian team. They aren't afraid of the giants, and rightfully so. Their "Holy Trinity" is one of the best forward-lines in Europe, bettered perhaps only by Messi and Co. Napoli are quite an exceptional team, they move at a breakneck speed, they make the game thrilling, without doubt they went down fighting.

Walter Mazzari was right with his philosophy, despite the defeat. They knew they could score in London, leaving Chelsea to score atleast three. What he would not have thought, was that Chelsea would be up for the challenge. This was the Chelsea radically different from the one that fell lamely in Naples. Fired up for the occasion, ever since Terry put them ahead on aggregate, you could sense there would be no stopping them. Gokhan Inler's brilliantly taken goal, even though easily the finest of the night, merely delayed the inevitable. Chelsea would not be beaten on the night. There was far too much determination in them to be knocked out.

These are the nights that make football fans' lives worth living for. These are the nights that make Football the "Beatiful Game" that it is. Every club has their own, and this one perhaps, was Chelsea's greatest. There's far too much work yet to be done, all the hullabaloo will count for nothing if Chelsea can't get their faltering season back on track at the end. But this was a night, that galvanized the club, which days ago, looked a broken unit. Stamford Bridge erupted like never before, and it's likely to keep roaring again. The writing on the wall is there for all to see. Chelsea's Golden Generation are out on their final assault. They might not be around for long now, but they're far from finished. Not by a long way.

Is this the start of a revival for the Men from the Bridge?

Bilbao’s supremacy or United’s frailties?

After a hiatus for more than 2 months, Football Freaks finally returns.. Akash Nair takes a look back at the hugely entertaining clash between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao two days ago, as he praises the project Marcelo Bielsa has undertaken at the Basque club....

I will confess now and here that I am a fan of Marcelo Bielsa. This is not a consequence of Athletic Club de Bilbao’s triumph over my beloved United, but a gradual appreciation from the time I first saw him manage a side – Chile against Spain at the world cup, the only match where Spain was threatened.

Now coming to the original question – was it Bilbao’s supremacy or United’s frailties? The answer in my opinion is a combination of both.  Disagree? Agree? In any case read on !!

Athletic club de Bilbao and ‘Vertical Football’:

Believe it or not, Athletic club de Bilbao under Marcelo Bielsa is not your typical Spanish team, it’s an English team with technically good players. How many times do you see a muscular tall centre forward in a Spanish team? They don’t strut around with their tiki-taka and don’t obsess over possession of the ball. They follow a philosophy called "Vertical Football". Many of you may be familiar with it. There is tremendous importance attached to winning the ball high up the pitch (a tactic employed by Pep Guardiola and  AVB) and then launching quick attacks, either through the middle or with the help of galloping fullbacks who occupy the space left by the inverted wingers.

Bielsa’s start at Bilbao wasn’t a great one, but whose is? He has created a team which suits his tactical methodologies to the hilt. Nimble-footed young players with great stamina who never stop running. His training routines are arduous and revolutionary with a maddening attention to detail. Enough drooling over Bielsa and Bilbao! So what did they do when they played at old Trafford? Simple, they pressed hard....Really hard. Fernando Llorente closed down both Smalling and Evans with effective ease. At times, you could see Evans or Smalling high up the pitch. The reason was a single striker left one free defender who could move ahead with the ball. The same happened at the other end. But the problem for United was Hernandez and Rooney aren't habituated to the pressing game Bilbao play. Rooney drops deep and hence his marker is usually the CDM of the opposing team, whereas Hernandez sometimes just can't keep himself outside the offside zone, let alone pressurizing defenders (oh Tevez .. I remember thou!). Welbeck would have been a better choice since he had done the closing down job well at Anfield and in many other games this season.

This left a Centre-back free and on top of that, Rooney’s tracking back was pathetic in the first half, which left their deep-lying midfielder free to roam ahead into the United half. Bilbao kept it simple, played at high tempo, didn’t give United centre-backs and midfielders any time on the ball and United quite evidently struggled. Bilbao’s system though, has certain chinks in the armor. All it needs to exploit Bilbao is a midfielder who is adept at dribbling (Modric), leave one or two of their players in the lurch and find vast amounts of space behind their defenders and a pacey striker to latch onto them.  Unfortunately in Giggs and Jones, we didn't have a specialist midfield pairing and their positional naivety was exposed very badly.

Do United miss a certain Portuguese?

Okay. Most of you know Manchester United’s midfield conundrum like multiplication tables. What I would like to focus is the change affected by the introduction of Carrick and Anderson in midfield. Anderson's energy helped us launch 3 counter attacks while Carrick's passing range nullified Bilbao’s pressing threat. Those counters were expertly bottled by Chicharito who should have scored at least one.

SAF favors the 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 . the problem with a midfield two is that when you play against a midfield 3,  you are outnumbered. Add to that, 3 young ones hunting you down like a pack of wolves .. you are in for a nightmare. United’s midfield 2 consists of a runner and a passer. At present united have 2 passers (Carrick, Scholes) while our runners are absent ( Cleverly, Anderson, Fletcher ). One of the best examples  of a perfect 2 is Modric(passer) and Parker(runner). So now you know the present predicament at Manchester United.

Coming to title of this section. The Portuguese we are missing badly as most have guessed is not Cristiano Ronaldo, but the mercurial Carlos Queiroz. SAF, I will have to concede was never tactically brilliant in Europe. We have many occasions that this has come to the fore .. most notably the 2 finals against Barcelona ,  semifinal against Milan and matches against Real Madrid. Ferguson, combined with the tactical acumen of Queiroz then adopted a shape which loosely resembled that of Juventus of Marcelo Lippi. With Scholes playing as the regista(deep lying playmaker .. like Pirlo) with a midfield destroyer along with him (Hargreaves). Sadly we don’t have such players around and nor do we have Carlos Queiroz around.

What United need to do is play a 3 in Europe till we get the perfect combination, but again we rarely adopt such a shape in the league. We did play a midfield 3 against Bayern in quarters, but that is the only match which lingers in recent memory.

Concluding my piece, it would be interesting to see what Ferguson does at St. James' next week. With an away trip to Wolves looming, I don’t see him playing a strong side. I wouldn't want us to compromise the league in any case. Manchester United are in a transitional period. The sooner we come out of it, the better for us. As for Athletic club de Bilbao, I hope Biesla holds onto his stars. The legendary club’s rise will do a world of good to the Spanish league and Europe in general.  

Catalonia Log: The Fabregas Effect

Enough has already been written on the el classico that took place last week. We all talked about Messi's brilliance again, along with Ronaldo's flop show and Jose's failed bid to open up a massive lead at the top of the La Liga. Barcelona were supposedly looking weaker this season, and it was said Madrid were ready to finally overthrow their reign. So after the the game, Barca fans did take their chances to boast their superiority again, but puzzlingly, there have been too few discussions about the radical change in Barca's tactics this season.

People talked about Barcelona not looking as great as they have been last three seasons at the start of the campaign. But, the changes that Pep Guardiola has implemented are finally showing their fruit. People have just talked in awe about the 3-defenders system Pep utilised, but there's a lot of tactical thinking behind it.Yes, Lionel Messi continues to dazzle the world with his trickery and inhuman goal-scoring rate. But, one of the biggest factors for the La Blagurana has been the return of their prodigal son.

The Front-Three :
Even with Messi playing in the "False 9" role since Ibrahimovic's departure, Barcelona's front three have been a bit rigid. Messi would drop deep for the possession at times, but Pedro and David Villa always played from the flanks, trying to cut inside. But, with now Cesc Fabregas, naturally an attacking mid-fielder, introduced in that trio, there's suddenly a lot more flexibility. Well, or even more than that was pre-existing!

Messi roams anywhere with the ball, allowing Fabregas to make the forays forward

As you can see, with Fabregas willing to play between the lines, rather than either a conventional forward or midfielder, Messi can now roam literally anywhere on the field again. People had talked a lot about Dani Alves just not being able to defend. So, Pep decided to do the clever thing. He just relieved him of his defensive duties, offering him a much more advanced role. This allows Messi and Fabregas to keep changing their positions all the time, causing all kinds of havoc. And this has clearly been seen in both players' stats. While people have long stopped feeling any more surprised about Messi's monstrous goal-scoring record, the former Gunners captain's haul of 10 goals already, does show his immense importance to that system.

Even though Barcelona brought Cesc home more for his creative skills, you wonder Guardiola had this role planned for him all along. Of course, that doesn't mean he's stopped creating chances the way he did at Arsenal. Often he drops deep into the centre of the park, picking out his trademark through-balls, allowing Dani Alves to almost operate as an advanced winger.

Barcelona Set-up with Fabregas in deep-lying role

One of the biggest tactical master-stroke from Guardiola though, was turning Mascherano into a ball-playing defender in the absence of Pique. It was the biggest change, that allowed Barcelona to ease into this system. It took them a bit of time to get accustomed to it, the draw Bilbao and defeat to Getafe stand as proof. But it's commendable how quickly Pep's team have passed through this transition. The difference seems so much starker, when compared to the current re-building attempts at Manchester United and Chelsea.

"At the height of success, 'break' your business", said the former Motorola CEO, Ed Zander. Find any similarities? Barcelona have been on top of the footballing world now for 3 years. And yet, Pep has innovated relentlessly, always bringing out something new and even more beautiful. We often talk about the astute tactical game-plans by Fergusons and Mourinhos, indirectly assuming Barca's magical play is just because of their superstars. Yet, some of the most fantastic innovations in recent times have come from the former Barcelona Number 4. Playing Messi in the "False 9" role after the departures of Eto'o and Ibrahimovic, using David Villa on the left-flank to cut inside, and now this nearly un-'man-markable' system.

Let Real Madrid fans say they don't care about about losing to Barcelona as long as they win the league.They still lead the table despite that that classico defeat. But deep inside, they will know that, for them to succeed, the mighty Catalans must be beaten. Jose Mourinho will be desperate for that. He has beaten them with Chelsea and Inter already. But, Barcelona still stand pretty on top of the tree. He knows himself, that to end the catalan reign, he must build one of the greatest club-teams, one that can go close to the might of the legendary Real Madrid of 50s and 60s. His track record and determination suggests he might achieve that one day. But for all the current attempts from the club from the Capital, the team from Catalonia still hold the advantage.

10 Best Summer Transfers: 2011

With nearly a one-third of the season gone, one would think it's about time to see how the new summer recruits are faring at their new clubs. There have been many of them, as usual, some expensive flops, some bargain deals, and they have probably had time to settle down. Here's a look back.

10. Javier Pastore (Palermo to PSG, 43m Euros)
Even Chelsea and Manchester City balked at the price tag. But, PSG's new Qatari owners chose him as the poster-boy for their revolution. And Pastore hasn't disappointed. PSG currently sit 2nd in the French League, ahead of the likes of Lyon and Marseille, and Pastore has contributed with 6 goals and 4 assists in all competitions already.  Still only 22, the lanky Argentine can certainly develop into one of the best attacking midfielders.


9. Michel Vorm ( FC Utrecht to Swansea City, 1.5m Pounds)

Michel Vorm has been outstanding in goal for Swansea this season...
                                                           Picture Courtsey: Vincent Teeuwen

Who would've predicted that a Dutch goalkeeper joining Swansea would feature in such lists, when there were deals for the likes of Aguero, Mata, Nasri and Fabregas? But, Michel Vorm has been nothing short of sensational for the Swans this season. He has the highest number of clean sheets so far in a league, where Reina, Hart and Cech also ply their trade. Swansea are the joint lowest scorers in the league, and arguably, Vorm is the only reason they're still comfortably out of relegation places. What more you can get for 1.5 million Pounds?

8. Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04 to Bayern Munich, 22m Euros)

One of the best goalkeepers in the world, possibly the best, he still faced hostilities from a few Bayern fans for being a former Schalke player. But his performances have done more than enough to erase all that. Right at the start of his Bayern career, Neuer broke the Bayern Munich record for most competitive clean sheets in a row, having gone 1000 minutes without conceding a goal. That's pretty impressive, even for someone Bayern have chosen to succeed the legendary Oliver Kahn.


7. Arturo Vidal ( Bayer Leverkusen to Juventus, 12.5m Euros)

Not the most attractive among Juve's summer signings, but possibly the most solid one. Vidal joined the Bianconeris after an impressive season with Bayer Leverkusen in which they finished 2nd in the league, and an excellent Copa America. He has been fairly impressive so far for Juve, forging a good partnership with Pirlo and Marchisio. Essentially a defensive midfielder, the Chilean is also capable of playing in a box-to-box role, and he already looks an integral part of Antonio Conte's new look Old Lady.


6. Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid to Manchester City, 35m Pounds)

To be honest, I haven't been that impressed with him, although the sheer number of goals he has scored forces his inclusion here. 12 goals this season already, 10 of them in the league, but let's not forget 5 of them have come in 2 home games against Swansea and Wigan. We would have earlier expected even more from a 35-million-pounds signing. But all of us seemed to have lowered the expectations a bit, after the January deals for Torres and Carroll. While David Silva has had a lion's share in City's magnificent start to this campaign, aged only 23, Aguero has loads of time to turn into one of the most lethal forwards of the game.


5. Santi Cazorla ( Villareal to Malaga, 21m Euros)

One of the biggest coup Malaga's new owners managed. Technically sound, Cazorla is a versatile winger who can play on both flanks. With 4 goals and 2 assists, he's currently Malaga's best goal-scorer and assist-provider this season. It's pretty clear that this guy will havbe to carry Malaga's lofty ambitions on his shoulders this season, if they are to upstage Villareal and surprise-package Levante for Champions League qualification.


4. Juan Mata ( Valencia to Chelsea, 22m Pounds)

In a Chelsea team that has looked stale and clue-less at times, Mata has been the lone shining light. In fact, with most other big names under-performing, you'd have to wonder where would Chelsea be, if they hadn't secured the creative talent of Mata. The diminutive Spaniard already has 4 goals and 6 assists so far, and his instant settling-down in EPL suggests he's well on his way to turning into one of the best play-makers of the current generation.


3. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal to Barcelona, 34m Euros)

Cesc Fabgrgas: No more a Gunner....
                                                                     Picture Courtsey: Wonker

It was one of the longest drawn transfer sagas in recent times, and it finally ended this summer. Fabregas finally got the move back to his parent club Barcelona, and if there were doubts about him not having a place in the already star-studded line-up, he has quickly removed all of them. Already having accumulated 7 goals and 6 assists this season, Cesc has quickly established himself in Barcelona's already mighty line-up. With the La Blagurana not exactly performing to their dazzling best currently, the return of theier Prodigal Son might just prove to be a vital move.


2. Phil Jones (Blackburn to Manchester United, 16.5m Pounds)

He's just 19, he's already a regular into the Manchester United starting-11, and is already being touted as the future England captain. That should tell you something about him. A brilliant defender, Jones is well capable of bullying people of the ball, and can driver forward with equal ease from the back. In fact, I'm surprised he's yet to score a goal (at the right end, that is!) for Red Devils, seeing his boundless energy on the field. If someone threatens Rio Ferdiand's place in defense at the age of 19, you just know he's destined for big things.

1. Scott Parker (West Ham United to Tottenham, 6m Pounds)

Scoring goals hasn't been an issue for Spurs under Harry Redknapp, with the abundance of attacking talent at their disposal. The problem was always the cheap goals leaked at vital times. Enter Scott Parker, and Spurs are suddenly looking a transformed unit. It's surely not a co-incidence that Spurs haven't lost a league game since his arrival, winning 7 out of the 8 games he has played. Having been named PFA Player of the Year last season, Parker has continued his majestic form in the holding-midfielder's role. Not just a great tackler, he easily controls the tempo of the game, leaving the likes of Van der Vaart and Bale to bomb forward fearlessly. And then, how many have managed to overpower Spain's magical midfield, even in a friendly?

AVB: The Fledgling Genius?

The last time Chelsea lost back-to-back home games was in 2002. Roman Abramovich hadn't yet appeared on the horizon, and many Chelsea fans would've been content to see their team 5th in the league table. But defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool now, and suddenly there appears to be a full-blown crisis at Stamford Bridge. The Blues currently lie fifth in the league table, and even the very thought of finishing outside the Champions League places is a nightmare for the Chelsea faithful.

It all appeared to be so promising at the start. A dashing new manager, who cost a world-record transfer fee. Andre Villas-Boas promised to bring the revolution that Chelsea fans have been waiting so long, ever since the Blues' infamous collapse at the Bridge versus Sunderland. So, what has suddenly gone wrong? While it's outright rubbish on some fans' part to demand AVB's sacking, what is it exactly that's ailing Chelsea right now?

The Lampard-Drogba-Malouda Conundrum:

Chelsea's Golden Generation seems to be on the way down...
Picture Courtsey: Audrey Pilato

Frank Lampard went on a scoring spree recently, and suddenly it was all about shutting the critics up. Yes, he has been sparkling at times, but why we keep forgetting that He's 33 now. Isn't it simply too much to expect him to play every single game, and still be on top of it? Just have a look at Manchester United. Ryan Giggs does have legendary status there, like Lampard has at Chelsea. But does Ferguson give him starts day-in-day-out simply because he was brilliant in one game? It's imperative for Chelsea to realise Lampard and Drogba will have to be used sparingly, even when in form. Taking the risk of stating the obvious, Drogba is a pale shadow of the monster, that could bully the World's best defenders into submission.
But for me, the biggest disappointment is Florent Malouda. The Frenchman was Chelsea's most inspirational player couple of seasons ago, when Chelsea stormed to the Double (And I say it, despite the bucket-load of goals Drogba and Lampard scored that season! ) But this season, he's simply looked...terrible. Too selfish on the ball at times, no more the clever reader of the game, add that dreadful back-pass against Arsenal, Florent Malouda should simply play no part in AVB's attempted revolution.

The Makelele Void:

Very few may have noticed it, but Chelsea have hardly been the impregnable defensive unit they once were, ever since Claude Makelele left the club. The French destroyer was not just the ever-present shield in front of Chelsea's back-line, but he also quickly released the ball to his attackers, never allowing the opposition to close down the spaces and pressurize. Essien did a commendable job at that position, but his fitness is always an issue.John Obi Mikel does try his best in that role, but so far, he hasn't simply been good enough.
If AVB wants Chelsea to play a fast-passing game, Mikel is always going to be a liability. He's a good passer of the ball, agreed.But, he's too slow to make the passes, to get the ball out of the defense and to the pacey frontmen. It was precisely this reason that Liverpool got their first goal this Sunday. Would Oriol Romeu, a player brought up in Barcelona's tiki-taka style take that much time on the ball? Never. And if he's considered too young to handle the pressure, there's always Raul Meireles who is an excellent passer of the ball.
Of course, it's not just Mikel's fault. He was more of an advanced midfielder before coming to Chelsea, having been touted as one of the most exciting young prospects in 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships.  Even now, he does produce some great long balls out of nowhere, but that's a rarity because of his deep-lying role. When he arrived at Chelsea, Claude Makelele was on the wane, and Mikel was a strong,physical guy. So, Jose Mourinho added one and one as two, and started grooming Mikel as Makelele's successor. As it's clear, it hasn't worked out. Carlo Ancelotti talked about using Mikel as a deep-lying play-maker. But, it never materialized. Sadly now, he simply doesn't fit into AVB's system any more. Chelsea need a player who can move the ball quickly from deep, otherwise the opposition can close down the spaces, put the pressure and force mistakes. We all saw a live example last Sunday.

The High-defensive Line:

The problems Chelsea's high defensive line faces: Long balls across the defense

Okay, loads of stuff has been said about this already. I won't bore you with more. It's just that, the fault doesn't lie just with the system, but also with the personnel. Chelsea could've pulled it off, if John Terry was 26 instead of 31, and he had a reliable defensive partner like Ricardo Carvalho. This Chelsea team lacks on both counts. Luiz is many things as a footballer, but reliable is not one of them. In fact, it's the spontaneity in his game, that makes him special. Ivanovic has been Chelsea's most reliable defender so far, either at Right-back or at Centre-back. The problem is, he can only play in one position at a time. John Terry is still a terrific defender, but he doesn't have the same pace to match the pacey runs off his shoulder anymore. And that's the exact reason Chelsea's high defensive-line is on a break-point, every time there's a long ball across the defence.

Same Old-Same Old Story:

There were talks about revitalising the current Chelsea squad with dazzling new talents. We all got excited as Sturridge started banging in goals, and some of the hottest young prospects were arriving at Chelsea. Three months into the season, and what's the reality? England's supposed new superstar, Josh McEachran is yet to start a league game, so are Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku. Sturridge may have established himself in the team, but too much tinkering with forwards isn't helping much. Villas Boas needs to make his picks now. For all the great things he has done for Chelsea, Didier Drogba can no more carry them on his shoulders week-in week-out. Sturridge and Lukaku are the future of the team.And for all the ridicule he has received, Fernando Torres is the present of Chelsea Football Club. Chelsea need to build around him, there's no point playing him with Malouda and Anelka, and expect him to score tons of goals without any service. AVB knows it very well. But he simply has no one apart from Mata, who can play the creative role. Signing Jovetic or De Bruyne in January may not be a bad idea at all.

It has to remembered that there's massive re-building work to be done at Chelsea. There was only one great Chelsea team built in the Abramovich era, by Jose Mourinho. It was just patched up at times by different managers, but the core remained the same. Even Hiddink, if ever to be called again, would do some more patching-up to coax a bit more out of the team. But make no mistakes, unless Chelsea can somehow lure the master re-builder Sir Alex Ferguson, Andre Villas Boas is their best hope for a revolution!

Those Mundane Weekends...

What was the last time we watched a Premier League game, then? Scratch your heads, go deep in your memory, refer the history books, and we might just get a clue. There have been countless moments in-between, when I sat on a sofa, just gazing at the ceiling haplessly on a Saturday evening of all times in a week. It's been happening quite frequently these days though, thanks to these so-called international commitments. Why do they happen in first place, I wonder? Only so that the reigning World Champions can get a break form the fiercely contested domestic tournaments, and have a nice walk in the park?  That's what they did last Saturday anyways vs England! The English may bang their drums as much they want about a "Triumph over the World Champions", but really, How much did the game matter to Spain? Taking off Xavi, David Silva and Iker Casillas at half-time when the game is at 0-0, that tells you something about it.

Picture Courtsey (David Dixon) / CC BY-SA 2.0

Okay, Chelsea fans must have felt nice to see Lampard leading his team to victory over the World Champions, and the Manchester United guys will have taken their chances to boast about Jones' versatility too, not to mention Suarez's 4-goal heroics. But honestly, wouldn't we all have preferred to rather watch Tottenham versus Aston Villa a week earlier? Would have made a better sight than watching Gareth Barry captain England at the final whistle, anyways.

But like all good things in life, after a long period of never-ending suffering, the European club action resumes tonight, and there are some seriously big fights to witness. But the biggest battle is likely to be between Liverpool's ability to hit the goal-posts rather than the net, and Chelsea's allergy at keeping a clean-sheet. Of course, a Chelsea own-goal is an option that can help both teams preserve their principles this season. Branislav Ivanovic nearly did that out of humanity for Blackburn, but that of course, was ages ago, if  you are able to recall. I know I'm wandering into nowhere now, but you'll surely excuse that from someone deprived of proper football for 2 whole weeks!

While we're at it, Luis Suarez was formally charged by FA for racism against Patrice Evra. What surprised me is no one has even suggested so far about banning him from the national team, or locking him up in jail, or condemning him at least. No comments on his being guilty or not guilty, but I do recall the outcry when similar accusations were hurled at... well, you-know-who. Half the media had already branded his reputation as "tarnished forever and irreparable". So much for the thought of "Innocent till Proven Guilty"!

Anyways, let these things not dampen our spirits. It's been a long time, and these are the moments, when we feel delighted even at the pretty sight of Gervinho, simply because he's in an Arsenal shirt. So get ready for action again, but all the while, don't underestimate these mundane weekends either. They are the ones which show us, why even a Bolton vs Stoke football match is counted as  the "Beautiful Game".

Victors among the Equals...

For decades, they sulked in the shadows, as their cross-town rivals reveled in all the glory the footballing fraternity could offer. Manchester City watched with envy, as Manchester United built one of the biggest brands in the world. Infamously dubbed the "Noisy Neighbours" by the all-conquering Red Devils, City fans lived through the agony of always being the "Other club in Manchester". When Manchester United were on the top of the world, winning the Champions League in 1998-99, City were fighting to earn promotion to the Second division of the domestic league.

 More than 3 decades, the fans waited, and then came a promise of revolution. Acquired, first by a Thai billionaire, and then by multi-billionaire Sheikh, City could finally dream of things that United considered their own birth-rights. And yet, they were still considered second-best, their victories an aberration rather than regularities.And then, a fine afternoon at Old Trafford, the home of their fiercest adversaries, changed it all. Sunday, October 23, 2011, was the day Manchester City have ever dreamed of. It wasn't just about beating Manchester United, that feat had been achieved plenty of times already. It wasn't about attempting to steal the crown, they threatened last year as well. It was all about stature. Earlier, City's victories over Manchester United were thought of as David beating the Goliath. On Sunday, Manchester City were the victors in a battle of equals. No one dares considering them inferior now. No one writes off their meteoric rise, even if it was built on the never-emptying of their Abu Dhabi owners. Manchester City are no more just a force to reckon with. They are THE team to beat.

Manchester City have arrived on the Centre-stage, and it'll take a lot to give them a beating!

The 6-1 Story :
Of course, Manchester United contributed massively to their own downfall. Watching the game, it was shocking to see how badly United folded up in last 5 minutes. Yes, they were down to 10-men, yes, City were running rampant. But the fact was that, United simply seemed to give up. It was so uncharacteristic of a team, who's success was built on the foundations of grit and the devilish approach, rather than beauty. Ferguson later lamented that his team went all out in pursuit of a favourable result at 1-3, rather than going into damage-control mode. I strongly disagreed. They hardly threatened for a moment, since Darren Fletcher curled the ball in to give them a glimmer of hope. There were simply no excuses. Not a single United player seemed bothered, when Dzeko scored City's fourth from a corner. So often we have seen United getting galvanised after a sending-off, attacking with even greater menace. But no one came charging in, as first Silva and then Dzeko ran on goal, and coolly shot past the hapless David de Gea.

The Score-line said it all....

So where does this leave us? The footballing world may have felt the mighty tremors of the result on Sunday, but that doesn't mean Manchester United's stature has diminished even by a bit. Yes, they will have to cope up with the taunts by the rivals, having supplied many of their own after that 8-2 mauling of Arsenal in August. But one horrific defeat hardly makes the 19-time Champions a bad team overnight. Does that defeat mean Nani or Welbeck are bad prospects for future? Or that Wayne Rooney is suddenly a mediocre player, rather than a genius as he is considered to be? Empires just don't crumble overnight. For the outside world, Manchester United still have the charisma, still have the recognition as the biggest club in England. And then, Chelsea are always there, lurking in the shadows this time round, but always ready to pounce.

We may have witnessed a massive paradigm shift in English and European football on Sunday, but count the established ones out at your own peril. Having said that, City have again showed that spending money on logical footballing brains can indeed get you to success. For all those still scoffing, there should be no naive belief that Manchester United and Barcelona's success were built without an ounce of financial strength. Love them or hate them, the other team from Manchester are no more the Noisy push-overs, they are now the ones with the loudest roar!

Nine Proud Men...

       First of all, apologies for being away so long. I'm fully aware College exams and Journal submissions hardly count as excuses, when compared to the monumental importance football holds in our life. I know no one's life was affected, just because I didn't write a new post for a month, but I hope (or rather I dream),someone, somewhere missed my blogs. Enough of these sweet dreams though, let's get straight into serious business.


           It was a sense of deja vu for the Chelsea fans. A trend that was set on a chilly night at Anfield in May 2005, and followed on many such as that fateful one at Stamford Bridge in May'09. The fact that it was rather a fine sunny afternoon didn't seem to matter. Nor the fact that they were up against a rather measly-looking QPR, rather than the Barcelonas and Manchester Uniteds. But for all the disappointment, the vigour with which Chelsea carried the fight will not have been lost on the Blues faithful. 3 priceless points may have been lost, but there were far too many positives to gain from it.

AVB's Tactical Genius :
When your team plays with 9-men for more than a half, and still commands nearly 60 percent of the possession even against QPR, you just know they are destined for big things. As you must have already read, the 9-men system that AVB set-up was thoroughly impressive,and it nearly paid off too.

Lampard almost played a forward-role as the game wore on, even as the full-backs burst forward at every possible opportunity.

 Chelsea nearly sacrificed their entire midfield, as they chased that unlikely equaliser in the second half. Only Raul Meireles stayed in his mid-fielder's role, trying to thread the passes, as Lampard drove constantly in the penalty area, to support the lone forward Anelka. Whether there was an injury to Mata or not, Villas Boas' decision to bring on a conventional forward in Anelka for a play-maker, that too in first-half- stoppage-time was brilliant. It so reminded me of Mourinho's daring changes in an FA Cup tie vs Spurs 4 years ago., when he found his team trailing 1-3. The decision to sacrifice Sturridge for Ivanovic, although it may sound defensive, also was a much beneficial one. He, along with Ashley Cole on the other flank, worked tremendously to cover their entire sides of the pitch.

Mikel sat deep, allowing Terry and Luiz to  take turns to bomb forward.

It's also worth noting that the Chelsea defense didn't capitulate under the pressure, as most teams do even with 10-men. You require a great amount of co-ordination to play that high defensive-line with 2 players down, and they pulled it off nicely. Cech just had one good save to make in the entire second half, as his defense ran marathons to stop the onslaught. Every time John Terry made a lunge-busting run forward with Cole or Ivanovic in advanced wide positions, Luiz smartly tracked back to accompany Mikel, who sat ultra-deep to provide the shield to the defensive-four. After an exemplary deep-lying midfielder's performance by Oriol Romeu in mid-week, it was a solid performance by the Nigerian to stake his claim for a regular starting berth.

Of course, a more accomplished opponent that Queens Park Rangers could have exploited Chelsea much more. If Manchester City showed how strongly you can punish your opponent's weaknesses, QPR  miserably failed to replicate that. But then, from a team, who consider a win earned by a diving-penalty and failing to dominate a 9-player team as their best performance for 30-40 years, you can't expect too much more than mediocrity. Watching Shaun Wright-Phillips' wayward-to-say-the-least shooting, you have to admit the referee got the Bosingwa incident horribly wrong. It's simply not a goal-scoring opportunity, if Wright-Philips is through on goal.

Jokes apart, AVB did not mince his words after the game. "I was aggressive to him (the ref), but I think I have to be.Is he okay with it? I don't care",said the Portugese."It was not a bad day for us. It was a good day for us, but a bad day for the referee". He knows the importance of what was lost. But still, he refused to criticise his own players, instead applauding their determination to fight, and very rightly so. There are big games coming, and he'll charge up his troops to battle, even if it means taking on the rest of the world. There's another shade of Mourinho in there. But, Villas Boas is different, Jose would attack the opposition, taunting the "small clubs". Villas Boas made himself clear and moved on, ignoring the arrogant (AND reckless!) comments from Warnock and of course, the footballing saint, Joey Barton. There are bigger things to achieve.

The English League has never been tougher in recent times. City are running rampant at the top. United may have had the thrashing of a lifetime, but there should be no doubt they'll bounce right back. Devilishness is a virtue integrated in the Red-side of Manchester. And yet, the atmosphere is buzzing around the Stamford Bridge like never before. The chance to gain valuable ground on the Mancunian rivals may have been lost, but to use the cliche again, The Blue Flag has certainly kept flying high.
Adios!

The Theater of Nightmares...

       
         So, you all had a great weekend then? The weather was lovely, wasn't it? Many of us might've had a nice picnic. Or did you catch any new movie over the weekend? There were quite a few on TV this week, too. Watching "Just Dance" can be a great experience too, to relax. What else? Anything nice on TV? No, I have talked about that already. The weather? Nope, I've been through that as well.
   

          Okay, can't beat around the bushes any longer now. All of us saw what happened at Old Trafford this Sunday. It wasn't Chelsea's first defeat of the season that got the headlines, nor United's rolling juggernaut despite a less than commanding performance. The only thing the world media is talking about now, is THAT moment from Fernando Torres. As the commentator rightly said, you wouldn't wish that on anyone.Seriously. Not even on Emmanuel Adebayor. You can defend, saying all great players have crazy misses sometimes, but for someone who was finally finding some confidence after a marathon break, you just pray the miss doesn't prove to be catastrophic.

One didn't really want to look at Torres's face after that miss ! "Shattered" is the only word there...

                   Talking generally about the game, it was far more open than expected. With a bit better finishing from both sides, it could easily have been 6-5, or better,6-7! But, the Torres miss overshadowed rest of the game so much, that no one even talked about both of first two United goals being offside. Yes, United were the better team in the end, but can you imagine the same silence on refereeing standards, had Fergie's team been on the receiving end ? AVB knew that his team were just as much to blame though, as it was really a lesson from the Red Devils in finishing games off. Chelsea were creating dozens of chances in first half, and still United incredibly led 3-0 at half-time, with 3 shots on target. That's called ruthlessness. They aren't the 19-time Champions for nothing.

        But, what for me was one of the biggest decisions of the match, which can have a massive impact on Chelsea's season went almost unnoticed. Lampard, the legendary 20-goals-a-season-from-midfield Frank Lampard was substituted at half-time by Villas Boas for Anelka, a decision that paid dividends in just about 30 seconds! Had it been any of the former Chelsea managers still in the Blue's dugout, Torres or Sturridge would come off to make way for Anelka. AVB made his statement right there. No one is safe at Chelsea anymore without performing. And unlike most of his predecessors, he really means that. That's why Roman Abramovich took the massive gamble on this relatively inexperienced guy from Portugal. There are radical changes happening around at Stamford Bridge.In Game-play. In discipline. And most importantly, in the personnel. Earlier, no one would even dream if Resting (!) Terry and Lampard in the opening game of the Champions League. No one would start Daniel Sturridge against Manchester United in favour of Anelka or Malouda. Villas Boas is bold and fearless, there are distinct similarities with Mourinho there. The delicious  unpredictability in substitutions is back. The team that looked jaded and tired for much of last season, looks suddenly revitalised now.They are hungry, they are pacey, and they want to win. They might be 5 points off the pace already, but write Chelsea off at your own peril.

              Meanwhile, giving due credit to the devils, they were indeed magnificent. They may not have dominated the game, but when on a roll, Fergie's men are as merciless as a Genghis-khan or a Tamerlane.  Chelsea did threaten with a comeback. But even after Rooney doing his own version of the "Moscow-miss" and Berbatov showing his own prowess at missing chances-one-can't-miss, United ran out deserved, if not comfortable winners. 15 points, 21 goals, a goal difference of +17, all this from just 5 games, this United team are going to need some stopping from romping to another title.

Even with a Moscow-like miss, Rooney is far ahead of competition in this year's EPL!

                                       

         Just a word to all those Chelsea fans lashing out at Torres though, AVB is building something big here. And even if you find it hard to believe, Fernando Torres is the man much, much likely to lead his charge, rather than a Didier Drogba or a Nicolas Anelka, and at least for the time being, even Daniel Sturridge. The entire league is being sliced open like never before. Get ready for the ride with your seat-belts, for it's going to be far more bumpy and unpredictable than you can ever imagine!

Landing The Big Fish : Per Mertesacker

                    So friends, following my own post on Chelsea in the "Landing the Big Fish" series, we now move on to Arsenal. It's been a weird summer for the Gunners, with Arsene Wenger  signing as many as 5 players on the deadline day. Welcome Prathamesh Prasanna Bhanap, as he gives his opinion about exactly who among the new arrivals can fire Arsenal to their long-lost glory.

Arsenal - The team on the verge of extinction or maybe on the brink of evolution. Every pre-season fixtures were a joy to watch, goals scored without the help from the stewardship of the team....everyone doubting 'The Professor' were happy to see their team performing well, even though they knew that this was an end to the days of the Barca boy & the new-found French midfield dictator.....!!

A few transfer made up which included Gervinho, Jenkinson, and two Barca youths were good, but not replacing the players which went out.

Per Mertesacker can add some much-needed steel to Arsenal's back-four

A sketchy start to the season. Starting with a draw and a loss was okay considering there are still 36 matches to go and Wenger bringing in reinforcements.....but when....?

There were doubts in fans minds about the Premiership...the team was good but not good enough for the honours....best players abandoning the ship.....this had happened before, the leadership of number 14 taken by number 4. So, everyone expected it to happen again in the form of 10,14,19 or maybe a 16......just like a fairy tale!

But....as every fairy tale has a devil, this one had too....not 1 but a whole team of 11....none other than Manchester United.

Arsenal recorded a loss of 2-8 in the premiership on the 125th year in the making. Fans started to exit the doors of Arsenal FC from their hearts. Questions arose regarding the professor's tactics and his ability to spend in the market.....along came the last day of the transfer season....next morning, news came out that Arsenal FC made 5 deals at the last moment snatching up Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, Park Chu-Young, Andre Santos & Yossi Benayoun. Now the team was looking complete.

The scoreline 8-2 told about two things-

1. The '2' said that attack is capable of breaking the UEFA Champions league finalists' defenses.

2. The '8' said that defense is far worse than required to survive in the premiership.

This led Arsenal to their best signing in the market in the form of Per Mertesacker.... Defense being a constant problem in the 6-year trophy drought was to be solved by this man.....pairing up with Thomas Vermaelen, this would be one of the top defenses in the country.

Technical Attributes of Per Mertesacker-

A 6ft 6in tower with ability to defend on ground and also in the air which was pretty much required by 'The Gunners'. A perfect candidate to pick while taking an Indirect free-kick or a corner. Reads the game well. Has a commanding influence in the defense. Immense physical presence. The most interesting thing is, he has been booked only twice in three years -1 yellow & 1 red- for his former club Werder Bremen which is creditable considering the competition from oncoming strikers.

The Giant defender also has an excellent disciplinary record

His Statistics-

Has significant experience at both club and international level, enjoying eight seasons in the German top flight -five with Werder Bremen and three with Hannover 96- making 221 league appearances in total and finding the net 19 times along with an experience of 53 matches in Europe. Influential member of the national team reaching the Semi-final of 2006 and 2010 World Cups and to the final of the 2008 Euro. Has won 75 caps for the country scoring 1 goal.

Per Mertesacker, along with other signings has given Arsenal a ray of new hope, as everyone is ready to put the 8-2 game behind themselves and regain the long lost glory....Football is a funny game.....who knows, maybe there is a reincarnation of 'The Invincibles' in the making....!!

Written by -

Prathamesh Prasanna Bhanap