10 Best Quotes in Footballing World....

                        Football's not just played with feet,but also with your head (and it's more than just using your head as some sort of a baton to hit the ball,mind you!). I thought of doing something different from usual for this blog.We always come across many catchy quotes in the footballing world,sometimes genuinely funny moments,while some are the attempts at mind-games.Anyways,here are some of the best I have come across.They are not all of same type,some are teasing,some classy quotes,while some plain dumb ones.Feel free to add your own,if you have come across better.So,here they go.

1.One of my all time favourites,this comes from the Liverpool Legend, Bill Shankly,and I think it sets the tone nicely for what football means to us.
"Some people think "Football is a matter of Life and Death.Well,they are wrong.I can assure you it's much more important than that."
Resonates with most of us,doesn't it?

2.This one comes from the "Special One" himself,and the guy is know for giving out "Special Quotes" too.Here's what he said,when he was asked about toughness of his job at Chelsea, when he had just taken over:
"If I wanted an easy job,I could have stayed at Porto-a beautiful Blue chair, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me!"

Jose Mourinho hasn't been media's darling for nothing,his witty comments always making the Headlines. 

3.Now,here's a funny one.It comes from a Liverpool Legend, Ian Rush, who was transferred to Juventus from Liverpool. Here's what he had to say about his stint in Italy:
"I couldn't settle in Italy - it was like living in a foreign country."
Hmm,Italy  WAS a foreign country for an Englishman, wasn't it, Mr. Rush?


4.Now,here's what Norther Ireland midfielder Steve Lomas had to say about his team's defeat vs Germany:
"Germany are a very difficult team to play - they had 11 internationals out there today."
Err, what else can you expect from an International team,guys?


5. Now, here's one more from Bill Shankly, that sums up the Merseyside rivalry between Liverpool and Everton:
 "There are two Great teams on the Merseyside, Liverpool, and Liverpool Reserves."


6. Here's one more classic quote,although it comes not from a prominent Footballing personality,but from one of my dear friends, Akash Nair. This was his take on Lionel Messi's almost magical goal vs Arsenal in this season's Champions League:
"People struggle to dribble with the ball on the ground.This guy does it in air!!"





7.Now,here are Sir Alex Ferguson's general views on Football.No wonder that guy has stayed in the sport so long.
"Football. Bloody Hell!!"


8. I can't resist putting one more from Jose Mourinho here.Catania President Pietro Le Monaco claimed he wanted to "smack Mourinho in the mouth" following Inter's win over his team in 2008,here's what Mourinho had to say upon that:
 “As for Lo Monaco, I do not know who he is. With the name Monaco, I have heard of Bayern Monaco (Munich) and the Monaco GP, the Tibetan Monaco (Monk), and the Principality of Monaco. I have heard of any others.” 
Classic Mourinho this one,isn't it?


9. Here's another cool one from Duffy Daugherty.....
"Football isn't a Contact sport.It's a collision sport.Dancing is a contact sport."
I'm sure Roy Keane and Nigel de Jong will agree!


10. Finally to finish off,it's a Bill Shankly one again.He was accused of staying at Liverpool only during their good times.His reply? A classic.
"It's not true,not at all. I was here (at Anfield) when we finished Second."

So, these are the ones that caught my eye the most.I'm not, by any means, claiming these are the catchiest ever.Please feel free to add yours in comments too.But each one is here,is a little gem, I think.
Hope you enjoyed them. Till next time, Goodbye.

Final Piece of the Jigsaw...

           Sports-persons are always divided into distinct categories.Some are Cricketers,some are Footballers,some Tennis players,may be a few athletes.And then there are Legends.They may be playing a particular sport only,but their influence extends far beyond the boundaries of that game.The Peles,the Tendulkars,the Federers,they are not just the great players,but the real Heroes in this Morally-disabled world of ours,shining brighter than ever when the entire world succumbs to the darkness,showing the courage when the universe is falling apart around them.On Saturday,we had the honour to witness one such Legend finally realizing his long cherished dream,after the massive wait of,mind you,21 long long years.The image of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar lifting the World Cup,with a joy only a small innocent child can display,will be etched in the memories of billions forever.

This was the image every Indian wanted to see.
On Saturday,it became a reality!

             Cynics will be quick to point out that he still failed to create a mesmerizing knock in the final,when it mattered most,that the young Brigade of India was the real reason India became the World Champions.Critics (if there are still any left!) will point out,he was lucky to survive so many times vs Pakistan in the Semi-final,and still failed to build on that foundation in the final.BUT,DOES IT MATTER ONE BIT?
Players can be mesmerizing at times,showcasing skills never seen before,creating an aura around themselves as the Invincibles,the Best in the business.But in case you haven't noticed,the Finals,the games which matter most,are almost never won because of Brilliance,they are won with grit,with determination to outlive your high-class opponents in the battle for survival.
                Roger Federer did not win the coveted French Open by defeating his nemesis,Rafa Nadal.All the hard work was done by Robin Soderling to send Nadal packing,Federer came and did what was required to be done,not anything fancy,not spectacular,but effective.FC Barcelona,the best Football playing team in the world,who were clinically destroying even the big teams with ease,had to literally scrape past Chelsea in the Semi-finals.But,it did nothing to diminish the spectacle they created for whole of that season.Even Lewis Hamilton,became youngest F1 Champion,only because a certain Timo Glock crashed his engine inches away from the finishing line.Call it Luck,call it Destiny,call it whatever you like,but it all matters.In a way,the most important knock in this tournament arguably was Sachin's error-prone 85 vs Pakistan.Yeah,it was far from spectacular,filled with lady-luck,but what mattered was Sachin stayed there.He could've easily got frusrated for not being able to play efforlessly vs bowlers like Saeed Ajmal and Hafeez,and given his wicket away,under pressure to create a spectacle.But his sheer grit showed his burning desire to win the Cup that counts.

              For a man,who has achieved so much in Cricket nobody can even dream of,this was the One piece of jigsaw missing form the puzzle.Yes,Geniuses can be imperfect.The legendary Pete Sampras failed to triumph in the Red clay of Rolland Garros,despite being one of the greatest the world has seen,George Best,considered by many, as good as Pele and Maradona,never managed to get his hands on the FIFA World Cup.But,being the Maverick he is,Sachin still had the hunger after 21 mammoth years,to go and achieve the One missing piece of Silverware from an otherwise perfect career.Almost every contemporary cricketing great has one,Gavaskar,Border,Muralidharan,Jayasuriya,why,the Pontings and Shane Warnes have three for that sake.But it wasn't just to join the elite club that Sachin wanted it,it was the final confirmation of his Greatness,the official stamp of being the World-beater that his nation craved.You may think it shouldn't matter that much,just the official tag,but then you'll have badly mistaken  the Sportspersons' mentality.The World Cup is the ultimate prize that every player craves.Sachin finally got it on Saturday after 5 failed attempts,and it will not be exaggeration to say,the Cup was honoured to be in the hands of the Little Master.

                   But then,it's not just his cricketing genius that gives him almost a God-like status in the hearts of billions.It's his unwaivering trust in his principals,that sets him apart from the rest.The unflinching walk vs West Indies even when a record 100th century was beaconing,showed what value he puts on honesty.Watch any sport,and you'll get the same.See Pele,see Federer,they are much more than just great players.They are the ambassadors of the Great human values,showing us all that you can be great with sporting brilliance.But it takes much more than that to become a Legend,to become a God.Countless people have wrote on his Greatness,those catchy quotes, I don't have any more of those,what I have is just pride,which resides withing every Indian's heart,for being able to witness the marvel called Sachin Tendulkar for so many years.I'll leave you with an unforgettable statement by Andrew Symonds,one of the fiercest competitors when on the field,which he wrote on a shirt specially autographed for Sachin,for it not only is one of the biggest compliment by an opponent,but it's precisely the thought that resonates with our entire world,

            "To Sachin,the man we all want to be"

John Terry-the Captain, the Leader, the Legend...

                Almost everybody seems to have an opinion over England manager Fabio Capello's decision of handing the Captain's armband permanently to John Terry,just 13 months after he was unceremonious sacked as England skipper on moral grounds.And many of them are publicly expressing their dismay over the decision already,but for me,and I don't just say it as a Chelsea fan,it was the most obvious thing Capello and England should have done.I can already sense people ready to throw stones at this,but I firmly stand by my belief,.Whatever be the off-field issues,there is no better player in England at the moment than Terry to lead the country.Period.

Terry has been lifting many trophies with Chelsea,even after being removed as England skipper

                                                
                                      
                   I do not wish to enter into the controversy that erupted last year,but on the field,where it matters most,John Terry has been a Maverick.He has been,and remains, one of the most reliable defenders in World Football,along with Vidic and Pique.Just look at his Club level form at Chelsea for that sake.The ever reliable Ricardo Carvalho was sold away to Real Madrid this summer.David Luiz has just come in,but Alex has been missing through injuries for long periods this season.Still Chelsea boast the Best defending record in the Premier League this season.There should be no doubts where the credit goes most.
                    They say it took Capello 12 minutes to sack Terry as the captain last year,after all those lurid allegations.But it didn't take Chelsea even a few nanoseconds to stand behind their skipper.And John Terry paid the full value of that faith.Handsomely.Chelsea romped (No pun intended) to a Historic League and Cup double last season,breaking all kinds of records on the way,even as a toothless and leader-less England failed miserably in the World Cup.People criticised the performances of Terry most at that time,which was a conveniently easy thing to do,but it doesn't change the fact that Terry has been one of the Best defenders on the planet for last few years.

Absolute fearlessness while going for the ball,to the point of madness.
But this is what has made John Terry a footballing Great.

                     The thing that sets Terry apart from his counterparts in World Football is his passion about the game.Never in his life,has John Terry hesitated to go into a tackle or fighting for a header,fearing for his personal safety.In fact,his outright determination to win every tackle,and the readiness to always put his body on the line for the team's gain was what made Capello eat his words,and hand the armband back to Terry. "For John Terry,dying on the field would be glory.In order to stop him from playing,may be you will have to kill him,and may be even then he will still play!" These were the thoughts of the former Chelsea coach "Big Phil" Scolari about his club captain.Looking at Terry's some terrific,and almost madly tackles sometimes,you can't help but believe that.I have seen that guy trying to head the ball,while lying on the ground,without having the slightest fear about the Oncoming player's studs cracking his head.You can all crack jokes about the allegations with Terry's private life,really easy thing to do,but it takes real courage,to throw yourself on the ball,when there's every chance that the opponent's tackle may break your bones,perhaps can even end your career.Even when all those allegations came out,even when he was booed everywhere while playing,Terry did not go into hiding.His first reaction to all the abuse was to score the late winner at Burnley,the place where Manchester United,Arsenal,and Liverpool failed to win.In his first England game,after the Champions League final in Moscow,which left him heartbroken,he scored the winner vs USA.That was the game that made Capello make him the England Captain. He was targeted almost every time he entered the field last season,but he still emerged holding the EPL and FA Cup aloft in the end.

Perhaps tackles like this made Capello change his mind over the Captaincy issue

                                            
                                                          
                   I am in no way trying to support all the misdeeds he carried out,it was a disgraceful thing to do,especially at the time,when young kids see these footballers as role models.He should have been,and has been punished for that.But then who do England have as the "Mr. Clean" leader? Even Steven Gerrard has been involved in drunken fights.England's captaincy was handed to Rio Ferdinand after Terry,a player who was banned for 8 months for missing a Drugs Test (How many of us remember that?) ,and who had just been banned 3 games in EPL for "Violent Conduct" at that time,a ban which was extended to 4,because the appeal committee termed his appeal as "frivolous".Not the most moralistic thing you could do,was it?
                     People have been saying making Terry captain will cause divide in the team.Rubbish.Young players like Joe Hart,Wilshere and Carroll are going to be more interested in cementing their place in the team.In the seniors section,the Chelsea contingent are unlikely to have problems with having Terry a captain,Steven Gerrard knows Terry was Capello's first choice when he took over,and Wayne Rooney is said to be among Terry' allies.So fearing whose wrath, should Capello refrain from his decision? Gareth Barry?

That's what Terry's status is,at Stamford Bridge!

                                                                                                                                                                               
                        Rio Ferdinand is never going to be fit enough to lead England consistently.Even Alex Ferguson testified to that by handing Club captaincy to Nemanja Vidic ahead of Rio.Steven Gerrard may be an exceptional player,but he is not a leader,he inspires by his own performances,but he isn't influential enough in England's system,as compared to his heroics with Liverpool.On the contrary,John Terry is a born leader of men.A host of managers,who have a World Cup,Six European Cups,2 Club World Cups, and dozens of domestic titles amongst them,have chosen Terry to be the man to lead their team.Yes,he has been involved in many controversies,including infidelity and fraud.His dad was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine and such stuff.He has been in headlines many times for the wrong reasons.Yet,these managers,considered to be some of the most genius footballing brains in the world,put their faith him.They still dare to look beyond all those headlines.For what lies beneath,is one hell of a Footballer!

UEFA, the Referees & Contoversies etc etc...

             Now we have heard and read enough from both the Arsenal and Barcelona camps,about how they truly deserved to progress to the Quarterfinals of the Champions League.Listening to any one's side of the story,you can't help but feel they are right in their place.But then, I do not wish to take any sides on that.But has anyone noticed that such controversies happen almost every year in Champions League these days? It's supposed to be the most coveted prize in World Football,alongside the World Cup itself.We would tend to expect quite high standards of Officiating,wouldn't we? But then, we have always been disappointed.Right from Luis Garcia's "Phantom Goal" that took Liverpool to glory in 2005 (Mind you,there would be no Istanbul,had that goal not been counted!),to some horrible performances from Tom Henning Ovrebo for last 2 years,right to the last week's disgusting decision making by the Swiss ref Massimo Busacca,we have always had such avoidable controversies.                                 

Robin van Persie was sent off at Camp Nou,for not hearing the whistle,amidst the roaring 95,000 fans

                                                
                 Robin van Persie may have been sent off for not playing to the whistle at any other stadium in the world than Camp Nou.Hundred thousand fans baying for his blood,surely he can't be penalised for such thing there.How is he even supposed to hear the whistle? His actions suggested indeed he failed to hear it.I mean, you can understand if a player is trying to waste time.If someone is 40 yards away from goal,and still shoots from such position after the offside whistle,it's clear what his intentions are.No such thing appeared on Van Persie's mind.As I already said, I don't want to sponsor a particular team here,but that decision from the referee killed the game for Arsenal.Till that moment,Barca may had dominated the game,Arsenal may not have had a shot on goal,they may not even have touched the ball for the entire 56 minutes,but for heaven's sake,they were leading 3-2 on aggregate.And for all their so called domination,Barca had only managed to make the scoreline 1-1 till that moment.I'm not saying Arsenal would have gone and surely destroyed the Catalans,but they were denied the chance to attempt such a feat at least,for no fault of theirs.Of course, Arsenal shouldn't whine too much about it.Even Barcelona had a perfectly legitimate goal denied for Offside in the first leg.Wenger didn't seem to remember that.But,that doesn't make it any better for UEFA.Two Wrongs don't make one Right.
               I should remind all of the infamous Tom Henning Ovrebo here.2 years ago,after he denied Chelsea 4 stonewall penalties (yeah, FOUR!!),there were accusations of Conspiracy and Corruption in UEFA. I remember reading an opinion of a Respected Football Pundit on that;" I don't believe in all these Conspiracy theories,but if Tom Henning Ovrebo ever officiates again in a game more important than an U-13 match outside Switzerland,then you can be sure,there's something rotten in UEFA."
               Well,just one year later,Ovrebo was the man in charge for the Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina match in Champions League knockout stages.If that's not outrageous enough,he awarded Bayern Munich a blatantly offside goal in 93nd minute,which proved decisive in the outcome of the tie.Miroslav Klose was in an offside position for entire building of the move that led to the goal.Just see the image below to understand how pathetic the decision was.What should we say on this?

How much more clearly Offside can a player be ???

                                              

                  UEFA Champions League is perhaps the most coveted competition in the world.It also generates a huge revenue for UEFA,which is so important to them,while wielding their authority.So, we are entitled to at least expect decent refereeing in such competitions.Some may say,such errors are only human,and so much fuss shouldn't made of them.But, Champions League is serious business.Damn serious.Players are willing to put their careers on the line to win it. If you still don't understand the passion, just go and ask John Terry.He will tell you how much it means.

John Terry says his penalty miss which cost Chelsea the Champions  League title,still continues to haunt him

                                                   

Chelsea vs United : Five things we learned...

             Okay.This is not an attempt just to celebrate Chelsea's win over Manchester United on Tuesday night,nor it's just another platform to defend the team or the refereeing decisions after all the controversies.I'll try my best to remain impartial here.But,then you have to take one stand on some matters,even at the risk of refuting others.So forgive me,if I have strong opinions on few things,but here are Five big things I noticed after the Showdown at Stamford Bridge.

1. Fergie may be a Genius,But we shouldn't bother much about his Post-match comments :
     It was almost comical,Ferguson calling for the referee's head,just 2 days after his Right hand man publicly said "We should not interfere too much with refereeing,and let the Powers that be take the control of the game." Yes,David Luiz deserved to be sent off for that tackle on Rooney,but Ferguson had no moral right to talk about it,after shamelessly defending Rooney's antics vs Wigan.And whatever he calls the Penalty decision,from 'Soft' to 'Simulation',It WAS a penalty.Smalling was unlucky there,with the ball ricocheting off Zhirkov after he had successfully intercepted Lampard's pass,but he did clash with Zhirkov,causing him to go down.I know he can't just vanish from there,but that's not an excuse to deny Zhirkov a run towards the goal.Even Ball-handling BY MISTAKE results in penalties,and referee had no choice but to point to the spot.But then Fergie knows all this too well.He has done it for years,taking the focus away from his team's defeat.And guess what,most of the times,It's worked.Will it work even this time vs Liverpool,we will find out by Sunday.

2. David Luiz: A Legend in the making,but he needs to control himself :
          David Luiz was outstanding versus Manchester United,apart from one moment of madness.That could've cost him and his team the match,but, it didn't.Just one month into the EPL,and the guy has looked terrific from the beginning,solid in defence,with brilliant Ball-playing qualities,and an amazing finishing technique too,as we witnessed on Tuesday.I guess the Brazilians are just born with it.But the lad should've got red-carded,after the late challenge on Rooney.It was cleverly disguised,and yeah it seemed totally intentional.Luck will not favour him always in future,but he deserves some appreciation for a brilliant performance versus the League leaders.

David Luiz already looks a future Superstar

3. The Old Guard still has Life left in them :
          This is not just about Chelsea,but also for United.Van der Sar showed his class with that superb triple-save to deny Ivanovic in first half.Scholes was the orchestrator again in the first half,as United dominated the Opening period.John O'shea looked comfortable too on the right,as Malouda failed to trouble him much.As far as Chelsea were concerned,Terry was fantastic alongside young Luiz, Drogba was menacing ever since he came on,and Frank Lamapard showed why he's still so vital in that Chelsea set-up,with Ice-cold nerves to slot the wining penalty.You just don't save those.Well,not unless you are daring enough to just stand in the middle,and prepared to look utterly foolish,if the taker shoots even two inches to either side.

4. Come May,the Title is heading to Old Trafford :
           Now,this looks a strange conclusion to draw,after watching them falter in the Second half.Bu,still there were signs that United were returning to the deadly form they have missed so far this season.Honestly,United have almost played pathetic at times this season,but they still lead so comfortably because others have been even more pathetic.But,United did show flashes of the brilliance we all know they posses.Rooney is getting back among goals,which is a massive bad news to EPL defenders.And don't forget, they were playing versus a team fighting to save their season.All teams will not offer the same intensity,nor the kind of quality that Chelsea posses.So even though,it's a setback for ManUnited,anyone still willing to bet on the "Barcelona-beating-Birmingham-losing" unpredictable Gunners?

Rooney is getting back to his devasting form

5. Carlo is here to stay :

        People may find it foolish to talk such things just on one big performance.But the reasons for which I make this statement are much deeper.Carlo Ancelloti dared to keep the Dynamic Didier Drogba (Triple D,we can say!) on the bench for arguably club's biggest game of the season,and He did not suffer any backlash.It's quite an achievement at a Club like Chelsea."Big Phil" Scolari was sacked because he tried to sideline the Big Stars at Chelsea like Drogba and Ballack(I suspect the horrific results under him were also a reason!!) .Even the "Special One" Jose Mourinho fell out with the Chelsea hierarchy over his treatment of the then record signing, Andriy Shevchenko.When Scolari kept Drogba on the bench, he looked totally uninterested even after coming on as substitute.That was Scolari's downfall.After coming on versus United on Tuesday, Drogba looked as hungry as ever,as he virtually threw Nemanja Vidic into submission late in the game.Finally,Chelsea seemed to have found a man, unafraid to take bold decisions,and still having his team's full support behind him.After 3 months of utter craziness,finally it seems, exciting times are nearer for Chelsea.

Gunning down Barcelona...

Few thought this would be the scene at the Emirates yesterday

             I believed it could not happen.And,most of the Footballing world seemed to agree with me.Not an impossible feat,of course.But,it took Inter Milan all the shrewdness of Jose Mourinho,combined with an In-form Wesley Sneijder and the Defensive Rocks of Lucio,Samuel and Javier Zanetti.Chelsea almost achieved it with one of the most disciplined defensive displays ever two years ago,before a dazzling Iniesta moment broke their hearts.Even this year,perhaps only a Real Madrid or a Manchester United could even dream of beating the Mighty Barcelona.But,Arsenal,surely not.The fragile team who doesn't have a single trophy to show for the last four years of so called "Best Attacking Football in England" beating the team,considered THE Best attacking team in the World,who have conquered everything in last few years? Didn't seem possible.In Cricket's equivalent,it's like Ishant Sharma getting the better of Dale Steyn.Perhaps, you can expect a Harbhajan or a Muralidharan to outperform Steyn,but an Ishant Sharma? Seems almost impossible, doesn't it? Like an amatuer beating a thorough Professional in his act.
           But yesterday, Arsene Wenger's men achieved a feat, considered to be impossible to anybody.They not only defeated Barcelona,they did it playing their Own game,the game Barcelona are considered to be the masters at.The Inters and Chelseas have managed to get the better of Barcelona in recent times,but they had to do it,defending out of their skins.If you tried to play the game the "Barcelona way" against the Catalans,death was guaranteed.Yet, Arsenal went on and did it.The master tacticians like Mourinho and Guus Hiddink,and even Sir Alex Ferguson would consider it foolish,but Wenger told his team to go and attack Barcelona.And for once,it paid off handsomely.

Jack Wilshere was superb for Arsenal,not only with his passing,but  doing the  defensive job superbly to block out Messi and Iniesta

             Barca's biggest Weak Link (and perhaps the Only one) is their fullbacks.Although Dani Alves and Maxwell are massive contributors in making Barcelona the most lethal striking force,they tend to forget their defensive duties sometimes.Theo Walcott just went and ran straight at Maxwell,terrorizing the Brazilian fullback,which not only made huge difference to Arsenal's attacking potency,but it reduced a member of the Human Web,through which Xavi and Iniesta weave their passing magic.Arsenal also seemed to have finally found a decent goalkeeper,as Wojciech Szczesny produced a confident display,and Laurent Koscielny stood tall when it mattered most versus an attacking lineup that boasted of the Best Player in the World,and also possibly the Deadliest Finisher on the Planet.
            Of course,they had their luck.Messi missed chances,which would be considered "Sitters" by his current Sky-high standards.They even played a High defensive line,which left Villa and Messi toying with the Offside trap.The move could have worked well,or it could have gone horribly wrong,putting Arsenal out of contention,even before the Second leg began.But,just for their willingless to stand up to Barca,Arsenal deserved the luck to make that gamble work.Of course,the tie is long way from being decided.Arsenal still have to go to Camp Nou,with a single goal lead.The World knows what mockery Barcelona can make of even the Top teams,when they are on song.Arsenal have to produce another such performance in the Spanish Capital,and even then, they still have to hope Barcelona have an Off-day.Not impossible of course,but it's going to be a hell lot tougher,if they thought the tie at the Emirates was the biggest challenge.

        So, in three weeks time,Camp Nou will be packed with Hundred Thousand Hostile men,clad in Scarlet and Blue,trying to intimidate the Opponents,even before the ball has been kicked.But,still I am damn sure,Arsene Wenger will send his team out to go and beat Barcelona,the Mighty Barcelona in their own backyard.Still,Walcott will run madly at the Barca fullbacks without caring for the counter-attacks,still Arshavin will make those dazzling runs,not bothering about what his defense will face,if he loses the ball,trying to skip past the defenders,instead of just keeping the possession and wasting time.Mind you,we don't know what the outcome will be.It could be anything from another Arsenal Capitulation (There have been so many in recent history!) to even an Unimaginable Barcelona collapse.But,Arsenal's unwavering trust in their Footballing Philosophy promises to make the game at Camp Nou a Footballing Masterpiece.And,for their sheer desire to do that,Arsene Wenger's team deserve a big salute from this small guy. 

Welcome Back, Roman!

Roman Abrahimovic is back in business

           Cost-cutting, Michel Platini, UEFA's Financial Restrictions....If anyone thought these words governed the happenings at Chelsea these days,then Roman Abrahimovic just showed who is in control at Stamford Bridge.Almost 75 million pounds spent on New Recruits,one of them a reigning Euro and World Cup Winner,while the other hailed as the Future of the Ultimate Footballing nation.Chelsea are back in Business.
           Not since the Massive investment in 2006,that saw the likes of Shevchenko,Michael Ballack, and Kalou land in London,have Chelsea made a big-name signing.The last 3 or 4 years have been relatively quiet,with just the likes of Zhirkov and Ramires and Sturridge coming in,all good players no doubt,but not the superstars who win you the Titles.There were talks of Self-sufficiency at the Club,but with the Champions faltering badly this season,Roman has been forced to open his chequebook again.

            The signings of Torres and David Luiz are highly significant in many ways.First and foremost,it shows that the Owner is firmly backing Carlo Ancelotti,by trusting him with the big signings.It's particularly important at a Club like Chelsea,for whom Stability could be working wonders.Also,it gives them a fresh impetus,in a campaign which threatened to deteriorate even further.Suddenly,there is a spring in their steps now.The arrival of Torres immediately puts pressure on Chelsea's big-name, yet misfiring strikers.It was all so evident against Sunderland.Nicolas Anelka,who looked no more than just an ordinary guy so far this season,was suddenly cutting inside three or four defenders effortlessly.That's what competition can do to you.Chelsea now have much-needed cover in the defense too,which now means all of us will be spared of watching Paulo Ferreira haplessly struggling in the Central defensive role,when Terry or Alex gets injured.
              Although one team feeling the brunt of Chelsea's sudden spree is Manchester City.They have tried to establish themselves among the Elite by throwing obscene amounts of money at half-decent players.But,even then,they remain unable to attract the very Best talent.People like Adebayor,and Edin Dzeko will come,but there will be no Kakas or Rooneys or Torreses.City would have been hoping to become the sole destination for big-money signings,but with Chelsea getting back to their Spending ways,it's a massive blow to the Blue-half of Manchester.

Fernando Torres after signing for Chelsea

               Lots of things are being said about Torres' massive transfer.Some say 50 millions is too much,then let me ask you differently.Is Torres worth 30 millions less than Ronaldo? No.Is he worth 6 millions less than Ibrahimovic? No. Is he worth 15 millions more than Caroll? Certainly.And then let's not forget Torres is already one of the most feared strikers in the World,has already netted in the Euro Final,and aged 26,arguably has his best years ahead of him.As far as Torres is concerned,for all the flak he's facing from Liverpool,his decision only seems logical.He may have loved Liverpool very much,but the fact is Liverpool are not up there with the Rest of the big Clubs.Biggest reason for Torres leaving Atletico,his boyhood club,was his desire to play in Champions League,to test himself against the Best in the world.We all know Liverpool aren't going to play Champions League next year,and maybe even in the year after that.And if the timing of the move is to be questioned,it was Torres' best chance really.Had he waited till the summer,Manchester City would come in with another massive bid,and Liverpool would rather sell to them,in the hope of earning a few more millions,than Chelsea.As a World Cup winning player,you would hardly want to go to City,when the Big teams are interested (Unless,you are stupid enough to be Carlos Tevez, of course!).
             Well,there have been too many discussions about Chelsea's massive spendings (which seem to overshadow the 35 millions Liverpool paid for a striker who is yet to play a Full-season in EPL,and was outscored by 4 players in the Second Division last year.Cunning piece of business,anyone? ) One thing is Crystal clear,Roman Abrahimovic has made Chelsea an even better destination than ever before.With that massive transfer of Torres,it's going to be much more easy for Chelsea to convince the big names to come to Stamford Bridge. Neymar, Kaka,Pato, Marek Hamsik,take your pick.
            Anyone thought Chelsea were a Club on the way down, not good enough for Steven Pienaar to choose over Tottenham?? You can forget all that now.The Russian Oligarch's actions in this January Transfer window promise a huge impact on the European Football for the seasons to come.

Welcome Back, Roman!