Tough Tests For Manchester Clubs In Europe

Manchester City and Manchester United face tough ties in the Europa League draw which was made today.

City have drawn the holders, Porto and United face seasoned European competitors, Ajax; a match worthy of Champions League status rather than Europa League.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who has never faced Ajax before in European competition in his 25-year tenure, said: “Ajax are a good team, I'm looking forward to it.”

Manchester United Defender, Chris Smalling, said: “It was a massive disappointment going out of the Champions League. This will be a good test. A lot of the teams will be keen to do well.

United won’t be taking the Dutch giants lightly and nor they should. The four-time European cup winners are trying to rebuild their place within the continent’s elite and are hoping to cement that status with a win over United.

Ajax Commercial Director, Henri Van Der Art, said: “For our fans it is a fantastic match. There are two famous teams who respect each other.”

Manchester City, on the other hand, face a Porto side who went unbeaten last season in an impressive run.

The Portuguese team were lead to victory in this competition last year by, now Chelsea manager, Andre Villas-Boas.

Smalling battling against Bursaspor

Manchester City Administrator Brian Marwood, said: “It's amazing. We've gone through the hardest group in the Champions League and now got the holders of the Europa League.”

Because of the fixture scheduling and the fact that both Manchester clubs may have to play home matches on the same night City will be forced to move their tie.

City will be forced to move because United have a higher UEFA coefficient rating and will probably play their matches on Wednesday nights at 6pm.

This is obviously not great for fans with work commitments wishing to attend but it’s better than the Thursday afternoon option which was discussed earlier this week.

If City proceed they will face either Sporting Lisbon or Legia Warsaw. If Manchester United are successful they face the prospect of either Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao however the Manchester clubs cannot meet each other until the quarter-finals at the earliest.

The first round of games will take place on the 16 and 23 February.

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool: Complications and Implications

Arsene Wenger admitted that he is familiar with the term “When it rains, it pours” and I’m not surprised; it’s certainly pouring at the Emirates. The feeling is that Wenger’s actions in the next ten days could threaten to destroy or perhaps reinforce his legend at Arsenal Football Club. Liverpool recorded their first win at Arsenal for 11 years and Arsenal finished the match with a team that resembled a Carling Cup side rather than the crucial Premier League encounter this undoubtedly was. Szscensy – Sagna, Miquel, Vermaelen, Jenkison – Lansbury, Ramsey, Nasri – Van Persie, Bendtner was the ten man side that finished the game yesterday and Arsenal looked desperate. 

Nasri: Staying or Going?

The choice to play Samir Nasri and bring on Nicklas Bendtner from the bench, two players who have publicly expressed their desire to leave the club before the month is over, suggested that Arsenal’s squad is extremely thread bare. It also highlights the fact that no replacements for these players have been purchased; a situation that the Arsenal fans will be hoping their manager rectifies sooner rather than later.

Liverpool, on the other hand, looked very much the opposite; showing their squad’s strength by bringing on Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez on to change the game in the last half an hour. Dalglish has brought in several hard working players of Premier League standard in Carroll, Downing, Suarez. None at a cheap price undeniably, but the players are now available to Dalgish, something Wenger surely envies. Both teams were coping without their inspirational captains, Fabregas having left for Catalonia and Gerrard still nursing an injury, and no doubt Liverpool’s squad was much better equipped to deal with that draw back.

Tough Time For Wenger

Considering the gulf in experience and value of the two squads the result did flatter Liverpool slightly. Shortly after going down to 10 men after Frimpong was shown a second yellow for a high tackle on Lucas, Arsenal were dreadfully unlucky when a Miquel clearance bounced back into the Gunners’ net off Aaron Ramsey’s chest. Granted, the Welshman didn’t know anything about it but the goal symbolized the way his game had gone. He was caught in possession several times, while his positioning and passing were often wayward. Arsenal had no-one on the bench to come on and put him out of his misery and he was left to struggle on. Arshavin was similarly disappointing and failed to re kindle the form that saw him score 4 against Liverpool a couple of seasons ago, while his opposite wingman Theo Walcott also struggle to make an impact on the game. The only solution Wenger had was to substitute Walcott for centre forward, Bendtner, hardly a game changer.

There were a few boos at the final whistle, although these were apparently not as audible as the Sky microphones would have you believe. Besides, it seemed they were mostly directed towards the referee Martin Atkinson. The officials undoubtedly had a poor game, failing to notice that Suarez was offside for the first Liverpool goal and that Robin Van Persie should have been awarded a penalty late on after being dragged down in the area by his shirt at the hands of Jamie Carragher.

There is no doubt that Arsenal’s situation is somewhat unfortunate; the injuries to Wilshere, Koscielny and Djourou certainly have not helped, but the suspensions are entirely their own doing. Song and Gervinho are currently one game into serving a three game ban for entirely avoidable offences, while the impressive and positive Frimpong will now miss the Manchester United game, thanks to is naïve over-enthusiasm. 

Kenny Dalglish: On The Right Track

Liverpool look like they will develop into a very dangerous side with a bit of time and the right management but they really should have beaten that Arsenal side by more. The struggled draw at home to Sunderland last week shows there is still work to do. The code has not quite been cracked at Anfield but, they certainly look like they will have an input into the race for the Premier League title.

As for the Gunners, well the next ten days are very important for the club given that the transfer window closes on September 1^st. They take a slender lead into a tough Champions League qualifier, and the result will surely make or break their season. Arsene Wenger needs to act quickly and decisively.

Andre Villas-Boas

As Chelsea embark on a new season with a new manager, their 5^th in seven years, it seems right to suggest that this one might be the one they give a little more time to. He’s young, he’s handsome and he did quite well with Porto, ring any bells…

Of course the similarities have been apparent between Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho, the statistics are similar and even John Terry has commented on their similar personality traits. Not surprising since the now Chelsea manager worked with ‘The Special One’ for a number of years. Mourinho even once referred to the youngster as “my eyes and ears” when he was head of the Opponent Observation unit at Stamford Bridge. So, he is no stranger to the English game and is fluent in English due to his time in the UK with Mourinho and an English grandmother on his mother’s side. Such a good student is he that he took Mourinho’s record of 33 matches unbeaten in all competitions with Porto and bettered it by three.

At the tender age of 33 there have been doubts expressed about whether this man can take charge of a dressing room filled with egos like Drogba, Terry, Malouda etc. all fighting for places. Yet, he seems to have his players on the same wavelength and seems keen to providing Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich with what he wants; attractive football. Something else which drew the Russian owner to Villas-Boas is his European Trophy winning experience. After last years success with Porto in the Europa League Villas-Boas took Porto on their longest unbeaten run in Europe. However, that doesn’t guarantee success with his newly inherited Chelsea team. It does guarantee plenty of pressure, though.

Many have called for this to be the time that Abramovich gives his employee at the helm the precious gift of time, many feel that if Villas-Boas is unsuccessful in his first season that his job may be feared for and some pundits think that he is most likely to fall flat on his face given the enormity of the task ahead. Already he has some big decisions to make in terms of personnel in transfers and the squad he will pick to start against Stoke tomorrow.

The Chelsea manager has made no secret of the fact that he will stick with the 4-3-3 system that worked so well for him at Porto. However, this does leave him with selection problems/privileges depending on which way you look at the situation. A 4-3-3 formation would mean that he will have to decide whether he will start Drogba or Torres and it’s likely that the two will very rarely play together. He will then have to find a way to fit Anelka, Malouda, Kalou, Benayoun, Sturridge and anyone they may sign (possibly Modric) into that mix and find the best fit, no doubt, with the watchful and judgemental eye of Roman Abramovich keeping a close eye on proceedings.

There is a fantastic interview with Andre Villas-Boas in today’s Telegraph on his footballing philosophy. Well worth a read.

A Case for Nicklas Bendtner

It has been made no secret that Nicklas Bendtner is keen to secure a move from the Emirates and he seems close to doing just that. The Danish centre-forward has not travelled with the club or taken part in any pre-season friendly matches so far

Ask your average Arsenal fan and they will tell you that they’re very happy for Bendtner to be leaving. However the young Dane’s contributions to the Arsenal cause have been far less woeful than his reputation suggests. Often accused of arrogance or ‘over confidence’ by his own fans, Nicklas Bendtner was left in a no win situation at the club. The player said he wanted to play every game; he was criticised. He said he could score goals; he was criticised even more. Tell me, what more do you want a young forward to say?

The reason Bendtner struggled to score was because he was played out of position for the majority of his time at Arsenal. More often than not he was to be found out on the right hand side putting crosses into the box. Yes, the tallest Arsenal player on the pitch was putting the crosses in to the likes of Arshavin, it's laughable really. However, when he was played in a more central role, most notably in the 2009-2010 season, when Robin Van Persie was injured, he scored several important goals for the club; namely, a 94^th minute winner against Hull at the Emirates to keep The Gunner’s in the title race. A header from a cross, funnily enough.

Yet, it seemed that nothing could win him over with the fans. Constant criticism followed by several relatively fruitless efforts on the right wing eventually ground the player down and with the arrival of Marouane Chamakh he has probably felt forced to look elsewhere for the chance to play regularly.

Just to put things into perspective slightly, Bendtner has scored 45 goals from 156 appearances and Robin Van Persie has scored 97 from 230 appearances. That’s an average of 3.4 games per goal for Nick, compared to 2.3 for Robin. Now, just to clarify, I am not suggesting that Nicklas Bendtner is on the same level of Robin Van Persie the point of the stats are just an attempt to show that perhaps some of the ill-feeling directly towards Bendtner was a bit hasty. He also played a big part in securing Denmark a place in the 2010 World Cup; a massive achievement for a 20-year-old.

Before the signing of Chamakh, Bendtner was Arsenal's archetypal centre forward who could be deployed as a change of strategy when their patient passing football was falling short of the mark (See: Ibrahimovic's role for Barcelona). Yet, he was rarely used as an actual plan B, as in, Arsenal would never change their style to suit their target man and the whole thing was a bit limp. More of a bad fit than Bendtner being a bad player.

Talk of a potential buyer for Nick has been coming from Portugal and there has reportedly been several clubs in contact for him, it’s now down to the player and his agent which is his father to choose the most suitable club.

Are England's Players in Need of a Better Football Education?

Today’s England team are often criticised for failing to live up to expectations on the international scale. Many ponder the reasons for this given that the teams do so well on the European scale, although not with a full squad of English players, but many other European domestic teams share a similar line of success as their country. For example, the success of Barcelona and Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan, Bayern Munich has something of a correlation with their respective countries prospering in European or World Cups. Does anyone think that England’s successes are in correspondence to Manchester United/Arsenal/Chelsea’s? It seems that England players fall short of the mark compared to their continental peers; are they need of a better footballing education? England’s international success does not match the likes of Manchester United’s success in Europe.

It seems blasphemous to suggest that an Englishman would not receive a substantial education in football. However, when you put aside the notions of ‘heart’ and ‘pride’ on the pitch and think about it seriously, many of Europe’s top teams give a far better all round education to their students of the game. The current Barcelona squad, into which Pep Guardiola has instilled a Cryuff-inspired philosophy, have been widely admired. What most people forget is that it is not simply beautiful football but it has to be perfectly married with an abundance of discipline and understanding of the game.

Graduates of the Barça school La Masia are taught to think of the pitch divided up into eight boxes; all of which must be occupied by at least one player at all times. If a player sees an empty box he must fill it in order to ensure that the team are always in a good position to defend if they should lose the ball. Even when on the attack they are aware of the possible need to defend; this relies on, not only great discipline and awareness of what the team is doing as a whole but also, an in-depth knowledge of each individual player’s function within the team.

Each player knows what part their role plays in the context of the team, Sergio Busquets said recently: “Part of my role is to shuttle between the defence and attacking lines to make sure the ball circulates well and quickly. Often this pivotal position starts the play. Defensively I'm also an intermediate between our back four and the midfield and I try to mark and press so I can isolate the opposition striker from their midfield.”

Obviously, Barcelona raise the bar high for other teams but this understanding is not uncommon in Europe. Steve McClaren revealed that during FC Twente matches the players left out of the squad or players from the youth team would be asked to write a report on the match as they watch it, ready for submission after the game. Thus, broadening their understanding of the match and identifying the various team formations, changes in tactics etc.

I get the feeling that if you asked an English player what went wrong during the game and why they had failed to win you’d probably get a response along the lines of, “Well, they just wanted it more than us.” There is no doubt that the desire to win plays a part but you cannot expect players to flourish against more intelligent footballing opponents if they don’t understand the game inside and out.

Is the Respect Campaign failing to Gain Any Respect?

The FA and UEFA have implemented a “Respect campaign” in recent seasons with, let’s be honest, minimal effect. The role of such a movement is to address the issue that players’ are too colourful with their language and too brash with their general attitude towards refs.

A noble attempt, you may say, in trying to dignify the game and prevent the players from coming across as bad role models to young children, since it is the case today that the players as labelled delinquent, bad tempered potty-mouths. Not to say that in some cases this isn’t true but I think the majority of players don’t find it difficult to respect the referee if he earns it.

That’s the thing about respect; it has to be earned. Not only can it not be brought about by a respect campaign, it certainly cannot be brought about when it is not deserved and the truth of the matter is that some referees just don’t deserve respect.

A couple of weeks ago The Secret Footballer column in the Guardian discussed referees and not the players behaviour towards them but the referee’s behaviour towards the players. Obviously no names were mentioned but it was confirmed that this player had been spoken to improperly by the referee and that it’s not uncommon to hear the referee’s using profanities as much as the players.

How can the campaign itself be respected and sincere when the referees, whom this is supposed to benefit, are dishing out their fair share of abuse?

I think the refs could help themselves more with their actions and reactions on the pitch than any limp campaign, not matter how much it is pushed. I have seen, on several occasions, a player will run over to the official be it referee or linesman simply to ask why the decision was made. It is fair to say that in many cases the players are too aggressive but the official usually attempts to ignore them which sparks further fuel to the already overheated player. Rather than be confident in their decision and explain themselves they back away from confrontation and refuse to engage with the players.

By not commanding respect on the pitch and using the same language which could get players sent off, the referees are making a mockery and a hypocrisy of the respect campaign causing players and fans to deplore the whole situation even more.

Clasico Tres: The Ugly One

Lionel Messi continued his spectacular form by scoring his 51^st and 52^nd goals against Real Madrid which broke the deadlock in this tense derby and then put the match beyond the home side. The breakthrough came after Barça substitute Afellay put in a dangerous low cross which Messi connected with at the front post after getting ahead of Sergio Ramos by an inch.

It took 75 minutes for Barcelona to score and it came about after Madrid went down to ten men. It’s the fifth time in a row that a Mourinho team has had a man sent off against the Catalans and Pepe becomes the seventh player sent off in the last six meetings between the clubs; five for Real and two for Barça. Jose then practiced what he seems to preach by getting sent to the stands after unacceptable comments made to the fourth official.

The match had a Mourinho-esque feel about it in the sense that it lacked dignity, respect and was a downright shameful portrayal of the two clubs, or maybe it was an accurate representation. Yes, Messi’s goal was wonderful but lest we forget that the precious demi-God reacted angrily to a challenge and tried to elbow someone in the leg earlier in the match, which was conveniently brushed over. Pepe’s red card was slightly harsh but the situation had reached boiling point and the Barça players were not going to let this one go as Dani Alves was taken off on a stretcher. He returned to the pitch soon after.

Whether Madrid were happy about it or not, in the first half Barcelona dominated possession and Madrid seemed at ease to let them do so and wait for a slight mistake to pounce on. Pepe, Alonso and Diarra pressurised the Barcelona front line and forced them back. Madrid struggled to keep the ball however, and when they did regain possession it was usually for a short spell. Casillas came to his side’s rescue when Xavi was played through the middle delightfully by Messi.

The German referee, Wolfgang Stark, was submitted to serious scrutiny every time he blew his whistle; from the managers, commentators and protests from the players and fans. The match was again deterred from the footballing side of things even by half-time when a melee ensued when a few players came together in a slight tussle which resulted in Barcelona’s reserve ‘keeper, Pinto, being sent off.

The second half saw Madrid take the game to Barcelona with more determination to attack and break the Catalans makeshift defence down; Puyol was playing on the left with Mascherano and Pique in the middle. However, it was to no avail. Cristiano Ronaldo had a vague chance when he found himself pushed away from goal and opted for a shot instead of looking for a runner to square the ball to.

After Pepe was sent off the game was again in Barcelona’s control. Adebayor’s presence was felt but it was too late for los blancos. As it stands, Real Madrid have a mountain to climb at the Camp Nou next week and they will have to do that without Sergio Ramos (suspended), Pepe (suspended) and their manager who will be ordered to the stands again.

Pep Guardiola stated that Mourinho had one the verbal war but reminded us all that a football match was to be played and that's where he would make his move, not in the press conference. He will consider Mourinho the winner of the battle but it looks like the war is his. For the neutral it was a frustrating match and one that prompted many questions about why this match had been hyped as a ‘footballing’ spectacle and not for what it was; a cynical war between two sides whose players play out the same rivalry on a stage already set by its history.

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Casillas; Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos, Marcelo; Diarra, Pepe, Alonso; Ozil (Adebayor 45), Ronaldo, Di Maria. 4-3-3

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Puyol; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Pedro (Afellay 70), Villa (Sergi Roberto 89), Messi.

Ajax 4-1 SBV Excelsior: Show Down For Eredivisie Still On.

Lorenzo Ebecilio scored a brace to ensure that Ajax keep up with FC Twente in the mouth-watering Eredivisie title race. The game was rounded off with a superb overhead kick by Siem De Jong making it four, whilst the second came from Christian Eriksen. The Amsterdammers sit just one point behind league leaders Twente on a weekend that PSV dropped points after they were humbled in 3-1 Rotterdam by Feyenoord, finishing the game with 10 men to boot.

Ajax dominated possession but there was a nervy air around the stadium, something us Arsenal fans can relate too and when SBV Excelsior equalised out of nothing to make it 1-1.  Big defender Daan Bovenberg equalised for the away side just after half time and I wonder how many Ajax fans almost gave up the title hopes there and then.  But as the news (and video clips) of PSV’s failings filtered through the ground the Ajax faithful were galvanised yet again; huge cheers rang around the arena and the players responded with three goals and real belief.

De Jong’s final goal was a beauty, a perfectly timed overhead kick from 10 yards out in the 92^nd minute. The real beauty was that he would have had time to take a touch and bring the ball down but instead he chose to stick it to Excelsior and boot the boot in the only way Ajax know how; with flair. The third goal was largely thanks to Serbian forward Miralem Sulejmani who lifted the ball over the defence straight into the path of Ebecilio who finished off for his second of the evening. The pass was a real treat for the football connoisseur.

Sulejmani had a fantastic game in the creative forward role under the watchful eye of a former Ajax great in the same position, Tottenham man, Rafael Van der Vaart. The Serb was a constant threat for the wavering Excelsior defence, not often did they play long balls but when he did they were precise and usually consisted of involving wide players, stretching the opponents defence. In fact, so rarely was a long ball seen that even the Ajax goalkeeper insisted on playing the ball short to his full-backs rather than take a long range goal kick.

Given the crowd's chants of “Ajax kampioen!” it is safe to say that this lot are confident. If they win their next match away to Heerenveen and FC Twente don’t lose to Willem II then it will be a winner-takes-all situation at the Amsterdam Arena when Ajax and Twente face each other on the last day of the season. A draw may not be good enough for Twente because they still have PSV to worry about, despite dropping points at the weekend they can still sneak in and win the title if the win their games and other results go their way.

Wherever your loyalties lie it’s going to be one hell of a match on May 15^th in Amsterdam, cameras at the ready; it’s going to be a photo-finish.

Clasico Dos: The King's Cup

The cup final. Not many changes made: pinto for valdes, adriano for puyol arbeloa for albiol, ozil for benzema. Pepe still playing further forward.

Mourinho stuck to his guns and came out victorious. Pointed out by Johan Cryuffn in the negative, as being a manager for trophies and not football... I couldn't see any Madristas complaining.

Despite dropping the cup under the bus, there was no feeling that Madrid didn't enjoy every second of their first copa del rey for 18 years.

The momentum was with Madrid, chances were almost equal but Madrid had the edge and when players such as Affelay came on late there was no real feeling that they'd win it for the Catalans.
It says a lot that los blancos fans were applauding intently after the league game which almost terminated their title challenge from the relief of not being beaten by their biggest rivals.

It was a cup game which was intensified by the rivalry of the clubs which was intensified ten fold by the upcoming champions league games. There had to be a winner and I suppose both teams would prefer to lose on penalties. Ronaldo scored the only goal from open play in the two fixtures to secure the win for Real in extra time. Now, the pressure is (wrongly) set upon Mr. Guardiola in the media and the tide is turning in Real's favour.

Mourinho's pragmatic nature seems to be instilled in his squad and, unfortunately, I think they are the favourites for the champions league tie. Mourinho has already beaten Pep's Barca over two legs in last seasons CL when he won it with Inter Milan, can he do it again to his growth club with their rivals? I can't imagine there's anything he would enjoy more.

El Clasico Uno: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona; Mourinho's tactical changes.

The thing about Jose Mourinho is that he quickly learns his lesson and last night's performance against Barcelona was a good example of his tactical prowess. Beaten 5-0 at the Camp Nou, Mourinho’s biggest defeat ever as a manager must have cut him deep and it won’t be forgotten. However, despite his Catalan rivals being top of La Liga with an impressive eight-point lead the momentum has shifted seemingly at the right time for Madrid.

An impressive come back last night has giving his substantial squad a boost, especially with ten men; his ten-man strategy paid off, it seems. The first of four encounters saw a particularly defensive Madrid side take the field with Pepe playing defensive midfield along with Alonso and Khedira in the middle. This allowed Barcelona little time and space on the ball; something they enjoyed in the reverse fixture. The first half was fast paced yet lacked many real threats and, uncharacteristically, both sides’ passing was not as sharp as usual.

With the second half came both goals, both from the spot. Ronaldo and Messi respectively converted for their teams.  The pivotal point was the dismissal of Raul Albiol for his foul on David Villa in the box. Mourinho was left with a big decision to make and his substitutions rescued a point for Real. Instead of moving Pepe from his midfield position back to the centre of defence he brought on Arbeloa who went to right back, allowing Sergio Ramos to move into the middle keeping Pepe in the space between the defence and midfield. This allowed Ronaldo, Ozil and Adebayor to go forward with Khedira linking everything together.

Despite the fightback from Real, Barcelona still remain top and strong favourites for the championship. Next comes the lesser of all the clashes between the two and Real have the squad to put out a stronger team if Barcelona feel like they need to rest players. The team who lift the trophy on Wednesday will receive a massive boost of confidence for the all-important Champions League ties.

 

Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Albiol (sent off), Carvalho, Marcelo, Alonso (Ozil), Pepe, Khedira, Di Maria (Arbeloa), Ronaldo, Benzema (Adebayor).

Barca: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol (Keita), Adriano (Maxwell), Busquets, Xavi, Ineista, Pedro (Affelay), Messi, Villa.

Were the FA right to fine Wayne Rooney and uphold his two match ban?

Of course they were, the man will never learn otherwise. It was a shocking and unnecessary display from a spoiled player. I’m not offended by his language, it was the attention seeking nature of the incident and it’s not the first time. As a youngster I was taken to football matches every weekend and at a young age I was exposed to the "industrial" language that comes as part of the football watching experience, rightly or wrongly. If parents allow their children to watch football then they must face the fact that bad language will be used.

So, if bad language is part of the game then should Rooney be let off the hook somewhat and have had his two match ban reduced to one as he appealed? Well, Rooney's outburst was pre-meditated in a way. If he had addressed the away section of the fans, or even the home fans and uttered the expletives which the camera microphones had picked up involuntarily then I would say that we have no problem. It would be put down as being an unfortunate error in which much of the questioning would be directed towards the broadcasters to broach the subject of having a time delay on the audio feed for live televised matches.

However, the expletives were not picked up accidently; they were very purposefully directed at the live audience. Instead, Rooney acknowledged the thousands of viewers watching the live feed, this acknowledgement indicates a disregard for authority and for football and the FA by bringing the sport into disrepute which is not allowed. Lest we forget that Rooney actively sought out the camera on another occasion too; during the 2010 World Cup after England had taken part in a drab draw against Algeria (?) when he directed comments towards the fans. Despite no blue language being used on that occasion it should have been an indication of his potential and readiness to offend and his manager should work on his player’s worrying attitude problem.

Champions League Quarter Finals and Semi-Finals Draw.

Tuesday April 5^th:                                                              Wednesday 13^th April:

Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur                                    Schalke ’04 v Inter Milan

Inter Milan   v Schalke ’04                                                Tottenham v Real Madrid

Wednesday April 6^th:                                                       Tuesday 12^th April:

Chelsea v Manchester United                                         Manchester United v Chelsea

Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk                                        Shakhtar Donetsk v Barcelona

The winners of Barca/Shakhtar will play Real Madrid or Tottenham potentially setting up a tantalising semi-final between the two Spanish giants and seeing them face each other 4 times in 10 days with a league game and Copa Del Rey final in the diary around that time too. Talks have been started and the league and Copa games are temporarily suspended until further notice it seems if the teams both progress. However, people may be underestimating the difficulty of going to Ukraine and facing that formidable Shakhtar Donetsk atmosphere, especially going there in the second leg.

This means that there is no chance of an all-Spanish final but we could still have an all-English final if Tottenham can overcome Madrid then either Barcelona or Shakhtar.

There is always a tasty story of revenge and payback in the Champions League and none more so than the revenge Chelsea will be looking to take out on Manchester United for the 2008 final when John Terry agonizingly missed his spot kick, handing the trophy to Man United there and then.

Rafael Van der Vaart has expressed his excitement at the prospect of returning to the Bernabeu via his Twitter. Not wishing to patronise Spurs but this is definitely a glamour tie for the North London club; the most experienced team and nine time winners, Real Madrid, up against the new boys: Spurs. That’s what the competition is all about, and lest we forget – anything can happen!

What's Arsenal's problem?

Arsenal find themselves dumped out of two competitions in less than a week and suddenly the Gunners’ chances of silverware are decreased significantly and now every league game is a cup final, almost (and we know how well Arsenal do in cup finals!). Now, don’t get me wrong, the title race is far from over but do Arsenal have what it takes or is there something of a ‘mental block’ when it comes to obtaining a trophy?

Arsene Wenger may not be highly regarded as one of arsenal’s problems and rightly so but the manager must take responsibility for his teams failures at some point. When players are under-performing and being accused of lacking in effort it’s easy to blame individual players but one must question how much of this attitude is down to the managers style and motivational tactics. For example, it’s difficult to imagine a player under the likes of Ferguson or Moyes playing a full game in a lacklustre fashion without it being pointed out to him, to put it mildly.

Arsene Wenger has seen a number of players come and go over the past 5 trophy-less seasons yet, all the squads seem to have the same problem. Wenger has said before that if his team are losing or have been defeated he never uses the hairdryer method; instead they are made to sit and contemplate their mistakes. This is, no doubt, a tactful and subtle approach yet, it does seem slightly childish to me, like the naughty step or silent treatment method employed by parents.

Perhaps Arsenal would benefit from a more mouthy and brash assistant coach, someone to tell them when they’re flailing around arse over tit. Someone to provide some steel and some of the ‘English grit and determination’ that we’re so often reminded of. Could Wenger’s method be too intellectual for a football team?

Barcenal v Arselona Pt. 2, Round 2.

 Arsenal are in Barcelona followed by fans in great numbers ahead of their much anticipated Champions League tie against the Catalan giants. It wont be easy, many of the players will still be haunted by the memories of last year’s clash at the Camp Nou when Arsenal, having fought back from a 2 goal deficit at the Emirates to take a 2-2 score line to the Camp, were demolished by Lionel Messi. Arsenal even took the lead through Nicklas Bendtner and spirits were cautiously high until Messi hit four in front of the Barça faithful.

This time it’s different, Arsenal take a lead into the second leg and Wenger’s side will be looking to and find that special something in Catalonia. Many walk the streets, serenaded by the winding paths of the Barri Gotic, some search for life itself or love, romance or beauty; everything and nothing. Although Arsenal’s task is more definite in a footballing sense; a coming of age and exercising past demons the reality of beating Barcelona by playing total football is poetry in motion and it would indeed be a thing of great beauty.

Both sides are hindered with injuries/suspensions so the changes will be rung. Expect Busquets to partner Eric Abidal in the centre of defence in the absence of Puyol and Gerard Pique who is suspended. This is, no doubt, pleasing for the Arsenal team but lest we forget the attacking line up likely to be Villa, Messi, Pedro, Xavi and Iniesta. As for Arsenal, with the exception of Alex Song who is definitely set to miss out, Van Persie and Cesc Fàbregas will have late fitness tests prior to the match with, Arsenal captain, Fàbregas, “90% likely” to start. Jack Wilshere, the man who received rave reviews in the Catalan press after his performance in the first leg when he did not look out of place when up against the world’s best, has declared himself fit via his twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/jack_wilshere) account.

Walcott missing out is a bigger blow than the possible absence of Van Persie. The winger can punish teams with his pace especially a team like Barcelona who often play a high line. Arsenal will not only miss his ability, they will miss his presence; he terrifies defenders. No defender enjoys playing against pace and Walcott would really give the Barça defence a reason to be fearful.

The Arsenal defence have their work cut out for them in the shape of Leo Messi, Pedro and David Villa. Although little praise has befallen Koscielny and Djourou for their solid performance at the Emirates, the Arsenal centre-backs took control of their area and put in a sturdy performance against the tricksters. They must put in a similar performance but that wont be enough, Arsenal will need Lady Luck on their side too.

Without a doubt, it’s going to be a beautiful game and a very different one from last year’s encounter in that both teams have grown. After Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final last season the Special One claimed: “You cannot play their way and win”, Arsenal will be hoping to prove him wrong tonight.

Oldham 1-1 Dagenham: Post-match thoughts on the North West side.

It’s exciting times for Oldham Athletic on the pitch even if things haven’t been going their way off it. The Latics have climbed six league places into the play-off places in the past month and manager Paul Dickov is extremely pleased with his young side.

Despite disappointment in the week with the news that their plans for a new stadium have been turned down the team are playing some of their best football and only their momentary lapses in concentration seem to be keeping them at the lower end of the play off places rather than the top.

Dickov has praised his players’ mental strength in recent weeks yet it seems like they just can’t catch a break; every tiny mistake is being punished in the most telling ways. They largely dominated the game against bottom of the league Dagenham and Redbridge yet failed to convert that domination into three points. A combination of a fine goalkeeping performance by Dagger’s ‘keeper Tony Roberts and Oldham’s own lack of concentration saw them concede the equaliser that they wouldn’t overcome.

Man of the match and Oldham player of the month, Chris Taylor set up joint top goal scorer Dale Stephens to open up the scoring for the home side soon after the restart. Taylor looked to come inside onto his right foot and shoot but instead laid the ball off to his oncoming team mate to side foot it into the Dagenham net.

This gave The Latics some good momentum but they were denied by Roberts on several occasions. Dickov admitted that Taylor was central to their success and the second half didn’t go as well as he’d hoped. “We were a big threat today when we got Taylor on the ball.”

“Their goalkeeper has made three or four really good saves – any of them go in and it’s a different game. They came here, defended doggedly, set their shape up to frustrate us and did that for long periods of the game,” said the Scot.

The equaliser came from a throw in – a blink and you miss it moment. Manchester United goalkeeper, Ben Amos fails to clear the ball and allows Dagger’s top scorer Romain Vincelot to head in the goal.

Oldham have held on to their star players in the transfer window, extended loan contracts and made some new signings and the manager is delighted with his young, exciting side. Chris Taylor is coming into his own in the midfield; Dale Stephens is rivalling him for the top scorer’s position. Dominating the left hand side whether it’s at full back or midfield is Arsenal player Cedric Evina who is mastering his trade in the North West.

“We had enough chances to win two games today. We’re disappointed with the goal we conceded but we’ve got to be more ruthless at the other end.”

“We’re all disappointed and it feels like a loss yet again but we have to take the positives out of it. We feel that we’re a good team and we’re delighted about where we are.”

That was the note that Dickov signed off on, afterwards making a comment about not making any “fucking excuses” and then apologising to me for his bad language… Paul Dickov being polite and respectful to journalists?? - It has certainly been a weekend of shocks in the football world!

Oldham 2-0 Swindon

Chris Taylor’s early strike set Oldham Athletic off to a flying start as they ended their run of four matches without a win against a lacklustre Swindon Town. A dangerous cross by Morais was headed away only as far as Taylor who, with far too much space, curled the ball into the right hand corner from just inside the box.

Paul Dickov was full of praise for the forward, "Chris' all round game today was fantastic. He was threatening when he had the ball and we all know he's got quality when he gets the chance."

Dale Stephens sealed victory for the home side with a late penalty, after a frustrated Charlie Austin was judged to have handled in the box. Stephens confidently smashed home a penalty as Oldham laid their recent demons to rest.

Swindon striker and top scorer, Charlie Austin had a frustrating game and Dickov praised his centre-backs for their performance.

"Both centre-backs were excellent. Charlie Austin is one of the best strikers in this division and I thought both of them were fantastic, as all of my team were."

"I’m delighted with all the boys. Too many times we've talked about individual errors but there was none from any of my players today."

With the inclusion of new arrival goalkeeper Ben Amos, on loan from Manchester United goalkeeper, Dickov has a strong set of players fighting for positions.

"Ben is a great 'keeper, it's going to be a competitive spot for the goalkeeper now. Ben gives us, as a back four, the chance to do well this year", said Oldham full-back Paul Black.

Black reclaimed his place in the squad after being left out on Monday against Rochdale.

"In most positions there's a competition and there's a great togetherness. Even after two defeats no one's head went down."

"I was disappointed to be left out; hopefully I can stay in the team now and get a few more results, starting on Tuesday in a tough match against Southampton."

In what was an evenly contested match the Swindon manager, Danny Wilson, felt his team were unlucky to leave without a point but conceded that they were the makers of their own misfortune.

"All of our great performances have been followed up by an average one and that was exactly the same again today."

Swindon had the chance to equalize in the 85^th minute when Michael Rose’s 25-yard free kick rattled off the post. Sometimes when things aren’t going your way you don’t get a break and this was the case for Swindon today.

"Playing two back to back games seems to be our problem at the moment. We don’t get out of the blocks; we’re slow in our passing, our tempo, our accuracy. "

The win takes Oldham takes up to 9^th in the League although Black insists that there is no talk of promotion in the dressing room just yet.

"We're just taking each game as it comes and we want to win every match. We bounced back today and hopefully we can go on a bit of a run again now."

Teams:

Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): B. Amos, R. Hazell, D. Furman, C. Taylor, K. Lee, D. Stephens, P. Black, F. Morais (R. Brooke 90), C. Evina (K. Millar 76), O. Tounkara, N. Trotman.

Substitutes not used: R. Jones, J. Jarrett, W. Feeney, D. Brill, A. Holdsworth.

Booked: Lee, Furman.

Goals: Taylor 4, Stephens (pen) 88.

Swindon Town (4-5-1): P. Smith, M. Rose, A. Frampton (Cuthbert 63), P. Caddis, S. Ferry, D. Prutton, M. Timlin (J. Douglas 57), S. Morrison, A. O’Brien (D. Ball 57), M. Ritchie, C. Austin.

Substitutes not used: J-P. McGovern,V. Pericard,T. Dossevi, M. Scott.

Booked: Austin, Douglas.
 

Referee: D. Drysdale.
 

Attendance: 3, 573