Thursday 11 March 2010

3 things we've learned from the Champions League this week...

With 100% less David Beckham coverage

Premier Position

Following an aggregate score this week of ‘The Premier League 9 foreigners 0’ it’s clear that English teams are once again going to be the teams to beat in this year’s Champions League. Barcelona may have emerged triumphant last year, with AC Milan taking the crown in 2007, however in both these campaigns three of the four semi-finalists came from the Premier League and in between we had the historic (and very Wimbledon sounding) ‘all England final'. Stats can often be misleading, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that, at least as far as the teams at the top go, English football is currently the dominant ‘brand’ in Europe.

Following the away legs for Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea (the strength of English football being highlighted by the fact that all three cruised through as group winners) there were murmurings that the rest of Europe may have closed the gap. All three clubs have looked increasingly vulnerable in their domestic campaigns, losing far more games than previously, and none of the three looked, on paper anyway, significantly stronger than last time out. A sense of potential danger to recent English hegemony was heightened by defeats for both the London sides (albeit narrow ones) and a first leg in Milan, where Wayne Rooney aside, Manchester United often looked second best.

What could have been close, dramatic ties however were effectively ended within the first quarter of an hour of the second legs, as early goals were the prelude to two comprehensive and emphatic hammerings. Once Arsenal had drawn the aggregate scores level within ten minutes at the Emirates, there was always going to be only one winner. The English sides pace and high octane rhythm of passing tore through their Portuguese visitors at will, who never got to grips with the whirlwind that engulfed them in North London.

The Manchester United, Milan tie on the other hand took a different journey, if still emerging at the same destination. For much of the first leg and certainly the opening half hour of the second, the Italian side looked comfortable in possession and created a number of chances against a shaky United defence that has been vulnerable all season. Yet any time Alex Ferguson’s men upped the tempo, ran at the Milan backline and went for their opponents jugular, the seven times winners looked unable to cope, just like Porto blown away whenever the pace and intensity of the game reached ‘Premiership levels’.

Despite the mountains of debt, English football, backed by its gigantic television contract is still financially dominant over a number of its European neighbours. After all, let’s not forget for example that every year Porto has to build a virtually new team, however I think it’s far too simplistic to offer up money alone for the reason why English sides continue to dominate most of their rivals.

Around two years ago I wrote an article (http://www.411mania.com/sports/other_sports/73133/Breaking-the-Offside-Trap-04.15.08:-England:-Champions-of-Europe?.htm) which sought to touch on why in general, sides from the continent were struggling to match English teams when they came up against them. Having players of different nationality playing their trade all over the globe is nothing new of course, yet because of the sheer volume now, it’s hard to talk about a side playing in a stereotypically ‘English’, ‘Italian’ or ‘German style’, yet what we see increasingly now as we enter the second decade of the 21st Century is the fact that the top club sides from England are a devastatingly effective product of the marrying of elements associated with a ‘classically English style’ and more refined European techniques and tactical discipline.

What I wrote back in 2008, I think continues to ring true, with this week’s results bearing the theory out; ‘Despite the influx of scores of international footballers, the pace of the English game remains unrelenting. It may now be more refined and pragmatic, driven by European hands when it enters foreign climes but the English game retains many of its core elements. Watching the game at Anfield [Liverpool vs. Arsenal 2008], one could hardly be blamed for believing that the 22 on show were all born and raised in England, such was the pace, directness and almost ‘fool hardy' nature of the contest. This is what has got observers all over the world believing in the strength in the English game – the partnering of the classically ‘English' style of play with the continental technique. For the club sides of Europe facing up to it now, it appears to have become a lethal combination.’

In the same article I also quoted Guido Santevecchi, London correspondent of the Italian daily Corriere della Sera who said back in 2008 that; "In stark contrast [to the foreign players joining Italian sides], the injection of foreign talent has worked to strengthen English clubs. Charismatic managers from France, Spain and Portugal have done nothing to tone down the natural aggression of the English style. But they have brought greater order and sparkle to the game - more of what we call geometrie. Above all, it seems to me that foreigners in London, Manchester and Liverpool have diluted the famous off-the-pitch excesses of English sides".

In recent years both Barcelona, and indeed Milan have ultimately dictated that English dominance has not always translated to eventual success in the final, but it’s clear that increasingly, sides on the continent, be it because of vastly smaller resources or the different styles and pace of their domestic leagues find it hard to cope with the directness and intensity confronting them. Going into next week Inter Milan holds a 2-1 advantage over Chelsea in a tie that would appear to be on knife edge. Come this time next week however, would anyone be truly surprised if England wasn’t celebrating a hat trick of successes...

Nicklas Bendtner; genius or rubbish?

Or perhaps just somewhere in the middle? One of the reasons we set this site up (self indulgence aside) was a frustration that so much football coverage is ridden with hyperbole and where what happens in the last game is all that matters. All sense of perspective lost. Such has been the case with Bendtner, who five days ago or so was the worst striker in the Premier League, and now, in the aftermath of a Champions League hat trick is the new Pele. So which is he? Well neither, just a decent and improving striker, who like most players can blow hot or cold.

If you asked him yourself, then you’d probably get an answer veering more to the ‘genius’ side of the scale, given that the 22 year old has not previously suffered from any lack of self confidence. Indeed, whilst a bit of an ego on a player is usually to be considered a good thing in the field of professional sports, where mental drive and determination is paramount, one could perhaps argue that his development thus far has been somewhat hampered by a little too much indulgence in his own sense of self worth.

There are signs though (Tuesday being a classic example) of him maturing into a fine forward player. If you saw him play for Denmark during their successful World Cup qualifying campaign, you would have seen a number of impressive and consistent performances, as the responsibilities that come from representing your country seem to have brought the best out of him. At his club he provides a valuable option, different to most of his teammates, offering a physical focal point for the attack.

To make the step up to the next level you feel he just needs to keep his mind focussed on the task at hand, but given the knee jerk reactions of the British sporting press is it any wonder that players lose all sense of their perspective?

Ground Hog Day

This year it was meant to be different, it really was. This year they had Ronaldo. This year they had Kaka. This year they had £250 million worth of new talent, internationals in every position and a decent manager with a good track record. This year they wouldn’t allow their arch rivals to claim an unprecedented treble. This year after all, the final was being held in their back yard. However this morning, Real Madrid must wake up once again to the fact that for the sixth season in a row they’ve fallen at the first knock out round hurdle.

So what went wrong this time? It’s genuinely hard to say. This year the club seemed to be hitting their peak at just the right time having retaken top spot from Barcelona at the weekend. This time they had Ronaldo, and whatever you say about the man he’s in sparkling form, scoring the goal that appeared to put everything firmly on track last night. This time there is also a strong core – Alonso and Diarra in central midfield. Yet still ground hog day, still no progression past the last 16 for six years.

Is it a curse? A ridiculous notion of course, but this is becoming a curious and alarming hoodoo that is threatening to tear down the reputation of the world’s ‘biggest club’. Surely the problems that existed within the team that went out in 2005 are different to those being faced in 2010, but one thing remains constant – that every disappointment since has heralded in a period of significant upheaval and renewal. Maybe sticking things out and trying to achieve some consistency is the best way forward.

This of course is not the Real Madrid way, despite what they’re saying this morning. "It's a sad night” said sporting director Jorge Valdano “but it's time for institutional calm. The plan is for him [Manuel Pellegrini] to continue being our coach." I’m sure we’ve been here before. Whatever the exact reason(s) for the latest failure could fill up several articles from now until the summer, but maybe, just maybe, this time, sticking with something and seeing it through for a little longer might just be the route to finally lifting the Bernabéu’s curse.

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