Famous 5ive: Champions League Final edition

With the dust settling on a remarkable conclusion to the European club season, CollinsBeans gives it’s thoughts on an enthralling and dramatic Champions League final


1. Strength of spirit earns reward




The aftermath of Saturday night has inevitably seen much debate and agonising over the nature of Chelsea’s victory. Negative, boring, lucky all these words have been thrown the newly crowned European Champions way and while it is true to say that Bayern had unquestionably ‘the better of’ things, Chelsea’s considerable achievement should not be belittled by accusations over the way they got there.



For you simply have to admire the spirit, doggedness and sheer bloody mindedness of it all. Luck was ridden just as it had been against Napoli and just has it had done against Barcelona in previous rounds however victory in Munich was as a result of a group of largely aging players conjuring up heroic efforts in what maybe this groups last hurrah. For all the talk of luck and injustice, Chelsea’s will to win and progress through the competition makes for a tale of refusing to be bowed when even in the face of seemingly impossible odds, which is surely what football is all about. Never giving in and tremendous self belief and inner fortitude are attributes to be praised not knocked.



Besides, even some of the most ardent Bayern (or Tottenham) fans would be hard pressed to argue that over the past few years and Champions League campaigns and some of the acrimonious knock outs, that Chelsea were due some good.



2. Home comforts?



In the build up to the final a lot of the talk was of the considerable advantage that Bayern would have by playing on home turf. Sadly (for them) rather than instil them with confidence, the expectation and pressures of a demanding public seemed to work against them. Football has a funny way of disrupting the best laid plans and just like Brazil losing the World Cup final in 1950 at home, Roma losing ‘their European Cup final’ in 1984 and Real Madrid losing in the Spanish Cup Final on their centenary in the Bernabeu the occasion just seemed to get to some of the ‘home’ players in Munich.



All over, you could see it in their eyes, they were meant to win; they had to win. It’s actually to Bayern’s credit that many of their players performed as well as they did given the pressure that they were clearly feeling. It’s to everyone’s benefit playing at home, that can’t be denied but if you wanted the best example that Bayern were badly feeling the pressure it was the image of Bastian Schweinsteiger crouched in his own penalty area when Arjen Robben stepped up, barely able to look.



3. Some players have it...some don’t



Football players play week in and week out, performing in the league and various cups. There are big games and then games that come with less pressure. Consistency, being able to play to the same standard and apply the same effort and intensity in every game is what you look for, but it’s the facts of life that when it comes to the biggest stages some thrive whilst others wilt. Players like Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole always seem to turn it on when they face the highest challenge. Cole always looks to love the battle with the world’s best wingers whilst Drogba’s record in finals is supreme. Likewise, irrespective of his decisive penalty miss, a player like Schweinsteiger was in charge of the midfield whilst Juan Mata seemed to go into his shell.



The ultimate contrast was between Drogba and his opposite number Mario Gomez. Gomez is the classic example of a player that can excel against domestic opponents but freeze when it comes to the very highest occasion. He may have over 40 goals in all competitions this season but just like when he pulls on a national team shirt, it just never seemed to happen for Gomez on Saturday, who if he’d risen to the occasion, given the amount of chances Bayern created, it’s likely they would have their hands on the cup right now.



4. If it’s not broke don’t fix it



Listening to esteemed German football pundit Raphael Honigstein discuss this on The Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, he seemed to suggest that the substitution of the goal scorer Thomas Muller with lumbering centre back Daniel Van Buyten played little in the conclusion of the game. While it’s hard to knock the logic of getting on a defensive player when you are trying to close out a game (particularly one meant to be proficient in the air) there is an argument to be made that the removal of the energetic Muller (who, to be fair was said to be carrying a knock) sent out a message to the teams opponents that they had settled for a 1-0. It also meant changing shape from a formation clearly working where players knew what they were doing and meant Chelsea could throw more men forward facing a reduced attacking threat. Could Drogba’s equaliser been prevented? Who knows, but its funny how often making a so called ‘defensive’ move never seems to work.



5. Frank Lampard; holding midfielder



Throughout all his time with the England team, it’s been said that Lampard and Steven Gerrard are incapable of playing together. The argument goes that both make the same runs and that by playing both you lose a sense of defensive solidity that comes from a holding midfielder. Perhaps though, just perhaps Lampard could provide England with a valuable option this summer; a holding midfield player that can also pass and distribute the ball. Against Bayern and in previous Champions League ties the Chelsea No. 8 has performed a disciplined holding role in front of his back four, moving the ball quickly and sensibly. The flip side has been a loss of some of his dynamism and goals but his adaptability could be the key to a prolonging if his career at the top level.