Champions League Reminisces

Tonight marks the return to our screens of Europe’s premier club competition, the UEFA Champions League. We are now at the round of 16 knock out stage as we edge ever closer to that May final in Munich at the Allianz Arena. Much as The Dug Out would very much wish to make predictions on the various ties, this piece is all about reminiscing past finals in the hope that this years’ edition will trump all the others. So here goes The Dug Out’s past Champions League final experiences.

2000 – Paris (Stade de France)

Yes, yes I know you would have wanted The Dug Out to mention the 1999 final, but sadly, he was too young to know what was going on. So, on to the final at the Stade de France in Paris. Three Spanish teams, Real Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona made it to the semis with Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich completing the quartet. Real beat Bayern while Valencia dazzled Barcelona to set up an all-Spanish final. For the night, The Dug Out was for Valencia and it duly turned sour as Real Madrid pulled off a vintage display to crush Los Che 3-0 in a disappointingly one-sided final. Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul got the goals to secure the Los Merengues their eighth European triumph. And that’s the sour tale of The Dug Out’s maiden Champions League experience.

2001 – Milan (San Siro)

One year later and The Dug Out was now battle-hardened by the previous year’s disappointment and all the more hooked to the riveting saga that is European football. Once again Real Madrid, Valencia and Bayern Munich had made it to the semis, to be joined by the surprise package representing English interests, Leeds. This time round, the Germans would get the better of Madrid, while Valencia edged past Leeds to make a second successive appearance at the finals.The Dug Out though, would not risk tagging along with the Spaniards again and joined the Bayern bandwagon in what would be a bond that would prove to last the test of time. The final itself at one of Europe’s foremost cauldrons proved to be an all-time classic.

Valencia took the lead through the penalty spot only for Bayern to spurn one of their own, courtesy of Mehmet Scholl. The Germans though showed their resilience and in the second half were rewarded when Captain Stefan Effenberg converted another penalty. The game went on from end to end but no defense could be breached. It went to post match penalties past midnight and still the young The Dug Out would not catch sleep. The great Oliver Kahn made the saves to hand Bayern their fourth title and grant The Dug Out his maiden final joy, though he felt pity for the second-time unlucky Valencia.

2002 – Glasgow (Hampden Park)

That Zidane goal. Yes, this is the final in which the great French playmaker Zinedine Zidane etched his name in our hearts and his image in future Champions League highlight reels with that sublime left-footed volley past Hans Joerg Butt in the Leverkusen goal. At this point, The Dug Out had already developed a liking for German teams and duly sided with Bayer Leverkusen in this one, with the Germans having impressively claimed the scalps of Liverpool and Manchester United en route the final. It was to prove another bitter pill for The Dug Out to swallow though as Raul and Zidane cancelled out Lucio’s goal to ensure Real Madrid clinched their ninth title. Great final though, the result notwithstanding.

2003 – Manchester (Old Trafford)

Who would have thought it? A final staged in England yet the trophy contested by two Italian giants! It was the season when the Serie A teams awoke from their slumber to take their place among Europe’s elite with Milan, Inter and Juventus making it to the semis alongside perennial contenders Real Madrid. In the semis, AC Milan bizarrely came tops courtesy of the away goals rule in their two legged derby while Juventus clinically dispatched the champions with sheer class and brilliance.

So there it was, an all-Italian final pitting The Rossoneri against The Old Lady of Turin. Somehow The Dug Out had done his best to hype this final, wildly rooting for Milan. The match itself strangely was an anti-climax, a typical tactical Italian display which sent The Dug Out to sleep in the first half only for him to wake up to its drab continuation in extra time. Inevitably it went to penalties and AC Milan managed to hold their nerves to win the title. A second win for The Dug Out.

2004 – Gelsenkirchen (Veltins Arena)

For the first time since the turn of the century, The Dug Out failed to watch a Champions League final. By some twist of fate, the power company disconnected their house’s meter and since The Dug Out was  in his final year in primary school, the dad wouldn’t fix the electricity just so he could focus on the exams and so the final was missed. That aside, it was a final of the dark horses as FC Porto came up against AS Monaco. The Dug Out badly wanted a fairytale triumph for the Principality side but as it turned out Porto cruised to a 3-0 victory with Jose Mourinho announcing his grand installation to the big stage.

2005 – Istanbul

This was possibly the greatest European final of all time and funny enough (or maybe not), The Dug Out missed this one too, making it two in a row. Hewas just a first former at this top high school which strangely enough did not allow for watching of midweek games. The match was between AC Milan and Liverpool, who were having a rather wretched domestic run and only very few fancied them to pull off an upset. So after night preps, The Dug Out and a few friends gathered round a radio for the live commentary of the game and yeah, with Milan cruising 3-0 at half time, everybody duly went to sleep as it was a ‘done deal’. Let’s just say we woke up the next morning to news of the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown congratulating Liverpool on their unbelievable effort in winning their fifth European title. They had turned it round by equalizing in dramatic fashion then finished the job in the post-match penalties. The Dug Out has perpetually cursed those who were responsible for him missing that great final. At times he thinks that it might be the sole reason for him missing a place in heaven when the time comes. Oh, and for the record, he was for the losers of the day. 

2006 – Paris (Stade de France)

No football match has ever meant to The Dug Out as much as this one did. It was as he had always dreamed it. His beloved Arsenal taking on Barcelona, whose style he’d always admired. And this time The Dug Out was determined to watch this one at all costs, school rules permitting or not! By this time the rules had been relaxed a bit to allow the senior boys to watch the match at a dormitory recreation room. Since The Dug Out was still just a junior he wouldn’t be granted access to the room and instead had to watch through the window from outside. Yes, that’s how much it meant to him.

It was the purists’ final, with both teams known and revered for their commitment to playing the game beautifully and aesthetically. Arsenal boasted the meanest defence, while Barcelona had the most devastating attack. Something had to give. Around 10 minutes into the match and the Arsenal keeper, Jens Lehmann was given his marching orders. Rather than stifle Arsenal’s resolve, it spurred them to taking the lead through a Sol Campbell header. What followed was tension at its best as Arsenal fought to hold on to the lead. Inevitably it was always going to be too much as Barcelona’s numerical advantage told. They got the two goals they needed to deny Arsenal and The Dug Out what would have been the sweetest of victories. The Dug Out sobbed his eyes sore to sleep. It was cruel. Very cruel.

2007 – Athens

In all honesty, The Dug Out quite enjoyed Milan’s ruthless demolition of Manchester United in the semifinal second leg than the final itself between the Italians and Liverpool. These are the sides that two years ago had produced that dream final in Istanbul and so another cracker was always expected. The Dug Out managed to leave preps in time to catch the second half of a rather tactically cautious final. Needless to say, he wanted and craved for revenge. As it happened two Pippo Inzaghi goals proved enough to hand the Rossoneri their seventh title, despite that late Dirk Kuyt goal which would fail to trigger another famous come back. The Dug Out was only too happy to have broken a three-match losing streak in the finals.

2008 – Moscow (Luzhniki)

Again this was a cracker of a final and indeed the first all-English final. Manchester United was taking on Chelsea and if the recent encounters between the sides was anything to go by, this was going to be an explosive affair. And true to form United took an early lead through Cristiano Ronaldo only to be pegged back minutes to the interval by a Frank Lampard goal. The second half was marred by some quality end to end attacks and close misses by both teams but none could get the winning goal. So once again penalties would decide the destiny of the trophy and you should have seen what a nervous-wreck The Dug Out had become, clad in the Chelsea colors.  There’s no need to go over John Terry’s horribly taken miss that handed Sir Alex Ferguson’s men their third European victory. Another loss for The Dug Out.

2009 – Rome (Stadio Olimpico)

Manchester United had done well to make another appearance in the final in their bid to become the very first team to successfully defend the Champions League title. Their opponents were Barcelona, an irresistible force that had always turned on the style in their demolition of one team after the next. The Dug Out only knew better and rooted for the Catalans, very confident of victory. It would prove to be another one-sided final as goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi sealed the deal.

2010 – Madrid (Santiago Bernabeu)

This final was of great significance to The Dug Out in that the protagonists, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, were teams that he had always loved and supported. So in a way the outcome did not bother him as such. Inter, guided by Jose Mourinho had finally emerged from the shadows of their more illustrious city rivals and were ready to conquer Europe once again. Bayern on the other hand had once again exhibited the famed German efficiency and were looking to once again be at the summit of the European game. The match itself at one of the continent’s grandest venues quite wasn’t the classic we were dying for. Bayern had the most possession but Inter were defensively sound and ruthless on the counter, typical of the Mourinho sides. Two clinical Diego Milito strikes in either half were enough to bring back European glory to the blue half of Milan. In as much as The Dug Out may have wished for the Germans to win, he was happy for his beloved Inter. Forza Nerazzuri!

2011 – London (Wembley)

This was a repeat of the 2009 final and The Dug Out would not expect anything different in terms of the outcome. There was talk of the ‘home’ advantage working in Manchester United’s favor, but only the wildly deluded would bet against the deadly Barcelona carousel. All through the season Barca had been as close to perfection as any footballing side could possibly be. For The Dug Out it was just a matter of what margin the Catalans would win this one. Despite United giving as much as they got in the initial stages, Barcelona would fully assert their dominance on proceedings, completely outplaying and out passing the English to submission. Even though United’s Wayne Rooney scored to make it 1-1 at some point, Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa did the necessarily to ensure that Barcelona side had a right to stake their claim as the best football team ever witnessed. The Dug Out on his part was more mesmerized by the celestial display than the result. It was a great night of football.

As we draw closer to that night in Munich later this year, The Dug Out is looking forward to another great final as his topsy turvy love affair with the tournament continues. And as the majestic UEFA Champions League anthem plays in the background, long live the Champions League.

The England Job

The talk in the football world currently is about who should become the next England manager. This is after Fabio Capello resigned from the post last night. Indeed, news of his resignation came as a shock to many, including the writer. Granted, the relationship between the Capello and his employers the FA over the past few days have been anything but rosy. Still, last night’s events were rather strange considering England are just around four months away from a major tournament, the Euro Championships in Poland and Ukraine. And all this stemming from the FA’s decision to strip off the captaincy from John Terry! Well, well, well…

Much as we would like to analyze and dissect Capello’s time in the most demanding job in world football, focus really should be about getting the right man to replace him. Apparently after the 2010 World Cup it was decided by consensus that the next England manager should…actually, would have to be English. The logic behind this surely eludes The Dug Out, but that’s just how it is. As expected during such an occurrence many names have been floated, but the overwhelmingly hottest favorite for the job is (and has been for a while), current Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp.

Sure, Harry is the best English manager there currently is. But really, why restrict the job to an Englishman? Does it mean foreign managers (Scottsmen included) are just that bad or just incapable? Or is it that English coaches are that tactically superior? The Dug Out vehemently disagrees, but then again maybe it’s because The Dug Out is not English. By creating that exclusivity, the English are greatly (and dangerously) limiting themselves and curtailing the chances of their national team progressing to the next level. At this point, it is interesting to note that since the inception of the English Premier League, no English manager has ever guided a club to the title.

Whenever there’s a vacuum in any team’s coaching/managerial position, the obvious top priority is to find a suitable replacement. It’s no rocket science at all. But just what is a ‘suitable replacement’? A manager of predominantly the same qualities, age and experience? Maybe. A manager of lesser experience and age, more of a new kid on the block  maverick? Maybe. At the end of the day everybody, and more so the appointing authority has their preferences. That’s what makes one team different from another, right? For The Dug Out its simple: get a better man for the job. That’s just it! Always get someone that is better than the one you previously had. That is improvement…and football (and  sport) is all about moving up one level to the next.

Harry Redknapp is a great manager, make no mistake about that. What he’s done and achieved with Tottenham is nothing to be scoffed at. Four years ago he took over a Spurs that had ‘relegation’ written all over them and transformed them into a title-challenging force that they are today. In this time, he has guided them to Champions League qualification for the very first time in their history, where they embarked on a fairytale run to the quarter finals including that unbelievable night at the San Siro. No other English manager has a resume and pedigree as this and that’s why it’s only logical that people would be clamoring for the job to be given to Harry. In all fairness though, Capello, before being appointed England manager had achieved a whole lot more than this (multiple Serie A titles, La Liga honors and European triumphs). Is Harry Redknapp better than Fabio Capello? No.

We are in a world where Spain, the Netherlands and Germany (not necessarily in order) are the most technically gifted and tactically supreme teams in football. Question is, does England want to be at that level? Do they want to be counted in the same breath as this elite triumvirate? Does hiring a native manager ensure this happens? Basically it all boils down to ambition. Just how ambitious are English coaches? Certainly their insistence in employing a 4-4-2 formation (Harry included) does raise eyebrows (and if it doesn’t, it should). This is at a time when the three best European teams named above all have drastically modified their game to a dynamic system similar to if not 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-3-2 or basically 4-3-3. Oh, and they are devastatingly effective on the pitch, cue Germany’s ruthless demolition of England in the 2010 World Cup.

It is not The Dug Out’s prerogative to appoint the next coach of England and he’s quite ok with that. Moreover, he’s grateful it is not under his jurisdiction, but if it were up to him, he would certainly look beyond England and indeed England’s best, Harry Redknapp.

The Dug Out.

The King Is Back

The King is back! Indeed what a day. Thierry Henry’s return to Arsenal for a two-month loan spell from New York Red Bulls has been an expected inevitability for quite a while now. Finally, earlier today, it has come to fruitition. Definitely as an Arsenal fan I’m more than thrilled. Whether rightly or wrongly, that’s quite another matter for another day.

 Thierry Daniel Henry. Arsenal’s favorite son and one of the best (if not the best) players to ever don the cannon shirt is making his proverbial second coming. When he painfully bid farewell to the club’s fans in 2007, no one quite thought he would return to play. I mean, do they ever come back? By that time he felt he had achieved everything he ever could at the club and that the one (Champions League title) that remained, he couldn’t at the club. He eventually moved on to Barcelona and became a European Champion.

 He now comes back to a club that is not at the level that he probably would have envisaged when he left. During his time, Arsenal was always a title contender every season. Not anymore. We are realistically out of the running for the league title, with only the Cup competitions to pin our hopes on. Henry at his time was the club’s foremost striker with others coming behind him in the pecking order. Now roles are reversed and he will be playing second fiddle to the club’s captain and the league’s most prolific marksman, Robin Van Persie. Can he handle it? Can he perform under these quite new and unfamiliar conditions?

 Question is, what role will he be playing for the club this time round? Van Persie is undoubtedly the lead striker so that role for Henry is out of question. The manager himself reiterated that the veteran’s main reason for signing was to help out. Since Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh are due to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, it was felt that Henry should return and help the remaining forwards bear the goal scoring burden. The general feeling is that he won’t lead the line, but will make cameos maybe as a supporting forward.

 Henry was the Premiership’s and Arsenal’s premier forward and scored goals like he was born to do it. Times have changed though. He’s inevitably older, and less pacier. He’s not the same complete striker of the Highbury era. So why sign him? I can’t answer this as I’m no Arsene Wenger. Well, no doubt he will be a positive experience to the young dressing room, and more so to people like Theo Walcott who are trying to cut it on the big stage. He will also provide leadership and that calming influence that the team so badly needs at times.

 Will his signing have a negative effect on Van Persie? That seems the most pertinent question among fans and foes alike. Difficult to tell, this one is. I tend to think that it should in fact be of great help to the Dutchman that the legend is back. True, focus would shift from him to Henry, but the best of strikers respond well to pressure and baggage being lifted off their shoulders. Robin could as well get tips to further sharpen his already world class finishing from the master himself. And of course Wenger would afford more to rest Van Persie often. So really this should not be a concern at all. Barring a calamitous injury, Robin Van Persie is still bang on form and can only get more ruthless in front of goal.

 What about Thierry’s reputation and legendary status? Are they at risk? Partly yes, but mostly, no. Really in all fairness his accomplishments in his first 8 years at the club cannot be watered down in just 2 months. His record goal haul of 226 goals in 370 games tells its own story and so does each of the thousands of memories that he brought to the club. That audacious turn and chip over Barthez, that European night at the Bernabeu when he owned the ‘galacticos’, the famous field length run, goal and sensational knee-slide celebration in the North London derby will stay etched in our minds forever. Not forgetting the famous ‘who’s your daddy?’ celebration when he almost single-handedly brought down Inter at the San Siro. Those were simply stuff of legends that not many can reproduce. In a nut-shell, his iconic status and reputation stays and will stay intact.

 We welcome back the king once more for one more dance. Highbury was always his stage, and Emirates just a bit-part but the newer ground gets one more chance to bear witness to Henry’s class, artistry and in Wenger’s words, super quality. It should not be denied. No, it shouldn’t. I remember once during a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow (I think), the game was goal-less, and Arsenal was getting desperate. Wenger threw in Henry from the bench. With time running out, Ashley Cole made a run on the left and crossed and Henry was there to powerfully head in the winner. The relief at the stadium was evident, and the commentator captured it in the words that I’ll never forget, ‘When they needed the top man, the top man rose for them’. May he rise for us once more. Long live Henry. Long live the King.

 The Dug Out.

The problem with United

I love Manchester United Football Club. It is the greatest team in the world, Barcelona, Madrid and all those others can go shove it. However, 2011 has been a topsy-turvy year for the Red Devils. Winning the record 19^th Premier League title and knocking the Scousers off their f**king perch was bloody awesome. So was reaching the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley. What was not so awesome was the capitulation to those Catalan midgets. What got me riled up was THAT 1-6 loss to City. And what got me pulling out my hair was elimination from the second easiest group in the UEFA Champions League (Barcelona and Milan had the easiest group, seriously who were Vitoria Plzen and BATE Borisov?). The last straw was elimination from the Carling Cup by a team that had a longer goal drought collectively than Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres. Which begs the question, what exactly is the problem with United?

The answers to this question are as varied as the number of people you ask. Some say Sir Alex Ferguson has lost his touch. Others say we are suffering from the Arsenal disease i.e. too much youth. Some point out to the lack of midfield creativity, others blame the owners. Based on recent form, it must be the 10 injuries. I hold it is a combination of all the above and much more.

Youth: In 1996, Alan Hansen (former Liverpool captain now TV pundit) was made to gobble up a huge slice of humble pie when he exclaimed after United’s loss to Villa on the opening day of the season, “You can’t win anything with kids!” That team won the Double that year, 3 years later they won the Treble. Those “kids” are among the three greatest teams to have come out of an academy (the others being the Ajax side of 1995 and the current Barcelona crop). Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and David Beckham all became world class players. The current side is a throwback to that era. David De Gea, Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling, Federico Macheda and the da Silva twins are all under-21 internationals for their respective countries. Add to that list Nani, Anderson, Javier Hernandez, Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson: all players under 25 and full internationals. Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia are about 25-27. This is indeed a young side; in fact the team that hammered Arsenal 8-2 was averagely younger than that Arsenal side which included Sczezny, Coquelin, Miquel, Jenkinson, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott.

But with youth comes naïveté and inexperience, and that is what United are suffering from. Jones is a fine defender, no doubt, but his marauding runs upfront cost the team, his positional awareness is way off, especially in a league with ruthless strikers like Aguero and van Persie lurking about in your penalty area. De Gea is a fine young keeper, but he has a lot to learn. The mistakes against Manchester City in the Community Shield, West Bromwich and Blackburn in the Premier League, Benfica and Basel in the Champions League cannot be wished away that easily. The da Silva twins are too rash and impetuous in their play; they belong to the Paul Scholes school of” great player, can’t tackle, but will attempt to do so and pray I don’t get carded”. Roy Keane was right, these young players need to buck up their ideas and get to know what it means to play for United. Youth cannot be used as an excuse every time the team comes up short, come on Arsenal have taught us this!

The midfield: The United midfield is in crisis. Many point out to the lack of an old school creative midfielder since the retirement of Scholes, and have fronted Wesley Sneijder and Luka Modric as replacements. However, I contend that it is not creativity that is the problem, rather, United lack a combative DEFENSIVE midfielder. Rooney and Young have played as the creative midfielder for England in their Euro 2012 qualifiers due to Gerrard’s absence. In fact, Young’s best position is not on the left, but just behind the strikers, his stellar performances for both England and Aston Villa attest to this fact. A roll call of United’s central midfield: Fletcher, Carrick, Gibson, Anderson, Cleverley. Of these, only Fletcher is a natural defensive (‘destroyer’) midfielder. Unfortunately, Fletcher is out indefinitely due to disease. Jones can evolve to be the midfield general that Keane once was, but that is a work in progress, and judging by the league table, time is a luxury United cannot afford. That is why it WAS a big mistake to let Owen Hargreaves leave on a Bosman to join (of all the teams in the universe) City. Nowhere was it more evident than the last game, the loss to Blackburn. Playing Carrick as a centre back and Rafael as a defensive midfielder is asking for trouble, even if you are playing against Blackburn. Yakubu’s second goal is all the evidence you need to show that was reckless. The best piece of transfer business Ferguson would do this January would be to get Lassana Diarra to Old Trafford. Diarra is combative and more importantly, can tackle (unlike Carrick and Anderson). Plus he isn’t getting game time in Madrid due to the Khedira-Alonso pairing in midfield. Or he could accelerate Paul Pogba’s ascension to the first team-the lad reminds me of one Patrick Vieira.

The owners: The Glazers have hocked the club deep in debt. The proceeds from Ronaldo’s sale to Madrid as well as all available revenue go to servicing the principal and interest repayments on the loan to purchase United. This means no proper transfers in the near future. This summer was a fluke.

The injuries: This is unfortunate really. Losing an inspirational skipper to a season long injury is devastating. Add to that list all available central defenders and most of the midfield. If this isn’t a crisis, I don’t know what is.

The manager: Sir Alex Ferguson has done it all. 25 years at the helm of Manchester United, with 12 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues; nobody can deny that he is one of the managers of all time. But in 2011, his tactical nous has been suspect, including but not limited to the defeat by Barcelona, where a midfield pairing of Carrick and Giggs was proved efficient but too slow and the casual attitude to crucial games (most notably against Benfica and Basel). Of course his handling of the players cannot be faulted, in light of the Mancini-Tevez saga, and especially the decision to axe Rooney was a good one. Ferguson needs to rediscover the touch that was there before that embarrassing loss to City before it is too late.

Having said all that, the problems at United could be its greatest assets: a wily and experienced manager, players with a never-say-die attitude and the future in front of them, wise heads in the dressing room, a global marketing machine, huge revenues and the most passionate fans in the world. Glory glory Man United as the Reds go marching on on on!!!

Tik Tok, Mr. Wenger

Arsenal is out of the title race. Not exactly a new revelation, is it? Indeed this is a statement we’ve all become accustomed to in each of the past six seasons. Painful? It should be, but not as much anymore. It is now more of ‘as expected, ok’. Thinking of it, it really does hurt (me, at least) to the core.

The match against Manchester City at their Etihad Stadium was supposed to be Arsenal’s supreme test of their title credentials this season, and predictably or not, they, nay, we fell short. Full time score, 1-0 to the Citizens. The score can be flattering as it can be deceiving. After all it’s not that bad losing away by a solitary goal to the team that humiliated the Premier League champions 6-1 at their own backyard. Despite all that, I was frustrated and livid, not so much that we lost, but in the manner which did. Simply agonizing! It has become an all too adhered to script. Arsenal dominates matches, more so the big games but still and up losing.

Amid all that there are still some Arsenal fans that still think the team is still very much in the mix for the title. I don’t know what to say about that except refer you to my opening statement above. If that doesn’t sort of settle the matter, I don’t know what will. We have lost 5 matches and that’s a fact, just 3 games shy off the halfway stage of the league. The top two, City and United (both of whom we’ve lost to already) have only lost once each. It’s not that easy (actually almost impossible) to win the league having lost more than 5 games. Even worse, there are still 22 more matches to go and of course, barring an outrageously magnificent run we’re bound to be beaten on at least 3 more occasions. So in a nut-shell, that Arsenal is out of title contention is not hearsay. It’s a fact!

What beats me is how and why a team (and manager) that won the league title just seven years ago without losing even a single match cannot mount a serious title challenge each and every season after that. I mean, is it even logical? Or was the feat by the Invincibles a fluke? But no, that’s not it. Before that Arsene Wenger had won the league and cup Double on two separate occasions. What then? Is the club jinxed? If not, then who’s responsible for the slump?

Among the Arsenal supporters you’ll more often than not come across the famous ‘In Arsene We Trust’ line. As an Arsenal fan growing up, I’ve often associated myself with it with pride. It has always been an assurance that my interests are in safe hands. Not anymore. I no longer feel the same way. Instead I feel cheated, short changed and taken for a ride by the said Frenchman. In an age where I could really do with all the success that my team can muster, Arsenal has delivered none. Each season of trusting in Arsene has brought me nothing but disappointment, disgust and disillusionment. I’ve become the laughing stock of my peers. By the way in case you’re wondering, this is extremely personal. It is the lamentation of a boy turning into man battered and bruised by the glaring failures of one stubborn man, Arsene Wenger.

I know that after posting this I’m headed for endless bashing of epic proportions by the rest of the Arsene-al legion. I will be branded ‘traitor’, ‘glory hunter’, ‘hater’ and other demeaning names. Fair enough, but at least I’ll have spoken my mind. Wenger has to leave the club. It is that simple. We are no longer a ‘big club’ anymore, even by his own admission. Don’t give me the famous ‘we have a history’ line. We can’t feed off that history, can we? The fact we’ve fallen this low irks me. We now rank not only behind Man United and Chelsea, but behind Man City and Tottenham Hotspur too. Tottenham? This is hard to take. I can’t.

If ever there was a fixture that I have been absolutely sure of 3 points always (or of at least not losing), it was our North-London Derby against Spurs. Such has been the gulf in class, irrespective of the injuries in our squad. How about currently? Spurs sit pretty above Arsenal on the log by 5 points, with a match (winnable, I should say) in hand. That’s nothing compared to the fact that they’ve beaten us in 3 of the last 4 derbies in the league, with the other match being a draw where we threw a two goal cushion. Quite a far-cry, huh? I see and hear some Arsenal fans still yapping that ‘Spurs – Forever in our shadow’. Come on, this has to stop. We now are in their shadow! Let’s not fool ourselves.

The club simply isn’t moving forward! How can we be, when we sell our best players to other more ambitious clubs? How can we be, when we get stuffed 8-2 by our sworn enemies? How can we be, when we rush to buy a quartet of not-so-great players on transfer deadline day when the season is already underway? How can we, when the manager insists that there’s no need for additions in January yet the team is evidently lacking in quality and depth? And how about when our lead striker and Europe’s deadliest finisher is in title-winning form yet we are still flirting with fourth place?

Arsene Wenger has done a lot of good to the club and done a lot to transform it to the global brand that it currently is. For that, we (and I for that matter) will forever be grateful. But 15 years into the job, and you get the feeling he’s now become the club’s stumbling block to success. I tend to think 10 years in a managerial job is enough for one to have accomplished all that he ever could (leave Sir Alex Ferguson out of this). To have added 5 on top of that is a bonus. Wenger should be a gentleman and call it a day and keep unblemished his sterling reputation. Can he be replaced? No one is indispensible. I don’t want to go into the list of potential replacements now, that is talk for another day.

I wish Arsenal the very best in the remaining part of the season, hoping that we finish above Spurs in the league, win the Champions League and FA Cup and ultimately grant Le Prof a befitting send off. It’s amazing that I tend to wish for a lot. Anyway my loyalty to Arsenal should not be called into question. If I wasn’t loyal I wouldn’t have written this, let alone posting it. Come On You Gunners!

Victoria Concordia Crescit.

The Dug Out.

                

The Business End

The UEFA Champions League Knock-Out Round of 16 is out. After the ‘boys’ had been eliminated at the close of the group stage, it’s now time for the ‘men’ of European football to slug it out in the quest for glory. Indeed, we are now at the onset of the business end of Europe’s premier club competition. Let’s see how the eight pairs will fare and try to identify beforehand who will make the cut for the Quarter Finals.

AC Milan v Arsenal

Without a doubt this is the stand-out tie of the draw (how strange that Arsenal manages to get the biggest tie of the draw every year!). The impressive Italian champions were rather unlucky to be drawn in the same group as Barcelona, to whom they were always going to play second fiddle. Arsenal on the other had to navigate a tricky qualifier against another Italian side, Udinese, before being handed one of the toughest group assignments. Surprisingly the London outfit got their act together and topped the group with minimal fuss. This tie pits these giants of the European game who are finally getting their grove back after near-calamitous starts to the season. Key to this tie will be which side manages to keep their defense sane in the two legs as both more than once have been found wanting in that department. Despite the talents of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the almost-world class Kevin Prince Boateng, Arsenal’s youth and the second leg home advantage might hand this to the English. And of course there’s the tie’s X-Factor, Robin van Persie. No need to go on and on about his scintillating form. He might win this for Arsenal.

Napoli v Chelsea

The second installment of the Anglo-Italian showdown, and what a match-up! One can’t help but marvel at how fast the Serie A side has risen to the top echelons of European football. In truth, few Chelsea fans will be pleased with this draw. Napoli managed to condemn the free-scoring Manchester City to Europa League obscurity and that has made the football world take note of Walter Mazzari’s men. Chelsea on their part flattered to deceive and had to rely on a last matchday good fortune to fend of Leverkusen’s challenge to clinch top spot. Though the Blues seem to be rediscovering their form, it remains to be seen whether their often exposed defense can withstand Napoli’s fearsome attack. Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik have struck fear in opposition backlines at will and won’t need any extra incentive to do it again. Chelsea’s main concern would be getting their frontmen to rise to the occasion, because they have the pedigree. It will be as intriguing as it gets but Chelsea should be too strong and too experienced for the Italians.

Bayer Leverkusen v Barcelona

With all due respect to the Bundesliga side, this tie has a Barca win inscribed all over it. There is a reason why the European champions and hot favorites were indeed the  team to be avoided in the draw. Leverkusen can only rue not beating Genk and thus not topping their group. That said expect another Lionel Messi show in a rampant Blaugrana performance. There are no fairytales in this one, absolutely no chance. Aufwiedersehen Bayer!

CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid

Another David v Goliath showdown in the offing, only that in football rarely does David triumph. Indeed Real Madrid has been the team of the group stage, dispatching every opposition with ruthless aplomb and panache and finishing with maximum points to boot. CSKA on the other hand squeaked to the knock out round rather fortuitously and will find it tough containing Jose Mourinho’s men. Cristiano Ronaldo should dazzle and put Los Merengues on course for an unprecedented tenth European crown.

Zenit St. Petersburg v Benfica

Benfica did well to top a group that had finalists Manchester United to prove that it is not for nothing they were a force to reckon with in the competition’s infant years. Zenit, guided by Luciano Spaletti, did just enough to lock out Porto and book safe passage to the next round. Still, the fact they finished second behind APOEL leaves many hanging questions. Benfica have produced slick attacking displays and should be too strong for the Russians especially if the likes of Nicolas Gaitan and Oscar Cardozo are on top form.

Lyon v APOEL Nicosia

As tricky a tie as they come. It’s really hard to determine which team to fancy in this one. Lyon, abysmal most of the time, only miraculously pulling off an unbelievable seven goal haul in their last group match in Zagreb to seal a place in the draw. APOEL, a largely unknown entity has been the surprise package of the season, clinching top spot in a group boasting Europa League champions Porto. As always, in such a situation the more experienced side, Lyon, should come out tops…but only just!

Basel v Bayern Munich

Oh, Basel, the neutral’s darlings. The Swiss side pulled off the surprise of the season by effectively knocking the mighty Manchester United out of the competition! Now as a reward they get to taste the turf of the venue of the final, the Allianz Arena. The Bayern Munich faithful really want to appear in their home final and have clearly signaled their intents especially by the manner with which they beat Manchester City at home. With Arjen Robben back and the impending return of midfield maestro Bastian Schweinsteiger, it will take something more special than a Xherdan Shaqiri-inspired virtuoso performance to deny FC Hollywood another step in their match to the final.

Marseille v Inter Milan

This could be a very explosive tie which many people are oblivious of. No one can forget how Marseille grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat in dramatic fashion at Dortmund to secure passage from the group stage. Inter Milan, well, they topped their group alright but truth be told; Nerazzurri’s season has  on it pathetic characterized by few flashes of brilliance (if any). Unless Inter can get their act together (and I mean really get their act together), Marseille might as well start checking out prospective quarter final opponents. The Milan side just haven’t been anywhere as good as they are expected to be and this compounded by their suspect dealings in the transfer market of late, one just can’t see them stepping up and turning up in this tie. If Marseille can sharpen their attack just a little more, Inter Milan obituaries will dominate the footballing world.

That said, I’m tipping myself to be previewing these teams in the Quarter Finals: Arsenal, Napoli, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Benfica, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Marseille. You might want to know that the writer predicted correctly 50% the Round of 16 Draw. You do the math!

What Next, Special One?

I was one disappointed bloke by the events of this weekend on the football pitches, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to be precise. Not because I have a liking for Madrid (though, maybe), but because the result itself was all too familiar that I even had no regrets for actually not watching the match. 3-1 to Barcelona! A slap on the face right there. Real Madrid was supposed (and indeed, they were) to be the favorites for the first time in a very long time in the Clasico. Karim Benzema’s rather fortuitous goal after less than 30 seconds of kick off seemed add more credibility to that belief, but in the end in typical Barcelona style, Alexis Sanchez, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas (ever growing unplayable, this guy) got the goals and the victory in yet another encounter that Lionel Messi came good for his team as Cristiano Ronaldo fired blanks in anonymity. I think it obvious who the better player is.

With that result begs the question, ‘is Barcelona (and Pep Guardiola) simply too good for Jose Mourinho? (I’m not even going to refer to him as ‘The Special One’). Increasingly the answer to that is becoming a resounding ‘YES’ and I too I’m close to subscribing to this. That Jose is all pedigree and class is not in doubt, but even his most ardent and vocal of supporters (cue, the writer), and indeed the man himself must be wondering what he’s not doing right.

The main reason Florentino Perez snapped Mourinho and tied him up to the Madrid hot seat just moments after Inter Milan’s 2010 Champions League triumph was to stem and curb Barca’s ridiculous domination of Spanish football. Now this is not an enviable task by all means but being the lover of challenges that he is, Mourinho took it up. In his second season, he faces the prospect of being labeled a failure, this despite having improved the team and done relatively well. A Copa Del Rey title, a second place finish in the La Liga and a Champions League semi final finish in any manager’s first season at a club deserves applause really. Not so at Real Madrid, especially in this era. Much, much more is always expected; attractive football, silverware and of course, getting the better of the old enemy, Barcelona. Jose has managed to attain some of these, but it all counts for nothing (rightly or harshly so) if you can’t beat Barca. Truth is, this might be Mourinho's final season at the Bernabeu.

All is not lost though. Barcelona is not invincible, they can be beaten. I mean, Arsenal has proved that this year. This is not to suggest that Mourinho arrange a cup of coffee with Arsene Wenger and ‘talk’. (Though, why not?). So, what should the man under siege do? The answer to this would be as simple as ‘get the best out of Ronaldo in the Clasico’. As vague as it may sound, Ronaldo is Madrid’s best player and a proven match winner, but Jose knows this, right? Rather than play the Portugal captain on wide left or right, play him alongside Mesut Oezil in a more central false striker role and give him the free role. In that position he would be able to draw defenders, win fouls in dangerous areas, devastatingly link up with Oezil, and commit defenders into red-card tackles and most importantly, score.  This would make Ronaldo the perfect foil for Gonzalo Higuain upfront. Yes, it should be Higuain even though Mourinho tends to opt for Benzema. In all fairness the Argentine is a more accomplished finisher than the Frenchman.

Barcelona either beats you or loses to you because of their midfield. Jose is well aware of this and usually opts to deploy power-play in the middle of the pack to contain the Xavi- Iniesta-Messi, and now Fabregas axis. I tend to think that there’s a better way of countering this, having a near-creative midfield of your own and shifting from an overly physical approach. Nuri Sahin. He is the answer. The former Dortmund man may have missed the action for much of the season, but he’s the one who might well add the extra dimension Real needs to beat Barca. He’s well accomplished defensively and his creativity that drove Dortmund to the Bundesliga title last season is well documented. If flanked by whichever two hardmen of Mourinho’s choice, Sahin would surely bring out the best of Madrid’s attacking players at the same time keeping tabs of Barcelona’s midfield domination. Well it may be argued that Xabi Alonso pretty much does that, but really, does he? It’s now time for a change, and Nuri Sahin is the change.

The whole world desperately needs a Mourinho win in the Clasico. Who wouldn’t want a return of his cockiness and arrogance? With a line up of Casillas – Marcelo, Carvalho, Pepe, Sergio Ramos – Khedira, Sahin, Diarra – Oezil, Ronaldo – Higuain, hopefully we might see a change in fortunes when the next El Clasico rolls in.

The Dug Out.