Newcastle: Too Big to go Down?

The Toon Army has a massive following of 55,000 supporters, that sell out St. James’ Park every week, despite their glaring lack of trophies. With this support, they have been able to attract talent that their level of success has not merited. If one measures the size of a club on the level of support it enjoys, as opposed to it’s trophy cabinet, it is fair to say Newcastle United are not exactly a small club. So are they too big a club to be relegated? The answer, quite simply, is no.

Nottingham Forest, despite being one of only four English clubs to lift the European Cup, were relegated in the first season of Premiership football. The departure of Brian Clough, a man who had helped Nottingham Forest to win not one European Cup, but two, coincided with said relegation. A club with an extremely rich tradition was to play their football in the lower levels of English football, and it truly was a loss to the top flight.

Leeds United, most will agree, were one of the proudest clubs in British Football until their relegation in 2004. Despite divulging into the lower leagues on numerous occasions, Leeds has also won the old Division One thrice, an FA Cup, and reached the last four of Europe’s top prize on two occasions. Granted, Leeds are not exactly a Real Madrid or a Manchester United, but they have much more on their honours list than Newcastle. Leeds’ financial situation provided too many difficulties for the club to see the top flight again, and administration one threatened the Yorkshire side. Following their relegation, there was a mass exodus of talent, including players such as Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Harry Kewell. The club clearly had talented superstars, but could not evade the drop.

All that, and support has yet to be mentioned. In high pressure games from now until the end of the season, the crowd will act against Newcastle, as opposed to in favour of them. From a faithful that has always demanded so much from their team, will be bred even more pressure onto the field of play, and whether Newcastle have players with enough character so respond is another matter. Players such as Joey Barton and Alan Smith have had their problems in the past, and in reality, their team is now littered with more thugs than stars. While some of their players may have sufficient ability, such as Martins and Owen, they have players with extreme fallacies in their character, like the aforementioned Barton and Smith.

It seems the worst thing Newcastle have done in recent times was sacking Sir Bobby Robson, as they have never been able to recover from that managerial loss. One of my very first memories of the Champions League was Mathias Almeida thrashing a 25-yard volley into the roof of the net at St. James' Park for Inter Milan, but that is too distant a memory now. Managers, ranging from Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce have tried to bring stability back to the club, and not even the return of the 'Messiah'-like Kevin Keegan could do the job. No manager that goes to St. James' has been given the time to work with the squad to bring their own imprint onto the team, and hence they no longer have an identity. This cut-throat style of business has found Newcastle scrapping at the wrong end of the league in recent times.

And if Newcastle United are relegated, it is hard to see them coming back up. The club will lose money through television rights, and will not be able to attract the stars they once have been able to. Also, players like Duff, Martins, Owen and Gutierrez will seek new employers to create an exodus of players from Tyneside. Whether the club will be able to attract the large following they once did will also be discovered, if they do fall into the Championship.

It is easy for the fans to blame the players on the pitch, or the manager in the box-seat, but if they are relegated, the harsh truth is the fans only have themselves to blame. After David Moyes got Everton to a 7^th place finish in his first season in 2002, he finished 17^th the following season. One has to wonder whether he would have kept his job had he been employed by Newcastle, I suppose not. Despite not having a glorious past, the fans at St. James' Park seem to demand so much than what their team merits, and it is this confusion of ideals that has corrupted and alienated a club that could have been much more successful. It seems, despite Tottenham Hotspur's efforts, that Newcastle United truly are the joke of the Premier League.

Chelsea and Liverpool meet again

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Chelsea and Liverpool have been drawn against each other for the fifth consecutive time in the Champions League, in what promises to be a fascinating encounter. Chelsea have already been beaten twice by Liverpool already this season, but are now under the reigns of one of wisest men in world football, Guus Hiddink. In the seven matches they have played since coming to the Bridge, Chelsea have avoided defeat. And who were the last team to beat them? Liverpool, of course...

This time, it will not be that simple. In the previous encounter, Chelsea went to Anfield in a typically-negative fashion, despite knowing that a win would have been the ideal result to reignite any title challenge. The shift of power came when Frank Lampard was given a dubious red card, and Liverpool won the game late on with two late Fernando Torres goals.

And it is fair to say Liverpool do have the advantage over Chelsea in Europe, knocking them out in 2005 semi-final, when they went on to win the competition, and in 2007. The two teams played out two goalless draws in the group stages of the 2006 competition, but Chelsea finally managed to beat their rivals in last year's competition. Chelsea were fantastic at the Bridge in that encounter, dispatching Liverpool 3-1 with a brace from Drogba and a Michael Ballack penalty, securing a place in the final.

However, Benitez seems to have Chelsea worked out, and although they are now under the management of Hiddink, it is difficult to see any major changes to the team's playing style. They are still an extremely negative team, geared towards grinding out results. Out of Chelsea's six victories under Hiddink, five have been by a one-goal margin. And in essence, since the sale of Arjen Robben to Real Madrid, the team have struggled from wide areas and do find it difficult to break teams down. The same criticism could be levelled at Rafael Benitez and his team, although the last two victories do show their potency in attack.

Chelsea have already showed their ineptitude to break down the Merseyside team on two occasions this season, and it is hard to see much changing in this tie. In last year's Champions League tie, it was the Michael Ballack penalty, given at 1-1, that changed the game, and Chelsea will need to rely on indiviual brilliance or fortune to win the tie. However, they have shown on countless occasions they do have both of these in abundance since the arrival of Roman Abramovich.

One aspect of this fascinating encounter that certainly does warrant a mention is the return of Ghanaian powerhouse Michael Essien. He is at the centre of everything good about Chelsea, offering as much in defence as in attack and providing the drive that Chelsea have lacked so much this season. It may be him, the best midfielder in the Premier League in my opinion, who provides the difference between winning and losing.

It will also be interesting to see if John Terry has the ability to silence Fernando Torres over the two games. Torres plays much better with Steven Gerrard in the team, of that there is no doubt, and if Michael Essien can deal with Gerrard, then it may facilitate the task for Terry. If Terry cannot keep the Spaniard quiet at Anfield, as he was not earlier in the season, Liverpool could run riot. One would feel, after watching Liverpool's last Champions League outing, that Benitez will go all-out to win the tie at Anfield.

Arsenal vs. Villareal

Arsenal and Villareal will meet in a repeat of the 2006 semi-final, when a Kolo Touré goal was enough to guarantee a Barcelona-Arsenal encounter in the final. Juan-Roman Riquelme missed a penalty in the second leg that would have seen the match go into extra-time, but things have changed this time.

Riquelme and Forlan are a thing of the past for “The Yellow Submarines”, but they know have a much leaner, younger team and are a very dangerous outfit. The small-town team now relies on ex-Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi and veteran Nihat Kahveci in attack, and Spain's promising winger Santi Cazorla. People of ignorance would argue that the loss of Forlan and Riquelme have left Villareal with no hope, given that they boast many players who may not be household names, but are very talented individuals; Gonzalo, Franco, Cani and Senna to name just a few.

Ex-gunner Robert Pires will also come up against his former side, but the battle to watch will be Marcos Senna against Cesc Fabregas in the centre berth of midfield. Whether the experience of Senna can handle the youth of Fabregas remains to be seen, but many will remember Patrick Vieira failing to outshine the Spaniard when he visited his old stomping ground.

Villareal could only manage a 2-2 draw at the weekend, as a first-half brace from Santi Cazorla was cancelled out by Real Betis in the second half. Santi Cazorla's first goal summed up what the enigmatic Villareal are about, with terrific teamwork allowing the Spanish International to finish from twelve yards. They are a potent outfit indeed.

A similarity between both Villareal and Arsenal is they sit in fourth place, and are fighting off fifth place as opposed to looking towards third. It seems that in England, the trio of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are too strong, and in Spain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla are too strong.

The match will rely on quick play in an around the box from both teams, with the potential for some spell-binding football and a captivating encounter. For how magical the Spanish outfit can be at times, they can also be anonymous. It may depend on what Villareal show up in the two ties. Even though Arsenal are not the team they once were, I cannot see Villareal being able to handle them, in a typically-close encounter. English dominance will once again prevail.

Manchester United vs. Porto

Mourinho's celebration is a distant memory.
The defending Champions of Europe will meet 2004 winners Porto, in an encounter that will bring back bad memories for Sir Alex Ferguson. It was Jose Mourinho's Porto that knocked United out of the 2004 competition, with a Costinha goal in the dying embers of the tie. Cue memorable celebrations of a young, and relatively-unknown Jose Mourinho running down the Old Trafford touchline in celebration. But let us not be deceived, Porto are not what they were.

The 2004 Porto team was one of those special outfits that sometimes culminate in one moment, and disband soon after. The Zenit St. Peterburg team of last year, and the South Korean national team in 2002 are other examples. It included stars who were yet to gain a reputation on the continent, such as Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Benni McCarthy and Paolo Ferreira. But the most important of all the talent at the club at the time was the man in charge, the charismatic Jose Mourinho.

However, after the Champions League win in 2004, much of Porto's talent decided it was the opportune moment to launch their careers. Mourinho left his position for pastures new at Chelsea, and in turn, debowelled much of the Porto squad. Carvalho, Ferreira, McCarthy and Valente soon ended up in the Premiership, and Deco found a new home at the Camp Nou.

And since then, as one can imagine, Porto have failed to make much of an impact on the continent. They once again proved their ineptitude to hold on to their key players, when Anderson left for Old Trafford, and now faces a tie against his old employers.

The key players for Porto will be target man Lisandro Lopez and Lucho Gonzalez, the latter being on the “Best 100 Players in World Football” list for the last three years. However, Sir Alex Ferguson has proven himself time after time to be a master tactician, and has the ability to nullify key players in games. If he can manage to silence the talented Gonzalez, then it is hard to see any ensuing upset.

Although anything can happen in football, United will be counting their lucky stars as they once again seem to have found the easiest team left in the draw. They should guarantee their place in the semi-final.

Barcelona vs. Bayern

Barca's stars too hot to handle?
The last semi-final is one that does not boast an English team, but is a mouth-watering tie all the same. Bayern Munich destroyed Sporting Lisbon 14-1 in the last round to claim a new record, and Barcelona have a notorious reputation for attacking football. Therefore, this tie promises goals. But as we know from experience, promises are not always kept, and hype is not always fulfilled.

Barcelona are once again finding their mark in front of goal, after a shaky spell, and proof of this would be Bojan's second against Almeria last week. The attacking move displayed some sublime passing, and something that Munich are going to have to be very wary of. Barcelona's quick, accurate passing may prove too much for what is a typically-stagnant backline from the Germans.

However, there are always surprises in football, and this tie does have the potential of an upset, like the Arsenal-Villareal tie. Philippe Lahm, Franck Ribéry, Luca Toni and and Lukas Podolski are the ones to watch for the Germans. Ribéry and Lahm should cause the La Liga leaders trouble, and Bayern do have the potential to score against what still seems to be an unstable Barcelona backline.

But this clash will be decided by how the Germans can perfom at the other end of the pitch. Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Gudjohnsen and Iniesta are enough to make most defender's heartbeats stop, but they are not invincible. In the past, the Italian Massimo Oddo has proven himself to be a very astute defender, especially in his spell with Lazio, but whether he has the pace to match Lionel Messi is the important factor. It would not be surprising if Klinsmann decided to put Lahm at right back to contain Lionel Messi, but Pep Guardiola could so easily switch Messi to the left.

This should be a fascinating encounter, and is definitely not as cut-and-dry as the media would convey. With that being said, I can see Barcelona progressing into the final four.

And so, the way I see it, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona will all be in the next round of Europe's premier competition. Three out of these four teams reached the same stage last year, with the exception of Arsenal, who were knocked out by Liverpool. And the only reason Chelsea will not make it to the semi-final is because they too will be knocked out by Liverpool. I strongly believe that if all four English teams were to have avoided each other in the draw, they all would have reached the final four.

I wonder how long it will be before UEFA intervene to stop an English club monopoly, which has the potential to ruin Europe's most prized competition.

C. Rimmer
(20/03/09)

"Gernando" stuns Old Trafford

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard rekindled their partnership which proved too much for Real Madrid in midweek, to produce another Anglo-Hispanic masterclass at Old Trafford yesterday. With an outcome that no-one could have quite predicted, a 4-1 drubbing of Manchester United, the back pages of every newspaper across Britain were splashed with images of Torres and Gerrard today.

Despite needing a win in Manchester to keep any sort of title challenge alive, it was the Mancunian side that started on the front foot. United seeked an early goal, like they got at Anfield earlier in the season, that would give them a massive advantage, given their defensive record at Fortress Old Trafford this season. However, possessing two holding midfielders in Lucas and Mascherano, Liverpool were able to weather the early storm from the champions.

The deadlock was broken after 23 minutes, when Tevez poked a ball through to Park Ji Sung. The Korean was tripped by the on-rushing Pepe Reina, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. In reality, it was a dubious penalty decision, as Park had kicked the ball into an almost impossible angle, and waited for contact from the goalkeeper. Some referees would give it, others would not. It was world player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who placed the ball down, before placing a fierce strike into the corner of the goal, giving Reina no chance.

The response from Liverpool after that was faultless, as they showed champion-like spirit to fight their way back into the match. Given that Van Der Sar had not been beaten at Old Trafford in over four months, it was hard to see Liverpool getting back into the match, but that was exactly what they done.

On the 28th minute, after a hopeful long ball up to Torres, the highly consistent Nemanja Vidic let the ball bounce, which was a clinical mistake. The pace of Torres exploited Vidic, who lost out in a challenge with Torres, allowing one of the best strikers in world football a free run at the United goal. Torres seemed quite nervous in his approach, taking various touches, but the finish was far from nervous. The Spaniard waited for the large frame of Van Der Sar to leave his goal-line, before steering a beautiful finish into the bottom corner of the goal.

A draw still favoured United, and so the game was beautifully poised. Torres and Gerrard combined with a beautiful give-and-go, which let Gerrard expose Patrice Evra, who is not exactly slow. Evra, knowing if he left it any longer, Gerrard would have a free effort at goal, knew he had to make his last-ditch challenge. However, it was mistimed, and he took the man and not the ball. Penalty.

And it was Gerrard himself that took the penalty. Van Der Sar, similar to Reina, guessed the right way, but could not move quick enough. And so, Liverpool went in at half-time with a 2-1 lead, a scoreline by which they had won the previous encounter between the two teams.

Liverpool are one of the best teams in the world at defending a lead, and Manchester United may be the best team in the world at exposing teams. The game was finely poised. The Champions came out in the second half knowing a draw would be enough to secure the title, and it was a backs-to-the-wall, all-hands-to-the-pump approach from the Merseyside team.

With that being said, United failed to create many opportunities, the two most memorable BOTH falling to Carlos Tevez. A routine chip ball over the top of the back four caught Liverpool sleeping, but Tevez snatched at his shot, sending it wide of the target. It should be noted Tevez seemed to be in an offside position, but it was not given, and hence the goal would have stood.

Ronaldo marauded down the wing and chipped a beautifully-weighted ball to Rooney at the back post, who steered his ball goalwards. Carlos Tevez fell on the goal-line and his claims for a penalty were waved away. The ball travelled past Tevez and past the far post.

And with Liverpool playing a counter-attack system, the threat of a third was ever-present. Gerrard made a typical cavalier run from midfield towards the exposed Vidic. Much like his colleague Torres in the first half, Gerrard had Vidic beaten for pace, and so the Serb cynically dragged him to the floor so as to stop a goal-scoring opportunity. He left Alan Wiley no choice but to reach into his pocket for his red card, ending a horrific day for the supposedly unbreachable Vidic.

Sir Alex Ferguson lifted his despairing head out of his hands just in time to see Fabio Aurelio place an inch-perfect free kick into the Stretford End goal, and the game was all but over. The floodgates had finally opened for Manchester United, as they leaked goals. Many of the Manchester United faithful had already left Old Trafford, and the players seemed to share a sense of defeat.

Gerrard could have made it four soon after, as a slip in the Manchester United defence allowed Ryan Babel possession on the penalty spot. Babel found Gerrard, who had been a nuisance all day with his late runs from midfield, and despite having all the space and time known to man, Gerrard wildly lashed at his shot and sent it high into the seating area.

Mancunian humiliation was consolidated when Reina's goal kick left the United backline completely flat-footed just inside stoppage time. The defence, for the fourth time in the game, had been exploited for pace, and Andrea Dossena found himself in a one-on-one goalscoring opportunity. The Italian lobbed the ball over a stranded Van Der Sar for his second goal in as many games.

The game has sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world, and in principal, proves two things conclusively. It proves Liverpool certainly do have the credentials to challenge for the league title, but do not have the consistency of Manchester United. The last two games have proved just how fruitful Liverpool's attacks can be, and although this season is not over just yet, it seems some of the Liverpudlian fanbase are already preparing themselves for next season.

It also proves that Manchester United are not invincible. After the match, Assistant Manager Mike Phelan said that Liverpool caught them on “a bad day at the office”, but I feel this rather belies the facts. Whilst it is true that man-mountain Vidic and the usually assuring Rio Ferdinand were not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, this has to be attributed to Torres and Gerrard's partnership. Neither Anderson nor Carrick were able to suppress Gerrard, who was making typically-late runs from midfield at completely exposing the Manchester United centre backs. The reason for Manchester United's toothless attack could be attributed to the Lucas-Mascherano stronghold in the centre-midfield berth.

So maybe it was another tactical masterstroke from Rafael Benitez, or maybe it was the Liverpool players applying themselves more in an archetypal big game. One thing is certain, it has to be back to the drawing board for Sir Alex Ferguson; manager of the side who have found themselves a goal up twice against their opponents from down the M62, and have twice been defeated.

And so, we finish with a quiz question. Who was the only team to do the double over United in the last campaign?

Could Harry be the man to bring the glory back to White Hart Lane?

Ardiles, Gross, Santini, Jol and Ramos are just some of the men who have went through the revolving door at Tottenham Hotspur in an attempt to restore pride and stability to the club, and none have been able to do so. What can Harry Redknapp bring to the fold, in an attempt to reinvigorate a club with a rich tradition, that is fast becoming a circus?

The enigmatic Tottenham Hotspur, despite mediocre league positions and empty trophy cabinet shelves in recent times, seem to have a bottomless bag of money at their disposal. Many managers have came, and bought some big players in an attempt to put their own imprint on the team, only for a new manager to come in and undo all the work. Clubs like Tottenham, and Newcastle, suffer from such a lack of continuity. It seems that the Premier League is fast becoming like the cut-throat world of European football, where managers are not given the time to develop their own team, due to the financial climate of the game.

Martin Jol has been one of the more successful managers at the club, taking Tottenham to two consecutive fifth-place finishes in the league, only narrowly missing out on the Champions League in one campaign. Jol's clinical mistake was telling the top four to watch out the following campaign, and thereby attracting a media circus to White Hart Lane. It was to be too much for some of the average players that plagued the squad, and they failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup. And as is often the case, a change in level of success, often means a change in manager.

Juande Ramos' curriculum vitae was one of the most impressive in world football when Tottenham flexed their muscles to bring him to North London. Two consecutive UEFA Cups and lofty La Liga positions with Sevilla, whilst playing some tremendous football, were enough to send the Tottenham fans' pulses racing. Their excitement was soon proven to be warranted, with a tremendous day out in February.

Not many gave Ramos' side a chance against a strong Chelsea side in the Carling Cup final, despite dispatching Arsenal 6-1 in the previous round. However, couple Chelsea's league ambitions with Ramos' knowledge in cup competitions, be it European or domestic, and it was clear to see Tottenham stood a good chance. It was Jonathan Woodgate who grabbed the winner for Spurs in extra-time, and gave the fans a piece of silverware to cherish, as opposed to the nostalgic flashbacks of previous Tottenham teams.

As if he had not learnt from his predecessor's mishap, Ramos issued a warning for next season to the top four following their cup triumph. After off-loading Jermaine Defoe in January, Tottenham sold Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane in the summer, further weakening their striking resources. Although Berbatov and Keane had their hearts set on moving on, the main problem fell when Tottenham tried to replace such talismanic players.

Roman Pavlyuchenko was the man with the 14 million pound price tag, who was told to fill the striking void, but it remains a task, that he has failed up to this point. The player's lack of clinical instinct was prevalent in the European Championships in 2008, where the Russian wrote his name on the score sheet three times, but in the process missed countless opportunities. Mexican prodigy Giovanni Dos Santos was also signed from Barcelona for an initial fee of 4.6 million, and despite seeming a bargain at the time, his impact been negligible. Used as a sweetener in the Berbatov deal, Frazier-Campbell went out on loan to White Hart Lane, yet like his Mexican counterpart,he too has failed to make an impact.

The Berbatov transfer saga that inhabited White Hart Lane during the summer, was neighboured by that of Pavlyuchenko's ex-team mate at Zenit St. Petersburg, Andrei Arshavin. Maybe if Spurs would have secured the services of the Russian playmaker Arshavin, things may have worked out differently for Juande Ramos. As it were, they were unable to persuade Zenit to part with their key player, and a considerably weaker squad buckled under the pressure yet again.

However, Ramos divided the Tottenham fans, some of whom believed he was a world-class manager who was simply adapting to the British game, and others who thought he could never grasp it. It seemed that the board were reluctant to terminate Ramos' contract in the knowledge that another managerial tenure ending at Tottenham signified the club's decline into the cut-throat market. In spite of this, the board had seen enough, and decided to pull the plug on the 25th of October.

Harry Redknapp was the man who was chosen to succeed the Spaniard at White Hart Lane. Redknapp, no stranger to the relegation fight that Spurs found themselves in, managed to quickly add much-needed stability to the club, dragging them out of the bottom three. Harry has already proven his managerial class at Tottenham, guiding them to two wins in close proximity against title-chasing Liverpool, and a Carling Cup final which they lost on penalties to Manchester United.

Despite Juande Ramos having won more trophies, Redknapp's CV is equally as impressive. The long path, paved with achievements, started for Redknapp back in 1994, when he took the managerial post at his beloved West Ham United. He brought stability to the club, and the jewel in the crown came in 1999, when he guided the London side to a fifth-place finish. The following campaign, the Hammers managed to win the Intertoto Cup to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

He moved to Portmouth in 2001, where he managed to win the now-antiquated Divison One and establish them as a Premier League side, despite having to fight some relegation battles in the process. However, given that Portsmouth did not have a big fanbase, nor the money to compete with such financially-powerful opposition, this was an achievement in itself. Like West Ham, Redknapp left due to internal disputes over appointments made by the Chairman. Soon after, he moved to Portsmouth's bitter rivals Southampton.

Southampton is one of the few blemishes on Redknapp's CV, as he was given the task of maintaining the club's Premiership status, yet he failed to do so. In the following campaign, he was unable to see Southampton back into the play-off places after a mass exodus of the club's biggest talents. Proving he could sometimes be a sinner and not a saint, Redknapp moved back to Portsmouth.

He was re-appointed Pompey's manager in December 2005, and was not able to turn the club's fortunes straight away. It seemed the club was destined for relegation, but a fine run of form near the end of the campaign was enough to secure the club as a Premiership side, and cement Redknapp's nickname as “Harry Houdini”. Soon after, money was given to the South-coast club, and Harry developed Portsmouth from a relegation-battling side, to a European side. They soon registered their highest ever league position, followed by a famous FA Cup win in 2008, qualifying the club for Europe.

This was the CV of one of the most talented managers in English football, which seemed very attractive to Tottenham, who secured his services in October last year. To them, it represents a last resort in many ways, because if Redknapp is not able to bring stability to such a yo-yo club, it is hard to see who is.

In his first season, he has managed to get to a Carling Cup final, which will be seen as a relative success, but many have slated his transfer policy at White Hart Lane. In a rather bizarre January, Redknapp started to re-sign players that Ramos had let go in the summer, such as Chimbonda, Defoe and Keane. However, for aforementioned reasons about Ramos' weakening of the team, I personally do not see this as a step backwards for such an ambitious club. Harry Redknapp is one of the most renowned managers in the world when it comes to the transfer market, an example being the introduction of prolific goalscorer Yakubu to English football. He once again proved his talents with the astute signing of Carlo Cudicini from Chelsea in January. In many ways, Cudicini was the forgotten man at Stamford Bridge, long before Shaun Wright-Phillips earned that title off the press. Cudicini was in sparkling form for the pre-Abramovich Chelsea, but it was Ranieri who decided Petr Cech would be a better base for his team.

Analysing a manager's wisdom in the transfer market is one way to measure his credentials, and another thing you can say about the enigmatic Harry Redknapp is, he is never out of a job in football. This alone tells you the attraction of such an enthusiastic and experienced manager. If he is not able to reflect his own enthusiasm and experience onto the players he manages, White Hart Lane could truly still be awaiting it's Messiah. However, no man can be expected to perform such miracles with such little time, and it is imperative the executives at Tottenham are patient with their new man, otherwise, they will have passed the point of no return.

David Villa must reject City for Football's sake

In the modern game, bank balance has overtaken historical culture as most player's main motivation for joining a football club, and City have once again flexed their muscles with Valencia's David Villa. El Guaje, as he is nicknamed, has been setting La Liga alight in recent times for C.F. Valencia, cementing his position as the greatest centre forward in the world, and hence, it would be a travesty for him to sign for such a club.

Rumours surfaced today of Manchester City's interest in the 27-year-old, who is said to prefer to stay in Spain, despite intense interest from some of Europe's elite, including Manchester United and Liverpool. However, Valencia can no longer compete in such a money-driven market, given they have ran into financial trouble themselves in recent times, triggering suggestions of a fire-sale from the club. Whenever a fire-sale occurs, it is, for quite obvious reasons, the club's most talented players that are subject to prying eyes, and there is no denying Villa is certainly one of those.

There is no secret as to why a club like Manchester City would be an attractive option to a player at the height of his career; money. There is no other possible explanation why a player of Villa's calibre would even consider a move to a club that are in the UEFA Cup, and struggling to qualify for Europe in their current domestic campaign. The club, despite having all the money in Fort Knox at their disposal, do not represent an ambitious rung on the ladder for a self-respecting professional. The amount of visible blue seats in the UEFA Cup tie against Aalborg tonight is evidence of this.

The simple fact that Villa's PA team have not instantly denied such rumours linking the star-man to the 15th most successful club in England is not only testament to the financial clout the Premier League holds, but also the danger football faces in the modern era. There are those who argue that such competition is great for the English game, and that players only have short careers and should get the money when they can. I beg to differ.

Although such competition is great for the English game as it gives other teams an opportunity to challenge the bigger teams for honours, it can lead to certain problems also. Probably the most widely-reported problem is the stunting of the English national team that such an influx of foreign player can bring. As football more and more becomes a results-driven business, teams are willing to buy players at the height of their careers, for instant success, and sell them on soon after once they have been replaced. This quick chopping-and-changing of squads does not give young players, especially those who are homegrown, the platform to slowly develop their talents. It is not a fluke that such an influx of foreign investment has coincided with heavy scrutiny and criticism of the English national team.

The other, less-entertained problem with such competition in the English game is the over-saturation of talent in the English league. As we are already starting to see, the English clubs are starting to completely dominate the European competitions, with all four contingents reaching the last 8 this year. Granted, I am no patriot, but whilst many can look forward to the Premier League becoming more competitive and exciting in the future, European competitions will lose their attraction.

However, there is reason to be optimistic. Whereas temperamental players like Robinho may see Manchester City as a more attractive option than the bench of the Bernabeu, home to the greatest club of the 20th century, there is a bracket above him. One of the players from this bracket that deserves a mention and appraisal, is he who has already evaded City's clutches, the Brazilian Kaka. He belongs to a bracket of self-respecting professionals who make their football a priority above money and would rather earn less, to be at a more ambitious club where they can develop their game.

Kaka has carried the torch of professionalism in the modern era, a torch that many will help burn bright. Players like Ronaldo, Messi, Torres, Fabregas, Robben and Villa himself all need to turn a blind eye to City's money, to preserve the beauty and passion of such a fine sport. I do not find it a coincidence that the players who carry this torch also seem to be the most coveted men in world football.

C.Rimmer
(12/10/09)

Man Utd show signs of '99, keeping dreams of five alive.

70,000 fans inside Old Trafford were given flashbacks to the treble-winning side of 1999 as two headers were enough to see Man Utd into the last 8 of the Champions League. It was back in the month of March 1999, when two Dwight Yorke headers were enough to defeat Inter Milan 2-0 at Old Trafford, before Manchester United went on to win a famous treble. And this year, they are gunning for an incredible five trophies...

The current Champions of Europe could not have imagined a better start with Nemanja Vidic rising unmarked in the box, before placing his header perfectly into the Inter Milan net, with just three minutes gone. It was an ex-Arsenal player of all people, Patrick Vieira, who completely lost track of the ball and handed the advantage to the home side, which they failed to capatalise on.

Despite the uncertain start, Inter found their feet and started creating good opportunities to equalise. The most notable was Ibrahimovic's header which bounced off the turf in front of Van Der Sar, before rattling the cross bar. It was to be one of those frustrating nights for the Swede, who had a sublime first half, and was next-to-anonymous in the second.

Stankovic also tried his luck from range in the 36th minute, only to see Van Der Sar tip his effort beyond the post. It was a heart-in-mouth moment for the Manchester United fans, as they sat nervously in the knowledge a goal for the Italians was enough to knock them out of the competition.

However, just two minutes later, O'Shea had a chance to give the home side the two goal cushion that they craved, after great work from Rooney and Giggs. Giggs received the ball from O'Shea, before he knocked it in-field to Rooney. It was he who subsequently flicked the ball, first-time, into the path of O'Shea, but he couldn't convert his one-on-one against Julio Cesar.

And such was the theme of the match at this point, that Inter could have found their equaliser just a few minutes later, as Ibrahimovic found himself through on goal. However, the ever-frustrating Ibrahimovic managed to beat Van Der Sar, only to see his effort narrowly miss the far post. It is these inches that make champions.

The teams went down the tunnel at half-time, and niether manager could have been too upset by what they had seen, Ferguson had the goal he wanted, and Mourinho knew a goal was enough. Mourinho brought Muntari on at half-time for Patrick Vieira, reverting to the more conventional diamond formation. It would have been interesting to see what the outcome would have been if Inter would have kept United at bay in the second half, but it was not to be.

After coming under pressure themselves early in the second half, United sprung a classic counter-attack, playing some sublime football in the process. The ball eventually ended up with Rooney on the corner of the Inter penalty box, who teased the defender before flicking an inch-perfect ball into the path of a marauding Ronaldo, who nodded home from seven yards. The tie was all but over.

Like typical champions, United started to kill the game, keeping possession for long periods and taking the sting out of the Italian champions. Mourinho decided to unleash the inconsistent Adriano, in a last-ditch attempt to rescue the tie, and his instincts were almost instantly rewarded. The 'almost' Brazilian flicked the ball out to Zanetti, who turned and flicked it back into Adriano's path. Demonstrating quite sublime technique, Adriano's scissor kick was so beautiful it deserved a goal, but it bounced off the inside of the Manchester United post. Three inches to the right and the tie could have been so much different, but United pinched the inch yet again, as they have so often done this season.

That was the last real spark we seen from the Italians going forward, as the epic encounter between two European giants just faded away. Mourinho shook the hand of his Scottish counterpart at the end of the match; a counterpart, who he had so often got the better of, but not even 'The Special One' could derail the consistent United.

The train keeps a-rollin' for United, who will now face Liverpool in the Premiership on Saturday. Ferguson has a big enough squad to warrant his rotation system in recent times, something which Benitez does not have at his disposal. It is the final call for the Liverpool side, if they win, they may just put an iota of doubt into the minds of the United players, but lose and the Premiership trophy will remain at Old Trafford for at least another year.

And for Inter Milan, similar to Real Madrid, their attentions focus back on their domestic ambitions, and strengthening in the summer. The Italian league seems almost dead at the moment, and the big teams will have to go through major transitions to start challenging Europe's elite yet again.

It is evident when we see Luis Figo, Dejan Stankovic, Patrick Vieira and Javier Zanetti still playing for the Italian Champions. Again, starman Francesco Totti has donned the red of Roma tonight in their European tie against Arsenal, at the grand old age of 32. The golden boy of Italian football Alessandro Del Piero went into battle against Chelsea last night, at the age of 35.

Italian football is not what it used to be, and if the Liverpool match last night was evidence of a Premiership domination, tonight all but reaffirmed it. AC Milan, the evergreens of the Champions League cannot attract the talent they used to be able to, in the days of Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten.

It is for these reasons that many believe Mourinho is going to return to the Premiership very soon, where he will be able to pit his witts against some of the best managers and players in the world. Adriano could be another who leaves Italy and comes to British shores, even if it is not to one of the Champions League teams. Many foreign players now view teams like Aston Villa and Everton more attractive teams than Juventus or Valencia, as they are competing in a far more competitive league than the stagnant Spanish and Italian competitions.

Following the Manchester United victory, the mancunians will now believe more than ever that they could take all five competitions. Ferguson has said in the past that the current crop of players he has is better than his famous 1999 team. There is a fair way to go yet before they are widely given such appraisal, but if this season is anything to go by, they certainly have the potential.

Benitez shows his European steel as Liverpool cruise to 5-0 win in tie

Many things have been said regarding Rafael Benitez in recent times, and most of them have not been positive. Mutterings from the Liverpool faithful echo a general concensus that Benitez is too conservative a manager to deliver them their much sought-after Premiership title, and that his substitutions are very suspect to say the least. However, no-one could deny Benitez's knowledge of how to play the European teams, as he has toppled some of the biggest teams on the continent in his tenure at Anfield; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea but to name a few.

The game started much as it ended in the Santiago Bernabeu two weeks ago, with Liverpool looking the more likely to score. And they got fruits for their early attacking display, as a Fabio Cannavaro mistake allowed Kuyt in, before he sprayed the ball across the box for a waiting Fernando Torres, who simply tapped the ball into an empty net, before reeling off in celebration towards the Anfield Road in front of the despairing Real Madrid faithful. Major advantage Liverpool.

The fact Benitez didn't add caution to Liverpool's game after they opened the scoring will be a welcome sight for all Liverpudlians, and as they continued their onslaught towards the Real Madrid goal, Los Merengues simply couldn't compete. This onslaught was again rewarded, somewhat fortunately this time, as Liverpool were awarded a penalty for an innocuous handball claim against Gabriel Heinze. It was the skipper, Steven Gerrard, that put the ball down on the spot and duly converted beyond a frustrated Casillas. If there was any belief in the Real Madrid team before this goal, it had all but disappeared now.

Real Madrid were incapable of passing the ball as we have come to expect, from watching them dominating European competitions for years, with stars going through the roster from Alfredo Di Stefano to Zinedine Zidane. They were simply out-classed, out-passed, out-fought and out-played and if it hadn't been for Madrid's Casillas, it could've been four or five in the first half alone. The teams walked down the tunnel to a chorus of cheers from the sell-out Anfield crowd, with two vastly different talk teams awaiting.

But not much changed. Ryan Babel skipped to the touchline infront of the Kop End and clipped it back to skipper Steven Gerrard, who finished with style for his second of the night, and knocked any new-found ambition and heart out of the Madrid side. Game definitively over. And it was at this point, that Benitez decided to add caution to the Liverpool team, and concede some territory to Madrid.

With more possession and territory, Real Madrid still looked a shadow of their former selves, and their night, and their season, was summed up with Wesley Sneijder's outrageously disappointing free kick which looked more like a Jonny Wilkinson conversion.

The cherry was soon placed atop a very sweet cake for the Anfield crowd, when Mascherano's inch-perfect pass through the eye of a needle found Andrea Dossena completely unmarked to slot home the fourth, and send the sell out crowd delirious, apart from a small pocket inside the Anfield Road end.

The only thing more striking and emphatic tonight than Benitez's tactical guile in Europe, is how far ahead the Premiership is from any other league in the world, which is a sign of the times. Many football pundits and critics will say that 'Real Madrid simply had an off day', which I personally don't subscribe to. They simply, quite like AC Milan, have not replaced the players that they had in their glory years of ten years ago. To look back at the 'Galáctico' side boasting players such as Figo, Carlos, Zidane, Ronaldo,and Hierro, and compare it to a side with such mediocre players as Diarra, Gago, Pepe and Higuaín is simply upsetting. It speaks volumes that their most influential player is their goalkeeper.

The fact that two English teams are already into the last eight of the Champions League, with the other two holding advantages in their ties tomorrow night, and that three of the four semi-finalists of the Champions League last year were English teams, it is clear to see the Premiership is lightyears ahead, simply through the foreign investment that has recently come to British shores. The debate of whether the English game has sold it's soul by allowing such foreign investment dominate the Premiership will rage on, I am sure.

I can't count with each finger, toe, eyelash and eyebrow hair how many misplaced passes Real Madrid made tonight, their ball retention was simply awful. Combine that with a toothless strike-force boasting two players devoid of pace and stamina, and a Madrid-like defence that would let a stampede through, you are destined for trouble. Fabio Capello lost his job at the Bernabeu for playing negative football despite winning the La Liga title, whereas now sits a man at the helm who can't get the job done with negative football. Mr. Capello, penny for your thoughts.

With that being said, that is to take nothing away from Rafael Benitez, who has come under hard fire from many Liverpool fans over the years. He played Real Madrid to perfection in both ties, sitting back and getting an all-important away goal in the Bernabeu, and pinning Madrid's ears to the wall in the home leg. He cleverly isolated Arjen Robben, Real's most dangerous forward-thinking player by a distance, in both ties, and should take all of the plaudits for Liverpool's performances. The plaudits that he revealed yesterday he has been waiting so long for.

It could well come to pass that both of these teams find themselves with new managers at the start of next season, but England's dominance in Europe will remain.