A Real Chance for Spurs?

AFTER yet another a week of international nonsense, the time has come for girlfriends and wives to be again put to one side as the Premier League season restarts. Since the Premier League was put on hold temporarily, we have learned that Wales really are rubbish, Ghana fans are still brilliant, and that not even slight traces of radiation in the UK can speed up Joleon Lescott’s feet. As Premier League and Champions League action returns, the business-end of the season is ready to rock and roll.

As English Champions League TV executives licked their lips at the prospect of putting together yet more montages featuring John Terry kissing his armband, Wayne Rooney gesticulating towards officials, and Fernando Torres yet again losing possession, the rest of the nation looks forward to the two Premier League giants lock horns in what could be an explosive clash, or again a piss-poor anti-climax.

With the taste of Nandos still lingering badly in the mouth of Rooney after his clash with ex-Benfica defender David Luiz in the 2-1 defeat to the Blues earlier this month, the in-form (at last) England striker will aim to shoot down a defence he has a half-decent recent scoring record against. Conversely, Torres himself has a decent record against United, but faces a battle to stay on the pitch (and on his feet) long enough to do Sir Alex Ferguson’s team any serious damage.

Across London, it is the excitable fans of Tottenham Hotspur that are most eager to get the quarter-finals under way, as they host Spanish giants Real Madrid. Spurs have taken to the Champions League brilliantly, with fans at White Hart Lane continuing to create the passionate noise that has arisen from their terraces over the last few seasons. The atmosphere has coincided with an obvious improvement in the fortunes on the pitch. Winning the League Cup in 2008 and qualifying dramatically late on for the Champions League last season has gave the fans something to shout about at last, rather than abusing Sol Campbell, whether he is playing or not.

It is a shame that the club have openly expressed their desire to move from White Hart Lane. As the 2012 Olympic stadium was completed ahead of schedule this week, Spurs are still miffed about the Olympic Park Legacy Company’s decision to award the stadium to West Ham United following next year’s games. True, Spurs wanted to instantly rip up the running track, let a lot of dogs come in to do their business, and also build a brand new ground from scratch, but they were willing to pay for renovations to the existing Crystal Palace athletics stadium to make it into - a superb athletics venue to rival the, er, Olympic Stadium. Sigh…

The White Hart Lane ground is one of Spurs’ biggest strengths, and is one of the few remaining in English football to create that cauldron of noise that English stadiums used to be known for. The club has partaken in some memorable games in recent seasons, and combined with an attacking attitude that Spurs fans often demand, Harry Redknapp’s boys seem to have the right mix as it stands. Like Liverpool’s Anfield saga, the argument for whether a slightly larger capacity would do the club much good if it cost them millions is for another day.

Spurs’ refreshing attacking qualities have lit up the Champions League this season, and it is almost a throwback to the times where English clubs dominated in Europe playing a modified 442 system with outright wingers. This is in stark contrast to the tighter, more conservative set-up that the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all used successfully in recent seasons in Europe. Opposition clubs on the continent have found it harder to set out their stall against a Spurs side whose inexperience and naivety in the Champions League is one of their biggest strengths.

Not that Spurs have gone radically gung-ho this season. Rafael Van Der Vaart’s role just off a lone striker has proved Redknapp has tactical nous as well as decent man-management skills. However, with the Dutchman struggling for full fitness recently, and also struggling to shake off tabloid rumours of a deteriorating relationship with Redknapp, Spurs fans must wait with baited breath that everything is hunky dory with the midfielder.

Redknapp has also managed to find the talismanic Luca Modric his best position at long last - playing in the centre of the Spurs midfield - although this may now mean that Manchester United are finally convinced enough to pay £30m for the talented Croatian, an increasingly arduous price which we see in the Premiership all too often. Whatever happened to top flight players switching clubs for that magical fee of £800,000? Modric has toughened up since his arrival in 2008, and his passing and movement rivals any player in the Premiership.

Despite injury problems to the Tottenham backline throughout the season, and seemingly throughout every season since time began, Redknapp has held his defensive unit together admirably, albeit sometimes with rope and a spirit level. The Tottenham boss has a plethora of midfielders who can sit in front of the back four to cover Michael Dawson and his injured cronies, with Brazilian midfielder Sandro impressing in particular over the two legs against AC Milan in the last round.

Of course, Spurs defenders have yet to face the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil this season. Indeed Ronaldo looks to have shaken off the ‘injury’ that forced him out of the recent international weekend, although Benzema himself may have done just the opposite by injuring himself in midweek for France against Croatia. Madrid, on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run and a fine derby win against Atletico, will also be boosted by the return of Argentinean striker Gonzalo Higuain, who should feature more prominently in the second leg rather than next Tuesday’s first leg for manager Jose Mourinho’s team.

A few neutrals fancied the chances of Spurs meeting up again with Mourinho’s former club Inter Milan in the quarters - the team they banged six goals in against in the group stages. Brazilian sometimes-defender Maicon wouldn’t have been too impressed at the prospect of facing Gareth Bale again, even if the Welshman has struggled with niggling injuries ever since the group phase finished.

Tottenham’s other flanker Aaron Lennon was arguably almost as good against AC as Bale was against Inter, with the Leeds-born winger offering a lightning-quick attacking threat to scare the Maicon out of Marek Jankulowski on numerous occasions in the 1-0 victory last month at the San Siro. Indeed it was Lennon’s superb run that set up Peter Crouch for a simple goal that he tried hard to miss. The pace and directness of Bale and Lennon could be as crucial to Tottenham’s progress as the defensive set-up of Redknapp’s men against Madrid.

Redknapp and his right-hand man Joe Jordan need to be careful not to relinquish the attacking responsibilities of the two wingers if they want to progress. Jordan’s amazing non-response to Genaro Gattuso’s shocking antics last month showed that the Scot is more than equipped to curb any urge to attack, but he and Redknapp must not be afraid of trying to expose Madrid’s deficiencies at the back. The Spaniards may well have conceded only 21 goals in the league this season, and only two in the group stages, but any top English club has a chance of scoring against an attack-minded defence featuring Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos.

Up front, whether it is Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe or Roman Pavlyuchenko, Spurs forwards have bags of goals in them. However, Redknapp’s tendency to rotate his strikers suggests more that he doesn’t know who is best forward is, rather than who he feels is best for a certain game or situation. This problem will have to be addressed if Spurs’ transition into a major and consistent force in Europe and the Premier League is to be completed, but for a cup competition this is not such a problem.

Not that Spurs have had it easy in front of goal this season. Goals at White Hart Lane in particular have strangely been harder to come by, although goalless draws at home to West Ham United and Manchester City were the consequence of a combination of bad luck and erratic finishing rather than a struggle to create. Redknapp would have loved to blamed Darren Bent again, but fortunately for the England striker, he was too busy gasping for air in Gerard Houillier’s sinking ship.

Of course, with the abundance of world-class talent at their disposal, Madrid should create plenty of chances themselves over the two legs. Even without attacking full backs, the midfielders and attackers offer enough variety and flair to trouble any team. However, their full backs may well be the key in offering Spurs hope.

In 2006, Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal overcame Madrid over two legs with a masterful tactical display by Arsene Wenger’s men. Wenger’s side were already traditionally superb on the counter attack, but they were ably helped by the gaps left by Brazilian full backs Cicinho and Roberto Carlos. Arsenal sat back then swarmed forward at will, in a display that although left you praising Wenger’s tactical acumen also left you flabbergasted at the ineptitude of Madrid’s strategy.

Arsenal defeated Madrid 1-0 that evening, but it could have been a lot more. If Spurs can soak up the inevitable pressure from Ozil et al, and release Bale and Lennon on the break, then Spurs could have considerable success. It’s just a shame Crouch doesn’t quite have the pace of a 2006 Thierry Henry, although it’s not as if Henry has the aerial threat that the beanpole striker does, and Crouch’s record against top-class teams is nothing to be ashamed of.

Tottenham have always been categorised as a ‘cup team’, but they certainly won’t be complaining at the tag if they are holding aloft the coveted trophy at Wembley in May. Stranger things have happened. Redknapp’s teams always emit great belief, so if Harry believes that he won’t be mugged by a group of Spaniards for the second time this season, I’ll believe him.

United and Arsenal - A Fork in the Path

A WONDERFULLY open FA Cup quarter-final yesterday between Manchester United and Arsenal gave neutrals a fascinating perspective on two teams at crucial points of the season, and gave both managers food for thought afterwards as the season reaches its climax. It’s definitely squeaky bum time now.

Not that you’d think Arsenal had any chance of finishing this season moderately successful if you listened to the majority of BBC 5 Live fans after the game yesterday, phoning in yet again, saying it was time for Wenger to go.

Apparently, it’s a sad state of affairs when you are dumped out of two competitions within a week by minnows such as Barcelona and Manchester United, and maybe Arsenal fans are right to question the competence of a team just 3 points of the top of the Barclays Premier League, with a game in hand.

For Manchester United, yesterday’s fixture was supposed to be the chance to deliver a crushing psychological blow to Arsene Wenger’s players, but despite the victory, the truth is that both teams still have everything to play for, and yesterday’s result may have helped both teams rather than hindered them.

For Arsenal, the Gunners now can focus their strengths on capturing their first Premier League since 2004’s ‘Invincibles’ season. True, seeing success in three cup competitions is tough to deal with, but very rarely does a team winning the Premier League have it easy in the run-in. Even Wenger’s 2004 side had to deal with a hard-to-take FA Cup exit to United in a semi final at Villa Park.

Winning the League Cup would have given Wenger’s side a lift, but in reality the League Cup for a club like Arsenal is not enough to win on its own. As so often relayed by lazy football pundits, it is the Premier League that is your ‘bread and butter’, or as Wenger’s French would like to put it, your ‘pain et le beurre’.

With Robin Van Persie back to full fitness (apart from possible deafness), Arsenal still have a genuine chance this season of winning the title. They need Theo Walcott back, and a fit Cesc Fabregas is a bonus for any side, but Arsenal’s remaining fixtures aren’t too tough for the experienced Wenger to overcome. A crucial game in hand against rivals Tottenham could help decide their fate, but they also face United at home on May 1, a side that has struggled badly away from home by their standards.

Losing in the manner they did yesterday wouldn’t be too much of a worry for Arsenal. United are always going to create chances at Old Trafford, but Edwin Van der Sar’s man of the match performance said enough about the chances Arsenal had. Arsenal created a hell of a lot more openings at Old Trafford yesterday than they have done in previous years, and those pointing out that United had 7 defenders playing outfield yesterday should ponder whether a team with that many defensive players should be allowing so many opportunities for the opposition to score.

Indeed, it is Arsenal’s defence that now gives Wenger the biggest headache. Despite critics of the Gunners pointing out to a flimsy back line that seems destined to cost them one again, it should be mentioned that before the Champions League exit at the Nou Camp in midweek, Arsenal had kept clean sheets in SEVEN of their last nine league games.

However, Johan Djourou’s injury has dealt Wenger a massive blow. Djourou’s form since the turn of the season has been fantastic, with the 24-year-old Swiss international offering a calmness not seen in Arsenal’s back four since Tony Adams. It is no coincidence that since Djourou made the centre back position his own after the Christmas, Wenger’s men have remained unbeaten in the Premier League.

The dislocated shoulder he suffered yesterday will now keep him out for the rest of the season, and with Thomas Vermaelen injured and Sebastian Squillachi struggling for form, Wenger may struggle to hold together a defence now marshalled by the ever-improving Laurent Koscielny. Gael Clichy’s failure to understand an offside trap isn’t going to help anyone either.

For Manchester United, yesterday’s victory was more significant for themselves psychologically, rather than affecting the mental state of the Gunners. Coming on the back of two morale-sapping defeats away at Chelsea and Liverpool, United found themselves on the brink of collapse. However, a victory with clearly a makeshift set-up gives confidence to those players on the fringes of the United first team that they can have a major say in the rest of United’s season.

Sir Alex Ferguson said he opted for a team that would provide the most energy yesterday, and the likes of Rooney, Hernandez and the Da Silva twins put in a brilliant shift to rattle the Arsenal players. The United manager must now be more confident in the abilities of young talent of Fabio and Rafael as attacking options as well in the full back positions, and you get the feeling he would now trust Chris Smalling in the biggest of games. Smalling has matured quickly this season, and the chance to be the long term replacement for Rio Ferdinand looks increasingly likely.

In a tiring season for United, Javier Hernandez is the refreshing option that Ferguson likes at this stage of the season. The United manager currently seems unsure in what fixtures United would benefit from playing Dimitar Berbatov. Berbatov on his own up front has never really worked due to his less-than-admirable work-rate and his preference to drop deep, and despite Berbatov enjoying his most successful season, it is clear that his manager still feels United operate better without him in the big fixtures.

Hernandez’s ability to play on the shoulder of the last defender is something the United manager feels his team needs at the moment, and with Wayne Rooney filling in wide positions and playing increasingly defensively in the crucial stage of the season, the Mexican gives the team an outlet of relief up front. Indeed Ferguson has always enjoyed a counter-attacking team, which was evident when the Scot showed preference for Louis Saha ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the last few months of the 2005/2006 season.

United suffered burn-out badly in the 2006/2007 season, losing to AC Milan in the Champions League Semi Finals, and losing an FA Cup final to Chelsea days after the Old Trafford club had secured the Premier League title. Yesterday’s efforts will not have gone unnoticed by Ferguson, and despite a season that they have played below their high standards at times, the United boss may well feel they have enough in the tank to last the pace to pick up at least one trophy.

In another boost for United, Antonio Valencia’s highly impressive run-out yesterday will give the team’s effectiveness in wide positions fresh impetus, an area which was looking increasingly troublesome in recent months, as the team relied heavily on Nani to provide that magic spark.

The season is not over for Arsenal or United by any means. For United, it is somewhat unfortunate that success in multiple competitions means increased tiredness, thus affecting their capacity for each fixture they play. For Arsenal, staff and supporters may well be forlorn about the possibility of yet another season without a trophy, but with just the Premier League to focus on, Wenger’s critics may want to just see how the season turns out before they reach for the red button.

FC Barcelona - The Road to Self-Righteousness?

BARCELONA lived up to the hype last night with a dominant display over English football's Barca-wannabe's Arsenal, as Arsene Wenger’s men limped out of the Champions League like an Owen Hargreaves comeback. Despite Robin Van Persie’s red card early in the second half, and despite the fact that Arsenal were still only a goal away from defeating the Spanish giants, the gulf in class was as visible as the fury etched on Wenger’s beleagured face after the game.

Barcelona’s statistics last night were incredible, but what is even more amazing is that they produce such figures regularly and consistently. Training, ability and dedication are all key factors to this, as well as corking sunshine every day, but the real underlying factor in what they do is the philosophy behind it. They play this way as a principal, as they believe it is the right way to play.

They are often very preachy about it, but, as we all saw last night, they are right to boast about it. It is undeniably great to watch, almost making you want to go out in your back garden at 10pm, to try and persuade your elderly neighbour who looks a bit like Carlos Puyol to exchange in a few ten-yard passes with you on his front lawn.

Barcelona as a club also had the much- lauded principal of having never worn corporate advertisements on their shirts, going back to the days when the club was first founded in 1899. This is still the case this season, with children’s charity UNICEF in its fifth year of sitting proudly on the front of Barca’s shirts. Rather than receiving millions for wearing the logo of a worldwide electronics manufacturer, Barcelona actually paid the charity over £1million a year.

However, this romantic ideology could only last so long, and this season will be the last that Barcelona sports a shirt without corporate sponsorship. The lucky name of the Qatar Foundation will now be proudly emblazoned on the front of the Barca shirts, boosting the Spanish club’s income by around £25m a year over the next five years. The Barcelona vice-president Javier Faus decribed the deal as ‘the biggest in the history of football’, but also admitted the deal would not have been signed if the club hadn’t had a debt of over €420m. UNICEF will stay on the shirt, but may have to play second fiddle in terms of location and positioning to the rich Qatar Foundation’s name.

It’s a sad story, albeit amazing how long it lasted. However, the problem of money in the current economic climate was always going to catch up with the club. It was something that fans all over the world knew about and consequently loved Barcelona for. For some supporters, the likes of Tranmere Rovers and Stockport County now had a rival for being someone's 'second team'.  Along with the fact that Barcelona is a club that is owned by its supporters, who theoretically control the club’s destiny, the club is seen as somewhat of an ideal model in every aspect.

However this isn’t a piece on the economics, dynamics and tactics utilised by the Catalan giants. Yes, it is shocking how in last night’s game the only attempt on Barca’s goal came from the unfortunate Sergio Busquets, and yes Arsenal’s passing was improved and seemingly more effective once Van Persie had been dismissed. The game was over, and in some ways invalid, after referee Massimo Busacca had killed the game with his ridiculous decision to give the Dutchman his marching orders for kicking the ball ‘away’. Not that I think Van Persie was totally innocent in this situation.

It’s not the first time a striker has been flagged offside and then proceeded to shoot, pretending he ‘hadn’t heard’ the referee’s whistle, pointing to his ears in protest. The Nou Camp is a place where the noise of a simple whistle is easily drowned out, but I’m sure Van Persie would have actually hit the target with his snatched right foot effort if he knew he was definitely onside, rather than miserably driving it past the near post of Victor Valdes’s goal. Despite what Wenger and Van Persie will have you believe in the media over the next few days, I think Van Persie, although unlucky, was naïve and probably a little petulant in the whole incident. Let’s be honest, it’s not totally out of character for him to be in trouble with referees is it?

But how many people watching the game last night were truly surprised by Busacca’s decision to show Van Persie red? Barcelona’s constant hounding of the referee was second only to the brilliant pressing game they were displaying against the Londoners. A Barca player goes down and the noise from the surrounding supporters is deafening, and referees at the Nou Camp, often succumb to the pressure of fans and approaching players alike.

It doesn’t have to be like this you know, Barcelona. You have the greatest club team around the moment, and you play a style of football that embodies just how beautiful the game can be. Small, diminutive players with world-class touch, skill and vision, yet also equipped with a fantastic work ethic. Defenders aside, there are also no physical giants on this team either.

Ironically, it was Wenger’s Arsenal sides of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s that seemed to argue that the way forward for competing teams was to have a disposal of players that were tall, strong, fast and physical. Thankfully for the vertically-challenged, the likes of Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa have shown that real talent lies in your feet and brain, not in how big your body is.

In Sid Lowe’s brilliant interview with Xavi in last month’s Guardian (see here), it was clear that Barcelona players had a unique footballing mindset - embedded in by the club. Xavi said:

“I like the fact that talent, technical ability, is valued above physical condition now. I'm glad that's the priority; if it wasn't, there wouldn't be the same spectacle. Football is played to win but our satisfaction is double. Other teams win and they're happy, but it's not the same. The identity is lacking. The result is an impostor in football.”            

If Barcelona want to continue their current image of being an idealistic club, then perhaps Josep Guardiola can instruct his team to make history and be the first set of players not to appeal for every decision that doesn’t go their way. The individuality of Barcelona supporters extends to its Catalan roots – they are their own people with their own methods. In footballing and politics, they believe in beauty and freedom. Thus, if their players were to suddenly seen to pacifistically accept decisions, yet continue to play easy-on-the-eye football, then there’s every chance that the young contingent of fans that idolise the club will try to imitate them on the field in the future, and hopefully off the field too.

The game's future could be saved from moronic, overzealous and overpaid centre-forwards subjecting officials to a barrage of unwarranted abuse. Instead of rolling around on the floor like he did last night after a collision with Laurent Koscielny, David Villa can instead choose to get up, offer to shake the defender’s hand, and laugh it off. Instead of pressurising the referee to send off Van Persie, Barcelona players can simply ignore it and play the beautiful game as they want it to be played.

It strikes me as baffling that a team who preach so much about the way football should be played should continue to abuse referees so disgracefully and cheat them into making certain decisions. Yes, there are other teams that also do this – most, if not all teams abuse officials and disrespect the running of the game. However, Barcelona are the only ones that seem to hold regular sermons on how football should be played.

 Make a stand Barcelona. If you’re going to do things right, then do things properly.