FourFourTwo

How Beckham ended his career at PSG

Michael Cox — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:33:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox evaluates David Beckham's career-closing cameo for Paris St Germain...

David Beckham ends his illustrious career with yet another league title, becoming the first Englishman to win four separate leagues – the Premier League, La Liga, MLS and Ligue 1.

His contribution to that last success may have been minimal, having played just 232 minutes in the league since signing for PSG in January, but the fact the club offered him a one-year extension to his contract suggests they were entirely happy with the role he played.

Beckham’s major job at PSG was as a substitute, introduced with around 20 minutes remaining in league matches. Carlo Ancelotti asked him to keep possession and help kill the game – and although his contributions in the final third were minimal, that’s primarily because his passes were supposed to be simple and reliable, rather than ambitious. His display in the 1-0 win at Troyes was a good example.

Beckham started just one match in Ligue 1, a 2-2 draw at Saint Etienne. PSG were outplayed for long periods and struggled to create chances, but it was interesting to see Beckham used from the start, and given a little more freedom to be inventive with his distribution. He was much keener to attempt ambitious long passes and diagonals behind the defence, and came close to scoring a classic Beckham free-kick with a fine effort that whistled past the post.

The biggest match he was selected for, however, was the 2-2 home draw with Barcelona. Fielded deep in central midfield alongside Blaise Matuidi – an energetic shuttler, rather than the solid holding midfielder Beckham is accustomed to playing alongside – he acquitted himself well in a disciplined role. With Barcelona dominating possession and PSG sitting deep in two banks of four, Beckham’s primary task was to break up Barcelona’s passing moves, which he did with three clean tackles, and also three fouls.

Ancelotti indicated that he selected Beckham, rather than highly-rated Marco Verratti, because of his experience – but the young Italian showed that he wasn’t overawed by the calibre of the opposition when replacing Beckham.

As PSG played higher up the pitch in the second half, trying to get back into the game, Verratti played a succession of pinpoint forward passes into the feet of attackers; his distribution was more positive and inventive than Beckham’s, and Verratti also helped maintain energy levels as PSG closed down in midfield.

Perhaps that performance from Verratti essentially ended Beckham’s career – he demonstrated he could offer everything Beckham does, and more. For Ancelotti, there was no need to pick an ageing veteran over a youngster that will play a significant part in PSG’s future.

Beckham performed more than competently against Barca, but being outshone by a teammate 18 years younger must have made him consider his future. Ancelotti stuck to the same system for the away leg, but Verratti started ahead of Beckham, who played just seven minutes as a substitute. He didn’t start another game for PSG, being used exclusively from the bench.

Indeed, Beckham’s role in the title-clinching victory away at Lyon last week was an exaggerated example of his role at PSG – brought on in stoppage time, he simply took two time-wasting corners to run the clock down. PSG kept the ball in the corner, to confirm the 1-0 victory and seal the league title. He’ll hope for a more spectacular farewell against Lorient this weekend.

Beckham’s role at PSG wasn’t about flashy, skilful performances, and instead about efficiently and effectively playing a functional role in the side, contributing his most notable moments from set-pieces. In a sense, that’s a fitting way for him to bow out of football.

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The Joy of Becks (and Fergie and Scholes): Life based on a love of football

Gary Parkinson — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:02:00 GMT

Eras, and specifically the end of them, are declared too often in football. Those of us old enough to remember the 1980s will recall complaints about the lack of characters in the game "these days", as if Mario Balotelli would never exist. But there is certainly something fin-de-siecle about a week which has seen the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Scholes and David Beckham.

The young Scholes and Beckham grew up in a 1980s chiming with the Thatcherite mantra of opportunity through self-improvement, and although it's a comparison the former shipyard socialist Ferguson may view with dismay it's also one he embedded in the failing Manchester United he took over in 1986. But unlike so much of that decade, there is a great joy in Beckham, Scholes and Ferguson.

Although each man in his own way came to symbolise much more, at the heart of all three is a love of football. For all his gruff demeanour and prickly provocation, Ferguson celebrated every goal his team scored with childlike glee, jumping in the air or clapping maniacally. At the centre of the slick Brand Beckham machine was the small boy who had practised his kicking technique for unimaginable hours alone. And the legendarily undemonstrative nature hid Scholes' one true passion: playing football.

The three were very different in many ways – try imagining Paul Scholes walking up the red carpet with Tom Cruise – but were (ahem) united in their desire to triumph in style. Few managers can have had Ferguson's immense will to win while retaining the equally insistent demand to entertain. The Scotsman mentioned it repeatedly, insisting his teams live up to the legacy of what he habitually referred to as "this great club".

That desire drove Fergie on: there's always the next game, the next campaign, the next necessary victory. "Winning a trophy doesn’t really mean anything to me after it’s gone," he once told FFT. "At the time it’s the most cherished thing. But as soon as it’s over, it’s soon forgotten. Well, not soon forgotten, but it evaporates. Your next step is the important one, and the mentality here is of that nature. The players are brought up, as soon as they succeed, to go for the next thing.’

INTERVIEW Alex Ferguson

Although Beckham quickly became acutely aware of his image, it never stopped him putting in the hard yards on the training ground. Not many people can get Fabio Capello to admit he was wrong, but the Italian would eventually concede that dropping the MLS-bound Beckham from the Real Madrid team was a mistake. Reinstated, the Englishman helped inspire Madrid to the title – and a late doomed bid by the Bernabeu bigwigs to cancel the Stateside transfer.

In many ways, Scholes was cut from very different cloth. (In fact, one magazine surveyed its readers to ask which of the two players they identified with, and went so far as to claim that those who admire Beckham were "reading the wrong magazine".) Scholes couldn't abide the sort of circus that surrounded Beckham – this is a man who told FourFourTwo that "I don’t think I’ve ever acted big-time. I could never jump to the front of a queue or anything like that: I'd be too embarrassed."

But he shared Beckham's love of the game. Playing alongside his England colleague at the end of the last century, with Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane in one of the finest midfield quartets English football has ever seen, Scholes delighted in the joie de jouer: "We had a different attitude… We just went out to score more goals than the other team, home or away, and I loved being a part of that."

ONE-ON-ONE Paul Scholes

That craving for goals, games and glory can manifest itself in different ways. And it's very hard to shake. Having retired too early for a player whose game was based on intelligent reading, Scholes couldn't resist returning to Old Trafford, his only footballing home, for more.
Beckham, by contrast, circled the globe in search of new footballing adventures – but again, couldn't get enough. Moving to the MLS's March-to-November season gave him a chance to play for Milan. These loan moves, derided by dullards as money-making shopping trips for the wife, displayed a clear desire to play 12 months per year, if at all possible: Beckham was like the kid who couldn't say no when his mates asked him out for a game.

And if Beckham was trying to prove his fitness and form for England, what's wrong with that? Unlike many of his generation – including, it has to be said, a few clubmates – he has never announced his international retirement. Even when Capello, having picked Beckham for 16 of the 21 England games for which he was available, dropped the 35-year-old as part of an evidently necessary rejuvenation after the 2010 World Cup, a spokesman said "He will always be available for his country, when fit and if needed he will be there".

It seems that Beckham's career is frequently to be judged on England's performances. If that career is consequently to be seen as somehow a failure, then it is partly to do with the expectations placed upon England during his international career, which lasted from the heightened hopes of the immediate post-Euro 96 era to the dashed dreams of South Africa 2010. If England didn't satisfy public demand during the tournaments he appeared in, then it can hardly be blamed solely on Beckham, despite the 1998 red card and subsequent vilification he fought so hard to overcome: he scored at all three World Cups and contributed assists at both Euros.

From the bellowed anthem on in, Beckham never hid his love of playing for his country, and to many he will be remembered in an England shirt rather than the colours of Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Milan or PSG, clubs for whom he amassed 20 trophies. Perhaps that's because Beckham was somehow supra-club, public property. Perhaps it's because he moved restlessly around in search of football. He was always the boy knocking on your front door, holding a ball and asking if you wanted a game.

"I still look at myself and want to improve things," he told FFT. "I’ve done a lot of things and won a lot in my career, I’ve been England captain, played for Man United, played for Real Madrid, but there wasn't any point when I sat back and thought 'I've made it' because I had always had my dad telling me: 'You haven’t made it yet. You've played 100 games for Man United but you still haven’t made it.' That was the thing about being at a club like Man United: we were brought up to believe that until you retire you don’t look back on your career and think of what you’ve done or the fact that you’ve made it. Until then, until you retire, you’re always trying to better yourself."

ONE ON ONE David Beckham

It's a drive to succeed, for sure, but also to entertain and have fun. Anyone who has ever taken a ball onto a field and marvelled at the possibilities will empathise with that. And while we shouldn't pretend that Their Likes Will Never Be Seen Again – plenty of young modern players and managers exhibit the same love of the game – let's be honest and admit it, even the majority of us who aren't United fans: they will be missed.

Celta fans hope seafood survival plan can help their team avoid the drop

Tim Stannard — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:48:00 GMT

Read on to find out how a bit of mussel (ahem) may help Celta Vigo...

Saturday

Getafe (9th) v Valencia (5th) - 18.00 (local time)
Those sneaky little monsters. A week or two back, La Liga Loca predicted Valencia would squeeze into fourth spot even though Real Sociedad were going great guns at the time, with a five point lead over the Mestalla men. The blog was hoping it would be wrong. Unfortunately, La Real taking just one point from a possible six has seen Valencia move level on points, but with an inferior head-to-head record. Sociedad's most recent setback came close to midnight on Monday, when Granada snuck in with a late equaliser against the Basque side in a 2-2 draw.
That kicked off much a hullabaloo in the household of excitable Valencia striker, Jonas Gonçalaves. The forward admitted that he “celebrated the Granada goal as well. I was watching it at home with some people, and really went through the mill. Bit by bit the chances of playing in the Champions League are going up,” chirped the cheery Brazilian.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Granada (16th) v Osasuna (15th) - 20.00
If one or both of these two sides opt for living a little dangerously and going for a win to put them on a very handy 39 points mark, this could be a tasty tie. If the two clubs opt to play safe then it could be a dismal goalless draw. LLL is going to try to be a positive about the inevitable 0-0 on Saturday evening, after a promise from Osasuna striker Kike Sola. “If we start at a great pace from the first minute, it’s going to be harder for Granada,” noted the Pamplona poacher.
LLL Prediction - Draw (of the goalless variety)

Sevilla (8th) v Real Sociedad (4th) - 22.00
With La Real apparently running out of steam, with just five points picked up from the last 12 available, the mental focus from the club has had to change from ‘we deserve to be this high up the table with three games to go’, to ‘we’re lucky to be this high, so let’s not panic and turn into big blouses and blow it’.
“We would have signed up to be in this spot with our eyes closed,” announced Xabi Prieto on the deal he would have taken at the beginning of the season.
Meanwhile back at the ranch in the city of Seville, Unai Emery is still dreaming of a European qualification spot. The Sevilla boss will also need to focus on keeping hold of Jesús Navas, who is reportedly being hunted by Manchester City. The rumours strengthened when the previously home-sick footballer told TV station, La Sexta, on Thursday that “I’m ready for everything. You want to keep on developing and chasing titles because you get used to such great things, but I am happy here,” was the assurance from the wantaway winger.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Sunday

Levante (13th) v Rayo Vallecano (10th) - 12.00
This is the most meaningless match of the round due its mid-table nature, but who cares! Levante is all about match-fixing stories these days. After an aborted attempt last week, Sergio Ballesteros spoke to the media about the past few weeks which has been very ‘he-said, she-said’ over the Levante 0-4 Deportivo result from April 13th.
“The captain of Levante is not for sale,” roared the burly defender. He was underlining the fact he would never take money to lose a game, rather than discussing his transfer value. Which would be small. Ballesteros also spoke about the dressing room bust-up during half-time of the Deportivo game, when team-mate José Barkero reportedly questioned Ballesteros' commitment to the cause.
“He told me after that he didn’t know why he did it,” revealed the stopper, who is studying the idea of legal action against Barkero for besmirching his good name. Either way, Ballesteros has not been having the happiest of times of late. “Two bad weeks, I’ve not slept much. I’m very sad,” lamented the Levante captain.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Deportivo (18th) v Espanyol (11th) - 17.00
Having already played this weekend’s fixture, the week before last, Celta Vigo will be sitting out the round hoping clubs like Espanyol can do them a bit of a favour by beating their relegation rivals. To help lubricate this process, a Celta supporters club will be offering an incentive to the footballers of Espanyol (and Athletic Bilbao, who face Zaragoza). That incentive is a kilo of mussels for a victory.
“They have to win the games, no other result will do,” warned Belermo Dios, the fanclub president. “We can’t give them bonuses, what’s more there’s a crisis and no money. We want to give typical products of the region,” said Dios, on Celta’s salty seafood plan for survival.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Zaragoza (17th) v Athletic Bilbao (14th) - 19.00
Hooray! The old San Mamés may be deconstructed after this season, but the famous arch spanning one of the stands will be saved. The construction company performing the work have set aside enough budget to safely dismantle it, with the arch to be plonked somewhere in the city of Bilbao at a later date.
But onto football topics. Athletic want three points from this match to make things a little easier at the end of the season. Zaragoza would like three points to avoid getting relegated. This has left Athletic midfielder Ander Herrera in a bit of a tug-of-love situation, given the match sees him facing his boyhood heroes and former employers. “Clearly, it’s not just another game for me. If there’s a team I would like to stay up, as well as ours, it’s Zaragoza for all they’ve given me.”
Should Herrera pop up with a winner, will we be seeing the saddest ‘not celebrating, not celebrating’ of them all?
LLL Prediction - Home win

Barcelona (1st) v Valladolid (12th) - 21.00
Kill joys gotta...er...kill joy. The Barcelona players were clearly in good spirits (nudge, nudge) on Monday's title-celebrating bus tour of the city. Good for them, thought the blog. However, local council busy-body Joan Colom, a bigwig in the health department, moaned that the footballers enjoying themselves in a pleasing manner on a summer’s evening gave “a negative image", adding: "It doesn’t help anyone."
"It’s an anecdote and should stay that way - the tour was a success," was the stern response from club spokesman, Toni Freixa.
The other news in Barça, aside from the small matter of Leo Messi probably missing the rest of the season, is the rumour that Víctor Valdés will be sold over the summer, rather than being allowed to run down his contract. Oh, there’s also Pedro admitting that the current campaign wasn’t one of his best. “Some seasons you bring more and some you bring less. This year, I brought a lot less,” admitted the gloomy Canary Islander.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Monday

Mallorca (20th) v Betis (7th) - 22.00
Poor Mallorca have to wait until the witching hour on Monday night for their match up against Real Betis. Although there may be a few butterflies in the bellies because of this, the Mallorca players can pass the time by reading a copy of Betis boss Pepe Mel’s second book, The Path to the Great Beyond, set to be launched on May 24. Funnily enough, that’s where Mallorca are heading if this particular match isn’t won.
“The Holy Father, Islamic Terrorists and the Sevilla Derby are the ingredients of this explosive novel,” gushes website, Andalucía Crítica on a book that is sure to be on LLL's summer reading list.
LLL Prediction - Draw

What the stars told FourFourTwo about David Beckham

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:09:00 GMT

We've interviewed a fair few people down the years, and the subject of Mr Beckham has come up more than a couple of times.

Here are some our favourites anecdotes, tributes and passing mentions...

Becks meets Mr Mandela (left), who has never been interviewed by FFT

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON unsurprisingly names Becks in his dream team
"A great captain for me and an inspiration to everyone. His right foot was – and still is – outstanding, while his crossing and set-pieces were the best I’ve seen. A great person as well."

ROBERTO CARLOS responds to being asked if he was upset about not being the best-looking man in Madrid after Becks' arrival
"Yes, very upset. That really annoyed me. Boy, did it annoy me! [Cooing] David is guapííííííííííííííííííííííísimo [unbelievably good-looking]. He's very good-looking, very, very, very handsome, it's amazing, incredible! I'm delighted that Victoria's been lucky enough to meet a guy like David, that they have such a nice family and that people admire him and respect him so much all over the world."

GLENN HODDLE on Beckham's mental state during France 98
"I didn’t feel he was focused enough [to play in the first game against Tunisia], I really didn’t. There were lots of things happening. And when someone does something like that [the kick that brought the red card against Argentina] it shows you’re not focused, you just don’t do that, what are you going to gain? So there is a good possibility there is a link between the two situations. However, I still say it was a diabolical decision to send David off. It was a booking, not a sending off. The referee crucified us there."

MELANIE C on that same World Cup red card
"We were watching the game in a bar in New York and we couldn’t believe it. It was a very difficult time because Victoria was really worried and you couldn’t hide from it, it was everywhere. It impacted on the band a bit too. We were thousands of miles away from home and we were getting all this attention over it. But we all stuck together. We all felt really protective over David."

GEORGE BEST on the Giggs/Beckhan debate
"Ryan Giggs because he is more exciting on the ball. Giggs gets me on the edge of my seat when he runs at defenders. David is a great player, you’d have to be mad to think otherwise, but I think he could do even better. He could score more goals for instance, and use his left foot more, but I suppose he doesn’t really need it."

DARREN CURRIE talks Beckham's real legacy...
"When you think of footballers and tattoos you immediately think David Beckham and I’m not ashamed to say that he’s a guy I really admire and look up to. Becks has set the trend in terms of tattoos and has made it a million times more fashionable than it once was. He made a big statement with that angel on his back, likewise his children’s names, and a lot of people have followed suit."

MATTHEW LE TISSIER nominates Beckham for his Perfect XI
"I was in the England squad when he made his debut against Moldova in 1996 and while his work-rate is phenomenal, I can safely say he's the best at set-pieces that I've seen by a mile. In that 6-3 game, he scored a superb free-kick bent into the top corner even though we had a man on the post. I just thought, "Oh my God"..."

RUSSELL BRAND on meeting Becks in LA
"When I was in LA I missed going to the games. I thought about going to the Galaxy. I met David Beckham when I was in LA and he said, ‘Come along.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, I will go.’ He’s quite impressive in real life. It’s very difficult to distinguish what his natural persona is and what’s been bestowed upon him by his position, but he was good looking and nice, so when he mentioned going I thought about it, but I didn’t go in the end. It’s not the same as Upton Park, is it?"

SAMUEL ETO'O isn't worried about looks
"I don’t and I’ll say it again. I’m very happy with who I am. He is more handsome, but I am the better player."

LUIS FIGO on rumours he and Prince Dave didn't see eye-to-eye at Madrid
"It was something totally made up by the press. I laughed a lot at those stories. People wrote things without even knowing what’s happening in the dressing room. I’ve always had a great relationship with David. He’s a good person who is easy to deal with."

PAUL CHUCKLE (of Chuckle Brothers infamy) on the possibility of D-Beck buying his beloved Rotherham
"Why doesn't David Beckham come and buy Rotherham and build a team up? It'd be a nice hobby for him. Posh'd be alright: there's Meadowhall Shopping Centre just up the road. And the kids would love to meet me and Barry. That'll swing it."

MICHAEL DAWSON wonders how Becks copes with the fame, as if he doesn't have the same problems...
"I think David Beckham is an absolute legend to cope with all the things he has to put up with. It's mad attention, all the time, every day."

THEO WALCOTT on meeting his hero
"I’d already been introduced to David Beckham in Madrid when Arsenal played Real in the Champions League last season. He was really nice and gave me plenty of words of encouragement, and when I joined up with the World Cup squad, he was there again to greet me and really made me feel a part of the set-up straight away. He was great with all the young players in the squad, and was obviously a respected captain."

ROD STEWART (yeah, that's right) compares his own abilities to those of Goldenballs
"I was never really that good as a player,” he says. “I didn’t really think I was going to be a professional player because I could tackle and pass the ball but I could never take anyone on. I could never run at a full-back, but then I suppose David Beckham can’t either."

RAUL on his enduring memory of Becks at Madrid
"The image of him celebrating with his sons on the pitch [after Madrid won the title in 2007] stays with me. He had such a massive desire to win something with Real Madrid. It was one of his most difficult years with him being left out of the England team but he demonstrated in the last three months of the season what a great player he is. He could have stayed here for another couple of years and he would have continued to be an important player for us. [Leaving Madrid for LA Galaxy] was a decision he took in a difficult moment when he was out of the team and he had to make his mind up."

MANI has the last word
"Beckham. He’s a supernova-bright b*st*rd when it comes to playing football and he provides a lot of entertainment for a lot of people."

How Stats Zone saw Chelsea's Europa triumph over Benfica

Stats Zone — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:42:00 GMT

Stats Zone, FourFourTwo's award-winning Opta-powered analysis app, is available FREE for the Europa League, thanks to Western Union's PASS Fund

Just as in last year's Champions League final, Chelsea triumphed despite having minority possession (42%) and attempting fewer passes. They just about ticked on to 200 completed passes, most of them notably more vertical than Benfica's more patient switch play.

@‬Ovywizkid shared a fascinating screen showing Fernando Torres's involvement. Chelsea were clearly happy to hit Torres early and hope to get their attacking midfielders involved, but the plan floundered as the Spaniard only won 4 of his 13 aerial duels, all contested in a very tight area of the pitch. Still, Torres' only two actions in the box were rather telling: rounding the goalkeeper (as shown by the orange lozenge on the screen) and scoring the opening goal.

One of the men Chelsea wanted on the ball was Juan Mata. The Spaniard completed 30 passes, more than any other Chelsea player, and created 6 chances – including 2 assists (the through ball for Torres' opener and the corner for Branislav Ivanovic's winner. Mata created twice as many chances as anyone else on the pitch and, on average, created one in every five passes.

The teams' difference in style is demonstrated by examining the passes in the attacking third, as shared by @marktheroberts: Benfica were happy to pass around and try to work an opening, while as Mark put it: "CFC struggled in final third, not one pass complete in Benfica's 18-yard – but it doesn't matter!"

Benfica were often happy to work the ball out to their widemen, Nicolas Gaitán and Eduardo Salvio. @cordobeh's screenshared dashboards show how the flankers worked in very defined triangular areas, but rarely switched the point of attack directly – allowing Chelsea's defence to shuffle across and cover.

Then again, as @ZazooFootball shared, Benfica crossed regularly and fairly effectively: few teams complete as many as one in three crosses, as the Eagles did.

In between the two wide men, Cardozo often dropped deep into the areas nominally occupied by support striker Rodrigo, whose ineffective evening was ended early by Benfica's first substitution.

Cardozo was dropping deep because he was getting little change out of Ivanovic and Gary Cahill. The former Bolton man contributed more clearances, aerial duels and interceptions, and was Chelsea's second-most prolific passer after Mata (completing 29 of his 34 passes), while the matchwinner's passes tended to be more vertical and less successful.

Despite their differing styles, the teams registered a similar number of efforts, as shown by the shots screen shared by @alexdsmith. Note, though, that Chelsea got 5 of their 12 efforts on target compared to Benfica's 3 of 15 – a small but telling margin of efficiency.

And speaking of efficiency, Benfica frontman Cardozo had 6 shots compared to Torres' 1. As @DaireKilkelly1 said with tongue firmly in cheek, "Torres was man of the match for me: here's the stats to back it up". That's Stats Zone for you...

Stats Zone is a free-download app from FourFourTwo and Opta, updated LIVE in-play. The Europa League Stats Zone is brought to you in association with Western Union's PASS scheme, which turns every completed Europa League pass into a day's education for young people around the world.

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Friday night Copa del Rey final has a friendly feel

Tim Stannard — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:08:00 GMT

The build-up to this season's Copa del Rey final has been curiously low key. This potentially stems from the lack of care and attention given to the competition by the Spanish FA (RFEF), who had to switch the encounter to a Friday night after a scheduling clash with the Eurovision Song Contest. No, seriously.

Looking on the bright side though, it's still an improvement on last season, when the showdown between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao took place just one day before Spain’s first pre-Euros warm-up match, on a pitch just four days old due to a Coldplay concert earlier the same week.

La Liga Loca suspects the relegation of the Copa del Rey to lowly ‘Spanish Super Cup’ status is down to the simple truth that everyone knows that Real Madrid are going to win. Nearly 14 years of Atlético Madrid failure and 25 games without a Rojiblanco victory suggest that midfielder Tiago Mendes wasn’t joking when he gave his team a five percent chance of winning at the Santiago Bernabéu on Friday night.

At least defender Diego Godín was a little more optimistic with his forecast. “The final is 50-50," he said, dutifully. "Of course, Real Madrid will start favourites, but before the game starts the chances are equal for everyone.” Yet, Arda Turan, whose hair is a marvel to behold at the moment, is so confident of a Real Madrid victory that he said he would cut his beautiful locks off should there be a surprise on the night.

This deep-seated lack of faith in Atlético’s ability to even turn up sees a distracted Madrid press looking back at previous finals between the two clubs and speaking to veterans. The last final involving the two teams was back in 1992, when Carter USM ruled supreme. It also took place at Real Madrid’s home, but saw a 2-0 victory for Atlético, with goals from Bernd Schuster and Paulo Futre.

Thursday’s edition of AS leads with a hint of a rumour that PSG are cheekily demanding Cristiano Ronaldo in place of coach Carlo Ancelotti. The day before, the paper was all with the bolshiness concerning a bonding team lunch for Real Madrid that took place without the coach. To be fair, that’s not an usual occurrence at a football club, but AS took it as a snub to the manager and plonked “Therapy Without Mou” on the front cover. Sadly, we are left without the image of coach and captain sat next to each other and Mourinho requesting someone “ask Casillas to pass the salt please. And to try not to drop it.”

Marca have lifted their game a little, with the revelation that Falcao and Ronaldo score lots of goals, but went off on a huge tangent on Wednesday by detailing what was admittedly a fun story of a wee kiddie footballer stopping a row between his coach and the referee during a youth team match.

Friday’s cup final is a clash between a Real Madrid side who need to win the cup to save face, and an Atlético Madrid side not expecting to be victorious, and far less fussed anyway now third place has been secured in the league. This has left the showpiece occasion bereft of a little bit of attention, though the local police will not be too bothered about about that.

However, a Bernabéu stadium one third full of Madrid fans, one third full of Atlético Madrid supporters, and one third full of Spanish FA guests rattling their jewelry will still be a spectacle. What is needed is a contest, and that’s what Atlético Madrid have failed to deliver for nearly 15 years now. It’s time that awful record was put to bed.

How will Dortmund replace a player like Mario Gotze?

Stefan Bienkowski — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:05:00 GMT

This should be a good time to be Borussia Dortmund. It's just over a fortnight before their second-ever Champions League final, and football fans across Europe light up at the mention of the club's name. But the mood music around every neutral’s favourite club has a discordant undertone.

For within their ranks lies a traitor, a favoured son turned sworn enemy. A player who recently felt the full wrath of the Westfalenstadion’s yellow wall as it turned on one of its own with a special banner dedicated to him, saying “The pursuit of money shows how much heart you have.” There were other banners, blunter and more explicit.

Such is the result of Mario Götze's decision to join Bayern Munich next season. And while Dortmund prepare to face the Bundesliga champions at Wembley on Saturday 25 May, they must also grapple with a new task just as daunting: they must set about replacing Götze.

Dortmund v Bayern: "Rather yellow and black than your black money"

Borussia's elevation into the European spotlight mean that media outlets across the continent are happy to discuss Dortmund's dilemma, with agents, reporters and coaches alike speculating on the search for an suitable alternative.

Christian Eriksen, the most likely addition, seems the most straightforward replacement. Eriksen's contract runs out next summer so Ajax are ready to cash in, while the 21-year old Denmark international has been doing a similar job to Götze's at Dortmund: sitting behind the main striker in front of two holding midfielders.

But for all his promise, Eriksen's successes have been limited to the Eredivisie, a league that often struggles to offer a bright exchange rate from Dutch to Deutsche in terms of goals and assists – as Borussia Mönchengladbach have discovered with Luuk de Jong, who scored 25 for FC Twente last term but has managed just six goals in his debut Bundesliga season. The transition could be especially troublesome for Eriksen, who stands barely 5ft 9in tall and lacks the strength or genuine pace to match his incredible technique.

Given the potential perils of relocation, it's understandable that Dortmund have also been linked with two players who have proved themselves very much at home in the Bundesliga, despite both being young men from abroad.

Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne cost Chelsea £7m from Genk in January 2012 but has yet to play a senior game for the Blues. He has spent this season on loan at Werder Bremen, making a name for himself by becoming a linchpin in the club’s successful battle against relegation. With eight goals and nine assists from central midfield, he fits the central playmaker role that Dortmund will be desperate to fill.

Eriksen, De Bruyne and Son: options outside

His natural inclination to drift out wide, where he has played before, will suit Dortmund’s interchanging front four, but the real gift of this young player is his ability to finish a play as well as he can start one. In quite the same fashion as Götze himself, De Bruyne is a clinical attacking midfielder with an eye for the exquisite pass and neat finish.

In contrast, Hamburg’s Son Heung-Min has made his name in the northern port city through his sheer ability to score fine goals. And not just the odd goal – four of the 12 he’s scored his season have been against Dortmund themselves, as his erratic side did the double over the European contenders.

The South Korean's style is actually more akin to Dortmund’s other protégé Marco Reus, running at defenders and often gliding past them. Where De Bruyne or Eriksen are suited for starting a play, Son is more effective after the final ball has been made, and left to turn the chance into a goal.

In that sense the 20-year-old – who is also out of contract in summer 2014, meaning Hamburg may have to sell now or lose him in a year's time – is less of a direct replacement for Gotze than another option for Jurgen Klopp's forward line. That would become especially pertinent if Robert Lewandowski does indeed leave Dortmund this summer.

As yet, all three potential signings are subject to nothing more than rumours. And considering the history of Dortmund’s transfer policy and Klopp's side-building style – wherein big-money signings are the exception rather than the rule, while the manager buys small and juggles his players to suit his needs – perhaps the answer will lie closer to home.

There is a strong case for the evolution of Ilkay Gundogan from a sitting playmaker to a complete No.10. Truly establishing himself for Dortmund and Germany this season, the Gelsenkirchen-born 22-year-old is developing at a pace which may be hampered by a new signing.

There's also Marco Reus to consider. Assuming Lewandowski does stay for another season, Reus will play along the three behind the striker next season – but not necessarily in the left-sided position he has usually occupied so far in his 18 months at Dortmund.

Gundogan, Reus and Gotze keep it in-house

With the expected introduction of 19-year-old Leonardo Bittencourt and 20-year-old Moritz Leitner to the regular first team, Klopp may be more inclined to push Reus – suddenly something of an elder statesman (he turns 24 at the end of May) – into the centre, where he excelled at previous club Gladbach and has always seemed more comfortable.

A Gotze-less Dortmund is a concept that will take some getting used to for the Black and Yellows, but it's a problem that will need to be quickly and efficiently dealt with if the club have any ambitions of catching Bayern Munich next season.

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Pedro Morales: The delicate hidden gem of Málaga (via Zagreb)

Paul Wilkes — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:53:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Paul Wilkes - editor of the laligauk.com - uses Stats Zone to analyse a player battling injury to make an impact in Spain...

Morales (left) on his full Malaga debut

When Luka Modrić left Dinamo Zagreb for the bright lights of London and the Premier League, the Croatian club went to South America for his replacement - Pedro Morales of Club Universidad de Chile.

It didn't work out immediately for Morales, just 23 at the time of his move, but as he entered his second season his performances began to fulfil the promise. But then injury struck and he struggled to have the same desired effect. A loan move back to his native Chile in 2012 enabled him to rediscover his best form, then on transfer deadline day in January he joined forces with countryman Manuel Pellegrini at Málaga in another temporary move.

The Andalusians had once been able to spend big money on the likes of Joaquín and Santi Cazorla, but now their financial situation is very different. Now they rely on players like Morales,who have the ability but haven't always reached their potential. The Chilean's impact in the south of Spain has been impressive - he's scored twice and provided three assists in just four starts, but his lack of fitness slowed him down somewhat, and he has so far only once completed a full 90 minutes.

In his full debut against Rayo Vallecano, he started from a wide left position, but often drifted inside to receive the ball in a central area. His passes were more reminiscent of an attacking central midfielder, as he covered large parts of the final two-thirds of the pitch. In that match he scored once and created his team's other two goals in a 3-1 win which broke a run of four matches without a victory.

Then in the game against Champions League-chasing Real Sociedad, he was the third most prolific passer in the Málaga side, despite only playing just over an hour. His goal just before half-time gave Málaga a little hope, though he was playing in a fringe attacking quartet due to the ill-fated return leg with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League only days later. He then missed the matches with Osasuna and Valencia through injury, before returning to provide Weligton with a goal via another corner against Getafe.

He wasn't selected against Real Madrid last week, and was therefore denied the chance to play against Modrić, which would have been a great opportunity to compare the two players' styles directly. Morales returned for an Andalusian derby this weekend, but only lasted 45 minutes thanks to the hamstring problems that have blighted him throughout his career.

In that 45 minutes, his influence was clear. Playing from the right-hand side, his understanding with Jesús Gámez was key, as the right-back played 12 passes to Morales (the most common pass combination of the first half), before the Chilean's early withdrawal. Morales attempted six crosses from the right and created one goalscoring opportunity in the first half.

The injuries that have plagued the midfielder could cause Málaga to think twice about making the deal permanent, but when fully fit he is without doubt a talent that would light up many a side. The solid displays may lead to Dinamo Zagreb wanting more money and it's likely that he will have attracted other suitors, which could ultimately price Los Boquerones out of a deal. Instead, they may need to unearth another hidden gem.

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Ferguson retires to spend more time with bleached skulls of enemies

Back of the Net — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:32:00 GMT

The soon to be former Manchester United manager shares his future plans with Back of the Net's John Foster...

Sir Alex Ferguson has announced his retirement. English football's most successful and ruthless manager is standing down after 26 years at Manchester United, in which time he has accumulated two European Cups, five FA Cups, thirteen Premier League titles, and the skulls of countless vanquished enemies, which even now sit hollow and grinning beneath the 71-year old tactician's mighty feet.

"It's been the hardest decision of my life to step down," an emotional Ferguson told Manchester United's official television channel, MUTV. "For as long as I can remember, my enemies, and vanquishing those enemies, has been my life.

"Whether I'm making lists of my enemies, hunting down and capturing my enemies, or flaying the living flesh from the very skulls of my enemies, you could say I've always been an enemies man through and through."

Although the mutilation and slaughter of underperforming players was routine in the Scottish league, where Ferguson made his reputation, he gained particular notoriety for beheading his rivals with an electrical cord, in what was known as his 'hairdryer treatment.'

"Remember William Prunier? Exactly..."

The former Aberdeen tyrant also coined a number of expressions that have entered the footballing lexicon, including "squeaky bum time", "Football, eh? Bloody hell," and "Bring me the eyes of Andriy Kanchelskis." But despite consistently rubbishing rumours of his retirement - he once told a group of journalists "youse are all f**king idiots. Guards! Let no man live" - he was finally forced to admit that age is the one adversary he cannot vanquish and decapitate.

"I am increasingly aware that I can no longer seek out and overcome my foes with the same murderous passion as before", he said, wistfully passing from hand to hand the sun-bleached skull of his ex-assistant Brian Kidd. "Like many men my age, I'm looking forward to putting my feet up, playing some golf, and drinking fine French wine from the skulls of my enemies."

He took pains to stress, however, that he would continue to pursue his enemies on a part-time basis, beginning with Jaap Stam. Until last year Ferguson believed he had already turned his former player into a bleached skull, until it was revealed that Stam just looked like that naturally.

Ferguson will be replaced in the Old Trafford hotseat by David Moyes. Moyes' first priorities upon officially taking charge are expected to be a left-back, a winger, a central midfielder, and some new enemies.

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Blue Moon rising: FourFourTwo meets Mancini in summer 2010

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:31:00 GMT

Despite missing out on Champions League qualification to Tottenham the previous May, all the signs in summer 2010 pointed to a Premier League title challenge from Manchester City in the coming season. Steve Anglesey met City boss Roberto Mancini to see what made him tick... Portraits: Jill Jennings

Below the scarf, beneath the Armani, Roberto Mancini has a pipe-smoking sailor inked into the skin of his right leg. Now the debonair ex-altar boy is pondering a return to the tattoo parlour. “This one is the club badge of Sampdoria,” he says, pointing. “If I win the Premier League with Manchester City? I have another leg…”

The manager’s broad grin is intended to play down expectation at the start of this, Manchester City’s most keenly anticipated season in over 40 years. Yet on a pre-season lunchtime in west Manchester, as space is cleared in their training ground car park for whatever this summer’s new signings might choose to drive, he can’t disguise a palpable buzz in the air. You have to wonder whether it will grow louder over the next 10 months, ending with the buzz of the tattooist’s needle.

It’s been a while since anyone in the higher echelons of Manchester City dared to mention the title. Since November 15 1990, in fact, when then-chairman Peter Swales welcomed Peter Reid as manager and told the press: “We were the last Manchester team to win it and we’ll be the next.”

Well, not quite. Yet 10 managers, four chairman, three relegations and 11 Manchester United titles later, here City are again – this time for real. When Swales made that promise 20 years ago, Reid’s reaction was to laugh nervously and look heavenwards. Now Mancini is looking at the stars. “It is an incredible challenge,” he says. “We must change the history of Manchester City.”

Adds his goalkeeper Shay Given: “We want the silverware. When you talk to fans you can sense the excitement, but there’s also a bit of desperation to win something. I can’t sit here and say, if we finish fourth we’ve had a good season. We do want to set our sights higher than that and win something. Worst-case scenario has got to be finishing in the top four.” He laughs. “The four trophies would be nice.”

And what of City’s notoriously and justifiably fatalistic fans? The ones who used to sing what was once described to me by a former City manager as “the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard”? The chant went: “We never win at home and we never win away. We lost last week and we’re going to lose today. We don’t give a f**k, ‘cause we’re all pissed up. MCFC, OK.”

Rock photographer Kevin Cummins, whose book on the club’s final season at Maine Road is a classic, is among those pinching himself. “I’ve just seen the new Sky billboards. There’s Terry, Gerrard, Rooney and then there’s Adebayor. You do think to yourself, ‘What are we doing up there?’”

No doubt all this will be dismissed at Old Trafford as typical Blue giddiness, a fervid affliction which has descended infrequently over the past two decades and always with similar results. Signs of a blue moon rising – Forward With Franny, Thaksin Shinawatra, FA Cup runs in 1993 and 2007, a UEFA Cup charge in 2009, last season’s Carling Cup semi-final gut-punch – have consistently proved to be false dawns. United had the last laugh last season, days after City chief executive Gary Cook told American fans that the team would overcome their local rivals and reach Wembley. No doubt they will giggle again when they hear Mancini’s new jacket, featured on these pages, is modelled on a design worn by manager Joe Mercer when City last captured the top-flight championship.

Yet while they ridicule the club’s lofty ambitions and write off as mercenaries the latest big names, United fans cannot as easily dismiss the biggest name of all, that of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. While the Glazer family struggles to manage their debt – City fans have long mooted an Eastlands banner ticking up the overdraft, to match the infamous Old Trafford flag which tallies City’s trophyless years – the trillionaire from Abu Dhabi’s oil wealth continues to gush in and the noisy neighbours are turning up the volume.

In less than two years at City, Given says he has seen momentous changes. “There’s twice as many at the press conferences; photographers hiding in the trees with long lenses. People are jealous of Manchester City now. There are managers up and down the country and supporters who wish they had the Sheikh at their club. He puts his money where their mouth is.

“I was told before I’d signed about the huge ambitions for the club. I didn’t come down in the last shower of rain, so I had a pretty good idea, but the scope is incredible. Not just the playing staff, but the training ground – things at the stadium that people don’t see. The whole infrastructure of the club; the medical set-up; the facilities. The Sheikh wants to challenge with the really big boys.”  

The 39-year-old Mansour was born seven months after one of the cases of endearing misfortune which have defined the phrase ‘typical City’. Having won the title and the FA Cup in successive years, the swashbuckling team assembled by Mercer and Malcolm Allison then claimed the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Yet thanks to Chelsea’s momentous FA Cup final replay win against Leeds on the same night, the victory went untelevised and virtually unnoticed outside Manchester. The 1976 League Cup aside, it was City’s last major trophy.

In the intervening 38 years, as poets as diverse as Robert Lowell and Half Man Half Biscuit’s Nigel Blackwell have observed in the past, the light at the end of the tunnel invariably proved to be that of an oncoming train. Having forced Mercer out, Allison blew a four-point title lead in 1972 by bringing in the gifted but divisive Rodney Marsh. John Bond took City to the 1981 FA Cup Final and bought Trevor Francis, but departed swiftly afterwards after being told to sell the brilliant striker to balance the books.

Howard Kendall took City into the top six in 1990, then declared his spell at Maine Road to have been “an affair” and went back to his “marriage” at Everton. Paul Lake, the club’s most promising player in a generation and a probable future England captain, was forced into retirement in 1996 after an ankle ligament injury was mistreated. City missed out on Europe under Stuart Pearce in 2005 when Robbie Fowler missed a last-kick penalty in the final game of the season.

So it came as little surprise when Shinawatra – hailed as a billionaire saviour when he arrived in June 2007 with Sven-Goran Eriksson in tow, briefly taking the team to the top of the Premier League – proved to be a human rights abuser unable to return home to claim his frozen funds thanks to a pending prison sentence for corruption. Less than 12 months after treating fans to a pre-match Thai buffet outside the stadium, the disgraced Prime Minister instructed his advisors to get him out. By early August 2008, Shinawatra was negotiating with three separate Middle East consortiums and attempting to sell Stephen Ireland to Sunderland without the consent of new manager Mark Hughes. Says journalist David McDonnell, who covers the club for the Daily Mirror, “They were scouting around for bargains. He didn’t have a pot to p**s in.”

Now, finally, Manchester City caught a break. Sheikh Mansour’s investors caught wind of the negotiations and concluded the deal within three weeks, stopping to sign Robinho for a British record £32.5million before finally assuming full control in mid-September. Without factoring in wages, this summer’s early moves for Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jerome Boateng took his total investment in the club to over £460million in less than 24 months, easily eclipsing the £300m spent at Chelsea by Roman Abramovich in his first two years.

City are naturally defensive on the issue of their wealth, and the unspoken notion that Premier League success is merely a commodity – a rich man’s plaything. “Who are the richest club?” Mancini asks. “There are a lot of clubs who are very rich. The difference is that Manchester City, when Sheikh Mansour and [chairman] Khaldoon Al Mubarak arrived, must work very, very hard because they had to reduce the gap from the other teams. For this they had to invest money to buy new players.

“Look, it is normal. We have to spend money. The teams we want to challenge now – United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter, Milan, Real Madrid – all spent in the past and will spend now.”

Asked whether a more level financial playing field might benefit the entire Premier League, Mancini concedes that it “might it be fair, but this is football. It’s right to make sure all the clubs must be OK financially. But there must be a situation where, if there’s an owner with a lot of money, he’s allowed to spend it to win. We cannot close that gap if we do not do this.”

And City need to close it quickly – not just because of the weight of expectation the Mansour millions have brought, but because of UEFA’s stated ambition to limit clubs to spending only 75 per cent of their turnover on wages, to be enforced within the next two years. With a vast payroll reportedly swollen to the tune of over £200,000 a week by Yaya Toure alone, McDonnell believes it is “going to be very interesting to see how they can alter their finances to comply”.

City have benefitted from improved season-ticket sales, at increased prices, and larger sponsorship deals. They are mulling ambitious plans to increase the City Of Manchester Stadium’s capacity to over 60,000 and build a new training ground, casino, shopping centre, hotel and even  a theme park on the post-industrial wasteland they own around Eastlands. But a City source says that is “two or three years away, minimum”. Only recently, an absence of planning and licensing permission forced them to scale back a modest development of pop-up matchday bars and restaurants on the roads leading to the ground.

The focus now is firmly on a Champions League berth which would return at least £30 million, and upwards of £45m should City get past the group stages. Last December, in a messily-handled divorce, it was decided that Hughes was no longer the man to deliver.  Still highly regarded by players and staff, the Welshman was blamed for a cavalier playing style undermined by a defence which leaked like a sieve despite big-money hires Joleon Lescott (who, to be fair, had injuries) and Wayne Bridge (who, to be fair, had other distractions).

“We conceded too many goals, threw away too many leads, had too many draws,” says Given, still a huge Hughes fan. “It was very disappointing. We bought a few defenders last year and it does take time for them to settle, getting to sort your relationships on the pitch.

“We beat Chelsea home and away but slipped up against lesser teams. So we’ve got to approach every game like we’re playing Chelsea or United. We’ve got to treat every team like it’s the best team in the league. Teams really turn it up when they play us now. We’ve got to combat that. We’re a scalp now.”

Enter three-time Serie A winning manager Mancini, who belied his image of urbane chic by toughening up City on the field and on the Carrington training pitches. “Behind the scarf he is quite a fiery character,” says McDonnell. “You can see that in the feud he had with Fabio Capello in Italy and the row he had on the touchline with David Moyes last year. The players all loved Mark Hughes, and they don’t like Mancini’s double training. But they do have a lot of respect for him.”

Adds Cummins: “What he needs to do now is prove he’s a winner. The perception is that last year he was intimidated by the stature of some clubs, even when they were awful.” That caution, typically Italian in the eyes of some fans, saw City surrender a healthy advantage in the Champions League race with stolid draws against weak Liverpool and Arsenal teams. Meanwhile Tottenham abandoned caution and seized the initiative with stirring wins against Arsenal, Chelsea and ultimately at City.

While stating flatly that the upside of missing out on the Champions League is “nothing”, Mancini has no regrets. “Spurs had been building a team for many years,” he says. “Their squad are strong, fantastic players. They’ve been in the Europa League. They were more experienced than us. But every time we played against them, and against Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, we played at the same level as them. This is important. We played at the same level and we became a team. Congratulations to Spurs, but this year it will be different.

“Was I too cautious at the end of last season? I don’t think so. When you win, you are a fantastic manager. When you lose you are Italian and too conservative.”

There is, of course, little conservative about City’s spending. Three buys of the highest quality – Toure, Hamburg’s Jerome Boateng and Valencia’s David Silva – have arrived for a combined £60m and more seem certain to follow as Mancini seeks to create a fluid, deep, interchangeable squad.

“It’s a very exciting time,” says Given. “They are real coups. Boateng looks pretty assured: he can play in the middle and on both flanks. Toure just looks immense. He’ll bring a real presence to the team. Silva is in the mould of a Modric. He can drift into little gaps and holes, he can see through balls and that killer pass. We missed that last season. Stephen Ireland can do it too but he had injury problems last season and it hurt us down the stretch.”

Says Mancini: “The new signings have this in common – they all can pay in different positions. Boateng can play in every position in the defensive line, Yaya can play behind the defence, can play right midfield or left midfield, can play behind the striker. And Silva can play every position in the midfield and behind the striker. If we buy more players like this it gives me more chance to move positions when players get injured or tired. Or change what happens on the field, from 4-4-2 to 4-3-1-2.

“I try to buy players who are an investment; who are young; who can play for the club for many years. And, when Manchester City decides to sell them, they will have a good resale value. It’s important to have individual leaders. It’s not just that we have a good player with a good personality off the pitch, but a big personality on the pitch is important now.”

Mancini is quick to dispel the idea that players are identified by Abu Dhabi, as occurred during the club’s pursuits of Robinho and Kaka. “It is me,” he says. “This is my job. I know the European players very well and I identify who we should buy. Clearly I speak with Brian Marwood, who I work very closely with, and the owner. But it’s important that I’m the one who identifies the players and explains why he will be important.”

Mancini knows that for all his good fortune, he has a fight on his hands. Though he speaks in the highest possible terms of “fantastic man” Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and kung-fu enthusiast Nigel De Jong, City may still lack a real leader – hence their doomed pursuit of John Terry last summer – and what Given calls a “Terry Butcher, Tony Adams type”.

The manager worries that late arrivals from the World Cup will hamper a tough Premier League opening. He knows the Europa League, in which City will play 17 games if they are to win it, will take a heavy toll, though the increased playing opportunities may bring increased harmony to the dressing room.

But he also knows this is the season when Manchester City could rewrite history. “We have the investment to make a fantastic club,” he says. “I think the fans will have a very happy season.”

For years, Manchester City have been the loser hero in a Judd Apatow comedy. If Steve Carrell was The 40-Year-Old Virgin, they are The 34-Year-Old Trophy Virgins. But in the final reel, the loveable schlub gets the girl. As Mancini says, “After many years, this is the time.”

Roberto Mancini: Quick Qs
What’s with the new hair?
First time in 10 years I’ve cut it. It’s a lot colder.

They said you were going to be fired if you didn’t reach the Champions League. Will you get fired if you don’t do it this season?
I didn’t get fired. I’m still here. I have a three-year contract and I will stay for three years. So I must win this year or next year. I can win the Europa League or the FA Cup. We hope to win the league or get in the Champions League.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a coach?
You must always work 100 per cent, but it’s most important to work harder when you win. When you lose, it’s easy to go back and correct your mistakes. When you win, you think ‘everything’s OK’. When you do that, you lose.

In recent years, City have had a great record of bringing players through from the academy – the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards, Nedum Onouha. With big-name players arriving, how will the kids break through now?
I played in Serie A when I was 16 so I know it’s very important to have players coming in from the academy. In five months here I brought five young players into the first team, so they will get a chance. We will have a squad of 24, 25 and then the young players, so they can play too.

Did you know anything at all about Manchester City when you got here?
Yes, at first because Trevor Francis talked about them at Sampdoria. But in Italy, they know Manchester City’s history. There’s always talk of Manchester United, because they’ve won everything, but we knew City too.

You worked under future City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson at Sampdoria and you were his assistant coach at Lazio too…
I must say thank you to Sven, and to Vujadin Boskov, because I was a player who always wanted to ask, ‘Why are we doing this work?’ and they would explain I was born with  a football at my feet and football in my brain.  I had a vision of how I wanted a team to play football and they helped me to develop this.

Now you’ve brought in another Sampdoria connection, David Platt, as first-team coach...
We played together for two years and talked many, many times after that. He is a friend of mine. David is an important man in England: he was England captain, Arsenal captain. He managed the under-21s. It means something.

Is David as thin as he was at Sampdoria?
Yes! Yes! [Look of resignation] No. I think he must try and get into good shape!

Interview: Steve Anglesey. Portraits: Jill Jennings.
This feature was originally published in the September 2010 edition of FourFourTwo.

Barça take to the streets as Real Sociedad start to slide

Tim Stannard — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:20:00 GMT

Has the Spanish League become ridiculously easy to win? It says much that the Catalan press and Barcelona themselves have spent such a chunk of energy to justify why the weekend’s title win is still worthy of celebration.

While it is true that the last two races have been of a fairly one-horse variety due to the other Clásico nag going lame, you can only beat the opponents in front of you and win the titles available, and all that jazz.

LLL is all on board with the notion that this title victory will only be fully appreciated for its genius in future-world (the blog still has high hopes the same will happen for Buffy). It's an opinion obviously shared by the half-million people who lined the streets of the Catalan capital to watch the Barça players on their annual bus-ride evening of waving from under silly hats.

Hats in the air like you just don't care

Mundo Deportivo's Santi Nolla says that the Primera title victory was the big plan for the club all along. “Barça prioritised the league as the most important competition of the season and achieved this. The Champions League attracts more attention but no-one recognised Chelsea as the best team in Europe.”

Tuesday’s Sport is calling for a fun few weeks for the Barça players over the final three matches, as the club tries to match Real Madrid’s 100-point total from last year. “Soon, some traumatic measures may be required,” writes J. Vehils in the inside pages. “However, it would be nice that some players end their time here with full honours.”

Among those are Eric Abidal and David Villa. However, Barceona's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta told Cataluyna Radio that the situation with Tito Vilanova next season is not completely clear. “We know that a more aggressive process is to come in New York,” said Zubizarreta, “and we will reflect on it together.”

Hours after the celebrations were completed in the Catalan capital, there was proper football action to behold with Real Sociedad hosting Granada in a big chance to fend off the challenge from Valencia for fourth spot. Sadly for a biased blog, La Real blew it and conceded an injury-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

The point takes the Basque side into fourth, level on points with Valencia but ahead due to a superior head-to-head record. However, Champions League football remains in some doubt as La Real prepare for the last three-game sprint. “We’re ready to suffer and fight,” said manager Philippe Montanier on what will be required over the final three matches of la Liga.

"Yonder! Europe!" Montanier makes his point

A quick move to the second division now, and a curious result from the weekend is starting to make a few waves in Spain. Bottom-of-the-table, very relegated Xerez were paying a visit to the second-placed Girona. Remarkably, Xerez won 4-2, the southerners' first win since the beginning of November. This has triggered the suggestion that there may have been some kind of ‘incentive’ paid to the Xerez footballers to give a little bit extra in the match.

The suggestion was far from ruled out by Xerez sporting director Miguel Ángel Rondán, speaking to local radio station Cope Jerez on Monday. “I’m not going to ask about it in the dressing room. It doesn’t bother me. If they did it, good for them, they’ve not been paid for a while. I’m not going to criticise them.”

Mancini dies by the sword of Damocles

Gary Parkinson — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:18:00 GMT

Manchester City have summarily sacked Roberto Mancini. FourFourTwo.com Editor Gary Parkinson on the Greek tragedy of the Italian at the Etihad...

In the end, the only surprise was the time of death. Many had suspected that Manchester City would pull the plug on their support machine for Roberto Mancini, but few suspected it would be with two league games left to play. At least Roman Abramovich waited until the end of the season to have Carlo Ancelotti sacked in a corridor.

Few in football will be glad to see the back of the urbane Mancini, and there are a great many City fans who will howl at the blue moon over the sudden demise of "Bobby Manc". But not many will be shocked by it. City have an agenda, and some might say the daggers have been drawn for the manager since December 4th, when the club's decrepit Champions League campaign wheezed into an early grave.

True, City were unlucky to be drawn in a Group of Death with the champions of Spain (Real Madrid), Germany (Borussia Dortmund) and the Netherlands (Ajax), but their abject return of three points from six games was the worst by an English team in the Champions League, eclipsing Blackburn's hapless attempt in 1995: like Rovers, City were out by Christmas.

Where did it all go wrong? Mancini watches City crash out at Dortmund

Fourth place in Group D meant Mancini didn't even get a tilt at the consolation bauble of the Europa League. There were those who thought this a blessing in disguise, clearing the way for a determined defence of their Premier League title against a resurgent Manchester United. But five days after that dismal night in Dortmund ended their European adventure, United won 3-2 at the Etihad to go six points clear at the top. City never caught them, nor even looked likely to do so.

The manner of City's home defeat to United cut like a knife. The visitors had gone two up through Wayne Rooney, once briefly a City target until his Old Trafford contract was extended, but Mancini's men had battled back to parity through Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta – until they were defeated in injury time by a deflected shot from Robin van Persie.

Mancini made no bones about his summer pursuit of the Dutchman, but again United had outmuscled their upstart neighbours. True, the Old Trafford top brass had rescinded their long-term plan not to spend big on players whose contracts would take them beyond the age of resale value, but Van Persie was a special case. And once Manchester United were interested, he was only going to one club.

That wasn't the way City wanted it to be. A club in a hurry, they wanted the Premier League title to foreshadow their elevation to the level of European super-club. Instead, they found themselves outmanoeuvred in the transfer market, oil money unable to compete with the perceived establishment. Mancini may have won a league, but he's no Alex Ferguson. The fact that nobody is didn't save the Italian.

And so he is ejected from the hot seat, just as he had been at Internazionale, where he had also found himself failing to meet the expectations of continental success. At least at Inter he retained the league title, albeit in the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal which weakened their rivals. But still Massimo Moratti turned to Jose Mourinho, who combined domestic domination with a continent-conquering campaign in the Champions League.

He's behind you: Mourinho and Mancini

That is the level of achievement for which Manchester City are striving, and they will seek a suitable man to take them there. And although the fans have been foursquare behind their man, Mancini must have known what he was letting himself in for when he took the job. After all, he was appointed on the day his predecessor Mark Hughes was sacked, two hours after a bizarre 4-3 home win over Sunderland following which the Welshman, clearly knowing his impending doom, waved a forlorn farewell to the fans.

At that point, City were sixth; they finished fifth, then third, then top. Second is no longer sufficient. According to a club statement, "the club had failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League."

On that day in December 2009, as Hughes waved goodbye to the City fans, one of those watching on from the stands was Roberto Mancini. Like Damocles the courtier in the old Greek tale, Mancini was only too happy to assume the throne and be surrounded by opulence; but whereas Damocles had to sit below a sword suspended by a single horsehair, the unveiled threat hanging over Mancini was that he must take Manchester City ever forward.

Football is not life and death, thankfully. But in a true Greek tragedy, a once great hero suffers a downfall, and while managing a team to the Premier League title may not be "heroic" in the tabloid sense, it was certainly enough to elevate Mancini into Man City folklore. But when he failed to maintain momentum, winning the title 12 months previously was no defence, just as it hadn't been for Ancelotti at Chelsea.

Along with Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini, Ancelotti may now be on the shortlist of men to replace Mancini. But whoever takes the job had better keep the club kicking onwards, and beware the sword ever hanging over their head.

"Fergie? We're not close" – when FFT met Moyes

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

In November 2009, FourFourTwo featured an exclusive interview with Everton manager David Moyes. He told us about his route to the top, living with his dad, almost signing Michael Essien – and if he could succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

The red hair is starting to fade and the deepening lines across his face tell their own story. But David Moyes – the fourth-longest serving manager in England – remains as intent on returning Everton to their former glories as he was the day that he swept into Goodison Park seven and a half years ago, shaking the old stadium to its very foundations.

Such longevity in so hazardous an occupation is remarkable in itself, but the way in which Moyes has transformed Everton is stunning, justifiably earning him a reputation as one of the Premier League’s best managers. So high has the Scot’s stock risen in fact, that he’s now reputed to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferred heir to the throne at Old Trafford

FFT has been warned that Moyes can be awkward with journalists and highly sensitive to questions on issues – such as Joleon Lescott’s transfer to Manchester City – where his managerial authority has been breached.

But today Moyes is relaxed and genial, expansive when asked about supposedly ‘forbidden’ subjects. He seems ebullient after  a productive training session earlier in the day. Bumping into Sylvain Distin on the way in, Everton’s new defender jokes how he wouldn’t be staying for voluntary training in the afternoons – as he did at former club Portsmouth – because the morning sessions here are “exhausting enough”.

Moyes, the archetypal tracksuit manager, clearly thrives when pushing his players through their paces and is pleased after a good workout. Still dressed in his training kit, he folds his right leg up against his chest, sprawling his other leg across a chair in Finch Farm’s media suite, and chats with the ease of a man at home in these surroundings.

“We’re quite proud at Everton. We think we’ve built up a decent team at Everton and Joleon was part of that and we wanted him to stay,” says Moyes of the transfer saga that so disrupted Everton’s pre-season.

"I felt that Joleon had been here three years and the group that we’d got together – we’d finished fifth and got to a cup final – could have warranted a bit longer.”

What Moyes found particularly hard was the way Lescott made it clear he no longer wanted to play for him. “Joleon is in the main a decent lad, but in the end didn’t act that way,” he says. Moyes is not one to dwell on the past, however, and refers to the matter as a “closed chapter”.

At Everton’s Friday press conference shortly before we meet, Moyes belatedly unveiled two new signings, Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga and the Russia midfielder, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. It’s mid-September, a month after the start of the new season, but for the first time Moyes has had a full squad available for a training session.

His message is that the season starts here.  “If I’d had these players six weeks ago, I’d have been ecstatic,” he says, looking pleased anyway.

 Two influences dominate David Moyes’s ascent to being the most outstanding British manager of his generation: his Glasgow childhood and his experiences as a journeyman player.

"Glasgow’s my home and football was what you done,” he says, as if it were as elemental as eating and sleeping. His father coached Drumchapel Amateurs, a junior club with an incredible record of transforming young players into professionals, including Kenny Dalglish and Alex Ferguson. Moyes credits his father, who now lives with him and does some scouting for Everton, as being a crucial influence. “I used to help him get the strips ready and see him makes arrangements,” he recalls. Because of this, the ethos of management “has probably been within me” since childhood.

After representing Scotland at schoolboy and youth level, Moyes broke into the Celtic team as a teenage centre-half, winning the SPL title in 1981-82. But despite the promising start, he was unable to make a first-team place his own. Desperate for regular action, he sought a move to England and after a transfer to Arsenal fell through, joined Cambridge United in 1983. Besides a spell with Dunfermline in the early-1990s, he never again played in the top flight.

“I don’t regret it because it gave me an opportunity to see football in a different way,” he says. “I was at Cambridge, at Bristol City,  I went to Shrewsbury – it’s not an illustrious route, but I tell you what, the background I had from Celtic stuck with me. You were required to win, and if you could win with style that was the way you should do it. But if not, you should win.”

He describes losing regularly at these clubs, having been at Celtic, as a “complete shock”. “All that losing is probably the reason I’m a miserable bugger today,” he laughs, but one senses that those days still live with him, and make him so intensely motivated now.

In 1993, Moyes joined Preston, where he spent nearly a decade. He always possessed the natural authority that set him out as managerial material. “He had that little bit of a commanding personality about him,” says the Hull midfielder Kevin Kilbane, who played with Moyes at Preston and was later managed by him at Everton. “He was a character within the club who you used to respect, but he had a bit  of fear factor around him too.”

In January 1998, with Preston threatened by relegation to Division Three, Moyes became player-manager. By May 1999 he’d guided Preston to the Division Two title, and for the next three years they were in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League. Suddenly he was hot property.

He remained at Deepdale until March 2002 when the call came from Everton – “the first real big club to come in for me.” Although he won over Evertonians immediately, in particular by referring to their’s as “the People’s Club”, he faced a harder task in the dressing room. For years Everton had been chronically mismanaged and Moyes’s predecessor Walter Smith had accumulated a squad of ageing, underperforming players, many on lucrative long-term contracts. A culture of complacency permeated onto the pitch, where Everton were perennial strugglers. It was a club, Moyes recalls, where finishing 13th was considered “a good season”.

At Deepdale his squad “would’ve done anything you said”, but things were different at Goodison. He says that it was “a fight” just to establish himself. “I had to change it from a club that was just surviving,” he says. He wanted “a younger football club, a fresher football club”.

For the first year, Moyes seemed to revitalise Everton through sheer force of personality. Abetted by the emergence of a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney, Everton finished seventh in 2002-03, having occupied a Champions League spot for most of the season. Two years later, without Rooney and with minimal spending, he defied all expectations and took Everton to fourth place. He is still the only manager to crack the top four since Bobby Robson’s Newcastle in 2002.

"A lot of that early time was led by me: driven, motivated, a great desire to succeed. As it still is today – I don’t think it’s changed,” he says. But he believes that his managerial style has evolved. As he has assembled his own players he no longer has the daily battles with the inertia he first found at Goodison. Everton’s squad is now younger, fitter, hungrier and prepared to run through walls for him. 

Moyes has completely altered perceptions of Everton, who are now an established top-six force, missing out on European qualification just once in five years. But while he takes justifiable pride in his achievements, there is  a sense of unfinished business; that he needs silverware to consider himself a true success.

“People say ‘David Moyes needs to win something’ – and I do,” he says. “But if I win one trophy I’ll want to win another one. My ambition is to have the football club say ‘We want to finish first in the Premier League, not fifth.’”

Although he won’t admit it, lack of money holds Everton back. For the second year, Moyes’ net spend is nil; over seven years it averages out at around £3.3million per year.

Perhaps because of these constraints, Moyes has a reputation for signing outstanding players at rock bottom prices. Tim Cahill cost just £1.5m, Mikel Arteta £2m. Lescott was signed for £5m and sold for £22m. Others – such as Michael Essien, who Moyes tells FFT he tried to sign from Bastia in 2003 – have got away. But Moyes admits that the transfer market is now harder and big money is needed, even for an unknown.

He says it rankles when he sees Everton outspent not only by rivals, such as Spurs and Aston Villa, but also by clubs like Sunderland. Yet his response is typically pragmatic: “If you don’t have it, then you can’t spend it.

“When you’re finishing fifth and wanting to be pushing, and ambitious, and wanting to show your players you’re ambitious, that’s where I feel sometimes that I let the players down because I can’t really give them more,”  he admits. “That’s where sometimes I feel disappointed I’m not able to do that.”

It says much about his inherent sense of responsibility that he accepts a burden that rests with the chairman, Bill Kenwright. He has earned huge prize money – £15m last year – but had virtually none of it to spend. Kenwright frequently espouses a “24/7” search for investment, but after five years of looking has found none – despite many other clubs doing so.

Kenwright describes Moyes as his “best friend in football”. When Moyes is asked about his relationship with him there is genuine warmth. He says that Kenwright is “one of the reasons” he’s been at Everton so long. Indeed, one senses that despite limited financial resources, Moyes prefers to work with Kenwright – who gives him free rein in the running of the club – than he would a chairman with deep pockets but a penchant for meddling in his affairs.

Yet what happens when there are no more bargains or prodigies that can compensate for the board’s parsimony? Moyes bats the question away, saying that he wants Kenwright to think Everton can win the Premier League. “Obviously we need the tools to try and win the Premier League,” he says. “I want us to be driven together and him not accepting finishing fifth  in the same way that seven years ago we were accepting not finishing outside the bottom five."

An announcement is due soon in the public inquiry investigating Everton’s controversial move to a new stadium outside the city limits. Moyes hints that this might resolve Everton’s parlous financial state.

“I’d like to think by two or three years time that the club would have a new input in some way, whether it be a new stadium or new investment,” he says. “We’re going to be building on a position of fifth in the Premier League rather than fifth from bottom. If that’s the case it’ll still be a big jump... but I think we’ll enjoy that jump more than the one we’ve had to take over the years.”

Until that time he will wheel and deal in the transfer market, and rely on Everton’s Academy. Six players, most notably Wayne Rooney, have progressed to be first-team regulars during Moyes’ time at Goodison. This season Jack Rodwell, an 18-year-old midfielder with the swagger of a young Steven Gerrard, looks set to make a first-team shirt his own.

“He’s an elegant midfielder. He can run, he’s quick, he’s good on the ball. What he needs is time; maturity will come with that,” says Moyes. “It wouldn’t be unrealistic after this World Cup for Jack to force his way into the England squad.”

Despite spending half his life in England, he still regards Scotland as his home and may go back one day. The Scotland or Celtic manager’s job might be attractive then, but says it’s “not on my agenda now”.

Asked about the speculation that he’s Fergie’s preferred successor, Moyes is dismissive.  “I think last year it was Roy Keane,” he says.  “I think the year before that it was Mark Hughes. The year before it was Steve Bruce.  I just get on and try and not let it affect me if  I can. I don’t think it does affect me in any way.”

He is full of admiration for Ferguson, though, describing him as the “best manager in the world”, but says their relationship is exaggerated. “Folk think that because we’re Scottish we must be really, really close, but I wouldn’t say that’s the case,” says Moyes.

Like Ferguson, Moyes is a workaholic: intense, driven, ambitious, motivated by fear of losing. He admits that there is little balance between his private and football life. “My wife understands me,” he says.

“He’s very hands on and runs Everton from top to bottom,” says Kevin Kilbane. “He’s a very good coach, very much an organiser. He’ll make sure he’s the main voice on the training ground. He leaves no stone unturned and makes sure he covers every area. His attention to detail is brilliant.”

At one point during our interview, FFT asks Moyes if he “used to” work 16-hour days when establishing himself as Everton manager. For the only time his eyes fix into an icy stare. “I do,” he interrupts, not liking the implication that he is slacking. “I do every day... If I don’t then somebody else will be overtaking me. Someone else will be taking my job. I have to work every day, every week as if it’s my last.”

What does he put being English football’s fourth-longest-serving manager down to? Moyes puffs his cheeks. “Having good players. A bit of luck. I work hard. I don’t take [my job] for granted. I try to make myself better  as often as I can by seeing what’s new.”

But it’s Everton, and bringing success  to Goodison, that remains his obsession.

“I can’t lose my drive and my desire,” he says. “Football’s got to keep driving me on.  I think that’s why I’m probably still here.”

THE MOYES GUIDE TO MANAGEMENT

Coaching badges will only teach you so much
I’d done my coaching badges but what they don’t teach you is what happens when you walk into the dressing room on the first morning and you have David Ginola, Tommy Gravesen, Paul Gascoigne, Duncan Ferguson sitting in front of you, looking at you to take the lead.”

Have a good chairman
What managers need and want is chairmen who want to work with them and help them, aren’t wanting to be the centre of attraction, don’t want to make the decisions and will leave it to the manager – and if things aren’t going well, will support him. I think everybody knows Bill Kenwright’s done that for me.”

Fear is a great motivator
“If I don’t work that hard then somebody else will be overtaking me. Someone else will be taking my job. I have to work every day, every week as if it’s my last.”

Find yourself a schoolboy prodigy
“I remember another manager saying, ‘How lucky is David Moyes, taking over at Everton and having a player like Wayne Rooney?’ And I was – I really was lucky to have a talent like that on my doorstep. We put him in the team and everybody knows where he’s gone, so good luck to him.”

Give kids a chance
“The academy has played a major part for us, and we rely on it here because we’ve not been able to go out and spend lots of money. I do say to many people, ‘If I was a parent [of a young footballer], Everton is a club that gives your kids a chance.’ We don’t have loads of players and there’s not a blockage to get to the first team. If you’re good enough, I think you’ve got a real chance here.”

Interview: James Corbett. Portraits: Jill Jennings. From the November 2009 edition of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!

Atlético give Barça 90-minute guard of honour, but Mourinho's dark clouds have silver linings

Tim Stannard — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:42:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com's Spanish expert, Tim Stannard, rounds up the weekend's winners and losers from La Liga...

Good Day

Tito Vilanova
It was a genuine privilege to see and hear the Barcelona boss talking after the victory over Atlético Madrid that kept the Catalan club on course to equal Real Madrid’s 100 point total from the previous campaign. Although Vilanova admitted this milestone was not “super important”, La Liga Loca imagines it will be a pleasing cherry on top of the delicious cake that has been Barça's league campaign, though one that will likely be overlooked in years to come, thanks to the lack of any real opposition for the league crown.
One revealing point made by the Barcelona manager during Sunday’s chat with the media was how one of the hardest parts of a title win was the challenge for his players to keep up the momentum throughout the season. Maintaining the hefty gap over both Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid at the top of the table was was no easy feat.
The blog feels Barça president Sandro Rosell was correct in saying that “when people look back on this league title with a bit of perspective and time, it will grow in value every day,” due to the many setbacks that the club has suffered both of a sporting and human nature, but were able to overcome.

Roberto Soldado
The Valencia striker has now scored in five successive league matches for the first time in the his career. Indeed, Soldado scored twice in his latest outing, knocking in the first two for his team as they strolled to a 4-0 win at Rayo Vallecano. The victory moved Valencia into fourth, leap-frogging Real Sociedad, who play on Monday night very much under pressure from the persistent men from Mestalla.

Ruben Castro
Go, go gadget Betis. A 17th league goal of the season for Ruben Castro, gave Betis their first win in five games, boosting what had looked to be a doomed push for a Europa League spot. “We are the only team that can depend on themselves,” said a cheerful Pepe Mel, reviewing the pack of clubs behind Betis, which are also on the sniff for a bit of European action next season.

Sevilla
Incredibly - and rather lamentably - Sevilla’s goalless draw at Málaga on Sunday night moved Unai Emery’s men up to eighth and into what will be a European spot, should Málaga’s UEFA competition ban for next season be upheld. It’s a truly remarkable feat considering Sevilla have won just the single away match from 18 in la Liga. One game. In 18. Just think about that...

Valladolid
The Pucela side have trundled along without too much fanfare this season, but Valladolid have lead an utterly untroubled, professional campaign. This achievement was encapsulated in a solid 1-0 over Deportivo that put the side on 43 points with three games to go. “Staying up is like a title for us,” exclaimed a delighted Valladolid boss, Miroslav Djukic.

Levante
Levante's two matches since the breaking of the match-fixing scandal surrounding the 4-0 home defeat to Deportivo (and possibly the lackluster 1-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo, as well) have produced two hard-fought draws. However, the timing of the affair was not so good for Levante’s opponents in these matches, Mallorca last week and Zaragoza on Friday night. These are two sides who would have preferred a less ‘focussed’ Levante in huge games at the bottom.
The two points in two games have taken a little pressure off a Levante side being scrutinsed very closely due to the aforementioned fixing allegations, and have moved the Valencia club onto a fairly safe 42 point tally.

Athletic Bilbao
With a nine point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with three to play, the tremendously unspectacular 2-1 win against a Mallorca side down to ten men for two thirds of the match is probably enough to see out a forgettable campaign in safety for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. “The only good thing was the result. Everything else we did was bad,” admitted a glum Ariz Aduriz.

Fernando Llorente
What turned out to be the winner for Athletic was only Llorente’s first goal in San Mamés for the whole season.

Osasuna
What a weekend for the Pamplona club. Relegation rivals Zaragoza, Mallorca, Deportivo and Celta Vigo all dropped points (Granada yet to play, at the time of writing) and Osasuna took advantage by sneaking a giant win against Getafe. It was an old fashioned effort that did the happy deed for Osasuna, with a sneaky touch from a set-piece. Next week’s clash with Granada is set to be a big one, all right.

Bad Day

Real Madrid
Perhaps José Mourinho’s side belong in the ‘Good Day’ section instead. The league title was lost some time ago, so perhaps Madrid will have taken some pleasure from denying Barça what fun may have obtained by winning the title with a rousing victory in the Vicente Calderón. Instead, Real Madrid rolled over at Espanyol in a 1-1 draw to give Barça the title without having to play.

Raphael Varane
A knee knack during the Espanyol match sees the French defender missing Friday’s Copa del Rey final. However, it does give the Madrid manager a further opportunity to snub Pepe by playing Raúl Albiol alongside Sergio Ramos instead, so there’s a silver lining to every one of Mourinho’s dark clouds.

Atlético Madrid
It’s hard to blame the Rojiblancos for a somnambulant performance against visiting Barça, a side who were just as sleepy. “The guard of honour lasted all afternoon,” noted Marca’s match report.
Third place had already been secured, and there was no need for Atlético to go out with all guns blazing in the Vicente Calderón, with Friday’s cup final to think about. Despite this, Diego Simeone, must be doubting his team’s character a little.
Three weeks ago, a disinterested, stripped-down Real Madrid won 2-1 in Atlético’s home thanks to an own goal from Juanfran. On Sunday, a shot from David Villa that was going wide by a good two metres was somehow turned in by Gabi, to ease Barça to victory. “Let’s hope he scores again at the other end on Friday,” joked the team’s Argentinean manager, although LLL imagines Simeone was less amused at the time.

Málaga
A goalless draw at home to Sevilla sees Málaga’s previously impressive league campaign beginning to run out of porridge.

Rayo Vallecano
A defensive shambles of a performance for Rayo Vallecano in a midday defeat to visiting Valencia, whose forwards were waved through on goal, like a 747 docking at an airport gate. “I want to apologise to the fans, as we were lacking the freshness we had before,” announced coach, Paco Jémez, after the match.

Zaragoza
A goalless draw at Levante on Friday night was not quite what the doctor ordered for Zaragoza, although other results later in the weekend did go for the struggling side. “It doesn’t really do that much for us,” Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto said of their single point.

Deportivo
Although referees are being blamed for Deportivo’s recent problems (by Deportivo), it is poor form that is really the cause of them picking up just three points from 12. Mallorca and Celta Vigo already look doomed, and Depor are next in line for the chop, if this carries on much longer.

Celta Vigo
The harsh fact of the matter is that Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Betis leaves Celta with one buttock sat in the second division. The Galicia club are three points from safety with only have two matches left, with next week’s game having been played last Wednesday due to Atlético Madrid’s participation in the Copa del Rey final. “While there’s still a ray of hope, we’ll have to try everything,” promised Celta boss, Abel Resino.

Gregorio Manzano
Not much is going right for the Mallorca boss these days. The Balearic club lost defender, Fontás, after 23 minutes for a nonexistent handball which triggered the second of two yellows for the footballer. Mallorca battled but came away with a 2-1 defeat to keep the side at the bottom with just 29 points. “We lost and we are leaving here sad, but with out heads held high,” claimed Manzano after Saturday’s defeat.

Win a game at Old Trafford

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:46:00 GMT

Want to play at Old Trafford? Of course you do. Even if you’re nonplussed about scoring a goal at the same ground that hosted the likes of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Eric Cantona every other week – even if you’re a hardened Liverpool fan – it’s a tempting offer.

The world’s best players have gushed over the grand old stadium’s history, facilities and atmosphere. And the pitch... have you played on a Premier League pitch? From the rare occasions FFT have been allowed to tear up a beautiful playing surface with miskicks and shanked corners, we can tell you that playing on real, Premier League-quality turf is an experience that cannot be underestimated.

Interested? Well, here’s the good part: FourFourTwo, in partnership with Chevrolet, is giving you the opportunity to win a day at Old Trafford on Bank Holiday Monday May 27th, during which your team will compete in a small tournament. Each team will play two 30-minute games and the teams will be managed by bona fide legends Bryan Robson and Andy Cole, who – after a spot of lunch – will hand out prizes and post-match analysis. The day will last from 9.45am to 4pm.

Three teams have the chance to play in the four-team tournament at Old Trafford, with FourFourTwo making up the numbers (be afraid, be very afraid). The competition closes on May 21st, and all you have to do is...

Tell us why your team deserves to play at the Theatre of Dreams. Your season needs to have been one to remember or one to forget, whether it was littered with silverware or made horrifically memorable by relegation. Why should you get the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? You tell us by emailing contact [at] fourfourtwo [dot] com - with "Old Trafford competition" in the subject line.

Good luck… except if you play FourFourTwo.

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Berlusconi barbs, not third place failure, may send Allegri packing from Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:45:00 GMT

Massimiliano Allegri will not be making a beeline for Silvio Berlusconi’s office today to negotiate a new contract. More likely he will be contemplating a possible future away from AC Milan after his side failed to secure third place on Sunday evening.

A goalless draw at home to AS Roma has left the Rossoneri needing three points at Siena on the final day to ensure they keep Fiorentina at bay and pin down a spot in the preliminary round in the Champions League.

Berlusconi has made it clear on a number of occasions that he will not tolerate the team falling any further behind Juventus. But having not gone head-to-head with their Turin rivals over the previous two seasons, Milan have been superseded by Napoli as the second force in Serie A.

Going into the final round of the season they are a massive 18 points behind Juve and nine off Napoli, who have qualified automatically for the Champions League.

A win over Siena will still leave them eight points worse off than last season, and even a cricket score in Tuscany would not get them close to their previous goal difference of +41 (currently weighing in at +27).

Allegri certainly deserves some sympathy. Not only has he been forced to watch the club sell Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to add to mass exodus of the old guard in the summer, but their replacements were less than stellar.

Two wins in their opening eight matches highlighted the fact that Milan had fallen a long way from Allegri’s title-winning debut season in 2011, and even the thrilling duel with Antonio Conte’s side last season.

A rally in the second half of the campaign coupled with Mario Balotelli’s arrival should be applauded, but the coach has clearly been living on borrowed time. Berlusconi has cranked up the pressure with a number of unhelpful comments about his manager’s ability.

Something of a coach in the stands, Berlusconi has never been afraid to tell the man on the bench how things should be done – just ask Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancellotti, who have both been on the end of some weathering putdowns.

However, the vitriol has reached an all-time low in recent months, even when they looked like catching Napoli. Dropping an already-tired Stephan El Shaarawy in the vital clash against Walter Mazzarri’s side gave Berlusconi the opportunity to claim, once again, that Allegri knew nothing about football, having raised the accusation ahead of the Champions League tie with Barcelona which Milan then won 2-0, only to crash out in the return leg.

There was never going to be an Ancelotti-like dynasty for Allegri who, despite having arrived the young coach with film-star looks, has never risen above the B-list in Berlusconi’s eyes.

The laughing lord of the manor is never going to change his ways when courting big-name personalities and has already mentioned a more flamboyant replacement in Clarence Seedorf for next season.

The midfielder has always been one of Silvio’s favourites but he is still playing in Brazil with Botafogo and, although he would always be able to provide an interesting sound bite, the 37-year-old would not be ready to go toe-to-toe with Conte, Mazzarri, Francesco Guidolin or even Vincenzo Montella with no coaching experience under his belt.

It is hard to see who could come in and do a better job than Allegri with the resources at hand. The team needs strengthening in all areas, attack aside where Balotelli, El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini have scored 42 league goals between. M’Baye Niang looks set to make his breakthrough next season.

However, the midfield (Riccardo Montolvio excluded) is a wasteland of creativity, stocked instead with too many loose cannons such as Sulley Muntari.

In the first half against Roma, the combative former Inter man received a red card after grappling with referee Gianluca Rocchi, when he raced over to remonstrate with the official following a justifiable booking for Balotelli’s late challenge on Mario Marquinho.

Muntari had already clashed verbally with Rocchi before his charge, so it was almost inevitable that a further indiscretion would lead to a yellow card at least.

However, after Rocchi thought he had quelled the player’s ire with a booking he was then manhandled in a spectacularly bizarre incident as Muntari lost all sense of reason and tried to stop the referee reaching into his pocket for a red card.

Strangely enough, the previous week Muntari had shown a comic touch to grab the referee’s yellow card and point it at Balotelli after his team-mate had removed his shirt to celebrate scoring against Torino.

It was an unsavory incident on another hugely depressing evening in the stands, which saw the first-ever Serie A match suspended for racist chanting. Balotelli and Kevin Prince Boateng had been the target from a section of the away support, and after two announcements failed to have the desired effect, the referee called the players to the centre-circle for 90 seconds to halt proceedings.

The game petered out after that but still managed to end on a note of rancor, with Francesco Totti shown a red card for elbowing Philippe Mexes.

Milan even played in a much more adventurous way when down to 10 men, and in the short term Allegri should feel confident of victory at Siena. But after all he has had to put up with, he may not be in a hurry to knock on Berlusconi’s door anytime soon.

It was a bad weekend for...fans of Fergie, Noisy Neighbours and Fallen Foxes

Simon Carter — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:29:00 GMT

Simon Carter names those who suffered most in domestic football on Saturday and Sunday...

Football
The announcement of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement and David Moyes’ subsequent appointment at Manchester United has cast a long shadow over football this week, while fans everywhere digested the news and tried to imagine a Fergie-less era. Whether you were a United fan in mourning, a Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City supporter with a broad smile or simply a shell-shocked fan from elsewhere, Ferguson’s retirement seemed to overshadow everything else.

That included the actual football played this weekend. In the build-up to the FA Cup final, participating players and staff were quizzed on their views of Ferguson (as were Andre Villas-Boas and Rafa Benitez before last Wednesday’s crucial fixture at Stamford Bridge). United’s dead rubber home game against Swansea – Ferguson’s last at Old Trafford – was touted as the only game that mattered on an otherwise important weekend.

But that’s not to say that the focus on Ferguson (and to a lesser extent, David Moyes’ farewell to Goodison Park) was a bad thing. After all, given everything the man has achieved he deserves a weekend dedicated to his honour. Top-flight football in England will be much the poorer without the relentless chewing of gum, furious watch tapping and increasingly delayed goal celebrations as age has taken hold.

For people of a certain age, nay, people of any age, Ferguson has been a constant point of reference for so long that it’s unimaginable, weird even, to think of a Manchester United side not led by the fiery Glaswegian. United fan or not, Ferguson’s presence in the Old Trafford dugout has been a comforting, albeit sometimes infuriating, one.

And to think that this time last week all we were concerned about was a piddling eight-way Premier League relegation battle and pulsating end to the Championship season. It all seems so long ago now.

In the event it was an emotional day at Old Trafford, to the point where the 90 minutes of football – as good as United’s 2-1 win over Swansea was - seemed to get in the way. Even the presentation of the Premier League trophy felt like a needless distraction. It was a day for United fans to show their enormous gratitude to the man who has changed their club forever, and one to say goodbye (for the second time) to Paul Scholes, who would have appreciated his manager taking 99 per cent of the limelight.

Alex Ferguson – love him or loathe him – will be missed by everyone in English and European football, so let’s end this tribute with the words of the man himself, addressing the Old Trafford crowd for the last time: “It’s been an unbelievable experience for all of us.”

The Noisy Neighbours
It seems strange to say, in a world where ESPN started their coverage at 08:00 on Saturday, that the FA Cup final wasn’t given the build-up it deserved. But with Ferguson dominating proceedings, even this game felt like something of an after thought. For those involved with Manchester City, the focus on Ferguson will have been particularly needling.

But worse still, when the spotlight was off Ferguson it was turned to Wigan Athletic, the archetypal plucky underdogs. From their relatively recent incredible rise through the leagues to chairman Dave Whelan’s own FA Cup history (as you will know by now he broke his leg during the 1960 FA Cup final where his Blackburn Rovers side were beaten), the Latics were the only topic of conversation for those with romantic desires.
For once the “noisy neighbours” were very quiet.

And quiet they would remain as a strangely muted City side rarely showed their class before being beaten by Ben Watson’s injury-time header to give Wigan their first-ever FA Cup.

As if losing the FA Cup from a position of clear favourites wasn’t bad enough for Roberto Mancini, by Sunday afternoon the BBC were confidently reporting he would be sacked within the week and replaced by Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini, despite the Italian’s post-match protestations to the contrary.

But it wasn’t all champagne and dancing for Wigan either. Yes, Saturday was a great day, but Sunday saw the threat of relegation grow larger than ever as Sunderland, Southampton, Newcastle and Norwich all picked up at least a point (the latter two winning to guarantee safety). It’s a lot to ask, but if Wigan do not beat Arsenal tomorrow night they will almost certainly be relegated. Lose, and it is confirmed.

So, What Else Happened?

With Ferguson, Moyes and the FA Cup dominating the weekend to such an extent, it was possible to forget that the rest of the Premier League still had jobs to do. And, unusually, most clubs will be happy with their work. The likes of Newcastle and Norwich will be delighted with their wins, while QPR and West Brom won’t be harmed by defeats. Ditto Stoke City and West Ham, who were beaten by Tottenham and Everton respectively. Even Fulham, beaten 3-1 at home by Liverpool courtesy of Daniel Sturridge’s excellent hat-trick, won’t be too heartbroken given Wigan’s situation.

A bad weekend for lovers of drama then, right? Erm, no.

Fallen Foxes
You just have to know where to look, and as usual, all of the drama was in the Championship. Watford, who last week narrowly missed out on promotion, hosted Leicester in the play-off semi-final second leg, trailing 1-0 on aggregate. A brace from Matej Vydra, including a wonderful opening goal, had put the home side 2-1 ahead on the day (2-2 on aggregate) when Leicester won a last-minute penalty when Anthony Knockaert fell in the box.

Knockaert stepped up and smashed the ball directly at Manuel Almunia (and then again from the rebound) to send the game into extra time. Or so it would seem. With screams of the crazy League One curtain closer between Brentford and Doncaster Rovers two weeks ago, Watford counter-attacked and Troy Deeney, sent off in Watford’s final league game, thumped a winner past Kasper Schmeichel to book the Hornets’ place at Wembley and break Gary Lineker’s heart.

What a strange and magical weekend. Let’s turn to Ferguson again for the final word: “Football… bloody hell.”

Prem Notes: Killer stats from the weekend Premier League

Stats Zone — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:26:00 GMT

What we learned via Opta stats and the FREE Stats Zone app about the weekend's Premier League games, including Pienaar the creator, Dawson the clearer, Villa the intercepters and Long the tackler?!

Manchester United 2-1 Swansea City

This season, Manchester United have had 20 different goalscorers in the Premier League – a record for a single PL campaign.
Javier Hernandez has scored 5 goals in 8 league starts for Manchester United this season.
Manchester United have won all 16 of the home league games in which they have taken the lead.
The Red Devils have scored 15 times from corners this season – the most in the Premier League.
Only Arsenal (18) and Tottenham Hotspur (17) have scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season than Man United (16).
Michu scored with his only shot of the game.
Michu has scored home and away against Manchester United this season.

Everton 2-0 West Ham United

Everton have kept clean sheets in 5 of their last 6 Premier League games and won each of their last 6 league home games.
West Ham have managed just 2 goals in their last 5 league games.
Everton had 28 shots: 10 were blocked, 6 of them by James Collins. Only Swansea's Ashley Williams v Manchester United in December (7) has blocked more shots in a single league game this season.
No-one attempted more passes over the weekend than Darron Gibson (88, level with Manchester United's Michael Carrick v Swansea).
Kevin Mirallas scored with both his on-target shots.
Steven Pienaar created more chances than any other player this weekend (8, with 1 leading to a goal).
Only v Villa in February (68%) have Everton enjoyed more possession in a single game than they enjoyed v West Ham (65%).

Fulham 1-3 Liverpool

In three league away games without Luis Suarez this season, Liverpool have scored a total of 12 goals.
19 of the 33 PL goals that Suarez & Daniel Sturridge have scored for Liverpool this season have come away from home.
Sturridge has 10 goals and three assists in 13 league games for Liverpool.
Only Christian Benteke has a better goals-per-game rate in the Premier League in 2013 than Sturridge.
Philippe Coutinho has 5 assists in 12 appearances for Liverpool.
11 of Dimitar Berbatov's 14 Premier League goals for Fulham have come before half-time.

Norwich City 4-0 West Bromwich Albion

For the first time this season, Norwich won a league home game by more than 1 goal.
This was the 11th time the Canaries had scored 4+ goals in a Premier League game, but only the 2nd time under Chris Hughton.
West Brom striker Shane Long made more tackles than any other player over the weekend (7).
Norwich scored with 4 of their 7 shots on target.
Grant Holt is Norwich’s top scorer this season with 7 goals.
Gareth McAuley has now scored 4 own goals against Norwich in his career (all league matches in the top four divisions of English football).

Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Newcastle United

This was only Newcastle’s 2nd away win of the season.
It was the 1st time since January that Newcastle had scored more than 1 in an away league game.
QPR scored their 1st penalty of the season from the 4th they had been awarded.
QPR have picked up only 2 points from their last 8 Premier League games.
Excluding the penalty, QPR managed only 1 shot on target in this game.
Bobby Zamora was caught offside 4 times in the match – a weekend PL high.
Newcastle completed just 66% (239) of their 360 attempted passes; the only team with a lower percentage completion in this round of PL games was Sunderland (64%, 174/274).

Sunderland 1-1 Southampton

Danny Graham has now gone 1034 goalless minutes in all competitions.
Sunderland’s last 3 goals have come from defenders.
The Black Cats managed only 2 shots on target (Southampton managed 8).
Southampton’s goal ended a run of 377 barren minutes in the league.
Saints’ possession figure of 64% is their best in a Premier League away game this season.
Sunderland had just 3 shots (excl. blocked) in this game. Only against Swansea in January have they managed fewer this season (2).

Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Red-carded Charlie Adam has conceded a total of 180 fouls in the last 3 Premier League seasons, a haul only topped by three players (Marouane Fellaini, Cheik Tioté and Kevin Davies).
Emmanuel Adebayor has now scored in consecutive games for the first time since May 2012.
The Potters scored with their only shot on target of the game; Tottenham had 7.
Spurs, who had 67.3% possession, completed almost three times as many passes as Stoke (456 out of 516 compared to 160/231). Stoke's passes attempted and completed were both weekend PL lows.
Tottenham’s win is their 1st in the league without the help of a Gareth Bale goal since New Year's Day (3-1 v Reading).
Michael Dawson made 16 clearances (9 headed) in the game – both weekend PL highs.

Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea

Christian Benteke was the 4th player to score and be sent off in the same PL game this season (alongside Marc-Antoine Fortuné, Carlton Cole and Emmanuel Adebayor).
Benteke has now scored 14 PL goals in 2013, at least 3 more than any other player.
Ramires was the 14th player this season to be sent off in the first half.
Frank Lampard has scored 13 PL goals against Aston Villa, his most against any single opponent.
Villa made 36 interceptions – not just a weekend league high (Swansea, Norwich and Everton made 19 each), but more than the combined totals in any PL match this weekend.

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Dave Whelan wins FA Cup, confused ITV viewers report

Back of the Net — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:20:00 GMT

Saturation coverage of the Mickey Rooney look-a-like confused television viewers, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

A significant percentage of people who watched Saturday’s FA Cup final on ITV believe that Dave Whelan became the first septuagenarian to win the famous trophy.

Features about Whelan accounted for one hour and 45 minutes of ITV’s two-hour pre-match build-up, with the 1960 FA Cup final being mentioned more than 6,000 times.

As kick-off approached, the coverage controversially cut away from opera quartet Amore’s rendition of Abide With Me to a version Whelan had recorded earlier with modified lyrics relating to the 1960 FA Cup final and his leg break.

During the game itself, the producer frequently cut away to Whelan, rather than show live action. Indeed, for much of the first half, ITV viewers were only able to see Whelan reacting to pictures of Whelan reacting to match events on Wembley’s big screen.

Television's Dave Whelan grasps the trophy

And ITV’s Whelan-heavy production left many fans scratching their heads after Ben Watson’s stoppage time winner for Wigan.

Research by FourFourTwo revealed that, when quizzed on what had happened, over 70 percent of viewers believed Dave Whelan had shrugged off Jack Rodwell and netted the winner himself.

Over 50 percent stated that Whelan had ‘certainly been on the field’, while nearly 25 percent insisted that Whelan had taken on Manchester City single-handed, many claiming to have vivid memories of the elderly chairman getting the better of Gael Clichy and whipping over some tantalising crosses.

“I’m not quite sure where Wigan came into it,” one typical questionnaire response read. “The commentators did say Wigan every now and again but Whelan won it, right?”

Wigan must now turn their attentions to fighting for Premier League survival, while Whelan can prepare for his maiden Europa League campaign, as FourFourTwo understands it.

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Schalke keep their stars and aim for the skies above Dortmund

Stefan Bienkowski — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:08:00 GMT

‘Change’ certainly seems to be the word on everyone’s mouth these days. Whether it’s the new manager at Old Trafford, the new head jester at Real Madrid or the whereabouts of football’s next top youngster, every topic seems steeped in metamorphosis and transformation.

In Germany it goes a little deeper than just the dynamic Euro-conquering duo of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and the impending alterations to their playing and management staff. As another Bundesliga season concludes, few teams embody change as much as the forward-looking Schalke.

Nothing quite lights the fire of incentive like the continued success of a local rival. And as Dortmund march towards a potential second Champions League title, Schalke have been in media overload to establish just how close they are to their North Rhine-Westphalia rivals.

This season's third-place spot may have been taken by Sami Hyypia's Bayer Leverkusen – analysed by Michael Cox on these pages last week – but Schalke are in no mood to slip down the rankings.

"We will inevitably consolidate our position among the top three in Germany" came the battle cry from chairman Clemens Tönnies last week as his side further cemented their fourth-placed position with a 4-1 win against Hamburg, before overcoming a resolute Gladbach 1-0 last weekend.

Julian Draxler celebrates the winner against Gladbach

And they may well be right. From a financial point of view Schalke are technically already the second biggest team in Germany. According to the latest listings from Forbes, the Gelsenkirchen club are still one place ahead of Dortmund in the rankings of the sport’s richest clubs.

Despite Dortmund actually reporting slightly higher profits and revenue than their rivals this year, Schalke are still considered the stronger of the two clubs in monetary terms, with a sturdier commercial backbone - their sponsors include such giants as Volkswagen, Gazprom and Adidas, while Dortmund still rest on existing deals with Puma and Evonik – as well as a more efficient matchday model that made £27.6m more than Dortmund despite housing almost 20,000 fewer fans in their Veltins Arena than the Westfalonstadion.

But it isn’t just on the spreadsheets that Schalke are on the up. In terms of the quality of player on show in Gelsenkirchen and the type of player that the club has been able to attract, Schalke aren’t too far off Dortmund, and have all but assured that fourth Champions League spot despite a turbulent managerial turnover in January.

In re-signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar to a new contract, Die Knappen have avoided the frequent problem of key players leaving at knockdown prices – a hurdle that Dortmund themselves are currently stumbling toward with their own star striker – whilst pointing out that they can match even the most demanding player’s ambitions.

Even when their young stars have moved on, as with Lewis Holtby’s hasty January exit to Tottenham, they have simply turned back to their eternal spring of capable youth players.

Julian Draxler, the closest thing Schalke has to a young, sporting messiah, is exactly who rose to the occasion in Holtby’s stead and has quickly come to symbolise the club’s hunger and desire to step out of Dortmund’s shadow.

At the tender age of 19, the young German has contributed 12 goals and seven assists this season – not as much pitching in as driving the team on. He shows the same promise displayed by a young Mario Gotze last season – a comparison that Schalke have been wise to act on by giving him a two-year contract extension until 2018, ending rumours of a switch to Dortmund.

Described as already being "one of the best players in the Bundesliga" by his general manager Horst Heldt, Draxler has been catapulted in to the German media – in no small part due to Schalke’s desire to show a bright new face at the same time as Dortmund’s former wonder-boy turns his back on the club for Bayern Munich.

Having already stated that he’d only ever move to Dortmund if he was brainwashed – amidst a tidal wave of talk (almost exclusively from Heldt again) suggesting otherwise – the emerging midfielder’s Royal Blue glow of loyalty has been used as a perfect example of just how Schalke are more adept at holding on to their stars.

With that new contract keeping the player at the club for the next five years, Schalke made light work of the announcement. With a fleet of lorries displaying the player’s image alongside the slogan ‘With Pride and Passion’ the ploy is designed to drive around the surrounding area, delighting Schalke supporters and tormenting Dortmund fans in equal measure: war games in this football-mad battlefield.

Trucking with the enemy's minds: A Draxlermobile, today

For the majority of Schalke fans, the most notable sign of change has been beating Dortmund home and away in the Rivierderbys, for the first time in five years. In the most recent encounter, in early March, the opening goalscorer and man of the match was Draxler.

Upon scoring, the youngster ran to the crowd and pointed to the emblem on his chest. "A goal against Dortmund is something very special," was his simple post-match conclusion. "I grew up here: this is my region."

His region today, possibly his nation tomorrow. For Schalke, the intention of catching Dortmund and all their successes comes with a clear guideline: hold on to your star players and your days in the shadows may well be numbered.

Wolves to terminate manager Dean Saunders

Back of the Net — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:47:00 GMT

The West Midlands club are not leaving anything to chance after their relegation to League One, reports Back of the Net's Paul Watson...

A statement from Wolverhampton Wanderers FC has confirmed that measures are being taken to terminate manager Dean Saunders after the club’s relegation to League One.

Wolves’ relegation represents a low ebb for a once almost-great club and the late-season appointment Saunders did little to appease fans, players, pundits and those who weren’t sure whether you still got Dean Saunders, alike.

Many supporters at Molineux called for Saunders’ head after defeat at Brighton sentenced their side to the third tier and it seems the board have taken the message literally, aiming to rebuild bridges by wiping Saunders off the face of the planet once and for all.

“Manager Dean Saunders has been informed that he is to be terminated,” a statement from chairman Steve Morgan reads: “Assistant manager Brian Carey is also to be eradicated.

“Wolves would like to thank Dean and Brian for their efforts in what has been a very difficult period for everyone. We wish them all the best for the future, with the exception of the immediate future and their attempts to evade the team of futuristic cyborg-assassins we have contracted to carry out their termination.”

In a press conference earlier this week, Saunders stressed his disappointment at failing to keep Wolves afloat and his frustration that things hadn’t worked out in the Black Country. He also conveyed his regret at having to repeatedly duck to avoid a hail of bullets fired at him by Killbot X-2, skulking at the back of the room.

There is still hope for the embattled tactician. Wolves infamously attempted to terminate loveable northern stereotype Mick McCarthy after his dismissal on February 2012, but McCarthy managed to evade and then destroy Killbot X-1, luring it into a conversation about Bovril before dispatching it with a sneaky rabbit punch.

The club will be keen to avoid such an embarrassment this time around, but reports suggest that Saunders has thus far evaded capture and may have removed his ‘DS’ monogrammed tracksuit, rendering him virtually invisible.

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ACTION REPLAY Tantrums and teacups: Fergie at Aberdeen

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:17:00 GMT

His managerial style became famous at Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson had a fearsome temper way before that. In this September 1998 FourFourTwo feature, Mike Wilson reveals the story of Fergie's Aberdeen years

It was wall-to-wall Willie Johnston on the day Alex Ferguson’s appointment as Aberdeen manager was reported. Which, translated into column inches, meant the back and front pages for the errant winger – he’d been charged with stimulant misuse and was on his way home from the World Cup in Argentina – and a couple of paragraphs for Ferguson.

High summer; 6 June, 1978. Three days after Scotland’s abject defeat by Peru, the racier read was: ‘Why I took those tablets.’ Twenty years on, however, almost everyone makes way for Alex Ferguson. Now, newspaper articles speculate about his place among the managerial legends, alongside Bill Shankly, Matt Busby and Jock Stein. Johnston, meanwhile, runs a boozer in Fife.

We all know how the Aberdeen chapter in Ferguson’s managerial career reaches its thundering climax. That sublime moment on 11 May 1983 when, on a rain-soaked night in Gothenburg, a young John Hewitt threw himself at a Mark McGhee cross to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup against mighty Real Madrid.

How that chapter begins, though, is shrouded in mystery. The Scotsman newspaper, trying to make sense of his surprise sacking from St Mirren, began its article with the memorable line: ‘It must be the heat.’ Ferguson was accused of having breached the his contract: the St Mirren chairman, William Todd, said the board was unanimous. Ferguson had to go.

Ferguson’s response, with trademark gusto, was to become the first football manager to demand an industrial tribunal – which he lost, even though in his four years at St Mirren he not only secured promotion to the Premier Division, he also infused the team with young talent. His legacy at Love Street has a familiar ring to this day. But sometimes, given a sniff of success, clubs get ideas above their station.

November 1978: Fergie at his tribunal

‘I remember the day when he was sacked,’ says Iain Munro, a St Mirren player at the time. ‘We didn’t know any of the background; all we knew was that there had been a board meeting. Although it was the summer we had been coming in for some top-up training and he came down into the dressing room and told us. The players couldn’t believe it because he was so highly regarded.’

The sacking was also a bolt out of the blue for Ferguson’s assistant at the time, Ricky McFarlane: ‘It must have been a Tuesday, after a board meeting, and I phoned him from Blackpool Zoo. I was on holiday and I was just touching base. He told me he had just been sacked. He didn’t tell me why exactly and the St Mirren board tried to keep it as low-key as possible. The press speculated about it, that, maybe, it had something to do with how expenses were being paid.’

Ferguson’s agony didn’t last long, however, Aberdeen, without a manager after the departure of Billy McNeill for his first love, Celtic, were quickest off the mark to snap him up. The mutual regard that was quickly forged between Ferguson and the Dons’ then chairman, Dick Donald, was only hinted at when Donald said: ‘We are impressed with Ferguson’s record and he is a candidate for the job.’

•••••

When they play Fergie’s tune it is usually to the accompaniment of cheers. In the three years separating that wonderful night in Gothenburg from the call to manage Manchester United, there was the small matter of two more Premier Division titles, three further Scottish Cups and yet another League Cup. Plus a trip to the 1986 World Cup, as Scotland manager.

At United it took a little longer than it did at Aberdeen to secure the first League title, but at both clubs the effect was liberating. ‘The first title is the biggest thing,’ says McFarlane. ‘Anything after that is icing on the cake. The league championship for any manager is a big obstacle. When he was at Aberdeen, no-one outside the Old Firm had won the League championship for nearly 15 years.’

The title arrived at the end of Fergie’s second season but that was not soon enough to stop the critics airing doubts about his abilities. Between the summer of 1978 and Christmas 1979, Aberdeen lost two League Cup finals and their form was little more than ordinary in the League. There were moments, just as there were later at United, when both time and tide seemed to be running against him.

May 1980: That first league title at Aberdeen

‘At the end of the day the manager is a gatherer of a team,’ says McFarlane. ‘When he went to Aberdeen he was clever enough not to go out and just buy. That was quite a brave thing because he had a tough first year. Mark you, there were some good players already there, including some amazing signings such as Steve Archibald and Gordon Strachan.

But it would have been easy to have gone out and bought. Instead he kept his nerve, even though it wasn’t the smoothest of years. Aberdeen isn’t the easiest place for any new manager to go and he was a young manager from Glasgow. And there were a lot of strong-minded players there.’

But then, after losing to Kilmarnock on 21 March 1980, Aberdeen embarked on a 13-game unbeaten run, eating up the massive lead built up by Celtic, who were beginning to go off the boil after their exit from the European Cup quarter-finals at the hands of Real Madrid.

Come 3 May 1980 it was neck and neck, thanks, in no small measure, to two quick-fire wins by Aberdeen at Celtic Park. The penultimate game of the season for Aberdeen was an away fixture against Hibernian, who were heading for relegation. On the same day Celtic, playing their last game, were away at St Mirren. All they could manage was a 0-0 draw while Aberdeen thumped Hibs 5-0 at Easter Road. For the first time in 25 years, the title was theirs.

Ferguson’s fingerprints were all over the trophy. ‘He seemed, even back then, to like mobile full-backs, midfield steel and a wide left player,’ says Pat Stanton, Ferguson’s assistant for the title triumph. ‘I never did ask him why he appointed me. We stayed in digs together. Both being new to the area we hadn’t yet taken our families up north. He liked a good laugh. He had a great memory for telephone numbers.

Fergie hugs Stanton at Easter Road

‘At a football club there are so many people around and maybe a few who don’t fancy the manager – maybe thinking he was a bit of an upstart – and I felt I was there to look after his back.

‘We were a much tighter outfit in the second season – his influence was starting to show. It doesn’t have to take much to turn a good season into a winning one. It might just be a few breaks of the ball, a couple of goal-line clearances, an incident or two that gets the team feeling they won’t lose goals and they will easily score them. The first season was hard. He had the industrial tribunal and his father was ill. He was travelling up and down the country all the time.’

In two with the tactical genius came the man-management of soon-to-be mythological proportions. Ferguson is routinely described as ‘streetwise’. That exact word is used, quite independently, by three witnesses from Fergie’s early days: Iain Munro, Alex McLeish and Craig Brown.

Brown was assistant to Ferguson during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and he well remembers Ferguson’s anguish when, after Scotland’s hasty exit from the so-called Group of Death (their opponents were West Germany, Denmark and Uruguay), Arsenal and Spurs both overlooked him in favour of other managers.

Fergie and friends say goodbye en route to Mexico

‘There are two outstanding things about Alex Ferguson – his photographic memory and his wonderful eye for a good player,’ says Brown. ‘He can remember every kick of the ball, which means he can adapt quickly to changes in a game.’

The obsessive nature of the successful football manager was easy to see in Ferguson during his managerial stints at East Stirlingshire (for four months at the start of his career), St Mirren and Aberdeen. Infamously Ferguson, son of Govan – the Glasgow district of shipyards and hard men with a love for education – was also a man with a temper. Brown remembers that, in Mexico, Ferguson was not only good at Trivial Pursuit but would take his defeats – albeit rare ones – badly.

••••••

Stanton recalls Ferguson’s great passion for the game: ‘He’d go crackers but his outbursts would never last, they were always soon forgotten. Maybe a few of them were premeditated. He tended to do the shouting at half-time. He took defeat bad, particularly games we should have won. Often he would disappear, go into his shell, keep out of the road by going into his office, sick and fed up with it.’

Munro says of Ferguson’s St Mirren days: ‘He was very good at taking the pressure off players before a big game by taking it on himself. Before games against the Old Firm he would invariably make some inflammatory statement that not only got the punters along but turned the spotlight on him and away from the players.’

McLeish’s recollections tap into a similar vein: ‘He would create causes. A regular one was the supposed west-coast bias of the media. He liked the players to have that chip on their soldier.’

‘When St Mirren were still in the First Division,’ says McFarlane, ‘Partick Thistle were the number one team in the division. But he would wind up their manager Bertie Auld something rotten. They would beat us quite regularly but he made them out to be the enemy and eventually we started to get results. As the St Mirren players lined up in the tunnel to play them he would say: “Remember boys, God is on your side.”’

Neale Cooper, part of a tough Aberdeen midfield, endorses those views: ‘I’ve seen many a cup of tea thrown at half-time. You knew you had to do well for him or you would be told. But he was very fair. If you worked for him and did your best he looked after you. If you stepped out of line he would come down on you. His training was great, his coaching ideas were superb and he liked a laugh. He knew that different players thrived under different styles of management.

‘The thing about Fergie was that when you did well he would really praise you and that was a nice feeling. It was a very happy dressing room.

‘He was a winner. We were once playing Celtic and I was called in to the office beforehand and told I was man-marking Charlie Nicholas. He was their main player. Stop him playing and that will be half the battle. He wanted me to think about it all week in the build-up. The boys had a bit of a laugh about it, they kept asking if I was thinking about Charlie.

‘So, by the time of the game, I was quite keyed up. Two or three seconds on the clock, Frank McGarvey passed the ball to Charlie and I went flying in. Charlie was lying there, holding his knee. At the time, I thought, you know, maybe I was a bit brainwashed.

Neale Cooper (Champagne Charlie not pictured)

‘But never, ever was I sent out to hit a boy. Look through the side, they could all play a bit. You have to win the battle before you start playing. But there is a difference between going out and kicking teams and refusing to be messed about. We refused to be messed about. No-one would trample over us. Teams knew they had a game on.’

A hint of where that mental toughness came from can be found in a conversation remembered by Stanton. But it must be prefaced with McFarlane’s observation that Fergie had sufficient self-confidence to listen and learn from other people.

‘As a player he would always argue his corner,’ says McFarlane. ‘He would be the one going into the manager’s office to fight for deals; on the park, as a centre-forward, he fought his corner. But he was good at learning from other people. He would acknowledge what people said, he would say: “Here, that’s a great point, there.” A lot of people wouldn’t be so public.

‘He was also a fierce trade unionist, always somebody who had an opinion. To be fair he went on coaching courses and was always keen to go into management.

‘You have to remember that, at that time, very few players talked about management. But he wanted to do that. We were still not that long out of the era when the manager was the figure in a suit and hat. No-one, for example, hand heard of player-managers in those days.’

The conversation Stanton vividly remembers involved himself, Ferguson and Stein, a mentor to Ferguson just as Fergie has become a mentor to many of today’s young managers, including McLeish. ‘Both of us were speaking to Stein one day. I think it we were sitting down, having a cup of tea.

'Big Stein said: “It wouldn’t be a bad thing to get a reputation for being a right hard bunch.” Like the Leeds United of the 1970s who battled their way to the top and then, once there, started to play good football. To have the feeling that everybody was against us – referees, the SFA, the media. I think he [Ferguson] took that on board.

Ferguson and Jock Stein in 1983

‘To be successful in Scotland you have to go to Ibrox and Celtic Park and win on a regular basis. Too many teams went with the attitude: “We’ll play well, but we’ll eventually lose.”’

McLeish – like Cooper, McGhee, Munro, Strachan and countless others – is a graduate of the clubs Ferguson managed early in his career who has decided to follow the same employment route. ‘There was one game in the League Cup against Celtic at Celtic Park which is now considered watershed in the club’s history,’ says McLeish.

‘I came off the bench to play, in midfield as it happened. And he said: “Put Tommy Burns out of the game.” I said, in true Nobby Stiles style: “For good?” And he said: “No, just mark him out of the game.” And we won that night, 2-1. That was when we started going to Glasgow and winning.

‘A lot of us had the winning mentality and Ferguson enhanced it. He did rule by fear. I had known nothing else because I was a new boy. I just thought this was the way every manager worked.

Gothenburg, May 1983: Fergie rallies them before extra-time

‘The biggest fear for me was losing my place in the team. That is what should drive every professional player.
‘It’s no secret Fergie could blast off in the dressing room. But as he has got more successful, he has mellowed.

'Some of it was definitely premeditated. He fined John Hewitt for overtaking him in his car after training. I can swear he turned that one on. I was in Fergie’s car when he was being overtaken and I’m sure he hadn’t noticed until we started winding him up about it. He was just humming away to his Frank Sinatra tapes.

‘So he says: “Aye, watch this.” He goes into the dressing room and blasts John. John leaves. White. Fergie comes out, winking at me. And I thought: “He can turn it on and off.” John Hewitt picked up his wages and found he was fined. I suppose Fergie didn’t have too much cause to blast me. I feel extra-privileged that I am closer than most who continue to keep in touch with him.’

•••••

The last word goes to Terry Scott, the kit man at Aberdeen. Scott symbolises another Ferguson trait: loyalty. Scott was in charge of the reserve team at Pittodrie when Ferguson arrived; 20 years later, Ferguson took his Manchester United back to Aberdeen for Scott's testimonial.

‘We got on great, right from the start, and we are still very close,’ says Scott. ‘His enthusiasm struck me at the start. He wanted to come in and do a job and I thought: “This is a man who knows what he is about.” He had a way with players, his man-management was excellent.

'He could sum up people right away and knew how to handle them. He knew those who could be shouted at and those who needed an occasional wee pat on the back. He took a lot of interest in the kids, which a lot of managers don’t.

The words of tribute come easily to Scott. In part, that is a reflection of the deep well of affection he has for the former Aberdeen manager. But it might also be because such words are well-practised. Before we spoke he had just been interviewed by a Granada TV crew who were preparing a documentary on the Manchester United manager. Nowadays the media can’t get enough of Alex Ferguson.

Gothenburg, May 1983: The final whistle goes

OPINION Success, succession, paternalism and generations
FEATURE Fergie's 10 best and 10 worst moments at Man United
HISTORY Alex Ferguson at Manchester United: A detailed history
GALLERY Every trophy Fergie won at Man United
PSYCHOLOGY Does Moyes have the mettle? An expert speaks
FEATURE Follow that! How legends' successors have fared or failed
PERFECT XI The Alex Ferguson Old Trafford Dream Team
GALLERY Fergie Time: A pictorial history of watch-tapping

FourFourTwo: Now on iPad

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:25:00 GMT

In the interests of keeping tech-savvy iPad-wafting FourFourTwo fans in the loop, it’s our great pleasure to bring to your attention the iPad edition of FourFourTwo magazine.

Completely re-designed for iPad, the mag focuses on the stories and dishes out little bits of interactivity when you need them. It includes everything from the monthly magazine but adds interactivity, with this month’s moving-picture highlights including PSG’s Lucas juggling a ball on his Parisien balcony and Michu chatting about his favourite training drill.

People have been pretty impressed so far, and Apple chose to run it as an Editor’s Choice not only on the front page of their Newsstand but also on the front page of the whole App Store. Woo-hoo!

Wing your way over to the App Store and have a gander at FourFourTwo's iPad edition. The future's here.

I want it! Gizzit me now!

McManaman and Wembley: A golden partnership

Michael Cox — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:10:00 GMT

Wigan hit Wembley against Manchester City pinning their hopes on a winger whose namesake often excelled at the famous old venue.... Michael Cox investigates using the Stats Zone app

Only one player named McManaman has previously played in a Wembley cup final – but 22-year-old Wigan winger Callum McManaman has a great deal to live up to.

Steve McManaman won just two trophies during his nine-year spell at Liverpool: the 1992 FA Cup and the 1995 League Cup. He always put on a show, however, and was named man of the match in both finals – the first a 2-0 win over Sunderland, the second a 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in which he scored both goals.

The FA Cup final of 1996 passed him by, but he was named in the Team of the Tournament at Euro 96 the next month, having played all five games at Wembley. In the final years of the old stadium, McManaman was one those players who saved his best performances for the big occasions.

Callum McManaman might be no relation, but he shares many qualities with his more famous namesake. They’re both skilful wingers, capable of a trick to get away from a defender, followed by a great surge of speed to get to the ball first.

McManaman wasn’t a regular at Wigan until March, but he’s started every FA Cup match this season – and has scored in the Fifth Round, Sixth Round and Semi-Final, against Huddersfield, Everton and Millwall respectively. “He seems like he's been playing at Wembley many, many times,” said Roberto Martinez after the semi-final: is this another Wembley specialist named McManaman?

The winger hit the headlines for his horrific tackle on Newcastle’s Massaido Haidara in March, but since that incident, he’s had a positive impact on Wigan’s attacking play, providing pace and directness down the right.

Those are important qualities for Wigan’s right-winger. Although their formation has changed between a 3-4-3 and a 4-3-3 in recent weeks, Wigan’s attacking trident plays in the same manner either way. Arouna Kone starts as the centre-forward and makes constant runs into the channels behind the opposition defence, while Scottish playmaker Shaun Maloney drifts inside from the left wing.

McManaman’s job is to stay wider, stretching the play. The difference between the zones he and Maloney receives the ball in is subtle, but crucial to Wigan’s play.

At this stage of his career, McManaman is a classic young, slightly naïve winger. He’s excellent at beating an opponent, but his final ball is frequently underwhelming. His battle against Ben Davies in Wigan’s 3-2 defeat to Swansea was very interesting – he dribbled past the Welsh left-back with a couple of clever tricks, but his crossing never found an opponent.

Wigan attempt to play a passing game, in order to dominate possession and spend the majority of the time in the opposition half. However, when Roberto Martinez’s side find themselves pinned back, McManaman finds it difficult to influence the game when he receives possession inside his own half.

In the recent 2-2 draw against Tottenham, for example, McManaman spent the game defending inside his own third, barely getting a chance to attack. His positional discipline without the ball is questionable, and although he has the skillset to become a good counter-attacking player, for now he thrives when his side are on the front foot.

This weekend, McManaman will be up against Gael Clichy, one of the Premier League’s finest left-backs. The most distinctive part of the Frenchman’s game is his tendency to intercept the ball before it’s played to an opposition winger – anticipating a pass, using his incredible acceleration to intercept the ball, and charging forward on the break.

He tries not to let his opponent get time and space on the ball to pick up speed and dribble past him – and therefore his battle with McManaman will be very exciting. The youngster must position himself intelligently to receive the ball, or he’ll have limited opportunities to take on Clichy.

Wigan are very much underdogs this weekend, but it’s a player like McManaman – young, fearless, and a direct dribbler – who might be their best chance of a rare FA Cup final shock.

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Levante’s vow of silence, Mallorca’s last stand & Atlético's Sunday siesta

Tim Stannard — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:40:00 GMT

Friday

Levante (12th) v Zaragoza (16th) - 21.00
In a wise move that no doubt pleased the club’s lawyers no end, Levante are shutting up shop in terms of the current match fixing scandal, with the club reportedly under investigation by Spain’s prosecuting authorities. Sergio Ballesteros was due to talk to the press on Monday, but an appearance was cancelled. Speaking on Wednesday, manager Juan Ignacio Martínez announced that no comments would be made on the affair, but did have time to speak about the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, which made quite a few waves in Spain. “Manchester United have always been a reference point for their attacking play. Three or four moves that I’ve got in my notebook are copied from Ferguson,” admitted JIM, referring perhaps to Sir Alex’s rarely deployed ‘long ball-hoof’ tactic, that Levante adopt so regularly.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Saturday

Athletic Bilbao (14th) v Mallorca (20th) - 16.00
And now, the end is here....it certainly is for Mallorca, who can all but say goodbye to la Primera if Athletic are not vanquished in San Mamés. Mallorca would no doubt have much preferred to play an Athletic side that was safely snug in mid-table, with not much else to do aside from a bit of backgammon of a weekend to pass the time. Instead, the bottom-feeders face an Athletic side very much in trouble themselves, with just 38 points to their names and in rather poor form. “It’s a match that will make the difference between a quiet month or the start of a wobble and doubts arriving,” was the prognosis from Ander Herrera, who has been a bit of a bottom-lip trembler, in recent months.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Valladolid (13th) v Deportivo (18th) - 18.00
A couple of comments made about the match-fixing scandal over the last seven days came from figures involved in this particular tie. Valladolid president Carlos Suárez is a confirmed believer that some games are rigged, but says “there has never been evidence to prove it. Every year, we get strange results, comments, and on top of that you listen to players behind closed doors who say that these things go on.”
One footballer who certainly doesn’t want to hear such talk is Depor’s Juan Carlos Valerón, who this week announced that rumours of match fixing in the game between Levante and his side left him feeling 'stunned'.
“We don’t want anything to do with this,” said the veteran midfielder.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Osasuna (17th) v Getafe (8th) - 20.00
Before Monday night, Osasuna might have been viewing Saturday's visit of Getafe in the same way a comfy pair of slippers is viewed after a dark and stormy day: cosy and accommodating. Actually, that sounds a bit wrong. Anyway, Getafe appeared to have given up on their campaign, but a home win against Real Sociedad suggests there may be some fight in the old Coliseum sea dog yet, which is exactly what Osasuna don’t need.
“It’s a great dream for me and I get this over to the players,” said Getafe boss, Luis García Plaza, on the idea of European football.
While Osasuna’s future may well involve the words ‘second division’, Getafe have been forging ahead with a bright new future. As always, the club have been scooping up players who are about to be out of contract from struggling Primera sides. Getafe president, Angel Torres, announced that a deal had been done for Celta Vigo fullback Roberto Lago, but also noted that “we need some departures” from a squad currently containing 33 players. That includes Dani Güiza, who is going to be rather difficult to shift.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Espanyol (11th) v Real Madrid (2nd) - 22.00
Here’s LLL with your condensed Real Madrid nonsense and news taken from the morning papers over the past few days...
José Mourinho is still wanting to go to Chelsea. José Mourinho is trying to make internal changes so he can stay. Pepe isn’t happy. Sergio Ramos wants everyone to get along. Neither Mourinho nor Aitor Karanka will be speaking ahead of Saturday’s Espanyol match, as neither can be trusted. Potentially, neither will be talking to the media ahead of Friday’s cup final for pretty much the same reason. Oh, Friday's Marca leads with the news that Zinedine Zidane will be returning to the club in some kind of institutional, director-of-things role. He’s taken courses and everything.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Sunday

Rayo Vallecano (10th) v Valencia (5th) - 12.00
AS are claiming that Ernesto Valverde is a strong favourite to take over from Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao this summer. It’s a story which kicked off when the Valencia boss took over at Mestalla in December, after rumours bubbled up that the coach had already lined up for the San Mamés club. The fact nobody really knows who is charge of Valencia to make decisions on what to do with Valverde is certainly not persuading the coach to stay put.
The managerial future at Rayo Vallecano is also still murky, with Paco Jémez and the administrators yet to see eye-to-eye on a new contract. This problem has, in turn, prevented any of the players with soon-to-expire deals from signing on for the upcoming campaign.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Real Betis (7th) v Celta Vigo (19th) - 17.00
Three games in a week sees a bit of an accelerated relegation process for poor Celta Vigo, a side that lost 3-1 at home to Atlético Madrid on Wednesday evening, but were still applauded off the pitch by supporters. There was yet more bad news from the Galician club, when it was confirmed they had lost Mario Bermejo for up to six months with a cruciate ligament tear.
Celta’s 31 point tally now sees the side probably needing to win all three of their remaining games, but midfielder Borja Oubiña is putting on a fairly blustery, Braveheart face on the challenge to come. “This team is not going to give up,” declared the captain. “Not until the season is over.” That could well be on Sunday afternoon, for all intents and purposes.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Atlético Madrid (3rd) v Barcelona (1st) - 19.00
Time for Atlético Madrid to stretch and gurgle on Sunday and play Adrían as the sole striker. An enormous capitulation at the Vicente Calderón would both ease Barcelona to the league title and rest Atlético’s big hitters ahead of next Friday’s Copa del Rey final.
The Rojiblancos had their round 36 match moved forward to last Wednesday due to the final, and duly beat Celta Vigo 3-1 to secure third spot and guaranteed Champions League football. “It’s a big day for Atlético Madrid and I thank everyone that works at the club for contributing to make this a reality,” said Diego Simeone. However, the Atlético boss promised that it won’t be spa time on Sunday evening, despite LLL's suggestions to the contrary. “We can’t allow ourselves to relax for the next game for the status that Barça and because we never do that.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Málaga (6th) v Sevilla (9th) - 21.00
Poor Manuel Pellegrini seemed to be getting towards the end of his Chilean tether after the 6-2 defeat to Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. “It wasn’t a match as we didn’t have two teams playing under the same conditions,” was the complaint from the Málaga boss after two red cards were handed out to his team.
The defeat does seem to have finally finished off Málaga’s chances of a top four finish and the danger now is that the last three games for the southern club become a bit of an ordeal after a trying campaign. “We are coming to the end of a very difficult year in many aspects,” admitted Pellegrini. “When a team sells players it means economically it needs to and the conditions are not of those of the four best teams in Spain. What happens next year in an unknown.” The bright spark for Málaga is that Sevilla are in town on Sunday, the team with just the single away win from 16 this season.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Monday

Real Sociedad (4th) v Granada (15th) - 22.00
There’s nothing quite like poking your nose in where it doesn’t belong, and that’s what Granada striker, Carlos Aranda, did this week with his thoughts on match-fixing. More accurately, the footballer known for being a genuine hard-case that LLL is quite scared of, was most unhappy that Levante’s José Barkero had apparently doubted the integrity of four team-mates during the infamous Deportivo defeat, and had apologised publicly for doing so. “It’s not worth the saliva to talk about someone who has sullied the image of Spanish football and these four professionals,” warned the irate footballer.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, have nicer things to concern themselves with, and that’s finishing fourth by bouncing back from defeat to Getafe on Monday night after 15 matches unbeaten. “Nothing has changed,” promised defender, Alberto de la Bella. Let’s hope not.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Does Moyes have the mettle to follow Fergie? A psychologist speaks

Joe Brewin — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:33:00 GMT

With David Moyes announced as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United, Joe Brewin quizzes a top sports psychologist on the challenges ahead

The heart, the soul, the passion, the genius. The tantrums, teacups and rages. The watch-tapping, gum-chewing, dead-eyed stares and no-nonsense nagging. Soon it will all be gone. But somehow, somebody must step up to fill the gaping void left by Sir Alex Ferguson – and it’s outgoing Everton boss David Moyes.

After 11 years at Goodison Park, Fergie’s fellow Glaswegian is set for centre stage in football’s most thankless position. But just how do you follow a man like Fergie?

In all likelihood, Moyes won’t be able to match his predecessor’s 13 Premier League crowns, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions League titles. He will not be the same untouchable presence at Carrington. But he will be expected to hit the ground running.

It will take a strong mind, of course. But more than that, according to leading sports psychologist Dan Abrahams, it will require every manager’s most desired commodity – respect.

“It’s a massive word in football,” Abrahams tells FourFourTwo. “That's where his biggest challenge lies, especially if he suffers a few opening defeats.

“Players like to be coached, rightly or wrongly, by managers who have a history of playing or a level of success at a certain level. If it was Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho going in, they could point to the Invincibles of 2003/04 or two Champions League titles.

“The challenge Moyes has is that he really can’t point to any trophies or any enormous successes, and he can’t draw upon an illustrious playing career. So how he builds that respect is going to be his big challenge.”

Ferguson didn’t have it easy when he took the reins at Old Trafford, but the underachieving club he took over in 1986 is a million miles from the one Moyes is about to inherit.

November 1986: Fergie and United’s players size each other up

Now the 50-year-old must work out how to gain the esteem of Ferguson’s country-conquering squad. After all, the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have been exposed to nothing but the departing manager’s methods at club level. According to psychologist Abrahams, who has worked with top clubs including Tottenham, Celtic and West Ham, a balance is crucial.

“I don’t think it’s a case of stamping your authority and I don’t think it’s a case of stepping back,” he says. “I think it’s about doing what he’s done on a daily basis for many years at Everton.

“You just have a different selection of players, a different training ground, a different match day ground and a different coloured shirt.

“It is different for different players. It’s an art, it’s not an exact science and there are going to be some players who will be profoundly happy. Then there will be other players who would be profoundly disappointed and upset.

“What a new face has to bring, however, is renewed energy and vigour. At the same time, it’s almost cliché to say it, but you have to prove yourself to a new manager whoever you are.”

At Everton, Moyes gradually built a squad that climbed from finishing in the bottom six for six consecutive years to being in the top eight for seven seasons. But at Old Trafford he will preside over a glittering array of stars who, says Abrahams, may not necessarily warm to their new man immediately.

“If those players do not perceive Moyes to be good enough, if those players have the perception that they aren’t going to play for him – which can happen often – then his reign might last not that long,” he says.

“But it might be difficult for Manchester United players to rebel in the dressing room with Ferguson or Bobby Charlton in the background, with that rich history of success.”

United pride themselves on stability, and Abrahams says that the change of management can have a crucial effect on players.

“I’m warmed ‘em up for ye, Davie”

“What you can guarantee – and I’ve seen it – is that you do get a different player mentalities in training when a new man turns up,” he says. “They have to prove themselves and they have to show him they are capable of being first choice. There is plenty of competition between players for only 11 spots.

“Then there is the potential for fresh tactics and a new way of going forward. It is a fresh voice, so that is interesting, and it can be both exciting and daunting for players.

“At United there’s always a high intensity – it’s renowned for being that way – so whether that increases, whether the players enjoy that new voice and that new approach, remains to be seen.”

When the dust has settled, attentions will finally turn to his successor. Scrutiny from the start seems inevitable. And ultimately Moyes does not have silverware or European glory to fall back on. He has only his character and a respectable record with Everton that, to his great credit, has got him this far.

And so the million pound question: can he really succeed in Ferguson’s house?

“I’ve worked closely with players and coaches who have been with him and I think yes,” says Abrahams. “He’s intelligent, he’s calm, he’s tactically astute and to my mind he has been good in the transfer market over the years.

“I think he’ll absolutely love the challenge – and he’ll do it with a who-dares-wins attitude.”

Dan Abrahams is a leading sport psychologist who has worked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Celtic. See danabrahams.com for more.

OPINION Success, succession, paternalism and generations
FEATURE Fergie's 10 best and 10 worst moments at Man United
HISTORY Alex Ferguson at Manchester United: A detailed history
GALLERY Every trophy Fergie won at Man United
FEATURE Follow that! How legends' successors have fared or failed
PERFECT XI The Alex Ferguson Old Trafford Dream Team

Follow that! How the replacements for managerial greats have fared

Tom J Doyle — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:59:00 GMT

How do you follow a true great? With Sir Alex Ferguson leaving Manchester United, Tom J Doyle analyses those who have had big acts to follow

And with that, an era ended. Yes, the curtain is finally coming down on Sir Alex Ferguson’s epochal reign at Manchester United. After 26 years and 38 trophies (including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues) the Scot is finally leaving Old Trafford, a place so much like home that the North stand has even been named after him. With increasing commercial revenue and a squad finely balanced between the promising youth of Rafael, Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck and David de Gea and seasoned heads such as Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick, Ferguson could not be handing the baton over at a more appropriate time.

And yet… just how do you replace a man like Sir Alex Ferguson? That is the unenviable task facing the new arrival, and rightly or wrongly, they shall be judged by the great Scot’s achievements. It looks increasingly likely that David Moyes will be asked to have a crack at the most tantalising job in world football, but we live in a world littered with tales of managers trying – and failing – to replace successful men before them. Anybody hoping to step into the incumbent’s shoes to try out their own little awkward victory jig would do well to heed these lessons of the past…

No Brucie Bonus here
Scotland captain Bruce Rioch played for clubs such as Aston Villa, Derby County and Everton before impressing as a manager at Middlesbrough and Bolton, leading both up two divisions to the top flight with swashbuckling football. In June 1995 he arrived at Arsenal as the permanent replacement for George Graham, whose trophy-strewn Highbury career had ended in the ignominy of a bung scandal.

Straight-laced sergeant-major Rioch led the Gunners to fifth place (they had finished 12th the year before), helped by the signing of legend-in-waiting Dennis Bergkamp for a British record £7.5m. However, in September 1996 he was summarily sacked after clashing with the board over transfers – not helped by Ian Wright's transfer request after being dropped by Rioch, who unfavourably compared the terrace hero to Bolton forward John McGinlay. Arsenal hired Arsene Wenger, leaving Rioch as a prime example of a manager sandwiched in between reigns.

The not-so-Neilly men
A double European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest, Martin O'Neill managed his way up through Grantham Town, Shepshed Charterhouse, Wycombe Wanderers and Norwich City before joining Leicester in 1995. In five fabulous years he led the Foxes to two League Cup triumphs and four successive top-10 Premiership finishes before leaving for Celtic in 2000.

Since then, Leicester have made 13 managerial appointments, with much less success. Peter Taylor (pictured) was the first, lasting little over a season, and City dropped from the top flight two years after O'Neill's departure. Although Micky Adams took them back up in 2003, they went straight down and by 2008 were in the third tier. O’Neill’s current unemployment shows that while sides often suffer from the departure of a charismatic leader, a close relationship between club and manager can suit both parties. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and all that jazz.

A Clough act to follow
What more can you say about Brian Clough that the man hadn’t already said about himself? Perhaps the only manager to rival and even out-do Ferguson for controversy and ruthless desire, he led Nottingham Forest to the First Division title and two consecutive European Cups. However, Clough’s time with Forest came to a sorry end in 1993 with relegation in the inaugural Premier League season.

His immediate replacement, former Forest full-back turned Leyton Orient manager Frank Clark, led the club straight back into the top flight and finished third in the Premier League – but two seasons later Clark was gone and so were Forest, eventually landing in the third tier. They're now pushing for promotion back to the Premier League but they have made 14 'permanent' managerial appointments since Clough, whose shadow still looms large over the City Ground.

Big Sam, Little Sam
Replacing Sam Allardyce at Bolton was never going to be easy. 'Big Sam' had taken Wanderers from second-tier struggles to cup finals, Europe and four successive finishes in England's top eight. When Allardyce walked away in April 2007, Bolton promoted his assistant Sammy Lee: Little Sam stepping into Big Sam's sizeable shoes.

The former Liverpool player (and England coach) started well enough, steering Bolton into Europe as the 2006/07 season finished, but the one point from his two games in charge proved a reliable indicator. He was sacked in October after winning just five points from his first nine games. Gary Megson kept Bolton up, but Owen Coyle eventually took them down and Bolton are back in the second tier, awaiting another Allardyce.

Scottish spirit
Without wanting to put undue pressure on whoever replaces Ferguson at Old Trafford, the club’s older supporters have seen the same thing happen before with a previous Scottish great. Sir Matt Busby spent 24 years in the Old Trafford hot-seat and brought the glory years to Manchester United despite the tragedy of the Munich air crash, winning the European Cup (a first for a British club) in 1968 just 10 years after the destruction of his ‘Babes’.

However, after Busby became General Manager in 1969 the club went into decline. Amiable boot-room promotee Wilf McGuinness (pictured) lasted 18 months before Busby came back; the distant Frank O'Farrell lasted 18 months; Tommy Docherty even took them down a division. United had to wait for 26 years, and Alex Ferguson, before they were again Champions of England.

You’re the Guy for me
If ever a man knew a club inside out, it is Guy Roux. In 1961, at the age of 23, he became player-coach at amateur local-league Auxerre; 44 years later he was still there (although not playing, obviously), in charge of a club which had spent 25 consecutive season in the top flight, winning it in 1996. Paternalistic and hands-on, Roux developed Auxerre into a French powerhouse of emerging talent, with the likes of Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Djibril Cisse and Philippe Mexes all getting a chance to develop under his tutelage. Apparently single-handedly, he moulded the club into a genuine force in French football; he started his reign manning the club’s switchboards, and ended it in 2005 winning the French Cup for a record-equalling fourth time.

Following him would always be a big ask – especially as Roux hovered in the background with a hand in transfer policy – and it proved beyond former France and Spurs manager Jacques Santini (pictured), who was sacked shortly after Roux's testimonial match. Jean Fernandez fared better, leading Auxerre into the 2010/11 Champions League, but Auxerre now languish in Ligue 2. It seems there’s only one Guy for Auxerre, and he’s not in the dugout.

So, if it is to be David Moyes for Manchester United, he must be sure to be his own man and stick to his guns. And listen to the money men of course. And the fans. And the media. And the…on second thoughts, it may well be worth taking a moment to raise a glass of your best red and realise that there will never be another like Sir Alex Ferguson. No? Didn’t think so. It’s over to you David – no pressure...

Success, succession, paternalism and generations: the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson

Gary Parkinson — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:48:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com Editor Gary Parkinson reacts to the retirement of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson

The shock is a surprise. It shouldn't be unexpected to hear of the retirement of a 71-year-old who has achieved all he ever wanted. But soundbite after soundbite starts with "shock", as if Sir Alex Ferguson's departure were an unexpected seismic wave.

It may not have been unforeseeable but it will change the bedrock of British football, and may have far-reaching effects. Ferguson's reign wasn't just long, it was huge: Manchester United became the world's biggest football club (and brand) and dominated the English game in an almost unprecedented manner.

Now, much of that is under threat. The club no longer has the financial muscle to dominate the transfer market, instead being forced to pick its battles (and redraw the lines where necessary, such as the purchase of Robin van Persie despite a previous determination not to spend money on ageing players with questionable resale value).

But while nouveau-riche clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea have spending power, they have struggled to compete with United's allure of consistency and stability, radiating from Ferguson. The pull of working for Sir Alex has been enough to attract several players who could have earned more elsewhere. Now those players will wonder how stable Old Trafford is; how long the knight's replacement will last.

SUCCESSION CRISIS

From success to succession. It has long been said that only a fool would follow Fergie into the hot seat; it's never easy to replace a legend. Who followed Queen Victoria on the British throne? Nobody wants to be the Gordon Brown to Ferguson's Tony Blair.

And the new man will work under a shadow. Just as Matt Busby loomed over Wilf McGuinness – and Liverpool had to ban Bill Shankly from the training ground, where he was turning up to interfere with Bob Paisley's sessions – Ferguson may struggle to avoid the temptation to dictate from the directors' box. Even if he means to keep his distance behind the scenes, he'll have to maintain near-silence in public if his words aren't to be twisted into tabloid fodder – especially as he will no longer have the unveiled threat of the next press conference with which to keep the hacks in line.

None of the potential replacements feels exactly right. David Moyes is the closest to a continuity candidate, mainly by dint of being a slightly scary Scot generally accepted to have Everton punching above their financial weight. But Moyes's team have frequently underperformed for months at a time, with late-season runs saving face; imagine the media reaction if Manchester United were 14th in December, as Everton were last season, or won one game in two months, as happened this autumn. True, Moyes would have better players, but he would also have to up his game considerably against the better opponents: his Everton sides have failed to win in 45 away games against the traditional "big four", picking up just 18 points from 135.

Then there's Jose Mourinho, fluttering his eyelashes and suddenly ignoring texts from Roman Abramovich. Mourinho certainly has the stones to replace his good friend Ferguson, and the trophy-laden pedigree to match the job, but there are large question marks over his dominating personality and the club's subsequent stability: he hasn't lasted more than three seasons at any club, and tends to leave broken hearts behind him.

The decision is an incredibly difficult one for the club's hierarchy, and they will be criticised whoever they appoint: a promising young manager like Jürgen Klopp will be "unproven", while an older hand like Ottmar Hitzfeld or Jupp Heynckes would be "short-termism" and a pale imitation of Ferguson. And however the succession is handled, it will throw fresh spotlight on the running of a club which is already having to cope with replacing powerful chief executive David Gill in the summer.

Without the protective shield of Ferguson and Gill, the never-popular Glazers will find themselves increasingly exposed to public question. A club united – pun very much intended – by the unimpeachable knight may find itself pulled in different directions, with impatient rivals only too happy to capitalise. United have won 13 of the 21 Premier League titles and it's easy to forecast they won't match that rate, but it's to be hoped that the competition becomes more keenly contested rather than simply being dominated by someone else.

PATERNALISM AND GENERATIONS

There will be those who mourn the passing of an era by calling Ferguson the last great paternalistic manager. That's an understandable overstatement. While some are happy to concentrate on the first team, there are plenty of managers who want top-to-bottom control of their club – Moyes, Arsene Wenger and Sam Allardyce spring immediately to mind – and gradually gain it as their success earns them authority. If a manager brings glory to the first team and expresses an intelligent interest in improving the Academy or scouting system, the board will usually listen. Business sense and managerial structure doesn't end with one retirement.

In the end, we should be glad that Ferguson has retired, because there were fears that he wouldn't. Not just from embittered rivals – and there were plenty of those, for Fergie loved to ruffle feathers while knocking off perches – but also from those who remember the fate of his mentor, Jock Stein. Ferguson, who had recruited the former Celtic legend in the run-up to Aberdeen's 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup triumph, was again alongside the big man on 10th September 1985 when Stein died on duty, having suffered a heart attack during Scotland's crucial World Cup qualifier in Wales. Stein was 62, nine years younger than Ferguson is now, and although the outgoing Manchester United manager appears to have kept himself in good physical condition it has long been a worry that the ever-passionate Ferguson might suffer the same fate.

Football is a very different game to when Ferguson first took charge in 1974, as East Stirlingshire's part-time manager on £40 per week. In particular, the English top flight has changed immensely since his Old Trafford appointment in November 1986: that season, newly-promoted Norwich finished fifth, and you had to scroll past Wimbledon, Luton, Forest, Watford and Coventry in the final table to find United down in 11th. That's not to mention the enormous off-field changes – the Taylor Report-sponsored surge to all-seater stadia, the Premier League's concentration of money at the top of the pyramid, the wall-to-wall media coverage via Sky and the worldwide web (neither of which existed when Fergie moved to Manchester), and the huge increases in revenue which have changed the face of football.

An entire generation has grown up with Ferguson bestriding the English game. There are players, journalists and millions of fans who have known no other Manchester United manager, no other top man in the Premier League – for even when others won the title, and even when Mourinho first came to England, there was no doubting Ferguson's position as the grand old man of the game. He reached the standard retirement age of 65 on New Year's Eve 2006; since then he has won another five top-flight titles, a number only bettered in entire careers by Bob Paisley and Aston Villa's 19th-century secretary-manager George Ramsay.

Five league titles is also the total achieved by Herbert Chapman and Matt Busby, both managers with whom Ferguson has strong parallels. In the final analysis, it may be that Chapman changed football more than Ferguson – even Sir Alex can't have a claim to have introduced the concept of tactics, or changed the prevailing mindset to reflect alterations to the Laws of the Game – but Fergie relishes the comparison to Sir Matt, Old Trafford's previous legendary patriarch.

Like Busby, Ferguson is a hard-bitten son of the West Scotland industrial zone who, following a reasonably well-regarded but hardly spectacular playing career, arrived at Old Trafford intent on single-handedly shaking up an underachieving club – and did so, with extraordinary success. Both men did so by root-and-branch reform of an ailing club, with particular attention given to youth development, and both men reaped rich rewards from the fruit of that youth system, eventually conquering the continent.

When Fergie arrived at Old Trafford, nobody asked him to replicate Busby's success; the overarching aim was to end the 20-year wait for a league title. Ferguson delivered spectacularly, regularly and joyously – not every manager celebrates his team's goals with such obvious relish. The desire to entertain was topped only by the need to succeed. Now Manchester United need to find his successor, and the world will be watching with interest.

FEATURE Fergie's 10 best and 10 worst moments at Man United
HISTORY Alex Ferguson at Manchester United: A detailed history
GALLERY Every trophy Fergie won at Man United
PERFECT XI The Alex Ferguson Old Trafford Dream Team
GALLERY Fergie Time: A pictorial history of watch-tapping

Mourinho proves honesty isn't always the best policy, as rumours continue

Tim Stannard — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:41:00 GMT

One peculiarity you need to get used to when you move to Spain is the tendency for the locals to speak in a fashion that could only be described as 'direct'. In stuffier climes, a friend pointing out that you're fat, ugly or smell funny would be considered rude. In Spain, it is simply seen as being honest and up-front.

For that reason, José Mourinho is currently being a great friend to Real Madrid and the media. Traditionally, Mourinho had deployed assistant Aitor Karanka to speak on the club’s behalf before and after league games, but in recent weeks, the manager has been eager to take the opportunity to step up and feed the football media’s burning need for gossip and scandal.

The Portuguese coach has managed to infuriate the local press by giving what he would argue are straight, honest answers to questions in regards to the club, its supporters, its players and the media themselves. Of course, the Madrid boss could have heeded the call from Florentino Pérez on Monday for unity by choosing Karanka to chat about Wednesday’s meeting with Málaga, but there would be no fun in that whatsoever.

In response to being asked what he thought about Pepe’s public support of Iker Casillas, who is currently outcast on the bench alongside the Portuguese centre-back, Mourinho boldly said: “it’s easy to analyse. His problem has a name and it’s Raphael Varane. From this point, there’s no story.”

When probed on his attitude to the club captain, Mourinho's answer was another seemingly honest one. “I like Diego López more than Iker Casillas. It’s simple. I don’t have a personal problem with him, it’s not a decision that’s deliberately against one person. I like him more.”

Mourinho’s ongoing fun and games has certainly scandalised AS, with editor Alfredo Relaño fuming that Tuesday’s chat was “a prolonged exercise in moral cowardliness that disrespected Madrid, but above all Florentino Pérez...a masochistic victim of the excesses of an insubordinate subordinate.”

The Málaga match at the Santiago Bernabéu feels of secondary importance to the soap opera surrounding it, despite the fact that if Madrid fail to win, Barça will be crowned champions. Málaga also have hopes for a Champions League spot, which is why it’s a little unfair that the team are currently having to play three matches in a week followed by a weekend off. Celta Vigo face the same situation, thanks to Liga bosses scheduling the Copa del Rey final on the same weekend as a round of league fixtures, hence the requirement to move the games involving the two finalists to Wednesday night.

Atlético Madrid know that a victory in Vigo will guarantee the club third place in the league and a Champions League group stage spot for next season. Keeping a clean sheet against Celta for 17 minutes will also give keeper Thibaut Courtois a club record for not conceding away from home. The current landmark of 613 minutes is coincidentally held by current Celta boss Abel Resino, so expect an early bombardment on the Rojiblanco goal. “To beat my record, he’s going to have to stop a lot more,” promised the former Atlético goalie.

Although it seems like a couple of strange games stuck away on a Wednesday night, there’s an awful lot at stake for the four teams involved. But no matter what happens, it’s likely it will once again be Mourinho making headlines - not least thanks to the news Sir Alex Ferguson is about to free-up the Manchester United hot seat.

Fergie Time: A pictorial guide to Sir Alex's various watch-tapping techniques

James Maw — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:47:00 GMT

Sir Alex Ferguson is famous for three things: Being a great football manager, have a malfunctioning backside, and being strict timekeeper (when it suits).

Here's our guide to his moves as far as the latter is concerned...

The Kenneth Williams

The Dying Swan

The Raging Elbow

The Inverted V-Sign

The Subtle Hint

The 'No Jacket Required'

The Late-Returning Drunken Teenage Daughter

The Delayed 18:24 Service To Manchester Piccadilly, Calling At...

The "Sh*t, I'm Missing Peak Practice"

The Plastic-Strapped Claw

The "Don't Even Go There, Girlfriend"

The Master watches the Apprentice...?

Hislop: No question Manchester United could cope without Wayne Rooney

FourFourTwo Team — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:30:00 GMT

For the last time this season, ESPN have posed a trio of FourFourTwo readers' topical questions in an exclusive addendum to their Press Pass show – this week, former Reading, Newcastle and West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop answers the following posers:

Is a wide-open relegation battle the sign of a strong league, or a weak league?
Would Manchester United cope without Wayne Rooney better than Wayne Rooney would cope without Manchester United?
How might Mourinho's potential return to Chelsea go wrong?

ESPNFC Press Pass - the football discussion show that takes a daily look at the global game - airs at 11pm Monday to Friday, plus Sunday evenings on ESPN. Follow the show on Twitter

Bad Weekend for: Dreamers, holiday-bookers, Posh folks and Watford goalkeepers

Simon Carter — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

It was a Bad Weekend for…

Those who thought they were safe
Reading's trip to Fulham held a significance that nobody expected. With the Cottagers on 40 points and the Royals already relegated, the fixture seemed set to be an end-of-season stroll in which Martin Jol's men would quietly guarantee their already almost certain safety.

However, a 4-2 defeat leaves the Londoners still stuck on the ‘magical’ 40 points, which could by tonight be just two points clear of safety (if Wigan beat Swansea) with two games to play. Norwich’s 2-1 home reverse to resurgent Aston Villa, Southampton’s loss at Tottenham and Newcastle’s draw at West Ham squeezed a bottom half in which nobody is yet safe.

As the sun sets on another Premier League season, the early completion of the title race and rapid relegation of two candidates threatened to render the season end dull, especially compared to the excitement in the Football League. But a final fortnight's relegation battle between seven or eight teams should be enough to keep us watching until May 19th.

Watford goalkeepers
The Championship's astonishing last-day drama can be approached from many different angles. And the most compelling tale of the automatic promotion drama centred on young Jack Bonham.

As Watford sought the victory over Leeds that could seal promotion if Hull failed to beat Cardiff, the 19-year-old Hornets goalkeeper had arrived at Vicarage Road expecting to watch from the stands; after all, thus far in his tender career he hadn't made a senior club appearance or even been named in the matchday squad. Then Manuel Almunia pulled a hamstring in the warm-up and Bonham was on the bench – until the 24th minute, when Almunia's replacement Jonathan Bond suffered a sickening collision. While nine medics took 12 minutes to load a neck-braced Bond onto a stretcher and staff cleared the pitch of bloodied tissues, Bonham warmed up on the touchline.

It didn’t take long for what could have been a dream debut – promotion and all of that – to turn into a nightmare. Less than 20 minutes after coming on, Bonham was involved in a mix-up with Joel Ekstrand which allowed Leeds' Dominic Poleon to roll into an empty net.

Almen Abdi's quality equaliser gave the Hornets hope, and the injury delay brought the advantage of foreknowledge: Watford could react to Hull's result against Cardiff. So when the champions equalised late on at the KC, all of Vicarage Road knew that Gianfranco Zola's men had 15 minutes to score a promotion-clinching goal.

Watford gamely threw everything forward, leaving them vulnerable to the inevitable counter-attack. As Hull’s players and fans watched on TV screens and smartphones, breaking the habit of a lifetime by willing Leeds on, Ross McCormack broke beyond the Watford defence and tried to chip the young goalkeeper. The chip was tame but Bonham found himself caught between palming the ball, punching it and attempting to catch it. In the end, he did none, instead merely helping the ball into the goal.

So, Gianfranco Zola and Watford go into the play-offs to face late re-entrants Leicester City – possibly with Bonham still between the sticks. Let’s hope he continues to show the spirit demonstrated by his post-match tweet: "I believe in myself, my ability and have the best people around me to go forward."

Posh folk
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table the relegation candidates swapped places seven times in a fraught 90 minutes before the fickle finger of misfortune finally pointed at Peterborough.

Some would say that the writing was on the wall as early as September after the Posh lost their opening seven games, but Darren Ferguson’s men have fought hard since then, amassing 54 points from 39 games. Not a great return, sure, but a better haul than their fellow relegation candidates. And at least they fought to the end, unlike Wolves, who surrendered their Championship status with a whimpering 2-0 loss at Brighton.

Cruellest of all for Peterborough was the manner of their relegation. With their fate in their own hands, a point would have been enough to save them, and with only seven minutes remaining in their game at Crystal Palace, they had all three. Even Kevin Phillips' 83rd-minute equaliser was OK, considering Barnsley were drawing at Huddersfield and had a worse goal difference. But with seconds remaining a Mile Jedinak header gave Palace all three points and sent Peterborough back into League One.

It was a heartbreaking end to a rollercoaster season. For the neutral, however, it was incredible.

Shattered dreamers
The play-offs can the most exciting, exhilarating way to end a season – the likes of Watford, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leicester will certainly hope so – but they can also be cruel.

So pity poor Burton Albion – who missed out on automatic promotion from League Two by two points – and Cheltenham, who were one point further back: both saw their promotion dream end this weekend with play-off defeat. Pity Sheffield United, who saw a 1-0 first-leg lead wiped out at Yeovil. Perhaps most of all pity Swindon, whose season ended in penalty shoot-out defeat to Brentford (although it was heartening to see the Bees win on penalties after the way they missed out on promotion last week). With Wembley in use next week for the FA Cup final, the finalists face a fortnight's wait. All the worse for those who finally lose.

Hednesford Town
Last Friday FourFourTwo previewed the title race in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier, where North Ferriby United and Hednesford Town have battled for the sole automatic promotion spot. With both sides in terrific form and going into the game on 90 points, one of them was destined to be consigned to the dustbin of ‘unlucky losers’.

Hednesford started the day in second place on goal difference and did all they could, winning 2-1 at fifth-place AFC Fylde with a late goal. Unfortunately for them, North Ferriby were at the same time cruising to a 2-0 home victory over Ashton.

So Hednesford once again face Fylde, this time tonight at home in the play-offs. It's a hurdle they have fallen at for three consecutive years, but fans of the Pitmen will be praying that their stunning form – which saw them claw back a nine-point disadvantage in six weeks – will pull them into the Conference North this time around.

Messi makes the difference, Mourinho makes friends, Espanyol make a mess

Tim Stannard — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:47:00 GMT

Our man in Madrid, Tim Stannard, rounds up the best and worst of the weekend's La Liga action

Good Day

Leo Messi
This is becoming a bit of pattern. Leo Messi sits on the bench and Barça are being held by Betis 2-2, having had to come from behind twice. The Argentinean comes off the aforementioned touchline seating, scoring just four minutes later. Then the Barça hero gets his second to make it 46 in la Liga this season. Not bad, really.

Real Madrid
A fairly strong line-up from José Mourinho and a fairly surprising scoreline in a bit of a mad game that saw a 4-3 win against Valladolid for the home side, to make Barcelona wait at least another weekend to pick up the league title.

Atlético Madrid
Mission accomplished for Atlético Madrid - Champions League football for next season has been achieved, after the point at Deportivo in a goalless draw. Well, at least the qualifying stages anyway, with the Rojiblancos still having a tiny bit of work to do before securing third spot and a longer summer holiday. “It’s a first step,” was the conclusion from Diego Simeone.

Roberto Soldado
The opening goal in the 4-0 win over Osasuna saw Valencia striker 'Bobby Soldier' move onto 19 Liga strikes for the season, the forward’s best tally in a career that has spanned Real Madrid, Osasuna, Getafe and Valencia. The 27-year-old - quite possibly the next big sale from Mestalla - led a bright afternoon for Valencia, who bounced back quickly from the setback of last weekend’s 4-2 defeat to Real Sociedad.

Sevilla
A 3-0 victory for Sevilla over Espanyol still gives Unai Emery hope of qualifying for Europe. If it weren’t for that pesky away game business that sees just the single victory from 16 matches in la Liga, that is. The issue is “every time we have to get on a bus, train or plane to leave Sevilla,” admitted the manic manager.

Alvaro Negredo
The Sevilla forward now has 20 goals this season in la Liga, making it a fun duel to be top Spanish striker with Roberto Soldado, who is just one goal behind.

Levante
Not losing heavily under suspicious circumstances constitutes a good day for Levante, in a performance at Mallorca that was watched very carefully indeed. Levante came away with a point that “honours my players,” thought manager, Juan Ignacio Martínez.

Granada
The Andalusian side are certainly playing with something in their pre-match cups of tea. That special additive is identity, so said manager Lucas Alcaraz after his team pulled out a second 1-0 victory in a row, with a cheeky win over Málaga.

Zaragoza
Winning is so much easier when the first goal comes from a penalty awarded after the ball hits the back of a visiting defender’s knee. That was the luck Zaragoza enjoyed during their 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Nonsense. Nonsense. Nonsense.

Spain’s Mothers
It was Mothering Sunday in Spain, which saw tributes from players and the papers to these most wonderful of souls. Sort of. AS were a little insulting, by suggesting that Espanyol’s defending was like that of a group of mothers, while Marca went back to the 1950s with a tribute to apron-sporting “mothers who clean boots, wake (their sons) to get them to games, make them numerous breakfasts...”

Bad Day

José Mourinho
The Madrid boss probably doesn’t give two hoots about being booed by fans in the Santiago Bernabéu after last week's comments about the club, its supporters and its goalkeepers. However, Mourinho may have been a little stung by the remarks by the normally loyal Pepe, who took umbrage at his manager saying that he wished he had signed Diego López earlier in his tenure and that “problems exist when one thinks he’s above everyone else.”
“The declarations from the boss weren’t the most appropriate,” sniffed the defender after a leaky performance against Valladolid. “You have to have a bit more respect.” Fortunately for Mourinho, assistant Aitor Karanka was on hand to note that “a lack of respect is to play someone who is not in a condition to play who doesn’t deserve to. Here you don’t play due to status.” Ouch.

Real Sociedad
Why Getafe? Why? Why? Why? Why? In previous matches, you’ve looked so disinterested, but suddenly on Monday night at ten, you have to beat Real Sociedad, ending a run of 15 games without defeat. Why? La Real’s progress to the Champions League places should have been a smooth passage, but this has been messed up with Valencia now just two points behind.

Málaga
Still doing the business at home, but much like a squished hedgehog, they're having a few problems on the road. They've taken just two points from 15 on their travels.

Paco Jémez
La Liga Loca was looking forward to hearing the Rayo Vallecano manager’s thoughts on Zaragoza's controversial first goal against his side. Sadly, heat-stroke apparently prevented the boss of the Madrid side from talking post-match.

Espanyol
“Whenever we talk about Europe, we sh*t ourselves, and against Sevilla we did this to the maximum,” was the brutal opinion of Javier Aguirre after his team lost 3-0 to Sevilla.

Athletic Bilbao
The Basque side are still in trouble. Despite having 38 points on the board with four games to play, they look to be struggling to get enough juice into the cannon to pick up the victory which will probably see them over the finishing line. The 1-1 at Celta continues a run of five matches without a win for the Bilbao outfit, two defeats followed by three draws.

Osasuna
A disastrous performance for the Pamplona in the 4-0 defeat to Valencia also saw two of their brave boys sent off. The northern side has just the one victory from the past nine matches, form that would send the team down to la Segunda should it continue. “We are honourable and we fight but lack a bit of cunning,” lamented Osasuna boss, José Luis Mendilibar.

Deportivo
Four wins in row have been followed by three draws for Deportivo, who are still in all sorts of trouble on 32 points and back in the relegation zone. A poor refereeing display affected both teams on Saturday night in equal measure, but Depor probably were the better off with the point, on chances. “What’s important is that we have one more point and we’ve gone one more game without losing,” said a positive-spinning Fernando Vázquez.

Celta Vigo
They may well have snuck into the Good Day section due to getting a point against a visiting Athletic Bilbao in a 1-1 draw, a side who blew some ridiculous chances. Oscar de Marcos had but the Basque side into the lead, but Iago Aspas equalised with seven minutes to go, in a home match that Celta really needed to have won. But they didn’t, so hey-ho...

Gregorio Manzano
On Sunday morning, Mallorca were unlucky enough to face a Levante side that had to put in at least a half-decent performance after talk of a lack of commitment in two of their previous three games. This saw Mallorca only managing a 1-1 in the Balearics, to leave the club pretty much sunk at the bottom of the table on 29 points with four matches left. “There are options so we are not going to throw in the towel,” said a defiant Manzano.

Juventus celebrate title, but coach Conte already planning major rebuild

Richard Whittle — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:50:00 GMT

Regardless of whether it's No.29 or No.31, Juve fans are still chuffed

Juventus unites and divides Italy in equal measure, but on Sunday, from Turin to Trapani, the piazzas were a sea of black and white as the Old Lady claimed her 29th Serie A title.

Needing just a point from their home fixture with Palermo, it was achieved in routine manner. A 1-0 win sealed the deal, eleven years to the day after Antonio Conte and Gigi Buffon starred in the Marcello Lippi side that lifted the 2001/02 title at Udine.

Of course, the Turin club will never accept that it has not won 31 titles, having been stripped of the 2005 and 2006 scudetti following the Calciopoli scandal, so the banners and shields marked the occasion in what many would call lo stile Juve (the Juve style). Whatever the record books may say, Juve’s 2012/13 has been a season even more dominant than the one before it.

Top of the table from day one, Conte’s side opened the campaign with a run of eight straight wins. When the final whistle sounded at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday, they were on the back of nine wins from the last 10 games.

Although Juventus may not have matched last season’s undefeated league campaign, losing four times, Conte has actually overseen six more wins, putting the former midfielder on top of the coaching podium.

Still only 43, Conte has two titles and two promotions to his name as a coach, to go with the five titles he won as a Juve player. So it is no surprise his bargaining power is at all-time high.

As his players were dumping him in the dressing room plunge pool, the club’s hierarchy were attempting to pour cold water on speculation their inspirational team leader would not be around for a tilt at the treble, with big-spending PSG touted as a possible destination.

Conte laps up the adulation as his team storm to their second straight title

It has been a tough year for Conte, who spent the first four months watching his team from behind a Perspex glass window in the stands, as he served a ban for failing to report a potential match fixing when in charge at Siena.

The original sentence had been set at 10 months, but even though the subsequent appeal was successful, it did little to ease Conte’s paranoia that someone was out to get him – which he will no doubt shed more light on when his autobiography hits the shelves on Wednesday.

The club had to take some of the blame for the situation their coach found himself in, as their legal team had advised him to accept a plea bargain when the allegations first came to light.

Conte’s right-hand man Angelo Alessio was also embroiled in what became known as ‘Calcioscommesse’, and was banned for two months. This left assistant coach and former Juve defender Massimo Carrera with the role of overseeing the match-day preparations, but everyone knew that, even in exile, Conte was pulling the strings.

Having lost to both the Milanese clubs in November, with Inter ending the unbeaten run at the Juventus Stadium, Conte’s return to the touchline at the beginning of December coincided with a dip in form. It was almost as if the players felt they had done the hard work without their boss in close proximity, and could now coast.

Another home defeat at the turn of the year, this time to lowly Sampdoria, opened Conte’s eyes to the fact his side lacked the strength and depth to take on rest of Italy – and indeed, Europe when the Champions League returned in February.

The winter transfer window only brought meagre tidings, in the form of defensive cover Federico Peluso and luxury signing Nicolas Anelka, who has thus far only played 23 minutes in the league.

With the likes of Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella refusing to move on, Conte turned his attention to reclaiming the league crown. They did so in style, losing just once since the turn of the year (at Roma), but their Champions League match-up with Bayern Munich laid bare how far Juve still have to go to be competitive on the European stage.

Fernando Llorente is Juve-bound, but Conte is likely to want more

The total domination by the new Bundesliga champions was a bitter pill to swallow, even if Bayern’s subsequent humiliation of the great Barcelona eased the pain somewhat. Juve’s 4-0 aggregate defeat brought to the surface the first signs of frustration which will lead the club to change direction in the transfer marker. Last summer, Juventus tried and failed to sign Robin Van Persie from Arsenal - come this summer, it will not be enough to chase just one star name.

Even as he was drying off and enjoying a well-earned glass of champagne, Conte was already looking to the future and what he hoped would be the arrival of least eight new faces – two or three of whom would have Champions League experience under their belt.

Of course, when it comes to offering the sort of salaries the top stars demand, Juventus cannot compete with the Premier League’s top sides, the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich, not to mention the Spanish giants.

However, retaining the title and producing a positive showing in the Champions League should be strong foundations to incite new signings.

Leading Conte’s wanted listed are Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid, who would be a cheaper and a much younger alternative to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A quick look at the goalscoring statistics demonstrates why there is a need for a fresh frontman. Midfielder Arturo Vidal is currently the team’s top goalscorer in the league, with 10 goals. The man who was expected to lead the way, Mirko Vucinic, has only netted nine – the last of which was at the start of April.

With Fernando Llorente already signed as a targetman, Matri, Sebastian, Quagliarella, Anelka and Nicklas Bendtner can all pack their bags. Conte knows that he needs wide-men to deliver the crosses, so Manchester United’s Nani is also a target.

The defence needs little reinforcement for now, and the midfield remains solid. Andrea Pirlo looks set to end his international career after next summer’s World Cup finals, to concentrate on his club commitments, while Vidal is considered untouchable. With Paul Pogba becoming a growing influence, if Juve are forced to sell a big name to raise funds, it could be Claudio Marchisio who’s on his way - especially if one of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea come calling.

Conte may have been a no-frills player, but as a coach he understands that talent at the highest level cannot be taught, and has therefore called on the club to spend big on Stevan Jovetic. The Montenegrin looks to have gone stale at Fiorentina, but is the sort skillful dribbler who can fill that gap between midfield and attack, while also chipping in with his fair share of goals.

The celebrations may still be fresh in the memory, but the plans are already in place for the future ahead of what looks like being a busy summer. Perhaps Juve’s biggest signing will be tying Conte to a new, long-term deal, but they may need to prove they will provide him with a quality squad to keep the Old Lady at the top for many years to come.

Prem Notes: Learnings from the weekend top-flight games

Stats Zone — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:44:00 GMT

What Opta and FourFourTwo noticed this weekend via our FREE Stats Zone app, including an off-day for Manchester United and Chelsea, Manchester City passing but forgetting to shoot, Tottenham scoring with their first effort on target and Arsenal being startlingly efficient in front of goal...

Sunderland 1-1 Stoke

Sunderland completed just 237 of 331 passes (71.60%), Stoke 262 of 367 (71.39%). The Black Cats had the weekend's second-lowest attempts and completions, the Potters had the weekend's second-lowest completion percentage; all three categories were 'won' by West Ham, who completed just 194 of 272 passes (71%).
Each team attempted 17 tackles and won 15, with a particular focus on their left-back areas.
Adam Johnson attempted 9 take-ons – a weekend PL high, which Johnson has only topped once this season, with his 12 at Newcastle. However, only one was successful; by contrast, Jon Walters succeeded with 3 of his 4 attempts.

Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea

Chelsea have scored the opening goal in 23 Premier League games this season, more than anyone else (Tottenham have done it 22 times).
No team has gifted their opponents more own goals than Manchester United this season (5).
Ryan Giggs made a game-high 5 tackles. Only v Everton in February (6) has the veteran made more in a single game this season.
Each team only managed 2 shots on target. Chelsea hit more shots off-target than any other team this weekend (10).
Man United won fewer corners than any other team this weekend (2).

Liverpool 0-0 Everton

No one made more tackles in the match than Lucas (6, winning 5). Only Morgan Schneiderlin has made more tackles than the Brazilian this season, despite the Liverpool midfielder playing only 24 games.
No player created more goalscoring chances this weekend than Philippe Coutinho (4).
Under David Moyes, Everton have played 45 away games against the traditional “big four” and are yet to win. They have taken just 18 points from 135 on offer.
There have now been 35 goalless draws in the Premier League this season, more than any of Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Fulham 2-4 Reading

Fulham have suffered Reading's two highest shots-on-target totals in the Premier League this season: 10 at Craven Cottage and 8 at the Madejski.
Hal Robson-Kanu has scored 4 goals in his last 4 away league appearances.
Reading have scored 4 or more goals in a Premier League game on 5 occasions – 4 of them away from home.
The Royals have scored a league-high proportion of 39% of their goals in the final 15 minutes of PL games this season.
Adam Le Fondre's 7 league goals from the bench this season is now a record in a single PL campaign.
Both of Fulham’ goals were assisted by substitutes.

Norwich City 1-2 Aston Villa

Gabriel Agbonlahor has now scored 6 goals in his last 7 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa.
Agbonlahor’s opener was his first from outside the box in the Premier League since September 2009, ending a run of 25 successive league goals from inside the area.
Villa put in only 3 crosses compared to Norwich's 23. (NB the screenshare below includes corners)

Swansea City 0-0 Manchester City

Swansea are renowned for passing and possession but the visitors dominated them in both. The Swans completed 311 of 388 passes (80%) but Roberto Mancini's men, who had 61.9% possession, piled up 560 completed passes out of 640 attempts (88%).
Manchester City completed more passes than the combined efforts of Sunderland and Stoke on Monday night (499). They also completed 162 attacking-third passes – not far short of West Ham's total completed passes (194).
Only against Wigan (2, back in March) have Man City attempted fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season (3).
Swansea have won only 1 of their 8 league games since winning the Capital One Cup (D3 L4).
The Swans managed 1 shot on target. Only at home to Arsenal (0) have they got fewer attempts on target in a Premier League home game this season.

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Wigan Athletic

Shane Long has scored in consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time since November and has now equalled his best goal tally in a single PL season (8).
After failing to score in his first 22 Premier League appearances, Wigan’s Callum McManaman has now scored in 2 successive PL games for the club.
Wigan had 5 headed shots in this game and scored with 2 of them.
WBA were the only PL team not to be caught offside this weekend.
Claudio Yacob made 6 tackles, winning possession with all of them.
Emmerson Boyce made 10 interceptions, more than any other player in the Premier League this weekend.

West Ham United 0-0 Newcastle United

Newcastle have won possession of the ball with just 72% of their attempted tackles this season, a league-low.
Newcastle have failed to score in 4 of their last 6 league games. They netted only 2 overall in the other 2 games.
No-one conceded more fouls than Cheik Tiote this weekend (6).
West Ham had the PL weekend's lowest rates of passes attempted (272) and completed (194), and the lowest completion percentage (71.32%).

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Southampton

Before Gareth Bale’s opening goal, Southampton had gone 367 minutes of away football in the top-flight without conceding a goal.
Gareth Bale has scored more goals from outside the box (8) than any other player in the Premier League this season.
Only Teddy Sheringham (21 in 1992-93) has scored more goals in a single PL season for Spurs than Gareth Bale has this season (20).
Spurs had only 4 shots (excluding blocked), fewer than any other side this weekend. This is the lowest total they’ve managed in a PL game this season.
Tottenham played the highest proportion of long passes in the Premier League this weekend (20%).
They also had the lowest dribble success this weekend (21%).

Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Arsenal

QPR have now gone 365 minutes without scoring in the Premier League.
Rangers had more shots (13) than Arsenal (12), but only managed 4 on target to the Gunners' 7. The visitors didn't have a single (unblocked) shot off-target.
Arsenal have netted more goals in Premier League London derbies this season than any other team (22).
Only two sides have won fewer of their first 36 games in a Premier League season than QPR's 4 (Sunderland won 2 in 2005/06 and Derby 1 in 2007/08).
QPR have made 13 errors leading to goal this season; only Arsenal and Wigan (both 14) have made more.

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Redknapp: from Champions League to Championship

Joe Brewin — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:41:00 GMT

David Cameron. Gerard Pique’s apparent fascination with Breaking Bad. The weather. Garth Crooks’ team of the week. The state of Syria. Shark attacks. Thatcherism. David Bowie’s cat.

If you hadn’t guessed already (why wouldn’t you?), they’re all excuses Harry Redknapp didn’t think of to justify QPR’s relegation from the Premier League this season.

Last Sunday’s snoozy stalemate against Reading was enough to confirm both sides’ places in the Championship next season on the kind of afternoon Marilyn Manson would have enjoyed. A day later Redknapp, two years left on his contract, pledged his future to the club amid speculation of a premature departure from Loftus Road.

But the beleaguered 66-year-old will wonder where it has all gone wrong over the last 18 months. Early last year he seemed a shoo-in to replace Fabio Capello as England manager, only for the Italian to resign just hours after Redknapp was cleared of cheating the public revenue alongside former chairman Milan Mandaric. Roy Hodgson got the nod instead.

Then his Tottenham Hotspur side finished fourth, missing out on a Champions League play-off by way of Chelsea’s continent-conquering campaign. Spurs gave him the boot after a new contract was not agreed.

Perhaps taking the Ukraine job would have been easier. But picturing Redknapp sipping Kompot in Kiev is like John Prescott realising his dreams* and emulating Baryshnikov – i.e. never going to happen (hopefully). Now he faces his greatest challenge yet – turning this bulging, underperforming and overpaid squad into promotion material at the first time of asking.

Tony Fernandes has given his backing to both Mark Hughes and Redknapp this season, but now the summer months will be spent clearing up the expensive mistakes made by all three. You won’t hear too much blame aimed towards Redknapp in all of this, partially because the man himself has kindly apportioned it for us.

“I would be lying if I said there weren't splits in the camp here," he said. "That has been obvious for everyone to see all year. It has been a big problem, I think."

Hughes made several poor signings and paid the price, while Fernandes’ misguided generosity at the negotiation table has created a squad plagued with nonchalance and imbalance.

But Redknapp should know better - after all, financial mistakes almost cost Portsmouth their existence. In January he splashed over £20 million on Christopher Samba and Loic Remy alone, while the arrival of Jermaine Jenas from former club Spurs won’t have gone without cost. We’re still scratching our heads as to why these squad-harmony tactics didn’t work.

Now Redknapp must wield the knife. "We've got to come up with a couple of right players with the good players we already have,” the flustered R’s chief admitted last week. “The ones we want to keep – I'm sure we'll keep them. The silly thing about this game is quite often the ones you want to keep are the ones who want to go and the ones you'd like to let go they don't want to go."

In other words, good players want to leave underperforming clubs, and those on astronomical wages don’t. Julio Cesar, Djibril Cisse, Joey Barton and Remy are almost certain to leave, while question marks will hover over Samba just months after his arrival from Anzhi Makhachkala. Esteban Granero, Samba Diakite and Stephane Mbia are all unlikely to fancy a stint in English football’s second tier.

Andros Townsend and Fabio will return to parent clubs Tottenham and Manchester United respectively once their loan deals expire. The signings of Robert Green, Jose Bosingwa and Park Ji-Sung have proved ill-fated mistakes the club may not be able to rectify. Junior Hoilett has failed to fulfil his sparkling promise.

Essentially it may leave the west Londoners with a similar core to that which saw them promoted to the top flight so impressively two years ago (although at what damage to the club’s finances remains to be seen). Shaun Derry, Clint Hill and Jamie Mackie are likely to prove pivotal once again but Adel Taarabt’s short-term future too will fall under scrutiny (after netting a dazzling 19 league goals in that promotion campaign).

Luke Young, Nedum Onuoha and Anton Ferdinand could form the basis of a reasonable Championship back four, while the experience and quality of Jenas, Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson provide a worthy case for optimism.

Worryingly but perhaps not surprisingly, however, Redknapp is already discussing incomings rather than the inevitable exits. Fernandes may have an estimated net worth of almost £400m but even he won’t be considering handing over the chequebook without a few sales first.

This is not the first club Redknapp has taken to the Championship, having failed to keep Southampton up in similar circumstances eight seasons ago. There he remained at St Mary’s until December before resigning and returning to Portsmouth days later.

This time, for all his excuses, he has failed here too. Granted, circumstances were far from ideal upon his arrival but five months with a transfer window should have at least been enough for him to improve Rangers beyond previous recognition. Twenty-two league games and four wins later, no such thing happened.

Unlike Reading, QPR are not equipped for an immediate return to the second tier. Redknapp has recognised that the road ahead is a rocky one: one need only cast glances towards Blackburn and Wolves this season to confirm that.

And now he will have to make the best of an uncertain summer, perhaps adding one or two faces when the hazy futures of certain divisive characters are resolved.

But in the words of our man himself, he’s not a f**king wheeler-dealer now is he?

*May not be John Prescott’s lifelong ambition.

Meet the third force in German football

Michael Cox — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:43:00 GMT

FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE Stats Zone app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as English Premier League, Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox uses it to investigating the next big thing in German football…

It must have been a strange season for fans of Bayer Leverkusen, Germany’s third-placed side. They’ve nearly confirmed their objective for 2012/13 – finishing in the Bundesliga's final automatic Champions League place (they're seven points clear of fourth-placed Schalke) – but with their illustrious rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund qualifying for the Champions League final with brilliant semi-final performances, Leverkusen have hardly received any attention outside Germany. They’re the Michael Collins to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – they’ve been there in the background, but won’t receive the fame.

The coaching set-up at Leverkusen is unusual: Sami Hyypia is effectively head coach, but as he doesn’t possess a full coaching licence, Sascha Lewandowski is officially the manager. "The arrangement is not easy for either of us,” admits Hyypia. “We must compromise a lot, which does make it a bit more difficult. I need to discuss things with Sascha first before making a decision.” However, the joint managership hasn’t prove a barrier to success.

Lewandowski and Hyypia: Marriage of convenience

Leverkusen are a completely different side to Bayern and Dortmund – while the two Champions League finalists boast the highest possession statistics in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen aren’t even in the top 10. Of the major clubs in Europe, Hyypia’s side are arguably the purest counter-attackers.

While Leverkusen have considerably less possession than Bayern and Dortmund, they have nearly as many shots – because they’re thrillingly direct in possession, breaking forward immediately at great speed. Indeed, their two main forwards, Stefan Kiessling and Andre Schurrle, are placed first and second in the ‘shots per game’ statistic amongst all the players in the Bundesliga.

Kiessling scores, as Kiessling does

Leverkusen’s main strength is their front three. Classic old-school No.9 Kiessling spearheads the side; the 6ft 3in striker is just one goal behind Robert Lewandowski at the top of the Bundesliga’s scoring charts, but has fallen out of favour with national team manager Jogi Low, with Kiessling saying he doesn’t expect a call-up for World Cup 2014.

There are two major features of Kiessling’s game – his finishing and his aerial power. The recent 5-0 win over Hoffenheim demonstrates how clinical he is in the penalty box, particularly when receiving crosses from wide…

…while the narrow 3-2 defeat against Dortmund showed how many aerial duels he wins – and how often he’s awarded free-kicks when defenders foul him in the air.

Kiessling’s raw aerial threat is complemented nicely by Schurrle’s sheer speed from the flank. The Chelsea target plays an interesting role, not unlike Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid – he stays very high up on the left, not bothering to track the opposition right-back and instead remaining in a position where he can counter-attack quickly.

He’s the main catalyst for Leverkusen’s excellent breaks, and he’s capable of hitting fine long-range shots on the run from distance. The 5-0 win over Hoffenheim was a good example of his style of play…

…while the 3-0 win over Hamburg demonstrated that while Schurrle often beats players, he’s very much a shooter rather than a crosser.

Hyypia’s only dilemma is on the other flank. There, the most exciting option is Sidney Sam, a pacy winger who likes to stay wide and dribble past opponents before shooting from difficult angles – not unlike Schurrle on the left.

But Gonzalo Castro is generally preferred on the right. He’s more of an all-rounder: he initially impressed as an attack-minded full-back, he’s extremely energetic and he makes Leverkusen’s front three more balanced. He stays deeper and gets involved in the centre, although he’s not the most creative player.

Sadly, there is a good chance that at least one of Schurrle and Kiessling will leave this summer. “If the club wants success, then it can't sell all the best players every year,” insists Hyypia. If they stay, Leverkusen could be a real dark horse in next season’s Champions League – although with the Bundesliga now being spoken about as Europe’s strongest league, they may not go unnoticed as the old cliché comes back into play: never write off the Germans.

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Last day drama in the Evo-Stik Premier puts Football League in the shade

Simon Carter — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:47:00 GMT

Followers of English football have pretty much been starved of top-of-the-table drama this season, with three of England’s top four divisions crowning their title winners weeks before the end of the campaign.

While caps must assuredly be doffed to Manchester United, Cardiff City and Gillingham, the second half of the season has lacked the drama of a barnstorming title battle in the Premier League, Championship and League Two.

While Doncaster Rovers’ breathtaking 95th minute ascension to the top of League One on the final day of the season will take some beating, those with an eye on the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Division will half be expecting something even more dramatic.

After a season long dust-up, North Ferriby United and Hednesford Town go into the final game neck and neck on 90 points. This tally is certainly impressive - indeed, it would have been enough to win any of the four elite divisions, but the points accrued only tell part of the thrilling season-long story.

Hednesford couldn’t have possibly wished for a better pick-me-up following last season’s play-off heartbreak (the ‘Pitmen’ have suffered play-off defeat for three seasons on the bounce). They won five of their first seven games, drawing the other two.

A surprise home defeat to Worksop Town (by the relatively jaw dropping score of 4-0) was one of only three pre-Christmas defeats.

North Ferriby started more slowly. They picked up just one point from the first nine, but came to life in late-August with a 4-0 thumping of Frickley Athletic at the catchily-named Rapid Solicitors Stadium. That win spurred them into a run of five consecutive wins. They wouldn’t lose again in the league until early December.

That defeat came against the team who would prove to be their title rivals. Hednesford’s 3-2 win boosted their title push, while sparking a mini slump for the home side, who wouldn’t win again until Boxing Day.

Both sides’ form since the New Year has been exemplary, with North Ferriby losing just once, and racking up goal difference bothering 6-1 and 5-1 wins against Eastwood Town and Stocksbridge Park Steels along the way. Hednesford have been almost as consistent, losing two league games. One of those two defeats came in the second meeting with North Ferriby, who exacted revenge with a 3-2 away victory of their own.

The nine months leading up to Saturday’s decider have been memorable, bordering on vintage, for supporters of both clubs, with both North Ferriby and Hednesford hoping to add the league title to cup success. North Ferriby claimed the Doodson Sports Cup thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over Curzon Ashton; Hednesford took the Staffordshire Senior Cup by thrashing Rushall Olympic 5-1 at Port Vale, and the Birmingham Senior Cup at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium by dispatching Sutton Coldfield Town).

So it all comes down to the final game. North Ferriby host Ashton United, whose manager, Danny Johnson announced his resignation on Monday. Hednesford, meanwhile, travel to AFC Fylde, who have secured their own play-off spot after a spate of rearranged games.

It’s not quite winner-takes-all, with North Ferriby clearly in the box seat thanks to a eight-goal advantage in the goal-difference stakes. But in a season that has seen so many twists and turns, the last day of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier could create tension, excitement and glory to match anything the upper echelons of the English game has produces this season.

La Preview: Levante under suspicion, Piqué talks out of turn and Atlético’s adventure

Tim Stannard — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:39:00 GMT

FRIDAY

Celta Vigo (18th) v Athletic Bilbao (14th) – 21.00
Valencia’s Ernesto Valverde is thought to be the first choice to replace Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic in the summer – should the Argentinian leave, that is. You’ll have to work with La Liga Loca a little bit here, as multiple strands of existence are quite the norm in la Liga. Valverde spent six years playing at the club and two years managing it from 2003, and was supposedly lined up for the gig next season, before a detour to Mestalla came along.

However, in recent months a challenger has burst forth in Cuco Ziganda, a manager many may remember for his starring role as coach at such teams as Osasuna. The former Athletic Bilbao centre forward is currently doing a fine job in charge of the club’s ‘B’ team and admits that he “hears and reads things” about the possibility of taking over Bielsa’s crouching/coaching duties over the summer. “I’m sure that everything that happens next year will be good,” said a confident Cuco.
LLL Prediction – Draw

SATURDAY

Valencia (6th) v Osasuna (15th) – 16.00
Valencia have a plan. If fact they so shocked themselves with such a bold, untried notion that they had to have a bit of sit-down to take it all in. The third president of the month, Aurelio Martínez, this week showed the local media a Powerpoint presentation to communicate how to get Valencia out of its current mess – an old stadium they can’t sell, a new(ish) one they can’t finish, and a debt north of €300m.

“It’s not a Utopia,” promised Martínez on a strategy which is based around completing the new ground and stuffing it to the rafters, Dortmund-style, with punters paying cheap prices. However, to complete the project, funding will have to be found and fast. “In two years, if we don’t finish it, there’s no next step,” warned the latest Mestalla messiah.
LLL Prediction – Home win

Granada (16th ) v Málaga (5th) – 18.00
If Granada were by chance to go down this season, then it would be a tad unfair if others such as Deportivo, Mallorca and Zaragoza were to survive. Granada have actually had a fairly consistent campaign and haven't been in the relegation zone for 18 rounds, when the southern side plopped into the poop at the beginning of Christmas. Still, matters have improved a little for the club with four points (which should probably have been six) from the last two games.

Málaga rumble into town on Saturday with the future just as unclear as in previous weeks, with the latest rumours claiming that Manuel Pellegrini is being chatted up by Manchester City. “It’s not going to be easy to get him to stay,” admitted sporting director Mario Husillos, “but the club is working with the idea that he does.”
LLL Prediction – Draw

Real Madrid (2nd) v Valladolid (12th) – 20.00
If there’s one member of the World of Real Madrid who can sit back and shrug that he had nothing to do with that Borussia Dortmund business, it’s Iker Casillas, who watched the match from the bench, as he has been doing since returning from injury to find a Diego López in fine form.

However, there a bright spot on the horizon for Casillas with the probable departure of José Mourinho, something that must have contributed to a promise made on Thursday that “the my future is with Real Madrid, because I have a contract, I’ve been here since I was nine, it’s the club for the whole of my life, it’s where I want to be.”

Casillas then went on to talk about the other benefits of the club, such as the promise that his dressing room locker will be moved further away from the toilets and the usefulness of the Fury of Pepe when the drinks machine refuses to give the goalkeeper his change.
LLL Prediction – Home win, awful match

Deportivo (17th ) v Atlético Madrid (3rd) – 22.00
What do you do if you want to escape a set of fans who've had it up to the armpits with you after losing yet another derby against your rivals' ‘B’ team? You leg it to Azerbaijan, that’s what you do. The Rojiblancos were in Baku for a few days, as part of the sponsorship deal with the nation that likes to call itself “the Land of Fire”. There was a tour of some of the local sites, a press conference, a coaching clinic and an exhibition game thrown in for good measure, won 3-0.

Probably better than three days on a wet training ground in the outskirts of Madrid. Arda Turan, whose wonderful hair gets bigger by the day, certainly seemed to enjoy himself under different skies. “We are full of excitement over the importance our visit has for the country,” beamed the playmaker.
LLL Prediction – Home win

SUNDAY

Mallorca (20th) v Levante (13th) – 12.00
LLL knew something fishy was going on at Levante. Three weeks ago, they lost 4-0 at home to Deportivo. “Strangely subdued stuff from Levante,” wrote the blog at the time. Two weeks ago, the team nearly held Barça at the Camp Nou. Then it was another hopeless home performance and a defeat in Valencia to Celta Vigo, which had manager Juan Ignacio Martínez questioning the footballers’ professionalism.

Marca have whiffed a rat too and speak of a giant dressing room bust-up at the club, kicking off at half-time during the Deportivo debacle, with some (particularly José Barkero) questioning the commitment of others. This in turn has caused a rift with the manager – and left Mallorca rubbing their hands with glee at the chance of taking on a squabbling rabble in the side’s last, last, last chance to stay up.

Barkero has since apologised publicly to Sergio Ballesteros, Gustavo Munúa, Juanlu and Juanfran, the four players the midfielder reportedly suggested weren’t giving their all. However, on Friday morning the Spanish league announced an investigation into Levante 0-4 Deportivo, something that had caused Levante president Quico Catalan to face the media on Thursday. “We aren’t afraid of any investigation. Lies and truths have been told but it’s important that the affair is closed. Any player who has done something like this won’t wear the Levante shirt again,” added Catalan.
LLL Prediction – Home win

Real Zaragoza (19th ) v Rayo Vallecano (8th) – 17.00
After the unpleasant odours wafting from Levante's direction, here's something heart-warming: the story of how a pre-match talk from a special guest helped Zaragoza achieve their first win of 2013. Paralympian Javier Hernández was invited to speak to the players last Saturday morning. “I was sure it was a mental problem,” he said of Zaragoza’s sporting issues. “They are better than last year.”

Hernández, who also works as a journalist, was born without arms and one leg shorter than the other, told the players that “I was born at the bottom of the table – but not with zero points, but minus 15.” After the chat, Zaragoza player Víctor Rodriguez admitted that “he gave us goosebumps with his spirit of recovery.”
LLL Prediction – Home win

Sevilla (10th) v Espanyol (11th) – 19.00
Oh, this is going to be fun. Two sides who talk a good game about making a push for Europe – if Málaga’s ban is upheld to potentially free up a spot – but don’t really mean it. Unai Emery had claimed the side only needed two more wins, whilst Espanyol were going for gold until last week’s home defeat to Granada, another surprising result at the bottom of the table this season.

Worrying news for Sevilla though is the notion that Jesús Navas, a fine footballer who is seeing his career stall somewhat, isn’t ruling out a move away from the club he's been at for 13 years. “I don’t know if I will be here or not next season, I’m just focused on what’s left,” admitted the home-loving winger, who added who said that he would “quite like to develop as a footballer.”
LLL Prediction – Home win

Barcelona (1st) v Betis (7th) – 21.00
Cheer up Barça fans! It’s not all bad in the Catalan capital. Your side is about to win the league with a whopping lead over Real Madrid. There's still one or two decent footballers in the squad. Barça aren't completely bankrupt, unlike most sides in la Primera (although that’s partly the fault of yourselves and Real Madrid due to the TV money carve-up) and there’s talk of a bit splurge to bring in the likes of Neymar and Mats Hummels.

Mundo Deportivo are throwing David de Gea and Isco into the transfer mix. The paper’s director Santi Nolla also slaps Gerard Piqué on the botty for stating the obvious that signings need to be made. “A footballer should not dictate what needs to be done, especially when decisions can affect teammates you are with in the dressing room every day."
LLL Prediction – Home win

MONDAY

Getafe (9th) v Real Sociedad (4th) – 22.00
Wow! What a chance for la Real fans to have a day out in the Spanish capital, to fill the Coliseum, to rejoice in a fantastic season that sees the side edging closer to the Champions League. Nonsense of course, as the Spanish game is run by particularly slow baboons who have stuck this match at 10 o’clock on a Monday night with public transport out of Getafe being a touch sketchy at the end of the game.

This has prevented some 2,500 supporters travelling down from San Sebastian, something which is a bit of a downer all round for Xabi Prieto. “No-one likes playing on a Monday night, it makes the weekend long and it’s a shame thousands of fans who would travel, if it was a Saturday or Sunday, can’t do it.” A disgrace.
LLL Prediction – Away win

Carlos Ruiz (Philadelphia Union v Chicago Fire, 2011)

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:38:00 GMT

Many a great goal has come from a great free-kick: think David Platt vs Belgium, or Roberto Carlos vs France. Then there’s... forget it, we could be here all day. Fewer classic strikes, however, come from absolutely terrible set-pieces – but playing for Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire in 2011, Carlos Ruiz did things the hard way.

Having weakly chipped a potentially dangerous free-kick straight onto a defender’s head, Ruiz chased down the clearance and made amends by flicking the ball on before wellying it over the keeper and in – with his weaker peg. “If I sound off-guard,” laughed one commentator, “It’s because it may be the first time I’ve seen Ruiz shoot with his left foot!”

The Guatemalan recalls  to FFT: “I was lucky the ball bounced back to me from the free-kick. My first thought was just to shoot as hard as I could – I thought if I stopped the  ball first, I’d hesitate too long."

“It was a golazo in the  truest sense of the term,” he continues. “It was impossible for any goalkeeper to save. Honestly, that’s the type of goal you don’t plan; you  really don’t think about it before shooting. You just attempt the shot and wait  to see what happens.

“I had attempted that shot in practice several times, but you never think you can score a goal like that during a real game. Still, what I enjoy most about football is creating something out of nothing and in this case, I was able to do just that after a bad free-kick.

“Some people have called  it the goal of the decade. For me, it’s one of the best goals  I have ever scored.”

Interview: Clemente Lisi. Illustration: German Aczel. From the June 2013 issue of FourFourTwo, out now. Subscribe!

How Iniesta lost the game at Bayern – and how he can win it back

Michael Cox — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:27:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox uses it to show how Barça need to turn it round against Bayern…

Bayern Munich’s wonderful 4-0 destruction of Barcelona last week was a fantastic example of one strategy overcoming another – Bayern were powerful in their challenges and purposeful with their passing, while they prevented Barcelona from playing the ball forward into the final third.

If there was a single individual battle that summed up the match, it was Javi Martinez against Andres Iniesta. Although Martinez isn’t as positionally solid as Sergio Busquets, as reliable with his distribution as Xavi, or as elusive in the final third as Andres Iniesta, he’s a fine all-rounder. His first job was to nullify Iniesta; his second was to impose his strong, athletic style upon the contest. He was the game’s key player, dominating the midfield zone with a succession of successful tackles and fouls to break up Barcelona’s rhythm.

Iniesta was noticeably affected by Martinez’s strong performance, and drifted extremely deep into positions out of Martinez’s reach, into the zones usually occupied by Busquets and Xavi. This increased his involvement in the game, but not necessarily to Barcelona's advantage.

This season, Iniesta has averaged 69 passes compared to Busquets' 79 and Xavi's 95; at Bayern, Iniesta was Barça’s top passer with 93 attempted passes, compared to 87 from Xavi and only 61 from Busquets, who was successfully marked by Thomas Muller. Iniesta is supposed to be the creative outlet, not simply another short passer, but in Munich he received balls in a similar position to Xavi Hernandez.

In a sense, this was Barcelona’s major problem. Leo Messi was clearly not 100% fit and unable to orchestrate Barcelona’s attacking play from between the lines. The Argentine needed support from Iniesta, and while it can be frustrating to stay high up the pitch receiving little service, Iniesta needed to be patient with his positioning to encourage Busquets and Xavi to play forward passes.

Too frequently he dropped deep, Busquets or Xavi played a short pass to him, but there wasn’t the option for a direct forward pass. In Barcelona’s excellent 4-0 victory over Milan, passes from Busquets to Iniesta were very vertical – last week, Barcelona barely gained five yards from those balls.

In addition to attempting the most passes, Iniesta was also Barcelona’s most reliable passer, with a 96% pass completion rate. For a side that prides themselves upon ball retention, high numbers are generally considered favourable.

But Iniesta’s job isn’t to be Barcelona’s most reliable passer – his job is to be their most incisive passer. Iniesta achieved a 96% completion rate with very ‘safe’ passes in harmless zones of the pitch, and he didn’t create a single chance, or even attempt a ball into the penalty area.

Contrast that with his distribution in that 4-0 victory over Milan – there, he misplaced many more passes, but that was because he repeatedly tried through-balls in behind the defence. Rather than simply adding to the numbers in midfield, he provided the link between midfield and attack, attempting six passes which ended in the opposition area.

Iniesta wasn’t the only problem, of course – Barcelona’s entire passing game was disappointing and they barely created a chance in open play. A fully fit Messi will provide more spark in the final third, while Xavi and Busquets must be more ambitious on the ball.

Iniesta’s role is crucial, however – he must be more prominent high up the pitch if Barcelona have any chance of overturning the 4-0 deficit. Bayern have a number of players at risk of suspension from the final if they incur a yellow card – including defensive midfielders Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger plus defenders Philipp Lahm and Dante – but Iniesta must be brave enough to take the battle to them rather than retiring to deep midfield.

Barcelona’s No.8 is rightly considered one of the most gifted attacking midfielders in the game, but his reputation would suffer if he produces another underwhelming performance when his side need him most.

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ANALYSIS Bayern 4-0 Barcelona: The story in Stats Zone
ANALYSIS Dortmund 4-1 Madrid: The story in Stats Zone
ANALYSIS Madrid 2-0 Dortmund: The story in Stats Zone

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José Mourinho needs love, Barcelona need a miracle

Tim Stannard — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:55:00 GMT

Having come so near (well, nearish) to reaching the Champions League final, there were a fair few moans, groans and tears from the Real Madrid players after their whopping semi-final epic against Borussia Dortmund. Yet one player remained relatively straight-faced - a certain goalkeeper and club captain who spent the evening sat on the bench, and would have done the same at Wembley, had Real Madrid prevailed. La Liga Loca imagines that may not have been a fun experience.

While early misses from the Real Madrid forward line ultimately cost the side what would've been an incredible victory against Dortmund, the crowd certainly didn't let the side down. The noise in the opening ten minutes and closing period was as loud as anything the blog can remember in Real Madrid’s back yard.

However, the German side were worthy winners over the two legs, although this will be overlooked a little in the Madrid press thanks to one or two thunder-stealing post-match revelations from José Mourinho. This is why ITV should be applauded for cutting off the Madrid coach just before his possible “I’m off to Chelsea” confession.

Still, Mourinho saved a few zingers for the press conference, with a “nobody likes me and I do care” diatribe admitting that “of course, I want to be where people love me without reservation, where they love all aspects of me.”

The soon-to-be-departing Madrid manager revealed that “in England, they love me. Especially one club.” A great day for Port Vale is around the corner perhaps, unless LLL’s tea-leaves are very much wrong this morning.

There will be plenty of time to digest Mourinho’s latest moans over the weeks to come, but for the moment, the local papers are still clutching their tissues thinking about what might have been, had Real Madrid tried a little harder at winning an injury time penalty. “I believed,” declared Marca’s headline on Wednesday.

“Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Goodbye to the Champions League final,” wrote AS editor, Alfredo Relaño. “But a great goodbye, a suffered goodbye after an assault on the castle that was the 4-1 from the first leg.” Poor Tomás Roncero is a little distraught after a third successive semi-final failure, and slams the “cowardly” Howard Webb for not giving Cristiano Ronaldo a late penalty, even though that was probably the brave move to make considering the stadium the referee was in at the time. The AS columnist also has some parting words for José Mourinho, writing that “in three years he never understood the greatness of this club. I feel more part of Madrid than ever.”

Over in the Catalan capital, Sport are all with the nastiness with the headline of “Goodbye Mou! Disaster complete.” Inside, Josep Maria Casanovas opines that a similar night of drama in the Camp Nou is unlikely with Barcelona 4-0 down to Bayern Munich. “Don’t be mistaken, we are not pessimistic, we are realistic. But despite this, Barcelona should not give up anything for lost. Mundo Deportivo are only half gloating at Real Madrid’s misery, with a split front cover that boasts of “Barça pride” and chuckles at “Goodbye to The Tenth.”

Although a 4-0 deficit has never been overturned in the Champions League, the Barça camp are doing their duty by talking a good fight. “If there’s one team that can comeback from 4-0, it’s Barça. If we fall short, then we have to fall short well,” said Tito Vilanova. Gerard Piqué rather tickled LLL’s tummy by saying that “it’s a day to be kids again, to believe and to stop having the common sense that characterises us.”

If there’s one thing Real Madrid have taught Barça, it’s that goals are fairly important in football, and teams often have a tendency to fall to pieces once one or two have been scored. Much like their rivals on Tuesday night, Barcelona have to score early to have a chance, but a couple of moments of Messi magic before half time...and Piqué’s dreams may come true.

Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund: The story in Stats Zone screens

Stats Zone — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:48:00 GMT

The Champions League semi-finals have been perfect for Stats Zone, our award-winning FREE analysis app. Here's a sample of the screens that were shared during and after last night's Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund game...

Despite late worries, Dortmund survived the onslaught (23 shots, 7 on target vs 9 shots, 3 on target) to reach the final.

Madrid started and finished the game at furious pace, but couldn't keep it going for the full 90 minutes. They had 7 attempts in the first 20 minutes, but none in the next 20.

Indeed, as FourFourTwo.com editor @GaryParkinson screenshared, Madrid only managed 2 shots on target before 80th minute – and 5 after

Neither of the two main strikers had a great night. Robert Lewandowski got 2 of his 5 shots on target, Cristiano Ronaldo 1/6.

Madrid attempted 42 crosses, Dortmund made 66 clearances. These things are not entirely unrelated.

Indeed, it's worth a closer look at Dortmund's defensive stats. They made 37 tackles and 27 interceptions – and 50 of those 66 clearances were in the 2nd half.

Overall, Madrid completed 484 passes to Dortmund's 228.

The teams attempted a similar number of long passes but Madrid were more than twice as accurate. Madrid's were frequently to switch the focus of attack, while Dortmund's were nearly all vertical as they looked to break.

Both teams were careful not to commit fouls in front of their box, as @‪CombinationPla‬y noted. Madrid fouled high up the pitch – away from set-piece problems but also when Dortmund were breaking.

Marco Reus provided an outlet all over the pitch, trying to cover for the early loss of Mario Götze.

And finally, our favourite screen of last night, as discovered by ‪@archiert1‬. The Player Influence screen shows each man's average position and involvement (the busier the player, the larger the text). Remembering that Stats Zone always shows teams attacking from left to right, the Player Influence screen from 80-90 minutes perfectly illustrates Madrid's late, doomed dominance.

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ANALYSIS Dortmund 4-1 Madrid: The story in Stats Zone
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Hollywood rejects Brentford-Doncaster movie, but not for plausibility reasons

Back of the Net — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:13:00 GMT

A big screen adaptation of Saturday's showdown has been turned-down, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

As feared, Hollywood’s Big Six studios have snubbed Brentford-Doncaster, but feedback has largely touched on a lack of broad market appeal rather than the far-fetched nature of events at Griffin Park.

Just days after Brentford’s Marcello Trotta hit the woodwork with a last-minute penalty, only for Doncaster to run up the other end and score, sealing the championship, thoughts have turned to which of the major film studios would bring the Griffin Park saga to the silver screen.

Lone dissenting voice, Doncaster goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, suggested that Hollywood producers may find the plot ‘too fantastical’, but it seems that other motives are behind the lethargic response from across the Atlantic.

“We are respectfully taking a pass [not making the film],” an email from Universal Pictures reads.

"Yeah, we'll edit the background out, don't worry..."

“While we are always excited to receive a script entirely set in a lower-league English football stadium, we have a very full slate at present with Fast and Furious 6 occupying a lot of our resources.”

Universal did indicate that they would be willing to listen to a revised, ‘sexier’ proposal that includes at least two car chases and suggested replacing Doncaster boss Brian Flynn with ‘some chick in a bikini’ or ‘at least Danny Wilson’.

20th Century Fox were less encouraging. Instead of suggesting the plot was far-fetched, they maintained that it ‘lacked jeopardy’.

“I mean, let’s get this straight, if Brentford loses it still gets in the play-offs, right?” an email from chief creative officer Tony Sella enquired.

“Granted it still slumps to defeat against an uncompromising Swindon side, but I’m worried there’s not enough jeopardy. I mean even if it gets in the Championship, what then? It battles relegation for a couple of seasons and eventually goes down again.”

Sella proposed Marcello Trotta and James Coppinger be brothers who have grown apart after the tragic death of their father in a plane crash while carrying an illicit shipment of cocaine to the president, who was in fact a robotic clone.

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Which was the greatest Champions League final goal?

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:01:00 GMT

The 20 Champions League finals have produced 51 goals and their fair share of corkers. But which was the greatest of all? We agonised over the list and whittled it down to these final five. You can do the rest…

1994: Dejan Savicevic (AC Milan) v Barcelona
Johan Cruyff's Dream Team inspired awe in everyone except AC Milan. Fabio Capello's side were weakened by injury, suspension and the three-foreigners rule – but one of those ex-pats, Savicevic, excelled throughout and put the game beyond Barça with the killer third just after half-time. Having chased down the right to close down Miguel Angel Nadal, he robbed the Spain international and noticed Andoni Zubizaretta off his line – at which he produced a priceless, perfectly weighted lob. "An unthinkable play of brilliance," said Capello. "It is the way of Savicevic."

1997: Lars Ricken (Borussia Dortmund) v Juventus
Juventus had halved Borussia's lead in the Munich Olympiastadion when Ottmar Hitzfeld turned to substitute Lars Ricken and said "You're on, son" (presumably in German). The Dortmund-born midfielder was still only 20 but his youth worked wonders for his confidence when, just 16 seconds after coming on, he was put through by Andy Moller. Noting Angelo Peruzzi off his line, Ricken lobbed him from 30 yards – with his first touch.

2000: Steve McManaman (Real Madrid) v Valencia
Before Beckham came McManaman. The shaggy-haired Scouser may not have the Beckham brand, but he was named Man of the Match in this Champions League final, and not only for this goal – but what a cracker it was. Roberto Carlos's long throw had been headed clear by Valencia's defence, but it fell perfectly for McManaman to slam a scissor-kick into the corner of the net. Notably failing to self-mythologise, our hero cheerfully admitted that "I just shut my eyes and it went in."

2002: Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) v Bayer Leverkusen
Over-excited by flowery reminiscences of the epoch-making 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt 42 years earlier, a damp Hampden Park crowd was somewhat underwhelmed – until this happened just before half-time. The rampaging Roberto Carlos hooked a high cross to the back of the box, where lurked Zinedine Zidane. As the ball slowly fell, Zidane ignored the attentions of three Leverkusen players (including Michael Ballack), kept his eye on the ball, composed his shape and unleashed an unforgettable left-foot volley to seal Real Madrid's second Big Cup win in three years.

2005: Hernan Crespo (AC Milan) v Liverpool
The only one of the five not to be scored by the winning team, but it sure didn't look that way at the time. Hernan Crespo's second and Milan's third came at the end of a first half completely dominated by the Rossoneri. And what a goal it was. Kaka turned Steven Gerrard and knocked a 70-yard ball which bypassed four Liverpool players en route to the Argentine hitman, who dinked the ball first time over the onrushing Jerzy Dudek. Liverpool may have levelled the match and won the cup, but nobody can take that goal away from Crespo.

Which goal would you decree the best? Watch them all at ESPNClassic.co.uk/FinalGoals and vote for your favourite. ESPN Classic (Sky channel 425, Virgin 533) is rescreening 12 of the tournament's greatest finals in the run-up to this season's finale on May 25.

Meantime, for the chance to win an iPad, tweet your choice – and justification – in 120 characters or fewer @FourFourTwo with the hashtag #BestUCLFinalGoal (or we might not find it, so you won't win). Terms and conditions

NEW ISSUE Galacticos Reunited, 10 years on: Zizou, Ronaldo, Figo & Bobby Carlos talk to FFT

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:48:00 GMT

Ten years ago, FourFourTwo collected Galacticos. Our iconic March 2003 issue featured Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, among others, on what it's like inside the world's biggest club.

Things have changed a lot since, but to mark the 10th anniversary we tracked down all four legends, shoved them in the famous shirts – now officially retro, and no jokes about Ronaldo please – and asked them again about the majesty and madness of millennial Madrid: "We were like The Beatles," says Figo.

In a compelling 20-page special, Zizou reveals that he cried before his final game, while all involved speak of the fun they had – on and off the pitch. "Look at us on that cover," says Figo: "Everyone is laughing." No wonder. "We were like kids enjoying ourselves on the pitch," says Roberto Carlos. "I was lucky to be able to play with those players," agrees Zizou, while Ronaldo simply says: "It was wonderful". He's not wrong. Read all about it in the new issue – out Wed 1 May.

There may never be another Galacticos project, but the name is often mentioned when clubs buy big names for big money. One such club is Paris Saint-Germain, who shelled out €43m on Brazilian prodigy Lucas Moura – and again FFT is right there with him.

Hopping into Lucas's white Porsche Cayenne, we go on a turbocharged tour of Paris while he talks openly about his humble childhood, his decision not to move to Manchester United, Brazil's World Cup chances and his plans to topple the great Leo Messi.

The millionaires might be getting younger, but at the other end of the age scale some players are playing into their late thirties. So why did Michael Owen retire at 33? FFT investigates the theories behind burnout, quizzing the experts and discovering how sports-science centres like the Milan Lab are analysing the psychology behind longevity.

One man who played on to his late thirties was Lee Dixon, and the Arsenal legend is this month's One on One victim, discussing his anger towards George Graham, the time he pinched Patrick Vieira's car keys, how he could have stopped Ryan Giggs in 1999 and why he swapped the BBC for ITV.

But FourFourTwo has never been just about the big names and bright lights, and we spent Easter with the homeless: namely Gateshead, who have been on the road since January due to a turfing mishap. As the manager says, "Maybe we'll be a really good away side next season..."

We also hear another side of football from disabled fans, learning what it's like to get "coined" in your wheelchair or toppled over in crowd surges – and how facilities have improved surprisingly slowly: at the 1999 Champions League final, disabled fans were given a letterbox view of the pitch which didn't include either goal…

FFT also journeys back in time to the Victorian era, when football was first codified – but players smoked their pipes, used their hands, "hacked" each other with impunity and used people as the woodwork.

We also glance back to Lazio's 1974 Scudetto-winning team, the Italian Crazy Gang who upset the established order, the opposition and each other, their absorbing story ending in tragedy.

Plus: The amazing first column from our new writer Diego Forlan, a fascinating Champions League finals infographic and picture special, what autographs say about a player and, in our Performance playing-advice section, a masterclass from Michu.

FOURFOURTWO NOW ON iPAD! The world's greatest football magazine is now available on iPad. Featuring everything in the magazine with added interactivity – this month’s moving-picture highlights include Lucas juggling a ball on his Parisien balcony and Michu chatting about his favourite training drill – the iPad app is available for free here.

Vine videos of the new issue in print and iPad form

This issue of FourFourTwo was brought to you by Lee Dixon, Adrian Chiles, Ibrahim Affelay, Gianluca Vialli, the Deaf Champions League, Irvine Welsh, MOTD2 editor Stephen Lyle, Andy Hinchcliffe, Diego Forlan, The Player, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Michel Salgado, Manchester United head of fitness and conditioning Tony Strudwick, Southampton head of sports science Mo Gimpel, Javier Zanetti, Martin Keown, Professor Magni Mohr, Lucas Moura, Gateshead chairman Graham Wood, Gateshead manager Anth Smith and various "Heed Army" fans, disabled supporters Chas Banks, Phil Downs, Kevin Peek and Melvin Collins, Italian journalist Francesco Recanatesi, Felice Pulici, Luigi Martini, Bob McNab, Rene Girard, Carlos Ruiz, Tom Dent, Pablo Luguercio, Antonio Luiz Neto, Jesus Tricolor (no, really), Everton strength and conditioning coach Dave Billows, Willian, Sebastian Bassong, Michu, Mikel Arteta, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Stuart Pearce, Nathan Ellington and Sami Hyypia.

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Atlético Madrid must get creative if they are to close the gap on Spain's big two

Paul Wilkes — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:32:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Paul Wilkes - editor of the laligauk.com - uses Stats Zone to assess where third-placed Atletico Madrid must improve...

It was the same old story at the Vicente Calderón, as Real Madrid's hold over city rivals Atlético continued. It's 14 years and 25 matches since Atléti last managed a win over Los Blancos.

In the past they have been accused of bottling it, having a poor mentality and simply not being good enough when coming face-to-face with their considerably richer foes. Even though this time round they were facing Real Madrid's second string, the fixture highlighted another weakness: their lack of creativity.

This season, under Diego Simeone, Atletico have worked hard, been difficult to penetrate and defensively superb. After all, they have conceded the fewest goals in la Liga this season, and only Barcelona have allowed their opponents fewer shots.

In midfield, they fight for every last ball (no surprise, given the playing history of their manager) and inevitably this means they give away a number of free-kicks. At the other end of the pitch, they are the fourth highest scorers in the league, with 58 goals in 33 matches, yet only 28 of those goals have come from open play. No team has scored more set-pieces or penalties in the whole of La Liga.

Striking the right balance between defence and attack is their biggest problem. Simeone's philosophy has centred around making Atlético hard to beat, aggressively pressing the opposition into mistakes and then quickly dropping back into shape and not leaving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois exposed.

As a former Rojiblancos player himself, Simeone knows not only what it means to play for the club, but what the squad needed upon his arrival. An animated personality, he has used his motivational techniques to build a fantastic resilience among his team. They are a functional side, but not without their limitations.

Last season they had Diego Ribas on loan as a No.10 and Arda Turan drifting in from the wing, but the club couldn't afford to make Ribas a permanent purchase, while Turan has missed the last four matches after picking up an injury against Valencia. When they have needed that extra bit of guile in attacking areas, only Koke looks capable of providing it, and that doesn't appear to be his natural game just yet.

Further back, they have your typical holding midfielders – Tiago and Mario Suárez – with Gabi offering more of a box-to-box threat. Yet they have no deep-lying playmaker. Raúl Garcia has made an impact this season, though mainly from the right, scoring five goals, but only Courtois has a lower pass completion rate, showing how wasteful Garcia can be in possession.

They do at least have a hot prospect in the form of Óliver Torres. In the long term he could offer the solution to their creativity problems, either in the midfield or behind the strikers, but the youngster has yet to start a match for the club.

In the Madrid derby, the middle of the park lacked artistry all round. Real Madrid boss José Mourinho paired Sami Khedira with Pepe – effectively two destroyers – as he seemed content with the draw which would have maintained the three-point gap between the two sides in the league. For Diego Simeone, it was the usual midfield partnership of Gabi and Mario Suárez: having not beaten their city rivals since October 1999, it was important that Atlético weren't too open.

Suárez breaks up the play well and Gabi distributes the ball out wide quickly, but after Real Madrid had taken a 2-1 lead against the run of play, Mourinho was able to throw on pass-masters Xabi Alonso and Luka Modrić to run the game. Those players' pricetags put them well out of Atléti's grasp, but they desperately need to identify cheaper alternatives.

With Champions League football practically secured, the team need a variety of options to ensure they can remain competitive both at home and in Europe next season. Arda Turan has hinted that he is considering moving on, but even if he doesn't there's a need to provide him with some assistance. When the team can't simply rely on pace and power, then their choices are inexperienced 18- and 21-year-olds, which isn't likely to be enough to see them make much impact in Europe's eite competition.

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Operation 3-0: Real Madrid hopeful of another famous comeback

Tim Stannard — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:57:00 GMT

The reason there has been little or no local media criticism of Real Madrid's 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund is simple - all good (or bad) things come to those who wait. Why burn bridges with the club when another legendary comeback may still be possible?

Last Thursday’s AS front page should have been something along the lines of “Merciful Zeus, how badly can a team play? What a disastrous result, goodbye Champions League.” But perhaps condensed a little. Instead the cheerful, stiff-upper-lip banner headline was “Operation 3-0!”

A tremendously positive front cover on Tuesday’s Marca follows the same theme. “3-0 and it’s Wembley!” is the reminder from the paper ahead of the whopper in the Bernabéu. Despite the home side being 4-1 down against a team who are quite likely to score a goal against a leaky defence, any kind of self-doubt has been banished until at least half-past ten on what looks set to be a cold, rainy night in Madrid.

“The Bernabéu will score the first goal,” says the paper of its cunning plan for The Great Comeback, a repeat of last season’s “the fans are the 12th man” campaign which worked so well in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich. The main participation of the spectators ended up being to catch a penalty from Sergio Ramos.

AS are continuing a somewhat morbid “Spirit of Juanito” theme, the usual narrative trotted out when an almighty dog’s dinner of a first leg has been made and the assistance of a former player, famous for leading legendary comebacks who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1992, is required.

The paper’s front cover on Tuesday features a photograph of the footballer, a continuation from a most peculiar “Sixth Sense” article from Tomás Roncero in Monday’s edition that declared “Juanito has not gone. Only his body has. He’s playing against Borussia,” wrote the biggest Madridista of them all, who may well be a ghost himself, Bruce Willis-style (spoiler alert). “Madrid always have Juanito warming up on the sidelines.”

In terms of actions that may actually help, the Real Madrid players were bundled in front of a video camera and told to look stern, fold their arms and order the fans in the Bernabéu on Tuesday night to support them, in a promotional campaign to get a normally cold-blooded fan base to put down their bird seed and make some noise.

José Mourinho - aside from moaning that if the Great Comeback doesn’t work, then it will be his disaster - saw the happy Real Madrid camp as a huge positive. He noted that “no player has jumped ship and everyone wants to play so this makes me think that it’s possible.”

Speaking some five hours after his Madrid equivalent, Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp was his usual entertaining self when asked if he thought his team could choke on the big night. “No” was his immediate response, with no further explanation required.

Knocking three past Borussia Dortmund is certainly not above the abilities of Real Madrid, a side “who did everything badly” in the first leg. It's not conceding a goal that could prove the hardest challenge. The Santiago Bernabéu has been a bit of a free buffet for visiting teams this season, with Real Betis, Levante, Mallorca and Real Sociedad scoring in Madrid’s home in 2013. Then there’s Borussia Dortmund knocking in a couple at the beginning of November in the Champions League group clash between the pair.

However, as Juanito once said in broken Italian; “90 minutes in the Santiago Bernabeu is a long time.” But this can work both ways. A couple of goals for Real Madrid and one more needed with 15 minutes could see the most dramatic of evenings. But an early opener for Borussia Dortmund and more of the same punishment for Madrid as witnessed in Germany last week could see 90 minutes feeling like years for the home support.

Wilson Palacios named Player of the Year in Back Of The Net awards 2013

Back of the Net — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:33:00 GMT

It's the time of year when pointless gongs are doled out, and Back of the Net is no different, as John Foster exlains...

Back of the Net is delighted to announce that Stoke City midfielder Wilson Palacios is our Barclays Premier League Player of the Year for 2012/13.

Palacios is a part of the Potters squad that has once again achieved Premier League safety with something to spare, delighting fans and neutrals alike as much for their flair as for their emphasis on playing the game the right way.

Stoke’s midfield is widely regarded as the best outside the Champions League places, and Palacios is the jewel in the crown, outshining even such modern-day Maradonas as Glenn Whelan and Dean Whitehead.

The Honduran’s aggression, driving energy and passing ability have been conspicuous in each of his four appearances this season, all as substitute. Although Stoke’s form has declined over recent months, Palacios can hardly be blamed, given that he hasn’t played since November.

“2012/13 has been a vintage campaign in every way,” a Back of the Net spokesman commented. “Conscious of our hard-won reputation as the most respected and hardest-hitting voice in football journalism today, we wanted to be absolutely certain we were making the right choice for Player of the Year.”

“There were many fine candidates, and we carefully weighed up the merits of the other players on our shortlist, namely Gareth Bale, Robin van Persie, and Mario Balotelli.

“But ultimately none of them has matched what Wilson Palacios has done this year. He could have left in January for slightly smaller wages and regular first-team football, but he chose to stay and fight to win back his place in the team.

“The fact that his fight was unsuccessful is neither here nor there. Wilson is a worthy successor to our previous award-winners Michael Owen (2011) and Lionel Messi (2012).”

The BotN Young Player award was won by Liverpool right-back Martin Kelly, owner of an astonishingly large collection of compromising photographs of international managers, and online football satirists.

Meanwhile, the BotN Blog of the Year award was once again won – by an overwhelming margin – by Back of the Net. Congratulations to all our winners, especially us.

All Back of the Net blogs >

It was a Bad Weekend for… Men, dinosaurs and Bees

Simon Carter — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:32:00 GMT

It was a Bad Weekend for…

Men in black (and white)
There’s no doubt that this has been a massive week. Forget Luis Suarez and all that, news of JLS splitting up (they only had one shot, and they made it count) shook a world already slipping off its axis at the realisation the Bundesliga had taken over football. And so it was on Saturday that the Premier League represented a welcome break for us all.

All except Newcastle, still shaken from their derby defeat of a fortnight ago (and the aforementioned JLS bombshell), abysmal for 90 minutes and worth every bit of a 6-0 home defeat to Liverpool – their worst for nearly a century.

That is not to say Liverpool weren’t magnificent. They were efficient with possession and clever with their movement. Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson were able to roam and play with freedom, while the visitors were unusually clinical, scoring six goals from just 11 shots. Remember, this was a side deprived of their top scorer: manager Brendan Rodgers wore a ghastly black shirt/tie combo in mourning for his suspended Uruguayan. Or was it a tribute to Kop favourite Johnny Cash?

But as good as Liverpool were on Saturday, Newcastle were much worse. Following this defeat the Magpies are just five points above the drop zone and give the appearance of a side sleepwalking their way to relegation. The lack of remaining games and the general incompetency of the sides below them may well save the Toon but this has been a rotten year for last season’s surprise package.

The bottom two
It’s customary to feel sorry for relegated clubs, empathising with their fans for the heartache of dropping a division after a season of false hope. But any sympathy evaporated over 90 listless, turgid minutes at Reading as the Premier League’s bottom two served up a terrible advert for Championship football.

We sympathise for the 23,388 fans at the Madejski Stadium, who lost time they will never, ever get back, but the goalless draw that confirmed both Reading and QPR’s relegations will have surely made every neutral thrilled to see the back of both.

Shearer, Hansen and Lawro
Though in danger of being touted the ‘Poor Man’s Gary Neville’, Everton’s Phil Neville took his seat on the Match of the Day sofa on Saturday to test his punditry chops next to the mighty Alan ‘never heard of Hatem Ben Arfa’ Shearer. And it took just a few seconds for Neville Junior to show BBC viewers that there is more to analysis than simply describing exactly what happened out on the pitch.

In the process of talking viewers through Liverpool’s many goals against Newcastle, Neville gave the viewer insight, showed nous and spoke with the simple touch that viewers of Sky’s Monday Night Football have come to love from his elder brother. Meanwhile, when Gary Lineker asked Shearer what had gone wrong for Newcastle, he informed us that they lacked desire. Thanks Alan.

It’s probably too much to ask that Alan Hansen will expand beyond his famed one word summaries (think “Passion. Pace. Desire. Skill. Kick”) or that Mark Lawrenson will tone down his one-man comedy routine. But with Neville leaving Everton this summer, the BBC could do much worse than convince him to sign a contract with them.

Robert Madley
What better way to ease into a Premier League refereeing career than with an end-of-season, mid-table contest with nothing at stake? For Robert Madley, West Brom’s visit to Southampton on Saturday ticked all the boxes for his first shot at officiating an elite game – until it all started to go wrong.

Three red cards later and the wrath of fans of both sides weighing heavy, Madley will have travelled home on Saturday teatime seriously debating his latest career move.

Dean Saunders
In a season that has seen its share of questionable managerial moves – Michael Appleton must regret his flit from Blackpool to Blackburn – it’s hard to top Dean Saunders’ mid-season dash from Doncaster Rovers to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

At the time, the switch seemed very clever. League One Doncaster were riding high (as was Saunders’ reputation) while Wolves were in a ‘surely it can’t get any worse’ position after the disastrous tenure of Stale Solbakken. At the time, Doncaster were running into rocky ground – a patch of poor form immediately before and after Saunders’ departure threatened their season – and Wolves were desperate.

Oh, hindsight. In a week where Robert Downey Jr. quipped his way back onto screen as a slightly emo Iron Man, hindsight again proved itself as the one superpower really worth having as Wolves wandered even deeper into Championship relegation trouble by way of a 2-1 home defeat to Burnley. Doncaster, meanwhile, won the League One title, in astonishing circumstances we'll come to further down the page.

Results elsewhere mean that to preserve their Championship status, Wolves need a final-day win, defeats for Peterborough and Barnsley, and a four-goal swing. It’s not impossible but as Scunthorpe proved in League One (relegated despite beating play-off-bound Swindon 3-1), when you put your fate in the hands of others even the biggest of efforts can prove fruitless.

As for Saunders, though he's no superhero, you can forgive him too for feeling a little bit emo as he contemplates his passage back to League One – while the club he left behind celebrates leapfrogging him.

Bees
What a weekend for bees! A late spring and growing use of pesticides, coupled with three years of unpredictable weather, has seen the UK’s bee population plummet. Now there are real concerns over honey quantities and crop yields dependent on the insects’ famed pollination skills.

But the sorry plight of our bee population dives almost into insignificance when compared with our footballing Bees.

Brentford started the day in third place in League One, two points behind the team they faced at Griffin Park, Doncaster. The maths were simple: if Brentford won, they would be promoted. If they didn’t, they would wind up in the play-offs and Doncaster would go up automatically.

A tense and even game all came down to a 95th-minute ‘next goal wins’ scenario when Brentford were awarded a penalty. Club captain Kevin O’Connor was the man whom Brentford manager Uwe Rosler “selected to take the penalty”, but Marcello Trotta grabbed the ball – and in the excitement and tension of the moment, the Bees players decided among themselves to entrust the Italian loanee, rather than the 486-appearance legend in his 15th year at the club, with the kick that would take them to the Championship.

As Trotta's penalty crashed against the crossbar Brentford’s players and fans stopped, stunned, knowing their chance of automatic promotion was gone. Worse was to come for the Bees, as Doncaster raced up the other end to score a winner through their own long servant James Coppinger. It was a goal that would ultimately win them the title at the expense of Bournemouth, who finished second after a goalless draw at Tranmere.

Meanwhile in League Two, a seven-way battle to avoid relegation came to rest on the results of just two games: AFC Wimbledon’s home clash against Fleetwood, and Barnet’s visit to Northampton. Wimbledon had started the day in the bottom two with Aldershot (relegated after a brave but unsurprising 2-0 defeat at Rotherham, who achieved promotion) and a goal difference that was the worst in the division. In short, only a win would do.

And just like the League One promotion chase, League Two’s relegation battle came down to a penalty kick. With the scores tied at 1-1, Jack Midson netted from 12 yards to put Wimbledon ahead with 18 minutes remaining. Depending on results elsewhere, this could have relegated any one of four other clubs, or even Wimbledon themselves.

Fortunately for Wimbledon, at roughly the same time, Northampton were knocking in a quickfire double that would ultimately send Barnet – Edgar Davids and all – to non-league football.

Leagues One and Two have been as rich and entertaining as ever and will be massively missed over the final few weeks of the season, with most Premier League business taken care of and the Championship ending next week.

But no fear – the play-offs start on Thursday.

Atlético miss opportunity to end derby jinx, as Mallorca slide towards the drop

Tim Stannard — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:08:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com's man in Spain, Tim Stannard, on the best and the worst of the weekend's la Primera action...

Good Day

Leo Messi
Barely eight minutes after coming onto the pitch, little Leo popped up with a Playstation effort, shimmying and shammying through the Athletic defence before placing an exquisite shot to temporarily put Barça into the lead. “Messi is the best in the world, and clearly when we don’t have him, we miss him,” admitted Jordi Roura.

Real Madrid
A run of 25 matches and nearly 15 years without losing to Atlético Madrid is an incredible record. A ridiculous one, in fact. Of course, Real Madrid’s ‘reserves’ are still going to be pretty good, as some Atlético Madrid’s players pointed out, but a left flank consisting of Nacho and Alvaro Morata should have been beatable. “On Saturday, they both played badly, so Madrid won. If they had both played well, Madrid would have won,” wrote Alfredo Relaño in AS after an unexpectedly rotten match with an expected result.

Real Sociedad
A magnificent Sunday night game against Valencia brought another stunning performance from Real Sociedad. This, in turn, led to a feisty 4-2 victory which extended their unbeaten run to 15 games. The huge win over direct Champions League rivals gives la Real a five point lead over Málaga in fifth and Valencia and six, with 15 points left to play for. “We have a great advantage with 50 metres left,” revealed la Real boss, Philippe Montanier.

Málaga
A handy, no nonsense 2-1 win at home to Getafe keeps the side in the chase for a European spot, should the club’s current one year ban be overturned on appeal. “It would be a great achievement to be in the Europa League for the effort we’ve made,” said a proud Manuel Pellegrini.

Bukaneros
While most fans who complain about kick-off times, prices and other such footballing gripes still stand and support their team regardless, Rayo’s Ultras do things properly. When the Bukaneros aren’t happy about a Friday or Monday night kick-off (the former being the issue this week in a 2-2 draw with Osasuna) then they vacate their spot in the stadium, to leave a giant gaping hole. At the front of an enormous space on the terraces in Vallecas, a big banner read “No to Football on Friday.”

Valladolid
La Liga Loca feels 39 points is enough to keep a team up this season, so Valladolid’s draw with Sevilla was a pretty big result, given it moved them to 40 points with five matches left to play.

Ander Herrera
There’s still some battling spirit left at Athletic Bilbao, with the feisty midfielder popping up in the 89th minute to earn a 2-2 draw against the Champions elect. The players “deserved something more than a dignified defeat,” announced Marcelo Bielsa.

Osasuna
“A good point, a tough game and hard-fought,” was the opinion of Osasuna boss, José Luis Mendilibar, after the 2-2 draw with Rayo that gives a kick start to the Pamplona motor after three matches without a goal. The Osasuna efforts in this match were old-school - two headers from corners.

Granada
Finally, a win for Granada after nine matches without a victory, and a continuation of the good form shown in last week’s draw with Valladolid. “There are teams who are going to be in a ‘nothing zone’ and this could be beneficial to those who play them. These types of teams will be the judges of the competition,” mused Granada boss, Lucas Alcaraz.

Celta Vigo
Two wins in two matches for a struggling Celta have certainly seen the Galicians perk up a little. However, Saturday’s 1-0 win could not have been any easier against a completely lame Levante.

Real Zaragoza
Well, that was epic. After a run of 15 matches without a win, Zaragoza finally picked up a victory in a la Romareda humdinger against relegation rivals Mallorca. The lead switched sides throughout the match, but it was Rubén Rochina that popped up with a winner in the 3-2 victory just two minutes from time. “The dressing room has an incredible human quality,” beamed a relieved Zaragoza boss, Manolo Jiménez. Zaragoza are still second-from-bottom of the table but a win’s a win’s a win.

Bad Day

Diego Simeone
The Atlético Madrid boss looked really, really, really, really, really fed up after his side completely surrendered against Real Madrid, who might as well have rolled onto the pitch wearing “Kick me!” signs. Oh, he was fed up. In fact, he was smiling, laughing, hand-rubbing and extremely amiable after the game, in the manner of someone who was about to lose it completely. However, Simeone still seemed to think the Rojiblancos have a chance in the biggest meeting of the season between the two teams, the upcoming Copa del Rey final. “Very few people think this will happen, but it’s better that way,” said Simeone.

Valencia
The 4-2 defeat to Real Sociedad that leaves the Mestalla club five points behind Real Sociedad - and with a worse goal difference - could be very costly for Valencia in terms of losing Champions League revenue. Roberto Soldado’s sale, a player with 18 league goals this season, would surely be on the cards.

Sevilla
Still Sevilla, still useless away from home. The 1-1 at Valladolid keeps up a record for the Andalusian club of one victory from 17 trips in la Liga. Still, there’s still hope for some kind of success this season says a chirpy Unai Emery. “We’ve not been at the level that we’ve had at home, but we are two wins away from Europe.”

Espanyol
“If we want to get into Europe, we need to do it, not talk about it,” announced Javier Aguirre after the 1-0 home defeat to Granada.

Levante
Another veeeeeery flat home performance against a relegation team with a lot of incentive to pick up a victory. Two weeks ago, Deportivo came along and got a 4-0 win, and this weekend it was Celta Vigo who picked up a win to give the Galicians back-to-back victories. Levante were also charitable enough to miss a penalty. “The facts are that we lost at home against two teams in the relegation zone,” said a somewhat miffed and disappointed Celta boss, Juan Ignacio Martínez, “when a professional goes out onto the pitch, he wants to win.” Mallorca and Zaragoza are next up, so let’s see how giving Levante are over the weeks to come.

Mallorca
“It’s a step back,” admitted Mallorca boss Gregorio Manzano after the defeat to Zaragoza which left the Balearic club bottom of the table. Things are looking better for next weekend though, with Levante heading to town.

Prem Notes: Every game analysed for pub-ammo factoids

Stats Zone — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:51:00 GMT

Using the StatsZone app to analyse every Premier League games this weekend – Lamps's first assist, Spurs' late show, Fortune's busy day, silenced Canaries, Peter Crouch being "good in air, bad with his feet", differing efficiencies at Southampton-WBA – and Liverpool's long-awaited larruping...

ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED

Theo Walcott’s goal after 103 seconds is the fastest in Premier League clashes between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Just as they did against Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester United had 5 players booked – the most they've had in a single PL game this season.
United made 26 headed clearances, a weekend PL high.
Laurent Koscielny made 7 interceptions, a weekend PL high.

READING 0-0 QPR

The first shot on target by either side arrived in the 38th minute though Pavel Pogrebnyak.
QPR have now gone 275 minutes (four hours and 35 minutes) without scoring in the Premier League.
Just 7 of the 31 shots attempted (including blocked) were on target in this match.
QPR won just 7 tackles in this game; Lucas won 9 on his own for Liverpool yesterday.\

CHELSEA 2-0 SWANSEA

Frank Lampard has now scored against 38 different Premier League teams, equalling Andy Cole’s record.
Oscar’s opening goal was created by Lampard's first league assist of the season.
Demba Ba had more shots on target (4) than the entire Swansea City team (3)
Swansea players blocked 5 shots from inside the area in this game and made 9 blocks in total.

MAN CITY 2-1 WEST HAM

The Citizens have equalled a club record by scoring in each of their last 48 home league games.
Joe Hart has now made 5 errors leading to goals, a figure only Wigan’s Ali-Habsi can top this season (7). Last season, Hart only made 1.
Samir Nasri, who created 4 chances including 2 goals, has 4 assists in his last 5 league games, while he has either scored or assisted 4 goals in his last 4 games in all competitions.
Yaya Toure made (99) and completed (92) more passes than any other player this weekend.

EVERTON 1-0 FULHAM

Steven Pienaar has now been involved in 11 PL goals this season (6 goals, 5 assists), his best ever return in the division.
Fulham failed to get a single shot on target.
Everton had 21 attempts at goal – 10 from inside the box – but only 4 were on target.
No defender has more PL assists this season than Seamus Coleman (5).
No PL player created more chances this weekend than Leighton Baines (5).

SOUTHAMPTON 0-3 WEST BROM

Southampton vs WBA is the first PL game since Portsmouth v Sunderland in Feb 2010 to see 3 (or more) red cards.
Marc-Antoine Fortuné is the first player since Jan 2007 (Bobby Zamora for West Ham vs Fulham) to score, assist and be sent off in the same PL game.
8 of West Brom’s 10 shots in this game were on target.
By contrast, Southampton got just 3 of their 17 shots on target.
Jay Rodriguez had more shots than any other player in the PL this weekend, though he also hit a weekend-high 4 off-target.

STOKE 1-0 NORWICH

Norwich did not manage a single shot on target in this game – for the third time this season (all three of which have come since March).
Peter Crouch won 22 aerial duels in this game: no Premier League player has made more this season.
On the other hand, Crouch made 23 unsuccessful passes; only two outfielders (both Stoke players) have made more in a single game this season.

WIGAN 2-2 TOTTENHAM

Tottenham have now scored and conceded in 25 of their 34 league games this season, more than any other side.
Before being withdrawn in the 64th minute, Spurs left-back Kyle Naughton completed all 36 of his passes.
Spurs had 16 attempts in all, but 2 of their 3 on-target efforts came in the fifth minute of second-half injury time.

NEWCASTLE 0-6 LIVERPOOL

None of the 38 Premier League games between Newcastle and Liverpool has been goalless; no PL fixture has had more games without a shutout.
For the first time this season, Steven Gerrard did not complete the full 90 minutes. His unbroken run ended at 3133 minutes.
In 10 PL appearances, Philippe Coutinho has 4 assists and 2 goals.
Lucas won 9 tackles: only the third player to do so in the PL this season.
Liverpool scored with 6 of their 9 shots on target. Away at Reading earlier in the month they had 11 shots on target and failed to score.
Despite making the most tackles this weekend (30), Liverpool conceded the fewest fouls (6).

Stats Zone is bigger and better than ever! Our Opta-powered app now features the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League – all FREE.

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Napoli delay Juve's party, while Fiorentina aim to have last laugh over Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:46:00 GMT

Juventus moved one step closer to title glory with their derby win

Napoli may have put Juventus’ title celebrations on hold for a week, but the Old Lady won’t be too concerned. Now she can get down to preparing a scudetto homecoming at Juventus Stadium next Sunday.

The defending champions need only a point against Palermo to claim their 29th title (31st, if you ask them) after overcoming city rivals Torino in a tense derby that was settled late with goals from Arturo Vidal and local boy Claudio Marchisio.

Tellingly, both goals came from the Juve engine room that has been the difference between Antonio Conte’s side and the rest of the league. On that midfield battleground it was Paul Pogba who strode through scything challenges and body-checks to emerge head and shoulders above everyone else on the rain-sodden pitch.

The Frenchman’s performance summed up the Bianconeri’s approach throughout the domestic campaign - efficient, commanding and never once on the back foot.

Meanwhile, even without the suspended Edinson Cavani, Napoli were full of inventiveness as they cut through Pescara for a 3-0 win to further cement their hold on second place.

AS Roma gave a hint of what might have been with a mesmerising first-half show starring Francesco Totti, Pablo Osvaldo and Erik Lamela. Osvaldo grabbed a hat-trick in the 4-0 rout but the bad boy from Buenos Aires was still booed by a section of the home support.

However, for star-spangled entertainment in this run-in you need look no further than Fiorentina, a delight to watch under Vincenzo Montella. He, of course, was shipped out of Roma to make way for Luis Enrique.

By Sunday afternoon, after a 3-0 win at Sampdoria, the Viola were up to third on the back of six wins in their last eight matches. In doing so they sent a warning shot to AC Milan, who are still in danger of missing out on the final Champions League spot. That would surely signal the end for Massimiliano Allegri, who the Italian press are already reporting will be replaced by former favourite Clarence Seedorf.

Montella, however, has no worries about his future. In fact, it is more likely that Fiorentina owners Diego and Andrea Della Valle will be fending off a number of clubs - including Milan and Inter - for his services this summer.

This time last year, Montella was leading Catania to their own Champions League of sorts, a record points haul of 48 points, before being lured away to Florence. The Tuscan club decided to make a fresh start in the summer after a string of tumultuous campaigns that saw a number of coaches come and go, including former head honcho Delio Rossi - sacked for attacking his own player, Adem Ljajic, during a match.

Ljajic made his point to former boss Delio Rossi in Fiorentina's 3-0 win

An affirmative end to this poisonous environment was required. This being Italy, out went nearly the whole first-team squad in the summer, while in the opposite direction arrived experienced transfer operator, Daniele Pradè, alongside Montella.

Sniffing around Europe for talented players who would fit into Montella’s attacking approach, the club targeted Villarreal, newly relegated from la Liga. Gonzalo Rodriguez arrived in defence, while Borja Valero was snared to dovetail with David Pizarro and Alberto Aquilani in midfield.

However, it has been one of those associated with that toxic environment, Ljajic, who has thrived with a second opportunity. Another of last season’s overpaid and spoilt underachievers, Alessio Cerci, meanwhile, has dazzled with Torino.

But while many fans would have welcomed a swing at the pair in the past, both have flourished this season. Cerci even made his Italy debut on the back of a series of impressive performances for his new club.

Ljajic looked set to be on his way after the bust-up with Rossi. But instead the 21-year-old, who had been close to joining Manchester United before arriving at Fiorentina in 2010, has shone under Montella.

Injuries to Stevan Jovetic have seen the young Serb become the unlikely fulcrum, with three goals in four matches throughout April. Couple that with a previously untapped desire to track back and Fiorentina have a winning formula. It is a trait their other fleet-footed forward, Juan Cuadrado, has also displayed.

Ljajic’s latest strike, which took his total to eight for the season, must have been the sweetest, given it came against his old nemesis Rossi, now in charge at Sampdoria.

After slotting home from inside the area, Ljaijic ran past the home dugout wagging a finger in the general direction of his old tormentor before pestering the opposition defence with a series of dazzling runs which culminated in an assist for Aquilani.

It was the perfect riposte to last season’s plight but more importantly came with a smile and genuine happiness, something that has swept through Fiorentina under Montella.

Fiorentina have become the league’s real crowd pleasers and even though Milan regained third after their 4-2 win over Catania, it could be the rejuvenated Viola that have the last laugh.

Your chance to be in an ad with Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Are you a grassroots football player? Do you always strive to perform to the highest level possible? Then you could star in Lucozade Sport’s new advertising campaign and meet two Premier League stars.

One lucky FourFourTwo reader will win the opportunity to participate in a photoshoot in May 2013, alongside Lucozade Sport ambassadors Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

That lucky reader could be you. If you want to meet the Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal stars, all you have to do is tweet a photo of yourself on the pitch in your football gear to @FourFourTwo, with the hashtag #LucozadeSportStar.

For terms and conditions, click here

York wary of unwanted record as tide starts to turn against Football League new boys

Gregg Davies — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:22:00 GMT

Twelve months ago, York City were making history for the right reasons. A week after defeating Newport County 2-0 at Wembley to lift the FA Trophy for the first time, the Minstermen came from behind to beat Luton Town under the arch to seal their return to the Football League after an eight-year absence.

Under Gary Mills’ guidance, City became only the sixth club ever to play at Wembley on consecutive weekends, following Port Vale (1993), Stockport County (1992), Tranmere Rovers (1991) and Ealing Association, who used the iconic venue as their home ground in 1928.

Yet York are now potentially 90 minutes away from becoming the first club to be relegated from the Football League in their first season after promotion.

Workington, Newport, Torquay United, Boscombe, Rochdale, Halifax Town, Brentford and Gillingham have all had to rely on re-election a year after entering the Football League since the creation of a ‘third division’ in 1920.

But since the system of election and re-election was scrapped ahead of the 1986/87 campaign, no side promoted to the Football League has plummeted straight back down. Invariably, the forward momentum gathered from promotion to ‘the promised land’ has stood the newcomers in good stead for the immediate years ahead.

York celebrate promotion last season - could the joy be short lived?

Darlington, Macclesfield Town, Doncaster Rovers, Carlisle United and Exeter City all celebrated automatic promotion 12 months after exiting the Conference, while Yeovil Town and Hereford United matched it within two seasons.

In fact, since the introduction of a second promotion place from non-league in 2002/03, 13 of the 20 clubs coming up have either moved up into League 1 or reached the League 2 play-offs – most recently Crawley Town in 2012.

But there are signs the tide is starting to turn. As the economic climate continues to bite and clubs with bigger fan-bases – and budgets - drop into the fourth tier, it is becoming tougher for the underdog to have its day.

Defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge could make York the first promoted club to suffer an immediate return to the fifth tier, although the Daggers themselves may be in danger of seeing their six-year spell in the Football League come to an end should they lose the crunch clash in East London.

That result will be irrelevant should two other clubs frequently facing an uphill battle financially– AFC Wimbledon and Aldershot Town – fail to win.

Second time unlucky? Wimbledon must win to avoid returning to non-league

Relegation for the Dons would come in only their second season in the Football League having rocketed through the non-league system. While Aldershot’s stay in the fourth tier seems set to end after five years back among the elite.

After Hereford also lost their place among the 92 last term after six years, clubs coming up from non-league are being given less time to cut their teeth.

A division split between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is nothing new in English football. But the odds on seeing a repeat of the 2009/10 League 2 play-offs where three of the four clubs – Dagenham, Morecambe and Aldershot – had been promoted from the Conference within the previous three years, are drifting.

Survival is the name of the game, as Barnet continue to champion. For a fourth season in succession, they go into their final game threatened with relegation from League 2.

But they are Barnet. They never go down.

Why Sunderland's Di Canio effect can't last

Michael Cox — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:18:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox uses it to compare Paolo Di Canio's Sunderland to the Martin O'Neill vintage…

Paolo Di Canio’s short stint at Sunderland has followed the expected pattern: controversy, knee-slides and plenty of extravagant hand gestures on the touchline.

And then there’s the results – a change of manager often leads to a sudden burst of good form, but six points from three matches against Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton is a highly impressive return given Sunderland’s form over the course of 2012/13.

There’s something rather clichéd about Di Canio’s tactical instructions so far. Sunderland don’t appear significantly better organised than under Martin O’Neill, nor has Di Canio made any obvious tactical tweaks between games to exploit weaknesses in opponents. Instead, Sunderland’s game has been about energy and commitment – they’re hardly playing great football, but the level of motivation has certainly improved.

Di Canio’s first game was at Stamford Bridge – where he famously scored a long-range effort as West Ham battled relegation ten seasons ago. From the first whistle, his instructions were clear – Sunderland raced out of the traps and closed down high up the pitch, with 20-year-old Connor Wickham used upfront to lead the pressing, and Stephane Sessegnon doing an important job just behind.

Sunderland dominated the first half and deserved their 1-0 lead, but such fierce running was unsustainable, and there was an obvious drop-off in the second half – see the positions of their tackles – as Sunderland eventually lost 2-1.

Nevertheless, a debut defeat at Stamford Bridge wasn’t a disaster, and while Sunderland rode their luck in the 3-0 derby victory over Newcastle in Di Canio’s next game, they continued with the same feisty approach.

The major difference from Martin O’Neill’s reign is Sunderland’s attitude without the ball – under the Ulsterman, they sat incredibly deep and allowed the opposition to dictate the play. They’re still not dominating possession, but opponents aren’t allowed such time on the ball. Compare the number of interceptions from the Newcastle game, with one of O’Neill’s final away matches, at QPR.

With the ball, Sunderland haven’t been playing slick passing football – but there’s a clear determination to get forward as quickly as possible. With heavy pressing and direct attacking from a side playing in red and white striped shirts, there’s almost a hint of Marcelo Bielsa’s Athletic Bilbao in the way Sunderland have been attacking.

The Black Cats’ pass completion rate has been extremely low in their victories over Newcastle and Everton, at 64% and 67% respectively, a poor figure considering they’ve averaged 76.5% over the course of the campaign.

Similarly, their share of possession has been just 34% and 36% in those two matches. Di Canio won’t be too concerned about that, seemingly willing for his players to concede possession as a consequence of their attempt to break directly. A good number of Sunderland’s passes are played forward – although almost 50% of these are unsuccessful.

Sunderland aren’t actually creating many clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, but they’re not necessarily trying to. Under O’Neill, Sunderland seemed desperate to cross the ball towards Steven Fletcher waiting on the penalty spot - but the approach became predictable, and as opponents guarded against the wing play, Sunderland had few other options.

O’Neill also said he wanted more goals from long-range - Craig Gardner was one player accused of not scoring enough – but under Di Canio, Sunderland have relied upon long-distance shots. In the wins over Newcastle and Everton - in the absence of the injured Fletcher - there’s been an emphasis on shooting from outside the box, with all four goals hit from similar range.

It’s worked brilliantly so far, but Di Canio’s approach is unsustainable in the long run. Players can’t close down incessantly for 38 games a season, nor can they allow opponents to dominate matches every week. It’s also unlikely that Sunderland will continue thumping in so many shots from unlikely goalscoring positions.

Di Canio is the perfect man to give Sunderland a sudden shot in the arm, but probably not the man to build a dynasty at the club. In all, it’s exactly as you’d have guessed from his fiery personality.

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Can an Atlético Madrid miracle bring Barça the title?

Tim Stannard — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:04:00 GMT

FRIDAY

Rayo Vallecano (8th) v Osasuna (15th) - 21.00
It’s going to be a fine evening indeed for those Vallecas urchins who linger in the street, behind the gap where a football stand should be, to catch errant balls during Rayo home games. Osasuna are in town, and they love a bit of wayward shooting combined with long-ball hoofs.

Nevertheless, la Primera's lowest-scoring side (26 strikes in 32 games) may fancy their chances of grinding out a horrendous sixth goalless draw against a Rayo Vallecano team who are looking more at the future than the present.

There’s still no word on the destiny of Rayo coach Paco Jémez, which may be having a knock-on effect with the players, many of whom are out of contract this summer – including top scorer Piti, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia but says that a decision won’t be made until the end of the season.
LLL Prediction - Draw

SATURDAY

Levante (12th) v Celta Vigo (19th) - 16.00
Celta may be second-bottom, but nothing can possibly go wrong with the inspired tactical plan set out by president Carlos Mouriño. “We can’t stop until we get out of the drop zone,” announced the Galician big-wig. A lot of whether that is going to be possible or not depends on if the returning Iago Aspas is ready to bang in some goals after suspension.

However, when the head-butting forward talked to the press this week, the hottest topic was a possible move to Valencia. “I have no pre-contract signed with Valencia,” sighed a weary Aspas. “Celta have always made it clear that if a club wants me they have to pay the €10m clause and that’s it.”

Meanwhile, there has been movement in the contract extension of Levante coach Juan Ignacio Martínez, despite him saying that he would be delighted to stay on should his bosses want him.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Athletic Bilbao (14th) v Barcelona (1st) - 18.00
If Barça beat Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid lose to Atlético for the first time in 187 years then the Catalan club will be league champions with five games to spare. Hooray! (If you are a Barça fan).

Standing in their way, though, it’s the mighty Athletic who are running out of time in their search for one decent result in a washed-up season. The Bilbao club have been paying attention to the week’s football news though – specifically the treatment dished out by a certain German club to the Catalans, and they’ll be looking to do the same on Saturday. “I hope we can copy a bit of what Bayern Munich did in the Champions League,” said Carlos Gurpegui. "We’ll play an intense game and be close to the Barça players, and win the ball off them.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Atlético Madrid (3rd) v Real Madrid (2nd) - 20.00
Here we go again: Atlético Madrid’s best, best chance of beating Real Madrid in a derby since the last best, best chance. This could go one of two ways. A wounded Real Madrid looking for a restoration of pride go out and grab all three points against Atlético Madrid, as per tradition around these parts. Or a resting-everyone, reserving-resources-for-Tuesday Real Madrid go out and grab all three points against Atlético Madrid, as per tradition around these parts.

Diego Simeone is hinting that a crazy third option may be on the cards - a victory to Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderón for the first time since 1999, when Abba dominated the charts and there was just the one car between a whole town. “We have an opportunity,” on Saturday confirmed the Atlético boss. “I repeat, an opportunity.” An opportunity to do what will remain a mystery until nearly 10pm on Saturday night.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Real Zaragoza (20th) v Mallorca (18th) - 22.00
Zaragoza may have lost again on Monday, which makes it 15 games without a victory, but Manolo Jiménez is still in charge. This doesn’t signal a change of approach from trigger-happy club president Agapito Iglesias, but the simple economic fact that Jiménez would be a little pricey to fire having signed a three-season deal last summer. Goalkeeper Roberto Jiménez has noticed that the team are in all sorts of trouble and that “we are not doing well, the things that the boss tells us to do. The change needs to be radical and immediate. It’s all in the head.”

Talking nonsense on behalf of Mallorca is Javier Arizmendi, a former Zaragoza player, who claimed that Saturday’s relegation sizzler is “one more final but losing it is not definitive because mathematically we’ll still be alive.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

SUNDAY

Espanyol (10th) v Granada (17th) - 12.00
Well, there really is no stopping the mighty Espanyol, a team who were bottom at the end of November when Javier Aguirre took over but have now picked up 43 points. But the Pericos want more. They want Europe, which is currently five points away if Málaga remain excluded from next season's continental jamborees. “We have refocused our objective,” announced Diego Colotto.

Granada just want three points in the bag, something they haven't managed in the nine matches. However, a sparkling performance in a 1-1 draw with Valladolid last week, which was preceded by a retreat in Marbella, has seen a repeat of the same training trick. And after a few hours spent in a Costa del Sol classroom, defender Guilherme Siqueira has grasped the dynamics of football: “The conclusion from the camp was that the team is the 11 who play and the three who take part in the second halves.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Málaga (6th) v Getafe (9th) - 17.00
Marca reports that the Málaga footballers are going unpaid again, but that hasn’t stopped the club’s owner raging against the machines of UEFA and the Spanish FA, rather than hitting a ‘send’ button on a bank transfer. The paper says that the club’s captains had a tough-talking meeting with some institution bigwigs to find out what was going on in terms of “money, bonuses, salaries and delays.”

But enough of such trivialities and onto the thoughts of Sheikh Al-Thani. “My question to the Spanish Football Federation. Where is the justice and equality between the clubs? We were wronged by the UEFA. Where are you about this injustice to Malaga and the moral and psychological damage and the physical?” Hopefully, there will be more comedy stylings next week.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Valladolid (13th) v Sevilla (11th) - 19.00
Need three points to reach the magic 42 mark? Then simply call for Sevilla, who have just the one away win from 16 in la Liga this season. However, this somewhat lackadaisical record has nothing to do with the Andalusians being consistently hopeless, but dastardly referees. That’s the opinion of Sevilla coach Unai Emery, who feels that his side are being punished for not complaining about referees enough.

Feeling hard done by due to the diving antics of Diego Costa in last week’s defeat to Atlético Madrid and a handball in the lead-up to the goal, Emery wrote that “We feel powerless, because we can say what we want, but the points will never be returned to us." He's right.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Real Sociedad (4th) v Valencia (5th) - 21.00
In a new tradition, the blog will let you all know who is charge of Valencia on a week to week basis, as things are fairly fluid in the Mestalla boardroom these days. Technically Vicente Andreu is supposed to be in charge, due to the resignation of the previous temporary president, who was only president due to the resignation of the previous previous president Manuel Llorente.

However, Llorente was seen on Thursday at Valencia’s training ground visiting the players and chatting away with manager Ernesto Valverde, perhaps forgetting that he had quit his post a few weeks ago. Valverde must be quite confused this week, as he has also had a visit from Amadeo Salvo, the vice-president of the foundation which sort of owns the club, to discuss the contract situation with the coach.
LLL Prediction - Home win

MONDAY

Betis (7th) v Deportivo (16th) - 22.00
Another Monday match stuck away late at night, but it’s a belter that sees Deportivo continuing their incredible journey to escape relegation. Four wins and a draw have put Depor onto 30 points – two above the drop zone – and next up they face a tasty Betis side. “It’s a big peloton to escape,” noted Deportivo boss Fernando Vázquez, who rather admirably is training to complete a triathlon. “Let’s see who’s the best sprinter.”

History is on Depor’s side on Monday, with just the single defeat in the last 10 visits to Betis, something else to buoy Galician spirits. “Depending on ourselves is something we’ve dreamed about for some time,” revealed Deportivo midfielder Álex Bergantiños. “Taking into account where we’ve come from, we are in a very good situation.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Suarez bite: "I've seen worse"

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:05:00 GMT

Once again, ESPN have posed a trio of FourFourTwo readers' topical questions in an exclusive addendum to their Press Pass show – this week, former US international defender Janusz Michallik answers the following posers:

Is Suarez's bite the worst thing you've seen on a football pitch?
Is Europe entering a new period of German and Spanish dominance?
Which European player would you like to see switch to the MLS?

ESPNFC Press Pass - the football discussion show that takes a daily look at the global game - airs at 11pm Monday to Friday, plus Sunday evenings on ESPN. Follow the show on Twitter

Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid: The story in Stats Zone screens

Stats Zone — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:28:00 GMT

The two stunning Champions League semi-finals have been perfect for Stats Zone, our award-winning FREE analysis app. Here's a sample of the screens that were shared during and immediately after last night's Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid game...

Tale of two strikers: Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski had 6 shots, of which 5 were on target and 4 were goals; Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo had 5 shots, 3 on target, 1 goal.

Much of the pre-match talk was about Dortmund's Mario Götze, who will move to Bayern Munich this summer. The attacking midfielder didn't lose focus, assisting one of Lewandowski's goals and completing 43 of his 50 passes (including 18 of his 24 in the final third - meaning he completed more final-third passes than any other player).

Behind Götze in central midfield, Ilkay Gündogan was also incredibly effective, with the highest number of completed passes (49, from 56), 3 "take-ons" or dribbles (all successful) - plus 2 interceptions and 4 successful tackles. He also received the ball in a variety of places: as @JamesArsenal1 tweeted, he was "absolutely everywhere."

But Dortmund are, above all, a team, with defined roles. Examining the attacking-third passes, @marktheroberts noted how Dortmund threatened in wide areas to avoid Madrid's defensive screen of Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso, with Götze doubling up to help attack Madrid's full-backs.

Over the two semi-final first legs, the La Liga teams attempted 1,132 passes and completed 970; the Bundesliga boys completed 569 of 705.

However, despite completing far fewer passes the German teams got 28 shots away (14 on target - 7 each – and 8 goals), while their visitors could only muster 13 (5 on target, 1 goal).

JOIN THE DEBATE. Download Stats Zone – it's free, and covers Europe's top seven competitions LIVE – and share your screens via Twitter, Facebook, etc... Why not download the Europa League Stats Zone app for tonight's semi-finals?

ANALYSIS Bayern 4-0 Barcelona: The story in Stats Zone

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Nobody has even mentioned Barcelona game, irritated Heynckes reports

Back of the Net — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:34:00 GMT

You never get any credit domestically, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes has admitted that he wasn’t asked one single question about his magnificent Champions League triumph over Barcelona after arriving home in the latter stages of a dinner party hosted by wife Iris last night.

Heynckes’ side pulled off one of the greatest wins in their history last night, battering the all-conquering Barcelona 4-0 and all but booking their place in the Champions League final.

After the final whistle, Bayern received plaudits from all over the world with many suggesting this is the best team in the club’s rich history.

However, on returning home Heynckes was surprised to find the guests at a dinner party hosted by wife Iris less in awe of his achievement.

“I came home full of pride and adrenaline but nobody even asked me how my day was,” Heynckes told FourFourTwo.com.

“You know, I was waiting for someone to mention the Barcelona game, maybe ask how we’d gone on, but instead I had to listen to Georg’s lengthy anecdote about his son’s primary school teacher, some wry comments about the plan to dredge the River Elbe and a detailed analysis of the wine [a Spatlese Riesling from the Mosel].”

Heynckes revealed that he had attempted to draw attention to the match by sighing heavily and saying things like: “Wow, what a day!” and “Someone pinch me!”

"Hi honey, I'm…. oh."

However, even these attempts fell on deaf ears and Heynckes’ best chance to discuss the win didn’t come until the guests were on the doorstep saying their goodbyes.

“Georg’s wife Julia leaned over and asked ‘Are you still working in football?’ but I hadn’t even finished describing my formative coaching years at Athletic Bilbao before she yawned and said they had to be up early the next day,” Heynckes explained.

“The oddest thing is that Georg even calls himself a football fan. He supports Freiburg. So, what, did he forget the game was on? Or did he know but was hoping we’d lose? That wouldn’t really make sense as we don’t have any meaningful rivalry with them. I don’t know, but the whole thing ruined my evening completely.”

When asked this morning whether anything interesting had happened at work yesterday, a grumpy Heynckes is said to have responded: ‘Oh, nothing much,’ before taking a slurp of coffee and bringing his cup down with a slight thud.

All Back of the Net blogs >

Barça lick wounds and hope for schadenfreude as Madrid face Dortmund

Tim Stannard — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:04:00 GMT

Barcelona's battering by Bayern could only have been predicted by the King Egg-Head of experts, the most perspicacious of pundits, the elite of analysts. Like La Liga Loca’s local fishmonger.

When asked yesterday by the blog, the hake-hawker boldly went for a 4-0 home win – a prognosis that duly went into the semi-final preview and duly it came to pass. “A logical conclusion,” said the Salmon-Master coolly, when asked the following morning about his inspiration.

The manner of the defeat was devastating for Barcelona. It wasn’t a fluky loss against a side playing to its strengths, such as last year’s semi-final set-back against Chelsea. Barça weren’t under par against clinical opponents who took their chances, as in as this season’s struggle against Milan.

Bayern give Barça a haddock. Sorry

No, this was a thrashing of the highest order. It was the moment from 2001: A Space Odyssey when apes evolve to such an extent that they learn how much fun there is to be had in whacking their more innocent comrades with bones.

“They were faster, stronger and played better,” admitted Gerard Piqué about a Bayern Munich team who have apparently taken the next evolutionary step. “Practically impossible, but we are going to try,” said a downbeat Xavi Hernández on the chances of a turnaround next week in the Camp Nou.

NEWS, Wed 24 Apr: Barcelona offer little hope of a reaction

The mood in the Catalan capital newspapers is equally sombre, with Sport calling the 4-0 defeat “the saddest night.” “No excuses, they were superior,” wrote Josep Maria Casanovas. “Physically, there was an enormous difference: they are stronger, faster and have more depth. We are not used to these types of defeats and it’s left us wounded.”

Mundo Deportivo's cover screams “Nightmare!” with the paper’s director Santi Nolla rolling with his Spanish football instincts and hinting at a conspiracy. “Yesterday Barça suffered against a superior Bayern and also a referee who was wrong for three of the four goals for the Germans. UEFA are tired of the power of Barça and want a change, but on Tuesday Bayern won, not UEFA.”

With pretty much all hope lost, there’s only one thing that can give Barça a tiny sliver of comfort: the hope of a similar fate befalling Real Madrid in their test at Borussia Dortmund. The omens lean in that direction, with the Spanish side having only won once in Germany in 23 matches. What’s more, in both group games Real Madrid were quite outplayed by Dortmund, picking up just one point from six. And it was a lucky point at that.

NEWS, Wed 24 Oct: Dortmund outclass Real Madrid to top group

Jose Mourinho tried putting the pressure on Jürgen Klopp as early as Friday, noting that the Dortmund coach had been talking about the game every day since the draw was made. After a typically cheerful and self-effacing response from the German manager, Mourinho may have realised that the usual niggling and nagging towards the opposition camp wasn’t going to work this time.

"Bring it, bi-atch"

Instead, the Portuguese gave all four sides an equal chance of winning the Champions League this season – but felt that his footballers deserve the prize the most. “I’d really like football to do justice with these players. Two years ago we were knocked out in an unfair way and last season it was penalties. This team deserves to win a Champions League.”

The fantastic news for Real Madrid fans is that LLL's local fishmonger says they will take a big step towards that goal with a 2-1 win in Dortmund.

In Cod We Trust.

Hoeness hirelings Guardiola and Gotze show Bayern's determination to dominate – and dismantle

Stefan Bienkowski — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:09:00 GMT

Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president who created the Galactico project that bestrode European football at the beginning of the new millennium, has been described as a "golden tongue and a lucrative contract tucked under his arm".

Yet such a description may better befit a new man, one who has taken over as the man behind the next conveyor belt of world stars, at a club with an insatiable appetite for any and all silverware. This man is Uli Hoeness and he is the genius behind Bayern Munich.

This week Bayern stunned football by signing their biggest rival's greatest talent, Mario Götze of Borussia Dortmund, offering a fee triggering his contractual release clause. For £31.5m, Bayern have strengthened their own squad, nullified their opponents and ensured domestic superiority.

Of course, superiority isn't enough for the Bavarians. Bayern Munich don't just want success: they crave it. Not just the hyperbolic bravado of fist-pumping after each win, but the silverware and limelight. This is, after all, the club which has embraced the supposedly hurtful nickname of FC Hollywood.

To men like Uli Hoeness, the romance of football was never more than a means to an end: a means to get fans through the turnstiles or tuned in onto TV, and an end to the financial obscurity that limited the Munich side when compared to their European counterparts throughout the decades.

Hoeness at the Barcelona match

As long as the Champions League has existed in all its commercial capacity, gold has been just as important as silverware to the German giants.

For Bayern, success isn’t another Bundesliga title or the challenge of a Champions League campaign, but the fame and fortune that come with continued accomplishment. This is not a club that breeds athletes or candid professionals, but champions and galacticos.

Even the hiring of Pep Guardiola – a coach whose expertise seems way beyond necessity – makes perfect sense: where one coach may well achieve the perceived impossible, another still waits in the wings with the reputation and promise of greater things.

When Bayern and Dortmund raced together towards trophies, it inspires lethargic comparisons to the Spanish Primera División or the Scottish SPL (as it was). Now it might be more appropriate to consider the Bundesliga as one ultimate contender and a number of lesser challengers.

This is far from the first time that Bayern have dismantled their opponents for their own gains. Stuttgart, Wolfsburg and Schalke can all bear testament to the Bavarian's ruthlessness with a chequebook.

Götze and Guardiola: hirelings

But the manner in which they managed to sway young Götze – the fulcrum and embodiment of Klopp’s youthful side – in the very week that Dortmund stood on the cusp of greatness is what will truly leave a sour taste in most mouths.

German football may well be witnessing the dawn of a new age, with a very distinctive Allianz Arena-shaped shadow cast over all the brightest lights of the Bundesliga.

As we saw against Barcelona last night, the gap between good and great is narrow enough to be surmountable with preparation and astute investment. The Catalans may not be merely beaten in the semi-finals, be dethroned as the default favourites for the Champions League every season by the next superpower of European football.

For Tito Vilanova, Bayern's brilliant battalion of superstars is very much in the present, but for the rest of Europe this week’s news comes with a chilling statement of intent. German football is already all but Bayern’s, and Hoeness's galacticos want the same dominance across the continent.

NEWS Mon 22 Apr: Hoeness remains silent on tax evasion probe

Bayern 4-0 Barcelona: The story in Stats Zone screens

FourFourTwo Team — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:03:00 GMT

Last night's stunning Bayern 4-0 Barcelona game was perfect for Stats Zone, our award-winning FREE analysis app. Here's a sample of the screens that were shared during and immediately after the game...

Within the first 15 minutes, the pattern was set. As @StatsZone tweeted, "FC Bayern München with the only shot on target, largely restricting Barcelona to midfield".

A minute later, @eeradd shared the Player Influence screen to note that "Piqué is the most influential player in the game. Shows how intense Bayern pressure is".

By 27 minutes, @CareFreeChronic said that "If you can limit Lionel Messi to this, half the battle's already won".

On 35 minutes, FourFourTwo contributor @JamesHorncastle shared a screen showing the different places Thomas Müller had received the ball: "They seek him here. They seek him there"...

At half-time, @StatsZone tweeted that "Barcelona yet to have an attempt on target"...

…that Messi was "Messi yet to make an impact and hasn't received a single pass in the final third"…

…and "Bayern defending well centrally particularly in Messi's favoured inside right area".

On the other hand, FourFourTwo.com editor @GaryParkinson noted "Attacking-third passes led by Iniesta and Robben (no, really)".

By 63 minutes, Bayern had doubled their lead and their defensive midfielders were catching the eye: "Martínez & Schweinsteiger tackling tigerishly"...

…if sometimes stepping over the line: by 76 minutes (and 3-0!) it was "Martínez 6 fouls, Schweinsteiger 3".

On 83 minutes, @DanSales8 noted that "Barcelona have created as many chances as Munich have goals":

At full-time, shares were split between highlighting Barça's woe and Bayern's excellence. @StatsZone noted that Schweinsteiger and Martínez were "the wall Barça's midfield couldn't penetrate":

…and that "Barcelona only had one shot on target, Bayern typically ruthless (4 goals from 7 shots on target)".

The tackle distribution showed where both sides were trying to attack – Barça centrally, Bayern down the wings:

Bayern's Dutch winger played against stereotype, completing 22 of his 26 passes and getting stuck in for his team. As @Gary Parkinson asked, "Who are you, and what have you done with Arjen Robben?"

@przypadek40 found it "interesting" to compare where Müller and Messi received the ball, contrasting Barça's choked claustrophobia with Bayern's expansive running

Indeed, @StatsZone compared Messi's game to his performance against Milan: "A shadow of himself?"

Last word to @GaryParkinson, who compared the tackles and aerial duels to summarise: "Barcelona defence – good on the deck, but they don't like it upstairs".

JOIN THE DEBATE. Download Stats Zone – it's free, and covers Europe's top seven competitions LIVE – and share your screens via Twitter, Facebook, etc... Why not start tonight with Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid?

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Bayern-bound Götze still key to Dortmund exploiting Madrid's weak spot

Michael Cox — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:30:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox uses it to help demostrate how Dortmund can attack Real Madrid's weak link…

The shock news of Mario Götze’s imminent transfer to Bayern Munich was a disastrous way for Borussia Dortmund to prepare for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid. Götze was clearly crucial to Dortmund’s plans for the next couple of seasons – and he was also pivotal in Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Real earlier in the season.

Real went into that match with an injury crisis at left-back. They arguably have better options there than any other club in Europe, with Fabio Coentrao and Marcelo both excellent at bombing down the touchline to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to cut inside, and Alvaro Arbeloa capable of switching sides to provide a solid defensive presence. However, all three were unavailable for Real’s previous trip to the Westfalenstadion, so Michael Essien was forced to deputise at left-back.

That was far from an ideal situation – Jose Mourinho has happily played Essien at right-back, both for Chelsea and Real, but on his weaker side Essien performed poorly. One of his major problems, as it happens, was Ronaldo – he stayed extremely high up the pitch and offered little defensive support.

Jurgen Klopp clearly instructed Dortmund to target Essien. Throughout the game, it was obvious how many of Dortmund’s attacks were flowing down the right.

Marco Reus started on the flank and Götze in the middle, but they interchanged position and both drifted to the flank, overloading Essien. Götze was the key part of the side – he was involved in Dortmund’s most frequent two passing combinations, knocking the ball back to Lukasz Piszczek, or playing the ball to Reus.

The forward charges from right-back Piszczek were also invaluable – he was brave with his positioning, confident that the centre-back pairing of Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels would be able to cope with Ronaldo on the break. Sometimes, Essien was forced to defend against Götze, Reus and Piszczek all in his zone at the same time.

Of course, Essien won’t play at left-back tonight. He’s unavailable through injury. Marcelo is also out, while Arbeloa is suspended, which means Coentrao will play behind Ronaldo.

The Portuguese left-back is far from a weak link, of course, but he hasn’t started for Real since the 3-2 defeat away to Galatasaray, when Real threatened to throw away a considerable first leg advantage in a nervy period midway through the second half.

Real’s problem in that game was, once again, at left-back. With Ronaldo staying high up the pitch, Emmanuel Eboue charged forward to overload Coentrao, and the majority of Galatasaray’s chances came from that flank. The best chance they squandered – Wesley Sneijder’s inexplicable miss from eight yards – came after Coentrao panicked and blindly cleared the ball across his own area, straight to the Dutchman.

Galatasaray caused particular problems when coach Fatih Terim introduced Sabri Sarioglu down the right in the second half – he’s primarily a right-back, but he’s a clever dribbler and teamed up well with Eboue. Both consistently received possession in the opposition half, and combined effectively in the space between Ronaldo and Coentrao.

The situation was so problematic that Mourinho ended up taking Ronaldo away from the left flank, instead using the more defensively aware Angel di Maria for the final 20 minutes. Real’s lucky break came when Eboue was forced off injured, however – Galatasaray didn’t have an appropriate replacement having already used their substitute right-back, and Real eventually scored the tie’s final goal.

On the basis of those two matches – Real’s previous trip to Dortmund, and their previous Champions League match – their weakness is at left-back. Klopp is an intelligent, studious coach that will have noticed Real’s problems against Galatasaray, as well as against his own side. Coentrao is set for a big test, and Ronaldo must ensure his ruthlessness on the break compensates for his lack of defensive work.

Getafe's loan rangers shore up defence and show up a new breed of borrowers

Paul Wilkes — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:19:00 GMT

FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app Stats Zone now covers seven top European competitions including La Liga. Paul Wilkes – editor of laligauk.com – analyses the impact of Getafe's borrowed boys...

Given Spain's economic problems, the huge amounts of debt on many la Liga clubs and the unbalanced nature of Spanish football's TV deals, it's unsurprising that loan signings are an increasingly important part of the transfer market.

In recent times, what constitutes a stereotypical loanee has changed. In the past, loanees had usually been promising youngsters given tastes of first-team footballers or experienced campaigners adding strength in depth – but now two other scenarios are increasingly common.

Firstly, wealthy clubs such as Manchester City have been stockpiling more high-fee, high-wage players than they could possibly give regular games to; in the past no club would have dreamed of loaning out a £25m player, like City did with Emmanuel Adebayor.

Then there's the final category: a player who can't settle in a country. Whether it's cultural differences or struggling to adapt to a specific club, the loan system offers them the chance to either return home or move somewhere more suitable.

The loan market is essential for clubs with limited resources – like Getafe, whose manager Luis Garcia uses it well. Last year he brought in former players Pedro León and Alexis, who were struggling for game time at bigger clubs Real Madrid and Sevilla. Also incoming was talented youngster Paco Alcácer; having played just three times for Valencia, he has featured 18 times to date for Getafe, scoring three goals.

However, in January Garcia made arguably his best loan acquisitions: defenders Federico Fernández and Sergio Escudero. At the ages of 24 and 23 respectively, they are perfect representations of the last example of modern-day loan signings.

Fernández (left) and Escudero: Thriving on borrowed time

Argentine centre-back Fernández signed for Napoli from Estudiantes in December 2010, but work permit problems prevented him from moving to Italy until the following summer – and despite Walter Mazzarri's side using a back three, Fernández has found his appearances limited.

His unquestioned ability is shown by his 11 caps, the most recent being in February's 3-2 win against Sweden. But if Fernández has struggled in Naples, he has excelled since moving to a Spanish-speaking country and playing regularly.

Tall, strong and good in the air, Fernández has averaged more blocked shots and clearances than any other Getafe player. During their run of five consecutive clean sheets, he was the only ever-present among the back four and goalkeeper, due to injuries and suspensions.

He coped admirably earlier this month against the movement of Atlético Madrid's Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa, showing how comfortable he is in wider areas when strikers drag him over to the wings. And against Espanyol on Sunday, despite his 72nd-minute red card he attempted 13 clearances; the next most prolific was Juan Valera, who tried just four.

Sergio Escudero is another example of a foreign import whose face doesn't fit. The former Murcia left-back was on Schalke's Spanish shopping list in summer 2010, along with Raúl and José Manuel Jurado.

His previous time in Spain was spent in the Segunda division with Murcia. When Raúl departed in summer 2012, Jurado was loaned to Spartak Moscow for the season and Escudero sidelined: he hasn't played a single minute of German football this campaign. With Schalke now on their third manager since Felix Magath, who had signed the Spanish trio, Escudero's January switch to Madrid made perfect sense.

A mobile full-back, Escudero reads the game superbly, timing his challenges and dribbling the ball up the left to offer support to his midfielders. He tops the list of average interceptions for his club, whilst no player in the whole of La Liga makes more tackles per game.

Against Real Betis, he won 9 out of 10 tackles – some performance, when you factor Betis scored eight in their next two games after that shut-out. His tackles against Athletic display how high he was pressing up the pitch, as two of his three successful tackles came close to the opposing area.

Neither of Getafe's January loanees is a particularly astute passer, but they certainly shore up a leaky defence. Before they arrived, Getafe had the league's fifth-worst defence, conceding 35 goals in 21 matches; since then they have conceded just 12 goals in 11 games where at least one of the two have been in the pitch, the eighth best defensive record within that period.

When you consider six of those 12 goals were against Barcelona (a match Fernández missed), it shows the considerable improvement they have made as individuals. As a collective the results are even better: in the five matches both players have started together in the back four, Getafe have let in only two goals. With Escudero currently out injured and Fernández about to serve a suspension for his red card against Espanyol, Garcia should have serious concerns over his defence for this weekend's game with Málaga.

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Public opinion split as Barça prepare to face Bayern in unusually unpredictable encounter

Tim Stannard — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:41:00 GMT

La Liga Loca should probably be knocking out an article a good thousand words long, stuffed to the brim with tactical analysis, historical precedents and maybe the odd graph to try and predict how Barcelona will fare in Munich on Tuesday night. To be frank, that sounded like far too much hard work, and pretty much beyond the capabilities of this modest scribe.

Instead, LLL did detailed early morning research by chatting to punters in the local café and fruit market to catch a glimpse of the immediate future of football. Things got off to a bad start with the Atlético Madrid-supporting owner, when a semi-humourous suggestion his side would lose to Real Madrid on Saturday no matter what happened during the week, was met with a stern Paddington Bear look and nothing else. Fortunately, the coffee and toast had already been delivered to the table.

The gentleman who seems to be very successful at sports betting announced that Barcelona would draw or win against Bayern. A Barça supporter buying bananas felt the evening was going to go “very badly” for the Catalan club, while the Madridista fishmonger who never seems to sell any stinky fish predicted with some glee that Bayern Munich would win 4-0. The Rojiblanco fruit seller wouldn’t be drawn on the game, other than musing that it would be “difficult”, while lovingly fondling some plums. However, he did cheerfully predicted another defeat for his side in Saturday’s derby at the Vicente Calderón.

There seem to be mixed feelings in the Catalan capital, too, although there’s bravado to cover this up, with the front cover of Sport blasting “No fear and on the attack!” Inside the paper, Josep Maria Casanovas has gone back to the 1960s, Mad Men-style, with his hard-hitting editorial suggesting Tuesday’s game is for “real men, a clash between two high speed trains. Talent against physical power. Pride against ambition.”

"Whatever you do, don't mention Pep..."

There was also the warning that “it is forbidden to doubt a Barça side that has reached six semi-finals in a row”. The punishment for habouring such feelings was not mentioned, but it’s probably having to listen to the club’s anthem on a loop for five hours straight.

Mundo Deportivo are a little more laid back, and have a smiling Leo Messi on the front cover, a sign of both papers being certain that if the little Argentinean isn’t in form, it’s going to be a sticky battle in Bavaria. “Winning will not be easy,” writes Santi Nola in the paper, “for the first time in the past five years Barça will not be the media favourite in a match.”

The build-up to the match has seen German journos wind up Bayern Munich boss, Jupp Heynckes with continuing questions around whether the outgoing boss has been seeking advice from the incoming Pep Guardiola. “I know Barça as well as my own team,” fumed the exasperated German. “This felt disrespectful to Pep in his own relationship with Barça,” announced Heynckes on why the topic should never be brought up again.

Besides, it seems being disrespectful to Guardiola is the job reserved for Barcelona themselves, with the club’s mouthy spokesman Toni Freixa boasting on Friday that “Tito Vilanova is winning all comparisons with Guardiola, including as a person.” Miaow.

As a tiny bit of analysis is required in these circumstances, if Barça play at their very best, the tie can be wrapped up in Munich. 62% to 87% performance levels will see Barça coming back to the Camp Nou as favourites over all. Anything less would see a lot of hard work to be done next Wednesday in the Catalan capital. To be fair, which of these scenarios will unfold is anyone’s guess. Even if they are flogging fruit or fish.

Biting not offensive in South America, claims Luis Suarez

Back of the Net — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:20:00 GMT

Calm down, it was all just a big misunderstanding, as Back of the Net's John Foster explains...

Luis Suarez has defended himself following reports he bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, claiming the act of biting another person is a common cultural practice in his homeland of Uruguay, and does not have the offensive undertones it has here in Britain.

Television cameras appeared to show Suarez biting Ivanovic’s arm as the two tussled in the penalty area during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, but the Reds striker has declared himself bewildered by the media attention that has followed.

“Where I come from, it is common for people to bite one another in a jovial manner,” said Suarez, who is known in his native Uruguay as ‘el lunático que muerde todo’, or ‘The Nutjob Who’s Always Biting People’.

“When people see me sinking my teeth into Ivanovic’s arm in a blind, lunatic rage, they naturally jump to conclusions,” Suarez continued. “But I meant no offence. It was a comical nibble; a wink with my jaws.

“Anyway, he was holding me with his fingers, which everyone knows are the teeth of the hands, so really he started it.”

But critics claim that Suarez should have been aware that biting an opponent is not acceptable. While playing for Ajax, the 26-year old was sent off for eating an opponent’s arm, something he claimed at the time was “akin to putting your thumb on your nose and waggling your fingers in Holland.”

However, Suarez’s hopes of escaping a ban look slim, based on previous instances of Premier League biting. In 2006, Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe escaped a ban after biting Javier Mascherano, establishing the precedent that while South Americans may under no circumstances bite anyone, they themselves may be bitten with impunity.

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Western Sydney can't complete their fairytale, as Central Coast end Grand Final jinx

Guest Writer — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:42:00 GMT

Australian sports writer Kieran Pender on the thrilling climax to the A-League season, as unfancied newboys Western Sydney Wanderers face perennial bridesmaids Central Coast Mariners...

Insert awful 'everything is upside down in Australia' gag here...

Regardless of the result, Sunday’s A-League Grand Final was destined to be a clash of fairytale endings.

On one side stood Western Sydney Wanderers, established barely a year ago, who had conquered overwhelming odds to claim the Premiership and were eager to complete their incredible debut season. On the other was a Central Coast Mariners side that had seen three Grand Final victories slip from their grasp, most harrowingly when they lost despite holding a two goal lead in the final minutes of extra time.

It pitted the original fairytale club, a small team without serious financial muscle who had gambled on youth, against the newcomers, a side that only came into existent on April 4 last year.

After waiting more than a decade for a team, Western Sydney was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, lacking a manager, players or an established supporter base. Although one followed the other, they entered their first season only six months later, led by an inexperienced coach with a hastily assembled squad and a relatively little-known marquee signing in the form of former Japanese international Shinji Ono.

Early favourites to finish last, the Wanderers initially struggled, failing to score until their fourth game. Yet supported by the exuberant Red and Black Bloc, former Crystal Palace player Tony Popovic soon found his feet and led his charges to the A-League Premiership on the back of a 12 game winning streak.

It was the ultimate sporting story; from nothing to A-League title holders in little over a year. And it was beamed around the world, receiving a mention in the New York Times and even featuring heavily in Australia’s somewhat anti-football press.

But fairytales alone don’t win football games, let alone Grand Finals, and Western Sydney ultimately faltered in their most important clash yet. Despite fighting valiantly in an entertaining first half on Sunday, the Wanderers suffered a cruel blow when veteran Dutch defender Patrick Zwaanswijk nodded Central Coast into the lead minutes before the break.

Patrick Zwaanswijk opens the scoring for Central Coast

In front of a packed Sydney Football Stadium, seemingly willed on by an incredible mass of Red and Black, the A-League debutants attempted to reassert themselves in the opening stages of the second half. Yet despite several promising forays, Western Sydney was ultimately left wanting at the back. And with little over 20 minutes remaining, German import Jerome Polenz handled the ball in the box to gift Mariners striker Daniel McBreen an easily converted penalty.

The rest, as they say, is history. Try as they might, the Wanderers couldn't pierce Central Coast’s defensive line, and were unable to repeat Brisbane’s last minute two goal heroics of 2011.

Western Sydney kept opposition boss Graham Arnold sweating until the end, ever wary that his nightmare could be repeated, but the impressive defence he had marshalled so often in training remained firm.

Finally, in their fourth Grand Final in eight seasons, Central Coast returned triumphant. The small side with too few resources and too many financial problems had secured the Grand Final trophy, eloquently known as the Toilet Seat, in front of a near-capacity crowd.

Victory for the Mariners means everything. Although you may need to lose some to win some, multiple losses on the A-League’s biggest day have caused serious soul searching at the club. They certainly didn’t appreciate being labelled Central Coast Chokers, and will be glad to have lose that tag.

Victory at last: Central Coast celebrate Grand Final glory

But more importantly, the victory is a fitting send-off, marking the end of an era for the Gosford-based side as their youthful talent finally matures into Europe-ready footballers. Goalkeeper Mat Ryan is almost certainly departing, after impressing during trials at Tottenham and West Bromwich Albion, while Bernie Ibini-Isei and Trent Sainsbury are also being pursued by overseas suitors.

Having finally completed his task, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arnold take up a position elsewhere, and several older players might look for one final payday in Asia or the Middle East. Although the Mariners pride themselves on an excellent youth academy, and other talented starlets are waiting in the ranks, it seems certain some rebuilding will inevitably occur next season.

Elsewhere, this season saw the arrival of marquee megastars Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey at Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets respectively. Both players were gladly welcomed by a league still finding its feet, and both impressed on the pitch.

With the campaign now over, eyes will slowly turn to the transfer market as talented youngsters are lured abroad and fans salivate at the prospect of even more exciting marquee signings. Visits from Manchester United and Liverpool will also keep the faithful occupied, as will important World Cup Qualifiers.

Eventually, Popovic will return to his office at the Blacktown International Sports Park to ponder the season just gone. He will no doubt reflect on his incredible achievements, but also contemplate what could have been.

After guiding the side from wooden spoon favourites to A-League Premiers and Grand Final runners-up, Popovic will be hard pressed to top his first season at the Wanderers. Yet having had success replaced by the bittersweet taste of defeat in a matter of weeks, Western Sydney will be desperate to go one better next year.

And after the amazing achievements of Popovic and company this campaign, it would take a brave soul to bet against them completing that fairytale ending next time around.

Kieran Pender is an Australian sports writer, former deputy editor of GGArmy.com and a regular contributor to the Football Ramble. Follow him on Twitter.

Wigan suffer demoralising defeat in “perfect tribute” to Thatcher

Back of the Net — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:16:00 GMT

The weekend football programme reflected Margaret Thatcher's premiership, reports Back of the Net's John Foster...

On the weekend following the funeral of Lady Thatcher and the outpouring of grief and love that followed her death, Wigan Athletic paid their own special tribute to the ex-Prime Minister by succumbing to a humiliating defeat, in recognition of her impact on the town and its industry.

“Thatcher will never be forgotten in Wigan, and we thought that a loss against West Ham that left us fighting for our survival was the perfect tribute,” said supporters’ club chairman Jason Taylor.

“She did so many things for this region,” Taylor continued. “The closure of the Golborne Pit, the poll tax, 50% unemployment. We thought the best way to remember her was to put up bitter resistance against richer and stronger opposition before ultimately being forced to accept our fate.”

Fans of both Wigan and West Ham brought passports and driving licenses to the match, a reference to Thatcher’s desire to introduce compulsory ID cards for football fans. This hugely popular proposal never became law, to the widespread dismay of everyone within the game.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan joined forces with fellow club chairmen and Conservative Party donors Mohammed Al Fayed and John Madejski for a minute’s waving of a handful of £20 notes while chanting “loadsamoney”.

Other teams also chose to mark the passing of Margaret Thatcher. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Doncaster Rovers and Middlesbrough joined Wigan in recording symbolic losses in recognition of those towns’ systematic decline throughout the Iron Lady’s premiership.

Elsewhere, Blackburn Rovers prepared to sack their fourth manager this season, in tribute to Thatcher’s time in office boasting the highest unemployment figures in a generation.

A Football League spokesman denied that there was any strain of anti-Thatcher feeling within football, affirming that she was as unanimously loved within the sport as she was in the rest of the country.

“Any anti-Thatcher chants you may have heard were almost certainly references to Ben Thatcher,” the League confirmed, “who everyone has always hated.”

It was a Bad Weekend for... dentists, apologists and escapologists

Simon Carter — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:53:00 GMT

It was a Bad Weekend for…

Unsavoury Suarez
Did he have a bad weekend? Or did Luis Suarez have exactly the type of weekend that he thrives on? It’s not news that the Uruguayan is partial to a little controversy. Anyone could immediately name several unsavoury episodes, and while he almost always apologises afterwards, the fact is that he keeps on finding trouble.

Liverpool’s excellent game with Chelsea yesterday afternoon could have been about goals, substitutions (Rafa Benitez, we’re looking at you) and Daniel Sturridge, but Suarez made sure it was all about him. And in 90 minutes we saw every argument for and against his winning the PFA Player of the Year award.

First, the good. Mazy runs, shot after shot, a simply beautiful assist for Sturridge to score Liverpool’s first equaliser and a late, late goal himself to rescue a dramatic point for his side.

Now, the bad. Despite protestations that the sun was in his eyes, there was no need for Suarez to handle the ball to turn a relatively harmless Chelsea corner into a penalty kick. This coming just minutes after the aforementioned assist made it all the more frustrating. And then came the bite.

There aren’t words to describe the idiocy, the shamefulness and the brutality of biting Branislav Ivanovic. It was a disgusting act that would be funny were it not so disgusting. He has, of course, got form here. Back in November 2010, while captain of Ajax, Suarez bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.

The resultant ban of seven league games meant that he never played in the Eredivisie again as he signed for Liverpool before the suspension was up. With his current employers almost certain to miss out on European football next season, and a lengthy ban Premier League no doubt on the horizon, who can say with any certainty that we’ll see Suarez in a Liverpool shirt again?

If he is to leave, would we miss him? His skill is undoubted but unlike Mario Balotelli, the incidents that follow and surround him leave a bad taste. While the Premier League is the poorer for Balotelli’s absence, there will be many who would be glad to see the back of Liverpool’s current No.7.

The champions
Manchester City’s title defence hasn’t been the disaster that many make it out to be. True, they're a country mile behind their local rivals, but they have spent most of the season comfortably ahead of the chasing pack, beaten United at Old Trafford and reached the FA Cup final.
So it could have been worse.

But for all the good they have done, the season could well be remembered for the meek surrender of one Sunday afternoon in North London. For an hour City cruised, leading 1-0 thanks to a simple but well-worked early goal from Samir Nasri. In a game they needed to win to ensure that the title race lasted for at least one more week, the champions were cool and in control.

And then Tottenham scored. A mis-communication between Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany allowed Clint Dempsey to poke the equaliser, and that was all it took for City to give up the ghost, the game and the title race. Within five minutes, Spurs were in front as the Citizens fell apart, Jermain Defoe with an excellent finish before Gareth Bale completed the comeback with an excellent third.

So all eyes are on Old Trafford tonight. If United win, they are champions; if Aston Villa win, both QPR and Reading are relegated. If it’s a draw… well, erm… there's more to look forward to this weekend.

Wigan’s spring
We all know the drill: Wigan are exceptionally poor from August to March and then inexplicably turn into the English Barcelona (with more pie than paella) and sweep all before them to preserve their Premier League status. It happens year after year and has been the subject of lazy punditry and lazy journalism (ahem) for weeks now.

Except nobody seems to have told Wigan.

While it is entirely possible that Roberto Martinez is simply setting up a scenario that will challenge his considerable Houdini skills, Wigan’s spring 2013 form has been patchy at best. An FA Cup run has diverted attention and late home wins in the league against Newcastle and Norwich at the end of March kept the clichés coming, but since then they have struggled to a draw at QPR and been goallessly beaten at Manchester City and, on Saturday, at West Ham.

Martinez batted away questions about whether the cup run has delayed his side's annual spring spurt, but the Latics are leaving it late. If they don’t improve over their next three games – against Champions League-chasing Spurs, obdurate West Brom and Martinez's old side Swansea – they could run out at Wembley already relegated.

Hooped drop-danglers
If Wigan have worries, it's almost resignation time for their bottom-three colleagues QPR and Reading, who were both easily beaten (2-0 by Stoke and 2-1 to Norwich respectively).

The hooped brethren are now so far behind the rest of the league that they could have their relegations confirmed tonight – albeit only in the unlikely event that Aston Villa win at Old Trafford.

Rangers’ manager Harry Redknapp summed up the hopes of both sides when he said that any thoughts of survival were now “in tatters”.

Steve Sidwell's stats
Joey Ramone once said, to paraphrase, that being in a rock band was an awesome job, but when it came down to it, it was still a job and therefore still sucked. While most of us wouldn’t agree that this applies to being a Premier League footballer, it seems that Fulham’s Steve Sidwell is right on Ramone’s side.

See, Sidwell was in a funk about returning to work after a lovely bit of time off following a recent red card. Presumably Sidwell spent his three-game holiday doing what the rest of us do when off work: played a bit of PlayStation, ate toast for lunch, watched Homes Under the Hammer and tossed a coin to decide whether to shower or not. And he was in no mood to give up that utopia just yet.

And so, 12 minutes into his return against Arsenal, Sidwell took strike action. Unfortunately for the Gunners’ Mikel Arteta, Sidwell struck the Spaniard’s ankle.

So another red card and at least another three games off. If Sidwell plays his cards right, he might never have to go to work again.

The forgotten few
Though it’s very unlikely that West Brom will mount a late charge for fifth place and a Europa League spot, or that Fulham will be dragged into the Championship, every team in the Premier League still has something, mathematically, to play for.

Not so in the Football League. With England’s bottom three tiers on winding-up duty, the amount of sides with nothing interesting going on – no relegation scrap, no play-off rumble – is growing by the game.

Saturday's results mathematically ended the season for Championship sides Birmingham, Derby, Leeds and Middlesbrough (although Boro haven't been seen much since Christmas anyway). In League One, where most teams have just one game left to play, there are 13 teams who will snore their way through next weekend and it’s probably best to avoid the Facebook updates of the 10 League Two sides from Chesterfield down to Accrington who all have nothing interesting to say.

This time of year is without doubt the most exciting, dramatic, torturous and exciting of the year. For many, it’s the reason we love football. But as April draws to a close, spare a thought for those with nothing whatsoever to play for.

Scunthorpe's great escape
Even if it's making hearts race in northern Lincolnshire, Scunthorpe's end-of-season attempt to get out of the relegation zone might not make a screenplay. Two wins and a draw from their last six isn't Hollywood stuff, but Saturday's 1-0 win at MK Dons gave the Iron hope of a happy ending.

Sadly for Scunny, at the same time their rivals were also doing well: Oldham beat Crawley while Colchester and Shrewsbury fought out a 0-0 which saved the Shrews but left the U's three points above the drop zone.

And so in Saturday's final reel, Scunthorpe must win their home game against play-off side Swindon, hope that Colchester lose at Carlisle and pray for a three-goal swing along the way. It’s tense, it's improbable, but at least it's possible.

Nerves at the bottom of League Two
Much like Scunthorpe in the league above them, Aldershot grabbed themselves what may ultimately prove to be a pointless win on Saturday by beating Dagenham & Redbridge at home.

The victory keeps the Shots’ slim survival hopes alive, but their Football League future is more than precarious, being three points and six goals from safety – with their sole remaining game a trip to Rotherham, who need the win to ensure promotion. But it also drags the Daggers three places down into the drop-zone dog fight.

We’ve loved the bonkers League Two relegation battle this year, and there are still seven sides – more than a quarter of the league – who can still go down, so who’s to say Aldershot can’t pull off the improbable? Given that four of the bottom seven won on Saturday, only a fool would rule anything out.

Exe offenders
Exeter City’s season unravel since Christmas when a promising promotion charge started to derail, week by week. Without a win since March, and with the play-offs disappearing, the Grecians needed to beat Cheltenham on Saturday to keep their season alive.

Well, it was never going to happen. The Devonshire side have been absolutely stripped of confidence and although they went through the motions, they were unable to prevent a fifth defeat in six games.

So that’s season over for Exeter, who are now four points outside the top seven with only a game to play. A offer of a mid-table finish would have been snatched up gleefully at the beginning of the season, but having tasted the top, City fans won’t be satisfied come the final whistle next Saturday.

Unless Torquay are relegated.

Pirlo and Allegri both in the firing line - for very different reasons

Richard Whittle — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:20:00 GMT

Andrea Pirlo rarely looks ruffled on the pitch, but Italy’s most influential playmaker of the modern era has admitted in his upcoming autobiography that the sight of Antonio Conte charging through the dressing room at half-time is one of the most threatening he’s experienced in his career.

Regardless of how things are going on the pitch, the Juventus coach will generally fly into a fit of rage and, according to Pirlo, hurl anything he can get his hands on at the walls. Unfortunately, the veteran midfielder made a schoolboy error when he selected the peg nearest the changing room door, and has felt the full force of it flying open as Conte comes hurtling through.

Pirlo and the rest of the team must have been running for cover on Sunday evening, after a first-half which was more of a stand-off rather than a showdown against AC Milan – the club Juve had wrestled the title away from last season.

The first 45 minutes had dragged along at a sedate pace, a world away from the usual hectic flurry of activity associated with Juve home games. This was in part down to the tactics employed by Massimiliano Allegri, with the plan being to stifle open football, the front three acting as the first line of defence.

As Bayern Munich demonstrated, pressurizing the backline cuts off the supply to Pirlo, which in turn forces the long ball and lost possession. Unfortunately, Milan’s inability to then hold on to the ball made for a poor spectacle.

With Mirko Vucinic employed as the lone striker and Claudio Marchisio in an unfamiliar role further forward to accommodate Paul Pogba in midfield, the Milan defence was rarely troubled.

In an opening period that had Conte pacing the technical area, champing at the bit to fling a few water bottles during the break, the only bright moment was a Pirlo free-kick which deflected off the wall, forcing Christian Abbiati to adjust sharply for a reflex save.

The Milan goalkeeper strained his calf muscle in the process and had to be replaced by Marco Amelia. Allegri then lost Massimo Ambrosini with an ankle problem at the break, with the captain replaced by the equally ineffectual Sulley Muntari as the Rossoneri stuck to their blanket defending.

Juve were in need of a Conte tirade and at least after the break they provided the spark the game needed. Just before the hour mark, Pirlo’s chipped pass into the area forced Amelia into a reckless charge from his goal that only ended in the keeper clattering into Kwadwo Asamoah.

Arturo Vidal - the embodiment of Conte’s philosophy of totally commitment to the cause - dispatched the penalty high into the net. Sadly, that was about it in terms of excitement, with Milan unable to change their style from Plan A despite throwing on Bojan Krkic to replace the anonymous Robinho.

Much had been made of the clash in the build-up, with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claiming his team were on par with Juventus. Yet by the end of the evening, the 18-point gap told a different story, even though this was Milan’s first league defeat of the calendar year.

Juventus could be crowned champions as soon as next weekend, if they win the city derby against Torino, and Napoli fail to beat Pescara. But even if that doesn’t happen, they only need four more points from the remaining five games to confirm that they remain the dominant force in Italian football.

One suspects Conte was as jubilant at full-time as he was angry during the interval, while Allegri will likely have been the reverse. Milan now have a real battle on their hands to ensure they finish third, never mind catch Napoli for the runners-up spot.

While Turin lacked the expected drama, there was plenty to be found in Naples and Florence where the home sides were made to work all the way.

Napoli needed a 94th minute goal from Lorenzo Insigne to see off Cagliari 3-2, while Fiorentina were in danger of throwing away all three points. The Viola having gone 3-0 at home to Torino, only to come back fighting, with Romulo grabbed the winner with four minutes remaining.

Napoli extended their lead over Milan to seven points, but Fiorentina are now just a point behind the Rossoneri. Allegri’s future at Milan is on the line after draws with the aforementioned duo and the latest setback.

As Pirlo revealed in his book, Milan gave him a pen when he brought decade at the club to a close – a “nice pen” he recalled, but “still only a pen”. So Allegri should be aware that sentiment means little, and the writing will be on the wall if he fails to deliver a top-three finish.

Prem Notes: Old boy bosses Chelsea, Ramsey beats Fulham, QPR-Stoke sets new low

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:39:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers Europe's top five leagues – Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and the Premier League (as well as the Champions League and Europa League).

Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Manchester City

60% of the passes that Manchester City attempted in this game were in the middle third of the pitch, the highest ratio of any side this weekend.
Spurs achieved a passing accuracy of 98% in their defensive third in this game, the best rate across all games this weekend.

Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea

Juan Mata has now assisted 12 goals this season, 2 more than any other player (Arsenal's Theo Walcott has 10).
Chelsea have scored more headed goals than any other Premier League team this season (15).
Luis Suarez had a game-high 6 shots, 5 on target; Oscar had 5 but only 2 were on target.
Liverpool's main passer in the final third, in terms of passes attempted (24) and completed (19), was Glen Johnson.
Suarez attempted a game-high 12 dribbles, completing 3.

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal have been given 5 red cards in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.
Aaron Ramsey had 149 touches in this game, the second-highest PL total this season (Paul Scholes had 160 v Spurs).
Of his 129 passes, Ramsey completed 114 – more than the combined efforts of seven Fulham starters.

Norwich City 2-1 Reading 

Garath McCleary’s 72nd-minute goal was Reading's first shot on target. Thereafter, the Royals mustered another 6 attempts, but only 1 on target, while Norwich managed just 1 attempt (compared to 19 before the visitors' goal).
Reading didn’t make a substitution in this match: they are only the third team not to do so in the Premier League this season.

QPR 0-2 Stoke City

Peter Crouch’s goal was only the 2nd first half goal that Stoke have scored in their last 14 Premier League games.
Stoke have scored this season's highest percentage of goals from set pieces (57%).
This was the first PL game this season in which neither side completed 200 passes.
The sides' overall pass completion was below 70%.

Sunderland 1-0 Everton

In his last 8 eight PL appearances, Stéphane Sessegnon has scored (4) or assisted (1) 5 goals – as many as he had managed in his previous 26 games this term (3 goals, 2 assists).
Everton were the only PL side not to attempt a shot from outside the box this weekend.
As in last week's win at Newcastle, Sunderland were heavily out-passed (166 of 247 passes completed to Everton's 333 of 428) – but got more shots on target (4 to 2).

Swansea City 0-0 Southampton

Southampton made 36 interceptions – their most this season and a weekend PL high (joint 4th-highest this season).
Swansea attempted 25 crosses from open play in this game – a weekend high; only once this season (26 v Spurs) have they made more.

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Newcastle United 

In 3 PL games against West Brom, Papiss Demba Cissé has scored 3 and assisted 2.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa won all 7 tackles he attempted. No player has won more and maintained a 100% success rate in a PL game this season.

West Ham United 2-0 Wigan Athletic 

In his last 5 PL games Andy Carroll has been involved in 5 goals (3 goals, 2 assists).
Gary O’Neil (25/25) and Mohamed Diame (20/20) both completed 100% of their passes in this game.
Wigan had 63.3% possession and completed 399 passes to West Ham's 209, but their ball retention wasn't noticeably better (83% pass completion to the Hammers' 78%).

Stats Zone is bigger and better than ever! Our FREE Opta-powered app now features the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League.

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Özil impresses again in Madrid win, Malaga suffer Mestalla mauling

Tim Stannard — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:52:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com's man in Spain, Tim Stannard, runs the rule over the weekend's Primera action...

Good Day

Eric Abidal
The French defender played the full 90 minutes against Levante, continuing a comeback for that is, in the truest sense of the word, heroic.

Mesut Özil
There are no eyebrows to speak of beneath the German’s forehead, which is a little disconcerting, but Mesut Özil is a very amiable fella, and also a player who has scored braces in two consecutive home games for Real Madrid. “He’s up there with Ronaldo and Messi,” purred Betis boss, Pepe Mel. “When he scores more goals, he’ll get the praise he deserves.”

Atlético Madrid
There was more than a smidgen of handball in the build-up to Atlético’s goal in their 1-0 win at Sevilla, but it was double delight for the Champions League-chasing side, who took advantage of Real Sociedad dropping two points to increase the lead between third and fourth to 11 with 18 to play for. That could be useful with the traditional hapless loss to Real Madrid just around the corner.

Valencia
Well, that was quite mad. The blog thought Valencia would sneak Saturday evening's match against Malaga by the odd goal. But that theory was swiftly proven to be completely incorrect when the Mestalla club scored four goals in six minutes, something Los Che had never managed before. It’s even more incredible an act when you consider that Roberto Soldado is in the forward line and would normally fluff both of the two chances he managed to score.

Piti
La Liga Loca must admit it had suspected Rayo’s attention may not have been fully focussed on Friday evening's trip to Mallorca. However, manager Paco Jémez publicly warned his players that he was expecting their best performance of the season, and he was rewarded with a fine showing in a 1-1 draw. A party piece from Piti opened the scoring as the Vallecas side avoided Paco’s big stick. “The team played the game I wanted,” announced the Rayo boss after the weekend's opening match.

Verdú
The Espanyol playmaker is out of contract in June, and the number of clubs keen on signing the 29-year-old may have increased when he opened the scoring in the Pericos 2-0 win at Getafe. It was his eighth strike of the season and helped put Espanyol on 43 points - mission pretty much accomplished in the survival stakes.

Deportivo & Athletic Bilbao
Depor boss Fernando Vazquez reckons 38 points could be enough to stay up, with a lot of clubs in the relegation scrap playing each other in final six games. Sunday's draw in la Coruña brought Deportivo within three victories of that target and left a still spooked Athletic just one win away.

Fernando Llorente
Getting a few minutes on the pitch would normally constitute a good day for the Athletic Bilbao striker these days, but the Pamplona-born forward managed to start and score a goal to boot. Happy days are here again.

Granada
Cliché time: If the Andalusian side play like they did in the home draw against Valladolid, then they will have no trouble staying up. Granada had 27 shots - nine on target - and only some ridiculously good keeping from Jaime in the Valladolid goal prevented a Granada win. “He was like Spiderman,” said a frustrated Granada coach, Lucas Alcaraz, after the clash. “What he did was extraordinary,” agreed opposing boss, Miroslav Djukic.

Osasuna & Real Sociedad
It may have been a complete stalemate in Pamplona but there were positives for both teams in Sunday's 0-0 draw. Osasuna stopped a run of leakiness and Real Sociedad continued to prove that the side can be tough cookies, dig in and grind out points when required.

Bad Day

Barcelona & Real Madrid
Why not stick ‘em both in the Bad Day section, just to be contrary? Two victories for the Big Two, but two completely pointless football matches, aside from some spirited opposition from Levante and Betis. The title race could be properly over - although it fell into a deep, deep, sleep in December - next week if Real Madrid lose at Atlético, and Barcelona defeat Athletic Bilbao in San Mamés.

Diego Costa
The legend continues. The antagonistic Atlético Madrid forward once again put himself about a bit in the clash at Sevilla, continuing to earn friends in the Sánchez Pizjuán. The performance included a yellow card that is set to put the Brazilian out of next week’s derby, and a pathetic attempt at feigning a headbutt from Cala. “He spent the whole game provoking,” complained Unai Emery. “The referees need to control this.”

Málaga
‘Inexplicable’ was the vibe from Manuel Pellegrini after the 5-1 loss to Valencia which topped off a tempestuous weekend for the side, after the Chilean boss slammed - tabloid style - the Málaga owners for the lack of direction for the side. “The club should be working for the next season,” complained Pellegrini on Friday. “It’s an uncomfortable situation of uncertainty, with a lot of players finishing their contracts. The future of the club needs to be more about deeds than words.”

Sheikh Al Thani
The Málaga president is still in the running for the blog’s hastily created ‘Leader of the Year’ award. The Qatari owner topped his recent Tweet-rant against 'racist' UEFA following his side's Champions League exit by condemning his footballers for playing “without heart” on Saturday. All very quiet though, when the same footballers were playing without wages.

Leo Baptistao
If all the transfer gossip over a move to Atlético Madrid over the summer is true, the Rayo forward has probably played his last match for the Vallecas side after breaking his collarbone during Friday’s Mallorca draw.

Getafe
For the second year in a row, Getafe boss Luis García is apparently having problems convincing his footballers to push on for more, having reached the safety point. After a run of four wins from five, Getafe have managed just 2 points from 12 and suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Espanyol on Sunday. The Coliseum club had two players sent off to add to the soft red card for Alexis last week, which saw any comeback as impossible. “Strange things at the end of the season, the Alexis sending off, injuries...”

Mallorca
“At least we got a point,” was the only positive the Mallorca boss could take from the home draw with Rayo, a match that the Balearic side really had to win to stay in la Primera. Next week’s clash with Zaragoza is now more than a ‘final’, it’s a “super-match” claimed Manzano, upping the stakes even further.

Europe's most prolific crossers revealed - does this prove crossing is inefficient?

Michael Cox — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:56:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers Europe's top five leagues - Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and the Premier League (as well as the Champions League and Europa League). Michael Cox uses the app to reveal Europe's five most prolific crossers...

While European football is currently going through an extended period of attacking play, the concept of crossing has never been so unpopular. As recently as the mid 90s, the top Premier League sides depended on two out-and-out wingers, combined with a traditional strike duo upfront, and concentrated primarily on getting the ball wide, then whipping it into the centre.

Statistical analysis generally reveals that crossing is an inefficient method of attacking – only around 20% of crosses successfully find a teammate, and it’s rare for a side to score a significant proportion of their goals from this route.

Indeed, the recent obsession with ball retention has significantly changed sides’ purpose in possession. More sides attempt to penetrate defences with through-balls in behind the opposition, basing their attacking play around passing triangles and neat combinations in the final third.

"Hey, I remember you..."

Therefore, it’s interesting to see which players from across Europe’s five major leagues – now all available on StatsZone – are still effective at whipping the ball into the box, either from open play or set-pieces. Here’s a run-down of the top five, based on the number of completed crosses per game.

Europe’s fifth-most prolific crosser is Fiorentina captain Manuel Pasqual. A steady, consistent player and one of the few survivors from the Cesare Prandelli era, Pasqual has either played as a wing-back in a 3-5-2, or more recently a standard left-back in a 4-3-3 formation.

Fiorentina play an impressive brand of short passing football, and Pasqual is the player who keeps width as others focus on dominating the centre of the pitch. Despite being a No.9 himself, manager Vincenzo Montella doesn’t always deploy one, with Luca Toni more regularly a supersub – so it's surprising Pasqual crosses so frequently. However, Fiorentina have become renowned for their set-pieces – they even have a coach, Gianni Vio, who works specially on attacking set-pieces. That’s the main reason for Pasqual completing 2.6 crosses per game.

In fourth place is Peruvian Jefferson Farfan, a very different footballer to Pasqual. Staying high up in his right-wing role, Farfan is an old-school winger who takes on opponents and whips the ball in regularly, if not always accurately. Schalke’s best performances – such as their recent 2-1 win over defending champions Borussia Dortmund – tend to come when they focus on attacking down that side, with Atsuto Uchida providing reliable support from right-back.

Farfan’s best game of 2012/13 was actually his first of the season – a 3-1 win over Augsburg in which he created all three goals. He averages 2.6 completed crosses per game.

Leighton Baines is in third position. In an Everton side that use both an old-fashioned No.9 – either Nikica Jelavic or Victor Anichebe – with aerial support coming from Marouane Fellaini in a deeper position, a large part of Everton’s game is about crossing. With Steven Pienaar moving inside from left midfield to allow Baines to overlap, the England left-back has created the most chances in the Premier League this season.
As such a key part of Everton’s attack, Baines often neglects his defensive duties – but he compensates for that with a succession of dangerous deliveries, including a number from dead ball situations. He completes 2.8 crosses per game.

In second place is a surprise name: Nicky Shorey, with 2.9 crosses per game. He came to prominence in the same season as Baines – 2005/06, when both had been promoted from the Championship with Reading and Wigan respectively. While Baines has since thrived at Everton and established himself in the England squad, Shorey is back with Reading after a mixed spell at Aston Villa, and is on course for relegation this season.
His impressive crossing statistics are almost solely down to his ability from set-pieces. This was most obvious in Reading’s 4-3 defeat to Manchester United in December – two of his assists were identical, from inswinging, right-wing corners.

The most prolific crosser in Europe is the only one of these five yet to become a full international – Yohan Mollo. The Saint-Etienne left-winger has had a peculiar season – he started 2012/13 at Nancy, scoring a stoppage time free-kick winner in the 1-0 win over Brest in the first round of the campaign. However, that proved to be Nancy’s only victory before Christmas, and Mollo was allowed to leave on loan in January, moving up the table to Saint-Etienne.

There, it’s been a completely different experience – his new club haven’t lost since Christmas, and Mollo has continued to pump a succession of crosses into the box, despite starting from the left as a right-footed player.

At Nancy he successfully cross 3.4 times per match despite receiving the ball frequently in deep positions – which makes him the most prolific deliverer from wide areas in Europe's top five leagues.

Still, considering all these statistics are largely influence by set-pieces, when Europe’s ‘best’ crossers successfully find a teammate only three times per match, you can understand why so few clubs play that way.

Stats Zone is bigger and better than ever! Our FREE Opta-powered app now features the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League.

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Newcastle offside trap finally springs into action, snaring loveable fawn

Back of the Net — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:23:00 GMT

The Toon defence is in full action, sadly almost a week too late, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

Newcastle United have released a baby fawn back into the wild this afternoon after it became ensnared in the club’s erratic offside trap.

While slumping to a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of local rivals Sunderland, the offside trap appeared to be out of action as Stephane Sessegnon repeatedly flaunted its steely jaws.

However, the groundsman at St. James’ Park was in for a shock when he came to oil the mechanism early this morning, as he discovered a cowering baby deer locked in place in an inviting shooting position.

“It [the fawn] seemed to have gone into shock,” an eyewitness reported to FourFourTwo.

Pardew, wearing his new touchline hat, prepares to re-set the trap

“These days the Newcastle box is a place where you expect to be able to wander at will.”

The trap, which is usually employed somewhere between Steven Taylor and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, is regarded by many as antiquated and acts more as a deterrent than a means of active policing of Newcastle territory.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is known to take a more progressive stance and is a advocate of reconciliation meetings with opposition strikers, aiming to alleviate the root causes of their desire to score against Newcastle.

In its heyday in the 1990s, Arsenal famously constructed an offside trap so effective it took Paul Rideout the best part of four years to win his freedom. Rideout re-emerged looking wild-eyed and gaunt only to blaze wide of David Seaman’s right post.

All Back of the Net blogs >

Betis boss Pepe Mel aims to keep middle fingers under control during Bernabeu clash

Tim Stannard — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:39:00 GMT

Pepe Mel - bird flipper

Friday

Mallorca (19th) v Rayo Vallecano (9th) - 21.00
While La Liga Loca is not suggesting Mallorca prove they are ‘4 Real’ in their battle for survival in the style of Manic Street Preacher Richie Edwards (a method involving a craft knife and some stitches), the Balearic club are going to have to up their game a little from Monday. Tis true that Mallorca came away 1-0 winners against Celta Vigo, but there were some hairy moments along the way before an injury time pounce from Giovani dos Santos gave Mallorca the points. “Winning costs the world and sometimes, a miracle,” gasped coach, Gregorio Manzano, after the clash.
Rayo Vallecano are the visitors on Friday night and are another team with a point to prove. LLL suspects the Madrid outfit may not be all that keen on a tilt at European qualification, quite reasonably given regular midweek matches would be a huge strain on resources. Friday night will help decide which team is all talk and no trouser on their season’s true desires.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Saturday

Granada (19th) v Valladolid (13th) - 16.00
Andalusian bottom-dwellars Granada decided to try and save their season by setting off for a three-day retreat in Marbella. Normally that would be a disastrous ideas with footballers, but in Granada’s case it’s a Hail Mary approach that might stop the lamentable run of results which has left the side with just two points from the past 24 available.
“The idea is to try news things to lift our spirits, generate self confidence and prepare the best way possible for the Valladolid match,” revealed Granada boss Lucas Alcaraz.
Club captain, Manuel Lucena, announced that “the base of the success of the past few years has been the unity between all parts of the club and I’m convinced that salvation will come through this union.” Funny, LLL always thought that the base of Granada’s success of the past few years has been having the same owners as Udinese and being able to borrow all the Serie A club’s players...
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Madrid (2nd) v Real Betis (7th) - 18.00
It's been a busy week for Betis manager Pepe Mel, who has had a Seville city derby and the visit to the Santiago Bernabéu to contend with in the space of a few days. So no time to put the finishing touches to a follow-up to his book ‘The Liar’, a mystery novel that was a complete work of fiction and nothing to do with any former club owners he's worked under. Mel has been busy enough just dealing with the fall-out following the middle finger he flipped - supposedly at an unnamed third party and not opposition fans - towards the end of last Friday’s 3-3 draw with Sevilla. “I’m very, very disappointed and angry at myself for what I did. People who know me know it’s nothing to do with who I am as a person or my way of understanding this game,” he told Marca.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Barcelona (1st) v Levante (12th) - 20.00
Things seem to be a little odd at Levante. The side has been struggling for goals since the departure of Obafemi Martins to MLS, and the 4-0 home defeat to Deportivo last weekend seemed worryingly easily for their Galician visitors. There’s still no word on the renewal of the contract of manager Juan Ignacio Martínez, who has a frosty relationship with the big cheeses of Levante. This sees Marca speculating that the Valencia club may be scouting for a replacement for JIM and are quite keen on current Elche boss, Fran Escribá.
Any offer that might come through could see a tough decision for the Valencia-born coach, as Elche are currently top of la Segunda with a 13 point lead over third. However Elche is an institutional basket case, as with 93% of all clubs in la Liga, so a more established side might be a nice change of scene for the former Getafe and Valencia number two.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Valencia (6th) v Málaga (5th) - 22.00
So, a bit of a big game then between two Champions League-chasing sides, who are also both currently something of a shambles off the pitch. Last week, LLL explained that Federico Varona, President of the Valencia Foundation - who sort of own the club - was temporarily stepping in after the resignation of Manuel Llorente as president of Valencia. Scrap that. Varona stepped down after 13 days in charge citing in a written communication the pressure of the role due to “personal insults and abuse.”
Who’s in charge now in Mestalla is any one’s guess. Roberto Soldado certainly doesn’t know, but that's no surprise, as it’s unlikely the forward knew who was in charge before. “We don’t know what the future is, it’s all in the air and it’s tough to isolate yourself from all the talk,” complained the Valencia striker.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Sunday

Getafe (8th) v Espanyol (11th) - 12.00
Bad Alexis. Bad. Bad. Bad! The Getafe man got himself sent off in the defeat to Valladolid last week, and although his initial offence was a tad soft, he made things much worse. As he ambled off towards the tunnel, the defender spat into the crowd, who were giving the former Valencia man a bit of stick. Alexis released an apology on Getafe’s website - “it’s not the attitude a sportsperson should have” wrote the stopper, but the FA’s Competition Committee have suspended the defender for four games for insulting the referee and for his saliva-escape.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Deportivo (16th) v Athletic Bilbao (14th) - 17.00
Now, if there’s one team in la Primera who are supposed to be all with the stiff upper lip and not panicking and blathering on about ‘finals’, it’s Athletic Bilbao. But the Basque side seem to have completely lost their nerve and are genuinely spooked about starting life in the new San Mamés down in la Segunda. “If the Granada match was the game of the year,” shirked Ander Herrera referring to comments made two weeks ago, “in La Coruña we have a match of the century.”
There’s at least one member of the Bilbao who has a backbone, and that’s defender, Jonás Ramalho. The 20-year-old enjoyed himself immensely booting Cristiano Ronaldo around the pitch last Sunday, before losing the Portuguese at a free kick to produce the Real Madrid man’s second goal. “I’m tough on the ball no matter who the player is,” claimed Ramalho.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Osasuna (15th) v Real Sociedad (4th) - 19.00
This match presents a tough Kramer vs Kramer moment for LLL, with the blog rooting both for Osasuna to stay up and also for Real Sociedad to finish forth. Hopefully Valencia and Málaga can drag out a stalemate to allow Osasuna to sneak three points in Pamplona. There certainly won’t be a shortage of fans at the game, with the final 2,000 tickets made available for Sunday’s match selling out in three hours, as supporters queued from as early as five in the morning.
The Osasuna president, Miguel Archanco, has been lamenting how his club have ended up in this sticky position towards the end of the season, commenting that “we had a really nice advantage and we lost it.” Nevertheless, twas ever the case for the club says Archanco. “The fans know the Champions League for Osasuna is staying up.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Sevilla (10th) v Atlético Madrid (3rd) - 19.00
LLL was a little surprised to see unsettling stories about Sevilla players moving to Real Madrid suddenly in the papers, given the Santiago Bernabéu club have already played the Andalusians twice this season. But the name of Geoffrey Kondogbia has appeared in both Marca and AS as being a Real Madrid target as a long term replacement for Xabi Alonso, despite the 20-year-old Frenchman being nothing like the former Liverpool midfielder.
But hey ho, due to the player being part owned by a third party in a deal LLL is too thick to understand, the Sevilla player could be bought for €8m. Sevilla may also lose Kondogbia’s midfield partner Gary Medel, with the club reportedly having grown tired of the player’s somewhat spotty disciplinary record. “He finds it hard to stay calm,” noted teammate Albert Botía on Medel’s sending off in the Seville derby last Friday.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Monday

Celta Vigo (20th) v Zaragoza (18th) - 22.00
Celta, who have been cursed with two Monday night games in a row, have been grumbling all week about a couple of penalties they feel should have been awarded to them in the defeat to Mallorca. And that’s all because Celta don’t complain about refereeing decisions, says Roberto Iago. “It seems like we are idiots because we always stay quiet, don’t say anything and that’s it.” Iago’s theory that referees enjoy picking on teams who don’t fight back was backed up by club captain, Borja Oubiña.
“It wasn’t just two penalties, but fouls and a lot of another stuff,” complained the midfielder who also attempted some rousing Braveheart talk for the team at the bottom of the table. “A lot of people have us for going down, but there are still games left.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

How Will They Line Up? Liverpool v Chelsea

Lol Cream — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:47:00 GMT

The mirthmakers who call themselves The Exploding Heads continue to amuse with their How Will They Line Up? weekend previews. Here's their look at Liverpool v Chelsea...

More from The Exploding Heads

The howling unfairness of the 10-point deduction

Guest Writer — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:59:00 GMT

Portsmouth are set to come out of administration and incur the usual penalty. Coventry fan Marc McLaren rues the rule

Ten points. Deducted. In the Premier League it would take top-half Fulham into the bottom three. In the Championship it would see ninth-placed Charlton fall all the way to 23rd.

But down in League One, the effect is less extreme. Coventry City, the latest club to enter administration and incur such a deduction, now find themselves in 16th. Add the points back on and they'd only 11th. Hardly a penalty, some might say – and indeed, some are saying.

But that's missing the point – and I say that not just as a lifelong Sky Blues fan, but also as a lifelong football fan.

Why? Well imagine watching the most exciting movie ever, then realising halfway through that actually it's not a film, it's real. And you're in it. And the bad guy's got his hands around your throat.

That's what being a Coventry City fan is like right now.

On first viewing, this appears to be your typical modern football thriller: big(ish) club fallen on hard times, shadowy owners, huge debts, possible homelessness, administration, points deduction. It’s just a sequel to Portsmouth: The Gaydamak Identity or Dude, Where’s My Leeds? Only it’s not quite that simple.

"He's gonna mention us…" "Just keep walking"

Because unlike almost all the other members of English football's Administration Society, Coventry City never got anything out of it themselves.

Seriously – sometime over the past 15 years we've run up tens of millions of pounds worth of debt and ultimately ended up going bust, but at the same time have been relegated twice in just over a decade, never been close to promotion, sold all of our best players and found ourselves without a stadium.

It's like selling your soul to the devil in exchange for a Cypriot pension.

At least Portsmouth got an FA Cup out of it, and Leeds the thrill of that Champions League run. We got nothing. Zilch. In fact we got less than that – we got year after year of decline.

How did that happen? Well there's no shortage of people to blame. Start with the current owners SISU, a hedge fund who bought the club in 2007 and supposedly put in £50m to keep us afloat.

Given that in that time we've sold players of the calibre of Leon Best, Keiren Westwood, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marlon King, while bringing in a motley collection of has-beens and never-will-bes, there’s no way that money’s gone on the playing staff.

They’ve appointed 10 managers in that time, made bad decision after bad decision and even now, after all that’s happened, refused to reveal who’s actually in charge. It turns out they’re the standard anonymous businessmen based in the Cayman Islands – which is surely not how a football club should be run.

Go further back, though, and the fault surely lies with former chairman Bryan Richardson’s decision to sell Highfield Road, scene of our many triumphs (OK, relegation escapes), and in 2005 move into the plush, soulless Ricoh Arena. The stadium is owned by the city council and a charitable trust, and costs us £100,000 a month to rent. Oh, and we make no matchday revenue from it. Great idea, Bryan.

High, perhaps; road, certainly; field, no more

Ultimately, none of that matters now. We committed a crime, and must suffer our punishment. Few Sky Blues fans would disagree, with most just hoping that SISU finally sell up and let someone else with even a modicum of footballing nous take over.

That’s certainly my attitude. But don’t dare suggest we’ve got off lightly – because the past decade of mismanagement and underachievement has cost us far more than 10 points.

By contrast, another writer thinks that some clubs are playing fast and loose with the 10-point penalty... What do you think? Tell us via our Facebook page

Is a 10-point deduction a strong enough deterrent?

Guest Writer — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:58:00 GMT

Portsmouth are set to come out of administration and incur the usual penalty. They've had it bad, but Aaron Cox wonders if some clubs are getting off lightly…

The Football League: The home of real football, a sanctuary of equality away from the money-spinning world of the Premier League; a level playing field.

I would beg to differ.

In a world where the aim is always promotion, the need and greed of smaller clubs has seen the word ‘administration’ bandied about as if it is a mere bump in the road, a blot on the copy-book. It turns out it pays to bend the rules.

As a Rochdale fan I have felt the immediate impact of spending above your means, just not from my own club. Despite Dale achieving little during my lifetime, in 2010 they recorded a first promotion in 36 years.

This was done within the financial capabilities of the football club, with young players and affordable footballers brought in to the side and developed. In fact the previous summer, when faced with a tax bill that would have placed the club in financial difficulties, the board opted to sell a certain Adam Le Fondre to Rotherham for a mere £150,000. Then they paid the bill.

Le Fondre in his Dale days

In May 2010 the two other sides automatically promoted to League One were Bournemouth and Notts County, neither of them strangers to financial problems.

The Magpies certainly ruffled the feathers of Dale manager Keith Hill. Their suspect takeover by Munto Finance allowed them to bring in players well beyond their means including the likes of Lee Hughes, Ben Davies and Kasper Schemeichel. Money that never existed was spent on a squad that breached the Football League's salary cap (60% of turnover plus shareholders' donations).

The Nottingham outfit were ‘saved’ by Ray Trew and placed under a transfer embargo that had little effect considering the squad already at their disposal. They somehow avoided any means of punishment as far as the league table was concerned, continuing to operate with the odds stacked heavily in their favour.

Hill quipped "If we can't catch Notts County, I'm sure the tax man will." It turned out that he was wrong, as they went on to be crowned champions and remain a League One side to this day.

Notts County backers Munto unveil Sven-Göran Eriksson

AFC Bournemouth, thanks to the astute managerial skills of Eddie Howe, also enjoyed promotion in the same campaign.
The Cherries had been placed into administration for the first time in 2008, resulting in a 10-point deduction that saw their play-off charge halted and ultimately contributed to their relegation to the bottom tier of English football. Enough for some, maybe, but the impact of financial mismanagement is long-term, not just immediate.

Ahead of the 2008/09 campaign, the south coast side, along with Rotherham, were asked to prove they could complete their fixtures and move out of administration if they were to compete. The clubs agreed to pay unsecured creditors 10 pence in the pound and started the season with a 17-point deduction.

This may seem harsh, but the club had been allowed to operate on an unfair financial level and despite that deduction they survived once again.

Their promotion the following year was a phenomenal achievement from Howe and his players, something that can never be taken away, but their mere presence in the Football League does not sit easily with some observers.

To punish a side with a points deduction is a slap on the wrist, a warning to not do it again. In the case of Bournemouth they did do it again, and they are now fighting for promotion to the Championship with wealthy backers. It’s hardly a warning to other clubs looking to manipulate the flawed policy of the points deduction.

To relegate a side over financial inadequacies at board level could seem an overreaction but until an example is set the money merry-go-round will continue to spin.

Throughout the promotion season, Rochdale fans proudly sang “We’re Dale, and we pay our bills”. A strange choice of topic for a football chant, but one that perfectly symbolises the weighted dice many clubs have rolled in English football’s lower reaches.

By contrast, another writer bemoans the unfairness of the 10-point penalty... What do you think? Tell us via our Facebook page

FFT in Cardiff: when the fans first saw red

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:02:00 GMT

Cardiff City are back in the top flight for the first time over half a century. But their promotion-winning season began in ignominy, with fans warring over a change in the club's colours, instigated by the Malaysian owners. FFT was present in August as Malky Mackay's team kicked off their campaign on a damp Friday night: the first match in the 2012-13 Football League season. But first, we must set the scene.

May 7, 2012: 6.30pm. Ten minutes after Cardiff City have finished being roundly spanked by West Ham in the Championship play-offs, losing 5-0 on aggregate, an online story drops the bomb. From next season the Bluebirds are to rebrand as the Red Dragons, changing their famous blue strip of 105 years to  red in an attempt to tap into a lucrative, apparently colour-conscious Asian market.

It’s dismissed as a prank; a wind-up;  a Swansea fan mocking his team’s rivals with vicious ingenuity, preying on the natural unpredictability that comes from foreign ownership – in this case, Malaysian owner Vincent Tan and chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee, aka ‘TG’. “As if this could happen,” most people agree. “Cardiff are the Bluebirds; how could we wear red?”

Little over three months later, with FFT present, the unthinkable is happening. Cardiff are lining up for their first league game of the season, at home to promoted Huddersfield, wearing red shirts. The club’s badge has been changed to show a red dragon, accompanied by an entirely new slogan. Around the stadium, there is  a heady mix of blue and red Cardiff  shirts. Just what the hell happened?

“IT WAS A REASONABLY EASY DECISION TO MAKE”

Money happened. While promotion to the Premier League allows teams  to swim in golden coins like Scrooge McDuck, and even promotion followed by relegation results in  a handy parachute payment (which helped the three demoted teams to rise straight back into the Championship play-offs last season), missing out altogether can be costly. Losing in the play-offs three years in a row? Financially as well as emotionally, that hurts.

Cardiff, it was revealed in the summer, are losing £1 million every month. Every. Single. Month. Bonnie and Clyde had a better relationship with the bank. Vincent Tan, having already paid off £40m of debt, gave the club a choice that was seemingly as simple as: red or dead?

“He was wedded to the idea,” Cardiff chief executive Alan Whiteley tells FFT. “I don’t think he’d have walked away from the club, but he would have scaled down the level of investment considerably. We didn’t want to give him any chance to walk away.

“Cardiff is the capital of Wales, red is the national colour of Wales and the dragon is the national symbol of Wales. A dragon is seen as a very strong symbol in the Asian market, as is the colour red. I’m not saying emotively it’s easy for people to get their heads around it, but it was a decision that, commercially speaking, was reasonably easy to make.”

For some Cardiff supporters, there was no debate. As Peter Ribbons, computer programmer and fan since the early 1970s, tells FFT at the Huddersfield curtain-raiser: “I’d rather we were in business playing in something or other than be in Portsmouth’s position.” But for others, the lack of a real plan and evidence – not to mention consultation, with the change presented as a fait accompli – made the decision not so much a no-brainer as something more contestable; a... well, a ‘brainer’.

“A lot of people say, ‘Where’s your business plan?’” Whiteley continues, “but it’s a marketing strategy that combines various cultures.” When asked at a supporters’ meeting for proof that red shirts would make Cardiff more appealing in Asia, the chief executive said, “Vincent Tan has not put in black and white where he thinks the money will come from; he just believes he can do it.” Whiteley then responded to a query of whether he thought the plan would work with six words: “I don’t know. I’m not Asian.”

Furious Cardiff fans in blue, tolerant Cardiff fans in red. As 21,000 enter the Cardiff City Stadium on a rain-soaked and angrily humid Friday night, everything seems set up for war.

“I DON’T SUPPORT THEM  ANY MORE. THEY’RE NOT  THE SAME TEAM”

But what we see as we enter the ground is  an entente cordiale. Red and blue shirts are worn side-by-side in harmony. There are two different opinions, it’s true, but not adamantly pro- or anti-red; more, ‘What’s the problem?’ and ‘Well, if we must’. “I wasn’t happy, but  you take what comes along,” says Peter Ribbons. “You move on,” affirms Howard Jenkins, a match-going supporter for over 50 years. Says policeman Peter Mulhern: “Everyone I’ve spoken to says the same: you don’t support  a colour, you don’t support  a badge, you don’t support a player, manager or chairman – you support the club.”  It’s like this everywhere.

Obviously no Cardiff fans were saying back in May, “You know what’s holding us back? These damned blue shirts”, but the colour change has been accepted as either necessary  or even irrelevant to the club. “Whatever the colour, I’ll support them,” continues Howard. “I watch them play away, and they never play in blue away [until this season, of course]. I remember Cardiff going up to the old First Division in 1960. I’m wearing red, but I’ve still got all that history.”

As the Sky cameras scan the ground for signs of animosity, it’s clear that they’d have more luck finding a punch-up at a nunnery. Not only have most fans accepted the change with varying degrees of happiness (indeed, shirt sales are up, though this could be attributed to the signing of Craig Bellamy), but it seems the most disillusioned have stayed away, with almost 100 season tickets being refunded.

Somewhat ironically, disenchanted fan Ben Dudley sold his support on eBay. “It was a silly thing, really – I thought I’d get 20 quid,” he tells FFT. “But it really took off. The winner got to pick who I’d support, with the money going to Ty Hafan children’s hospice and Help For Heroes. There were bids from fans of Besiktas, New York Red Bulls, Rangers, Mexico’s Club America and more. In the end, a Spurs fan paid £845, so I’ll be going to as many of their games as I can.

“As for Cardiff... I feel like I don’t support them any more. They’re not the same team. Personally, I don’t want them to get promoted, because if they go up to the Premier League in red, they’ll stay red  forever.” Would he go back to blue if Cardiff  did the same? “I’d give it a go.”

Despite the likes of Dudley dodging the Cardiff City Stadium the attendance isn’t bad, especially for a televised match on a Friday – but it also explains the lack of uprising. The strongest negative feeling is one of discomfort. Perhaps not coincidentally, the atmosphere is more akin to a library than a book-burning.

“ONCE FANS WERE INSIDE THEY COULDN’T TAKE IT”

This lacklustre backdrop to the season’s opening day isn’t helped by a dreadful first half. Huddersfield are without ambition; Cardiff, ammunition. In the stands, the Terriers’ 500-odd travelling fans, perhaps inspired by  a Huddersfield Twitter account mocking up  a pre-match playlist including Red Suede Shoes and Red (Da Ba Dee), unite in “You sold your history” and “Are you Wrexham in disguise?”, while Bluebirds staunchly ignore the giant red elephant  stomping around the room.

Supportive banners reading ‘KEEP CARDIFF BLUE – F*CK MODERN FOOTBALL’ have been spotted at matches in Austria, Canada and Indonesia yet in Cardiff, only one, reading ‘WE BLEED BLUE’, has made it into the stadium – and it’s removed by stewards. Its owners leave at half-time. “I know people who left in the first half,” says Ben. “They found it hard to walk away from the club but once  they were in the ground they couldn’t take it.”

But just as no one is complaining about the rebrand, no one is complaining that no one is complaining. In most quarters – not only the office of Alan Whiteley, who tells FFT after the match that the fan reaction went “as well as we could have hoped” – people are glad there is no clash beyond the sight of a red home team playing in a blue stadium.

Cardiff City have thankfully moved on from times marred by violence, even winning Family Club of the Year more than once, and nobody is keen to see a return to the days when hooligan firm the Soul Crew ran amok. The closest FFT sees to any brutality is a typically psychotic South Wales seagull nearly savaging a child for his chips. A peaceful protest by Keep Cardiff Blue is cancelled amid claims of threats towards their safety, but officially it is banned by the club,  who want the  focus to be on football.

“THE PLAN WAS  NEVER TO STOP  FANS WEARING BLUE”

With the second half underway, Cardiff fans  in all colours are hoping for a change in fortunes on the pitch. With more chances come more chants; the golf claps and ironic shouts of “Come on you Reds” are soon replaced by huge cries of “Bluebirds” and unflattering songs explaining Swansea supporters’ bin-based culinary habits. But  the visitors have upped their game too,  with 21-year-old debutant Sean Scannell  as lively as he is theatrical, both of which  earn him boos from the home crowd.

You feel there’s more significance than  usual to this opening-day result for Cardiff.  Pre-match jokes of ‘lucky red shirts’ are just that – jokes – but a win would do no harm in winning over begrudging supporters. And  with 91 minutes on the terrifyingly giant clock, captain Mark Hudson obliges, sliding onto the end of a Joe Mason knockdown to grab  a late winner. “We are top of the league, say we are top of the league!” chant  Cardiffians blue and red, and FFT doesn’t have the heart to point out they would  be top anyway with a draw, being alphabetically ahead of Huddersfield.

Joy unbounded, fears unfounded. Instead of protests against the visiting Vincent Tan, who is in fact welcomed and responds by doing the Ayatollah, the only abuse has been towards some poor refereeing, the aforementioned Scannell and “fat b*st*rd” Anthony Gerrard. Sold by Cardiff having never featured after his penalty miss condemned Cardiff to defeat in the League Cup Final, he makes his Terriers debut in injury time and is booked for an ugly foul (“Do you think football is a tickling contest?” he’ll later tweet).

As fans flood out of the stadium, you’d be forgiven for thinking the home support are simply wearing home and away shirts, such is the accord. “I’m disappointed,” says one blue absentee. “I thought there’d at least a bit of a fuss. I heard that Sky said [the rebrand] went without a whimper.” Tragically, the damage has been  done for some now-former fans. Dave Sugarman, aka blogger The Lone Gunman, has missed only two home games since 1975 but says he “will never feel the same affection to the club again” and boycotted the match.

But for the club and Alan Whiteley, whose first reaction to hearing about the rebrand was quite literally, “Oh God, what have I got myself into?”, the worst may be behind. There was never any expectation for every fan to be won over, and some, including brothers Simon and Mark Baralos, say they will attend games but never buy a red shirt – but the plan, we’re told, was never to stop fans wearing blue or chanting “Bluebirds”.

So what do we learn? That fans put up with anything? No – AFC Wimbledon have shown that not to be true (though the original club’s relocation made the situation more extreme than Cardiff’s) and there are early discussions taking place about a Cardiff splinter club being formed if there is enough interest. It seems that although some naturally disagree, for many a football club is more than a colour  or a hastily rejigged badge with a bluebird apologetically added at the bottom. And perhaps the sight of fans happily mingling in old blue and new red kits is encouraging.

Football has changed. For all the passion, pride and partisanship, the biggest ‘P’ of all for modern fans may well be pragmatism. We can’t know now what Cardiff fans will be saying in 50 years’ time, but their club does at least have a better chance of surviving that long. Only time will tell if pub chats will open, “Remember that one mad season we played in red?” or “I can’t believe we ever wore blue.”

Words: Huw Davies. From the October 2012 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!

Is there room at the inn for Chelsea’s trio of brilliant young Belgians?

FourFourTwo Team — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Sports writer Scott Johnson explains how Chelsea's three hottest young talents could slip the net...

While Eden Hazard's influence at Chelsea continues to grow, fellow Belgians Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne are on the outside, looking in.

Lukaku is enjoying an impressive campaign on loan at West Brom, Courtois has been earning rave reviews in his second year at Atletico Madrid, while De Bruyne has shone in a struggling Werder Bremen side. This should bode well for Chelsea’s future, but will the soon to be former European champions be willing or able to integrate them in to the side any time soon? IIt may be a case of use them or lose them.

Signed within a few weeks of each other in the summer of 2011, during the brief tenure of Andre Villas-Boas, Lukaku and Courtois were acquired as part of the ill-fated overhaul of an aging team. Significant sums were spent, fees rising to a potential £17m and £8m respectively, for two of Europe’s brightest teenage prospects. De Bruyne was added in January 2012, shortly before Villas-Boas was dismissed, for a further £7m, but it is not Chelsea that have reaped the benefits thus far.

Lukaku has long been considered a phenomenon in his homeland. Tall, quick and strong, with positional intelligence and excellent aerial ability, he scored 121 goals in 68 games for Lierse before his 13th birthday and netted 131 in 93 games for the Anderlecht youth team. Making his senior debut 11 days after his 16th birthday, he scored 15 goals in 25 starts in his first senior season.

He agreed professional terms at Anderlecht while still at school and his education was subsequently documented for a fly-on-the-wall show entitled ‘De School Van Lukaku’ (Lukaku’s School). On a field trip with his classmates, they visited Stamford Bridge, where Lukaku revealed: “What a stadium. If one day in my life I will cry, it will be the day I play here. I love Chelsea.” He has shed only tears of frustration thus far, claiming he has endured the “worst moments” of his career at the club and refused a Champions League medal. "I've not even touched the cup. I don't deserve it because I was not on the list. I don't touch anything I don't deserve.”

He averaged 32 minutes of playing time in 12 games for Chelsea, but has featured regularly for West Brom and is currently the top-scoring teenager in Europe. With 10 goals in 18 starts, Lukaku has been instrumental in cementing the Baggies in the top half of the table. Hawthorns boss Steve Clarke is keen to agree another loan deal for next season, but has admitted that he expects him to return to Stamford Bridge. Yet Lukaku's immediate future will surely depend on who is appointed Chelsea’s next manager.

Villas-Boas signed Lukaku, “even though our team is competitive enough in that sector of the field." That is no longer the case. Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge have since left and Fernando Torres will surely be shipped out this summer if a suitor can be found. Chelsea had the chance to recall Lukaku in January, but instead signed Demba Ba. It is surely a no brainer that he will be recalled in the summer, but regular first-team football is still far from guaranteed, as a new manager is likely to target that area of the team for strengthening.

Courtois has recently admitted his future also remains unclear, revealing: “I was hoping that this week I would find out what will happen but Chelsea have asked for a bit more time, perhaps because they are going to get a new coach. I don’t know what will happen but I will have to wait a little longer before I find out.” His situation is complicated by the presence of Petr Cech, who has this season returned to the levels of consistency which saw him win so many plaudits in his first four or five years in West London. Still only 30, it is unlikely Cech will be relinquishing his role any time soon, but Courtois is fast becoming one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe and will not return to his parent club to sit on the bench.

Since replacing David De Gea between the sticks at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Courtois has been a revelation, instrumental in Atletico’s Europa League win last year and setting a new record of 820 minutes without conceding a goal this year. Six foot, six inches tall, he is an imposing figure and, like Lukaku and De Bruyne, a regular in the national squad. A third year is believed to be agreed in principle with Atletico and a £20m price tag has also been floated. He may prove to be the right man at the wrong time.

Winger De Bruyne was signed from reigning champions Genk and immediately loaned back to the club. In August, he agreed a season-long loan to Bremen and, like Courtois, he has yet to represent his parent club in a competitive fixture. It has been suggested Chelsea may use him as a makeweight in a deal for long-term target Andre Schurrle of Bayer Leverkusen.

Three years ago, Chelsea’s U18 side won the FA Youth Cup final. Only four of that side remain at the club, and all of them are currently out on loan. It remains to be seen how many of the U19 side that finished runners up in this season’s NextGen series will make the grade, but Lukaku, Courtois and De Bruyne find themselves in a similar position, trying to break in to a side of established internationals.

Chelsea may be tempted to sell the trio in order to help balance the books, with one eye on the Financial Fair Play regulations, but they may live to regret it should the Belgians fulfil their potential elsewhere.

Footballers remember Thatcher: "A lunatic", "always up to no good"

FourFourTwo Team — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:21:00 GMT

Footballers recall a single-minded but divisive figure who was never far from the headlines...

Michael Johnson July 2007
"Thatcher – gone now but was really funny, always up to no good"

Stephen Ireland January 2006
"Thatcher is a lunatic...got a screw loose or something!"

Bradley Wright-Phillips August 2005
"Thatcher's just crazy. I won't go into detail but you have to keep on eye on Thatch at all times"

Micah Richards April 2006
"Recently I was wearing Calvin Classics – Thatcher didn't approve, so picked me up and ripped my boxers. I had to go home without any. It was actually hilarious at the time"

Rohan Ricketts November 2002
"At a hotel in Bournemouth I saw Thatcher launch a two-footed tackle on this huge plant pot. Smashed it to pieces, then casually reported the breakage to the receptionist"

La Liga’s Relegation Rumble: The runners and riders

Tim Stannard — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:19:00 GMT

While Athletic Bilbao, Valladolid and Levante peer nervously down at the relegation fight, all three just need to be barely competent from this point onwards to avoid the trap door. The six teams listed below, in contrast, need their performances in the final seven games to range from "very good" to "uncharacteristically world-class".

Like a lingering camera shot from a Michael Bay flick, we start from the bottom upwards....

20th Celta Vigo 24pts
The Galicians were once the People’s Princess of Primera clubs. Everyone from Seville to Santander wished good things upon the side who had been out of the top flight for five seasons. Plucky Celta played pretty football but couldn’t get the results, which only made the fishy-whiffed ones even more lovable.

At this point, club president Carlos Mouriño really managed to stuff things up for Celta. Paco Herrera was sacked in February despite the former Liverpool trainer taking the club up to la Primera and having supposed unconditional support from his boss. He was replaced by Abel Resino, a manager as amiable and cuddly as Donald Rumsfeld with shinsplints.

It didn't help, and from then on nor did the Celta players. A disastrous defeat to Deportivo saw top scorer Iago Aspas suspended for four matches for head-butting Carlos Marchena. Injured Hugo Mallo was seen in the stands taunting opposition supporters, to leave a squabbling squad having lost public sympathy. Monday’s late defeat to Mallorca now leaves Celta with just a single victory in 13 and four from safety.

19th Mallorca 27pts
Giovani dos Santos has given Mallorca hope that a survival bid could be successful with an injury-time winner against Celta Vigo, showing once again that the Mexican is the club’s Obi-Wan Kenobi only hope.

"Giovani is for Mallorca what Cristiano is for Real Madrid,” opined manager Gregorio Manzano. The problem there is whilst Ronaldo is the ultimate professional and inhumanly consistent, Giovani dos Santos is, well, Giovani dos Santos – potentially excellent but as reliable as a chocolate nuclear reactor.

One advantage Mallorca have is that their run-in includes three teams who might be utterly unmotivated in mid-table: Rayo, Levante and Valladolid. The really big niggling problem is that Mallorca aren’t very good, which puts the players at a bit of disadvantage when three clubs are slipping into la Segunda.

18th Zaragoza 27pts
Oh dear. Victory-free in 2013, Zaragoza are about to equal the club’s longest winless run, which dates back to the era of Vera Lynn. However, the side lead by Manolo Jiménez has been in similar circumstances before. Last year, in fact, when all looked lost before they pulled off five wins from six in the final matches of the season.

That skin-saving run was completed with a victory over Getafe, witnessed in person by LLL. The opposition looked strangely unmotivated but also rather careless in going down to nine men, which certainly didn't hinder Zaragoza. The next two games at Celta and home to Mallorca will be against rivals who are a little more up for it, and this could cost Zaragoza a Primera place after four years of struggle.

17th Granada 28pts
It doesn’t say a great deal about the quality of sides at the bottom that Granada aren’t rock bottom. Indeed, the Andalusians have only spent three rounds in the drop zone, which is quite remarkable considering they have almost nothing going for them.

Just two points have been picked up from the past 24 and the club are still living off February's fluked victory over Real Madrid, which had everyone thinking that newly-arrived coach Lucas Alcaraz could keep Granada up.

That might still be possible, though, as the southerners are outrageously lucky and appear to be able to dig out results when required. There are two very winnable matches in the run-in, the first against Valladolid this weekend, and the last against Getafe. However, there are some real toughies in between.

16th Deportivo 29pts
LLL was trying to argue the other day that Deportivo had too many points for this stage of the season and that three wins in a row had damaged the chances of the club’s survival. Nonsense, of course, but the vague, half-formed notion behind the claim was that Deportivo really need to beware the feeling that the job has been done now that the club is off the bottom and out of the relegation zone. After all, looking down is scarier than looking up. Unless a piano or an anvil is about to fall on your head.

The Galicians will probably need four more wins but most of their final seven games are against clubs who also have a lot at stake. Athletic Bilbao, Betis, Atlético Madrid, Málaga and Real Sociedad are going to be quite the challenge for the squad, who have been through the wringer this season.

15th Osasuna 31pts
LLL really could take or leave Mallorca or Granada going down, but would be genuinely upset to see the departure of Osasuna after over a decade of fun-filled Primera action. But the blog feels that everything will be OK again in Pamplona, as Osasuna have a trick of flooring the accelerator when required and are capable of putting together a string of results. Three wins and a cheeky draw will be needed and Getafe, Granada and Sevilla are on the horizon to provide at least part of those needs.

LLL prediction: Celta, Mallorca and Deportivo to drop.

Why it's Thiago, not Fàbregas, who should replace Xavi and Iniesta

Paul Wilkes — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:59:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). Paul Wilkes - editor of the laligauk.com - uses Stats Zone to help compare two players aiming to one day replace Barcelona's legendary creative duo...

When Cesc Fàbregas returned home to Barcelona in August 2011, many questioned how he hoped to force his way into the world's best midfield and whether he would simply gather splinters on the Camp Nou bench. But Pep Guardiola and director of football Andoni Zubizarreta were thinking of the bigger picture.

At that time Xavi was 31, Andrés Iniesta 27 and youngster Thiago Alcântara just 20. At the age of 24, Fàbregas was the missing generation, as the two star creators grew older he was perfectly positioned to take over the mantel. He was signed as he knew the club and its unique philosophy, while also offering something different.

Guardiola changed the formation to 3-4-3, with the four midfielders operating as a diamond and Fàbregas at the foremost tip. To begin with, it was a resounding success for Fabregas, as he netted five goals in as many starts, before picking up an injury on international duty. Between his return in late October and the end of the year, he completed a full 90 minutes of league football just twice, as it became apparent Guardiola was unhappy with his tactical positioning. Fàbregas was told he needed to work on the timing of his runs into the opposition box.

At Arsenal, he was used to a little more freedom, with Arsene Wenger happy for his advanced playmakers to roam into pockets of space ready to exploit teams on the counter. At Barcelona his correlation with teammates has generally been good due to the relationships built as a youngster, but he has suffered from years of playing out of the specific structure.

Against Granada earlier this season, Fàbregas played alongside Thiago, with Sergio Busquets at the base. This was perhaps a glimpse of what the midfield will look like in the future. What was apparent was the all-round nature of Thiago's game in comparison to Fàbregas in the same role. The Brazilian-born youngster completed more dribbles past an opponent and more tackles, his six interceptions illustrated his assured positioning within the formation. Conversely, Fàbregas made none.

Despite being the less experienced player, Thiago completed more passes than the man who provided the assist for Spain's World Cup winning goal. Four of the top passing combinations involved Thiago - with passes from the young maestro to Busquets and Lionel Messi the top two, operating as the link in transitions.

Yet the former Arsenal man was way ahead on chance creation, with five to Thiago's one, giving further evidence that when given the license to neglect his defensive duties his attacking thrust thrives.

This weekend against Real Zaragoza, Thiago excelled once more, filling the gap left by Iniesta. His goal showed his clever runs from the second line, while his assist for the second goal displayed the understanding of those making the runs around him as he combined with Cristian Tello.

In Thiago, Barça not only have a player who grew up within the system, but one who knows no other way. There's no confusion as nature takes over from nurture, his discipline within the style is ingrained. He has the passing ability of Xavi and the movement and industry of Iniesta; stylistically he is something of a hybrid between the two legends. That's not to say he is as a good as either or that his progression will be of the same level, but his attributes are better suited to the midfield trident than those of Fàbregas at present.

Luckily for Cesc, he has found solace as the understudy to Messi in the 'false 9' role, as his recent hat-trick against Real Mallorca demonstrated, but he can't hope that his life-long friend and the World's best player picks up more injuries. As he showed against Rayo Vallecano, he can play in the midfield three, but he needs consistency. He is still adapting and re-training his mind to the ethos, though under Tito Vilanova the team is a little more direct and has lost some of its control, which certainly benefits Fàbregas should Pep Guardiola's former No.2 remain at the helm.

Perhaps as a partnership they provide the balance, but as a direct replacement for either Xavi or Iniesta, it's Thiago that currently fits the bill.

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Bad Weekend for: Lions, Magpies, Seagulls and Tykes

Simon Carter — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:18:00 GMT

It was a Bad Weekend for...

Millwall Football Club
Oh, Millwall. They were never going to be the darlings of the domestic cups; despite the Lions' run to the FA Cup semi-final, the public had already been besotted with League Cup heroes Bradford and Liverpool's FA Cup conquerors Oldham. But, still.

Their fans famously sing that no one likes them and they don’t care, but it's hard to believe that the vast majority of Millwall fans are indifferent to the effect on their club's public image when a global audience of millions saw supporters attacking each other, then stewards and police, during their 2-0 defeat to Wigan at Wembley.

Can anyone truly say that they don’t care that the defining image of the game – and possibly this year's FA Cup – is that of a young Millwall fan, crying her eyes out at the violence going on around her?

No, surely the vast majority of Millwall fans will be sick to their stomachs that their club, who have done so much in the past 20 or so years to restore their reputation, once again face the ire and disgust of the footballing public.

The club were quick to distance themselves from the violence – “Our position is clear. Anyone associated with our club found guilty of violent behaviour will be banned indefinitely from Millwall matches in addition to any punishment they receive from the authorities” – there is no doubt that the weekend of their FA Cup exit was a bad one in more ways than one.

Newcastle – and Sunderland's relegation rivals
Management's very easy when you think about it. Rock up to a club, shout at the players in a mixture of English and Italian and watch the points come rolling in. Very simple.

Perhaps there’s more to it than that, but there’s no doubting that Paolo Di Canio has had an effect at Sunderland. The second-most "winningest" manager in England over the last 18 months has had exactly the galvanising influence that Black Cats owner Ellis Short hoped, leading Chelsea at half-time at Stamford Bridge in his first game before masterminding yesterday’s stunning 3-0 victory in the Tyne-Wear derby.

It’s 13 years since Sunderland won at St. James’ Park and although only a few points separated the sides, Newcastle's home record has been the difference between a poor season and a rotten season – albeit a better one than their visitors, who started the day separated from the relegation zone only on goal difference.

But Sunderland, swashbuckling, running and counter-attacking as though their survival depended on it, ransacked the Toon with three tremendous goals to leave the home side stunned – and the visitors vaulting above Villa, who had been held at home by Fulham, and the increasingly worried Stoke City, outclassed by Manchester United.

Of course, things change quickly in football and if Sunderland lose at home to Everton this coming weekend, the jury will be back out for Di Canio. But right now, after a derby win, you won’t find many Sunderland fans grumbling about the controversial Italian’s appointment.

High hopes in the lower regions of the Championship
The current Championship bottom three reads Barnsley, Wolves and Bristol City. Although City have long seemed doomed, recent form had given succour to the other two: Wolves had won three on the bounce and pulled themselves up to 18th, while Barnsley had suffered just one defeat in seven.

But this weekend has put a stop to all that optimism as both sides suffered miserable afternoons. The three teams that now sit just above the drop zone all won: Peterborough surprised Watford, Blackburn eased past Derby… and Huddersfield won 3-1 at Wolves, who lost two goals and sent-off midfielder Jamie O'Hara within a suicidal three-minute spell.

Meanwhile Barnsley had a much more drawn-out trauma against Charlton, who are putting together a late play-off charge. The Tykes can point to two red cards as part-cause of their 6-0 home defeat, but they were 4-0 down at the time of the first red. The truth is that Charlton dominated for the entire game, scoring twice before half time and then at will thereafter.

Both Barnsley and Wolves have four games to save their skin; with five of those eight games coming against teams with genuine promotion hopes, you have to fear for both of them.

Bury's survival hopes
Last weekend, League Two leaders Gillingham become the first Football League side to win promotion this season. This weekend, Bury replaced them, becoming the Football League's first relegated side by dropping from League One.

Like most relegations, this had been on the cards for weeks before the home defeat to Oldham confirmed their fate. Oldham needed the three points to put themselves beyond Bury’s reach (although they're by no means safe from the drop) and was the latest wretched result in a wretched season for the Shakers, racked by financial crisis and desperate for a saviour.

It was a bad day too for the Oldham ticketing department as hundreds of ticketless fans were left locked out of Gigg Lane despite the Latics’ reassurances that turnstile entry would be available on the day.

Commiserations then to Bury, who can still play a part in the relegation skirmish when they take on fourth-bottom Scunthorpe at home tomorrow night.

Unlucky Torquay
You know you’ve had a bad day when your season gets worse without you kicking a ball. That’s what happened to poor old Torquay on Saturday; thanks to a waterlogged pitch, the Devon side couldn’t play their highly-anticipated relegation scrap with Barnet (the game has now been rearranged for tomorrow). And while the players rested, their rivals set about making the most of the break.

York travelled to high-flying Northampton sitting second from bottom of the Football League and knowing that, with an inferior goal difference to most around them, the outlook was bleak. However, they will have also known that with Torquay out of action, a point would take them out of the relegation places and strike a huge psychological blow to their rivals.

With this in mind, York played with a freedom and verve belying their lowly position, out-passing, out-shooting and out-scoring opponents who had won 10 in a row at home. All of which meant that Torquay slipped into the bottom two, without even playing.

So it's all eyes on Plainmoor tomorrow night, when a Torquay win would make things very interesting; indeed, if it were matched with a home victory for bottom-placed Aldershot against midtable Southend, and a Plymouth loss at playoff-chasing Chesterfield, it would leave the entire bottom six separated by a single point with two games to go.

Stats Zone in Europe: Things we noticed this weekend

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:18:00 GMT

Our FREE Stats Zone app now covers the top flights in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Ryan O'Donovan and Gary Parkinson whizz around the continent...

If you're good enough, you're young enough – ask Juan Carlos Valeron. The Deportivo la Coruña midfielder turns 38 in June but he inspired his side to a 4-0 romp at Levante. Depor had beaten three relegation rivals on the bounce before demolishing midtable Levante, with Valeron opening the scoring and topping the lists for passes (78 completed out of 88), attacking-third passes (27 out of 31), aerial duels (7) and chances created (4, including an assist for Bruno Gama… in the 92nd minute).

Valencia's Ever Banega deserved better on Saturday. The Argentinian No.10 created 7 chances in the 3-3 thriller at Espanyol, including Sergio Canales' opener and Roberto Soldado's 91st-minute goal which was equalised two minutes later by Sergio Garcia. Banega also contributed the most take-ons (8, completing 3) and attacking-third passes (20 completed out of 26)

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were ruthlessly dominant against FC Nurnburg, completing 469 passes, with 77 of them coming from Rafinha (out of 80 – a 96% success rate). The right-back also completed 17 of his 18 attacking-third passes, and scored with his only shot.

Franck Ribery tormented Nurnburg, attempting 10 take-ons (5 completed) completing 25 passes in the attacking third and creating six chances, although only one was converted.

The Bundesliga's bottom club Greuther Fürth had an encouraging second half against Borussia Dortmund. After the break outshot the Champions League semi-finalists 6 to 3, and scored a great team goal through Edgar Prib. Sadly, Dortmund had already piled in five unanswered first-half goals…

Over in Serie A, third-placed Milan couldn't beat second-placed Napoli at home – but it wasn't for lack of effort from right-back Ignazio Abate. The road-runner clocked up an unbeaten 49 passes out of 60, including 18 out of 26 (both match highs) in the Napoli third. He also topped the tackle charts with 5, of which he won 4.

Udinese's Luis Muriel had a busy day at Parma. The Colombian striker scored two first-half goals (either side of a booking for a dive) and was successful in 7 of the 11 take-ons he attempted. Despite receiving the ball 27 times he only completed 9 passes, although one set up a goalscoring chance.

Ligue 1 leaders PSG laboured to a 1-0 win at bottom-placed Troyes, who registered more shots on target than the Champions League quarter-finalists. Home centre-back Florian Jarjat led the lists for tackles (5 won out of 6), interceptions (4), clearances (8 completed out of 10) – and fouls committed (3) – to repel Lucas Moura etc al.

Cheick Diabaté scored his fifth goal in 10 games as Bordeaux beat Montpellier 4-2. The 6ft 4in Mali centre-forward – who scored two Europa League goals against Newcastle in December – racked up 6 shots on the Montpellier goal and won 8 out of his 11 aerial duels. The 24-year-old completed 19 of 26 passes, although he only completed 1 of 7 in the Montpellier third.

Nice moved into fifth – and only four points behind second-placed Marseille – with a comprehensive 3-0 win over drop-dodging Sochaux. Former Middlesbrough player Didier Digard scored the killer second and ran the midfield, completing 70 out of 83 passes, included 12 completed in Sochaux's third.

Barça resort to 'Plan T', Ronaldo gets battered, Sevilla throw it away

Tim Stannard — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT

Good Day

Cristian Tello and Thiago Alcántara
Monday's Sport saw Barça's 3-0 win at Zaragoza as the club's 'Plan T', with the starting line-up not featuring Leo Messi, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Pedro or David Villa. While the performances from the winger have been impressive for much of the season, it's only in the past couple of weeks that the playmaker has started to deliver. Thiago opened the scoring after 20 minutes in La Romareda and Tello banged in a brace to keep Barcelona 13 points clear at the top of the table. "There is a future," purred Josep Maria Casanovas in Sport on Sunday's dynamic duo.

Cristiano Ronaldo
The big debate at the Santiago Bernabéu: are Real Madrid 'Ronaldo-dependent' or is the Madrid forward just very, very good and always likely to score more than everyone else, irrespective of the who plays alongside him? The comfortable 3-0 win in San Mamés against Athletic continued Madrid's remarkably good run of form in Bilbao, with seven la Liga victories in the past eight games. In fact, this was the third 3-0 victory in a row.
Ronaldo would have enjoyed much of this encounter too. The Madrid man was on the receiving end of a bit of a battering from Athletic, but responded with a good old moan at the referee and a couple of goals. The Portuguese looked quite chuffed as he left the pitch, despite being substituted, with things getting just a little bit too fruity for a footballer who should have been smothered in bubble wrap with the Champions League in mind.

Falcao
After a few wobbles and no-shows in recent matches, both Atlético Madrid and Falcao needed that 5-0 dolloping of Granada in a stuffed, sunny Vicente Calderón. With the club focussing on a promotion which saw the team’s youngest fans encouraged to enjoy a bit of football, there was much talk of “child’s play” in the Madrid press on Monday morning after the victory.

Imanol Agirretxe
Unbelievable, Brian. Real Sociedad just keep on going and going and going and going. Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano, thanks to a brace from Agirretxe, continued a run of 12 matches unbeaten for the Basque side, who have suffered just a single defeat in 20 matches. “There are seven games left and we know it is going to be difficult, but if we keep going forward with the same mentality, we can do it,” said a chirpy Real Sociedad boss, Philippe Montanier, after the match.

Julio Baptista
A 1-0 win over Osasuna thanks to a strike from Julio Baptista in the final seconds of the game was a performance that took stones from Málaga, after the disappointment of Tuesday night. The Osasuna-shaped opponents were under the cosh for much of the match, but Málaga kept their peckers up right to the end and were rewarded with a result that keeps the side in fifth.

Betis & Sevilla
Friday’s Seville derby was as mad as a bag of puppies, but both sides get into the Good Day section despite moments that had both managers crying ‘noooooooooooooo’ while suffering flashbacks as they awoke the following morning.
Betis contrived to see themselves 3-0 down within 32 minutes, before pulling the scoreline back to 3-3. Sevilla contrived to flush two points down the loo despite being 3-0 up after 32 minutes. Pepe Mel gave the middle finger to an unknown entity in the crowd; “you know who it was to, as much as I do,” hinted the Betis boss. Meanwhile, opposite number Unai Emery aged 20 years in 90 minutes; “it feels like a defeat,” he uttered, gloomily.
With all the Andalusian dust now settled, an analysis suggests that the point still keeps Betis trundling along in European qualification contention and sees the side with a big distraction out of the way, but Sevilla continue with a poor record away from home that has produced just the single victory from 16 games.

Ivan Rakitic
Aside from Friday’s result, it wasn't a bad week for Sevilla’s Croatian midfielder, who got married and then knocked in two goals in 20 minutes in the city derby.

Espanyol
A second 3-3 of the weekend and yet more beautiful madness on Saturday night in Cornella. Javier Aguirre’s side looked beaten when Soldado gave Valencia the lead in the 91st minute, only for Sergio García to pop up with an equaliser in the dying moments of a stonking match. “It was Sergio’s, but the whole stadium created it,” declared the side’s Mexican manager, who has now pulled out five wins and four draws at home to put the Pericos just one more victory from virtual safety for the season.

Valladolid
Valladolid scrapped to a 2-1 win over Getafe in a fixture between two teams who seem to go about their business without anyone really noticing. For Valladolid coach Miroslav Djukic though, the victory was “the most important of the season”, with the result arriving after three straight defeats, a string of results that threatened to put the club in the group marked ‘could still get sucked into the relegation battle’.

Deportivo
La Liga Loca suspects it might just write “they couldn’t, could they?” for the Deportivo update every week, to save the blog a precious bit of time. The 4-0 win at Levante was the fourth straight win for the Galicians and by far the easiest of the victories and lifted the team out of the relegation zone for the first time since the end of November.

Bad Day

Valencia
Two points were won in the last few seconds of last week’s clash with Valladolid due to an incorrectly taken throw-in. But the swings and roundabouts principle of football came back to bite the Mestalla side on the backside after Sergio García’s late, late, late equaliser ruled out what looked like being a late, late winning effort from Roberto Soldado. “We only had to defend a couple more balls,” lamented Valencia boss Ernesto Valverde, after a result that sees the east coast club losing ground on fourth-placed Real Sociedad.

Cañas
The Betis midfielder managed to get the eternally red card-able Gary Medel sent off after suffering massive bruising and cranial trauma from a horrendous very light touch to the face from the Sevilla midfielder during the squabble. LLL’s thoughts are with the enormous girl’s blouse in the footballer’s recovery.

Getafe
A first defeat in eight for Getafe with both of the two goals conceded to Valladolid being quite avoidable complained Luis García. “We studied the play for Oscar’s goal at least 15 times in the morning,” revealed the Getafe boss in what sounds like a thrilling breakfast.

Juan Ignacio Martínez
Strangely subdued stuff from Levante in the 4-0 home defeat to Deportivo, with some supporters booing the side - a little harsh - and manager, Juan Ignacio Martínez, grumbling that “perhaps I confused them with mixed messages to the group. It was the worst match I’ve seen, since I’ve been here.”

Fernando Llorente
Just the third league start of the season for the Basque striker and it showed with a former great being a peripheral figure in the defeat to Real Madrid. You know things are working for you as a forward man when you are losing a battle with Raúl Albiol.

Osasuna
Five defeats from six, with the most recent being at Málaga, puts Osasuna back into the relegation frame. “We’re feeling torn about by the manner of the defeat,” admitted Osasuna boss, José Luis Mendilibar, after Saturday’s late match.

Zaragoza
Each week, the message from the Zaragoza camp is that the players are focussed and ready to respond to the crisis the club finds itself in after a 2013 that has yet to produce a victory. Sunday's visit of Barcelona was always going to be a tough ask for Zaragoza, no matter the first teamers rested by the Catalan club but Manolo Jiménez complained that his team didn't really make matters any easier for themselves. "We were inferior from the first minute," complained the Zaragoza boss, whose side slipped into the relegation zone. "I won't be letting anyone give up."

'Cursed' Inter rage against the refereeing machine yet again

Richard Whittle — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:57:00 GMT

It was around this time last year that Andrea Stramaccioni was leading Inter to European glory.

It may have been as coach of the youth side in the NextGen Series – the Champions League for tomorrow’s stars – but the success was enough to see the then 36-year-old selected to take over the reins of the first-team in place of the sacked Claudio Ranieri, despite never having been in charge of a senior side.

His 'interim' reign was turned into a permanent deal thanks to a derby success over AC Milan and a sixth-place finish, which was something of a minor success given what had gone before. But 12 months on, Serie A’s youngest coach finds himself in a similar position in the table, with little sign the team has moved forward.

The 2-0 loss at Cagliari - who were also playing “away” in Trieste, having vacated the Is Arenas in Sardinia due to structural safety concerns - was the Nerazzurri's third consecutive defeat and their fourth in the last five, leaving them in real danger of missing out on Europe altogether, never-mind failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive year.

Bright moments have been few and far between during this campaign: ending Juventus’ unbeaten home record was one to remember, beating Milan another, and there was a heroic attempt to overturn a three-goal deficit against Tottenham in the Europa League, but that has been about it.

Wednesday evening’s Italian Cup semi-final return tie at home to Roma, in which the side trail 2-1 from the first leg, is the last chance to salvage something from a season that Stramaccioni termed as “cursed” after watching Walter Gargano and Yuto Nagatomo join the injury list. The Japanese full-back is enduring his second spell on the sidelines this term, having lasted just three minutes on his return from a spell on the treatment table.

Injuries have already ruled out Diego Milito for the rest of the season, with Antonio Cassano, Walter Samuel and Rodrigo Palacio also on the sidelines for various periods of time. However, it is not the breaks and strains that have left the club feeling black and blue, rather that old chestnut that referees are bias against Inter.

The words 'Massimo Moratti' and 'outraged' haven't been far from the front pages of the sports dailies all season, but the chattering reached a crescendo in the last week or so following the 4-3 home loss to Atalanta in which Inter had at one stage led 3-1.

When Samuel was adjudged to have handled the ball, what looked like a very dubious penalty helped the visitors back into the game, and though Inter basically capitulated from there on, the club patron could not help himself rage against the machine of officialdom.

“I no longer believe referees act in good faith,” he complained to a press corps eager for him to keep shooting his mouth off. But rather than dig a deeper hole for himself, he let celebrity fan Paolo Bonolis use the club’s official channel and website to voice his suspicions that there were forces conspiring against Inter. The television presenter even suggested there was a plot to ensure Milan finished in the top three.

The television presenter claimed match officiating was nothing more than “a comedy”, but the joke was really on him as his comments came a week after Milan had seen two penalties awarded against them at Fiorentina, who are still in the hunt for third after their win over Atalanta and Milan’s draw against Napoli this weekend.

One must wonder what Bonolis and Moratti will add to the conspiracy file after their team's most recent fixture. You suspect the tone will change from comedy to tragedy, after Cagliari were awarded what could be termed a “soft” penalty when Mauricio Pinilla threw himself at Silvestre’s out-stretched leg.

Sadly for those hoping that everyone could move on from the events of the previous week, the latest refereeing decision only added further fuel to the bonfire of Inter’s “cursed” season.

However, It has been a steady decline since Jose Mourinho oversaw the Treble in 2010, with Moratti hiring and firing Rafa Benitez, then being unable to prevent Leonardo from jumping ship to PSG, before dispensing of Gian Piero Gasperini and Ranieri in quick succession.

The inexperienced Stramaccioni has been left with a team of aging stars in their twilight days, such as Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Christian Chivu, Dejan Stankovic and Samuel, along with another group who would never have got anywhere near a Mourinho’s squad and a smattering of youngsters with little more than potential on their side.

Twenty-six goals have been conceded since the turn of the year, which tells the true story of a side that at times has been swept away by fast-breaking counter-attacking opponents. The whole team has looked one-paced, as even Cagliari demonstrated when Pinilla came on to join the impressive Victor Ibarbo in attack.

Of course, Stramaccioni was all doom and gloom in the post-game press conference, but despite Moratti’s protestations that everyone has it in for Inter, the writing may be on the wall for the young coach if he cannot overcome Roma on Wednesday.

Stats Zone is bigger and better than ever! Our FREE Opta-powered app now features the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League.

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Prem Notes: Eye-opening findings from each top-flight game

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:50:00 GMT

Premier League facts from Opta, our partners on the FREE Stats Zone app – which now also covers La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1

Newcastle 0-3 Sunderland

Sunderland scored with 3 of their 6 shots on target.
Sunderland had the best conversion rate in the Premier League this weekend (38%). They are ninth for the season.
Sunderland had the lowest pass completion this weekend, 64%. They also played 21% of their passes long.
Newcastle completed 303 passes (of 375), Sunderland just 120 of 187 – a weekend low in both attempts and completions.
This was the third time Sunderland had scored 3 goals in an away game this season, having only done so twice at home.
Newcastle’s possession figure of 66% was their best of the season; their previous high had been 59%.
United had 5 headed shots but only 1 was on target.

Stoke City 0-2 Manchester United

Robin van Persie is the first player in Premier League history to score 11+ away goals in three different seasons.
Wayne Rooney made 81 passes in this match (at a completion rate of 82%), more than any other player on the pitch – but attempted no tackles.
The Red Devils have scored a league-high 14 goals from corner situations in 2012/13.
Charlie Adam made more unsuccessful passes than any other Premier League player this weekend (16 out of 46).

Arsenal 3-1 Norwich City

Norwich have scored 11 goals from free kick situations this season (direct and indirect), the most in the Premier League.
Arsenal have now conceded 10 goals from crosses at home this season, a league-high, but only two from crosses on the road.
The Gunners have scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season, by far the most in the top flight.
Mikel Arteta made 102 passes. He has made 100+ on 10 occasions this season, more than any other player.

Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham

Fulham have now accrued 5 own goals this season, a Premier League joint high with Manchester United.
Fulham didn’t have a single shot on target today, despite scoring an own goal.
The sides had 28 shots on goal between them (Villa 18, Fulham 10) but only four on target.
Villa made 33 interceptions (to Fulham's 20) – more than any other side this weekend. They also only conceded 5 fouls, a weekend low.
Villa completed 9 of their 10 attempted take-ons, with Charles N'Zogbia completing 4 of his 4 and Matthew Lowton, Jordan Bowery, Christian Benteke and Joe Bennett also beating their man.

Everton 2-0 Queens Park Rangers

QPR's Clint Hill made 17 clearances, 11 headed. Both were highs in the Premier League this weekend.
QPR have conceded 13 goals from corner situations this season, 5 more than any other team.
Andros Townsend attempted 6 take-ons and completed them all. Junior Hoilett attempted 8 and completed 2.

Reading 0-0 Liverpool

Reading's Alex McCarthy made 10 saves. Only Jussi Jasskelainen (11 for West Ham v Spurs) has made more in a single game this season.
Luis Suarez had 5 shots on target today; 3 more than the entire Reading team.
Suarez has hit 17 shots against Reading this season without scoring.
Lucas made more tackles than any other PL player this weekend (7), but only won 2.

Southampton 1-1 West Ham United

Only Tottenham and Chelsea have scored the first goal of the game more often than Southampton (18) in the Premier League this season.
Andy Carroll has scored 3 goals in his last 2 Premier League games.
Southampton have now dropped 24 points after scoring the first goal, the most in the Premier League.
Southampton had 11 blocked shots in this game, a Premier League weekend high. They had 19 shots to West Ham's 8, but only 5 on target to their visitors' 3.

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Liverpool legend Nicol: Everton have no chance of finishing in top four

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:10:00 GMT

ESPN have posed FourFourTwo readers' topical questions in an exclusive addendum to their Press Pass show. This week, Steve Nicol answers the following questions:

Will Wigan's FA Cup run affect their survival bid?

Has Rafa Benitez done a good job at Chelsea?

Do Everton really have a chance of finishing in the top four?

ESPNFC Press Pass - the football discussion show that takes a daily look at the global game - airs at 11pm Monday to Friday, plus Sunday evenings on ESPN. Follow the show on Twitter

Marouane Fellaini in a chef's hat

Lol Cream — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:47:00 GMT

Behold Marouane Fellaini taking part in a Chang Beer cookery class to celebrate Thai New Year (Songkran), 13th-15th April.

Click for bigger picture. You know you want to.

Name the footballing big-heads

Lol Cream — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:40:00 GMT

Craig Robinson, who has spent 18 years collecting 5,000 football figurines, has been hired as Head Of Quality Control for a Capital One competition giving 1,000 fans the chance to be immortalised as a miniature model. Which is nice.

But hang on, back up a bit. Let's absorb that information: Craig has 5,000 football figurines. You have to applaud that kind of dedication, and there's fun afoot here too. How many of the figurines in the final photograph can you name? Note: this isn't a competition, but it's curiously addictive, having ground the FFT office to a halt today…

(You may wish to head over to FourFourTwo's Facebook and Google+ pages for a larger image and the chance to name the bubble-heads. We'll try to get the answers to you early next week…)

Join the conversation on Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

Iker’s Arsenal link, Betis think big and a Mestalla mess (again)

Tim Stannard — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:15:00 GMT

FRIDAY

Betis (7th) v Sevilla (10th) - 22.00 (CEST)
Readers with mid- to long-term memory will recall that Sevilla pummeled Betis 5-1 in the derby earlier this season. But while the side now lead by Unai Emery went on to do absolutely nothing of note this season except be ludicrously limp and lifeless, a brilliant Betis charged on to put themselves in the hunt for a Champions League place.

That golden goal seems to be the big picture for Betis ahead of Friday’s match, with coach Pepe Mel reminding fans that “our objective is to end up in Europe, not beat Sevilla.” “We would all sign off on a 1-0,” says Mel, “we don’t have to win by five.” Defender Antonio Amaya agrees, chuckling that “I’d take a 1-0 last-minute win with a dodgy penalty.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

SATURDAY

Valladolid (14th ) v Getafe (8th) - 16.00
Valladolid president Carlos Suárez said that appealing wouldn’t really get anywhere and he was right. The team were unhappy that a throw-in awarded to them in the final seconds of last weekend’s game at Valencia was taken by the home side, without the referee’s intervention, in a move that lead to a late winning goal. The Competition Committee’s response was that there was no way to retroactively deal with the decision or replay the game with the scores at 1-1. However, in a tiny victory, it did admit that the referee made a mistake in the action.

Unsurprisingly, fiery Valladolid coach Miroslav Djukic didn't take the news at all well, advising that he would never support an FA ‘Fair Play’ campaign or sport a T-shirt with the logo. “There’s no Fair Play,” ranted the Serbian, “everything looks ‘bleeping’ great on the shirt but you have to apply it.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Levante (11th) v Deportivo (18th) - 18.00
The Mighty Depor have given themselves a chance of survival by beating three relegation rivals in a row: Celta Vigo, Mallorca and Zaragoza. But now the Galicians are facing a grown-up, grizzled opponent in Levante, who are looking for one more triumph to reach 43 points and the mythical ‘virtual’ safety point. But even getting into this position with eight matches left has been quite the achievement for Deportivo and the side’s coach Fernando Vázquez, a figure praised to the heavens by midfielder Juan Carlos Valerón.

“He’s like a mad man. He’s been years away from coaching, what’s more he always wanted to manage Deportivo, and you can tell,” enthused Valerón about the former English teacher who hopes to stay on for more years at the club “whether they are in la Primera or la Segunda.”
LLL Prediction - Draw

Espanyol (12th) v Valencia (5th) - 20.00
What a huge mess. That’s pretty much the state of Valencia’s baffling institutional affairs these days. Technically speaking (LLL thinks but can’t be entirely sure, not being a lawyer) the club is in the hands of the local council and the ‘Foundation’, which represents the shareholders of this most messed-up of institutions. Late last week, after four years in charge, Manuel Llorente resigned as president of the club feeling that everything was getting a bit too much for him and that a new leader was needed for the Mestalla mad-house.

“After listening to the new president of the Foundation, I understood a new era was beginning,” said Llorente. That new president, Federico Varona, says that getting Ernesto Valverde to stay on for next season is the immediate priority along with working out who’s actually in charge, what to do with the €400m or so debt, the half-built stadium, the unpopular choice of biscuits in the staff canteen...
LLL Prediction - Home win

Málaga (6th) v Osasuna (15th) - 22.00
LLL would need to be Norris McWhirter to know what the biggest book in the world was. However, Geoff Capes – whom the blog assumes is still the world’s strongest man – will be needed by UEFA to hurl it at Málaga, after a titanic tantrum from owner, manager and players after Tuesday’s Champions League exit.

Dortmund’s winning goal came after an ungiven offside that was put down to racism, corruption, conspiracy and prejudice, with Málaga's Director General promising to send a complaint to UEFA. “We're not going against UEFA, we're moving in favour of football,” commented Vicente Casado.

But on Wednesday, UEFA released a small dove of peace through a window of opportunity for Málaga to holler an apology. “If a team loses in 93 minutes, clearly they are going to be a bit disappointed and say things they don’t really think,” said UEFA's General Secretary, the shine-headed draw host Gianni Infantino. LLL doubts that Málaga will take heed and will end up joining the long list of Spanish clubs that think UEFA have got it in for them.
LLL Prediction - Home win

SUNDAY

Rayo Vallecano (9th) v Real Sociedad (4th) - 12.00
At last, the word ‘Europe’ is allowed in the Rayo dressing room. With the Madrid side having pretty much assured safety in the division through last week’s win at Celta, Rayo are dreaming the biggest of dreams, and Europe is a formal topic of conversation in the Republic of Vallekas.

“We talk about Europe every day. We’ll do everything we can to get there,” promised forward Piti. Indeed, the club have been busy scribbling and have sent their documentation off to UEFA to register for next year’s competitions just in case.

The other topic of conversation for Piti was his immediate future, with the striker’s contract expiring at the end of the season and no indication on what happens next: “I’ve said many times that this is the club where I want to stay, so now it has to be the president who makes the next step.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Atlético Madrid (3rd) v Granada (16th) - 17.00
There’s something troubling LLL regarding Atlético Madrid at the moment. They're shattering the belief that the fewer games a side plays, the better their results due to stuff like rest and all that. But the Rojiblancos are busting that myth – in the wrong way. Ever since the club’s departure from the Europa League towards the end of February, Atlético have won just two league games from six, a poor comparison with the 70% win rate when they were playing two matches a week.

Diego Simeone says that there’s nothing to worry about, and that Atlético Madrid are trooping along just fine in third. “We did a really big first round of matches but it’s harder in the second,” said the Argentinian coach. "Now, everyone has something to play for in nearly every ground. The Spanish league is very competitive."
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Zaragoza (17th) v Barcelona (1st) - 19.00
Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto remains the club's busiest employee, called into action more often than the emergency services during the Valencia ‘Fires’ festival. Roberto is keen to keep busy off the field too by suggesting a mental approach from his players for the final eight games of the season.

“We need to be able to think that we are at the bottom of the table without actually touching it,” mused the former Atlético Madrid man ahead of the visit of Barcelona. “I’d like to think that this reaction is possible without going into relegation zone.” It may be an academic point, and it may be the only point they get: results this weekend may well send the Aragonese outfit into the drop zone for what would be the first time in the current campaign.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Athletic Bilbao (13th) v Real Madrid (2nd) - 21.00
There's always something to get everyone in the Real Madrid media world into a tizzy while annoying the pants out of either José Mourinho and Aitor Karanka at press conferences. Currently, that topic is Iker Casillas, who remains on the bench watching Diego López between the Madrid sticks and doing reasonably well. Well enough in fact to keep the Real Madrid goalkeeper on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

During the week, Mourinho said that Casillas was training “very well” –in contrast to Madrid's former Sporting Director Arrigo Sacchi, who opined that “Iker trains badly, he always trains badly. There’s a reason Mourinho leaves him out.” However, Iker’s outcast has caused transfer stirrings in the press, with AS claiming that Liverpool and Arsenal are sniffing about, meaning that both Big Two goalies in la Liga could be putting on their gloves in England next season.
LLL Prediction - Away win

MONDAY

Mallorca (20th) v Celta Vigo (19th) - 21.00
Blimey, there'll be some nervous tum-tums in the Balearics and Galicia this weekend with fans of both clubs having to wait until Monday night for this crucial relegation clash.

Mallorca are rather concerned that the temporary truce with disgruntled fans has been broken after three straight defeats and 13 goals shipped. Five of those were against Barcelona after a hopeless display in the Camp Nou, irrespective of the quality of the opposition. Heck, even Mallorca’s Pedro Bigas admits that last weekend’s match was a shambles.

“We have to change our dynamic and attitude,” fumed the defender. “The players didn’t go out (against Barça) planning this attitude. I don’t know how to explain it.” The squad had better find a reason quickly over what will be a very long weekend of waiting indeed.
LLL Prediction - Home win

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How Napoli's Marek Hamsik became Serie A's most prolific goal-maker

Michael Cox — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:27:00 GMT

STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers the top flights in Italy, Spain, France and Germany (as well as England, Champions League and Europa League). A delighted Michael Cox packs his suitcase and chalkboard and heads for Naples…

In the last couple of years, there has been a mass departure of number tens from Serie A. Whereas Wesley Sneijder, Diego, Javier Pastore and Francesco Totti all played as classic playmakers during the 2009/10 season, the first three have departed, with Totti forced to adapt to Zdenak Zeman’s distinctive 4-3-3 formation for much of the campaign.

While Totti has continued to provide great creativity from a left-sided role, Serie A is now more fixated with powerful runners in the playmaking position. Kevin-Prince Boateng’s surprise success with Milan cleared the way for the likes of Michael Bradley (Roma) and Fredy Guarin (Inter) to be used as their side’s most advanced midfielder.

For creativity, Italian clubs now depend more on deep-lying playmakers. Andrea Pirlo has been performing tremendously in that role for over a decade now, while the likes of David Pizarro and Riccardo Montolivo have been amongst Serie A’s most impressive performers this campaign.

So who is Serie A’s most prolific assister? This has been an interesting race this season, contested by four very different types of player. Napoli’s Marek Hamsik is a driving midfielder who often appears more about energy than incision, Totti has spent much of the season out on the left, Antonio Cassano has generally played as a ‘second punta’ – just off the main forward – for Inter, while Fiorentina’s Borja Valero shuttles forward from the left of midfield in a side based around ball retention.

It’s Hamsik who leads the way, collecting an assist in each of Napoli’s last two games – a 5-3 win at Torino, then last weekend’s 2-0 defeat of Genoa. He’s created 13 goals in 2012/13 – three clear of Totti, and four ahead of Cassano and Valero.

Hamsik may not be a natural No.10, but he’s become a more creative player because he’s been fielded more consistently in a central role. Previously, Walter Mazzarri often used Hamsik on the right flank, moving inside into playmaking positions – now, he’s at the heart of the action. He’s matured as a playmaker and has become more reliable in possession, and enjoys seeing plenty of the ball in central positions.

The 5-3 win over Torino demonstrated how often he received short passes inside the centre circle. It also shows that he’s still not an overly incisive player in the final third, but because he receives possession so often in dangerous zones, he eventually finds a clever pass.

Hamsik is also intelligent in the way he spreads play from flank to flank. Napoli’s gameplan for the past few years has been based around speedy wing-backs - by distributing the ball calmly out to Juan Zuniga and Christian Maggio, the Slovakian gets Napoli into crossing situations, before charging into the box himself.

However, while Hamsik was once compared to Frank Lampard because of his ability to break forward from midfield to find the net, he’s found goalscoring tough in recent weeks. Having netted nine in his first 23 Serie A games this season, he’s now gone eight matches without scoring – and also missed a penalty against Torino.

He’s not shying away from taking shots – as his recent performance against Atalanta shows – but it’s the first time in three years that Hamsik has made eight consecutive Serie A starts without finding the net.

Last week’s performance against Napoli was a good example of Hamsik’s current playing style – most of his passes played from deep positions, relatively few in the final third, a couple of unsuccessful longer passes, and an assist for Blerim Dzemaili having made the correct decision on the break. He also repeatedly tried to dribble past opponents, nearly scoring a wondergoal – only the finish let him down.

Hamsik’s game has changed significantly in the past 18 months – whereas he was once about energy and goalscoring, now he’s Serie A’s most prolific provider of assists, but isn’t finding the net himself. If Hamsik can consistently return to the form he showed earlier in the season, when he contributed in both areas, he’ll rightly be regarded as one of Europe’s best attacking midfielders.

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It's never too late: The greatest Football League promotion surges of the play-off era

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:08:00 GMT

Since they were introduced in 1987, the play-offs have given hope to Football League sides languishing in mid-table around the time the clocks go forward. Here are some of the more impressive late promotion surges of the play-off era, as recalled by Rob Ellis...

Cambridge (Division Four - 1989-90)
Cambridge had already enjoyed a remarkable campaign before the promotion race reached its final stages.
With 36-year-old John Beck in his first managerial role following Chris Turner’s resignation, the U’s caused one of the major cup shocks of the season by beating Millwall in a fourth-round replay at the Abbey Stadium. Victory against Bristol City followed, before their attempts to become the first fourth division team to reach the FA Cup semi-finals were ended by defeat to eventual finalists Crystal Palace.
Although they stated April in 16th place, Beck’s men returned their focus returned to their promotion push, winning seven of their final nine league games to claim a sixth-placed finish.
After edging past Maidstone United in the semi-final, Dion Dublin then scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Chesterfield in the first play-off final to be held at Wembley to complete a historic season for the club.

Torquay (Division Four - 1990-91)
Clear leaders in November after a 14-game unbeaten run, the Gulls’ promotion quest subsequently hit the buffers leading to manager Dave Smith losing his job in April.
But under the guidance of youth coach John Impey, the Fourth Division club were reinvigorated, keeping their season alive with a 2-1 win against York on the final day. Impey’s men then survived a nervy night at Turf Moor to complete a 2-1 aggregate win against Burnley in the play-off semi-final, setting up a clash with Blackpool at Wembley.
Penalties were required to determine the result for the first time and after goalkeeper Gareth Howells successfully converted Torquay’s fifth spot kick, Dave Bamber missed the target to hand the Devon club promotion.

Bradford (Division Two - 1995-96)
Rookie manager Chris Kamara guided Bradford on a sensational ride into Division One, after the Yorkshire side had lingered in mid-table into late February.
Coming in to replace Lennie Lawrence, who had swapped Valley Parade for Luton's Kenilworth Road, Kamara oversaw eight victories in 12 league games, culminating in a thrilling final-day 3-2 win against Hull.
Leapfrogging Chesterfield into the final play-off spot, the Bantams then recovered a two-goal first-leg deficit to beat Blackpool in the semi-final, a result that cost Sam Allardyce his job.
Teenage local lad Des Hamilton put Kamara’s side into an early lead in the final against Notts County before Mark Stallard assured promotion in the club’s first-ever appearance at Wembley.

Northampton (Division Three - 1999-00)
Nine points off the automatic places in sixth place at the start of April, Northampton looked like they’d have to face the lottery of the play-offs to return to Division Two. Kevin Wilson’s men were faltering when a 2-1 loss at Plymouth was followed by a surprise 4-3 home defeat to Halifax.
But after back-to-back 1-0 wins at Carlisle and Darlington had breathed new life back into their promotion hunt, the Cobblers sprinted for the line. Three wins in eight days stole Northampton back into the top three before an away victory at Torquay sealed promotion.

Crystal Palace (Division One - 2003-04)
Crystal Palace were in disarray in the November of 2003 following a 5-0 defeat at newly-promoted Wigan, their third consecutive loss, consigned them to 20th place in the Championship. Steve Kember was sacked and a relegation battle was on the horizon.
With Ian Dowie at the helm, the Eagles then underwent an incredible transformation picking up 16 wins in 23 games, in most part thanks to the goals of prolific striker Andy Johnson.
Despite defeat on the final day to Coventry, Dowie’s team were in with a shot of an unlikely promotion. A penalty shoot-out win against Sunderland set up a play-off final against early-season promotion favourites West Ham at the Millennium Stadium.
Neil Shipperley scored the only goal of the game and the early-season strugglers had achieved one of the great promotion surges.

Sunderland (Championship - 2006-07)
Having amassed the lowest points total in Premiership history the year before, morale around the Stadium of Light continued to plummet when defeats in all of their four opening games rooted Sunderland to the foot of the Championship table under new manager Niall Quinn. Further embarrassment was to come as Bury, bottom of the Football League, dumped the Black Cats out of the League Cup in the first round.
Quinn moved upstairs, and two new recruits changed the mood of the club, as Roy Keane took the reins as manager and Dwight Yorke joined the club on transfer deadline day.
From that point onwards, Keane’s side embarked on an amazing sprint to promotion, losing just one of their last 20 games, with another new signing David Connolly ending the season as top scorer.

Blackpool (Championship - 2009-10)
Sat in ninth place and six points off the play-off spots in mid-March, Blackpool looked unlikely to be making many headlines come the end of the season. But six wins from their last eight games ensured the Tangerines pipped Swansea to the final play-off place.
Aided by the performances of talismanic midfielder Charlie Adam, their late-season form continued in the semi-final, as they overcame Nottingham Forest 6-4 on aggregate in a dramatic contest.
Just as they came from behind to snatch a top-six finish, Ian Holloway’s side needed to show all their resolve as Cardiff twice took the lead in the final.
But after Gary Taylor-Fletcher levelled the scores, Brett Ormerod grabbed the winner and the Seasiders took their place in the top flight for the first time in 43 years.

Dagenham and Redbridge (League Two - 2009-10)
In 11th place with two games left, Dagenham and Redbridge’s League Two play-off hopes looked slim.
But Graeme Montgomery’s 91st-minute winner ensured the Daggers leapt into seventh with a 2-1 home victory against Hereford, meaning they were in control as they headed to bottom-placed Darlington on the final day of the regular season.
Goals from Jon Nurse and Joshua Scott booked John Still’s men a place in the play-offs, before a magnificent 6-0 first-leg triumph against Morecambe set up a Wembley final against Rotherham.
The Daggers twice took the lead, only to twice be pegged back by Millers striker Ryan Taylor, before Nurse bagged a 70th-minute winner to complete an amazing month for the East London club.

Europa League still unable to get excited about Chelsea

Back of the Net — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:45:00 GMT

European football's bridesmaid just wants to feel loved, as Back of the Net's John Foster reports...

The Europa League has admitted the prospect of being won by Chelsea is “underwhelming”, telling close friends that it sees the Premier League heavyweights as an obligation it would rather not have to think about.

Chelsea take on Rubin Kazan tonight in their quarter final second leg, and are hot favourites to win not just the tie, but also to the trophy at the end of the season, something the recently-rebranded cup competition is equivocal about at best.

“Obviously I take Chelsea seriously, to a point,” said the trophy that was until 2009 called the UEFA Cup. “But when you’re used to the swashbuckling glamour of a Porto or an Atlético Madrid, or the old-fashioned romance of Shakhtar [Donetsk] or Spartak [Moscow] battling through the early rounds on frozen pitches for a shot at glory, a bunch of uninterested millionaires strolling around a half-empty Stamford Bridge feels like a comedown.”

“In six months’ time, will I remember being raised aloft by John Terry? Will I look back fondly on a jaded Branislav Ivanoic indifferently spraying his teammates with champagne, or Fernando Torres’ dutiful attempt at horseplay in front of a cluster of politely applauding supporters? No chance.”

The Europa League emphasised that it was bound by a sense of professional duty to respect Chelsea, but that it looked forward to a time when it wouldn’t have to think about the 2012 Champions League winners.

“They’ll probably be back next season, though,” Europe’s second-most important cup competition added.

“Which I find really depressing.”

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PSG's reluctant hero Thiago Silva earns applause but eyes the door

Jonathan Fadugba — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:28:00 GMT

Is Thiago Silva the best defender in the world – or better than that? Ahead of PSG's second leg at Barcelona, French football expert Jonathan Fadugba examines the brilliant Brazilian

When Fabio Cannavaro became only the third defender in history to win the Ballon D'Or for European Football of the Year in 2006, he put his inspirational form at that year's World Cup down to three simple reasons. "Eating well, getting plenty of sleep and having sex – these are all important things."

Having moved that summer to Real Madrid from Calciopoli-relegated Juventus, Cannavaro was quick to praise his former club upon receiving the coveted award. "Of course I will take this trophy back to Madrid but I would also love to take it to Turin," said the Italian. "It is thanks to Juventus that I have been able to show my qualities on the pitch. I want to thank my Juve team-mates and all my colleagues from the national team."

Deference to a former club and a genuine claim to being the world's best defender are just two things that Cannavaro had in common with a man who could one day succeed him as a Ballon D'Or-winning defender: Paris Saint-Germain's Thiago Silva.

In recent weeks, the Brazilian international has been described as, among other things, "the Messi of defenders", "faultless" and "a ladyboy", the latter by chief stirrer Joey Barton.

The 28-year-old is a vital component of 'Project Paris', world-class not only in terms of performance but also in reputation – a valuable commodity when your owners are trying to establish their club as a global brand.

Captain, natural leader and magnificent defender, Thiago Silva is the type of player every club dreams of; after his performance against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, his claim to being the best defender in the world has never been stronger.

Leading the way against Barcelona

A rock at the heart of PSG's defence in that 2-2 draw, Silva was subsequently lionised, with people around the world chiming in to champion the breathtaking ability of this gentle yet fierce Brazilian.

Le Parisien declared him "already a legend." Alain Roche, a former France centre-back who won the European Cup Winners' Cup with PSG in 1996, called Silva 'the Lionel Messi of defenders.' "The question is no longer if he is the best defender in the world," said Roche, "because he is quite simply one of the best players in the world – better than Cannavaro when he won the Ballon D'Or." Ricardo, another Brazilian centre back who played for and coached PSG in the 1990s, simply dubbed his compatriot "a monster."

His display against Barcelona was remarkable. He was in the right place, at the right time, nearly all the time. He made more interceptions than any other player on the pitch as well as his fair share of tackles, blocks and clearances. He was also decisive at the other end of the field, his towering header clipping the post for PSG's opening goal before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG's other big money signing from AC Milan, tapped in.

Defensive work v Barça, as assessed by our free Stats Zone app

For Thiago Silva to be one of the standout performers in a match that involved Messi, Xavi, Iniesta & Co. will come as no surprise to many, however. The 28-year-old has been at the top of his game for years now, going back to his time at Milan, where he was lured from Fluminense in 2008 by Leonardo, then Milan technical director.

Thiago Silva's influence on Milan was huge. He won the 2011 Scudetto and was named Serie A Defender of the Year. In his final two seasons at San Siro he helped keep 33 clean sheets and in 2011/12 he was the most accurate passer in Serie A. His stamp on the club was indelible as Ibrahimovic, his teammate then and now, attests.

"I have played with many fantastic central defenders – Thuram, Cannavaro, Piqué, Puyol – but Silva is like all of them put together. Perhaps fewer have noticed because he's Brazilian and Brazil is not known for good defenders, but he's the best in the world."

His reading of the game, distribution of the ball and aerial ability are all phenomenal. Current boss Carlo Ancelotti raves about him too. "No one has the concentration, the speed, the heading or the sense of anticipation he has. He's on track to become the next Maldini." With such glowing personal testaments, it's little wonder PSG eventually stumped up the €42m necessary to take him to Paris.

Knowing me, knowing you: With Carlo Ancelotti

But despite all this, does Thiago Silva really want to be in Paris?

His transfer from Milan was murky, a high-stakes poker game between Qatari billionaires and the erstwhile Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Despite additional interest from Barcelona, he wanted to stay in Milan and signed a new contract in the middle of the negotiations, before being told to pack his bags just a few days later after an improved offer was accepted.

There's no doubt he was deeply sad about his exit: "I did not want to leave Milan, and neither did my family" is a stance he has repeated several times since, much to the chagrin of PSG supporters who read his words with gritted teeth.

In December Thiago Silva again reiterated his yearning for Milan in an interview with Sky Sport24. "I cannot deny that I miss Milan," he commented. "They will always remain in my heart because after Fluminense they are the club that helped me become known on the world stage. I would like to go back there in the future because it's a massive club. If the opportunity ever arose I would be pleased to return."

As if that weren't bad enough, ahead of the Barcelona second leg the Brazilian has also been quoted extensively by Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo waxing lyrical about his boyhood heroes and apparently leaving the door open for a future switch to the Camp Nou.

"There were conversations with my agent, but we had given our word to Leonardo, who I knew from Milan," the Brazilian is quoted as saying. "Once I gave my word, it was difficult to pull back. But you never know what might happen in the future. People dream. I have always been a Barca fan since I was a boy, when they had Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo... I am their No. 1 fan. After Wednesday, I will continue to be.

"I am happy at the moment at PSG, and I hope to keep helping this project. I have just arrived here, I am not thinking about that, my agent looks after those things. But the people know that such bureaucratic things can be resolved in some way. When you sign a contract, you expect to fulfil it, but this depends on a lot of things. You never close the door as you do not know what might happen. I am happy now, but you can never speak about the future."

August 2012: PSG unveil their man

Such statements are glossed over by PSG but must sting, given they come at a time when the Parisian club yearns to portray itself as naturally capable of attracting the world's finest. For now he remains in Paris, the 'monster' at the heart of defence and undoubtedly Ligue 1's best defender.

"He is already among the best defenders in the history of Brazil, alongside Mozer, Julio Cesar and Aldair," Ricardo told Le Parisien recently. "If he wins the World Cup next year he will become the greatest of all time. He is already the best defender in PSG's history."

A bold claim, but one supported by another legendary French defender: Laurent Blanc. "He is already in the category of Baresi, Sammer and anyone else you want to name. Ultimately what he wins will decide where he ranks, but his qualities make him stronger than all of them."

Mandzukic's versatility the key to helping Bayern quell Juventus threat

Michael Cox — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:15:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – now FREE and featuring data from the UEFA Champions League – to run the rule over Bayern's Croatian striker...

Tactically, we’re experiencing the era of universality – players are expected to perform tasks previously only demanded of teammates in very different positions. The best modern football sides start their attacks from the back, and begin their defending from the front – Barcelona have taken that concept to new heights, but Bayern Munich are arguably the best exponents of this in the 2012/13 season.

Bayern’s tie with Juventus was supposed to be the closest of the round – instead, Bayern were utterly dominant in the first leg, and take a 2-0 lead to Turin this evening. The midfield performances of Luiz Gustavo and Bastian Schweinsteiger were highly impressive, but the starkest contrast between the two sides was upfront: whereas Antonio Conte surprisingly selected a combination of Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella, who were both removed early in the second half, Bayern deployed a lone striker, Mario Mandzukic.

The Croatian has been the revelation of the European season, evolving from a decent goalscorer at Wolfsburg to a prolific all-rounder at Bayern Munich. This is where the ‘universality’ aspect comes in. In the first leg, Mandzukic was the standout player by doing almost everything…apart from a striker’s traditional job, scoring goals.

Mandzukic’s display was particularly impressive because he was used on his own against a back three. Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are three of the competition’s best centre-backs, but Mandzukic was happy to work all three simultaneously. He particularly enjoyed drifting right to receive long passes, battling Chiellini in the air – and his mobility was underlined by the way he received possession in a variety of lateral positions across the pitch.

He was also involved in a succession of aerial battles, which resulted in an extremely high number of fouls given to either side:

But Mandzukic’s true value was predominantly in his work without the ball. As Juventus tried to build from the back, Mandzukic led the pressing. He often received support from the three attacking midfielders – Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery – but sometimes he was fighting on his own, forcing Juve’s back three (and Gianluigi Buffon) into a succession of poor passes. As the Italian champions conceded possession cheaply inside their own half the newly crowned German champions piled on the pressure.

Equally impressively, when Juventus did manage to play out into midfield, Mandzukic got himself back into a deep position, keeping Bayern compact. If the ball was returned to the back three, they found it difficult to play through midfield again – and Andrea Pirlo had particular problems. Muller and Mandzukic both pressed him, forcing the playmaker into his worst pass completion rate of his Juve career. Replacing his defensive performance from Bayern’s 3-1 win at Arsenal, Mandzukic made tackles and interceptions close to the halfway line.

Then, there was Mandzukic’s impact in the box. However, the Croatian was actually more useful in front of his own goal, clearing crosses at the near post, than when trying to beat Buffon – none of his three attempts caused significant problems.

Mandzukic will play the same role tonight, and while Juve must be alert to his goalscoring threat, their primary concern will be working the ball past him from defence. A great deal of Juventus’ passing depends on the back three and Pirlo – if they’re unable to enjoy freedom throughout the second leg, Bayern will surely progress to the semi-finals.

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Málaga cry conspiracy after climactic Champions League catastrophe

Tim Stannard — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:29:00 GMT

It was almost enough to bring a tear to La Liga Loca’s eye. Almost. No, not Málaga’s heartbreaking and somewhat controversial departure from the Champions League, but listening to a distraught Joaquín discussing the topic on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser after Tuesday’s match.

Normally, the Málaga winger is the smiliest person on the planet; always showing good humour and cracking jokes. But Joaquín sounded as if he was about to melt into a pool of despair when going over the side’s injury time exit to Borussia Dortmund.

The scorer of the first goal in the 3-2 defeat summed up the feeling in the Málaga camp with regards to the root cause for their departure from the Champions League after the Germans knocked in a late offsider winner: UEFA and Michel Platini have got it in for them. “We aren’t Real Madrid or Barça so it’s easy to do this to us,” retorted Joaquín in reference to the current ban imposed on Málaga for all European competitions for next year.

Even the normally very coy and diplomatic Manuel Pellegrini hinted something fishy was going on. “What happened was far from the parameters of what we were able to manage,” advised the Málaga coach. “It’s difficult for a team under sanctions to play in the Champions League final.”

Málaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho claimed his side were “robbed”, while an indignant AS reported that "[Scottish referee] Thomson puts Málaga out,” overlooking the fact Málaga’s second goal was also offside.

Club president Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani had another, more ‘out there’ explanation for Málaga’s exit. “This is not football, but racism and clear as all (sic),” he tweeted.

It was quite the outburst from a figure who has over the last year been strangely silent on several key questions. These include why players had gone unpaid then sold suddenly, why transfer payments had gone into arrears with other clubs and what exactly the future holds for Málaga. But it’s good to know the club’s bigwig is still alive and kicking, all the same.

An early goal for Cristiano Ronaldo in Istanbul had LLL, like anyone else watching the game, mentally switching off, with Madrid 4-0 up on aggregate. The problem is that the visiting players did the same and Galatasaray managed to pull three back with some twenty minutes left, to leave viewers thinking “they couldn’t could they?”.

The answer was the negative, with Madrid hanging on and Ronaldo - “a hell’s angel” according to Marca - scoring a late second for Madrid.

“I hope this serves as a lesson for the future,” scolded a player who now has 11 Champions League goals for the season.

Mourinho was not entirely happy with the result, as was to be expected, but praised Madrid’s Turkish opponents and also the crowd, with the Portuguese always happy to find a chance to make a comparison with the somnambulant Santiago Bernabéu. “You don’t play against eleven, but 50,011,” noted Mourinho.

And on to Barcelona, who host PSG on Wednesday evening after a first leg that ended up 2-2 in Paris. Early confidence at the Camp Nou might have been diminished somewhat by Tuesday night’s madness in the Champions League, and that may well have an influence on whether the pinging hamstring of Leo Messi will be taking to the field from the start. The forward still hasn’t got an anti-sick note from the club doctors and won’t get it until a late fitness test, although the front cover of ‘Sport’ notes that Messi “wants to play”.

Normally, whatever Messi wants, Messi gets, but Francesc Aguilar, writing in Mundo Deportivo, recalls that “only Tito has convinced Messi that he should start on the bench four times this season. He will try to have him sat down at his side from the start, but later on, it will be more difficult to stop him going out onto the pitch.”

Judging by the dramatics of Tuesday night, Barça fans will now be more than happy to see the Argentinean parked on his bum for 90 minutes, as that will signify a calm, quiet night for the Catalan club.

What's in a badge? Symbolism behind the crests of clubs in the former Soviet Union

Mark Gilbey — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:55:00 GMT

Never Mind the Bolsheviks looks into symbolism behind the crests of clubs in the former Soviet Union…

Alania Vladikavkaz, Russia (above left)
Capital of North Ossetia and once home to the Alans, the north Caucasus republic’s heraldry is evident on Alania’s own badge. The snow leopard is its symbol (and the club’s nickname), while the horizontal stripes represent the region’s flag: white is purity, red valour and yellow represents prosperity.

Anzhi Makhachkala, Russia (above centre)
Translating as “pearl”, Anzhi is how Makhachkala was previously known and the club draws heavily on their Dagestani roots. The snow-capped peaks pay homage to the north Caucasus republic’s topography (literally, “land of the mountains”), while the eagle is not only a symbol of the region and features on its coat of arms, but also Anzhi’s nickname (Orly). The three horizontal stripes form Dagestan’s flag: green represents the land (and is a colour of Islam), blue signifies the Caspian Sea and red is for courage.

BATE Borisov, Belarus (above right)
Their name gives away the club’s origins. BATE is an acronym of the Borisov Works of Automobile and Tractor Electrical Equipment. In the middle, the flag was borrowed from PSV Eindhoven’s crest, and represents a desire for success and to finish first. The star was added after the club’s fifth league title triumph.

Dacia Chişinău, Moldova (above left)
The red, blue and yellow are borrowed from the Moldovan tricolour. Dacia, formed in 1999, may lack history, but have looked to the country’s past to forge an identity. The Dacians were an ancient tribe that once inhabited the region and the wolf a sacred animal they worshipped. Considered a fierce creature and a symbol of courage and strength, Dacians also saw it as a protector of the people. Aside from the obvious sporting connection, the football is also a circle, which was a lucky symbol in Dacian culture.

Dinamo Tbilisi, Georgia (above centre)
Dinamo reintroduced the Cyrillic “D” (Д) from the Dinamo Sports Society last year. The letter also forms a falcon’s head. A symbol of the Georgian capital, legend has it that while out hunting, a king’s falcon caught a pheasant and they both fell into a hot spring; it is on that spot that Tbilisi was founded. Part of the thinking behind the new crest was to differentiate them from the other Dinamo clubs across the region.

Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine (above right)
The club’s name, like others in the former Soviet Union bearing the “Dynamo” moniker, stems from the Dinamo Sports Society set up by Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of the Cheka (a forerunner to the KGB). Two stars signify the titles won by the club both in the Soviet championship and in post-independent Ukraine.

Kuban Krasnodar, Russia (above left)
Hailing from the south-western city of Krasnodar on the Kuban Steppe, the region (and club) takes its name from the eponymous river flowing through it. Krasnodar Krai is a fertile agriculture area and regarded as the country’s breadbasket. The yellow circle flanked by wheat symbolises the sun, the green its verdant fields.

Metalist Kharkiv, Ukraine (above centre)
Metalist began at a locomotive factory. Their name, perhaps unsurprisingly, means “metalworker”. The top left portion contains an “M” for Metalist and the right carries Kharkiv’s own crest. A cornucopia adorned with flowers and filled by fruits, which symbolises abundance. It is crossed by a caduceus that represents health, while the two snakes depict wisdom and the green background stands for hope, joy and wealth. Blue and yellow, the club colours, are taken from Ukraine’s flag.

Neftçi Baku, Azerbaijan (above right)
Neftçi’s name comes from the Azeri word for oil. They began as a side formed by the Ministry of Oil Industry in Baku who created a sports society, hence the derrick, many of which can be seen on the city’s skyline. The wave at the bottom represents the Caspian Sea on which Baku sits.

Pakhtakor Tashkent, Uzbekistan (above left)
Pakhtakor, or “the cotton pickers”, take their identity from the cotton trade. Uzbekistan is one of the world’s highest producers of cotton and at the centre of the club’s crest lies a cotton bud.

Rubin Kazan, Russia (above centre)
At the ruby-shaped crest’s heart is the Zilant dragon, a mythical creature considered to be the protector of Kazan. It is in flight – symbolising their desire to reach new heights – and spitting a flame that represents Rubin’s burning passion. The colours are borrowed from the flag of Tatarstan, where a strong sense of nationalism remains: green – revival (and Islam), white – purity and red – energy, maturity and life. The white stripe also signifies where east meets west.

Sevastopol, Ukraine (above right)
The Bell of Chersonesos was cast out of Turkish cannons captured during the Russo-Turkish War of 1776. Taken by the French during the Crimean War, it was returned to Ukraine in 1913. From 1942 it did not chime for 60 years until 2002 – around about the same time as Sevastopol were formed – and this has come to symbolise the club’s development. Representing honour and dignity, and a reminder of Crimea’s defence, it is looking out to sea – to Europe – where the club harbour aspirations of competing. They want the continent to see the bell again, only this time under the auspices of Sevastopol. The yellow and blue portray the beach and Black Sea and are also the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine (above left)
Shakhtar’s name means “miner” and is a nod to their beginnings as a coalminers’ side. These roots are evident on the crest. A black bottom half – symbolising coal – contains a pair of crossed hammers and signifies an energy lying deep within the ground. The orange segment depicts a flame. This also represents the glowing sun that greets miners after emerging from the pits and, what’s more, points to a bright future. Separating them is the club’s name. It is written in Ukrainian (Шахтар) not Donetsk’s main language of Russian (Шахтер). Shakhtar opted for the former as they aspire to become ambassadors of Ukrainian football and this is a notion further reinforced by the first letter, shaped in such a way that it resembles the trident (a national symbol). The outline, rather than circular, is more aggressive and indicates a greater sense of purpose and direction.

Sheriff Tiraspol, Moldova (above centre)
It is no coincidence that their badge resembles that of a sheriff’s. Located in Transdniestr, Moldova’s breakaway republic certainly has a Wild West feel to it and the eponymous Sheriff company is a key player. Initially its workers were either police officers or had served in the army; club president (and Sheriff’s co-founder), Viktor Gushan, was a former KGB officer. The star denotes 10 Divizia Naţională league titles.

Terek Grozny, Russia (above right)
Terek, whose name is borrowed from the Terek River, recently updated their crest. At its centre in the ball are the letters A and K – the initials of the late Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov – whom the club’s new stadium is named after. The main part of the badge features the letter “T” and a depiction of the Terek River, while the green, red and white are taken from the republic’s flag.

Vorskla Poltava, Ukraine (above left)
The crest, rather than round, is shield-shaped – a sign of defence. The bow and arrow, also on the city’s coat of arms, demonstrates a willingness to attack and positivity. As do the four stars that represent the cardinal points (six points means luck). The heraldic wings hint at Vorskla striving to reach higher goals. Green and White are the main colours of the club, while the red is the city’s. The gold outline symbolises victory and prosperity.

Zenit St Petersburg, Russia (above right)
Zenit’s logo and, indeed, name has gone through several incarnations over the years. They settled on Zenit (summit) in 1940. That was when the metal plant from where they were born came under the auspices of the People’s Commissariat for Arms and Ammunition. This influence can still be seen through the arrowhead design of the club’s name (written in the Russian constructivism style) which is pointing upwards, symbolic of Zenit’s will to win. A ship is with reference to the country’s naval fleet which is based in St Petersburg.

Roma-Lazio: Prophet shows feet of clay as King holds court

Richard Whittle — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:23:00 GMT

Hernanes is considered to be Serie A's only naturally two-footed player, but on Monday evening the Brazilian must have wished that for once he had two left feet.

In a pulsating Rome derby, the Lazio playmaker was on the way to one of those match-winning performances that would go down in Roman folklore – but in the end he got all tangled up in his own nifty feet.

It was the first time that the Derby della Capitale had been played on a Monday and it was a return to an evening kick-off and all the security worries which that brought, with local businesses around the Olympic Stadium closing early.

Unfortunately, fears of trouble were realised as fans clashed with police at the traditional flashpoint on the Ponte Milvio – the bridge to the north of the stadium which has become a notorious meeting point for opposing ultras – and although the incident was quickly quelled, two fans were reported to have been stabbed and the ambulance that was quickly on the scene pelted with stones.

The news travelled around the stadium, embellished in the telling to worsen what was already a volatile atmosphere at both ends of the ground.

What was needed was for the match to ignite the passions on the pitch and this was where Hernanes looked set to live up to his O Propheta nickname and deliver Lazio to the promised land of a fourth consecutive victory over their old rivals. After 16 minutes of hectic end-to-end action, a Roma corner was repelled and in a blink of an eye the graceful South American had the wide open spaces of the middle of the pitch all to himself.

With the opposition defence back-pedalling and Daniele De Rossi labouring to get back, Hernanes weighed up the option of a shot with his marginally stronger right foot but then decided to step inside and unleash a left-foot zinger with such power that Maarten Stekelenburg could only make a token dive to his right as the ball arrowed high into the net.

Hernandes cuts inside to unleash his barn-buster

Roma were stunned and for a time it seemed that Hernanes was going to turn the evening into a one-man show of swagger and unerring passing with either foot. Only a last-ditch challenge from De Rossi denied him a second goal and the Roma midfielder, left hobbling from then on, had to be replaced soon after.

Hernanes continued to torment the opposition with series of flashy runs and step-overs to draw challenges thus giving the wide players, Antonio Candreva and Senad Lulic, that extra second or so to time their runs in behind the Roma defence.

However, the ancient Gods of the Eternal City must have thought enough of this joviality and in the cruellest manner Hernanes was turned into a false prophet – unable to deliver when it really mattered.

Ten minutes had passed in the second half when Roma defender Marcos Marquinhos was adjudged to have handled in the area and the man of the moment was presented the opportunity to seal the deal. Hernanes had already scored three derby penalties, so surely this would be a mere formality to make it the magical four in a row.

But a dark shadow crossed his face and as he waited for the expectant stadium to gather its breath, so his feet – well, his right foot – turned to clay, the spot-kick curling harmlessly wide of the right post.

"Ooops": Hernandes curls his penalty wide

From there, it was but a short step from divinity to derision and when drawn back into his own penalty area he could only extend a leg to trip Miralem Pjanic.

It was left for the King to step forward and restore order as Francesco Totti dispatched his own spot-kick, in doing so drawing level with the nine-goal derby record shared by his former team-mate Marco Delvecchio and 1950s Roma striker Dino Da Costa – both of whom were in the stands and had been given a rousing reception when they paraded in front of the Curva Sud before kick-off.

Hernanes's hesitancy from the spot had inspired Roma and when Lazio defender Giuseppe Biava received a second yellow card it looked as if would be the Giallorossi’s evening. Totti continued to pepper the Lazio goal, but a combination of fine Federico Marchetti saves and wasteful finishing from Alessandro Florenzi and Erik Lamela, who somehow headed over from under the bar in dying moments, ensured honours were even for the first time in six years.

For both sides the result could have been much better or much worse. But in the end, the King held court over the prophet – and at times maybe one good decent foot is better than two exceptional ones.

A magical night in store for Málaga, as players prepare to pull together for Pellegrini

Tim Stannard — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:28:00 GMT

La Liga Loca has a sneaky feeling. It’s a completely nonsensical, irrational feeling that flies in the face of all football logic - not unlike the concept of Riki scoring 12 league goals this season for Deportivo, in fact. The blog has the feeling Málaga are going to prevail in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund.

In theory, it should be a doozy for the home side, after a goalless draw in Spain and with the second leg being played out in front of 65,000 particularly noisy fans. “They will forgive us if we miss our first chance and they are behind us,” was the reminder from Jürgen Klopp on Monday, with the Dortmund boss warning that “patience is going to be the key.”

There’s a whole host of other reasons to believe the Germans are sure-fire semi-finalists. Firstly, Dortmund are much, much better than Málaga, which LLL has been told is an important factor in football. Then there’s the reality that the visitors are without one half of a strong centre-back unit, with Weligton suspended.

But LLL has visions of Málaga getting an early goal - Julio Baptista bundling home from a corner - holding on for another 75 minutes before conceding an equaliser, then holding firm and scraping through on away goals. The dream then goes on to see Málaga beating Real Madrid 15-0 over two legs and Manuel Pellegrini giving Florentino Pérez a cheeky little wave at the end of the ties, a salute to a figure who fired the Chilean after just a season at the Santiago Bernabéu.

At time of writing, Málaga’s coach is set to arrive in Germany late, as his father sadly died shortly before the club’s league match against Real Sociedad on Saturday. The manager returned to Chile for the funeral but is making a swift turnaround to head back to Europe for Tuesday’s clash. “I hope we reward him with a great game, he deserves it,” said Martín Demichelis. “In moments like this, the whole group felt the loss,” confessed Jesús Gámez, the only survivor from Málaga’s second division days, which ended as recently as 2008.

There is no such tension ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Galatasaray. As José Mourinho noted, if the Spanish side went out of the quarter-final tie in Istanbul, then the world would swallow the club up and everyone would have to remain in exile in Turkey for the rest of their football lives. Madrid have a 3-0 advantage from last week’s clash and have successfully passed through all 21 previous European knock-out ties with the matching scoreline.

What’s more, only 6% of clashes in Europe with the same first leg have ever seen a swing in the other direction. And certainly not when the accommodating back four of Galatasaray is involved.

Predicting Real Madrid’s march towards the semi-finals is not exactly bold. But the forecast of two Spanish clubs having terrific Tuesday’s certainly is. Málaga will be triumphant against Borussia Dortmund. It’s written in the stars.*

*Or they'll concede within 25 seconds and get hammered 6-0.

Blackpool boss Paul Ince slaps price tag on entire family

Back of the Net — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:00:00 GMT

The Tangerines boss admits he may be forced to sell the family silver...and the family, as Back of the Net's John Foster reports...

Blackpool manager Paul Ince has announced that he is prepared to sell any and every member of his immediate family, to any buyer, if they offer a large enough fee.

The offer is believed to apply to his sons, his wife Claire, and both his siblings.

“I don’t want to sell any of them, but if there’s enough money on the table, we’d have to think about it,” the former Internazionale star told FourFourTwo. “I’d like to think that everyone here will remain a part of this family for the rest of their careers, but we can’t afford to be naïve.

“We can’t compete with clubs like Man City and AC Milan,” he continued. “If Silvio Berlusconi takes a shine to Claire, for example, all I can do is try to get the best possible price.”

QPR are said to have identified Paul’s £4m-valued brother, Chris Ince, as the man to provide a calming influence and some fatherly advice for wayward star Adel Taraabt. And Paul’s son Tom, apparently worth £25m, has reportedly attracted the attention of Liverpool, who want him to play football for them.

Ince denied that his was a “selling family”, citing the capture of his son Daniel Ince after he was deemed surplus to requirements by biological father Jason McAteer.

The former Notts County boss confirmed, however, that he would consider selling his grandmother, albeit reluctantly, if he thought the move was right for all parties.

“It’d be hard to let go of the woman who helped raise me from a tiny baby to be the man I am today, but I don’t want to stand in the way of the next step in her career,” he said, in response to reported interest from an unnamed Premier League player in the Manchester area.

“She can’t train every day, and she might have lost a yard of pace, but you can’t put a price on experience. Though I can, and it’s £800,000.”

All Back of the Net blogs >

It was a bad weekend for... Harry Redknapp, Grant Holt and Blackburn Rovers (again)

Simon Carter — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:18:00 GMT

The Doomed

There were very few raised eyebrows at Reading on Saturday lunchtime, with the only real surprise being that Southampton weren’t able to take more of their chances in the ‘Nigel Adkins Derby’.

The 2-0 scoreline barely hinted at the level of superiority enjoyed by the visiting Saints, who will have gone some way towards eradicating any disappointment felt at losing out on last season’s Championship title to the Royals.

The loss more or less consigned Reading to the drop. Although technically they can still finish the season on 41 points, the odds of them even reaching even the 31 point mark (which would currently see them level with 17th placed Sunderland) seem remote. The manner of the defeat – very much in the ‘roll over and die’ vain – spoke of a side preparing themselves for a season in the second tier.

Elsewhere in the bottom three, Queen’s Park Rangers threw away their best chance of making up ground on those above them by conceding a last minute equaliser to visitng Wigan. Rangers had taken the lead (in perhaps unlikely fashion given they were reduced to ten men midway through the first half thanks to Bobby Zamora’s stray boot) with barely five minutes of normal time to play, but two of the three vital points were snatched away from them by Shaun Maloney’s superb free kick.

The result leaves QPR just one point better off than Reading with six games remaining. Post game, manager Harry Redknapp seemed to have all but given up, admitting “if we had won, it would have given us a lift to go on a run and stay up.”

With games against Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool still to come, you can forgive his pessimism.

Potty Fans

Fans. Supporters. Punters. Whatever you want to call them, there is nowhere else in the country where such spotlight is placed on those in the stands than in the Potteries. Since Stoke City were promoted to the Premier League in 2008, fans at the Britannia Stadium have been widely accredited as the noisiest and most passionate in the league, with commentators repeatedly resorting to the old ‘Twelfth Man’ cliché. Indeed, Stoke’s home form has been a major factor in their four consecutive top flight seasons.

But recently, Stoke fans have been painted as an ungrateful bunch of ne’er-do-wells for having the front to voice displeasure at what has been served up to them this season. Is it the style of football? Is it the form that has seen the Potters tumble towards the relegation zone? Is it Tony Pulis seemingly lacking the nous to turn it around? Chances are it’s all three, but the media consensus seems to be that the supporters should be damn well grateful to be where they are.

Yet Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa was surely avoidable. Despite a poor season overall, Stoke had only been beaten twice on home turf, and hold a positive goal difference. Villa, by comparison had conceded more than anyone bar Newcastle on their travels.

But the Villans have discovered character, and that’s exactly what Stoke are lacking. Whereas Villa have won three of their last four league games, Stoke have won just once in 2013. Their fans are worried, and rightly so with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and four relegation candidates still to play, the Potters will not enjoy an easy ride at any point from now until May.

Yesterday’s Man

When Southampton were promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season, there was one man their 31 goal striker, Rickie Lambert, hoped to emulate: Grant Holt. Former teammates at Rochdale (where in two seasons the pair helped themselves to 55 goals), Lambert will have looked at Holt’s debut Premier League season with a mixture of pride and envy. Holt, you see, was scoring at a rate of almost a goal every other game, ending the season with an impressive 15 strikes in 36 games amid growing murmurs of a possible England call up.

But Lambert’s debut Premier League season has thus far been every bit as impressive as Holt’s, with the Saint grabbing 14 goals in 31 games thus far. But there is no way that the Southampton man will be looking to emulate Holt’s second season.

The Norwich frontman has failed to even approach reaching the heights of last season, scoring just five times in the league in nearly 30 games. Brought on as a substitute in his side’s 2-2 draw with Swansea on Saturday, Holt looked well off the pace. His first significant contribution to the game was raking his boot down Chico’s shin in a challenge that should perhaps have seen him dismissed. Minutes later, Holt was booked for another foul on the Spanish defender.

What next for Holt? Despite a poor season he is still Norwich’s second top scorer and a cult hero at Carrow Road. At the age of 31, however, you can’t help but feel that if the Canaries manage to beat the drop, his days in East Anglia could be numbered.

The Shambles That Is….Blackburn Rovers

Ah, Steve Kean. Old Keano. The last good Blackburn Rovers manager. Perhaps overstating it a bit, but it’s worth noting that despite being wildly unpopular and vilified to the point of resignation, Kean did at least leave Rovers third in the Championship when he departed in September. Third. And with only one defeat to their name.

What has followed has been a season that has been so bizarre it would be funny were it not so tragic – although you suspect Burnley fans may have still raised a titter. Caretaker manager Eric Black was replaced by Henning Berg, who in turn replaced by Michael Appleton, who was then fired himself, leaving Gary Bowyer as the only man in East Lancashire yet to have a turn. Now, with six games left of the season, Blackburn have finally found themselves third from bottom in the Championship, and in deep relegation trouble following Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.

The Championship relegation battle is so tough that Wolves’ run of four wins in five still only sees them one point above the drop zone and Peterborough, undefeated in eight games, are second bottom. The point is, unless you suddenly find yourself in play-off form, you’re going down – just ask Bristol City.

Rovers haven’t been in the third tier of English football since 1980, but come August they could be renewing hostilities with the likes of Preston, Carlisle and the newly crowned Johnstone Paint Trophy winners, Crewe.

League One Chasers

With just a handful of games remaining in the League One season, Doncaster Rovers and Bournemouth used the weekend to all but sew up the two promotion spots. Following Doncaster’s 1-0 win over Tranmere and Bournemouth’s 3-1 home victory against Notts County (that’s six in a row for Bournemouth now), there are now a mighty five points separating second and third.

Which is bad news for the other promotion hopefuls, as seven teams duke it out for just four play-off spots and a shot at that last promotion place. Yeovil and Brentford in third and fourth must be favourites, but they are equally as far from second as they are from eighth, which, in a league where bad form can strike out of the blue (Hello Tranmere and Scunthorpe), their positions are far from secure.

For months, League One looked like a league nobody wanted to win, but now that two teams have decided they’d actually quite like to finish top, it seems the rest are being left behind.

League Two’s Other 23

On Saturday, Gillingham became the first Football League team to secure promotion this season, with their 1-0 win over Torquay United enough to put them far enough ahead of fourth place for them to chill out until May.

In what was a strange weekend in League Two, started by Port Vale’s Friday night 7-1 shellacking of Burton Albion, every team from third to seventh lost, as if demotivated by Gillingham’s dominance.

But congratulations must go to the Gills for a solid, if somewhat unremarkable season, that has seen them climb to first place on the back of an impressive away record (they have lost just one on their travels all season) coupled with decent home performances.

The signs are that they won’t take their foot off the gas just yet, with Vale snapping at their heels in second place, but ‘Mad Dog’ Martin Allen can already start to look forward to next term.

Stats Zone: Now covering Spain, Italy, France, Germany...

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:57:00 GMT

We're very proud to announce that our award-winning Stats Zone app has extended into live coverage of La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue Un – to add to the existing Premier League, Champions League and Europa League coverage. Europe's biggest competitions are now all on Stats Zone – and all available FREE.

As ever with Stats Zone, you can make comparisons by using the "Head To Head" button at the bottom of every screen. So you can pit the young buck against the old master, or run the rule over the two players your team's been linked with… and click to share your findings with the world.

And it's not just for the day of the match. Each competition has all this season's details pre-loaded, so you can dig back and track developing patterns – and via Head To Head, you can easily compare across competitions. (For the Champions League and Premier League, this also stretches way back to 2010.)

The app works on iPhone and iPad, so whether you're in the stands or on the sofa, at work or at the bus stop, you can keep up with the game – and show that you know what you're talking about.

Download Stats Zone • More about Stats Zone • More Stats Zone analysis

Prem Notes: The killer weekend stats from the EPL

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:44:00 GMT

Premier League facts from Opta, our partners on the FREE Stats Zone app

Liverpool 0-0 West Ham United

Six times this season a Premier League side has had 8+ shots on target without scoring: 4 of them have come against West Ham.
West Ham have now taken 12 points from their 16 Premier League away games, having scored only 9 goals: no team has scored fewer on the road.
Lucas Leiva made the most passes and the most successful passes in the Premier League this weekend (96 & 79).
James Collins attempted a league-high 8 tackles, winning possession with 7 of them.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton

Everton have now scored 13 headed goals this season, a joint-high with leaders Manchester United.
Spurs were the only team not to have a headed shot this weekend.
Jan Vertonghen has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 Premier League games.
Everton have lost 7 points this season through goals conceded in the final 5 minutes, a joint-high with Southampton.
Everton played the highest % of long passes this weekend (62 of their 309 attempts – 21%), but fewer than half (30 of the 62) were completed.

Chelsea 2-1 Sunderland

Demba Ba and Fernando Torres had 7 shots between them (4 & 3 respectively) but none on target.
There were only 3 shots on target in this game – Sunderland didn’t have one (scoring via an own goal).
Chelsea attempted more long passes than any other Premier League team this weekend – 67.

Newcastle United 1-0 Fulham

Of their 36 points this season, Newcastle have gained 28 at home and only 8 away. (At the same point last season, the fifth-placed Magpies had gained 32 points at home and 24 away.)
Newcastle have scored a 90th-minute winner in three of their last four Premier League home games.
Of teams to score in the PL this weekend, Newcastle had the lowest conversion rate (5%).
The Magpies hit the woodwork three times in this game.
Yohan Cabaye created a weekend-high 7 goalscoring chances this weekend, all from open play. Sylvain Marveaux created 5 more.

Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Wigan Athletic

Wigan remain one of only two teams (with Manchester United) yet to be involved in a goalless draw this season.
Since the start of last season, QPR have been shown 12 red cards – 4 more than any other side (Arsenal and Man City have had 8 each).
Despite Bobby Zamora's red card, Wigan committed more fouls (12 to QPR's 9). Rangers attempted more tackles (completing 13 of 25) but Wigan won more (18 of 21).
The Latics haven't won any of the 5 games in which Shaun Maloney has scored this term, though he has now bagged 90th-minute equalisers against both Southampton and QPR.
Wigan had the PL's best pass completion this weekend – 83%.

Reading 0-2 Southampton

Rickie Lambert has 3 goals and 2 assists for Southampton in his last 6 Premier League appearances; Jay Rodriguez has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 3.
Lambert didn't have any of Southampton's 10 goal attempts, but created three chances – including Rodriguez's opener.
Rodriguez is the first Southampton player to score in 3 successive Premier League games since James Beattie in April 2004.
Southampton have won 3 successive Premier League games for the first time since December 2003.

Norwich City 2-2 Swansea City

The 4 Premier League games between these teams have produced 20 goals.
Elliott Bennett assisted both of the Canaries’ goals; 4 of his 7 assists in the league have come against Swansea.
Norwich made more interceptions than any other Premier League team this weekend (30).
Luke Moore produced 4 shots on target, a weekend PL high.

Stoke City 1-3 Aston Villa

In 2013, Stoke have picked up fewer points (5) than any other Premier League team.
Stoke have scored just one first-half goal in their 12 league games in 2013.
Christian Benteke has scored 10 goals in his last 12 league appearances.
Villa put in only three crosses in this game, fewer than any other side in the PL this weekend. (By contrast, Stoke put in 23, excluding corners.)

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Arsenal

Gervinho has 2 goals and 3 assists in Arsenal's last three Premier League games.
Arsenal have won 5 of their last 8 league away games, compared to 2 of their previous 8.
The Gunners are yet to lose a league game that they have taken the lead in this season (W16 D2).
Albion had more passes attempted and completed (356/442 to 327/419) and shots (19 to 11), but the visitors got more attempts on target (6 to 5).

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Moving moments in Camp Nou, Falcao fires blanks, Madrid’s ‘ugly duckling’ on form

Tim Stannard — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:35:00 GMT

Good Day

Eric Abidal
There were two moving and inspiring moments during Barça’s 5-0 win over Mallorca. The first was the sight of Tito Vilanova back on the Camp Nou touchline, looking displeased as ever by his back four, the second was the triumphant return of Eric Abidal, after receiving a liver transplant a year ago.
The physical and mental strength to achieve this goal after such a serious procedure is something truly superhuman. The defender came on to a huge ovation from the home crowd and played 21 minutes to seal the clean sheet for Barcelona. “It was an intense moment for everyone as he’s so loved by the squad,” said Jordi Roura whilst counterpart for the night, Gregorio Manzano, reiterated that it was “great news for the sport and for Barça.”

Cesc Fabregas & Alexis Sánchez
A very good night for the two players criticised most often by Barça fans this season. The former Arsenal man knocked in a hat-trick playing in a false No.9 role - Cesc’s grr ‘happy but not showing it’ celebration was a delight - while Alexis bagged a brace. It was an all-round good day for Barça, with a clean sheet and proof that the side can (sometimes) live without Leo Messi - at least when facing truly hopeless opponents.

Gonzalo Higuaín
Even the Madrid-based scribes under orders to dislike the Argentine (due to him being a Ramón Calderón signing) would have been hard pushed not to applaud his efforts in the 5-1 win against Levante. But then again, perhaps not. As Roberto Palomar wrote in Monday’s Marca, “Higuaín is the ugly duckling of Madrid. Always will be. The president will never be off his feet to celebrate his goals like he did with Benzema.”
Aside from that highlight, it was an unbelievably flattering scoreline for Madrid, who looked in danger of being pegged back to 2-2, with seven minutes to go before a flurry of late goals crushed Levante’s spirit.

Real Sociedad
Just fantastic. Ruthless la Real sensed an understandably distracted and probably fairly tired Málaga and took full advantage with a 4-2 win to make it just the single defeat from 20.

Valencia
Merciful Zeus, Valencia were lucky to win this one after a troubled week off the field which saw the resignation of club president Manuel Llorente. It’s true the Mestalla club dominated the chances, but there was a touch of controversy in injury time with the scores at 1-1. A throw-in deep in Valencia territory was apparently awarded to Valladolid. Valencia took it instead and ended up scoring the winner from that play, with the referee letting things carry on. If Barça or Madrid were on the end of that decision, you’d hear about it for decades, but as it’s Valladolid....meh.

Rubén Castro
Here’s a fun fact for you. Betis striker Rubén Castro has scored as many goals from open play (14) as Falcao, this season. It’s just that the Canary Islander doesn’t have eight penalties to fluff the figures up a bit to create talk of €50m moves to Chelsea. Rubén Castro was magnificent on Friday in the 5-1 win at Granada, as were Betis, a team who are such a beautiful sight to behold when in full flight and in full spanking mode (LLL had better stop there).

Getafe
“I’d like it if people spoke about us more,” admitted Getafe boss Luis García after the goalless draw with Atlético Madrid that left the Coliseum club safe in eighth after a run of seven matches unbeaten.

Rayo Vallecano
Rayo bouncing right back from last week’s defeat in the face of Celta with a 2-0 win that had coach Paco Jémez announcing that “Europe is not a dream, but a reality” with the Madrid side in ninth on a tasty total of 44 points.

Wakaso Mubarak
The midfielder took a while to get back into Javier Aguirre’s good books, having taken a little bit too long to get back from international duty with Ghana after the Africa Cup of Nations. But it was pats on the head all round after he scored the game-clinching goal in the dying seconds of Espanyol's 2-0 win at Osasuna. The result gives the Pericos ‘virtual safety’ - as Marca claim - with 39 points after a run of picking up seven points from nine.

Deportivo
They couldn’t could they? Three wins in a row against relegation rivals suggests they can, with Depor now just one point away from safety after a 3-2 victory against Zaragoza. “We are a bit closer,” admitted coach, Fernando Vasquez, although the next four matches are tough ones with a trip to Levante, the visit of Athletic Bilbao, a journey to take on Betis and then Atlético Madrid coming to town.

Bad Day

Falcao
Both the Atlético Madrid striker and his club appear to be running out of steam, with third position all but sealed for the Vicente Calderón club, despite the lingering threat of la Real 11 points behind. The Rojiblancos have managed just the one victory in five, with just a single goal from the Colombian in that spell. “Strikers have their moments. He’s fine and on the way to scoring the same number of goals as last season,” was the retort from Diego Simeone, when his footballer was questioned.

Miroslav Djukic
“I was on the touchline going nuts,” admitted the Valladolid coach on the aforementioned winner for Valencia.

Osasuna
The normally hard-to-penetrate-in-Pamplona Osasuna are showing themselves to have quite the ticklish underbelly of late, with Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Espanyol their third straight home defeat. At the moment, Osasuna don’t seem to have that extra kick in them to get away from the relegation zone, but matches against the likes of Getafe, Granada and Sevilla in the final run-in should give Osasuna the points needed for another Primera adventure.

Granada
Completely disastrous. That can be the only conclusion for Granada after Friday’s 5-1 home defeat to Betis. Three goals conceded in three minutes in what can be described as an iffy phase for Granada did the damage. However, despite having picked up just two points from the past 21 available, Granada are still out of the drop zone.

Manolo Jiménez
The Zaragoza coach was poked into speaking to the press after Sunday's defeat to Deportivo, with the aim of calming everyone down. Zaragoza are still out of the relegation zone, but are without a victory in 2013 in a run of 13 matches. “When you fall, it’s important to pick yourself up,” said Jiménez who said he had no plans to quit. That bounce-back has to take place next Sunday against visiting Barcelona next Sunday. Oh dear.

Celta Vigo
All the good work from last week’s draw with Barcelona was undone in a 2-0 defeat in Galicia to Rayo Vallecano. “If we give up then we can’t do anything,” admitted manager, Abel Resino.

Mallorca
A third successive defeat for Mallorca sends the side to the bottom of la Primera and probably needing six wins from eight to stay up. LLL warned Dudu Aouate against calling this clash a ‘final’ with the result that it would probably be lost. And that’s exactly what happened. “We gave the game away,” complained the Mallorca keeper. “We are playing for our lives but it didn’t look like it.”

Could Wigan's left-sided trio help put another nail in QPR's coffin?

Michael Cox — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:19:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – FREE and now featuring data from the UEFA Champions League – to explain how Wigan's left side is helping them out of yet another sticky spot...

The British weather might not reflect it, but we have now reached Spring – which inevitably means Wigan Athletic are making a late, desperate bid for survival.

Never relegated from the Premier League since their first appearance in 2005/06, Roberto Martinez’s side have won three of their last four matches – and whereas they made a habit of defeating big sides in last season's run-in, this time around the victories have been against Newcastle, Reading and Norwich – sides themselves not yet safe from the drop.

Since switching to a 3-4-3 formation midway through last season, Martinez’s side offer great width down both sides – sometimes, you find Wigan have three players (a centre-back, a wing-back and a winger) wider than any opponents. “We are organised defensively and we are creating opportunities,” says Martinez. “It's not a case of the players adapting to a system. It's adapting to a system that suits our players.

Last weekend’s victory over Norwich was particularly notable for Wigan’s effectiveness down the left flank. The vast majority of their ‘final third’ entries came down that side, which was inevitably the zone where most of their chances originated.

So what caused Wigan’s dominance down that side? First, their left-sided centre-back, Maynor Figueroa, is more of a left-back than a centre-back. Widely known for his excellent left foot rather than his defensive abilities, Figueroa pushes up significantly more than Paul Scharner, who plays on the right of the back three.

Figueroa frequently receives possession close to the touchline, and although his forward distribution is often wayward, the Honduran certainly offers an attacking presence down that side.

Second, Jean Beausejour is a truly excellent wing-back. Naturally a winger, Beausejour became an adaptable player when playing in Marcelo Bielsa’s famously attack-minded Chile side, and stretches the play expertly on the left. He collects the ball in advanced positions – again, he’s more adventurous than his equivalent on the right, Emmerson Boyce, and is a frequent crosser. Only Leighton Baines and Gareth Bale have crossed the ball more in 2012/13.

On the left of attack, there’s Shaun Maloney. He’s an interesting player – he’s not a natural wide man, and the nature of his roaming role means Wigan often look more like a 3-4-2-1 than a 3-4-3. But against Norwich, a side that defend narrow and pack the centre of the pitch, Maloney moved out wide to combine with Beausejour, linking the play with neat, clever passing triangles, allowing Beausejour to get into crossing position. It was notable how many of his passes were played forwards, despite – on paper – only Arouna Kone, Wigan’s centre-forward, starting in a more advanced position.

This meant Wigan’s most frequent passing combinations were down the left, with Maloney and Beausejour’s one-twos particularly dangerous.

This weekend, Wigan travel to Queens Park Rangers. Harry Redknapp’s side must be attack-minded – draws are of no use in their position – but despite a couple of clean sheets at the start of his reign, QPR have struggled to find the right balance between defence and attack under Redknapp. When they score goals, they generally concede too.

Their right flank will be tested defensively. Right-back Jose Bosingwa has endured a difficult campaign – it appeared he would be leaving the club in the January transfer window, but was surprisingly reinstated by Redknapp – while youngster Andros Townsend has impressed going forward, but offers little defensive protection.

Therefore, Martinez will be encouraging his side to attack predominantly down their favoured left wide. Wigan will be more cautious than in their previous three matches, which have all been at the DW Stadium, but the Maloney-Beausejour combination could be highly effective on the break.#

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Madrid authorities block march for Mourinho, Mallorca face unfortunate 'final'

Tim Stannard — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:47:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com's Tim Stannard previews the weekend's action in La Liga

Friday

Granada (16th) v Betis (7th) - 21.00 CEST
The home side in this Andalusian derby have completely ground to a halt, with just two points trawled from the sea bed of la Primera from the past 18 available and not a single goal scored from open play in three games. Granada boss Lucas Alcaraz lamented that “at the moment we are not creating chances and the mistakes we are making are being punished severely.”
The news in Betis has surrounded a reported interest from Belgium in manager Pepe Mel, with Standard Liege looking to snap up a coach who has lead the Seville side into the top flight and possibly even into Europe, if all goes well. Yet Mel has been rumoured to be on the chopping block every time results have gone the wrong way, so he could be forgiven for considering the move. The Betis boss told local television: “I’ve got one more year on my contract and I’m normally faithful to what I sign. What’s more, I would never do anything that could harm Betis.”
LLL Prediction - Draw

Saturday

Real Sociedad (4th) v Málaga (5th) - 16.00 CEST
While Málaga’s ongoing journey in the Champions League sees the chances increase of Manuel Pellegrini leaving for pastures new, the same situation should be occurring at Real Sociedad. The side lead by Philippe Montanier has now suffered just the single defeat in 19 and are in the Champions League positions, which should see quite a few clubs sniffing around the Frenchman. Indeed, Montanier might still be leaving San Sebastian, but potentially because the club don’t want the manager to stay.
During the week, la Real’s Sporting Director Lorenzo Juarros had his contract renewed, but was still cagey on whether the same would be happening with his underling. “Managers are always being offered to us,” revealed Juarros, “but over the past few weeks they’ve been calling less, seeing the league table. Possibly some understand that that now it’s difficult to compete with Montanier.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Real Madrid (2nd) v Levante (10th) - 18.00 CEST
Bad news for about nine angry men on Saturday. The local council has refused permission for a pre-match pro-Mourinho march for a distance of about 400 metres to the stadium. The denial wasn’t made on the grounds that it was a particularly dumb idea, but due to the paperwork not being submitted in time. The only other story of note ahead of this clash was the possible reuniting of David Navarro, the forearm smasher of Levante, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a goal in the last league fixture between these two teams with just the single eye open, thanks to the other being closed by the aforementioned stopper. Sadly, Navarro is suspended for this particular tie, but hopefully Sergio Ballesteros is back for another famous running race with the Real Madrid forward....
LLL Prediction - Home win

Deportivo (20th) v Zaragoza (17th) - 20.00 CEST
Good King Wenceslas, this is a humdinger of a match. In the past two games, Deportivo have beaten relegation rivals in Celta Vigo and Mallorca and now they have another wriggling victim served up on the Riazor platter. “We are still last and it’s still going to be difficult,” warned Juan Carlos Valerón, reflecting on a few weeks that has given Deportivo the teeniest chance of staying up, with the Galician side four points from safety - and fourth-from-bottom Zaragoza. The home team are set to go for an all-or-nothing approach on Saturday, with the midfielder reporting that “the team is going for it, and is taking risks.” Considering Zaragoza are still without a win in 2013, that might just be enough.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Barcelona (1st) v Mallorca (19th) - 22.00 CEST
Mallorca goalkeeper Dudu Aouate said the visit of and subsequent defeat to Deportivo last week served as a little bit of a practice for Saturday’s late game, as apparently the Galicians “played a bit like Barça despite being bottom.” There’s a good chance Mallorca are going to end up in that exact same position by Sunday morning, with near-certain loss to the Catalan club in the Camp Nou, and a predicted victory for Deportivo. So perhaps not the best time for the Israeli net-tender to announce that Saturday’s game was “a final”. LLL advises it was the occasion perhaps for the other cliché of ‘our league is starting next week’ or ‘ this match is not our fight’.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Sunday

Celta Vigo (18th) v Rayo Vallecano (9th) - 12.00 CEST
The contract renewal of managers is going to be a bit of a recurring theme over the coming weeks, so bear with LLL. This topic is the main talk of the town in Vallecas, with Rayo having picked up enough points to stay up without being overly interested in a European push, the blog suspects, although it would be a joy to see a club like Arsenal coming to the three-sided Vallecas stadium in the Europa League.
Speaking this week, Rayo president Raúl Martín insisted he was “very optimistic” that coach Paco Jémez would be staying on, although that issue is linked to the small matter of 14 footballers currently out of contract come June. “We are happy with his performance, but the sporting direction will decide who fits into the project,” advised the Rayo president.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Osasuna (15th) v Espanyol (12th) - 17.00 CEST
LLL was a little bit Monty Burns last weekend, when catching Espanyol’s clash with Real Sociedad. It leaned forward to ponder “who is this sprightly young thing, called Sergio García.” Turns out it was the same one who has been as Espanyol for two-and-a-half seasons now, but without doing too much since the arrival of Javier Aguirre. García has had a bit of an image change - huge pony tail gone and natty beard developed - and claims that “I think that I’m playing at my best level, every day I feel better.”
LLL Prediction - Draw

Getafe (8th) v Atlético Madrid (3rd) - 19.00 CEST
There are many fascinating talking points in regards to Atlético Madrid’s world, including whether the side is running out of steam a little. On Monday, the local Atleti supporting bar owner announced with some pleasure that “the rest of the season will be a disaster,” but there’s only one issue that truly mattered in LLL’s very Rojiblanco barrio. Arda Turan’s magnificent LMAO-esque hair.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Valencia (6th) v Valladolid (14th) - 21.00 CEST
Valladolid were hopping mad about what they viewed as naughty approaches towards their winger, fullback type-thing Patrick Ebert. Keen LLL readers will remember a Marca exclusive from last week reporting a meeting over lunch between the German, who has a contract with Valladolid until 2014, and Atlético Madrid Sporting Director José Luis Caminero. What would have hurt the most, though, is that the Rojiblancos suit had two playing spells at Valladolid and was even the side’s Director of Football.
A formal communication was published on the Valladolid web site claiming two meetings between the pair, the first being on 21 February at the Vicente Calderón and the second on 27th March. No comment was made until Monday, apparently, “to give time to Atlético Madrid to apologise for the behaviour of their Sporting Director.” To date, no response has been made by the Rojiblancos to the affair.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Monday

Sevilla (11th) v Athletic Bilbao (13th) - 22.00 CEST
These two teams should walk onto the pitch with heads bowed at a ludicrously late time on Monday night, and sit on stools of shame for 90 minutes, rather than playing a game of football. Both former bigwigs outfits have had lamentable campaigns. Sevilla have had just the one away win in 15 and Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic is so mixed up that the Argentinean brought on Iker Muniain in last Monday’s match as a substitute, then brought the forward off again 15 minutes later. Former Sevilla boss, Míchel, has been talking about the lack of progress since his departure and Unai Emery’s arrival and noted that “you can’t strive to win the Tour, if you are stuck in the pelotón.”
LLL Prediction - Draw

Wim Jonk (Ajax v Torino, 1992)

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:03:00 GMT

The Dutch giants started  the UEFA Cup final as firm favourites, but not even the most optimistic Ajax fan  could have imagined the goal that would kick-start their challenge in the first leg  at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin. Goalscorer Wim  Jonk remembers it well.

“We were a well-drilled unit and worked a lot on midfielders moving into attacking areas to penetrate the defence. This was one of those classic moments when all this work paid off.

“I would have to say it was one of the most important goals of my career, particularly as it came in the away leg and really put us on the front foot. We had beaten an Italian side in the semi-final [Genoa] but Torino had knocked out Real Madrid so we knew it was  going to be a tough ask to  get anything out of that first game. That goal after 17 minutes really helped us settle, though, and looking back,  I would say for certain it was  one of my standout goals.

“I had joined the attack in the middle of the field and arrived at just the right time. I was  a fair way out but didn’t think twice about going for goal. I remember it very well because I drifted in and then hit the  ball as hard as I could. As soon as I hit it, it was quite strange, because I was absolutely sure it was going to go in despite  the fact I was so far out.

“I hit it with my right foot  and although the goalkeeper dived full length to his left there was nothing he could do – no one could have saved that. Although we eventually drew that first leg 2-2, it set us up to seal the cup in the second leg in Amsterdam [drawing 0-0  to win on away goals].

“It’s a moment that I will  cherish forever.”

Interview: Richard Edwards. Illustration: German Aczel. From the May 2013 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!

Ramsey insists harsh lessons learnt this season will help Arsenal move forward

Ben Welch — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Five years ago the Premier League’s top clubs were all clambering for a 17-year-old Welsh prodigy who’d been shining brightly in the Championship.

The teenage sensation looked set to join the newly crowned Champions League winners, Manchester United, but to everyone’s surprise he chose north London over the North West.

You could be forgiven for thinking we were talking about Gareth Bale, but Tottenham’s star man made the switch to White Hart Lane a year earlier. The player who shunned Sir Alex Ferguson in favour of Arsene Wenger was Bale’s compatriot Aaron Ramsey.

While Bale was being labelled as a curse (he was in the midst of 25 game winless streak for his new club), Ramsey was being hailed as one of the most exciting prospects in British football as Arsenal paid Cardiff City £5 million for his services.

How the Welsh pair’s fortunes and reputations have changed since Ramsey moved into the flat beneath Bale in London. After making a promising start to his Arsenal career, Ramsey’s progress was halted by a double leg fracture in 2010. Over in N17, meanwhile, Bale finally broke his curse and has gone on to become – according to France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane – the best footballer in Europe right now.

But having battled his way through a difficult few years, Ramsey is determined to not end up as an unfulfilled talent. At 22 he’s a key player for Wales and his growing influence in the Arsenal first team is seeing him getting back to his best for club and country.

“I was shocked when I heard I’ve been at Arsenal five years,” Ramsey tells FFT. “It doesn’t feel that long, but I’ve been through a lot. My career at Arsenal started off really well and then I got injured.

“That was hard and took a lot mentally to overcome. Naturally, that took a while to get over and it really set me back.

“Injury aside, I think it’s gone pretty well for me at Arsenal and now I’m feeling good about myself again.”

Ramsey has found form at just the right time, with Arsenal battling for a top-four finish with Chelsea, Everton and Spurs – the latter driven forward by Bale’s virtuoso performances.

After six wins, one draw and one defeat in their last eight Premier League games there is renewed optimism around the Emirates – a stark contrast to the gloom that engulfed the club for much of the season, following erratic league form and shock cup defeats to Bradford and Blackburn.

The Arsenal fans vented their frustrations from the stands, jeering the team through this difficult period, with some calling for Wenger’s resignation. But, as challenging as the period was, Ramsey insists, the players are better for it.

“You’re not going to be at your best in every game and with the way we play it can be frustrating when we struggle to break teams down that just come to defend – and that’s when the criticism starts,” he says. “That’s when you can hear a few groans in the crowd, and that’s difficult, but we’ve learned a lot. As a professional footballer you have to overcome these things.

“We definitely have a lot of potential and quality players in the team, and we’ve proven that with some of the results we’ve got since then.”

The Gunners are now four points behind third-placed Tottenham with a game in hand and Ramsey believes his team must maintain their rhythm if they are to secure Champions League qualification for a 16th successive season.

“The biggest thing we need to change is consistency. We need to start going on lengthy runs and getting results when we’re up against it,” he says.

“The team gets behind each other and we all believe in what we do and each other’s qualities.”

Champions League qualification aside, the season marks an eighth consecutive campaign without a trophy for the Gunners.

When Ramsey first signed on the dotted line for Wenger, the manager would have sold him a future filled with silverware and glory – but it hasn’t quite worked out that way. While he would have wanted to get his hands on more trophies, the boy from Caerphilly has no regrets. According to Ramsey, he has learned some invaluable lessons during his time in England’s capital, both as footballer and as a person.

“I’ve definitely grown up a lot. When I was at Cardiff I was still living with my parents and then I moved to London and lived with Chris Gunter, who had just signed for Tottenham.

“Knowing someone down here made life easier, but coming to live in London was a big life change.

“There’s a much quicker pace to everything and a lot more traffic. When I was at home my mum would do everything for me. Then suddenly I was on my own and having to buy my own food and cook. I had to grow up a lot – both on the pitch and off it.

“When you come here you learn to play the Arsenal way. That’s not just a style of play, it’s a mentality. Yes, you have to master quick one-two touch passing with lots of movement, but you also have to learn what it is to be an Arsenal player – you have to believe in it.”

He reserves special praise for Wenger – the man who flew him out to the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in 2008 to persuade him Arsenal was his ideal match.

“He’s a very approachable guy who you can go and ask how you did and what you need to do to improve after every game,” says Ramsey, talking at a coaching session for kids as part of Disney XD’s Aim High on Goalmouth.

“That’s a good thing to have in a relationship. You know where you’re at with him and you know what he thinks you can do to improve.

“He’s helped me in so many ways and that’s why he’s done so well over the years. He’s given youngsters opportunities and developed them into great players.”

Any critics questioning Ramsey’s ability to meet the expectations pinned on him as a teenager should remember the 22-year-old is still far from an established Premier League performer.

Having overcome a loss of confidence following his career-threatening injury, he’s now ready to show his full potential – a quality Wenger has proven track record of nurturing.

The Gunners manager has never lost faith and neither should the club’s fans. Ramsey’s career may not have taken a different path to that of his old friend Bale, it may just be moving at a different speed.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey took part in a training session with Canonbury Primary School for Disney XD’s Aim High on Goalmouth. Be sure to check out Aaron on Goalmouth at 5:30pm on Thursday April 4 on Disney XD

Málaga’s magic match, Barça’s pricey Paris night and a shock in the Bernabéu

Tim Stannard — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:23:00 GMT

La Liga Liga has gone rogue. For too long, the blog’s attempts at Champions League previews have generally seen Málaga squeezed in at the end of the update behind all things Real Madrid and Barcelona. Heck, the blog has even dedicated more time to Valencia, a team destined to go out at the last 16 stages every year for an eternity and a half.

But today's blog leads on Málaga’s home clash with Borussia Dortmund, in what is going to be a seething, sweating stadium on Spain’s south coast. LLL actually thinks Málaga have a chance against the German visitors, as blooming impressive as the Bundesliga champions may be. While Málaga are certainly the overachievers in the tournament, the Spanish side isn't filled with shirking wallflowers looking to wander about taking photographs of their 'big day out'.

While there are wee nippers in the team, such as Isco, Málaga are stuffed with warhorses like Martín Demichelis, Jérémy Toulalan, Javier Saviola, Roque Santa Cruz and Joaquín, who have 229 Champions League appearances between then. Indeed, the latter has played in the competition with three different Spanish teams and announced ahead of Wednesday’s game that “you have suffer whilst competing and enjoy it too". The the cheeky-grinned winger added: "If we play at our best level then we have a chance."

There is no word on whether Málaga’s owner, Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, will be attending the game, or indeed whether anyone in Spain will be watching the clash, considering it is on at the same time as Real Madrid vs Galatasaray. “Málaga folk know that the Real Madrid support will keep a little place in their white hearts to celebrate the goals of ‘Euromálaga’ on the Bernabéu scoreboards,” writes Tomás Roncero in AS. Bless.

In Spain, there is a joke that the people of Catalonia can be a touch tight when it comes to money. That’s certainly that sense the morning after Barça’s Champions League clash in Paris, with both Mundo Deportivo and Sport leading on the theme that the result was very ‘expensive’ in the same way that buying a round of drinks then not having everybody buy you one in return, might be.

“The bill at the end of the game is very costly,” tutted Joan Vehils, complaining that he only had the soup and two beers. “PSG are an inferior team to Barça but in the Champions League any error is expensive.” This is certainly the case for Barça who are now set to be without the sometimes delivering Leo Messi for three weeks and Javier Mascherano potentially for six weeks due to what looked like a messed up leg. Despite all this bad news for Barcelona , it was wonderful to see Tito Vilanova on the touchline again, and he gave his defence the same kind of stern looking over as someone returning from holiday to find the results of a house party in their abode.

In a shock development in Madrid, the pre-match build up to the visit of Galatasaray was all about José Mourinho, after a long lecture and finger wag to the press about bias, no footballer being an automatic choice in any team and the collective being more important than the individual. The eyebrows of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos - both dropped on the whim of their coach in the past - have yet to return to their normal positions after hearing that particular statement. “His performances can only be criticised by someone who is not impartial,” was the rebuke of Mourinho in regards to current Madrid goalkeeper, Diego López.

“Mourinho writes the rules at this Madrid, he writes them in chalk, to wipe them out when he wants and rewrite them after,” sighs AS editor Alfredo Relaño. As for the result of Wednesday's game, the only shock of the evening is likely to be related to the noise created by the reported influx of 15,000 Galatasaray fans to Real Madrid’s home, creating something rarely witnessed in the Santiago Bernabéu - an atmosphere.

In the new issue: Football League Top 50, 'One-Man Team' myths debunked, Forlan on custard

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Even a cursory glance at the Championship, League One or League Two table will tell you that things are certainly hotting up throughout the Football League. From the dogfight at the bottom of the fourth tier, to the battle for places in the Premier League, there’s drama and tension at every turn.

Which all makes this the perfect time to focus on all things Football League in the May 2013 edition of FourFourTwo – out now digitally and in print. As well as exploring exactly how English football’s heart and soul got its mojo back, we also name the Top 50 players in the Football League for 2013 – as voted for by the fans.

We’ve spoken to terrace-dwelling representatives of all 72 clubs to identify the 50 most feared and respected players in the three divisions. Find out who was voted the best player at every club, as well as the Football League over all. Without wanting to give too much away, the run-down features interviews with this month's cover stars - Wilfried Zaha, Tom Ince, Jordan Rhodes and Charlie Austin.

Sticking with the Football League theme, we look into how Walsall’s players are doing their bit for the environment and look at the career of Football League’s most prolific ever goal-scorer, Arthur Rowley. The former West Brom, Fulham, Leicester and Shrewsbury striker netted 434 league goals (including 26 league hat-tricks) in a 19-year career - we find out what made him so potent in front of goal, and try to understand why after, despite all his success, he still felt his potential was unfulfilled.

We also go One-on-One with former Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter forward Diego Forlan. The Uruguayan discusses anything and everything, from his nation’s Copa America triumph of 2011, to his attempts to teach Spanish to former team-mate Andrew Cole. He also exclusively reveals exactly how much he missed English custard when he moved to Spain.

Could a lust for the yellow stuff see Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes swap La Liga for the Premier League? Probably not, but the Spaniard is still pondering a move to England anyway. The Catalan custodian tells FFT how his childhood in Tenerife helped forge his love of English football, and of his desire to enjoy new experiences in his career, even if that means leaving the best club in the world.

The old cliché “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’” gets trotted out by cheap-suited middle-management types roughly twice a nanosecond, but it’s also often applied to football. With Liverpool and Tottenham both accused of being a ‘one-man team’ in recent times, FFT examines if such a thing really exists, and whether building your team around one star player is actually just common sense.

Meanwhile, AC Milan coach Max Allegri explains why he doesn’t miss Andrea Pirlo, Fulham striker Mladen Petric proves he has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the great Michel Salgado debates whether players really do always get their own way, in his last ever column.

All this, plus the usual tales from around the football world in Planet Football, the history of shirt sponsorship, a meeting with fans who boss the boardroom, and more pro-tips in our Performance section.

GET IT HERE Read the new issue digitally or subscribe to the print edition

The May 2013 edition of FourFourTwo was brought to you by...Diego Forlan, Massimiliano Allegri, Andy Cole, Javi Garcia, Jimmy Bullard, Monty Gimpel, Duncan Jupp, Mladen Petric, Tom Pope, Steve Claridge, Paddy Madden, Jordan Rhodes, Charlie Austin, Yan Klukowski, Cameron Jerome, Miles Storey, Gary Pallister, Michel Salgado, Danny Hollands, David Hockaday, Lee Dixon, Nemanja Vidic, Ben Hamer, Jacqui Oatley, Matt Bloomfield, Tom Ince, Wilfried Zaha, Robbie Mustoe, Dave Merrington, Phil Brown, Stuart Ripley, Matt Le Tissier, Dean Holden, Febian Brandy, Andy Taylor, Dean Smith, Rudi Gutendorf, Victor Valdes, Wrexham's fans-cum-directors, Mark Creighton, Andy Morrell, Liam Daish, Ray Russell, Howard Riley, Victor Ezeji, Emmah Godwin, Jozef Kaplan, Wim Jonk, Daniel Kokosinski, Michael Ballack, Darren Ward, Cowdenbeath's groundsman and MMA fighter Michael 'The Count' Bisping.

Zlatan again centre of attention, but with a chance to prove creative capabilities

Michael Cox — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:55:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – now FREE and featuring data from the UEFA Champions League – to assess the Swedish striker's chances of getting revenge over one of his former clubs...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is accustomed to being the centre of attention. Throughout his career, there has been a consistent pattern wherever he goes – his clubs depend upon him too much. At Ajax, Inter, Milan and now PSG (and also sometimes at Juventus) Ibrahimovic has dominated the side to a staggering extent, marginalising the other creative players.

The exception, of course, was at Barcelona – which means that the Swede will dominate the build-up to tonight’s game even more than usual. This is not Ibrahimovic’s first meeting with Barca since his departure – he faced them with Milan last season, and since the departure of Pep Guardiola, there isn’t the same personal rivalry to fire him up. However, as a player frequently accused of underperforming at this stage of the Champions League, Ibrahimovic will be desperate to make an impact against his former employers.

Oddly, in Ibrahimovic’s debut campaign at PSG, he plays a completely different role in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. In domestic football, he is essentially an old-school no.9, prowling the penalty box and waiting for service. It’s a slightly more refined role, of course, because of his all-round game – but 25 goals and six assists in 26 starts tells the story. Ibrahimovic has also attempted 128 shots this season, 24 more than any other player in the league – no wonder he’s the top goalscorer in France.

In Europe, it’s a completely different situation. He’s only scored two goals in seven starts – a record equal with the likes of Gary Hooper, Gervinho and his club’s two Brazilian centre-backs, Alex and Thiago Silva. His shooting in recent European matches has often been wayward:

But that’s because Ibrahimovic takes on a different role in Europe. As Carlo Ancelotti has tinkered with his formation and starting XI, Ibrahimovic’s precise instructions have changed. But in many matches, he becomes more of a link-up man than a goalscorer – not quite a false nine, but always moving towards the play to encourage midfield runners to get beyond him.

With a supporting cast featuring the likes of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Pastore, Lucas Moura and Jeremy Menez (and previously Nene, who departed in the January transfer window) – all quick players that enjoy running with the ball – PSG are more of a counter-attacking side in the Champions League. This is largely because their continental opponents don't 'park the bus' as often as their domestic rivals.

Ibrahimovic becomes the chief creator. He’s recorded five assists in this season’s competition – more than any other player – including four in PSG’s 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. Alex, Menez, Blaise Matuidi and Guillaume Hoarau all benefited from Ibrahimovic’s neat link-up play.

In Champions League football, he plays more passes (46 to 40.3) and has a higher pass completion rate (78% to 74.9%) than in Ligue 1. PSG will be pushed back into their own half by Barcelona’s ball retention tonight. “We may not have a lot of possession, but as soon as we get the ball I want my team to show character and inspiration to go forward and score,” said Ancelotti in his pre-match press conference. “We have defended very well so far this term and we've done well on the counter-attack. This is what we want to do tomorrow because we'll need it if we are to get a good result.”

It’s especially important PSG get runners forward in support of Ibrahimovic. As the away win in Valencia showed, he can be excellent at combining with Pastore and Lavezzi.

Ibrahimovic, of course, was sidelined at Barcelona because he appeared incompatible with their passing style and because Messi, in his new ‘false nine’ role, was being moved central. Tonight, Ibrahimovic has a chance to demonstrate that he is perfectly capable of being a central creative threat himself.

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Top two take their feet off the gas, as Deportivo begin fightback

Tim Stannard — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:44:00 GMT

Good Day

Leo Messi
Beautiful symmetry from Messi, who last failed to score a goal in la Liga on 3rd November against Celta Vigo, 19 rounds ago. The Argentinean has now stuck away at least one effort in every game since, in a 29 goal run. LLL is not that impressed though. Nobody likes a show-off.

Diego López
Iker Casillas may be back in shape again after suffering a crocked hand, but the Real Madrid captain isn’t going to shift his understudy. So says a jubilant José Mourinho, who is probably delighted to be plonking his arch nemesis back on the bench. “Playing like this, it’s difficult that he won’t be in goal,” said the Madrid manager on the winter window signing ahead of the upcoming games.

Pedro Morales
Málaga’s Chilean midfielder had quite the afternoon. Two assists and a cracking long distance strike were delivered by a player who is getting to grips with life at Málaga, having joined on loan until the end of the season. “On a personal level, I’m very happy, as there have been some tough moments this year, so this was very important for me.” The result was the perfect warm-up for this week’s visit of Borussia Dortmund.

Betis & Getafe
La Liga Loca is plonking both teams in the Good Day section after a goalless draw, for contributions to an entertaining, chance-stuffed goalless game, despite playing at the ludicrous time of 10pm on a Monday night.

Levante
A 1-0 home win against Sevilla may sounds like it was bit of a gritty affair, but Saturday’s late night nosh-up in Valencia was good fun. To be fair to Sevilla, a draw would probably have been a more equitable result, but it’s tough do-dos as Levante pick up their first win in seven matches to move into a much comfier position of 40 league points. “Another step to reach safety as soon as possible,” was the opinion of Levante boss, Juan Ignacio Martínez.

Espanyol & Real Sociedad
Both sides served up a cracking match in Cornella, where Real Sociedad came back from behind twice in a 2-2 draw. La Real are now unbeaten in 19 games, while Espanyol moved further away from the relegation zone. “When I took over the team on 1st December, I would have chopped off my finger if someone could have said that we’d be 12 points away from the danger zone at this stage of the season,” said a chuffed Javier Aguirre after the match.

Ariz Aduriz
A headed effort from a corner (what else with Athletic Bilbao?) saw the forward score the winner in a 1-0 victory over Granada - the striker's first goal in nine league games. The strike earned three points for the Basque side, who seem genuinely spooked by the idea they could get dragged into the relegation battle if they don’t get a move on up the table.

Kike Sola
Osasuna’s 3-1 away win at Valladolid saw two teams behaving a little out sorts after the international break. Valladolid don’t tend to concede three at home - only the current top three have managed to do inflict that on them this season - and Osasuna don’t tend to score three away from home. The scorer of two of those three Osasuna goals, Kike Sola, doesn’t tend to net too often either, with a Liga scoring rate of one-in-four since making his debut for the first team in 2007.

Rodri
A very sprightly performance from the Zaragoza attacker, as he made his first start of the season. He hassled the ankles off a befuddled Luka Modric in the first half and popped in Zaragoza’s opener, too. The home side weren’t able to keep up the pace in the second 45 minutes - the introduction of some big guns like Mesut Özil made the difference for Madrid - but the confidence boost to a flagging team who have yet to win in 2013 will be as handy as an unexpected point.

Natxo Insa
The Celta midfielder scored the Galician’s opener and revealed to the world a rarely seen barnet. Shaved at the sides, fairly long Mohican on top, combined with a receding hairline, it certainly caught the eye as much as the scoreline, which saw Celta take advantage of a somnambulant Barça on Saturday evening in a 2-2 draw. “What I liked the most is that we respected Barça without fearing them,” Celta boss Abel Resino growled - which is what he does most of the time.

Deportivo
LLL is still not convinced about the side’s survival chances, with the Galicians on 23 points with nine to play, but back-to-back wins against Celta Vigo and the 3-2 win at Mallorca on Sunday can’t have done any harm.

Bad Day

Barcelona & Real Madrid
Well, both sides could at least try to pretend there’s a title race going on. Barça dropped two points at Celta Vigo, so Real Madrid responded by dropping a pair at Zaragoza. “Our objective in the league is to finish second and obviously win every game,” announced José Mourinho in regards to Madrid’s plan for the next couple of months, which entails doing slightly better than Atlético Madrid, apparently.
Alex Song, Martín Montoya, Marc Batra and co took to the field for Barcelona - with Leo Messi, of course - and Jordi Roura managed to keep a straight face promising that “the match was very important for us today,” ahead of Tuesday’s visit to France to take on PSG.
“The worst part about the game was that those who had the most to demonstrate, offered the least,” wrote Joan Vehils in Sport, pointing a finger at Thiago and Alexis, “Vilanova has a lot of work to do with this footballer,” was the verdict on the former.

Atlético Madrid & Valencia
A tad arbitrary perhaps, and maybe driven by the fun of sticking all of Spain’s biggest teams into the Bad Day section. Sure, a 1-1 draw between the two sides at a very rainy Vicente Calderón may have been a decent result for the duo in isolation, but the outcome saw Atlético missing the chance move back into second place above Real Madrid, while Valencia were unable to take advantage of dropped points for Real Sociedad in fourth losing ground on Málaga for good measure.

Rayo Vallecano
Two set-piece sleepy-times from the Rayo back line pretty much cost the Madrid side the points in a 3-1 loss at home to Málaga. “They finished us off with the mistakes we made,” fumed Rayo boss, Paco Jémez.

Sevilla
Another away day, another defeat for Sevilla, who have just the single victory on the road. That one win, four draws and 10 defeats is the campaign’s sorry return in 15 matches. The latest failure away from the Sánchez Pizjuán was at Levante in a 1-0 loss. “We need to find a way not to repeat these defeats,” noted Unai Emery, in a lament that sounded very familiar to that of the Sevilla manager’s predecessor, Míchel.

Granada
The 1-0 defeat to Athletic sees Granada without a win in six under Lucas Alcaraz, who had made such a strong start at the club. However they are now without a goal from open play in three matches.

Mallorca
If la Liga’s participants are going to talk about ‘finals’ all the time, then LLL might as well join in. Mallorca lost one on Sunday at home to Deportivo, leaving the Balearic club in 19th and Gregorio Manzano with an an awful lot of motivating exercises to get through before heading to the Camp Nou for his side’s next match. “We wanted to give a great time to the crowd, who were fantastic,” was the lament from the Mallorca boss.

Juventus reap revenge on Inter to prepare for assault on Europe

Richard Whittle — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:00 GMT

Matri (centre) celebrates netting vs Inter

Juventus not only moved one step closer to the retaining the Serie A title by beating Inter over the Easter weekend, but also reaped revenge on Andrea Stramaccioni’s side for having the temerity to end the defending champions’ unbeaten record earlier in the season.

November’s surprise 3-1 loss to the Nerazzurri, their first defeat at the Juventus Stadium since it opened in September 2011, denied Juve the half-century of unbeaten matches. But although it rankled to have lost to their most bitter of rivals, it did little to derail Antonio Conte and his men on their relentless march at the top of the table.

Such has been Juve’s dominance throughout the campaign that the scudetto should be sealed by the beginning of May, but in the meantime there was an old score to settle at the San Siro. Despite the Old Lady arriving in Milan with one eye on their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, she was at her meanest in putting Inter in their place.

A 2-1 final scoreline on a rain-sodden afternoon didn’t tell the whole story of a polished performance where the two “back-up” strikers - Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri - were on the mark. Rodrigo Palacio had given the home side a glimmer of hope when he canceled out Qualiarella’s stunning long-range opener, but once Matri had put the champions back into the lead, there was only ever going to be one outcome to this Derby d’Italia.

Hotly contested as ever, Esteban Cambiasso’s potential leg-breaker on Sebastian Giovinco just before the final whistle was as rotten as the weather and led to the Argentine’s first red card in Serie A. The incident summed up Inter’s frustrations at being well off the pace - not only of Juventus, but also AC Milan and Napoli.

Teenager midfielder Mateo Kovacic has potential, but a major rebuilding programme is needed in the summer if Inter are to be reinvigorated. Yet, at present, there is no guarantee there will be European football to incite new signings, with victory in the Coppa Italia perhaps their best hope.

What looks certain is that a Champions League place is beyond Inter, even with a game in hand on most of their rivals, after both Napoli and AC Milan won away from home to cement second and third spot.

The Rossoneri took their unbeaten run to 12 games thanks to a 1-0 win at Chievo, while Edinson Cavani made up for returning late from World Cup duty in South America to score twice in Napoli’s thrilling 5-3 victory at Torino.

Conte was in the crowd at the Olympic stadium no doubt urging on the Granata, but at the same time plotting how Juve will overcome Bayern. The Bundesliga champions-elect may have thumped Hamburg 9-2 on Saturday, but that scoreline will have no bearing on Tuesday night’s encounter.

Mirko Vucinic was left at home for the Inter game, suffering from a bout of weekend flu, but the Montenegrin was on the plane to Munich on Sunday.

Giovinco also travelled, but Conte may elect to play with the former as a lone striker, with Claudio Marchisio’s runs from deep offering support and Paul Pogba drafted into the holding role.

Arturo Vidal is equally equipped to cover every inch of the Allianz Arena, so Juve will not lack man power going forward to create goal chances as they search for at least one away goal.

Yet Juve’s primary strengths, as they have been all season, will be a little further down field. The three centrebacks - Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and indomitable Giorgio Chiellini; the tireless running of the wing-backs; and midfield linchpin Andrea Pirlo’s ability to pick out the pass that ensures his team-mates do not unduly waste energy in chasing lost causes.

With Vidal and Marchisio steaming forward, Vucinic’s strength at holding up the ball will be invaluable. Matri did it to good effect at the weekend and if Conte decides that it is the German side that should be the ones living in fear, then a Vucinic-Matri tandem could well reap havoc.

Juventus are marching towards the title at home, but with the sort of form they have been showing lately, European success is also beckoning.

"It’s Barcelona versus Blaise Matuidi", thinks Blaise Matuidi

Back of the Net — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT

It's clash of the titans in the French captial, as Back of the Net's John Foster reports...

The Champions League quarter-final draw has pitted favourites Barcelona against the dark horse of Blaise Matuidi, according to reports from Blaise Matuidi.

Most media reports on the Barcelona versus Paris Saint-Germain clash have focused on maverick narcissist Zlatan Ibrahimovic or weathered beefcake David Beckham, but Matuidi is said to be thinking of the tie largely in terms of himself.

Jowly coxcomb and PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti used a recent press conference to stress the importance of working together in a spirit of mutual respect and humility, a message that seems to have been lost on Matuidi, who spent the session talking loudly over his manager.

“The big-spending, rising force of Blaise Matuidi is all that stands between Barcelona and a sixth successive semifinal,” the France international told reporters.

“It’s Matuidi and ten others,” he continued, interrupting Ancelotti’s respectful remarks about Barça interim boss Jordi Roura. “Surely [Lionel] Messi, Xavi [Hernandez] and [Andres] Iniesta can only be stopped by the man they call ‘Guns a-Blaising’,” he continued.

Matuidi, who has previously experimented with the nicknames ‘Blaise of Glory’, ‘Saint Blaise the Punisher’, and ‘Checkmate-uidi’, also told the assembled journalists that he was the draw most teams would have been hoping to avoid.

“Barcelona will be worried,” 25-year old Matuidi replied in response to a question about Lucas Moura’s ankle injury that had been directed at Ancelotti. “Normally they’d send their best scouts to check up on me, but they’ll have been scouting me for months anyway, I expect.”

Reports from the PSG training ground suggest that other players have mentally earmarked the game as Ezequiel Lavezzi versus Barcelona, Jeremy Menez versus Barcelona, Javier Pastore versus Barcelona, and Zlatan versus the rest of creation.

All Back of the Net blogs >

Moyes must be careful not to play into Stoke's hands with tactical tweaking

Michael Cox — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:00:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – now FREE – to assess Everton's attacking options, as suspensions mount...

Throughout the 2012/13 season, Everton manager David Moyes has favoured a 4-4-1-1 formation. But with both Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar suspended for this weekend’s home fixture with Stoke City, as well as the following weekend’s visit to Tottenham, he could return to a more straightforward 4-4-2 system.

While Moyes has frequently used an attacking central midfielder in support of a traditional centre-forward in recent years, his ‘number ten’ has rarely been a creator. Both Fellaini and Tim Cahill specialise at breaking into the box to provide an aerial threat – and therefore the difference between a 4-4-1-1 and a 4-4-2 isn’t always obvious. Fellaini is probably more of an all-rounder, but Cahill often felt like a pure centre-forward in terms of his contribution, if not his actual position.

If Moyes goes for a 4-4-2 system this weekend, his strike combination will be Nikica Jelavic and Victor Anichebe, two traditional number nines. Neither is particularly comfortable dropping into the centre of midfield, although Anichebe has sometimes performed competently as a makeshift winger.

Ordinarily, this would concern Moyes in a defensive sense – he remains a reactive manager who focuses on stopping the opposition playing to their strengths. However, the nature of this weekend’s opposition means a numerical deficit in the centre of the pitch won’t be a concern – Stoke are unlikely to form neat triangles around Everton’s midfielders, and a 4-4-2 might better suit the style of this game, likely to be based around direct football.

Moyes went with a 4-4-2 the last time Fellaini was suspended, towards the end of December. It was a broadly successful move – Everton recorded 2-1 victories over West Ham and Wigan, before narrowly losing 2-1 to Chelsea before Fellaini returned to the side.

Jelavic and Anichebe’s roles were interesting. One might have expected Jelavic, the penalty box poacher, to play a fixed role with the more mobile Anichebe making runs into the channels. In fact, it was the exact opposite against Wigan – the positions of their received passes demonstrate that Jelavic was the man drifting wide, with Anichebe a target for long balls.

In that respect, their deployment made sense. Anichebe is much better in the air than Jelavic, boasting an aerial duel success rate of 47% compared to Jelavic’s rather unimpressive 32%, which was summed up nicely in that Wigan match.

Interestingly, although the duo rarely combined during build-up play in midfield zones, they had a decent relationship in the final third. They combined on four occasions in dangerous positions against Wigan, which might not sound particularly impressive – but when compared to Sunderland’s strike partnership (as outlined here two weeks ago), it does demonstrate a decent understanding.

In the match the following week against Chelsea, things were different. Jelavic was more central, while Anichebe stayed high up the pitch on the left, challenging against right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, who lacks the aerial power of Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea’s other option in that position.

Anichebe is a useful option for that ‘Flo pass’, as 1990s Norway coach Egil Olsen dubbed diagonal balls for tall forwards (Jostein Flo, in Norway’s case) to challenge small full-backs in the air. However, against a Stoke City side that sometimes uses four centre-backs across their defence, identifying an aerial weakness will be difficult.

In fact, using two traditional centre-forwards might play into Stoke’s hands if Everton rely heavily on a direct approach. Pulis’ side enjoy playing against basic strikers rather than quick, nippy forwards who take up clever positions – Moyes must ensure his attackers offer a varied threat by attacking with guile and intelligence, as well as with direct football.

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Hislop: For top clubs, there's never a good time for international breaks

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:23:00 GMT

Once again, ESPN have answered a handful of FourFourTwo readers' topical questions in an exclusive addendum to their Press Pass show – this week, former Newcastle and West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop answers the following posers...

International breaks: Is there ever a good time for club sides?

Should international tournaments feature pre-qualification for weaker nations?

With Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all once again struggling in World Cup qualifying, is there any hope for the Celtic nations?

ESPNFC Press Pass - the football discussion show that takes a daily look at the global game - airs at 11pm Monday to Friday, plus Sunday evenings on ESPN. Follow the show on Twitter

Málaga prepare for battle, Zaragoza prepare for the impossible, Espanyol prepare to get dirty

Tim Stannard — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:24:00 GMT

Saturday

Rayo Vallecano (9th) vs Málaga (6th) - 16.00 (all KOs local time)
As Málaga gear up for one major battle in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, another is on the horizon in the courts. The club will continue their attempts to reverse UEFA’s ruling that they should be banned from European competition for next season through the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The first oral arguments are set to be heard on 14th May, with Málaga Director General Vicente Casado saying: “we are optimistic. There are no debts to players or teams.”
Meanwhile, Rayo are still trying to pin down the future of manager Paco Jémez, and apparently have a verbal agreement on a deal. But like a number of clubs in la Primera this season, there may be distance between the kind of contract the manager would like and the sort that Rayo can afford. Not a big one, probably.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Celta Vigo (19th) vs Barcelona (1st) - 18.00
While the Celta Vigo bosses may have been hoped otherwise, the two week international break gave fans the opportunity to mull over their defeat to Deportivo. The disastrous 3-1 loss saw a sending off for headbutt-happy Iago Aspas, a smart move that sees Celta facing four matches without their suspended top scorer. Aspas will have suffered a fortnight of teammates telling him he’s a bit of an idiot, and to be fair, the striker doesn’t really have much of a defence to mount.
“I don’t really know what happened,” admitted the Celta man on the clash of heads with Carlos Marchena, “some moments have been wiped out. I’m sorry for my teammates, for the fans, as it was a big game and we lost.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Zaragoza (17th) vs Real Madrid (2nd) - 20.00
The hosts haven’t won a game in 2013, have the worse home record in la Liga (three victories from 13), haven't scored in three matches, have failed to score in over half their league games and haven't had a goal scored from open play by a player not called Helder Postiga since January 4th. That player was Francisco Montañés, and it’s no wonder he sounds rather desperate ahead of the visit of Madrid, a side to whom they’ve conceded 10 goals in their last two meetings. “Everything is possible when you have faith, and we have it,” claimed the midfielder.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Levante (11th) vs Sevilla (10th)- 22.00
Levante's elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Rubin Kazan will see their season go one of two ways. They'll either fall into a bit of a slump and edge towards the relegation fight as one of those dark horses who end up going down, or pull their socks up into the appropriate positions and pick up the two wins or so needed to get to the 42 point mark, and maybe even make a late tilt for the European places. Levante boss, Juan Ignacio Jiménez, is leaning towards the latter. “I’m not looking for excuses but the Europa League took a lot out of us in every way. We paid for it in la Liga,” said JIM of Levante’s recent run of seven matches without a victory.
However, should Levante get back into Europe for another mazy adventue, JIM may not be there sitting on the bench with the managing admitting that “I hope tomorrow a team with a big budget comes to my door.” Looking at la Liga’s finances, that visitor probably won’t be speaking Spanish.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Sunday

Valladolid (12th) vs Osasuna (15th) - 12.00
While it's currently all the rage to say that certain games are for ‘football hipsters’, this particular meeting is for those who have literally nothing better to do with their time. Valladolid are having a fine season, hidden away in mid-table, avoiding any fuss and nonsense, while Osasuna are on a bit of a bad run of three defeats, but this games screams of an aimless-hoof laden goalless draw that will just about keep everyone happy. However, Osasuna midfielder Sisi thinks three points are a dead cert for his side, and also joked that his team were probably better off without him, having just recovered from injury. “They didn’t miss me,” joked Sisi, noting that when he was playing, “we were last.”
LLL Prediction - Goalless Draw

Mallorca (18th) vs Deportivo (20th) - 17.00
La Liga Loca doesn’t want to sound mean (when sounding mean) but two weeks with Mallorca coach and sports psychology specialist, Gregorio Manzano, is probably going to feel like a veeeeeeeeery long time. Especially for footballers, who can usually only by coaxed into sitting still for longer than three minutes by being shown pictures of cars, ladies or ladies in cars. Or something really shiny.
Manzano has used the international break to explain how he transformed his players from really bad, to not so bad in such a short space of time.The process began on day one of his third spell at the club at the beginning of February, when he showed the team a DVD of all the great moments in the club’s history. Not even LLL is mean enough to suggest there wasn't enough time to boil the kettle before the end credits were rolling. The aim was then to turn the players' fears into strengths because, as the Mallorca boss explains: “if anxiety is well-controlled, it’s positive. When the target is close and not too far away, anxiety can be positive as it’s something achievable.”
Mallorca are on 24 points and need a whopper of a win against bottom-of-the-table Deportivo on Sunday.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Espanyol (13th) vs Real Sociedad (4th) - 19.00
One of the joys of having Javier Aguirre back in the league is the tremendous dirtiness his sides bring to the sport. The team currently lead the way in terms of fouls committed and yellow cards, with Argentinean defender Juan Forlín admitting “we play hard and we are a team that competes. No ball is lost, but we don’t go out in bad faith”.
Despite now Espanyol looking safe after some very worrying moments before Aguirre took over at the end of November, Marca reports that no decision will be made on the Mexican's contract until the moment the Pericos are safe.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Atlético Madrid (3rd) vs Valencia (5th) - 21.00
So, Patrick Ebert, if you're so happy playing for Valladolid, as claimed earlier this week, then why did you have lunch on Wednesday with Atlético Madrid Sporting Director, José Luis Pérez Caminero, in a restaurant near Segovia! Well? Explain yourself!
To be fair, LLL doesn’t really care, but Marca (who uncovered this meeting) do, and so do Rojiblanco fans, who will probably appreciate having the German on the right flank as a challenge to the current omnipotence of Juanfran.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Monday

Athletic Bilbao (14th) vs Granada (16th) - 20.00
LLL was struggling to get excited about this particular encounter, which has a huge whiff of a 2-0 Athletic win about it, but the blog had no idea it was overlooking an event of galaxy-sized implications. “It’s the match of the year and we are playing for our lives,” yelled Athletic’s Andre Herrera, with his side an apparently perilous eight points from the relegation zone. “We can’t live in the past and the marvelous year we had. This is a transcendental, fundamental match,” claimed the midfielder.
Granada are also getting in on the act of hyping up Monday’s game with Nolita coming to the very predictable conclusion that “from now on, every match is a final.”
LLL Prediction - Home win (2-0)

Betis (7th) vs Getafe (8th) - 22.00
You have a whole holiday weekend to schedule games, so what’s the logical move? Put the Betis home game on at 22.00 on a Monday night just to deny anyone unfortunate enough to have to get up early the next morning more than four hours sleep. Ludicrous.
Anyway, Getafe go into the game on 42 points and having to decide whether they fancy a bit of a push for the European places or not. LLL has a feeling the team may not have a choice in the matter, as their very excellent keeper, Miguel Ángel Moyá, is out for a month after a muscle tear picked up in training. Jordi Codina is set to be between the sticks, instead. “This is not a test for me, I don’t have to prove anything,” retorted the former Real Madrid man.
LLL Prediction - Home win

A surprise in fourth and a shock relegation: We predict the rest of the Premier League season

FourFourTwo Team — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:30:00 GMT

The end of the international break sees focus return to club football for the remaining two months of the season. If you're anything like us, you're probably wondering how the laugh-a-minute madness of the 2012/13 Premier League season will pan out.

Well, we’ve run through the rest of the Premier League season's results to calculate what will happen. At least one of the current bottom three won’t be relegated; at least one of the current top four will end the season with very little to show for their efforts.

We haven’t skewed the results or gone for wacky 'what ifs' – this is what is going to happen. Probably.

First, a reminder of the table as it is now...

WEEK 31 (Saturday, March 30 – Monday, April 1)

There’s immediately change at the foot of the table as Aston Villa fall into the drop-zone by losing to Liverpool, after Wigan climbed out with a 2-1 home win over Norwich (possibly thanks to the ball rebounding in off the victim of a neck-high two-footed challenge).

The top seven all win to keep the European places plus ça change, Arsenal and Manchester United seeing off Reading and Sunderland respectively by four- and three-goal margins. Things look increasingly drastic for the Royals, seven points from safety – as are Queens Park Rangers after opening April with a controversial defeat to Martin Jol’s Fulham. “The referee was a right April Fool,” says Harry Redknapp to nobody in particular.

WEEK 32 (Saturday, April 6 – Monday, April 8)

New Reading boss Nigel Adkins gets a further taste of the job at hand, as his new charges throw away the lead not once but twice to only draw a six-pointer with his former employers, Southampton, at the Madejski. There’s also another setback for QPR, with a narrow reverse to relegation rivals Wigan condemning the R’s to the bottom. Redknapp refuses to admit survival is beyond even he, but the eight-point gap between his side and 17th looks all but unassailable, even with Nwankwo Kanu brought in on a free transfer and £120,000 a week.

Sunderland’s run of difficult games gets off to a bad start as they lose at Stamford Bridge, leaving them just one place and point above the relegation zone.

At the other end of the table, a vital 1-0 win for Everton at White Hart Lane puts David Moyes’ men within touching distance of the Champions League places. With Arsenal dropping points at The Hawthorns, Tottenham stay fourth – for now.

There’s less spice about the Manchester derby than last year, but a goal apiece within the first 10 minutes livens the atmosphere. Much against the run of play, City prevail 3-2 thanks to two Yaya Toure strikes and close the gap on the leaders to a mere 12 points. Game on!

WEEK 33 (Saturday, April 13 – Wednesday, April 17)

Southampton climb to 12th by beating West Ham and Manchester United thump Stoke 1-0 at the Britannia despite a 10-minute cameo from Michael Owen in which he doesn’t touch the ball.

Meanwhile, it’s a bad weekend for teams in blue and white hoops: QPR and Reading suffer Merseyside misery against Everton and Liverpool respectively. To make matters worse, Aston Villa claim a valuable win over sad travellers Fulham and Sunderland nick a potentially vital point in the Tyne-Wear derby.

Going into midweek, Wigan’s artistic little renaissance is revealed to be a false dawn painted by a cut-price impostor. Or, in football terms: they lose 3-0 to Manchester City. Turns out their fabled end-of-season form isn’t miraculous but entirely plausible when you’re facing Newcastle, Norwich and QPR. Manchester United beat West Ham, who have now taken one point from five games; Chelsea, their weekend fixture postponed by three days due to their FA Cup run, take a firm hold on third with a 4-2 victory over Tottenham.

The big midweek match is Arsenal v Everton, and Spurs fans are delighted to see them share the points – but it’s still enough to relegate Spurs to sixth in the table. Liverpool are only four points off a Champions League spot, which Brendan Rodgers calls “not an ugly target to be splintered with money-poisoned arrows but a proud meadow in a dying spring, within physical reach but emotionally unattainable, at least until Daniel Sturridge recovers from his latest setback”.

WEEK 34 (Saturday, April 20 – Monday, April 22)

Sunderland start the weekend in the relegation zone for the first time this season – and end the weekend out of it. A goalless draw at the Stadium of Light ensures that much, frustrating visitors Everton, who reflect on an opportunity lost as top-four nemeses Arsenal and Tottenham both drop points (though Spurs are happy to draw with Manchester City).

On Monday night, Manchester United get their hands on the Premier League trophy by sauntering into an unassailable 17-point lead over City. The Red Devils seal the deal in style, yawning their way to victory over a valiant but vulnerable Villa.

Down at the bottom, drop-dreading QPR attempt to breathe life into a putrefying corpse with a deserved win over Stoke, in spite of Jonathan Walters sewing up Goal of the Season with a bicycle kick (later revealed to be assisted by ropes and pulleys). Wigan are right back among the dirty business thanks to a dreadful performance in a 2-0 defeat to West Ham, who take that and party. Saturday also sees wins for West Brom, Swansea and Norwich, before Chelsea see off Liverpool on Sunday.

WEEK 35 (Saturday, April 27 – Tuesday, April 30)

Hope! QPR beat Reading to give themselves the slimmest of chances of dodging the drop – while mathematically relegating the Royals and their manager, Michael Appleton.

Despair! Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, the scoring opened by a superb volley from Christian Benteke, leaves the stunned Black Cats three points from safety with three games to play. Martin O’Neill spends most of the post-match press conference tearing out his hair.

Glory! Manchester United begin what is essentially a lap of victory now with a 3-1 victory over a tame Arsenal outfit. The highlight of the match is a bizarre own goal as Per Mertesacker literally sighs the ball into his own net.

Disaster! Tottenham, still tired from their Europa League exploits on Thursday, see their top-four ambitions take a pounding as Wigan shock them 1-0 for the second time this season (and the fourth time in five years).

Result! Chelsea’s 5-0 shellacking of Swansea, minor revenge against their League Cup woe and ball boys everywhere, means they are mathematically assured of a top-four finish. Rafael Benitez mentions this 16 times to journalists after the match.

Draws! The Baggies nab two points on the road at Southampton and then Man City; Norwich stay above Stoke with a hard-fought draw in the Potteries.

Other games! West Ham lose at the Etihad, Newcastle surprise Liverpool with a competent, effective, Gallic performance, and Everton see off Fulham 1-0 to go fourth – and three points clear of Arsenal.

WEEK 36 (Saturday, May 4 – Wednesday, May 8)

Normal service is resumed: home wins for Tottenham (over Southampton), West Brom (over Wigan), West Ham (over Newcastle) and Fulham (over hapless Reading). Manchester United vs Chelsea, a fixture beginning to occur even more frequently than el Clasico, finishes just as predictably: 0-0.

QPR are relegated at Loftus Road with a defeat to Arsenal, who not only turn up but play rather well. Sunderland’s goalless draw with Stoke fully earns its last slot on Match of the Day – in fact, Gary Lineker questions to camera whether anybody wants to watch the game’s alleged ‘highlights’ at all – but it does drag Sunderland and Martin O’Neill, by now completely bald, one point closer to safety. Nonetheless, it’s an opportunity missed for the North East club, not least as Stoke are forced by an injury crisis into playing Robert Huth as a lone striker.

Elsewhere, there are victories on the road for Manchester City and Aston Villa, who overcome Norwich 2-0 thanks to goals from Christian Benteke (again) and Gabby Agbonlahor. A thrilling Merseyside derby ends 2-2, helping Arsenal and Tottenham to close the gap on Everton. On Wednesday, Chelsea beat Fulham at Craven Cottage.

It didn’t look that way in March but somehow, both Aston Villa and Wigan – who scrape a win over Swansea in midweek – are now almost guaranteed safety. Southampton are in the biggest danger of being overtaken by Sunderland but incredibly, as we go into the final fortnight there are eight teams who could still take the single remaining ticket to the Championship.

WEEK 37 (Sunday, May 12 – Wednesday, May 15)

Sunderland have done it: they’ve pulled off a massive, titanic, gargantuan 1-0 win over Southampton to leapfrog Mauricio Pochettino’s men and climb out of the relegation zone, if indeed you can leap and climb at the same time. The Saints are staring down the barrel of a gun without a paddle to their name, and try as they might, Newcastle just can’t scrabble clear from the danger zone and its trapdoor (stop now – Ed). The Magpies lose a five-goal thriller to QPR, who play as if they have nothing left to lose but all their players over the summer.

There are wake-up calls for Wigan and Villa, battered 4-1 and 4-0 by Arsenal and Chelsea, reminding them that although it’d take a miraculous series of events, one of them could still go down on goal difference. Chelsea’s victory comes on Wednesday, having beaten Millwall 4-0 in the FA Cup Final at the weekend.

Tottenham have the Europa League final to look forward to but that’s all: a draw away to Stoke takes them out of the running for qualification to the Champions League (and, indeed, the Europa League unless they win the final). Everton are still favourites having beaten West Ham 2-0 – but they face a trip to Stamford Bridge.

WEEK 38 (Sunday, May 19)

All to play for. Chelsea could finish second; Everton and Arsenal both want fourth; one of five teams (Southampton, Sunderland, Newcastle, Aston Villa or Wigan) will be relegated. It’s Super Duper Pooper Sunday!

Both Manchester teams wrap up their seasons with victories, City thrashing Norwich 3-0 and United prevailing 3-1 over West Brom, while Liverpool finish on a high by beating QPR with ease. Reading also win, surprising everybody at Upton Park, not that it matters much as they walk off into the Championship sunset.

Fulham overtake Swansea in the table by beating them at the Liberty and Wigan and Villa draw 0-0 to ensure safety – albeit a misfiring one – for them both.

Sunderland’s joy at exiting the relegation zone is short-lived. They go down 2-1 to Tottenham, who lost to Benfica in Amsterdam just days before to round off another frustrating season. But Southampton still need to win to stay up – and they do, scrapping to a 1-0 victory over Stoke. Cue celebrating people in red-and-white shirts and crying people in red-and-white shirts.

But the real drama is for fourth. In the dying minutes Arsenal are trailing 2-1 at St James’ Park and know that with Everton losing at Chelsea, they could snatch fourth if they can just equalise. Players are thrown forward in a very un-Wenger-like manner until they win a corner in the 93rd minute. Szczesny goes up... but it’s headed clear and Newcastle run up the other end to score.

It’s all over. Everton have qualified for the Champions League; Arsenal have missed out for the first time under Arsene Wenger. Sunderland have been relegated, along with QPR and Reading.

Who saw that coming?

Montenegro vs England was a figment of your imagination, Brnovic boasts

Back of the Net — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:30:00 GMT

If you thought you wasted your Tuesday evening watching a dull match, you should think again, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic has revealed that yesterday’s World Cup qualifier against England was all an illusion he had created.

In the build-up to England’s trip to Podgorica, Brnovic caused controversy with a series of inflammatory comments that Roy Hodgson dismissed as ‘mind games’.

However, in the aftermath of an apparent 1-1 draw, Brnovic has outlined the true extent of his mentalist capabilities.

“Obviously England will be frustrated to have let their lead slip and only come away with a point, but it was a great second half performance from our boys,” Brnovic told FourFourTwo.

“Except that it wasn’t a great performance from our boys, because there was no England lead – in fact there was no game at all. It was all me, Brnovic.

“We’re not even in England’s group, we’re in Group C with the Republic of Ireland and Germany.

“But actually we’re not even in Group C because Montenegro never became an independent state. It’s still part of a united Yugoslavia.”

Brnovic went on to reveal that apparent goal scorer Dejan Damjanovic was in fact Stevan Jovetic, who in turn is actually Mirko Vucinic. He was unable to clarify the purpose in this exchange.

UEFA have indicated that they will investigate Brnovic’s claims but the result is likely to stand. Much of Latvia’s successful Euro 2004 qualification campaign was found to be a vivid dream that Marius Pahars had after one of his famed cheese and wine evenings in Riga, but the Latvians were still admitted to the competition.

Brnovic concluded his interview in buoyant fashion, telling FourFourTwo that he fancied his side’s chances of finishing top of Group H, insisting that they had already finished top of Group H and then ripping his face off to reveal he was in fact Roy Hodgson.

All Back of the Net blogs >>

Pride in Spain as Del Bosque's side continue to deliver when it matters most

Tim Stannard — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:43:00 GMT

It’s not often that La Liga Loca has the chance to be all fresh, brash and Rosie Pérez in White Men Can’t Jump with a huge, smug ‘told you so’. In fact, LLL has never previously had that opportunity. Recent posts predicted Barcelona to prevail in the Copa del Rey semi-final Clásicos, and for Real Madrid and Barça to be knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage, although that was perhaps more wishful thinking inspired by the love of a quiet life.

But the vibe ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Spain and France was spot-on, with this very blog reminding you that the World and European champions have always thrown the odd wobbly before bouncing back when required with a gritty 1-0 win. Admittedly, that looked in doubt for a while in Paris, with Spain missing chances and Víctor Valdés busier than the Spanish media would care to remember, with the theme in the post-match reports being that it was a very deserved win.

The goal was a pleasing scrambled effort from Pedro and not “magnificent” as Marca’s match report claimed, and continued a fine international campaign for the Canary Islander, who has scored 10 goals this season for Spain. All in all, it was a Barça-based victory, with Valdés pulling off some fine stops at the other end of the pitch, and this has inspired some rare interest from the press in the Catalan capital.

“Pedro gives the World Cup a second chance” beamed Wednesday’s front cover of Sport. “Nobody can stop a national team that shows a praiseworthy concentration and absolute effort,” was Josep Maria Casanovas' response to a win that gives Spain a one-point lead in their group with three matches left. “Del Bosque can be proud of his men, they always deliver in tough moments.”

Mundo Deportivo are also holding back a tear or two, with Francesc Aguilar commenting that “it’s not that (Spain) want to die true to their style, but the opposite. They go out to win, as always, with the pride of Champions.”

AS are commendably political on Wednesday. Aside from the sufficiently boastful headline that “there’s a reason we are Champions”, editor Alfredo Relaño refers to the numerous corruption trials taking place in the country, including one involving the King’s son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín. “This land, swept up from north to south by ‘urdangarinatos’ that weaken us and depress us needed a moment of joy like this.”

“A dumbstruck Paris watched a display by the best national team on planet Earth,” reports Tomás Roncero. There was great love as well from the enormous Madridista to Víctor Valdés and the goalkeeper’s match-saving performance. “When the great Iker lifts the World Cup in 2014 [...] I will leave a space in my memory for the great saves of Valdés. Thanks, Víctor. Thanks, Spain.”

The mood in Spain is not so much relief - after all, previous experiences showed that Vicente del Bosque’s side delivers when it’s really, really, really necessary - but rather great pride. Despite the differences in the Spain camp between the players from The Big Two, it was a victory forged in La Masia (via the Canary Islands) but with crucial contributions from the Spanish capital and even Pamplona, with a solid display from Nacho Monreal. The country may be in a massive mess in every other department, but the football team keeps on rolling.

Arsenal 1-0 CSKA Moscow: Gnabry grabs plaudits but dogged defenders are the quiet stars

Tom J Doyle — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:20:00 GMT

Tom J Doyle watches Arsenal join Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon in the NextGen semi-finals...

The Premier League may have disappointed in the Champions League this season, but future continental battles look more promising with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea qualifying for the semi-finals of the NextGen Under-19s tournament.

After knocking out Inter in the last round amid appalling conditions, the Gunners overcame CSKA Moscow 1-0 at a bitterly cold Emirates Stadium on Monday night to set up a Good Friday derby clash with Chelsea in Italy. Villa will face Sporting Lisbon on the same day, with both ties to be held at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia near Lake Como to decide the finalists on Easter Monday at the same location.

Terry Burton’s side kept their composure in front of the 6,684-strong crowd to deny the promising Russian youngsters, with Serge Gnabry grabbing the headlines once again with an all-action display and the game’s decisive goal after 53 minutes. While the talented 17-year-old caught the eye with barnstorming runs and a composed finish from 12 yards, the Gunners’ back line must also take huge credit for yet another clean sheet to cement their reputation as one of the favourites to lift the cup.

From the first whistle it was clear that like Arsene Wenger’s first team, Burton’s side were intent on controlling possession. For their part, CSKA looked formidable on the counter with the fine touch and clever passing of forward Konstantin Bazelyuk causing problems along the front line. While Arsenal’s lax early passing resulted in a number of promising breakaways, the Russian side were unable to take advantage – due in no small part to the pace and positioning of centre-back pairing Sead Hajrovic and Isaac Hayden.

With the Gunners’ full-backs Hector Bellerin and Martin Angha given licence to roam forward, CSKA could and should have punished the hosts, but the formation spoke volumes about Burton’s faith in his central defensive partnership. They made block after block, with Hajrovic particularly dominant in the air; where other players might have become flustered, the 19-year-old’s calm use of the ball in the air throughout marked him out as a definite talent.

Gnabry (left) celebrates scoring the decisive goal with Chuba Akpom

“I thought the whole back four defended when they had to,” Burton said afterwards. “Moscow are a counter-attack side and hoped to hit us on the break, so we had to concentrate and be ready for that – which I thought they did very well.”

Bellerin was perhaps the game’s standout performer, and may well present Wenger with another option at right-back in the near future given Bacary Sagna’s current contract situation. The 18-year-old Catalan attacked with real intent and sent over a few delicious early crosses, one of which appeared to be headed over the line by Gnabry although no goal was given.

Bellerin played a decisive part in the goal, executing a neat one-two with Gnabry, and was a menace throughout down the flank. Given his confidence on the ball it comes as no surprise he has been converted from a winger since his days at Barcelona, with Burton saying of his performance: “When he gets into the final third he’s a useful attacker, and I thought he defended well.”

Although Bellerin made a number of timely blocks, there are still some defensive flaws to be ironed out of his game: he was caught out twice as the game drew to a close, but his misjudgement of a long ball went unpunished and one pass bounced off his backside when well out of position. Perhaps the talented players are sometimes also the lucky ones.

On the other side, Martin Angha offered the rare sight of a wing-back who is unafraid of venturing infield from the left, and on at least three occasions troubled the CSKA centre-backs with incisive dribbling towards goal.

Angha (right) was happy to cut inside from wide on the Gunners' left

The Swiss teenager’s marauding display deserved a goal and only quick reactions from visiting keeper Sergey Revyakin denied him in the second half. While the 6ft2in Angha has a battle in dislodging Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs on the left, he has the raw talent and physique to give Wenger food for thought.

Gnabry was a pest throughout, always looking to find space in between the lines, and his match-winning display correctly deserves the plaudits. The German looks to be the real deal and with such pace and power at a young age, bigger games surely await him. But as well as the attacking strength in the squad, two consecutive 1-0 wins over cultured opponents shows Burton’s players are quickly proving how to marry intricate passing football with a miserly defence – against any opponents.

“You never know how they’re going to react on the big stage because this is a big occasion for them,” said Burton. “What you want them to do is play the game and not the occasion, which they did and I was pleased with all of them.”

Captain Nico Yennaris had a quieter game than usual but marshalled the space in front of the back line well, and believes occasions like this can only help him and others intent on making the grade at Arsenal.

“I think it’ll help most of the players that are coming up through the youth system as it gives another chance to show what they can do, especially in games like this against European opponents,” said Yennaris. “The manager is looking at what they can do in those types of games against different opposition so it’s a great opportunity.”

After another confident display built upon a solid defence and intricate forward play, the future looks bright for this Arsenal U19s side; they are talented, undaunted by the big stage, and perhaps most important of all for Gunners fans, hungry for silverware.

Forgotten history of near-misses and fumbles give Spain cause for positivity in Paris

Tim Stannard — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:52:00 GMT

There’s some selective memory when it comes to the Spanish national team and their grand triumphs of recent years. In fact, it’s a mind wipe of science fiction proportions.

While it’s true La Selección are reigning World and European Champions, the paths to winning these prizes haven't exactly been ones the players have skipped merrily along, humming Barbie Girl while clutching baskets stuffed with rose petals.

There have been more than a couple of moments when Spain have royally stuffed things up and looked like mere mortals. However, over the five years since the first of their back-to-back-to-back tournament victories, Spain have managed to prevail whenever they’ve wandered into a footballing poop patch. History suggests Spain shall do so again in Tuesday night's 'crunch' World Cup qualifier against France in Paris.

In 2008, Spain drew 0-0 with Italy in the quarter-finals of the European Championships and were a penalty shoot-out away from being bottling dark horses, all over again. Vicente Del Bosque’s side lost their opening match of the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland in an encounter similar to Friday's underwhelming draw against Finland. Spain then won the title with narrow 1-0 victories in the knock-out stages against Portugal, Paraguay, Germany and Netherlands. The eventual triumph was well deserved, but it wasn't a case of a team sweeping away all before them. It was more grinding than galavanting.

Spain received another barrage of criticism for only drawing 1-1 with Italy in the group stages of Euro 2012, then again for needing a penalty shoot-out to squeeze past Portugal at the semi-final stage. They then creamed Italy in the final, one of the rare occasions that everything came together for the world's top-ranked side.

So when Sergio Ramos said on Monday that “football has no memory”, the Madrid defender was right, although he was referring to the way players must prove themselves again and again in the game, and that "the badge doesn’t win games". Ramos was also correct in his notion that, while Spain are repeated champions of everything, the voyage has never, ever been plain sailing and there have been plenty of slip-ups and wobbles along the way.

The Finland match was one of them. Although it may seem a little trite to say nobody would have raised an eyebrow at the Spanish showing had they won the game, this could certainly be said of Friday's match at Sporting’s El Molinón stadium. Yes, the performance was a touch below par and the players were wasteful in front of goal, but it was no different to many, many matches in which this Spain side have scraped victories without much comment.

The problem is that the reigning World Champions have always had to deal both with very high expectations and very cluttered memories of the recent past. It’s the same situation in 2013 with Finland and France.

Perhaps being at the top for so long has left Spain needing a bit of danger in their lives to truly get the football juices flowing. A victory in France would put Del Bosque’s side in control of their own destiny for the remaining three matches of the qualifying group. Anything less than three points will leave La Roja hoping France drop points away to Belarus and Georgia. While the situation could be worrying for Spain, it’s unlikely to be critical, with the handy safety net of the play-offs acting as a fallback.

History suggests that at least a draw is on the cards for Spain, given it’s been 20 years since they lost a World Cup qualifying fixture. This leaves the flag-waving sections of the Madrid-based press caught in two minds about the contest. While there is an attempt to lift the spirits ahead of the game - the cover of Tuesday's Marca shows the Eiffel Tower in the colours of the Spanish flag - there’s still not quite the same tension a World Cup knock-out match would have, with the knowledge that there’s a number of second chances for Del Bosque’s side should things go wrong in Paris. “This team has won a lot of games, many more difficult than this one,” notes the editorial in AS.

This qualifying phase for the 2014 World Cup is simply following the pattern of Spain’s journeys over recent years. Everyone tends to remember the glorious arrival and the trophy-lifting, but they turn a blind eye to the wrong-turns, comedic stumbles and furious throwing of the map out the car window along the way.

An awful penalty, a severed finger and a pierced penis: football's harshest yellow and red cards

Nick Moore — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:09:00 GMT

On Sunday, former Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan star Clarence Seedorf was sent off for only the second time in his career - for walking off the pitch too slowly.

Having just been substituted towards the end of Botafogo's 2-1 win over Madureira, the Dutchman trudged off to the other end of the pitch to waste time, rather than exit by the nearest touchline as instructed by the referee. The official promptly showed Seedorf a second yellow card, much to the veteran's delight...

Here are ten more bizarre yellow and red cards.

The footballing Russian doll
The mandatory yellow for shirt removal has always seemed miserly, but what if a player were to tear off the garment only to reveal another, identical top? Eric Hassli from Vancouver Whitecaps found out: after dinking in a penalty against New England in June 2011, he performed this daring statement – while already on a yellow – and was promptly sent off. Kudos for trying, Eric.

Thierry’s ennui
When Thierry Henry patted Portland Timbers’ Adam Moffatt on the head after a squabble in June 2011, the man in black weirdly decided that this constituted ‘violent conduct’. Difficult to justify – unless he just fancied dismissing the Frenchman for being a patronising git.

Fetch the rulebook! (No.1)
In Greece, Asteras Tripolis’ Adrian Bastia was punished in December 2008 for tripping a pitch invader in an attempt to help apprehend the naked interloper. The referee decreed that this was worthy of a red. Cruel.

Tripping yarn
Pull off a Panenka successfully and you can appear rugged, fearless and sexually alluring. Do it wrong and you’re Benny Hill. Al Ahly’s Amir Sayoud found himself in the latter camp in 2011, as he attempted to convert in such a manner, but instead hoofed the ground and performed a face-plant. The official then gave him a yellow card for “disregarding an opponent” – which in Egyptian rules must translate as being a berk.

Stripped off
Is undressing as you’re substituted just good pre-bath admin? Not according to Ukrainian officials. In November 2011, Dnipro’s Samuel Inkoom removed his top as he jogged off, only for the ref to wave a second yellow before his replacement could come on. His gaffer, ex-Spurs boss Juande Ramos, wasn’t understanding either, calling Inkoom’s action “unforgiveable”.

Pierced penis
Unless they’re consenting adults in the privacy of their own home, a man’s Prince Albert is not something he should share with a referee. This was not the case for Aaron Eccleston from Old Hill Wanderers, Australia. After being struck in the nether regions in June 2011, Eccleston lowered his shorts to “check it was still there” (the piercing, we presume) and was sent off by the hawk-eyed official for wearing ‘dangerous jewellery’. “I don’t think my mum’s going to be happy,” said Macclesfield-born expat Eccleston afterwards.

Target practice
Refs love to give it out, but can they take it? Anzhi’s game against Zenit in Russia in 2011 suggests not. Moroccan Mbark Boussoufa gently chipped towards the spot where a free-kick had been given, brushed the ref’s back – and was angrily dismissed as if he’d kicked the ref in the swingers while calling his mum a bike. Baffling.

Fetch the rulebook! (No.2)
Brazilian kid Pottker got his marching orders for Figueirense under-20s against Bahia after snaffling an uncontested drop-ball for himself and scoring, instead of the usual etiquette of kicking it back to the team originally in possession. The referee sent him off... but let the goal stand.

Ref given the finger
Players can take celebrations too far, but when a man is on the floor scrabbling about for a body part he’s accidentally ripped off, adding a ‘hurry up’ card to his woes seems somewhat unfair. Such a fate befell midfielder Paulo Diogo of Swiss side Servette in 2004, however, after he trapped his wedding ring in a barrier while celebrating with the fans, losing digit and ring in the process. The ref was unimpressed with Diogo’s histrionics and second-yellowed him for mucking about. The time-wasting stump was later amputated.

VIDEO Diogo's unfortunate moment(s). Contains blood...obviously

There was definitely contact, ref...
But the worst decision of all? That would be the one made at Belgian game Templeuvois vs Quevy in 2011 in which the former’s Julien Lecomte was sent off for diving – while being stretchered to hospital with three displaced neck vertebrae and severe concussion having being elbowed in the head.

This article was originally published as a list in the September 2012 issue of FourFourTwo

Football in the City of the Dead: The truth behind the first match of the Siege of Leningrad

Mark Gilbey — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:15:00 GMT

It was a story that could have been taken straight from the script of a Hollywood movie. There was no glory, no glittering trophy or hero as such, but amid the utter devastation and suffering wrought by Germany’s brutal siege of Leningrad during World War Two, a football match took place. For its war-weary people, Dinamo Leningrad versus Nevsky Zavod was not just an allegory of resistance, but a defiant gesture that their city would not surrender.

Operation Barbarossa – the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union – began on 22 June 1941. They soon reached Leningrad (now St Petersburg), but in the face of fierce resistance, Adolf Hitler instead ordered his generals to impose a blockade. By September the city was surrounded. The Wehrmacht severed communications and subjected it to fierce artillery and aerial bombardment during a siege that lasted 872 days. According to official figures, starvation, hypothermia, disease or enemy action killed 632,000 people, although the actual death toll is probably closer to a million.

Conditions were appalling, and made worse by one of the harshest winters in decades that saw temperatures plummet to -35ºC. In April 1942 the Luftwaffe airdropped macabre pamphlets entitled “Leningrad: the City of the Dead”, that bluntly informed the populace of their fate. “We will not take her yet but only because we are scared of an epidemic from the bodies,” said the gruesome missive. “We have wiped this city from the face of the earth.” They had even deposited chilling invitations to a “victory party” at the Hotel Astoria. But Leningraders would not submit. Indeed, sport became a means by which to raise spirits and show the Germans that life continued.

German infantrymen advance towards Leningrad in September 1941

The Soviet championship followed the calendar year – it didn’t use the “autumn-spring” system favoured in the west and recently adopted by Russia – so was almost at the halfway stage when Germany invaded. Leningrad had been represented by three clubs in the Top League: pre-war favourites Dinamo, the now defunct Spartak and Zenit, who began as a team from a local metal plant. The final football was played on 24 June. Despite a few ad-hoc games during the siege, the “Blockade Match”, as it came to be known, had been the first “proper” fixture and was organised by the Regional Party Committee.

At that time many footballers had been evacuated, some were dead, others serving in the forces or police, while a few remained in Leningrad. Details of the Blockade Match are hazy, but the most important fact is that on 31 May 1942, Dinamo played Nevsky Zavod (the metal plant’s team that was, in essence, Zenit) in a fixture that became testimony to the city’s strong spirit and resilience. Some players even returned from the front for the match.

Dinamo, with many of the squad enrolled in the army or police, had better fitness levels. They suggested a full match. Nevsky Zavod wanted two halves of 20 minutes and, while there are some reports of it indeed lasting one-and-a-half hours, others claim that their meeting consisted of two 30-minute halves. Certainly this is the assertion of Zenit’s historians.

With resources limited, civilians attempt to collect water from a broken main

One irrefutable fact is the venue. Dinamo’s stadium on Krestovsky Island had suffered heavy bombing so it took place on their reserve pitch. Most of the terraces were gone, either damaged or taken as firewood the previous winter. Even before kickoff the sides had been warned not to kick the ball on to an adjacent field being used as a makeshift allotment.

Romantics insist that a large crowd was in attendance on that warm and sunny day – as high a couple of thousand, perhaps – while others have been slightly more conservative in their estimates. It was likely just a small number were present. Certainly the patients of a nearby hospital and some factory workers witnessed it. The game, broadcast over the radio, probably wasn't heard by either set of troops on the frontline, despite claims to the contrary. The majority of Leningraders only really learned about the match a couple of days later from newspapers.

A Russian gunner staves off the assault on the Leningrad suburbs

Reports vary. One imagines the siege had left both sides in poor physical condition, despite their preparations, and that it perhaps wasn't quite the fast-paced match Leningradskaya Pravda details. But there had been a sense of occasion. Both teams were fully kitted out, clean-shaven and well-groomed. It proved to be a struggle, however, with some players collapsing from exhaustion and needing help to get back up again. Neither sat down at half-time for fear of being unable to stand and at the final whistle they walked off in arms.

Separating fact from fiction is difficult; even the date is disputed. Some claim that the first match was actually Dinamo’s 7-3 victory over a Baltic Fleet side, although the game with Nevsky Zavod is generally accepted as taking place earlier. They may or may not have sought shelter from a German attack, but we do know that Dinamo won 6-0, and that a week later they played out a 2-2 draw in front of 250 spectators, despite nearby shelling. By no means the only game during the siege (football became an almost regular event), it is their first fixture, and one that became one of legend for St Petersburg.

The Monument to the defenders of Leningrad in modern day St Petersburg

Football formally returned to the USSR in July 1944, with a cup competition that included both Zenit and Dinamo. The league began the following year. Zenit, after defeating Dinamo Moscow’s first and second teams, along with Azerbaijan’s Dinamo Baku, overcame Spartak Moscow to earn a place in the final, where Konstantin Lemeshev’s side beat CDKA Moscow 2-1.

No side from outside of the capital had ever won the competition before and it was also Zenit’s first piece of silverware. In a city proud of its history the Blockade Match is not forgotten. Last year, on its 70th anniversary, a monument honouring the two sides was unveiled on Krestovsky Island and the match recreated to honour those who provided Leningraders with a beacon of hope in its darkest hour.

Can you name England's under-21 stars of yesteryear?

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:40:00 GMT

England's first under-21 match, a goalless draw against Wales at Molineux, took place in 1976.

Since then, hundreds of young hopefuls have featured for the Lion Cubs (a nickname that, mercifully, hasn't caught on), but they haven't all gone on to star at senior level like the Beckhams, Rooneys and Jake Livermores of this world.

We've trawled the photo archives for snaps of England U21 sides down the years - do you recognise all the players? You can even have a stab at the results of all the matches, if you so wish.

Disclaimer: The only prizes are the ones you find deep within your soul

Click on the team photos for a larger version.

November 13, 1984 - Turkey v England

September 7, 1993 - England v Poland

November 15, 1994 - England v Republic of Ireland

May 30, 1997 - Poland v England

June 8, 1999 - Bulgaria v England

March 29, 2000 - Yugoslavia v England

May 24, 2001 - England v Mexico

August 19, 2003 - England v Croatia

Bonus

You may think this is cheating a bit, but it's our quiz, so we'll do as we please.

Here are the starting XI from England U20's Toulon Tournament fixture against Argentina in 2003. Good luck...

June 13, 2003 - England U20 v Argentina U20

ANSWERS Find out who you missed

Hodgson's centre-back quandary is about more than just defending

Michael Cox — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:10:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – now FREE – to assess Hodgson's choices at centre-back...

With John Terry’s international retirement, Rio Ferdinand’s decision to withdraw from the England squad and injuries to Phil Jagielka, Michael Dawson and Gary Cahill, Roy Hodgson is experiencing something of a centre-back crisis this week.
The good news, of course, is that England’s first opponents are San Marino, who have lost each of their last 50 international fixtures, scoring just seven goals. England’s centre-backs are unlikely to be tested defensively, barring any first-minute defensive errors, as famously happened 20 years ago.

NEWS FEATURE Still easy for England despite defensive issues

The main duty for England’s centre-backs will primarily be about ball retention. They’ll probably spend the majority of the game on the halfway line, and will expect to complete 10 times as many passes as they attempt tackles. This prompted speculation that Hodgson would field Michael Carrick in the centre-back role he’s occasionally played at Manchester United.

In a game where England will dominate possession, it would be similar to Michael Laudrup using passing midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung at centre-back in Swansea’s Carling Cup final victory over Bradford: there was little actual defending needed.

But Hodgson was quick to deny these suggestions, and has indicated that a duo of traditional centre-backs will start the game. “I think we've got four very good [centre-backs] here, so I would be loath to be using Carrick, who has been selected for his prowess as a midfielder,” he said at a pre-match press conference. “It would be enormously harsh on the four centre-backs we have who are all vying for a place in the team.”

Therefore, two of Joleon Lescott, Chris Smalling, Steven Caulker and Steven Taylor will play – and this will be more about their ball retention abilities than their defensive skills.

As the most experienced of the quartet, Lescott will expect to start – despite his lack of playing time at Manchester City this season, having been replaced in Roberto Mancini’s first XI by Matija Nastasic. Of these four players, Lescott boasts the highest pass completion rate at 90.4% – which is partly because he plays long balls rarely, completing just 1.3 long passes per game.

His most recent full Premier League appearance, in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool last month, shows Lescott’s style – he plays left-of-centre and is generally cautious with his distribution, and his passes into the final third are often inaccurate.

Taylor is the next most-reliable passer, with a completion rate of 89.7% – and, playing for Newcastle, he hits accurate long passes twice as often as Lescott. But the interesting thing about Taylor is how flustered he becomes when closed down. Given time and space on the ball, he’s capable of short, neat, sensible passing – but when pressed, his lack of technical ability becomes obvious. Compare his distribution against Southampton (when he was pressed) and Stoke (when he wasn’t) – the difference is clear.

Tottenham’s Steven Caulker may have a marginally less impressive pass completion rate, but he might be the best option against San Marino. The former Swansea loanee has become used to playing a high defensive line under Brendan Rodgers and Andre Villas-Boas, and has the ability to stride forward into midfield, before hitting a decent pass into the attacking players.

As his passing chalkboard in the recent defeat to Fulham demonstrates, he’s reliable on the ball, but also adventurous in popping up in the opposition third.

Finally, there’s Chris Smalling. With an 86.4% completion rate, he has the lowest passing accuracy of these four players – surprising, considering he generally looks extremely composed on the ball.

Smalling’s last start at centre-back was for England against Brazil, and he’s found his opportunities in the centre of defence limited at Manchester United, where he’s recently been used at right-back.

As a right-footer, Smalling is significantly more comfortable on that side of the centre-back pairing. Often forced to fit in around other Manchester United centre-backs, he’s capable of ambitious (if wayward) diagonal balls into midfield when on the right of the duo, but when used to the left, he frequently turns inside and hits simple square balls to his centre-back partner.

As the only player comfortable on the left of a duo, Lescott seems likely to get the nod against San Marino. But Hodgson’s decision about his partner will be interesting – in terms of being comfortable on the ball, Caulker might be his best bet, although Smalling played well against Brazil, and Hodgson is likely to favour consistency over stylistic concerns.

Download Stats Zone • More about Stats Zone • More Stats Zone analysis

Michael Owen viewed with respect and regret at Real Madrid

Tim Stannard — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:47:00 GMT

From a Spanish viewpoint, it appears that the news of Michael Owen’s impending retirement has been met with either ambivalence or hostility from Premier League fans – especially at Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Stoke, whose clubs he represented. But among Real Madrid supporters, there is a deep well of respect for a man who made 19 La Liga starts but still managed to score 13 goals.

Owen’s announcement made the Spanish sports pages as something of an aside. The then 24-year-old's single-season Santiago Bernabéu spell in 2004/05 was always an odd one.

There's a lot a confusion as to what the Englishman was doing in the Spanish capital in the first place, with Ronaldo and Raúl already hogging the prime roles in the Real Madrid forward line and almost impossible to displace. Then again, there’s a lack of understanding of why Owen decided to pack his bags just 383 days into a four-season deal, giving up on Real Madrid and moving to Newcastle.

Owen was always going to be the third choice up front, what with Ronaldo being the apple of Florentino Perez’s eye and Raúl being apple of his own eye as well as club captain and firm fan favourite, but the Englishman still delivered consistently for the team, whether from the start or by coming off the bench. “So many people thought he was very good, did his job very well and scored so many goals,” recalls Marca writer Rodrigo Marciel. “No one here has a bad word to say against him.”

On the other side of the fence: Owen and friends

But Owen didn't only struggle to make himself at home on the pitch: he also looked uncomfortable in the all-important area of relationships with the fans and media. Already in the footballing shadow of Raúl and Ronaldo, he also battled with comparisons to compatriot Steve McManaman off the field. To this day, the retired midfielder is adored by Real Madrid fans not only for what he achieved as a player, but also his spirit, good humour, adaptability to local customs, language skills and for never once complaining when on the bench or out of favour. “McManaman is a legend at Real Madrid,” says Rodrigo Marciel.

Through no fault of his own, Michael Owen was a very different personality to his former Liverpool team-mate – or even David Beckham, another Englishman still adored at the Santiago Bernabéu. The forward appeared shy, introverted and struggled to settle in the Spanish capital because “he missed his English life, that’s the key,” says Marciel.

This meant that there was no emotional connection between Owen and the Real Madrid supporters, something that may have helped the footballer adapt more successfully to his surroundings and perhaps have led to a longer spell in the Spanish capital. In a parallel universe there is a Michael Owen who spent three more years at Madrid, scoring 100 goals for the club.

However, a swift return to England was the future for Owen, whose one season spell in Spain was marked by undoubted success and unfulfilled potential. Despite this, Real Madrid’s home is one stadium where the retiring striker would receive a warm and respectful welcome, if tinged with regret of what might have been.

Mourinho hints at award scandal, as Benzema takes a vow of silence

Tim Stannard — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:14:00 GMT

International breaks would be tremendously dull affairs were it not for footballers and managers shooting their mouths off, mindlessly ranting about how everything is rubbish and just not fair. La Liga Loca suspects many of them are well aware of the repercussions of these choice comments made away from the clutches of their respective club’s press officers.

José Mourinho certainly fell into that bracket when he told the Portuguese media the reasons he didn't travel to the FIFA Ballon d’Or awards in January, instead choosing to remain in Madrid. “Two or three people called me and said ‘I voted for you and the vote appeared for someone else’” revealed a mischievous Mourinho, who also admitted that perhaps his greatest pleasure at getting past Manchester United in the Champions League last 16 was that “a lot of people weren’t expecting it and were frustrated.”

“Where is he going with this,” asked Marca’s Wednesday editorial. “When he won in 2010, there were no complaints.”

Sergio Ramos was also feeling frustrated after the win in Manchester, but instead about the reaction of Mourinho, who claimed that “the best team lost”.

“I would have liked for him to have said something else,” Ramos sniffed during preparations for Spain’s double header against Finland and France.

The latter of those opponents are set to field Karim Benzema, who has caused a bit of a hullaballoo in his own country by admitting that he doesn’t bang out the country’s national anthem ahead of games. “I’ve never sung it in my life and I’m not going to now. Not doing it, won’t stop me from scoring a hat-trick,” noted Benzema quite reasonably. “If I score a lot of goals in a France game, nobody will ask if I sang La Marseillaise before.”

Although his comments drew criticism from France’s National Front party, he was backed by Michel Platini, who admited he also hadn’t one for a pre-match singalong back in the day. “It’s a war song and for me, a football match is a sporting event, not war,” revealed the UEFA president.

There was also a bit of bother in the Catalan capital, with Sandro Rosell telling children at a local school that “the fact that you speak Catalan, understand Catalan and are Barça fans in Catalonia, speaking Catalan is exactly what you should do, to show your feeling towards the club.”

Espanyol get a little touchy about Barça’s tendency to hog the big Catalan duvet, with club president Joan Collet responding that “no club has the exclusivity nor patent on Catalanism. There are a lot of Barça members who don’t speak Catalan and not everyone that does speak it is for Barça.”

Deportivo's Augusto Lendoiro was another club president who felt like having his say, this time in response to a fairly damning report from the administrators that details a €156 million debt and states that staying in business is “the least bad option” for Deportivo. Lendoiro clearly doesn’t do humility, and responded with the impeccable logic that the same people who got Deportivo into such a mess should be the ones to get it out again. “If someone can save the club it’s the current board. Who is going to know all this better than us?”

Lendoiro also challenged the size of the debt reported, saw the lack of evidence of any theft or impropriety at the club as “very important” and slammed the administrators for a perceived lack of communication. “There’s no relationship, I’ve asked to meet once a day (LLL suspects lunch was the idea for the chunky chieftain) but it’s too much to ask.”

It’s been a fine start to international week, and there's plenty more time for further mischief to be made.

Rio Ferdinand refuses to do any of the boring bits of jigsaw puzzle

Back of the Net — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:10:00 GMT

The centreback is willing to help out, but just not yes, as Back of the Net's Paul Watson reports...

Friends of Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand have expressed their frustration at the experienced stopper’s reluctance to take part in the arduous early work in a 1,500-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Ferdinand and a group of friends initially sat down with a testing jigsaw of Westminster Abbey last night with the entire team seeming to be fully committed to the task at hand.

But Ferdinand's teammates were left flummoxed when the 34-year-old hurried off during the testing early stages of the puzzle, asserting that he would be ‘back to help finish it off’.

“Of course there’s some bitterness,” an anonymous puzzler told FourFourTwo.

“Those first few hours are sheer hell out there and you all need to pull together. It was a big letdown to see Rio abandon us when we needed his keen eye for angles the most.”

Various critics have questioned Ferdinand’s hunger when confronted with the sometimes less than glorious realities of completing a sizeable jigsaw.

“None of us want to be spending several hours putting together entirely blue pieces to make the sky. But the payoff for that is the adrenaline rush of putting that final piece in the North Transept,” our source continued.

Many felt that Ferdinand was somewhat fortunate to receive the invitation to create a 1,500-piecer having rarely made anything larger than 300 pieces in recent months, which makes his decision even more shocking.

“Sure, Rio used to be able to assemble a border for fun, but these days we often see him trying to mangle two non-connecting pieces together,” the irate puzzleman concluded.

“The saddest thing is that we still need him at all. You would’ve thought we’d be able to find someone better by now.”

All Back of the Net blogs >>

Michael Owen's bizarre year at Madrid

Guest Writer — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:47:00 GMT

Michael Owen only lasted a year at Real Madrid, so some say he was a flop. Christian Brown begs to differ...

When Michael Owen left Liverpool for sunny Madrid in 2004, it wasn’t a decision that baffled many. After all, he’d just joined the biggest club in the world. Who wouldn’t turn Madrid down? A few bitter Liverpool fans were up in arms, but that was to be expected.

Leaving Anfield may have been tough, but to do so in order to play alongside Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos as well as England teammate David Beckham – how could you refuse that? Reality is you couldn’t – so off he went to the Bernabeu for £8m.

While it didn’t work out and he ended up back in England after one season, it was harsh that he was perceived as a ‘flop’ after his stint in Spain. Bearing in mind he had the near-impossible task of dislodging either club talisman Raul or phenomenon Ronaldo, he still managed 19 goals in 43 games.

When you take into account the off-field events at Madrid, where the hierarchy led by Florentino Perez decided to go through three managers that season, it makes his record even more remarkable.

It’s also worth noting that of his 35 league appearances, 15 were from the subs bench. In his 20 starts he scored 13 goals, including strikes against rivals Barcelona and Valencia. Despite predominantly being a substitute, Owen had the best strike rate in Spain: a goal every 110 minutes. By contrast, Raul had four goals in 17 starts, which equated to one goal every 344 minutes.

"Give me a chance… and I'll score"

Come August 2005 though, Owen decided he needed to be starting more games if he was to hold down his England place for the 2006 World Cup. Wayne Rooney was becoming England's main striker and Owen, who at Euro 2004 had become the first England player to score in four international tournaments, couldn't face more bench-time.

With Robinho incoming, Madrid duly granted him permission to leave, and he was sold to Newcastle United for £16.8m – double what Madrid had paid.

Flop? Nah – urban myth. Hit? Most definitely.

The Last Great Poacher: How Mourinho, modernity and muscles ruined Michael Owen's career

Gary Parkinson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:27:00 GMT

The news that former bright young things have reached the age of retirement always comes as something of a shock, but perhaps more so with Michael Owen than most. Owen has had a long and varied career but he will always be best remembered as the teenager who scored against Argentina, the kid with the world at his feet, the future of English football. In fact, he was anything but.

Owen's story says much about the changing nature of football. When he emerged as a startlingly precocious prodigy, playing for the regional U11s at age eight, just about every team played 4-4-2 and desperately wanted a goal-poacher. By the time he broke into the Liverpool first team in 1997 (aged 16), the Reds had experimented with three at the back, but nobody played one upfront. It was the accepted wisdom that strikers hunt in pairs.

But when Owen returned from Madrid in the autumn of 2005, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea (and, to those of lesser means, Sam Allardyce's Bolton) were popularising the single-striker system that still dominates tactical thinking. And with nobody to play off – no Kenny Dalglish to the poacher's Ian Rush, to use an Anfield exemplar – front-runners like Owen became less popular, overlooked in favour of all-round athletic target men expected to bring midfield runners into play. Instead of a big-man/little-man partnership, coaches sought a big man (Didier Drogba if you had money; Kevin Davies if you didn't) to do the work of two. Suddenly the Jimmy Greaves-style fox in the box was out of vogue.

Some even regarded poachers as a luxury, no matter how lethal their strike-rate. In the summer of 2006 Manchester United happily sold Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose five years at Old Trafford had brought 150 goals in fewer than 200 starts but only one league title. Only in the last decade have football fans regularly offered the objection: "Yes, but what does he do except score?"

CHANGING ROLES

Owen tried to re-establish himself as a modern striker, frequently dropping off between the lines to link up play, but he was never going to be as effective as that young man streaking away from a stranded defence. It was partly physiological: injuries have been a constant worry since his teens. His hamstrings had already started to trouble him by early 1999 as Liverpool sought to exploit his split-second switches from standstill to sprint, a five-month absence a worrying harbinger of troubles to come. After 2002/03 he never again maintained sufficient fitness across a Premier League season to feature in 30 league games – or score 20 goals.

He didn't know it at the time, of course, and in summer 2004 sought to stretch himself – in a positive, non-hamstring-tearing way – by moving to Real Madrid for £8 million. Despite a slow start at the Bernabeu he did his job: scoring goals. Although unable to get a regular place in a first XI featuring Ronaldo, Raul, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, he scored as a substitute so consistently (18 goals in 41 games, only 15 of which were starts) that he topped the goals-per-minute chart. Owen was still unquestionably one of Europe's most dangerous strikers; he just needed to move to a club where he could prove it.

And so to Newcastle, where it all went wrong. It's fair to say the Magpies weren't Owen's first choice of English club: they had finished the previous season 14th, way behind the two Merseyside clubs who sought his signature: Champions League holders Liverpool and his boyhood idols Everton, who had finished fourth but needed a top-class striker. But Newcastle blew away the opposition by doubling Madrid's money with a £16.8m bid.

DECLINE AND FALL

It's tempting to see that as the start of the decline, but it's not that simple. Despite a worryingly immediate thigh injury, Owen regained fitness and scored seven in his first 10 Newcastle games. Moreover, in November 2005 he scored two late goals in England's impressive 3-2 friendly win over (who else?) Argentina. That made it 35 international goals at the age of 25, just 14 behind Sir Bobby Charlton's record. Having scored in four successive tournaments, he was looking to the future.

Then the injuries came in earnest. A broken metatarsal on New Year's Eve effectively ended his season, and although he was ready for the World Cup he tore a cruciate ligament against Sweden, all but demolishing the subsequent season. Newcastle reacted angrily, suing the FA for anything up to £20 million and threatening to withhold his participation in England games.

As the public spat continued, questions arose over Owen's commitment to the club, creating an impression which still lingers that the player was simply collecting pay-cheques. In summer 2007, as the latest manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that Owen had a £9 million release clause, chairman Freddy Shepherd offered to "carry him back" to Liverpool, but the striker pledged his future to his employers, saying, "I believe that these can be good times to be at Newcastle."

He was wrong. Neither Shepherd nor Allardyce lasted long and the club spiralled. Owen missed a slice of the 2007 pre-season with another thigh injury, then needed a double hernia operation, then picked up yet another thigh injury – on England duty. He regained fitness and form in the spring, but it was a false dawn: in summer 2008 his pre-season was once again disturbed, this time by a calf strain and, almost unbelievably, mumps. Owen's contract expiry in 2009 coincided with Newcastle's relegation; the club's £40m investment (£16.8m fee, £110,000 per week in wages) had yielded 26 goals in 71 league games.

He had joined Newcastle with dreams of medals and goalscoring records, but he left them as something of a figure of fun: firmly, if unfairly, established as a liability and mocked when his management circulated a 32-page brochure advertising his eminent employability. He earned a pay-as-you-play contract at Manchester United, crawling past 50 appearances over the three seasons, before the odd cameo at Stoke this season. And that, it seems, is that.

It seems odd that a man who has scored 40 goals for his country and 222 for various clubs, who won the Ballon d'Or and has collected nine senior winners' medals, could come to be regarded as something of a disappointment.

But unlike other products of the media age, and despite dalliances with the usual 21st-century ancillary activities of advertising and videogame endorsements, the somewhat dispassionate Owen was never really widely popular. Goals were always his currency, so when they were harder to come by they became a rapidly receding memory – and, like his style of play, seemed to belong to a past age. He once said, "Scoring gives you a 10-second buzz, but I wouldn't describe it as joyful." For Owen, the buzz was a business – and the business has changed.

NEWS Owen to retire at the end of the season
INTERVIEW Owen in 2007: I’d love to be a manager or a coach

Michael Owen: The early years

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:01:00 GMT

Looking back at the first footballing steps of Michael Owen – for Liverpool and England...

Give him a ball: Owen at 14, eagerly awaiting the future

17 May 1996: Liverpool's FA Youth Cup win over West Ham

2 July 1996: Graduating from Lilleshall

6 May 1997: First league goal, at Wimbledon

23 July 1997: Tiny in baggy clothes, but a pre-season first-team regular

16 Sep 1997: Scoring after six minutes of European debut at Celtic

11 Nov 1997: His first senior England training session

11 Feb 1998: Making his England debut against Chile

5 Apr 1998: PFA Young Player of the Year (Oggy won the Merit Award)

21 May 1998: A pre-World Cup standard bearer with Hoddle and Shearer

5 Jun 1998: Sign of the times – boot-flogging at the new Dome

30 Jun 1998: That goal against Argentina – early promise unfulfilled?

ONE-ON-ONE "Football’s been a massive part of my life so I’d love to stay involved"

Feyenoord finally thriving thanks to their award-winning academy

FourFourTwo Team — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:55:00 GMT

Financial difficulties at Feyenoord may have necessitated a focus on youth development, but the Rotterdam club are thriving as a result, as Scott Johnson explains…

The last few years have hardly been a period of great joy or success for Feyenoord. In the history of the Eredivisie, they have only twice stooped lower than the 10th place finish of 2010, while their 14-year wait for the domestic title is their longest since the league was formed in 1956.

But there are finally signs of improvement. Last season's second-place finish was enough to earn them a Champions League spot for the first time in a decade, and although the De Kuip side were beaten by Dynamo Kiev in the third qualifying round, they have maintained their forward momentum.

Currently third in Eredivisie, Feyenoord trail leaders Ajax by a single point after the weekend's 2-1 victory over Utrecht. They are determined to maintain a title challenge and go one better than last term's league showing. They boast a squad packed with young Dutch prospects, many of whom are regularly selected for the senior or under-21 national sides. And now a string of exciting performances are helping them steal the plaudits from their esteemed rivals.

Feyenoord celebrate victory over Utrecht last weekend

A recent 3-1 victory against AZ Alkmaar was notable for the contribution of two of their impressive teenagers, Jean Paul Boetius and Tonny Vilhena - both still just 18. Boetius opened the scoring with a curled effort from the edge of the penalty area, while Vilhena secured the win in injury time, calmly finishing a counter attack. The performance was soon bettered by the defeat of leaders PSV in Rotterdam, a game in which Feyenoord came from behind to earn a 2-1 win.

This talented collective were hot-housed at Varkenoord, the academy shared by Feyenoord and Excelsior, where reserve and youth sides have been merged. Awarded the Rinus Michels Award for Holland’s best academy in each of the last three seasons, they are inundated with consultancy offers from clubs keen to adopt a similar philosophy. Unfortunately, in recent seasons, the club has been losing players as fast as they can produce them.

Legislation stipulating that sides competing in UEFA competitions must include a minimum of eight home-grown players in their squad has had a detrimental effect on Feyenoord’s ability to hold on to their best youngsters. The ruling states that only half need to be produced locally, while the rest must merely have spent at least three years with the club between the ages of 15-21. As a result, highly-regarded prospects are being harvested early in their development by elite clubs, who can offer far greater financial incentives and status.

Bruma, Ebecilio and Rekik were all snapped up by English clubs

Centre back Jeffrey Bruma moved to Chelsea in 2007 before Feyenoord could offer the 15-year-old a professional contract. He has found opportunities at Stamford Bridge scarce and is currently on loan at Hamburg. The following year, winger Rajiv van La Parra departed the under-17 side for Caen, while defensive midfielder Kyle Ebecilio joined Arsenal in 2010. In the summer of 2011, Chelsea returned for 15-year-old Nathan Ake, while Manchester City acquired 16-year-old centre back Karim Rekik.

Leroy Fer, Jonathan de Guzman, Georginio Wijnaldum and Luc Castaignos all departed the senior side in recent seasons, and Feyenoord currently boast a trio of 21-year-olds who are already attracting the attention of potential suitors.

Jordy Clasie was initially regarded as too small and weak to succeed at the highest level, but has since been heralded as ‘the Dutch Xavi’. Having developed during the 2010/11 campaign on loan at Excelsior, Clasie is indispensable in the heart of the Feyenoord midfield. His vision and creativity are complimented by his endeavour and ability to win and retain possession. He made Bert van Marwijk’s stand-by list for Euro 2012 and having since made his Oranje debut, his international prospects look bright.

Clasie's ability to levitate has come in handy over the course of the season

Bruno Martins Indi is seen as the poster boy of the talented, hard-working Feyenoord side. Not initially regarded as one to watch, he has developed his strengths to become a key performer for club and country. Quick, good in the air, mentally strong and adaptable, the left-footed defender has been utilised at both centre back and left back. He is regarded as Holland’s most talented defender since Jaap Stam and has a long-term contract with the Rotterdam side. But interest from outside is intensifying.

Martins Indi’s partner at the heart of the Feyenoord defence is Stefan de Vrij, who broke in to the senior side at 17 and was named captain by the time he was 20, when Ron Vlaar departed for Aston Villa. Chelsea were linked with a £5 million January bid that failed to materialise, while Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers recently scouted him in person. Thus far, de Vrij has rejected two contract offers, perpetuating an escalating problem for Feyenoord, as a succession of players allow their contracts to run down to force through moves.

Manager Ronald Koeman is rebuilding his reputation in Rotterdam, after disappointing stints at Valencia and AZ. The first man to play for and manage each of the Netherlands’ ‘big three’ of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord, his continued success depends on retaining as many of his star performers as possible, while also maintaining the rich supply line from the academy.

Feyenoord are on a more steady financial footing than in recent years, but to keep it that way they will occasionally have to make a big sale. If the club can attain continued success on the pitch, coupled with added financial security, their best players may be more reluctant to leave in future.

It Was a Bad Weekend For… Comedy, derbies, safe bets and hatred

Simon Carter — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:37:00 GMT

It Was a Bad Weekend For…

The title race
While Alex Ferguson bemoaned the fact that Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat to Everton hours before his side faced managerless Reading at Old Trafford “took the edge off” his side’s performance, the Scot can’t have had many better days this season than he did on Saturday. Though Manchester United huffed and puffed their way to a 1-0 victory courtesy of a deflected Wayne Rooney shot, they now lead their nearest rivals by 15 points at the top of the Premier League and need only 13 more (from a possible 27) to secure a record-breaking 20th top-flight title.

Goodison Park, never a happy hunting ground for Roberto Mancini or Manchester City (they've now lost there for four consecutive seasons), was the scene for a 90-minute digest of City’s season with a few good moments diluted by passages of poor play, questionable desire and petulance, both on the pitch and on the sidelines in the shape of the sulky Italian manager.
Mancini’s assistant David Platt used the post-match interview to complain that refereeing decisions had cost City dearly, and they almost certainly should have had a second-half penalty. However, given that Everton had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside and had a half-decent penalty shout of their own turned down, it seems as though Platt was indulging in a little straw-clutching.

This is the second week in a row that Everton have appeared on these pages, and it’s almost impossible to believe that this is the same side who surrendered to Wigan just a week ago. As predicted last week, an excellent Toffees’ win instantly restored any love lost for manager David Moyes following their FA Cup exit.

So is the title race over? Well, Manchester United have a 15-point lead with nine games to play, which seems unassailable – but bear in mind that they threw away an eight-point lead over the final six games of last season. Maybe now we’re clutching at straws.

Lee Nelson’s Well Good Arrest
Simon Brodkin (who?), better known as BBC3 comedian Lee Nelson (seriously, who?) was arrested at Goodison Park during the teams’ pre-match warm up for pitch encroachment.
In the guise of his footballer alter-ego Jason Bent, Brodkin gained access to the pitch in full Manchester City kit and proceeded to run through a warm-up routine while the likes of Joe Hart and David Platt looked on in bewilderment.

Unfortunately for Brodkin, security staff didn't see the funny side of his publicity stunt and he was soon marched off the pitch and turned over to the police. To make matters worse, the BBC quickly moved to distance themselves from Brodkin’s actions. He will appear in court – presumably under yet another identity – on April 3rd.

Same old Spurs?
This time last year Tottenham Hotspur were in a downward spiral of form so severe that it would see them beaten to third place by Arsenal, eventually costing them a Champions League spot (by virtue of Chelsea winning the competition) and arguably accounting for manager Harry Redknapp’s job.

The last seven days have seen Spurs lose three times, starting with last Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Liverpool, taking in a tiring trip to Inter Milan and, most shocking of all, yesterday’s 1-0 home defeat to Fulham courtesy of a Dimitar Berbatov goal.

Certainly it’s too early to say a collapse is inevitable – Arsenal are still four points behind them in fifth place – but with a visit to Swansea next for the Londoners and an extremely testing April on the cards, AVB will have to wring every last drop of effort from his squad to avoid a repeat of last year’s heartache.

Championship chasers
A routine 2-0 win for league leaders Cardiff City was made sweeter and sweeter as the weekend rolled on. Closest rivals Hull City were first to boost the Bluebirds as they conceded a late winner to the in-form Nottingham Forest to lose 2-1. Just moments later the final whistle rang out at Oakwell, where Barnsley's 1-0 win gave Watford their second defeat on the bounce.

Then came Sunday and Crystal Palace’s trip to the seaside. Though they started brightly against Brighton, Palace were undone by two quick goals just before half-time and another shortly after. The 3-0 scoreline certainly wasn’t reflective of the overall play but Cardiff, like Brighton, won’t care a jot.

All of which means that Cardiff enjoy a seven-point lead over second place and, more importantly, a nine-point lead over third. With only nine games left to play it would take a collapse of, er, Cardiff proportions to stop the Bluebirds joining rivals Swansea in the Premier League.

Blackburn, despite that goal
Blackburn Rovers enjoyed a mini-revival back in January when Michael Appleton joined as manager after a brief spell at Blackpool. With only one defeat in his first five league games, not to mention FA Cup wins at Derby and most impressively Arsenal, the fans might even have applauded the decision-making of their much derided board.

But that unexpected glory at the Emirates is now more than a month ago. Rovers have been dumped out of the cup after failing to score in three hours against Millwall, and they haven't won in the league since February 9th, a seven-game streak in which they've only scored four goals – half of them in a 3-2 home defeat to second-bottom Peterborough.

Luckily for Appleton, nothing dispels bad feeling in Blackburn like a win over Burnley. Unluckily for him, they didn't get on in Sunday afternoon's derby – and although David Dunn's 95th-minute equaliser against the 10-man Clarets was celebrated wildly, in the cold light of Monday morning a point is only the thinnest of paper over the many cracks at Ewood.

With the international break causing a two-week Championship hiatus, Rovers will spend a fortnight three points behind their rivals but only four points above the increasingly competitive drop zone. Next up for Blackburn is the Good Friday visit of Blackpool that nobody is calling ‘The Michael Appleton Derby’.

Safe bets on Stevenage
Before the 41st minute of their Saturday afternoon League One match, Stevenage had scored just one goal in their previous five leagues games, while visitors Sheffield United hadn’t conceded at all since February 9th. And when you start a story like that, there's only one way it's going to go.

Yet it isn’t just the goalscoring statistics that made Stevenage’s 4-0 destruction of the promotion-chasing Blades so remarkable, it's the teams' general form going into the game. Boro had lost eight of their previous nine league games as a half-decent season unravelled, while Sheffield United were unbeaten in eight and just three points off the top spot.

But the real story here is Daniel Lopez's 23-minute hat-trick. Lopez (born exactly one day after Wayne Rooney, fact fans) has been farmed out on loan twice this season, first to League Two Aldershot where he grabbed a goal every other game and then to Barnet where just last Saturday he scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 League Two win over Morecambe. Recalled to Stevenage following an injury crisis, the Spaniard wasted no time in laying his claim to a regular starting spot.

Where do both sides go from here? Stevenage can continue their revival, and perhaps Lopez his goalscoring exploits, tomorrow when they visit rock-bottom Bury, while Sheffield United will have to wait a week before they face the side who have replaced them in second spot, when Brentford visit Bramall Lane.

Edgar Davids' war on Accrington
As well as eyebrows raising and jaws dropping all over the place, Edgar Davids’ decision to help out at Barnet back in October was greeted with one huge question: why? General consensus is that Davids, who has been living in North London for a few years, wanted to carry on playing football into his 41st year and genuinely wanted to help out his local club. But on Saturday we discovered the real reason: Edgar Davids hates Accrington.

Who knows what it is about the small side from the north west that has so riled the former Ajax, Milan, Juventus and Holland star. Maybe it was that infernal milk advertisement back in the 1980s; maybe he has a distrust of all things ‘Stanley’ after a mishap with a razor tool. Either way, kudos to the man for biding his time and finally getting his revenge.

Because on Saturday, during his side’s 3-2 defeat at Stanley, Davids was sent off against Accrington for the second time this season. His ire wouldn’t have been quashed by what his manager (himself) saw as a soft second yellow card. In the words of Davids: “The second one was absolutely not a yellow card because I didn't do anything.”

Elsewhere, results conspired to leave an incredible five teams, including Barnet, tied on 40 points at the bottom of League Two. If Barnet and Accrington are the unlucky two to be relegated this season, expect Davids to resume his one-man war on Stanley in next season’s Conference.

Sorry Celta in a sticky spot, as rampant Real Sociedad march on

Tim Stannard — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:34:00 GMT

FFT's man in Madrid, Tim Stannard, names the winners and losers of the weekend's La Liga action...

Good Day

Leo Messi & David Villa
It’s apparently happy families again at the Camp Nou, after Barça’s striking pair were all with the hugs and cuddles after three goals between the feuding forwards and assists aplenty in the 3-1 win against visiting Rayo Vallecano. “I’ve heard a lot of things, that there’s conflict (between the two), and it’s absurd,” charged Jordi Roura, who may have had his last experience on the Barça bench with Tito Vilanova possibly about to return. “I hope it’s my last game. It means Tito will be back,” said a probably very relieved Roura.

Real Madrid
If Madrid’s matches continue to be weird, Twin Peaks-style abstract affairs from now until the end of the season, then LLL may still keep paying attention, despite the title race being over. Real Madrid went behind twice to visitors Mallorca, once again showing a weakness when it comes to defending set-pieces, before coming away from the match with a 5-2 victory.

Luka Modric
The Croatian seems to be getting the hang of this la Liga business, and the former Spurs midfielder is starting to convince some of the doubters in the Spanish capital that the former he wasn’t a total rip-off with a price tag of around €35m.

Diego Costa
Not a spectacular performance from Atlético Madrid, but the 2-0 win at Osasuna was still an admirable result for the Rojiblancos, who owed the victory to a brace from Diego Costa. “I hope he can keep on getting better,” said Diego Simeone after the match, “he can improve a lot.”

Antoine Griezmann
La Liga Loca is now ready to declare that Champions League qualification is officially on for Real Sociedad. Oh yes. The Basque side’s 4-1 demolition of visiting Valladolid, inspired by their slightly nutty French winger, sees the team with just the single defeat from 18, and in fourth spot with a two point cushion over Valencia. “The fans dream but we are going forward with humility,” said la Real coach, Philipe Montanier, keeping things on the down-low (technically that means ‘secret’ but LLL likes the expression, anyway).

Valencia
A 3-0 win over Betis was perhaps a little flattering for Valencia, given their opponents were down to ten men after 14 minutes. A penalty from the foul committed on Roberto Soldado by Antonio Amaya which provoked the sending off, as well as a late own-goal and strike from Jonas was enough to overcome a Betis side that LLL is going to describe as plucky.

Luis García
Knowing Getafe, the toughest task for their coach is to come. The Madrid side has picked up 42 points with 10 matches to go, but García has a difficult challenge in trying to persuade his footballers to keep on motoring until the end of the season in case a European spot becomes available.
Saturday’s 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao was another example of Getafe’s current efficiency, the kind that has produced 13 points from the last 15 and three clean sheets in a row. “They say Madrid are going for their tenth (European title), we are going for the tenth consecutive season in la Primera,” announced the Getafe manager, on a team who are pretty secure of achieving that goal with plenty of wiggle room to spare.

Sevilla
The Andalusian club are still in LLL’s bad books for being utterly limp once again all season, but a Good Day mention is warranted for a 4-0 victory over a hapless Zaragoza in the Sánchez Pizjuán. Sevilla are still six points from the European places though.

Levante
The 1-1 draw at Granada in the pouring rain moves Levante onto 37 points, although it does see the Valencia side without a win in la Liga in seven. It was a very handy point after the efforts in Moscow against Rubin Kazan on Thursday, given the fact many of the players were probably down in the dumps about the Europa League defeat.

Espanyol
A run of just one point from the previous three matches was ended by Espanyol, with a 2-0 victory against Málaga. “It was a very important step forward,” admitted a chirpy Perico boss, Javier Aguirre, after the clash.

Mallorca
The Balearic side may have lost 5-2 in the Bernabéu, but their two victories prior to that clash, along with the good form of Giovani dos Santos and Alejandro Alfaro, has convinced the blog that Mallorca will be staying up this season.

Deportivo
Despite an over-heated 3-1 win over Celta Vigo that saw insults hurled before the match - and a head-butt thrown during - Deportivo are still dead cert favourites to go down. The Riazor outfit still need in the region of 22 points to stay up. Nevertheless, Deportivo may have the very small consolation that they could be taking Celta down with them, thanks to this result.

Bad Day

Iago Aspas
If ever there was a moment when Celta were as good as down, it was Iago Aspas opting to dole out a head-butt to Carlos Marchena - who did make a bit of a meal of it, to be fair. That act of aggression contributed to an awful defeat to Deportivo and could see the side’s top striker and only hope of salvation out for up to four matches with a suspension. An apology on Twitter from the forward, which was forthcoming, isn’t going to fix that slight issue for his team.

Málaga
The league form for the southern side is still indifferent. Málaga’s home defeat to Espanyol gives Manuel Pellegrini’s side just two points from the past 12. However, the Champions League form of the battling team can forgive all domestic sins. “I hope we can fight on both fronts,” aspired the Málaga manager.

Pepe Mel
A tremendous “the refs have got us in for it” rant from the Betis boss after seeing Antonio Amaya sent off for a clip from behind on Roberto Soldado that may have been just outside the box, but only by millimeters and completely impossible to spot. “I feel like I’m being treated like an idiot,” fumed Mel who now has a couple of weeks to calm down.

Athletic Bilbao
“The defeat was fair, we couldn’t have asked for anything better,” was the admission from Athletic midfielder Ander Iturraspe, after a 1-0 away defeat at Getafe. The result sees the Bilbao side with just three wins from 14 on their travels this season.

Granada
The home clash against a tired Levante would be known as a six-pointer in England and a final in Spain. Either way, Granada fluffed their lines completely in a 1-1 draw to leave the Andalusian side without a win in five. “We lacked clarity and precision,” complained manager, Lucas Alcaraz.

Manolo Jiménez
The Zaragoza boss is in charge of an almighty mess at the moment. The players lack discipline to stay on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes - the Sevilla defeat saw another deserved sending off - and the team is still without a victory in 2013, a run of 11 league matches. All that Jiménez could do though was moan a bit about the referees in fine la Liga tradition. “It was a match until the sending-off,” complained the Zaragoza boss.

Catania hoping to upset likely lads with Europe in sight

Richard Whittle — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:44:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 16 Mar Catania 3-1 Udinese, Bologna 0-2 Juventus Sun 17 Mar Siena 0-0 Cagliari, Napoli 3-2 Atalanta, Pescara 0-2 Chievo, Fiorentina 3-2 Genoa, Milan 2-0 Palermo, Sampdoria P-P Internazionale, Torino 1-0 Lazio, Roma 2-0 Parma

While Palermo are preparing for life in Serie B, across Sicily Catania are pushing towards the promised land of Europe.

Saturday evening's impressive 3-1 demolition of another Europa League hopeful, Udinese, saw the Elefanti charge into seventh place just three points off their record haul of 48 achieved last season under Vincenzo Montella.

Inter Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and AS Roma are all targeting a Europa League place with outside hopes of landing third but Catania could still pull off the surprise of the season and supersede one of these established names with a top-six finish.

Club president Antonio Pulvirenti set out a five-year plan to cement the team's place in the top flight but expectations have been surpassed each year; 43 points in 2009, 45 the following campaign and a one-point improvement a season later. But now the 50-point barrier will be smashed well before the end of this term.

Along the way each coach has put themselves in the shop window for moves to bigger clubs. But from Walter Zenga, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Diego Simeone, Montella and now Rolando Maran, they have all bought into the idea of taking a step forward each year within limited financial means - even if the training facilities are some of the best in Italy.

In fact, Catania can be considered the southern followers of the Udinese model which has enjoyed success through an extensive scouting system in South America and, in particular, Argentina.

The current squad has 10 Argentines in its ranks and it was the attacking trio of Lucas Castro, Pablo Barrientos and Alejandro Gomez that tore Udinese apart at the weekend.

The diminutive Gomez grabbed two goals - one a header - while the third came from Italian midfielder Francesco Lodi (the provincial Andrea Pirlo as he is known) who, with veteran central defender Nicola Legrottaglie, forms the 'home grown' backbone of the side.

"I love you this much!" Gomez celebrates scoring against Udinese

Last season Montella employed a 3-5-2 formation which encouraged the wing-backs to offer support, but Maran has switched to a 4-2-3-1. Gonzalo Bergessio leads the front line and, if anything, Catania are even more pleasing to watch thanks to an exciting supporting cast.

The coach from the north of Italy, who took Varese into the Serie B play-offs last year, has inherited the majority of Montella's core and there is a great understanding between the players thanks to last season's exploits.

Their first goal against Udinese highlighted the strengths of playing quick, short passes on the break. Barrientos threaded a pass through to Gomez, who exchanged a swift one-two with Castro on the edge of the area before slotting home a low shot.

Heading into the pivotal encounter, Maran's men had lost narrowly at Juventus and before that had somehow thrown away a two-goal home lead against Inter to lose 3-2.

However, despite these two hardly unexpected setbacks, they immediately produced a decisive win at Parma to stay in the race for European qualification.

It was that victory on the road which instilled a belief that, even if they could not overcome Inter or Juve, there were enough points still available to ensure they will not fall away into mid-table as they did last season.

Picking up valuable away points will help but it has been Catania's home form which has really impressed. At the Stadio Angelo Massimino they boast 10 wins, just one fewer than Juventus and AC Milan, including a 4-0 mauling of Lazio and 1-0 victory over AS Roma.

With Lazio losing at Torino, Roma overcoming Parma and Inter's game at Sampdoria rained off, there is everything to play for and Catania are still very much in the mix with two months of the season left. The elephant in the room cannot be ignored any longer.

Callum McManaman visits Massadio Haidara’s severed leg in hospital

Back of the Net — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:05:00 GMT

Back of the Net's John Foster reports on the the fall-out from the biggest controversy of the Premier League weekend...

Callum McManaman has attempted to defuse the row over his horror tackle on Massadio Haidara by stopping by the Wigan General Hospital to visit the stricken Newcastle man’s severed leg.

Latics forward McManaman drew widespread condemnation for a knee-high challenge that saw Haidara receive lengthy on-field treatment to his leg, while the rest of his body was stretchered off and taken to hospital.

Owing to an administrative error, Haidara and his remaining limbs were moved to Newcastle Royal Infirmary, while the leg has remained in a special ward in Wigan. McManaman told reporters that he conversed with the leg for around twenty minutes on Sunday evening.

“I wasn’t sure if [the leg] would be pleased to see me, but I said hello, made my apologies, and [the leg] seemed to accept it, so that was that,” he said.

“I told [the leg] what doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger, or alternatively, put you out of action for several months,” McManaman continued.

“Now we should all brush ourselves down and get back on our feet, or as the case may be, our foot. This incident is in the past now, just like Massadio Haidara’s season.”

Yes, we realise this is the wrong leg - probably down to NHS cutbacks...

FourFourTwo understands that the player and the leg also enjoyed a game of keepy-uppy and a few rounds of Boggle, which McManaman graciously allowed the bloodied, useless limb to win.

By visiting Haidara, McManaman may have prevented the furore from escalating further. Stephen Hunt, then of Reading, fractured Petr Cech’s skull in 2006, and was heavily criticized for not going to see Cech in hospital, despite Hunt’s claims that he had visited the comatose goalkeeper in his dreams.

Another notorious hospital incident involved Basque hardman Andoni Goikoetxea, who in 1983 broke Diego Maradona’s left ankle with a horrific lunge from behind. Upon visiting the star in his private ward, Goikoetxea was widely condemned for failing to apologise for the tackle, eating all Maradona’s grapes, and breaking the Argentine’s right ankle with a sneaky kick while he was leaving.

Callum McManaman’s troubles may not be over yet, however. Greater Manchester Police have announced they want to interview the 21-year old’s vicious bone, after Wigan manager Roberto Martinez confirmed after the game that it was not in the player’s body.

All Back of the Net blogs >>

Prem Notes: The killer weekend stats from Opta and Stats Zone

FourFourTwo Team — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:23:00 GMT

Premier League facts from Opta, our partners on the FREE Stats Zone app

Chelsea 2-0 West Ham United

Juan Mata is the first player to both score and assist 10+ goals in the Premier League this season.
Eden Hazard now has 8 goals and 8 assists in his debut Premier League season.
Hazard had 4 shots on target, more than any other Premier League player this weekend.
Chelsea had 11 shots on target, their third-highest total this season.

Wigan Athletic 2-1 Newcastle United

Wigan have won 6 Premier League home games against Newcastle, 2 more than against any other club.
Half of the 16 shots Wigan mustered in this game were blocked.
Only 1 of Wigan’s 15 crosses reached its target.
Antolin Alcaraz made 8 interceptions, the most in the PL this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Fulham

This is the first time Dimitar Berbatov has scored in three successive league games since December 2011.
Spurs had 15 shots in this game but only three were on target.
Fulham scored with only one of their two shots on target in this game. Neither side had one in the first half.
Tottenham put in the most crosses in the PL this weekend (31 plus 5 corners), Fulham the fewest (10 + 5).

Sunderland 1-1 Norwich

The Canaries have now scored 11 headed goals, a haul only Manchester United (13) and Everton (12) can better this season.
Sunderland have seen 5 opposition players sent off in the Premier League this season, 3 more than any other side.
Grant Holt has now conceded 67 fouls this season, a joint-high in the Premier League along with Everton’s Marouane Fellaini – but Sebastian Larsson committed more fouls in this game (4 to Holt's 3).
Norwich played the highest proportion of long passes this weekend (19.5%).
Norwich conceded 2 handballs. One gave away a penalty, the other saw the goalkeeper sent off.

Manchester United 1-0 Reading

Manchester United have now gone 537 minutes in the Premier League without conceding a goal.
11 managers (including caretakers) have taken charge of their first Premier League in a job at Old Trafford. None have won, with 10 losing and 1 managing a draw.
Wayne Rooney has been involved in 21 goals in 21 Premier League appearances this season (scoring 12, assisting 9).

Aston Villa 3-2 Queens Park Rangers

Aston Villa have won consecutive Premier League games for the first time in 68 matches (since May 2011).
Andreas Weimann has been involved in 4 goals in his last 4 Premier League appearances (scoring 2, assisting 2).
QPR managed 21 goal attempts to Villa's 13, but Villa blocked 6 (Ciaran Clark alone managing 3) to QPR's 2.
Ashley Westwood completed 74 of his 76 passes, almost twice as many as QPR's top passer Stephan Mbia (39 of 47).
All told, Villa completed 408 (of 467) passes, QPR 253 (of 313).

Southampton 3-1 Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho has been involved in 4 goals in 4 starts for Liverpool in the Premier League (2 goals, 2 assists).
The Reds have scored only 5 goals in their last 7 top-flight encounters with the Saints.
Southampton played 3 through-balls in this game, more than any other team in the Premier League this weekend.
Liverpool had 5 of the top 6 individuals for completed passes (led by Steven Gerrard's 51 from 62 passes), but Southampton had 8 of the top 9 individuals for completed passes in the attacking third (led by Rickie Lambert's 18 from 28).

Stoke City 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

West Brom have conceded just 1 goal in their last 3 away Premier League matches.
Claudio Yacob made 12 clearances in the match – double his previous best in a single game this season (6 v Sunderland).
Stoke had 6 headed shots, more than any other team this weekend.
Matthew Etherington put in 13 crosses (excl. corners) but only 1 reached a team-mate.

Swansea City 0-2 Arsenal

Olivier Giroud was involved in a goal (assisting Monreal’s opener) for the first time in 5 Premier League appearances.
Gervinho’s goal was Arsenal’s sixth fast-break (counter-attack) goal of the season, a Premier League high.
Swansea had the best pass completion in the Premier League this weekend: 88% (545 of 619 passes; Arsenal completed 384 of 454, 85%).
Swansea only conceded 3 fouls.

Everton 2-0 Manchester City

The Toffees enjoyed just 28.4% possession in the second half having enjoyed 52.3% possession in the first.
Everton scored 2 goals from just 3 shots on target. Manchester City had 8 efforts on target.
David Silva created more chances than any other player this weekend.
Everton had a shot conversion rate of 29%, the best in the Premier League this weekend.

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Why Danny Graham mustn't dally in proving his worth to Sunderland

Michael Cox — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:14:00 GMT

ZonalMarking.net's Michael Cox uses FourFourTwo's StatsZone app – now FREE – to run the rule over one of January's biggest transfers...

One of January’s most surprising transfers was Sunderland’s purchase of Swansea City striker Danny Graham.

It was peculiar for a few reasons. In an otherwise underwhelming campaign, Sunderland were benefiting from the prolific goalscoring of Steven Fletcher, and it seemed unwise to compromise his role in the side. There was also the question of why Graham wanted to drop down the league, having been in good form for Swansea shortly before his move – he also missed out on the Capital One Cup final victory over Bradford.

Graham is also a passionate supporter of Sunderland’s fierce rivals Newcastle United, which led to him being booed when playing at the Stadium of Light in a Swansea shirt, just two days before his move. “You’ll always be scum” was the Sloop John B-tuned song of choice for the Mackems, partly because Graham had previously said inflammatory things about the club. Once asked who he’d support if Newcastle ceased to exist, Graham replied, “Put it this way – I’d stay as far away from Sunderland as I could.” Despite these concerns, there was little doubt that Sunderland supporters would take to Graham once he started playing well.

But there’s the problem – Sunderland haven’t been performing well. Not for the first time, they’ve hit a brick wall at this point in the season – and since Graham signed, they’ve record just one point from five league matches, the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham, when they fought back from 2-0 down.

Graham’s arrival has forced Martin O’Neill to change his system. Previously, Sunderland played a 4-4-1-1 with Stephane Sessegnon behind Fletcher – the Benin international has, of course, previously deputised as a centre-forward in his Sunderland career, but this season he played a supporting role.

Now, Sunderland are a 4-4-2. “The two players can play together,” insisted O’Neill in February. “I don't see that being a massive problem, but it is bound to take a little time.”

Sunderland’s game is largely based around crossing, of course, and Adam Johnson was excited at the arrival of a second striker. “Sometimes when you have one striker in the box with two men around him, it’s difficult to do anything,” he says. “But when all of a sudden you have to two strikers in the box it can make a real difference. I’ve said before to Fletch that when there’s just him in the box, it can be so hard to play him in, but when you’ve got more bodies in the box, you can often really get at teams.”

Fletcher, despite underlining his happiness at Graham’s arrival – the two have a good relationship off the pitch – didn’t mind playing as the lone striker. “I'm happy to play on my own up front, although I know not everyone is,” he said. “But, for me, I quite like the added pressure of the extra responsibility, I quite enjoy it.”

Since Graham’s arrival, Fletcher has been forced into a deeper position. While Graham stays upfront and is barely involved in build-up play, Fletcher drops off. In the game against Fulham he concentrated on working the left channel, while Graham stayed in the box...

Away at QPR, Graham again remained central, but Fletcher drifted right – winning lots of aerial duels...

Inevitably, Sunderland’s build-up play still starts from the flanks, with the vast majority of their entries into the final third coming on the wings. But there hasn’t been a significant improvement in the success of the Black Cats’ crossing – lots of balls are pumped into the box, but they rarely find Fletcher or Graham.

And it’s not like Graham has contributed much in front of goal. The passes he receives are often long, straight balls rather than through-balls or dangerous crosses, and his finishing has been unimpressive. Considering Fletcher had scored ten goals in 22 starts before Graham’s signing, but just one since, it’s hard to make a case for Sunderland being more threatening upfront.

Another problem is the lack of interplay between the pair. Granted, Sunderland’s approach is based around crossing, which doesn’t necessarily depend upon a good direct partnership, but it’s still concerning that Fletcher and Graham combine so infrequently.

Against QPR, they took a centre together, then combined within their own half – nothing at all close to the opposition goal.

O’Neill believed the partnership would take time to get right – there are little signs of progress so far.

This weekend’s home fixture with Norwich is a perfect opportunity for them to finally click – and Sunderland still need wins. Six points off the relegation zone, with games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton and Tottenham to come – plus matches against Southampton and Aston Villa sides fighting for their lives – Sunderland aren’t yet safe. Graham needs to justify his transfer fee soon, or O’Neill might revert back to his previous system.

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Rayo's Iron Men head to Camp Nou, as Madrid’s stars get pulled over

Tim Stannard — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:16:00 GMT

Friday

Deportivo (20th) v Celta Vigo (19th) - 21.45 (all kick-offs local time)
Friday night sees the first of seven matches Deportivo coach Fernando Vázquez claims must be won if his side are to stay up. And of course, it’s with delicious irony that the game is against one of the manager’s former sides and local rivals, Celta Vigo, who are also in a spot of bother in the bottom three. The tough talking has already begun, with Celta striker Iago Aspas predicting in a surprisingly assertive manner for a footballer that “if we beat them, then we will leave Deportivo with two feet in the Segunda.”
Meanwhile, the Deportivo boss had to explain why Riki, who admittedly has been carrying a knock, didn't make it on the Barcelona trip, last weekend. “Leaving him out was a bit of an economic decision, had I been allowed to travel with 19, then he would have come,” said Vázquez on a club that is now struggling to fund away trips by the sounds of it. La Liga Loca suggests the striker could have slept in his car. After all, Ever Banega does it all the time...
LLL Prediction - Home win

Saturday

Real Sociedad (5th) v Valladolid (11th) - 16.00
Still no word on the possible contract renewal of la Real coach Philippe Montanier, who has put his side into proper contention for the Champions League places. The French manager spoke to Marca after last week’s win at Atlético Madrid, and discussed those fans and writers in the local media who have been wanting him out from the off. “There’s a lot of passion around football, so people have an opinion on everything,” noted a nonchalant Montanier. “I’ve very happy though, what’s more I’ve asked the Federation if it’s possible to end the league now but they said they can’t,” chuckled the Real Sociedad boss, making zee joke.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Getafe (9th) v Athletic Bilbao (14th) - 18.00
It’s still a jolt to see Athletic Bilbao doing so poorly this season, which is why the blog was caught off guard by Ander Herrera's claim that there was still all to play for in la Liga with 11 games left. But instead of looking upwards to a late, late European charge following back-to-back league wins, the Athletic midfielder is looking down between his legs at the tiled bathroom floor of football.
“We are confident but not relaxed,” claimed Herrera, with his side on 32 points. “Those who relax find it tough at the end. To avoid a tense end to the league, the first test of the season is on Saturday and Getafe.” By coincidence, Athletic are visiting the most relaxed team in Spain - too many points to go down, but not enough porridge in the tank to make Europe.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Real Madrid (2nd) v Mallorca (18th) - 20.00
A supremely jealous LLL loves an ‘entitled footballer getting his comeuppance’ story, so has delighted in a string of incidents involving Real Madrid players getting caught by the fuzz in one of the few areas they are mere mortals - on the roads. Marcelo, Mesut Özil and Karim Benzema have all been pulled over in recent times. Marcelo was caught driving without a valid license, Benzema was caught speeding, while Özil was fined €500 after he was spotted performing an illegal turn.
This is why the blog loved a delicious story in AS on Thursday which took note of the footballers’ driving skills when leaving the training complex day before. The journalist noted that Coentrao was driving whilst talking on his mobile (€200 fine and three penalty points), while fast-living Frenchman Benzema took a roundabout too quickly, causing another car to break so as not to hit him (€200 and four penalty points). Long may this vigilance from AS continue, perhaps by watching the Reliant Robins speeding away from the Rayo training facilities.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Valencia (7th) v Betis (6th) - 22.00
One decent fixture in a round of la Primera is a luxury, but two is a cup-cake stuffed treat. The other top encounter is the Galician derby, however this match-up between two Champions League contenders could be a tasty affair too. Ignoring the fact the result is largely insignificant to the futures of either team with 11 games to play, Valencia's Adil Rami has jumped on board the 'Final' bus by declaring the match-up in Mestalla to be “the final of the season”. The defender adds that his side will play “a lot of finals” from now until the end of the campaign.
Aside from all the finals to come, the other topic of conversation in Mestalla continues to be the non-contract renewal of Ernesto Valverde. Rami says that he hopes the manager stays on beyond June because “we have had a (bleeping) good revival, so why are we going to change a winning team?”
Because it’s Valencia, my friend, because it’s Valencia.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Sunday

Málaga (4th) v Espanyol (13th) - 12.00
The actor may have spent much of the evening agreeing to hundreds of photograph requests from fans, but Antonio Banderas still had a top time in the stands of la Rosaleda on Wednesday. The Málaga born-and-bred star of Spy Kids and other cinematic treats was in town to see his beloved home side (although Banderas also has a leaning towards Real Madrid) triumph against Porto in the Champions League. “The city deserves this,” said the local lad told radio station Cadena Ser. “We are suffering even more from the crisis in Spain. This can’t fix everything but it adds a bit of cream to life.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Sevilla (12th) v Zaragoza (13th) - 17.00
The latest scapegoat for Sevilla's slide towards hopelessness over the last few years is Sporting Director, Monchi, who appears to have lost the golden touch that brought in the likes of Luis Fabiano, Dani Alves, Seydou Keita and Freddie Kanouté. However, each of the many managers to depart the Sánchez Pizjuán has been quick to praise Monchi, and current coach Unai Emery has added to the love. “His credit is so big here, that there can’t be any doubt in him,” said Unai. “What’s happening now is that there is tremendous competition in signings between teams and competing markets which gives you less options.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Osasuna (15th) v Atlético Madrid (3rd) - 17.00
A torn soul for LLL on Sunday. The blog has a huge squishy spot for Osasuna, and the Primera needs the pugilistic Pamplona side in its ranks forever. Then again, LLL doesn’t want to see Atlético fade and burn out after an extraordinary campaign so far. The Rojiblancos have picked up just the single point from the past two games, a run which has coincided with a slow spell from Falcao who has just the single strike from open play in four league matches.
At least away fan favourite Diego Costa is about to put in a shift of elbow grease and elbow throws. In fact, Osasuna defender Alejandro Arribas believes he is currently more important that his failing forward partner, Falcao. “He’s vital for any team he plays in. I’d want him with me, always, he’s always making jokes, laughing,” recalled the centre-back, who was with the Brazilian last season at Rayo. He’s nothing like he is out on the field. That’s his way of playing and I love it.”
LLL Prediction - Away win

Granada (16th) v Levante (10th) - 21.00
La Liga Loca is hoping the Levante players were given all the beer and pizza they could manage on the long flight back from Moscow on Thursday night. The Spanish side held out for 120 minutes against the richer, mightier Rubin Kazan, before succumbing to two extra time efforts from the Russians. It was a fine adventure indeed for Levante, in week that has been a touch troubled, first with the departure of Obafemi Martins, potentially to MLS, and now with their fond farewell to Europe. “It’s a shame the dream is over,” admitted Levante coach, Juan Ignacio Martínez.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Barcelona (1st) v Rayo Vallecano (8th) - 21.00
Rayo are going to have ‘Iron Man 3’ on their shirts for the visit to the Camp Nou, in a continuation of their Marvel films link, which saw mascots dressed as Thor and Hulk to promote last year’s release of Avengers. Now if Robert Downey Junior turned up for the match and even got to play a bit, that would perhaps be the greatest moment in la Liga history.
On to more serious topics, and Rayo are currently working on the renewal of the contract of coach Paco Jémez, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season. Sporting Director Felipe Miñambres says that “it’s difficult to take conclusions from just one meeting.”
The matter is complicated perhaps, by the fact that Miñambres himself is also out of contract this summer, but he says that “I want to carry on and the club is happy with me.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

The miracle of Middlesbrough: When McClaren’s comeback kings overcame Steaua

Mark Gilbey — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:41:00 GMT

As Steaua Bucharest travel to London aiming to dump Chelsea out of the Europa League, Mark Gilbey recalls the last time the Romanians faced an English side in the knock-out stages of a European competition…

You have to listen carefully, but there's a brief moment after Massimo Maccarone’s last-minute winner for Middlesbrough against Steaua Bucharest in the Uefa Cup semi-final six years ago – and it really is just a couple of seconds – when the only sound on BBC Tees was the Riverside’s roar.

In the excitement of it all, of the Italian’s bald head meeting a Stewart Downing cross, commentator and long-time Boro supporter Ali Brownlee dropped his microphone in the press box. You can hear him scrambling around trying to pick it up before the silence is broken by something about “driving a stake through the heart of Dracula’s boys”.

Some may scoff, but it is a wonderful piece of radio that captures the raw emotion of being a football fan.

The self-styled “small town in Europe” were the continent’s comeback kings that season. Steve McClaren’s side had qualified for the Uefa Cup after finishing seventh in the Premier League, but the 2005/06 campaign was ultimately a disappointing one.

Despite beating Chelsea and Manchester United, Boro were hammered 7-0 by Arsenal and ended the Premier League campaign in a disappointing 14th place. They did, however, enjoy cup runs both at home and in Europe. After navigating their way through the Uefa Cup group stages, plus ties against Stuttgart and Roma, Boro earned themselves a quarterfinal against Basel.

Christian Gross’ team seemed in control at the halfway stage of the tie. After all, they had won the first leg 2-0 in Switzerland and after 23 minutes at the Riverside their Brazilian striker Eduardo made it 3-0 on aggregate.

But then something extraordinary happened. Mark Viduka struck either side of half-time and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink added a third in the 79th minute. The momentum was with Boro.

Basel’s Daniel Majstorović needlessly got himself sent off, but they still needed another goal. Time was running out but with seconds remaining Pascal Zuberbühler parried Fábio Rochemback’s shot and on hand was Maccarone – their £8.15m misfit striker who had been back to Italy for loan spells with Parma and Siena – to pounce and setup a semi-final against Steaua. “They will come to see this as Middlesbrough's Istanbul moment,” announced the Guardian.

Their Romanian opponents, champions of Europe 20 years earlier, overcame city rivals Rapid Bucharest in the previous round. Some 1,700 fans made their way east for the first leg that was Middlesbrough’s 56th match of the season, and fourth in eight days. It is little wonder this young team - missing 35-year-old captain Gareth Southgate, Mark Viduka and Chris Riggott - looked jaded. Cosmin Olăroiu’s side won the first leg 1-0 when Nicolae Dică held off George Boateng, before swivelling and firing past Mark Schwarzer. But for the Australian, it could have been far worse.

The victory came at a cost for Steaua though, who would be without the suspended Sorin Paraschiv and Bănel Nicoliță in the second leg.

Although Steaua would be without the suspended Sorin Paraschiv and Bănel Nicoliță for the second leg, they did have the luxury of resting half the team for a 3-0 victory over Farul Constanţa.

By comparison, McClaren’s preparations had hardly been perfect. Boro had suffered the disappointment of being beaten 1-0 by West Ham United in an FA Cup semi-final, but welcomed back Southgate, Riggott and Viduka to their 3-1-4-2 formation.

Before kick-off the atmosphere inside the ground had been electric. Fans held aloft red and white cards spelling out “Eindhoven”, the venue for the final, and there was a rousing rendition of “You are my Boro” that had the Riverside buzzing. Interest in Romania had been huge. The acclaimed Teatrul de Comedie even cancelled its performance of William Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona that evening.

McClaren instructed his team to keep it tight early on – he didn’t want another repeat of Basel – but inside 25 minutes Boro found themselves two goals down on the night and heading for defeat.

First, Petre Marin cut inside and unleashed a shot from 22 yards that Brad Jones – standing in for Schwarzer, who had broken his cheekbone against West Ham – could only parry, allowing Dică to open the scoring on 16 minutes. Steaua soon had a second. Dorin Goian’s header from a corner was blocked, but the defender smashed the ball in at the second opportunity.

Boro needed four. What’s more, Southgate injured his knee and had to be replaced by Maccarone. Resigned to defeat, some supporters left the ground.

With nothing to lose, McClaren abandoned the five-man midfield. The fight back began in the 33rd minute when Viduka found Maccarone out wide on the right and the Italian fired a shot across Carlos Fernandes into the far corner. “Three more, we only need three more,” sang the Riverside. Surely not? Surely even they didn’t believe it? Not again?

Fernandes kept Boro at bay until half-time, but the pressure continued after the interval as McClaren introduced a fourth striker, Ayegbeni Yakubu, in place of Andrew Taylor.

It took 19 minutes for Boro to add a second. Downing, whose return after five months out with a knee injury injected fresh impetus into Boro, delivered a cross from deep that Viduka met with a thumping header to level on the night, but they still required another two.

Downing also had a hand in the third. A throw-in caused panic and Steaua could only clear as far as the winger who fired a low cross-cum-shot that Fernandes couldn’t hold, allowing Riggott to slide in from close range on 73 minutes.

“I turned to the lads on the bench and said: ‘this is ours now',” McClaren later reflected in the Northern Echo. “We still had plenty of time left, but after 10 or so minutes had passed, I think everyone was getting twitchy.”

Less than 60 seconds remained when Downing whipped in another teasing cross; Steaua cleared and, although Middlesbrough won the second ball, the Romanians got it back.

Daniel Bălan received a pass about 25 yards out and then, of all moments, he miscontrolled and it went straight to Downing. He turned Bălan inside out and swung over another ball that found the head of a diving Maccarone to clinch a remarkable victory at the death.

The Riverside erupted. “Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, we're going to PSV, que sera sera,” sang the fans at the final whistle. It was one of the greatest nights in Boro’s history.

“I said that lightning couldn't strike twice in the same place but it has done,” declared McClaren. “Now let's go one step further and win the final.”

It would have been a perfect send-off for him in his last game - by then it had become known that after five years McClaren would be leaving to take the England job.

Alas, it was a step too far. Over 12,000 fans travelled to Eindhoven for the final against Sevilla, but goals from Luis Fabiano, Enzo Maresca (two) and Frédéric Kanouté handed Juande Ramos’ side a 4-0 win. It was a sad farewell for McClaren but regardless of the result, his small town in Europe had made a big impression on the continent.

Middlesbrough 4-2 Steaua Bucharest (agg 4-3)
Uefa Cup semi-final, second leg (27 April 2006).
Middlesbrough Brad Jones; Chris Riggott, Gareth Southgate (Massimo Maccarone 26’), Franck Queudrue; Stuart Parnaby, Fábio Rochemback, George Boateng, Stewart Downing, Andrew Taylor (Ayegbeni Yakubu 55’); Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Ugo Ehiogu 90’), Mark Viduka. Unused substitutes: David Knight, Matthew Bates, Lee Cattermole, Ray Parlour.
Goals: Massimo Maccarone 33’, 89’; Mark Viduka 64’; Chris Riggott 73’.
Steaua Bucharest Carlos Fernandes; George Ogăraru, Sorin Ghionea, Dorin Goian, Petre Marin; Daniel Oprita (Eugen Baciu 81’), Mirel Rădoi, Florin Lovin, Gabriel Boştină (Mihai Neşu 86’); Nicolae Dică, Victoraş Iacob (Daniel Bălan 65’). Unused substitutes: Cornel Cernea, Valentin Simion, Vasilică Cristocea, Andrei Cristea.
Goals: Nicolae Dică 16’; Dorin Goian 24’.

VIDEO Nicol: No need for Spurs to fear another collapse after Anfield defeat

FourFourTwo Team — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Once again, ESPN have answered a handful of FourFourTwo readers' topical questions in an exclusive addendum to their Press Pass show – this week, Liverpool hero Steve Nicol answers the following posers...

1) Following the row involving Fergie and Rafa Benitez, does anybody actually care about handshakes?

2) After their frustrating defeat at Anfield, are Spurs set for another late-season collapse?

3) Could anybody from above the Premier League's current bottom five get sucked in to the relegation scrap?

ESPNFC Press Pass - the football discussion show that takes a daily look at the global game - airs at 11pm Monday to Friday, plus Sunday evenings on ESPN. Follow the show on Twitter