The Hoops Continue To Prevail

"This is the greatest night of my footballing life," Celtic Manager Lennon told Sky Sports.

Celtic boss Lennon ecstatic after qualifying for the
 Champions League 

And why won't it be? The biggest names in European football are in the Champions League draw due on Friday, with Celtic proudly alongside them as they continue to lead the way in Europe for Scottish football, following the dramatic and thrilling victory over Shakhter Karagandy at Celtic Park. The match might not have been too much important to most of the football world, but having achieved the impossible last night brought a huge feeling of relief and pride to the Scottish club. Goals from Kris Commons, Georgios Samaras and James Forrest ensured another memorable European night at Paradise as Neil Lennon´s men overturned the 2-0 first-leg deficit to win 3-2 on aggregate.

After last week's 2-0 win over Celtic,  Shakhter Karagandy coach proclaimed that Celtic are all but out of the Champions League. But the Hoops' manager Neil Lennon and his team had somewhat different plans. He claimed : "Their confidence is dangerous, but this is a two match tie, and it is disrespectful to my team. I don't need to motivate my players for tomorrow night, but if they [Shakhter] want to continue the way they are doing then that's fine by me. Our home record in Europe has been fantastic and that's down to good teams on the pitch, and the noise and atmosphere."

And that exactly what happened. Celtic's home record has been inexplicably excellent over the last decade or so, thanks to the quality of players on the pitch and moreover, the noise and atmosphere that the supporters in the stadium make. The atmosphere was typically intimidating at the Celtic Park and the players pumped up. The team showed patience inspite of the two goal deficit from the first leg, and had to wait till just before half time to peg a wonderful goal through Kris Cammons, who was excellent throughout the match and dictated the pace of the game in midfield. The team dominated major portions of the game and looked particularly dangerous from the left-side of their attack. Subsequent goals from Georgios Samaras in 48th minute and the final one from James Forrest in stoppage time, which sent Celtic Park bonkers as Neil Lennon went on a celebratory run down the touchline, and sealed an aggregate 3-2 victory for Celtic, hence confirming a berth in the Champions League Group Stages. It was much of a moral victory as well.

James Forrest celebrates his winner against Karagandy

Celtic can now look forward to tonight´s draw in Monaco where they will discover what opposition they face in the group stages. The coming months are going to be another adventure for the Glasgow based club, who can have high expectations after the strong performances they put at the Cha
mpions League stage last year, including a victory over Barcelona in the League stages. As the goalscorer Cammons put it, "It´s an exciting few months ahead for Celtic. There´s nothing better than Champions League nights here and to be a part of it again, for the second year on the spin is just brilliant. It´s magical."

Well, its not only the Scots, but the whole footballing world including myself, who'll be waiting for the Champions League draw tonight. Lets hope we get another exciting Group of Death this time around ;-)

What next for Saint Iker?

"My future is at Real Madrid. I have a contract with the club and I've been here since I was nine years old. It's been my club for my whole life and it's where I want to be." claimed a calm figure of Iker Casillas towards the end of last season after being asked by the press about his appearances being limited to the bench since the arrival of Diego Lopez from Sevilla in the January transfer window. He vowed to fight back and regain his place in his team. Mourinho, although had different plans in his mind.

"Would I do anything differently if I had the chance to do the past three years over again?" Mourinho said in response to one question. "I should have brought in Diego Lopez after my first year. We didn't do enough to sign him. It's a real shame." The two parties had expressed their views, not to each other's face, but publically and clearly, and the media and the fans now had a great topic to drive into a frenzy.

The whole saga started back last year when Casillas supposedly called Xavi to heal relations after an ill-tempered Classico, which angered Mourinho. The coach got more infuriated after the player's girlfriend journalist Sara Carbonero, that the atmosphere in the Madrid dressing room was less than harmonious. The result? Casillas was relegated to the bench and Adan was given the nod. But the issue didn't catch much attention then as Casillas got injured, and Mourinho found it to be the right excuse to plunge into the transfer market and sign Lopez. Everything seemed to be working fine with strong performances by him between the sticks, which pleased both the fans and the gaffer, up until Casillas was deemed match fit again.

Mourinho simply continued to neglect Casillas, favouring Diego Lopez behind the back for, claiming that the reasons are "purely technical". The same reason he gave when Pepe was subsequently dropped for Varane after he tried to defend Casillas "There needs to be a little more respect to Iker. Iker is well-loved. What the coach said was not the most appropriate. Iker is a player who is part of Madrid. He's an institution, both in this club and in Spain." Well, no one can challenge the authority of Mourinho when he takes over a club. He has had issues with players, board members before this. But he had never clashed with someone as big in stature as Casillas before. Casillas holds too much importance, following and has a say in most of the matters of the capital club. The feud was overt, and came to a level where one of them had to leave. It was Mourinho who finally did leave to his old club Chelsea where he expressed he is "still loved" by the fans.

No matter what the situation is, Iker is as graceful in his behaviour as ever

And so arrived Ancelotti as the new coach for Real Madrid as a pacifist and everything was supposed to get back to normal, only to wish. Even Ancelotti preferred Lopez ahead of Casillas in the team's first league match against Real Betis, and the decision came as a surprise to many, Casillas being one of them. He eventually featured in the Bernabeu Trophy against Al Sadd, where Raul was the major attraction and Madrid fans payed homage to their Madridista hero, their "Galactico". The reception was rather mixed for the other Galactico in the team however. Casillas was greeted with cheers as well as jeers by the fans, which was a huge surprise atleast for me. I mean, how can the fans jeer someone who has been their local hero for the last 10 years, won them almost all the trophies there are to win and has justified his untouchable status over the years. Just comes some other goalkeeper, provides some good  performances for half a season, and you forget your hero who symbolizes your whole club? And to worsen the things, Ancelotti asked Lopez to warm up few minutes before the half time, which again brought mixed reactions from the fans. Was that seriously necessary, even in a match which can't hold lesser importance than that? Casillas could do much but just stare blank and dejected towards the Bernabeu turf.

Well, the preferred start was seemingly limited to that match only, as Diego Lopez was back between the sticks for the second league game away to Granada. The decisions are again being claimed to be made on the "purely technical" grounds that we have heard earlier. I am no one to judge the knowledge of Mourinho and Ancelotti, neither do i want to take anything away from the great performances that Lopez have given over the last few months, but how is Casillas supposed to prove his worth and contend a place back in the team when he doesn't even get on the team sheet's starting eleven for lesser teams like Granada? We all know he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest goalkeepers of all times. It was only last season when he was being publicly publicised by his club as an eligible contender for the Ballon D'or alongside Ronaldo (which seemingly even upset Ronaldo). One month of absence due to injury, and he is suddenly so worthless that he can't even be granted a starting berth against Granada and the crowd whistles him? I certainly don't get the reason why.

Elsewhere, Del Bosque has stated that the issue doesn't affect Casillas' position in the Spanish National Team "Iker is a unique person and someone who's quite special in the Spanish game," Del Bosque told El Partido de las 12."Obviously, we have to keep an eye on his situation at all times, but I do not think there will be any changes for the position of goalkeeper. We are satisfied with the goalkeepers we have, even if one of them would go 10 games or so without playing. This is a matter between the club and the player. Real Madrid's next game is the 26th versus Granada and the Spain squad announcement will be on August 30. But like I said, I don't think there will be any changes regarding our goalkeepers."

The regular appearances from the bench and the unexpected
hatred from sections of fans might force Casillas to ponder
over his future

One thing is for sure, Casillas would never blame the club members no matter what happens. But he can't just settle for what he is getting right now. He is too good to be warming the bench, even for Madrid's standards. Neither can he risk his position in the Spain squad for the next year's World Cup in Brazil, in case the saga somehow continues to extend. I read a funny comment a few days back : "I don't see any problems if he were to leave Madrid for Barcelona," Canizares told Cadena SER. I mean, that's as impossible and funny as Robert Pattinson being chosen as Batman in the sequel to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Casillas is a true Madridista and has too much respect for the club to even think about it. But the comment surely depicts the seriousness and extent of the situation. Casillas might be forced to think of alternatives and he might need to do it soon, considering the period remaining in the transfer window, if at all he is thinking in that direction. Arsenal have made an enquiry for the player's availablity in the last few days, and i am sure they'll not be the only club interested in acquiring the services of the World and Euro Champion if they get the slightest of hints of his availability.

As a true football fan, I have too much respect for Casillas and for what he symbolises for his club and country, and just can't accept the fact that he doesn't get to play regular football. Inspite of my believe that Casillas won't ditch Real Madrid like the club has ditched him lately and that he will somehow find a way against the odds to regain his old assured place in the team and the goalkeeping standards he himself had set earlier, I'll still be religiously following the transfer news and rumours, just in case :-P

The Bale Transfer : Win-Win Situation for everyone?

Months of speculations, negotiations between the clubs and related parties, and all the unnecessary fuss by the whole footballing world, there were none but only one end to this tale. Levy wanted a world record fee for the most prized asset his club held, he himself wanted to play regular Champions League Football to prove and establish himself as one of the best in Europe, and Real Madrid wanted a big name signing to match the signing of Neymar by rivals Barcelona, and take a big step forward in realizing their La-Decima dream. The outcome, as expected, was Gareth Bale's imminent transfer which seems to have been finalized for a records-shattering transfer fee in the region of a whopping 100 million euros.

In  Gareth Bale, Real Madrid get a player who brings a Ronaldo-ish intensity in their attack. Their is hardly any doubt about his abilities that are evident from his performances for Tottenham in the last three seasons, be it his brilliant runs from half-pitch line to the opponent box, or his screamers from outside the box, or his powerful dipping free-kicks, the list keeps on going. Many claim that the 100m euros paid for him is a non-nonsensical amount, but i beg to differ. Although it is a huge amount, it won't hurt the club finances in the long run. Owing to the transfer, Real Madrid are planning to offload Di Maria, that would fetch them around 35m euros. They have already sold Gonzalo Higuain, Callejon and Raul Albiol to Napoli for a total fee of around 60m euros, and Pedro Leon to Monaco for an additional 5m euros. If a deal for Di Maria is struck before the end of the transfer window, they would have amassed the total sum they paid for the signing of Bale. Of course the remaining two transfers in Illaramendi and Isco can be considered as the regular 60m euros that the club spends every year. The endorsements and T-shirt sale boosts would also be an additional plus. Above all, the strength that these signings bring to the team is undeniable. The much fancied Ronaldo-Bale partnership in the either wings could be a fearsome affair for any defence in the world. So Ancelotti would be a happy man afterall, getting all of his summer targets in his squad well before the transfer deadline, and Florentino Perez would feel a little bit more secure about his political position for the next elections after adding a famous transfer to his name.

The condition isn't gloomy at all for Tottenham Hotspur either. President Levy's shrewdness in the transfer
business was never in doubt, and the 100m euros they got was largely because of his firm stance on the fee. They have made some nice little acquisitions over the last few years under Redknapp, and the size and quality of signings have just improved under the  reign of AVB. They have already strengthened their midfield with the signings of Capoue and Poulinho, while adding Nacer Chadli in the wing and Soldado upfront for a record club transfer fee of 30m euros. They aren't finished yet either. They are close to acquiring the services of Roma star Lamela and centre back Vladimir Chiriches from Steaua Bucharest. With the recent exciting performances from young Andros Townsend in the right wing in the last two matches, Spurs don't seem to be missing Bale that much afterall. You need to let go of some things close to your heart to realise the beauty of others which were overlooked because of them, don't you? Plus the mammoth transfer fee for Bale, which they'll receive over a period of five years, can just help them develop and emerge as a new force in Europe maybe, by investing in their new stadium, keep hold of their good players while continuing to acquire good talent and try and finish in top four consistently.

Last but not the least, Bale himself can't be less happy afterall. He gets to play at his dream club, at the highest of levels in Champions League, while earning an improved 10m euros a year, making him one of the highest earners at the club, alongside Ronaldo and Kaka. He gets to prove his mettle and make an instant impact, that would benefit both himself and the club. 

A win-win for all the parties then, isn't it?

Is Messi's over-zealous work ethic costing him?

It was early April this year. Messi picked up a hamstring strain in the 2-2 draw in Paris last week and was withdrawn at half-time, having given Barcelona the lead just before the break. This was not the first time we had seen him limping off the field during his career. He suffered similar thigh muscle problems in his early professional career in the period of 2006-2008, in Champion League matches against Chelsea and Celtic to recall some. However such strains and injury problems became somewhat extinct after the Barcelona's physio and his assisting team, alongwith the Argentina's national team physio, devised a diet plan and strict fitness schedule for him to follow that would keep him away from straining his muscle. The plan worked, and Messi started enjoying some injury-less seasons, scoring a plethora of mesmerizing goals, making jaw-dropping mazy runs with the ball at his feet and conquering almost everything he could at the club football level in the process.

Frank Rijkard, Pep Guardiola and subsequently Tito Vilanova were faced with this problem of how and when to sub Messi to bench. With his improving performances and the importance he had in the team, he became an undoubted feature in almost all the matches.What’s more, for Barcelona fans Messi’s status as the “Messiah” means that he is virtually impossible to drop from the team, as we can see from the barracking received by Rijkaard when Messi was rested against Atlético in 2008, in spite of the declaration on the part of Frank Rijkaard’s assistant Johan Neeskens, before kick-off, that Messi’s muscle was slightly overburdened. The subsequent coaches were even more cautious in their attempt not to sadden the best player on their team and probably in the whole world. So far so good. His physical condition also supported him. Even after the constant kicking and tackling he is faced with week-in week-out, he got up everytime, and continued weaving his magic. We forgot about the injuries, and so did him.

But that was until the quarter-final clash against PSG, where he pulled his hamstring again, and had to be substituted. The injury didn't seem very serious at the time, and he started fighting with time to be ready for the second leg encounter. And so did he. He made a second half cameo performance and played an important role in pegging the all important winning goal for his team. But, in the process, he just aggravated his injury, and it just became worse, to the extent that he could not feature in any of the major matches of the remaining season.

He started gaining his fitness in the summers, which was a good sign both for both Barcelona and Argentina, considering the importance of the upcoming season which ultimately leads to the World Cup. He was supposed to take a vacation and get some rest for the early half of the break. But instead, he worked out for extended hours and played numerous charity matches during the period. In spite of being lauded for such a work ethic and the importance he gives to social cause, he hardly helped himself and his body muscles, which are bound to get burnt-out after the jam packed schedule and the consistent featuring in all the matches. The result being his latest thigh muscle problem he felt in the team's clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Messi's most recent injury scare in Spanish Supercup first leg against Atletico Madrid

Serious or not, doesn't matter. The important point of discussion here is different altogether. With such a packed schedule where he plays 60 odd matches a year for the club and an additional 10-12 matches for the country in far-flung lands, and that too featuring for complete 90 minutes in majority of them, any person on this planet could tire his body and face such problems, leave aside Messi, who has his history because of the growth deficiency hormone problem and the subsequent medical treatments.

As the the new coach "Tata" Martino correctly claims, even Messi needs to be rested during the season, as do other players. Be it a matter of work ethic or his ego, he needs to accept the fact that he needs to spare some playing time against weaker teams, or in matches where they claim a comfortable position early into the match, so that he can be fully fresh and healthy for the all-important final stages of the season, when they compete for cup finals and eventually he competes for the glorious World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the trophy which could establish him in history books as the greatest of all times.With him entering into this year which could be the most important career of his year, Messi and the coach, both need to understand and accept this fact. If they do, both Barcelona and Argentina can reap the benefits and reclaim their glory days in Europe and the World respectively.

Definitely, A Game of Emotions!

Yet another season ends. Just like every season, this one holds a special place too. The last one might have been a nail biting thriller of Championship Struggle, leading to a mind blowing end in the final 90 seconds of the year & marking a season of incredulousness in making it a Game of Thrones , but this season is a Game of emotions. Not exactly star spangled awesome, but crunching your heart through your emotions.

Gareth Bale with both PFA Awards for this season

  Where do I even start about the 2012-2013 Premier League Season. Do I start from a sensation called Michu, who put the League under fire with his Goal scoring exploits, even when bought at a meager 2M pound cost or do I start from a young protege called Hazard, who made Sir Alex Ferguson look like a fool for a moment for making a worthless comment about him.  Should I start from yet another shrewd buy of Arsene Wenger, where Cazorla instantly became the backbone of the team or should I talk about the upsurge of Brendan Rodgers & Andres Villas Boas among their managerial careers. Or should I talk about how a crazy moment of insanity of Luis Suarez over shadowed the genius he has displayed consistently over the season,.. probably I should just simply start from Gareth Bale. The world class player who single handedly produced mind boggling miracles on a week-in-week-out basis to show his class & ability to the world.
  From tears to joy, from branded failures to fight backs, from blunders to miracles, this season has shown them all.

Alex Ferguson, during the Guard of Honor in his last Home Game

  After 26 long years, Sir Alex Ferguson has finally decided that his time is up. A single fact showing the dozens of mangers the rival teams had had, shows the enormity of the stunt. Like many noted,
"So long Sir Alex, the premier league grows unfamiliar without you." And along with him, there has been a juggling among the gaffers for many teams. Rafa Benitez, even after achieving the best possible achievement for the Blues is about to be replaced by The Special One while Mancini gets sacked for failing to deliver on the home & European turfs, by a huge margin! David Moyes is being given a hearty send off from the blue half of the Merseyside to fill a giant predecessor's shoes and Nigel Adkins takes up Reading Job after being sacked cruelly at Saints, Ahh, talk about the penalty of promoting a club into Premier League.
   This season has finally been the one where Roberto Martinez's Wigan Athletic finally takes a drop into Championship. What a fight it has been, adorable by a mile, how I wished they were still in the League. While the much trusted Harry Redknapp could not get the Rangers out of the deep shit they were in, Reading silently take the drop. And apart from all these talk about the rises & fight backs. While Daniel Sturridge, the incredibly talented Chelsea failure, emphatically shows why Roman made a costly mistake by not selling Torres instead of him, the instant KOP connect gives the Anfield faithful a huge ray of hope while playing alongside mercurial Suarez & the new found poster boy of Red Revolution, Philippe Coutinho! While Michael Carrick has grown to the stature of being an unsung hero by being the pivot of the United team, Villas Boas shows his acute tactical capabilities by forming a midfield crowded squad around the jewel of his team. While the respected french man Arsene Wenger, delivers yet another Top 4 finish while gunners across the world feels "Now or never" for the manger to deliver the silver ware, the french men stuffed Newcastle takes a huge blow after loosing out their star Demba Ba, bringing Alan Pardew under scanner. Ahh, the tragedy after being given a 8 year contract at the start of the season! While the tyneside combo of Kevin Nolan & Andy Carroll resurfaces at West Ham, providing a catalyst for the British player's fight back, it looks like Van Persie's goal finding abilities are here to stay for a long time, at any team, against any team! And apart from all these, the emergence of players like Lukaku, Benteke, Lambert, Snogdrass & Mirallas ushers some new potential heroes into the League.

Jamie Carragher, on his 737th appearnce for Liverpool F.C

  While all these & many more form the crux of the season, the season take-away lies in the good byes. While legends like Scholes & Carragher are bound to get a heart touching send offs with guard of honours & players like Stilian Petrov gets a 19th minute applause for most of the games at Villa Park, it is not these intricate acts that touch my heart. For a long time, I have known that football is a matter of much more than life & death. And if you feel that fans get attached only to stars, you might be mistaken. Steve Harper is the prime example. In a career spanning 20 years, he has hardly played 150 games for Newcastle as their shot stopper. But when tears rolled out of his eyes in the middle of the game, when the entire St.James' Park erupted in an echoing applause in the 37th minute to show their gratitude for the long-serving servant of their club, in that moment of heartfelt ambivalence, it shows me the naked truth that fans love loyalty & service to the club over everything else. Like the saying goes," The greatest moment in a warrior's life is when he lies exhausted in the field of battle, irrespective of the result." Loyal fans just want their players to give their all to the team. The Inspiration is what brings them on to the field, the perspiration is what makes their name tick forever.
    In this enormous soccer world, the eye-catching Premier League may look like a Game of  thrones from outside. But in reality, it is a game of emotions from inside. Oh yeah, definitely a game of emotions.

Steve Harper in his Final Appearance

Happy Birthday, Don Andrés!

Andrés Iniesta is not only one of the world’s best football players, finishing third in the most recent Ballon d’Or voting, he is also one of the most beloved footballers around the world. In fact, he is the only Barça player who is equally acceptable for a Madrid or Espanyol fan to like. But what makes him so popular?  Why is Iniesta special in this way? 

Well, the story started in 1996 when Andrés Iniesta joined Barca as a twelve-year-old after scouts had spotted him at the Brunette Tournament playing for Albacete.

In 1999, it was his last minute 1-0 winning goal against Rosario Central in the Nike Premier Cup at the Camp Nou that made Barçaʼs U-15 team the best in the world. Josep Guardiola handed the trophy to Iniesta, the teamʼs captain, and told him that in 10 years’ time he would watch him do the same in the first team. Guardiola later stated that he had seen a 15-year-old who could read the game better than he could himself. Afterwards, Iniesta went back to his room and replaced his old Guardiola poster with a new one signed by his idol, “To the best player I’ve ever seen.”

Later, the first team coach at the time, Llorenç Serra Ferrer, decided to reward Iniesta by letting him train with the team. At first, Andrés thought it was a joke but Ferrer later commented,“I wanted to reward him because he was so special. He was modest, loyal, responsible and down to earth. He had tremendous emotional maturity and was very clever. He really listened and remembered all the details.” Guardiola hadn’t forgotten the boy as well and told his teammates to “remember this day, the day you first trained with Andrés Iniesta”. During the training session Guardiola told Xavi,“You will retire me, but this boy will retire us all.”

From the start he progressed rapidly through the club's various youth teams and was promoted to the Barça B team for the 2000-01 season, where he almost immediately became the team's main playmaker under coach Josep Maria Gonzalvo.

Andrés' dream of making the first team finally came true in October 2002 when he was picked to play in the Champions League game against Bruges in Belgium. Van Gaal's Barça won that evening and Andrés made an excellent impression.

Since then, Iniesta became a regular feature in the Barca squad, especially under Rijkaard's reign. He was instrumental in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 Liga triumphs, and also the Champions league victory later the same season, more so due to Xavi's long absence during that time due to an injury.

It was the 2008/09 season when Iniesta was even better than ever and following the impressive Euro 2008 performance, started showing the best of his game. Playing in a central or wide role he delighted the whole world with his amazing dribbling skills. He grew into one of the essential components of the Barça engine, and took the team to the Champions League final in Rome thanks to his famous goal in the final seconds of the semi final at Stamford Bridge.

Iniesta’s finest hour in the national jersey was July 11, 2010, when the midfielder’s goal just four minutes from the end of extra time against Holland won Spain the World Cup for the first time ever. But before the World Cup 2010 final, Iniesta was focused on how to make the world remember Dani Jarque, his close friend and Espanyol’s captain, who suddenly passed away because of a heart attack. Later, Iniesta scored the winner which made Spain the world champion . When all the world was watching him, he took off his shirt and showed his message, “Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros.”

His personal individual performances collided with  the dominating period by his Club and country, and as a result Barcelona won three Liga titles in a row and Spain won the World Cup.

At Euro 2012 was named player of the tournament in Poland in Ukraine, where he also collected his second winners medal. Later, Andres Iniesta was awarded the 2012 UEFA Best Player as the jury of 53 journalists around the continent valued Andres' commanding performance at the Euro 2012 championships as more important than the outrageous goal-scoring records by the other two candidates, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

After 11 seasons, 412 appearances, 41 goals and 19 titles won for Barcelona, Andresito is now more commonly known as "Don" Andres Iniesta. His legendary World Cup winning goal back in 2010 and his 2 European championships surely helped him earn recognition but it's his calmness, his impeccable attitude on and off the pitch that has won the hearts of millions around the globe. 


On a personal note though, Andres Iniesta will always be that young boy from Albacete who turned up for training one day, unaware he was going to light the Blaugrana sky with his unique touch of football magic. I feel fortunate enough to be a die hard follower of this legend and hope to remain so for many years to come. 

Andres Iniesta is a gift to football, a legendary symbol of what it means to be Blaugrana and living the dream from a very early age. Seeing him lift the 2012 UEFA Best Player award was an incredibly pleasant surprise - Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction, unfortunately, wasn't. 

Happy 29th birthday El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight) , Don Andrés. May this year be no different and you keep enchanting us with your brilliance!

When Pride is a consolation..

A snowy night away facing arguably one of the biggest clubs in the history of football is never a happy outing for any team. Add to that a 1-3 deficit in the first leg, and you cannot rule out the possibility of a cricket score on aggregate. With the current form Arsenal and Bayern Munich are in, such a prospect loomed large. Arsenal, instead of reveling in the news of Ribery and Schweinsteiger being ruled out for the tie, reciprocated with bad news of their own, as their talisman Jack Wilshere, the Bayern misfit Podolski and Bacary Sagna had to be restricted to their TV sets with injuries. And so the sane bets were on Bayern as the odds were strongly in favour of the ever in-form German giants running away with the match right from the whistle.

This year's Champions League had its share of upsets and comebacks as was evident just the previous night, with Barca beating the shit out of AC Milan to overturn a 0-2 deficit. But come on. That was Barcelona and they had Messi. All Arsenal had was an empty trophy cabinet and a bunch of youngsters trying to make it big. But then, there was one similarity. Both the teams had very recently lost to bitter rivals and had a point to prove. Barcelona certainly had vengeance on their mind, as players were ready to "put their hands on fire" and promise to win. That they did, as they took Milan to the cleaners. It was Arsenal's turn now. The pre-match mood did suggest that the players were in a similar mood, with Vermaelen talking about repaying the manager's faith. They believed they could deliver the Munich Miracle and so did the Gooner family silently.

And so they kicked off, in a vibrant Allianz Arena, with some determination. This instantly paid off as Rosicky slipped it through to Walcott who put in an inch perfect pass for Giroud to tap in, just under 3 minutes. "The goal is just gonna wake up the sleeping beast" a random tweet read. But, to the surprise of everyone, this stunned the Arena into a gloomy silence. The away supporters suddenly found their voice as Arsenal started getting passes together in an attempt to strike again. "Oooh... Saanti Cazooorlaa.." they went. The unsual thing was the attitude of the Bayern eleven on the pitch, almost displaying a certain arrogance from the first leg lead. Unperturbed by the early setback, they continued to attack with Lahm and Abate streaming forward at every opportunity they got. This, and poor passing by Arsenal and especially Rosicky (with the lack of game time, the poor co-ordination was clearly evident) meant Bayern had a lot of shots at goal. But, Bayern clearly left their shooting boots in their dressing rooms as everybody from Kroos to Robben aimed to lift the top off the stadium (Arrogance, may be?). In the meanwhile, Arsenal looked threatening on the counter and were waiting for the right moment to strike. As the half ended, Bayern looked more comfortable on the ball and in the tie.

Carl Jenkinson: The rising star proves his worth again in the back four.

As the subdued tempo of the game continued into the second half, Arsenal started to get into the stride as anxiety started to creep into the Germans. "Oooh... Saanti Cazooorlaa.." the away contingency roared on as the home support seemed settled into a sleepy mood. The Gunners clearly missed  Wilshere's drive and passion in the midfield as Rosicky had a day to forget and Arteta, who seemed be pissed off about something, continuously committed needless fouls. Into the 75th minute, game still dull, Wenger played his cards and brought on the Ox and Le Forehead to inject pace. That they did, as the persistance finally paid off and Kocielny headed in to give a glimmer of hope. But the Germans held on, rather disgracefully, to deny a quarters spot for Arsenal, twice in two years now, on away goals.

One of the biggest wins but barely a reason to celebrate

On the night, Arsenal delivered a perfect performance to beat Bayern 0-2. Beating Bayern, who have not lost since last October is no mean feat. Bayern never looked like a team sitting on a 20 point cusion in the domestic league, as their domination in midfield never really led to convertible chances. This was mostly due to solid defending by Arsenal, as the back four, same as the one which produced the best defensive performance of the season against Man City, held on to a well-deserved clean sheet. Compared to the secong leg of last year against AC Milan, this was a rather held-back performance but no less exceptional. Again, the team went down heroically as a proud performance was followed by heartbreak for the second time running. The Arsenal faithful were left applauding the second leg but feeling frustrated about another trophyless season. Last year's performance triggered a run of continuous victories. One only hopes that this performance can turn around Arsenal's season, in a bid for the "coveted" fouth spot in the league. You cannot help but wonder why Arsenal failed to deliver a performance with similar passion in the first leg, with the backing of the home crowd. If only they had stopped the third goal..

Have Patience : Barcelona Can Still Succeed!

A humbling 2-0 defeat at the hands of A.C.Milan at San Siro, and now this painful 3-1 defeat at home at the hands of arch rivals Real Madrid. Barcelona fans are certainly not accustomed to such humiliating losses, owing to their dominating and enthralling performances in the last few years, and these losses are disheartening to a majority of them. What can possibly go wrong in such short time for a team who was winning everything that came into their way!

The best start to the season in the entire history of the club has turned into a nightmare after these recent losses. The La Liga crown is definitely in safe reach, but that wouldn’t help in escaping the questions that would arise about the lack of ideas and poor strategy, which are evident from the last few performances by the team. The blame lies equally on the shoulders of Jordi Roura, who takes the responsibility of the position of coach in the absence of Tito Vilanova due to illness, and the squad, which has failed to perform to the level of competition, leave aside performing on the level they are expected to perform consistently.

Fabregas, who was the standout midfielder in the first half of the campaign, so far seems to be lost between midfield and attack, and has been a victim of sluggish passing, poor first touches and finish in the second half of the season. Messi, as skillful and impactful he is in majority of the matches, has shown an increased tendency to drop down too far deep into midfield in major clashes, to the extent that his mesmerizing runs and brilliant one-two’s fail to create too many goal-scoring chances due to the amount of ground he is left to cover and the number of defenders he is left to surpass. The unwillingness to use a specialized winger in the left wing has urged the teams to further crowd the center of the pitch leaving the wide areas harmlessly unprotected. Alexis Sanchez’s ineffective performances on the several trial occasions aren’t helping either. In spite of some decent scoring performances, Villa is still being neglected in being handed a starting berth in main clashes, leaving the dangerous positions in the penalty area unoccupied most of the times during attack. Xavi, in spite of being majestic in possession as ever, has surprisingly been found guilty of losing the ball at crucial moments of the build-up play. Alves’ form has visibly declined. His crosses are bad, his defense is embarrassing.

This period of adversities calls for a question. Is this a failure that finally marks the beginning of the end for the dominant reign over the world of football for the past 4 years or so? Or is it just a phase that was necessary for the team to rethink, realize, re-strategize and come back stronger than ever. I certainly think of it the second way. These kinds of losses are sometimes important to realize the faults in the system and the changes that need to be made to help the system adapt and face the upcoming challenges.

Losing hope is certainly not the correct option right now. It’s just not the Barca way. There are upcoming clashes against Madrid and Milan in the Liga and Champions League respectively, and these clashes can still be season-defining. Remember the last year’s UCL Round of 16 return leg, where Arsenal came that close with a 3-0 score at half-time in response to the thrashing 4-0 defeat in the first leg against the much stronger Milan? The team should take that as an example and draw inspiration from the fact that they are capable of much more than that. Jordi Roura needs to be a little more fearless in rotating players. Why not try Montoya or Adriano in Alves’ place, and Villa/Tello in the left wing position with Iniesta switching back to his normal midfield role? Tweaking the formation to three at the back for some period of time against Milan might also be an option on the cards, keeping in mind the number of goals required to stay alive in the tie. Jorda needs to prove his worth as a good care-taking coach and the team needs to show their mettle in this period of adverse results, and step-up their performances and match the expectations .

The best  way to minimize the pain of loss is to stand back up and start winning again, and what better way than to avenge the losses against the very same teams. A couple of good results, and the “disaster” could suddenly turn back into success. All it needs is patience, and the never-ending support  from the Cules community. Keep calm and Visca el Barca!