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.