Football's 'Best Ever Side' - Really?

For those of you that live in a cave, or don't have access to a TV or the internet, yesterday was the Champions League final. And following a (rather more closely fought than anticipated) 3-1 win for Barcelona, people have as usual got carried away. Calls for the new European champions to be recognised as football's 'best ever side' have emerged, thanks largely to the incredible number of goals scored by the club's front three this year.

For me, this is frankly ludicrous. I'll go into this in more detail later, but far from the being the best side to play football, they're not even the best side I've seen in my lifetime. In fact, they're not even the best Barcelona side I've seen in my lifetime!

Though much has been made of this current side, my favourite Barcelona side remains the Champions League winners of 2009. Managed by Pep Guardiola, this side had matched the feat of the current Barca team, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey ahead of the meeting with Manchester United in Rome.

Here, it's worth outlining the opposition that the two sides faced. Though Juventus certainly do have some talented players - Tevez, Pirlo, Buffon and Marchisio to name a few - there are a number that are certainly past their best. This was absolutely not the case for the 2009 side. In Manchester United, they had a side that had run away with the English league (and anyone who's watched a season will tell you how difficult that is - unlike Italy), and contained players in their prime. Defensively, the likes of Evra, Vidic and Ferdinand were all seen as being at the pinnacle of the game, and going forward, the side had an embarrassment of riches, with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez forming a formidable partnership, not unlike the current Barca trio.

Despite this, Barcelona simply destroyed United, with Xavi and Iniesta toying with them in the midfield before letting Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o take over. Though the final score was only 2-0, it could and perhaps should have been many more, with United unable to penetrate the defence.

Whether that side is my favourite because of the football they played and the fact that a treble was unprecedented for Spanish sides at the time, or simply because they picked apart a Manchester United side that I was thoroughly sick of watching win, I'm not sure. Either way, it cannot be disputed that they were comfortably the best side in the world at that moment - but is that true of the Barcelona side of today?

I'd argue not. I know they say that the best side over 38 games wins the league, so perhaps this Barcelona side is better than Real Madrid. But it is worth noting that only a spectacular collapse from Carlo Ancelotti's men in the mid-season, following an incredible 22-game winning streak, handed Barca the Spanish title. I'd strongly suggest that had the furore around Gareth Bale and his unpopularity with the fans not potentially upset the morale surrounding the squad and the feel-good factor at the club, Real Madrid would be sitting here with three trophies, and we'd be calling for them to be instated as the best team in the world.

I'd also argue that, although they were soundly beaten in the Nou Camp, Bayern Munich have a better squad that the Catalans. They had to complete their two legged tie without the assistance of either Arjen Robben or Franck Ribery, two of the best wingers in the world - imagine if Barca had to go on without both Luis Suarez or Neymar. I can't imagine if the roles had been reversed, we would have seen anything other than a German victory.

So clearly, proclaiming the current side as the best ever to grace the game of football is a tad premature. But to be fair, how many of the current Barcelona side would get into the sides of either 2009 or 2011? Who would I pick as my best Barcelona team of the last six years?

Goalkeeper - Victor Valdes (2011), Right Back - Dani Alves (2011), Centre Back - Carles Puyol (2009), Centre Back - Gerard Pique (2009), Left Back - Jordi Alba (2015), Defensive Midfield - Yaya Toure (2009), Centre Midfield - Xavi (2009), Centre Midfield - Andres Iniesta (2011), Left Wing - Neymar (2015), Centre Forward - Lionel Messi (2011), Right Wing - Luis Suarez (2015)

So with only three players in my best Barcelona team of the best six years, is the current side the best of all time? No. Also, to assume that a Barcelona side of within the previous decade is to totally ignore the incredible club sides put together by Real Madrid in the early 2000's, including the likes of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Beckham and Roberto Carlos, Arsenal's 'Invincibles' team of 2002/2003 or (annoyingly) Manchester United's treble-winning team in 1999. It also neglects the incredible national teams that have been created - think of Spain's 2010 World Cup winners, or the Brazilian sides in either 2002, with the three Rs of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, or the side recognised as the greatest World Cup team, the Brazilian team of 1970 including Pele, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto and Rivellino.

However, the 122 goals scored by Messi, Neymar and Suarez this season cannot be ignored. They certainly have a claim to be the best strike force of all time, but to create an extension to the rest of the team is unfair. Become the first side ever to retain the Champions League next season, as well as completing another domestic and European treble with the same group of players, and then we'll talk.

The Premier League and Europe: A Subconscious Uncoupling?

And so, a devastating fortnight for English clubs in Europe draws to a close. For the second time in three years, we have no representative in the Champions League beyond the last 16. Even more worryingly, it's the fourth time in five seasons that no English side has made it to the quarters of the Europa League. And never before have both happened in conjunction. So what has gone wrong? How has a league extolled for its pace and power, ranked as one of the top two leagues in the world, deteriorated when it comes to the European competitions?

However, as the stats above suggest, twas not always thus. Between 2004/2005 and 2008/2009, we had at least one English side in the Champions League final every year, and two in 2007/2008! That was less than ten years ago, and I'm struggling to understand what's changed in the intervening period.

Or maybe it's a trend thing. Here, I find a little bit more evidence. From the introduction of the Champions League, there was a six-season period where no Premier League side made it out of the group stages. However, this was the early 90s. The Premier League was not seen as the all-conquering force in world football that it is today, with the enormous spending power available. Equally, it's worth noting that just one side entered the competition from the English league. Compare that to the capitulation that saw three exit the Champions League in the past two weeks, and you see how unfair the comparison between the two is.

So, we've seen that English clubs are struggling to find their great historic form in the Champions League at present, but is it any different when we look at Europe's secondary club competition? Do we have previous heights that we simply aren't hitting?

The short answer - no. Unlike the Champions League, where England at least has an illustrious past, the country has had just eight teams get to the quarter-finals or beyond - and three of those came in the same season! (2012-13 for those who care). According to this recent history, it's hardly a surprise to see English clubs fail to make the cut.

What's more worrying is who the English clubs are being beaten by. For this, I want to look a bit more closely at this season now. In the Champions League, Liverpool failed to make it out of a group consisting of the Spanish side in third place last year (albeit Real Madrid), a Swiss side and a Hungarian debutant. Although the other three managed it to make it through groups far harder than that (bear in mind City's group of Bayern Munich, Roma and CSKA Moscow), they perished to the French champions, runners up and Spanish runners up. This has left a octet of three Spanish sides, two French teams, a German, an Italian and a Portuguese. Now, the three Spanish and the German I can accept, but the other five are all eminently beatable by the likes of Chelsea, City and Arsenal. So the questions remains, why didn't they?

The Europa League is even worse. FA Cup runners-up Hull were beaten before the competition even began, dumped out on away goals by Belgian side Lokeren. Though both of our entrants into the group stages made their way safely through to the Round of 32, where they were joined by Liverpool,  both the Anfield club and Tottenham were dumped out at this stage, losing to Besiktas and Fiorentina respectively. Finally, Everton's annihilation at the hands of Ukraine giants Dynamo Kiev (can't you almost feel the sarcasm?) caps a simply horrendous season in Europe for English clubs. Again, look at at who's left. Two Italians, two Ukrainians, a Spaniard, a Russian, a German and a Belgian. Of those, I would perhaps rank three (Wolfsburg, Sevilla and Napoli) more highly than the likes of Spurs and Everton. But with none of those teams playing our sides, how do we not have more representatives in the last eight?

Perhaps we need to look at the mindset of British clubs when it comes to the European game. Here, there are a couple of potential factors. However, as my title suggests, these are by no means deliberate choices made by English clubs to the detriment of performances in Europe, merely an unintended consequence.

Firstly, just look at the respective value of league and European competitions for English clubs. Last season, champions Manchester City received £24.7m for winning the Premier League title, with additional TV fees taking the total received by the Blues to a whopping £96.5m. Just to prove that English football does not unfairly benefit the champions, fourth placed Arsenal claimed a total of £92.8m. Bear in mind that this is before the mammoth TV rights deal from BT and Sky that sees the Premier League pocket in excess of £5.1bn. If we compare that to the total received for Champions League participation and progression, we see a stark difference. Liverpool's exit in the group stages earned the club just £7.67m in prize money and TV rights, while last season's winners of the competition, Real Madrid, secured £41.5m. The Europa League difference is even more stark. Spurs, who finished sixth in the Premier League, made almost £90m in domestic competition, whilst only securing £4.27m for their participation in the Europa League. With this difference, it would surely come as no surprise for clubs to, either consciously or subconsciously, focus more heavily on domestic competition.

In comparison, foreign clubs do not have the same financial incentive at home. Barring Barcelona and Real Madrid, who combined secure almost half of the annual La Liga TV rights, currently valued at around £482m, the rest are relative paupers, with current champions Atletico Madrid securing just £31m - pittance when compared to the Premier League. It's a similar story in Italy, where Juventus take home a financial package to rival England, but second placed Roma manage only £52m, just over half that of the Turin side. In Germany, it is even more obvious, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen all taking around £18m in TV rights. With such a large disparity, it is hardly surprising to see teams from these nations taking a greater interest in European competitions, and also explains the rise of Eastern European nations, who without Champions League and Europa League money would perhaps struggle financially.

In terms of a conscious effort to prioritise the league in England, we can see evidence of this with squad selection from the likes of Spurs and Everton in some Europa League ties, with the Londoners in particular coming under scrutiny for fielding seemingly weakened sides. However, this is not the case for Europe's premier competition. With much made of Roman Abramovic's desire for European glory, none of the English participants have obviously favoured domestic competition - demonstrating that either this is a subconscious element, or needs explaining by some other means.

The second factor is a simple one. The fact remains that English sides are still not playing to the style of the European game. If you look at recent winners of both the Champions League and Europa League, neither have used power over pace. Arguably the best European side for some time, the Barcelona from the late 000s/early 2010s, had not a single truly powerful player, with Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol the only ones to add real steel to the play. Flair has always been the key factor in Europe, as demonstrated by the goalscoring abilities of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And yet, English sides continue to buy tall, powerful players. Take Manchester City, for example. This January, requiring a striker, their eyes turned to Wilfried Bony, a man famed for his strength and power, but not for his speed. This signing more than any other signifies the inherent importance placed on the Premier League over the Champions League, even if they do not make that conscious decision themselves.

English sides have traditionally been powerful, in order to cope with the more robust elements of the English game, particularly when facing lower league opposition. To this end, I think it will be quite different to marry the two objectives going forward. Therefore, from a purely business standpoint, it makes no sense to look to win the Champions League at the expense of the Premier League, regardless of what Roman Abramovic may say. A subconscious uncoupling it may have been, but it would be to the detriment of English clubs' finances to reconnect with European competition any time soon.

Half Time Report: European Round-Up

Having mainly focused on the Premier League in my blog, it can almost seem like I don't acknowledge the existence of any other leagues! However, while the English leagues continue on through the winter, many of the main European leagues take a nice break for Christmas. This makes it easy for me to do a succinct, but hopefully useful, roundup of some of the key leagues around the continent, looking at the title battle, the challenge for the European places and the threat of relegation.

Spain

Title

After last year's shocking finale which saw Atletico Madrid usurp the Clasico pair to claim the title, the first time that neither Barcelona or Real Madrid had claimed the title since Valencia's win a decade previously, it's been an interesting opening five months to this year.

Unsurprisingly, given the money spent by both Barcelona and Real Madrid, the pair have returned to the summit so far this season, with Madrid leading the Catalans by a single point with a game in hand. However, the reigning champions have refused to give up, with Atletico just a point behind their neighbours, albeit having played two games more. They may be on the back foot this year, but they seem intent on challenging once more.

Europe

It's all the usual suspects once more, with Sevilla currently in the Champions League spot and Valencia and Villarreal occupying the Europa League places. The only shock is the sudden demise of Athletic Bilbao. Having beaten Sevilla to the final Champions League place last year, Los Leones find themselves only 12th so far this year, and are unlikely to be in the shake-up come the end of the season.

Relegation

Realistically, anywhere from 13th down could be considered to be included in the relegation scrap, with Getafe separated from bottom side Cordoba by just six points. At the minute, Elche and Grenada join Cordoba in the relegation zone, with Levante and David Moyes's Real Sociedad, after an appalling start to the season, clinging on above them. I'm sensing numerous changes in the second half of the season as teams jostle for position, and a run of two or three straight victories may see them out of danger.

Germany

Title

Arguably the most one-sided league in Europe. Following a few years of competition involving Borussia Dortmund, with even a title for Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich have made the Bundesliga title their own in recent years. With the Bavarian side currently unbeaten this year, drawing just three games and conceding only four goals, they lead second-placed Wolfsburg by an unassailable 11 points. It's now more a case of when and not if.

Europe

The real race is for second place, with Wolfsburg separated from 9th place Eintracht Frankfurt by as many points as from Bayern the other way. In reality, the Wolves look strong favourites to cement a place in the Champions League. Other than them, the race is incredibly tight, with 3rd to 8th separated by just four points. With their pedigree, you'd always fancy Bayer Leverkusen to make the top four, but any one of Schalke, Borussia Monchengladbach, Augsburg, Hoffenheim or Hannover could sneak into the final spot, with two of the remaining four being entered into the Europa League.

Relegation

Here is where the biggest shock in Europe lies. Despite having won a pair of titles less than five years ago, Borussia Dortmund find themselves in the relegation zone. With players like Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, there is no way they should remain in this predicament, however, their away form abysmal at present, there is no guarantee that they won't get sucked in. Other than that, any of the bottom half of the table could find themselves in trouble come the end of the year, with Werder Bremen, currently in the relegation playoff spot, separated from 10th placed Paderborn by just two points. This is going to be another tight battle.

France

Title

Despite all of the pre-season talk of a Paris-Saint Germain procession with the demise of Monaco, it hasn't gone entirely according to plan for Raymond Blanc's side. Trailing Marseille by three points, and Lyon by two, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani have yet to reach the highs that we saw last year. Though I do expect them to eventually triumph, Marseille have performed exceptionally well this season, with Pierre Andre Gignac and Florian Thavin singled out for particular praise. 

Europe

With Monaco slightly off the pace of the top teams, the four top places are likely to be the three currently challenging for the title and Saint Etienne, though the order is yet to be conclusively decided. The way the form table is going, I would predict a top four of PSG, Marseille, Lyon and Saint Etienne, but there is still much to be decided.

Relegation

As with a number of Europe's top leagues, this is set to be the largest battle this season. With Caen currently being cut away slightly at the bottom, trailing 17th place Metz by four points already, the difference between Evian in 18th and Nice in 11th is just three. The biggest surprise of the bottom half is European regulars Lille. Despite qualifying for this season's Europa League, Les Dogues have struggled in the league, currently languishing in 18th place. Though I suspect they have more than enough quality to drag themselves away from trouble, it is still a worrying time for their supporters, and put themselves under considerable pressure for the remainder of the season.

Italy

Title

Not quite as sewn up as Germany, but Juventus should be considered the strong favourites. Though they may only lead by three points from Roma, they have shown that they have the experience and ability to convert a lead to championships. If Juventus don't win it, I don't see anyone other than Roma claiming the Scudetto, though.

Europe

Behind the leading pair, a gap of nine points goes back to a trio of teams, and with only a further three points back to 8th place, this is set to be the biggest battle we see this season. Lazio currently occupy the final Champions League place, but with considerable European experience behind them in Napoli, Sampdoria, Genoa, Milan and Fiorentina, I expect to see many twists and turns in this battle going forward. 

Relegation

Surprisingly, this seems to be the only league where relegation is a little more cut and dried. With Parma and Cesena on just six and nine points respectively, they look dead and buried. The only real dispute is over the final spot, currently occupied by Cagliari. With a number of teams congregated on 17 points, five clear of the drop, I'm expecting to see a couple sucked into the struggle come the end of the year.

While it's been an interesting season in the Premier League, we're seeing all of Europe's leagues have prizes being hotly contested. Though in some, the largest honour is not really being contested, there are interesting dynamics being played out across Europe. With a long time to go in the season, there is still much to be decided, particularly involving the qualification for European competition next year.

World Cup 2014 Draw: 1982 Revisited?

After a month's sabbatical (whilst I attempted to find my full-time career, which I am glad to say I have), I am back and writing! And what an event to restart my blogs with. Despite it feeling like a matter of nano-seconds since the extra-time volley from Andres Iniesta secured Spain's first World Cup success, Brazil 2014 is just around the corner. With the South American state being the undisputed mecca of world football (international at least), each of the 32 qualifiers will have been hoping for a kind draw to prolong their experience of the footballing carnival atmosphere. And on Friday (alongside rather muted claims of racism), the sides discovered their fates.

For England, after a hard-fought campaign, whose place in the finals were once again decided on just the final day against Poland, hopes of a kind draw were particularly strong. Going through a period widely described as a 'transition period' (I hate that phrase), after struggling in South Africa and in a seemingly simple qualifying group for Brazil, little is expected for the Three Lions this time around. At least in the minds of the sane anyway. In a BBC poll taken directly before the draw was made, a delusional 5.2% of people tipped England to win the World Cup. That made them 8th favourites! If we look at this positively, at least 95% of the British people can be considered sane. But to place England in the top quarter of teams is ridiculous. As we saw in the pair of friendlies last month, both Germany and Chile are better than us. I think we can also safely assume that we cannot be expected to compete with sides like Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and with rising sides like Uruguay, Columbia and Belgium all seeming to have far too much momentum for Roy Hodgson's men, 8th seems unlikely. Outside that list, European giants in Portugal, Italy, France and Holland. A kind draw was imperative.

And so onto the draw, and my predictions for each of the groups:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

One of my favourite groups. Competitive throughout, and though the hosts may have the advantage, the second spot is well and truly up for grabs. None of the three sides had particularly good qualifying campaigns, with all struggling in the playoffs. I would expect Brazil to progress as group winners, and purely on experience I will pick Mexico for spot number two.

Group B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia

I feel so sorry for the Aussies. Though they may be obliterating our cricket side down under, but they have been dealt a ridiculous hand for the World Cup. The reigning champions and the runners up, with the Alexis Sanchez-inspired Chile, makes up an incredibly tough task. Though for the neutrals this group will be interesting, as I could conceivably see Holland exit at this stage, the two Europeans are favourites to progress.

Group C: Columbia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

One of the more cut-and-dried groups. Though Japan may seem capable of springing a surprise, Ivory Coast and Columbia must be favourites to progress. Unfortunately for Greece, despite their recent improvement, I can see them getting the dreaded nul point in Brazil.

Group D: Uruguay, England, Costa Rica, Italy

Though 5.2% (and I suspect more) of England fans will not want to admit it, this too appears to be a fairly obvious choice. Uruguay, with one of the greatest strike forces in world football (for those of you that do not follow football, that is Paris Saint Germain's Edinson Cavani and Liverpool's Luis Suarez. But if you don't follow football, that probably means nothing to you either!) And Italy, the side that eliminated England from Euro 2012, and with a rejuvenated Mario Balotelli since his move to Milan. Though Costa Rica will be the proverbial whipping boys of the group, I expect England to suffer their first group stage exit since 1982.

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

The group that England wanted. And typical it should fall to France. So enigmatic in international competitions in recent years, we have seen France reach the final of two of the last five World Cups, but they have also perished in the group stage of the same amount. The other three have never really had much success in recent years, with Switzerland's rise into the top 8 of world football being greeted with derision by many. I think that France will return to their best to take top spot, and after a hard scrap, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ecuador in second.

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzagovina, Iran, Nigeria

At least we will be able to see the skills of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero on show, because Argentina should cruise through this group, scoring plenty of goals in the process. The competition's only debutants, Bosnia, should also feel relatively confident about their chances to progress, as neither Iran nor Nigeria fill international football sides with dread. I think those two will progess, and the Bosnian fairytale can continue.

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Another intriguing prospect. The two European giants will be the favourites to progress, but we have seen what happens to Portugal when Ronaldo gets isolated. The Iberians are too often reliant on the Real Madrid striker, and I would imagine that Ghana, though not back by a continent like 4 years ago, will be there to capitalise should the Portuguese stutter.

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

Belgium's meteoric rise has been commented on by many, as they have been the side to slip under the radar for the majority of the qualifying campaign. With the likes of Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Romelu Lukaku and Simon Mignolet, they have some of the Premier League's best players, and I would expect them to progress easily here. Russia would be my second choice, as though we hear little of them in the years between, they seem to turn up for international competitions.

As I mentioned, England have not failed to progress from a World Cup group since 1982. However, I would argue that they have not had a weaker squad since that point than the one we find ourselves with at present. Though the future looks promising, with youngsters like Ross Barkley, Jack Wilshere and Ravel Morrison making headlines in the Premier League this season, we may have to go through a spell of under-performing before we return to the knockout phases once more.

Transfer Deadline Day: A Summer Of Sagas

                         This summer has seen the usual hustle and bustle around Europe, from car-window interviews to gossip columns. The main theme of this transfer window has been sagas, with players such as Bale, Suarez, Rooney and Fabregas all involved in drawn-out proceedings. However, the money that has been spent on players this summer is astonishing, and this post will review the biggest and most important signings and sagas from around the major European nations.

England:

Biggest Fee Paid: Mesut Ozil - Real Madrid to Arsenal (£42.4 Million)

Biggest Fee Recieved: Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid (£85.3 Million)

Most Active: Crystal Palace (16 new signings)

Most Spent: Tottenham Hotspur (£109 Million)

Review:

                           As is illustrated by the above and below statistics, it is England where the majority of the big money moves have been. English clubs also account for the vast majority of transfer sagas this summer, with Gareth Bale's seemingly inevitable move to Real Madrid taking forever to complete. Another man that commanded a considerable amount of column inches this summer was Luis Suarez. Having stated his displeasure at percieved 'broken promises' from the Liverpool hierarchy, he made his intention to leave clear. Cue two bids from Arsenal, the second designed to trigger a release clause in his contract. Embarrassingly for the Gunners, they had misinterpreted the clause, meaning that no deal had been struck. As the saga dragged on, it became more apparent that the Uruguayan would not be leaving Liverpool without a fight. This eventually culminated in Suarez accepting that he would have to stay at Anfield.

                            The big winners from this window are undoubtedly Tottenham Hotspur. Being able to spend £109 Million and have only effectively spent 25 puts them in good stead for the Financial Fair Play regulations, and gives them an enormous amount of talent at the same time. The big losers: Manchester United. A distinct lack of signings will do little to calm the doubters of David Moyes and Ed Woodward, and the fact that they wasted so much time on the sagas of Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara, Wayne Rooney and the Everton duo of Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines will have further exacerbated matters. To end up with only one major signing this summer is poor, and not what you would expect a championship winning side to manage. Had they decided not to sign anyone, that is a different matter. However, having chased and failed, Moyes's reputation will not have been aided.

                             England's transfer deadline day saw just two big money moves. Of the top 6, only two had failed to spend any money to this point, and it was today (arguably with an element of panic-buying) that saw them finally open the cheque-book. Firstly, Arsenal managed to capture the mercurial German Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. Though a good signing for the Gunners, I question firstly the £42.4 Million fee, and the fact that midfield is not an area that I would consider weak in the Arsenal squad. They would have been much better off buying defenders or strikers. The second was expected: Marouane Fellaini's move to Manchester United. Though they cut it fine, after their pursuit of Ander Herrera ended shambolically (with reports of imposters attempting to defraud money from the Spaniards), they did manage to finalise the former Everton man. It seems that they did not manage to finalise a deal for Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao, with documents handed in late and with multiple spelling mistakes. All in all, an eventful final day, but not one United will look back on with fondness.

Total Paid: £624,560,000

Spain:

Biggest Fee Paid: Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid (£85.3 Million)

Biggest Fee Recieved: Radamel Falcao - Atletico Madrid to AS Monaco (£49 Million)

Most Active: Elche and Sevilla (14 new signings)

Most Spent: Real Madrid (£146.1 Million)

Review:

                                As is the case practically every season, the main Spanish transfer stories revolved around the El Clasico pair, with a case of one-upmanship seemingly prevolent. Real Madrid cast the first stone, signing the hotly rated pairing of Isco and Asier Illaramendi for £20 Million and £34 Million respectively. Barcelona, having not spent at that point, then unleashed what was, at the time, the biggest transfer of the summer, with the capture of Santos wonderkid Neymar. For a fee of £57 Million, he has a lot to live up to at the Catalan club, but what team would not want a strikeforce of Messi and Neymar? Madrid, not to be outdone by their fiercest rivals, had the final say. After a prolonged negotiation, which went on far longer than anyone cared for, they managed to snare their man the day before the deadline. Gareth Bale would join the Galacticos at Madrid for a world record fee of £85.3 Million.

                                 The main winners in this transfer window are probably the pair of them, as they now both have formidable squads that will be envied by most managers around the world, and they are both capable of claiming any title they want this season. It is an extraordinary amount of money to pay for those players, but if they come good, the rewards will be just as substantial. The main loser is probably Atletico Madrid. Although they managed to recoup £50 Million for their talismanic striker Falcao, they failed to adequately replace him. Though David Villa is an excellent signing, his powers are beginning to wane, and I think they will miss the big Columbian's presence up front this season.

                                   Transfer deadline day in Spain consisted mostly of the unveiling of the world's most expensive player, with Gareth Bale paraded around the Santiago Bernabeu in the famous white shirt. The main moves on deadline day were all from Real Madrid, with the need to recoup some of their expenditure. The first move was the Brazilian playmaker Kaka back to AC Milan. After a turbulent few seasons in Spain, which most will consider a failure for the former World's Best Player, he will be glad to have left. Finally, Mesut Ozil's transfer will have helped line the fairly empty Madrid coffers, as £42.4 Million is not to be sniffed at. That made the day a bittersweet one for the Madrid fans, as the German had become a fan favourite, and many were sad to see him leave.

Total Paid: £313,000,000

Italy:

Biggest Fee Paid: Gonzalo Higuain - Real Madrid to Napoli (£31.3 Million)

Biggest Fee Recieved: Edinson Cavani - Napoli to Paris Saint Germain (£55 Million)

Most Active: Parma (29 new signings)

Most Spent: Napoli (£71.7 Million)

Review:

                                    Italian football's summer transfer window was dominated by one club: Napoli. The initial speculation over the future of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani culminated in his transfer to Paris Saint Germain. Due to the amount of interest in his signature, Napoli were able to hold clubs to ransom, meaning that the £55 Million release clause in his contract needed to be met. Once that departure had happened, a spending spree could begin. Though six or seven top quality players were signed, the marquee signing was undoubtedly that of Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid for a fee of £31.3 Million. However, the Naples side was not the only one investing in a top quality striker, after the surprise news that Mario Gomez had left European Champions Bayern Munich in favour of Fiorentina for a reported fee of £15 Million. The champions Juventus, unwilling to be outdone, managed to snare two: firstly Fernando Llorente on a free, and then Carlos Tevez from Manchester City for a fee of £10 Million.

                                     The main winners of this transfer window in Italy have undoubtedly been Napoli, though Juventus's forward line is now impressive. The trio of signings from Madrid, with Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol joining Higuain, along with Liverpool's Pepe Reina and PSV Eindhoven's Dries Mertens. This side is now well capable of, at least, Champions League qualification, and perhaps even the title. The losers in the window are probably the Milan sides, with AC losing Kevin-Prince Boateng, though they did rectify that somewhat with the signing of Madrid's Kaka. Inter, however, have failed to land that marquee signing, electing instead to sign a few players at around £6-8 Million. How successful that will prove is yet to be seen.

                                        Deadline day was relatively quiet in Italy, with the vast majority of deals done early in the summer. Only Milan were particularly busy, with the initial signing of Real Madrid's Kaka, for a reported fee of £8 Million. This is especially impressive when you consider that they managed to get £56 Million for the Brazilian from the Spaniards just 4 years ago. Further signings of Valter Birsa from Genoa and Alessandro Matri from Juventus may prove good signings, but they pretty much constituted the largest signings on the day itself.

Total Paid: £295,300,000

France:

Biggest Fee Paid: Edinson Cavani - Napoli to Paris Saint Germain (£55 Million)

Biggest Fee Recieved: Mahmadou Sakho - Paris Saint Germain (£18 Million)

Most Active: Bastia and AS Monaco (12 new signings)

Most Spent: AS Monaco (£140.7 Million)

Review:

                                           As was to be expected, the two oil rich clubs almost monopolised the spending in France, with Paris Saint Germain and AS Monaco fighting it out between themselves for the biggest Ligue 1 transfer of the summer. AS Monaco began the spending early, with firstly a £50 Million deal for Radamel Falcao, before a £70 Million double swoop for Porto's James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho. Not to be outdone, the Parisians then broke the principality's Falcao record with a £55 Million transfer of Edinson Cavani. They backed this up with a £15 Million of Lille's Lucas Digne and a £31.4 Million transfer of Roma's Marquinhos. Monaco then finished the spending with deals for Toulalan, Romero and finally Sevilla's Geoffrey Kondogbia, taking their total past £140 Million.

                                          If both of these sides constitute the winners in this season's transfer market, then Lille and Montpellier have to be the losers. If those two sides want to be challenging for honours and Champions League places then they need to be continuing to strengthen. Lille, in particular, who have lost some of their star talent in recent years, have failed to adequately replace them.

                                           With the two big spenders getting the majority of their deals done early doors, it was over to the sides like Lyon and Marseille to provide the entertainment on deadline day. The days leading up to September 2nd had been dominated by the behaviour of Lille midfielder and Marseille target Florian Thuavin. After some exceptional performances at the back-end of last season, the 20-year-old was advised to request a new contract, despite only having signed in January. The suspicions were raised that this was Marseille's advice, attempting to drive a wedge between the two parties. If this is the reason, it worked to perfection for OM, who managed, eventually, to grab the youngster for £12 Million. This left a very sour taste in the mouths of Lille, who complained that Marseille had unfairly approached their player. Other than this drama, there was little on deadline day to get unduly excited about.

Total Paid: £311,700,000

Germany:

Biggest Fee Paid: Mario Gotze - Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich (£32.5 Million)

Biggest Fee Recieved: Mario Gotze - Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich (£32.5 Million)

Most Active: Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart (9 new signings)

Most Spent: Bayern Munich (£52.5 Million)

Review:

                                   Germany, similarly to Italy, has had a relatively quiet summer in terms of transfers. After much initial speculation about the futures of Dortmund pair Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, their fates were sealed very early on, with Gotze joining Bayern Munich for £32.5 Million, and Lewandowski signing a new contract at Signal Iduna Park. Certainly, these two clubs have been the largest spenders in the transfer market, with the highly rated Thiago Alcantara joining Gotze at Bayern Munich, after being wanted by Manchester United, to further strengthen the midfield. For Dortmund, they added to the forward line early by bringing in the pacy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from St. Etienne for around £11.5 Million, and then replaced Gotze with Shakhtar Donetsk's notoriously unspellable Henrikh Mkhitaryan for around £20 Million. The Ukrainian had been tracked by Liverpool and Tottenham before moving to Germany.

                                     Other big transfers from Germany include Mario Gomez's decision to leave the European champions in favour of Fiorentina, Luiz Gustavo's £17 Million move to Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen's signing of Hamburg's highly rated youngster Son-Ming Heun, in order to replace the departed Andre Schurrle. In the final few days of the transfer window, the major transfer deal was that of AC Milan's Kevin Prince Boateng to Schalke 04. A fantastic signing for the Germans, as they had needed that extra bit of creativity. Other than that, very little activity occurred on the final day.

                                     Unlike in the other countries, there does not appear to be many obvious winners or losers in the Bundesliga. Both Bayern and Dortmund bought well, but they also lost a couple of top quality players. Schalke and Leverkusen both added well to their squads to move them closer to the top two. Arguably the only loser is Hamburg, as they failed to replace the top-scoring Son after his departure to Leverkusen.

Total Paid: £216,500,000

Conclusion:

All of the nations have spent big this season, with every league being involved in a transfer over £30 Million. This has caused records to be shattered in England, and I suspect around many clubs too. How well these players will perform is yet to be seen, but the price tags placed on many will put more pressure on their shoulders. This year's deadline day was not as dramatic as those of previous years, but the amount of money spent more than makes up for this.

Confederations Cup 2013 Review: The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

                   Spain have fallen in battle. A day most in football never foresaw. But a day that marks the beginning of a new period of uncertainty, with several sides battling it out for the right to be World Number 1. And there are plenty of contenders, all of whom believe that they have a genuine claim to be heir to the footballing throne. This blog post will briefly review the events of the last two weeks, before outlining the heirs apparent in international football. I feel that this is a war that will drag on for many tournaments to come, with dominance akin to Spain's unlikely to be seen again for many years.

                     If I compare the standard of this Confederations Cup to that of the 2009 edition in South Africa, it is a whitewash. For starters, the stadia and infrastructure were better prepared (although the fans outside the grounds in Brazil seemed intent on changing that!). As far as I can see it, there is a bit of a problem with the logic of many of the Brazilian protesters. Many were outside football grounds, protesting over the excessive spending on the 2014 World Cup, and the even greater waste of public money on the 2016 Olympics. Fair enough, as there were times when I felt like taking a similar tack against last year's shredding of billions of pounds in London (especially when sections of the competition actually took place away from the capital). However, the sensible, and indeed logical, way to protest against this offence is not, as many Brazilians did, to riot and smash stuff up. Do they not understand that this will only cost the taxpayer a greater amount, and will only damage their cause? Personally, I have always felt that protesting over a decision that has already been made and is irreversible is pretty pointless, and this case is no exception. I simply found the irony of the actions of many of the protestors highly amusing.

                      After that slight rant, I will get back on track. Other reasons why this Confederations Cup has been better than the last include: the lack of annoying buzzing sounds (also known as vuvuzelas), the quality of the football (by this I mean the ball they kick around), and the quality of the football (the competitiveness of the matches and the eyecatching goals). There have been many moments that have caught the eye over the last two weeks. Here are a few of my favourites. The hype surrounding Brazilian superstar Neymar after his reported £50 million move to Barcelona, and the subsequent pressure heaped upon his young shoulders. A real sink or swim moment in his fledgling career, and one he passed with flying colours. Three goals in Brazil's opening three games, and four overall, has led the home nation's talisman to be a shoo-in for the player of the tournament award. Secondly, the moment Johnathan Tehau scored for Tahiti against Nigeria in their opening group game. The scream from the BBC commentator said enough. As the underdog, we Brits are programmed to cheer for them, despite the world's derision over their inclusion. Before the tournament, I too thought the inclusion of the tiny Oceanic nation undermined the competitiveness of the tournament. However, once I saw their plucky (albeit, naive) style of defending and their emphasis on attack, I willed them on. And despite losing 6-1, 10-0 and 8-0, Tahiti can hold their heads high after their first international tournament.

                      My final highlight has been the numerous thrilling matches that have characterised this year's competition. Although a significant proportion of the goals have come against the Tahitians, there have been many high-scoring contests. Shockingly, the Italians have been involved in two of them. Traditionally low scorers and a tight defence, the Italians were involved in a breath-taking 4-3 game against the Japanese, before a 4-2 reverse against the Brazilians in their very next fixture! Other less high-scoring, but equally intriguing matches include: the 0-0 semi-final draw after 120 minutes between Spain and Italy, where the two sides provided a penalty-taking masterclass, the 2-2 draw after 120 minutes between Italy and Uruguay in the 3rd place playoff, before the all-conquering Spaniards were dismantled on the pitch for the first time in 5 years by the home nation Brazil. A comprehensive 3-0 victory, with two goals from Fred and one from the talismanic Neymar, effectively ended Spain's reign as undisputed world kings of football.

                       So if we can agree that the Spanish domination has ended, who is most likely to replace them? Though I would argue that the domination has ended, we would be stupid to discount the abilities of the Spanish to win future tournaments. Though they may no longer be the nailed on choice, I still believe they have a decent shot at retaining their crown in Brazil next year. We mustn't forget that the Spaniards suffered a shock defeat to the USA in South Africa in 2009, only to sweep all before them aside the following year. The fact that the Spanish have also won the recent Under 21 World Cup also bodes well for the future. I have already said that we are unlikely to see such a domination as the one Spain has enjoyed in recent years in the near future. However, there are two further clear contenders for the crown.

                         Spain's vanquishers in Rio, Brazil, are the first. Though it could be argued that home advantage played a significant part in the demolition of the world champions, the fact remains that the hosts thoroughly outplayed their illustrious opponents for the full 90 minutes, and could concievably have won by more. Their side is formidable, with the likes of Neymar, Thiago Silva and Hulk harking back to previous glories, and with the majority of the side currently in their early twenties, there is a great deal of time for future growth. Being on home soil once more next year will give the Brazilians the boost they may need to reclaim the great trophy. Whether they can turn that trophy into a period of dominance would be the real test, with challenges from Uruguay and Argentina on a continental level, and Spain and Germany on the global scale. This weekend's result has sent a warning shot across the bows of many of the big nations worldwide, foretelling of a potential shift in power.

                          Though not involved in the last two weeks' competition, I still count Germany as one of the strong favourites to get their hands on the World Cup next summer. After the dominance of the German league in Europe this year, I must confess, I was ready to hand the trophy to them then. As the majority of the superstars in many of the big German clubs are home grown, they threaten to become the next Spain, building their national side around the squads of a few domestic clubs. After this weekend, I would very much like to see a Germany vs Brazil match, preferably on neutral ground, in an attempt to discover how far the Germans have come before embarking on what could be a glorious tour of South America next summer. Like Brazil, I doubt their ability to dominate global football, even if they do manage to beat the Spanish, however, a trophy would very much re-announce themselves on the world stage.

                            Other than the big three, there is a small chasing pack that will be eager to punish any slip-ups (sorry England fans, we are not even close!). I consider that group to include nations such as: Italy, Argentina, Holland, Portugal, Uruguay to name a few. Whilst none of these show the potential of the three superpowers, all have the potential on their day to win a tournament. The next few years will prove to be a tussle for power around the globe (let us hope we are simply talking in footballing terms). I for one am very much looking forward to seeing who claims the crown.

                             So the King is dead. Long live the King. But who is the King?

                            

The 2013 Confederations Cup: The International Champions League

            Today marks the start of the Confederations Cup, a competition designed to take place a year before the start of the most prestigious football competition in existence, the World Cup. The participants consist of the respective champions of their continental competitions, spanning all continents. The previous World Cup winners, and the hosts of the upcoming contest are also present. In all, the competition involves 8 nations from all around the globe. I will briefly outline the participants, before asking how relevant the tournament is to the outcome of next year.

            Before I do that, however, it is first worth noting the controversy that has surrounded this tournament. After the problems with the iconic Maracana stadium before the England friendly a couple of weeks ago, the country can hardly afford another battering in the tabloids over its suitability to host the great tournament. Protests over the spending of public money have already taken place outside Brasilia's stadium, and further protests are probably scheduled to disrupt proceedings. Whilst local authorities have been given the full confidence of FIFA to deal with the situation, the fact remains that controversy shrouds today's curtain raiser.

             The 8 participants have been split into two groups of 4, and starting with group A, I will now briefly outline how they came to qualify for this competition. The hosts, Brazil, top this group, and take part in the opening match. Their opponents, Japan, qualified for this tournament after winning the 2011 Asian Cup, defeating Australia courtesy of an extra time goal from Southampton's Tadanari Lee. The third Group A participant is Mexico. The Olympic champions qualified for this tournament thanks to their 2011 Gold Cup victory over the USA, where they defeated their nemesis 4-2. Italy are the final team to be involved in group A. Though the Azzurri failed to win any of the major international tournaments, their run to the final of Euro 2012, coupled with Spain's qualification due to their World Cup win, booked the Italians' place in Brazil.

             Group B, which starts tomorrow, begins with the current World Cup holders. The Spanish have dominated recent European and World tournaments, and as a result, their place cannot be in doubt. Uruguay occupy the second place in Group B. Having won the 2011 Copa America, ending the dominance of Brazil and Argentina, they beat the Paraguayans 3-0 in the final to solidify their place in Brazil. Thirdly, Nigeria occupy a place in the group, having been victorious in this year's African Cup of Nations. A Stephane M'Bia volley settled the final, with the Super Eagles defeating the underdogs Burkina Faso. The final team that will take part is the tiny nation of Tahiti. Having won their first international tournament in 2012, defeating New Caledonia in the final of the Oceania Nations Cup, the minnows will have to withstand an altogether more different challenge in Brazil.

             As for how much the tournament indicates what is likely to occur in a year's time, I am highly sceptical. This is for two significant reasons. Firstly, there are several potential title contenders that will not be present at the Confederations Cup that you fully expect to be in Brazil in 2014. Examples of this include Germany, Portugal, Holland, and Argentina. It can certainly be argued that the reason they are not in Brazil for the next two weeks is simply because they are not the best sides in their region, and as a result should not be considered contenders. However, my argument against this would be that games often do not follow the pattern that you would expect. Think back to South Africa, and we see that the world champions Spain were in fact beaten in their opening group game by the Swiss. Should we consider Switzerland as contenders? Secondly, looking back four years to the Confederations Cup in South Africa, we see that the Brazilians lifted the trophy, only to be comprehensively outplayed in the World Cup quarter-finals by Holland a year later. World champions Spain, on the other hand, were eliminated at the hands of the USA.

            For these reasons, I strongly suspect that this tournament will mean little in the grand scheme of things, and will do nothing to shed any light on who will win in Brazil next year. However, offer me a fortnight of international football in the summer, and I will accept it gladly. It may mean little, but my enjoyment will remain undiminished.

A Passing of the Guard? Germany 11-3 Spain

            The recent domination of Spain in European football has arguably come to a shuddering halt over the last 2 weeks. The demolition of firstly Barcelona, and then Real Madrid, in the Champions League Semi Final first legs could individually have been considered flukes, but collectively imply a distinct pattern. Whilst Real Madrid fought valiantly last night, providing Borussia Dortmund with an incredibly panicky and tense final few moments, tonight’s Barcelona performance is perhaps indicative of a seismic shift in European football. Barcelona, considered one of the greatest teams ever, exited the competition with a whimper, and the Nou Camp, once an impregnable fortress, was left stunned into silence. This brings into question Spain’s status as the dominant force in European football, and with Barcelona’s abject performances, raises questions over whether ‘tiki taka’ football is dead.

 

                Whilst I will reserve judgement on whether Spain as a national side have lost their world and European number 1 status until after at least the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, if not the 2016 European Championship. However, if subsequent national competitions follow the recent shift in power from Spain to German in club contests, I foresee a rather different outcome to that in 2008, 2010 and 2012. This is not a shift that has occurred overnight. Whilst the events of the last two weeks have forced the issue into the spotlight, arguments can be made that this has been on the cards over the last couple of years. Germany have had at least semi finalists in each of the last 4 seasons, with Bayern Munich being involved in 3 of the last 4 finals. Whilst the ‘El Clasico’ pair have both been regularly involved in Champions League semi finals over the last decade, the fact that Bayern have beaten firstly Madrid, and then Barcelona in the last two semi finals shows that German football, and especially Bayern Munich, have been on the rise in the last few years.

 

                The first all-German Champions League final is seemingly the end of a gradual evolution towards German domination in European club football over the last five or so years. Despite this, it would be foolish to suggest that the two great Spanish giants are now irrelevant. There will always be there or there about, and with two of the best footballers in the world amongst their ranks, they have the potential to turn any match on its head. The argument against these two weeks being indicative of a seismic shift in European football is that Bayern Munich have had a record-breaking season this year, sweeping aside all in their path, both domestically and continentally. This season could therefore be seen as a ‘flash in the pan’, as their title winning campaign this year has broken two years of Dortmund domination. This is certainly supported when we look at how Bayern have performed in their previous two campaigns, finishing 2^nd (2012) and 3^rd (2011), 8 and 10 points behind the eventual champions. Considering these statistics, this record-breaking season cannot have been predicted, and therefore does not suggest that German football, and Bayern in particular, were becoming more prominent in European football. The argument against Dortmund’s presence in this year’s final being indicative of a shift is that they are simply this year’s Chelsea. Whilst they qualified top of arguably the most difficult group, they were within moments of elimination against Malaga in the quarter finals. Relying on a Manchester City-esque double salvo in added time, they were highly fortunate to progress to this point. Personally, I disagree with these arguments. Having experienced Borussia Dortmund first hand in the group stages, they are fully deserving of their place in the final. This is further illustrated by their performance at home to Madrid last week. Bayern, whilst this season may have come out of the blue, have been riding a wave of momentum, and have deservedly demolished Barcelona both home and away this year, having beaten Madrid last. This appears too significant to ignore, suggesting that German football is beginning to usurp their Spanish counterparts.

 

                All of this, along with the emphatic defeat of Barcelona, leads me to question whether the iconic Catalan ‘tiki taka’ style is effective. It may well be the case that they no longer have the element of surprise, and therefore teams may now be able to counter it more effectively. Perhaps the loss of Pep Guardiola at the end of last season has had some significant loss to the philosophy. Whatever the reason, it certainly appears that ‘tiki taka’ football is no longer a match for Bayern’s disciplined, fluid, attacking football. This suggests that certain revisions to the tactic are required.  Whether that is simply the removal of the over-reliance on one man (Lionel Messi), or something slightly more detailed, it is clear that Barcelona can no longer rely on their trademark style to steamroller the top teams, as was the case a few years ago. I wouldn’t go as far to say that ‘tiki taka’ is dead, but it now requires greater sophistication to be effective against disciplined opposition.

                  As for whether German football has overtaken the Spanish game, I remain sceptical. It is hard to argue with that combined scoreline, but Barcelona and Real Madrid both remain consistent on reaching Champions League semi finals, with Barca reaching the last 6 consecutively. Until multiple teams from the German league can say the same, I refuse to accept that they have de-throned the Spanish giants. German football has had a phenomenal season this year, and Bayern Munich can certainly make a case to have deposed the two Spanish clubs as Europe’s best club if they win on the 25^th May, but for German football to have overtaken the Spanish on the course of two weeks is short-sighted. Give them a few years, a World Cup, and a couple of Champions Leagues, and then we can reassess.