Champions League Preview - Round Of 16

Lyon versus Manchester United

The French Champions take on their English counterparts in an intriguing encounter. The key battle will be between Benzema and Vidic and Ferdinand, and the Frenchman, who has the look of a young Ronaldo, has been tearing up the French league, leading the scoring charts. His pace, skill and strength were clearly evident on the defeat of Rangers at Ibrox, with Benzema scoring twice. At the other end, Manchester United will have practically a full squad available, with naturally the main threat coming from Cristiano Ronaldo and a on-form Rooney. The two attacking sides should yield a number of goals, with the previous meeting between the two causing a 4-3 score-line. Will Man United’s defensive strength overcome the Lyon attack?

Prediction: First leg: 2-1; Second leg: 3-1 (Man United progress)

Roma versus Real Madrid

Roma have been widely acclaimed for their free-flowing football, claiming it to be the closest modern reincarnation of Rinus Michel’s Ajax. Playing Totti in a false striker role and clever movement off the ball could cause problems to a back-line that appears to have struggled in recent games, despite the continued heroics of Casillas. The same issue plagues Roma, who will face the most clinical striker in Spain last year, a revitalised Raul and the flair of Robinho, and a defence comprising of Doni should not hold the clean sheet in either game. This appears to be the game for the purists and it should not fail to excite.

Prediction: First leg: 2-2; Second leg: 1-0 (Real Madrid progress)

Celtic versus Barcelona

Celtic Park is a mysterious place. The reigning European champions have come here and lost. The English Champions have lost there too. The crowd has such a force on the players that even the greats can freeze upon encountering such noise. The fantastic four of Barcelona has largely failed as a nickname by the fans, with perhaps only Messi performing to the heights expected. The introduction of two precocious youngsters in Bojan Krkic and Giovani Dos Santos has highlighted a bright future. The return of Yaya Toure from the African Cup of Nations has given defensive solidity. Yet the side have come to rely on Messi and a lack of variety in their play could prove costly.

Prediction: First leg: 1-0; Second leg: 3-0 (Barcelona progress)

Liverpool versus Inter Milan

Letting Havant and Waterlooville lead twice in the FA Cup? Losing to Barnsley at Anfield in the very competition? This side of Liverpool is very rarely seen. Off the field matters concerning ownership and managerial distress has caused a terrible run of form. Contrast that to the ultra-consistent Inter Milan. Still unbeaten in the league, crippled by injury, the strength of the side is clearly evident. What Massimo Moratti wanted is finally coming to place. The influential Ibrahimovic returns to the scene of a defeat two years ago with Juve, and will be seeking revenge. But Liverpool is a different creature in European competition. This now is their only chance of a trophy against a side prone to collapsing at vital moments in a season, but change is common in football as Inter won the Scudetto for the first time since 1989, can they win a European Cup since the days of Sandro Mazzola?

Prediction: First leg: 2-2; Second leg: 2-0 (Inter Milan progress)

Arsenal versus AC Milan

A match billed as the new generation against the old guard. The Milanese have been revived by the youthful exuberance of one Alexandre Pato. While both sides have been debilitated by injuries, something close to their full sides will encounter one another. The midfield tussles between Flamini and Fabregas against the cunning of Pirlo and aggression of Gattuso. The pace of the game will be vital, with a high tempo favouring the Gunners, yet if the Rossoneri take charge as they did last year in the semi-final, few teams can cope with such an attacking force. And we have not even mentioned Kaka yet.

Prediction: First leg: 2-1; Second leg: 0-0 (Arsenal progress)

Olympiakos versus Chelsea

Arguably the most one-sided tie of the round, with an Olympiakos side that only this year managed to win away after 31 attempts, with the reward being a tie with the Blues. Chelsea’s strength in depth will allow them to prevail with relative ease. The former Premiership presence in the Greek side is from Lua-Lua. With Terry and Lampard back in the side, a win should be a formality on paper, yet the often laborious style of Chelsea will not make this an aesthetically pleasing game despite the talent on offer.

Prediction: First leg: 1-2; Second leg: 3-0 (Chelsea progress)

Fenerbahçe versus Sevilla

The Turkish side caused the shocks of the first round of group games, in dominating Inter, resulting in a 1-0 score-line, that was not a true reflection of what took place. Led by Brazilian legend Zico, they play with a sense of flair embodied in the Brazilian side of the 80s. Led by Japan’s Brazil-born playmaker Alex, and the strongest (but not always accurate) left foot in the modern game in Roberto Carlos, this promises to be a game of aggressive, attacking football. Sevilla, may have lost Juande Ramos, but have the clinical, if volatile Fabiano, and on of the best right wing combinations in Europe in Navas and Alves. A side rejoined by its Africans and with the pace and industry of Capel on the right will want to make up for their mediocre league position. This could prove to be a classic game.

Prediction: First leg: 3-1; Second leg: 3-0 (Sevilla progress)

Schalke 04 versus Porto FC

The least mentioned game in the whole round sees Mirko Slomka’s side take on Porto in an intriguing clash, with the attacking prowess of Kuranyi up front and Pander and Rafinha providing an attacking outlet down the flanks. A side which has always challenged for titles but rarely succeeded will face the most successful Portuguese side, in terms of titles won. Naturally with the threat of Quaresma, more influential will be the game of Lucho Gonzalez, and the finishing of Lisandro Lopez. The stronger defence of Porto should prevail but this Schalke could prove to be a strong underdog.

Prediction: First leg: 1-1; Second leg: 1-1 (Porto progress on penalties)

A. Song Of Praise

“As I've said before... Song Billong's in a Job Centre”

November 29th 2006

“Alex Song to score 12 and named best player of the tournament but I want Egypt to capitulate utterly and bow down at Song's feet like he is a manifestation of Ra.”

February 9th 2008

How times change. The former quote occurred at half-time on one Internet forum during the defeat at Fulham in a season of mediocrity which the Cameroonian embodied in the eyes of several fans. While Song did not live up to the expectations of one Gooner in the ACON final, having hobbled off injured, he did however deserve the praise lavished upon him throughout the tournament, since he entered the fray at half-time, 3-0 down against the side who was to defeat his country once more to secure a consecutive Cup victory.

It was always true that Song had promise, with several European giants interested in him, after his exploits with Bastia, where he displayed raw talent, aggression, strength, technique and vision for a pass. Having signed permanently after a loan, Song made his mark in the Champions league game against Thun and made a few appearances throughout the season, including near the end of the season in the build up to the Champion’s league performance. Yet by then, the youngster had been used to criticism from his own fans, of which the majority had made a snap judgement condemning him to the level of Igor Stepanovs, analysing his performance on the basis of screaming ‘blue murder’ at any mistake. His ‘lazy’ facial expression may have given fresh material to those obsessed with aesthetics, as Senderos among others has discovered. Many used the loan to Charlton as a sign to confirm that Wenger had realised what they had claimed to see since his first appearance for the club. Once again Arsene proved them wrong as Rigobert’s nephew played a pivotal role in the side, displaying his technique in less pressured circumstances, and great tenacity, marking Wayne Rooney out of the game on one occasion.

Ultimately, he was unable to prevent Charlton’s downfall, yet he had portrayed a plethora of abilities, perhaps changing the view of some cynics, but question marks remained over his ability to survive at the top level. This season, the answer came with a resounding overall performance in the Carling Cup. Having scored his first (very odd) goal against Liverpool, the previous year, this year he caused the more optimistic among pundits to liken his playmaking qualities from the back to that on one Franz Beckenbauer. A perfectly weighted through-ball to Eduardo at Ewood Park highlighted this aspect of his game, along with the composure to attempt a back-header with Santa Cruz lurking.

Versatility is a key reason of his importance to the Arsenal squad, playing in his preferred position against Steaua Bucharest, making key tackles and sharp passes, and a defensive solidity with aggression rather than the more reactive Gilberto. Julien Laurens of Le Parisien compared him to Michael Essien, also a former player of Bastia. Having changed Cameroon’s fortunes adding a creative edge to a side full of brawn, he has now introduced himself to the international stage, having been named in the Best XI in the tournament. Arsenal fans will now eagerly await his return from injury as we now fight on two fronts, with a reliable replacement if another defensive crisis occurs.

With the mental strength to succeed at a top club, and the technique, physique to match, Alexandre Song is here to stay. Trust this precocious youngster to fight for a claim in the first XI next season.

Strength In Adversity...

There are several types of football fans. The wannabe manager, the statistician, the severely optimistic, the completely opposite of that, and the ones almost slipping off the edge of their seat through uncontrollable tension, even when the score is 6-0 in favour of your side and you’re playing Derby at home. Then you have your thugs, the ones chanting unintelligible songs, that you know comprise of topics that are best left unspoken. Then there are ones who are unable to pronounce a simple foreign name, and it’s sad to see 55,000 Arsenal fans chant Sagna’s name erroneously every weekend.

And one common flaw in every breed of football fan is the judging of a player on first impressions and deciding his capability on that very instance, dismissing factors, such as the importance of the game, the integration with the team, the mentality of the player and communication with the bench and his fellow players, let alone the referee. The greatest players are those who stand up to the negativity, appearing to be a new creature to those blinded by the first impression, when in truth they are fully expressing themselves on the pitch. This can be said of several Arsenal players, who are one point or other along their Gunners’ career, were appearing to leave for mediocrity. Yet having persisted, Adebayor, Flamini, Almunia, Senderos and more recently Song now form vital pieces of the Arsenal squad.

“You know what the fellow said: In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

Orson Welles (The Third Man 1949)

This is quote is correct even when using it as an analogy to the modern game. The corruption scandal in Italy ruined the reputation of several officials and players, yet the Azzurri won the most recent World Cup and a team debilitated by the subsequent punishments, in AC Milan, won the Champions League the following year. It is true, adversity breeds success. It may be ironic to now mention that a Swiss footballer has found success in adversity when his fellow countrymen did not experience either, but Senderos would beg to differ.

When Pires was mentioned for his duckesque running style, it was not the intention of this label to be derogatory to our former French genius, but when a certain Tony Adams had the weight of a term such as ‘Donkey’ thrown on his back, even the dim-witted realised was not with the same warmth. And having spent his club career trying to disassociate himself with this ‘nickname’, having won several trophies and developed into a brilliant captain and defender, this esteemed mantle was passed onto Philippe Senderos, who also coincidently inherited the no. 6 shirt.

A much more eloquent speaker than from whom he inherited the shirt, fluent in six languages and more promising than our former captain in his youth, he too was cursed from the stands for his running style and occasional slips. Rather than choosing to focus on his defensive attributes, so clearly portrayed in the record-breaking Champions League run and his recent appearances in the side, the so called ‘haters’ will pick on appearance and other inconsequential topics. The Swiss captain has provided balance in centre defence, complimenting Gallas well, with Toure perhaps too similar to the Arsenal captain. He appeared to regress last season, but once more has shown he only needs a run of games to blossom to his full potential. Yes, twice when he had the ball, he found Carrick, but else what could he do from a substitute point, with the team 3-0 down and with a man less?

Adecantscore, Adebarndoor…who you ask? Adebayor, that’s who. These are just some of the subtle insults by those first unimpressed with Kanu reincarnate, but a better all round footballer with much greater goal threat and capable of the outrageous, in a similar fashion to his idol, still will not deter Adebayor from progressing. Hung up to dry at Monaco, in a light portraying him to be the Joey Barton of Ligue 1, then suspended from the Togo national team for sticking to his principles about unpaid bonuses promised to the side. And more recently, a little tiff with Bendtner, it is true; Adebayor has been in the spotlight of controversy on many occasions, but even after our North London Rivals (probably) contemplated organising a open-top bus parade for a landmark in their insignificant history, Adebayor still scored goals.

Having worked tremendously hard on his finishing (with Boro Primorac after training), runs, heading, and fitness aspects of his game, he has become one of the feared strikers on the continent, a label usually true, when Madrid and their propaganda agency in Marca begin to formulate stories. Yet, there was a lack of support because obviously Henry played at a similar level when he first joined the club, and the short memories of supporters did nothing to help the Togolese attacker even after scoring on his debut. Yet he has shown every aspect of what a footballer should compromise. Drogba played in Ligue 2 at a similar age, look where he has ended up. Think what Adebayor can become. His desire to change the game against United was strong, but channelled into the wrong ideas, in diving for a penalty. He will be vital against Milan.

As his Togolese team-mate progresses, Flamini too has shown the typical mental strength to progress from being close to leaving to displacing the current Brazil captain. Instantly compared with the then current captain Vieira upon his arrival from Marseille, Flamini always had the capacity to succeed, with good technique, tenacity and the urge to win at all costs. Having performing a brilliant job at full-back during the Champion’s league run, he was ruled out by injury. This blow compounded with a lack of appearances in his regular position caused our ‘Gattuso’ to question his future at Arsenal. It is not clear what caused the improvement in his game, but a new-found sense of calmness on the ball and brilliant positioning to allow him to express himself through his technique has resulted in one of the best pass completion percentages in the league, and more importantly a starting berth. Now, all there is to do is to sign a new contract, and that small matter of the goings-on on the football pitch. His notable action was to stop Nani showboating but the importance of his being fit is overall more important.

His worst time on the football pitch: the score read ‘Arsenal 2 Manchester United 4’ at Highbury, and ended his original run as first-choice ’keeper after displaying a lack of calmness and a tendency to rush out that added weight to John O’Shea’s ‘Mr. Versatile’ tag. Having fully adapted to the country and familiarised himself with his team-mates, Almunia is in the form of his life, with intense competition for Lehmann, neither keeper has a chance to relax. A requirement of our goalkeepers to be technically adept, Almunia is calmer in interceptions and plays as a sweeper when the defence breaks down. Having improved his distribution, he is now vital to the side’s footballing performance. And in light of Lehmann’s performance, in the best of a woeful bunch, the German once more proved his strong mentality. Almunia has now had to endure controversy about becoming a British citizen and representing this country, yet it has not affected his performances for the team.

In particular, Traore and Hoyte have let down Wenger, who has such faith in their ability, and now they must show the capacity to succeed as has been displayed at various points of their Arsenal careers by the aforementioned team-mates. These players are examples of a winning mentality that was missing at Old Trafford, with no one stepping up to the more urgent tempo. Perhaps, it was because of the more important tie on Wednesday but our downfall was clear upon looking at the full-back positions, with neither possessing a player of positional sense, calm and fighting character (Eboue chose to take that literally), and covering the centre-backs was apparently not on their agenda, who too were poor.

But as recent history shows, the FA Cup run has little effect on who is crowned as Premiership champions. Let us congratulate Manchester United and look forward to the next few games, hoping our injury situation improves somewhat. The side has been beaten comprehensively in every one of our defeats this season. There has always been a reaction, which on this case will be evident on Wednesday. What response we get will reflect on the character of the side.

A Test Of Character...

The mental strength of this side will be evident in the next few matches. This comprehensive defeat has been amusingly glorified by Tottenham, through the immediate release of a commemorative DVD and even a mug, which fittingly is symbolic of Levy and their marketing department, once more portraying our rivals in a true light.

Never has one seen the whole team play so poorly, and it was seen in Wenger’s post-match interview, where his reluctance to accept Spurs’ one, recent day of glory (excluding the defeats of Chelsea and West Ham previously, both of which were followed by a DVD release), embodied the acknowledgement of a huge tactical error. The balance of the side was incorrect, and those involved in errors leading up to the Tottenham goals, and the “butting” incident, as it was so subtly described in the tabloids, must be focused on the Newcastle game, with both sides looking for instant responses, with Kevin-‘I’ll love it if we beat them’-Keegan, the inspiration for our fourth round rivals. The naivety mentioned by Wenger was evident, with several players showing a lack of positional sense and an inability to track back. The latter statement does not only relate to the youngsters, but the most experienced member of the squad in Gilberto. The demise of our Brazilian has been painful to see, and has to do with the eradication of the zone which he normally patrols, with Gallas and Toure pushing up, due to the energy and excellent tackling of Flamini, whose absence from the team does not cause a change in tactics such as a deeper defensive line, allowing a more effective defensive midfielder.

Wenger’s experiment with Diaby forces him to improve his left foot, or so he thought. Our left side was beaten by this tactical manoeuvre, with Diaby not forced inside, where when he did was beaten by the compact opposition midfield. The lack of positional sense of Walcott and Bendtner as well as their lack of movement nullified the more creative players, and caused a block of the final third, with Spurs countering to great effect. Traore has been poor defensively in the majority of his starts, with the exception being Newcastle in the Carling Cup. He will improve, the raw technique is present, and only experience is needed, as recently he seems more like Djimi than Armand. Denilson is yet to find a role in this Arsenal side, touted as an in-between of Rosicky and Gilberto, yet this lack of clarity in either department is affecting his ability to orchestrate some games.

The only Arsenal player to leave the match with footballing credit was Adebayor, yet even this was tempered by his outburst with Bendtner. Both must reconcile to some extent, yet it seems clear that the Togo striker is easily the better player and perhaps the one the other players favour over the seemingly arrogant Bendtner (an image his father only enhances, although the player does not seem to be in the wrong here). Adebayor must be internally punished, but not to the demise of team spirit. His determination to fight (literally in one instance) for the cause, caused a stir in the heart of many arsenal fans, on many instances running stride for stride as Spurs counter-attacked, while his bemused team-mates stood watching after another failed attack. With Flamini back in the side along with Clichy and Senderos, there will be a greater defensive stability, but as seen recently, Cesc plays deeper to compensate for the lack of pace on Senderos’ part. While the squad has depth, it does not have balance, affecting the attacking performance, but credit on our part, the team has been very clinical this season.

Flamini recently claimed that the camp is united, and he epitomises the character needed to be shown by the rest of the squad. From on the verge of an exit, to displacing a World Cup winner and playing the best football of his career, he has shown that a new deal is a priority for the club. The more passive characters in the dressing room, who tend to dwell on such results, such as Walcott, who has also suffered from the ‘English’ hype and pressure, and others such as Alex Hleb, who has only recently shown his true self will be tested to forget this defeat and remember it was a fourth priority competition, used predominantly for the development of youngsters and exposing them to the harshness of top-level cup football. Since the introduction of a sports psychologist in February 2006, it is clear Wenger trusts the players’ ability but wants an improvement from the psychological perspective. It appears Wenger too believes actions speak louder than words, having cancelled the weekly press conference; the players will too want to make a strong response. Wenger always protects his players from criticism and on many occasions this trust in them can be affected, with players not giving all their focus, playing in a lax manner. Yet, this defeat will be forgotten and the team will give a response owed to the fans (especially the man in the Rocastle shirt at the end) and the manager.

We have seen the response of Arsenal in the aftermath of the Manchester United game in October 2004 as Wayne Rooney attempted to imitate ‘Swan Lake’, and it was not pleasing, but this side is at the beginning of its cycle. In our previous two defeats this season, both have been comprehensive, and also followed by a positive response. We have leaders in this side, both footballing and personality-wise. It is time them to step.

The Formation Issue

There is no crisis at Arsenal. Having been predicted to drop out of the top four in the summer, there is no question that any rational Arsenal fan, would have grabbed our current league position with two hands, having followed two seasons of toying with Tottenham in fourth place mediocrity. Yet, as fatigue, injuries amongst other things set in; it is our formation that is not bringing the best performances out of the team, not shown by our recent collection of league points this winter.
This defensive formation, while it suited us last year, as it gave Cesc physical support in the midfield to counter the rougher sides, he rarely made the runs he does this year, and Hleb there inhibits the space in which he can operate as does the aggressive Flamini who closes down so early Cesc isn't in any position to play the pass; the 4-5-1 worked with Gilberto last year, who was passive in his role. Furthermore Rosicky has a tendency to cut in, and while this is typical of a fluid style, it further congests the midfield. Eboue on the opposite flank has shown a lack of spontaneity in his play, consistently looking for the one-two instead of opening his mind into better options. Instead, two strikers pressure the opposition defence to be wary all the time, and give more freedom to the midfield. It also spatially covers the most ground on the pitch, rendering it most effective.

In a 4-4-2 Adebayor can run the channels and pull out wide as his strike partner, normally Van Persie, would stay central or move to the right flank. If one comes short, the other will hang on the shoulder of the last defender in a bid to split the central defensive pairing. Therefore it would make sense in a 4-5-1 that the lone striker stays central, and if not directly involved in the play, can affect the opposition with his mere presence. At Portsmouth, Adebayor pulled wide (in an attempt to allow midfield runners, who surprisingly had poor movement), and on many occasions inadvertently blocked Clichy’s forward run, who then was forced to play it back (similar to this was Eboue running directly ahead of Sagna’s run, making his intentions crystal clear and thus ending the attack). On other occasions, he received the ball short, when pulling away to the far post was the better option. When pulling wide was the correct option, the wrong man made the forward run into space, and this can be put down to pure luck as Fabregas’ touch let him down. We created two chances in the final few minutes with two strikers on the pitch, both of which should have led to goals, but instead led to injury to the captain and then a bewildered look from our Czech playmaker.

At the beginning of the season, Arsenal were frustrated at home by Fulham, until Bendtner came on late in the game, and provided a greater attacking presence, coupled with Van Persie and Hleb, who won the game right at the death. Therefore this is not a criticism of any Arsenal striker but more so of the formation employed by Wenger, a great tactician perhaps slightly flawed by his reluctance to change formation. Our game is based on intuition, fitness and concentration in manipulating the ball, and if influential players are off form, then it reflects on the whole performance, especially in a formation not bringing out the best in the team as a whole. There are many examples of world-class strikers struggling as a lone forward, with Torres in his later years at Atletico, being criticised for his contribution, when his lack of supply formed statistics shaped against his talent. Drogba only blossomed at Chelsea when played with a partner, and with Rooney shown to be lacking in discipline when leading the line alone, this point shows a clear pattern.

Credit must be given to Portsmouth; they gave a master-class into defending against Arsenal. They squeezed the midfield, reducing our fluency, and sat back, when the ball was on the flanks. It would have been a great escape, as Benjani nearly stole a goal, yet fortunately his touch was too heavy past Almunia, allowing the impressive Clichy to clear away. It occurred because Toure abandoned his position and tried to play in midfield and add urgency to our game, but only succeeded in further congesting the area. Furthermore our last two winners in the Premiership have come as a result of poor defending from the opposition. Put Cech’s error down to pure luck (unless it is the beginning of an unthinkable dip in form) and Spurs, well it was bound to happen. Both corners taken by Fabregas were in the area where the keeper normally collects as shown by James on many occasions on Boxing Day, yet inept Spurs’ defending and an uncharacteristic gaffe from a world class keeper allowed us to win both games.

Earlier in the season, Wenger admitted his error in playing the 4-5-1 against Manchester United, yet he continues to adopt this formation. Possession of the ball is vial in Arsenal’s game and the 4-5-1 helps this along with coping with a physical threat, yet it reduces our attacking potential in the final third, although by no means is it a defensive formation. As it reduces attacking options, i.e. bodies (in the optimum position) to pass to, the players have limited options and on many occasions have played the wrong option, or have been unable to execute the correct one (see Adebayor’s attempted slide-rule pass to Toure at Anfield). This compounds frustration in the players. On the other hand, it can highlight the efficiency of some of our play, in taking one chance out of a few, though not at Fratton Park.

The statistics however, do not lie. We have played the 4-5-1 in 15 games of a possible 28 and have scored a disappointingly low 9 goals, with a measly 0.6 goals scored per game. In contrast, we have scored a huge 31 goals in the 13 games that we played 4-42. This gives a ratio of 2.38 goals per game. This includes every fixture we have played this season, and so shows the 4-4-2’s played excluding Van Persie (although he is hugely important in our game, it shows that we have played a 4-4-2 based on the opposition and not entirely on the personnel available) too, a clear example of which is the 7-0 demolition of Slavia Prague, with Adebayor and Walcott, as the forward pairing. As pure statistics, these do not look at injuries or suspensions, form (as clearly the win over Slavia had the whole team on form, while the Middlesbrough game away had a depleted side). Nor do they look at the quality of the opposition.

Therefore, while this is one of many articles on our minute drop in form, all show that a return to 4-4-2 is needed, as are some fresh legs through rotation. Yet with extremely busy period coming up, rest for some of our first team stars looks like a rare prospect. Also, having gained 7 points in our last three games, when two are tough London derbies and the other against a side who have now only let in one goal in their last five premiership home games, we appear to have come through well, without playing too well (the mark of strong team spirit and belief). The comparison to Man Utd is not needed, they are the champions, have spent close to £100 million in the summer, and have potentially the best player in the world in Ronaldo.

We are in the early stages of developing the third generation under Wenger. If we can continue to achieve results as we have done so far and as the players gain even more experience, we can become something special. This is just the beginning. Let us hope the team perform at Everton tomorrow (and hopefully play in a 4-4-2!).

The 20 Greatest Defeats Of All Time (No. 5-1)

And here it is… the top five defeats in the history of football. And what better place for all of these to occur on the biggest stage there is: the World Cup. Controversy, huge upsets and national pride being battered…

Chile 2-0 Italy 1962 World Cup Group 2
‘Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game’. These were the words used to introduce the Battle of Santiago by BBC presenter David Coleman. Tensions ran high due to two Italian journalists (Antonio Ghiredelli and Corrado Pizzinelli – and both had to leave the country before the game) describing earthquake-stricken Chile in a deriding manner. The first foul came eight seconds after kick-off. The first sending off came eight minutes later. Next came a kick in the neck, soon followed by a broken nose. More scuffles, spitting occurred and the police had to repeatedly intervene during the came, such as escorting Giorgio Ferrini off the pitch after eight minutes. Late goals by Ramirez and Toro sealed Chile’s revenge against the Italians.

Argentina 2-1 England 1986 World Cup Quarter Final
Mention this defeat to any Englishman and it is a guarantee that Diego Maradona will be the first words out of his mouth. Forget the controversy from the ‘Hand of God’ goal or the individual excellence of the dribble (both were recently imitated by Leo Messi, one of the endless line of heirs to the legend himself). The background behind the defeat surrounding the dispute over the Falklands islands in 1982 between the two countries in question. The most recent invasion of British territory caused a strong rivalry that affected the viewpoints of the public in both countries. Thus Maradona claimed ‘Whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon’, a popular Spanish saying, which is seen as a justification by Maradona as a retaliation against the British for the war four years previous.

Hungary 2- 3 West Germany 1954 World Cup Final
‘Das Wunder von Bern’. The Miracle of Bern saw the Germans pitted against the ‘Mighty Magyars’. Unbeaten in their previous 32 games, lead by a strike-force of Puskas and Hidegkuti, they had previously defeated England at Wembley 6-3, becoming the first non-UK team to do so at the famous stadium. They won 7-1 in the return game in Budapest. Legendary coach Josef Herberger was famous for conjuring up phrases such as ‘The ball is round and the game lasts for 90 minutes’, played his reserves that lost 8-3 in the first round. The Hungarians raced into a two goal lead in the first 8 minutes, through the unfit Puskas and Czibor. The Germans, playing with Adidas’s revolutionary removable studs, had an advantage in the ‘Fritz Walter’ (rainy) weather, named after their star player, whose best performances came ironically against the literary idea of pathetic fallacy. A film was released almost 50 years later in 2003, to commemorate the victory and it signifying the change in German society purging it from the sin of the Nazi regime. Helmut Rahn, featured in the film named: ‘Das Wunder von Bern’, scored twice in the final, and the winner caused Herbert Zimmermann to scream ‘Tor! Tor! Tor! Tor!’ followed by an eight second gap, before the celebrations continued.

Brazil 1-2 Uruguay 1950 World Cup Final
Another day… it was earlier in history but equally important in shaping another country’s mentality through football. Having taken victory for granted, after seeing the team, led by Ademir, an outstanding forward, defeat rivals, who adopted the WM formation, they were surprised when Uruguay appeared in the final with an attacking mentality and a formation that was equal to Brazil’s attacking play. The Europeans, were awestruck by Brazil, and before letting in the first goal so were Uruguay, but words from their captain inspired the team to victory. The goal by Ghiggia in the 79th minute, after shooting at the near post, rather than crossing as he did for his team’s first goal, caught out Barbosa, who dived too late. ‘The Fateful Goal’ silenced the 199,954 Brazilians in the Maracanã. It ruined celebrations, prepared, such as the golden medals with the players’ names on it, the speech in Portuguese Jules Rimet had prepared and amongst other things, it prompted a thorough post mortem into the defeat.


Germany 2-1 Holland 1974 World Cup Final
Possibly the greatest team to never win the World Cup, the Dutch raced into an early lead with a Neeskens penalty, but rather than adding to their lead, played a taunting style of possession football, perhaps in retaliation to Nazi oppressors in the second world war to which their opponents on the day had no relation to. This angered the Germans, who came back as the first half progressed, perhaps because Cruyff, in an attempt to find space and be released from Berti Vogts shackles, played too deep and lost his influence upon proceedings. The game was also a tale of two penalties, both given by the English referee Taylor, the first, a correct one, the second was given after simulation by Holzenbein, perhaps influenced by Beckenbauer’s words to Taylor (perhaps in another reference to the war): ‘You are an Englishman’. The Dutch played their usual unique style in the second half but could break down a rearguard action lead by ‘Der Kaiser’ Beckenbauer, leaving July 7th 1974 as the day when every Dutchman remembers where there were, mourning the ‘Lost Final’.

The 20 Greatest Defeats Of All Time (No. 10-6)

Enter the top ten defeats of all time. Naturally many matches are remembered for incidents occurring of and on the pitch, perhaps with violent clashes, footballing master classes and shifts in power concerning who rules the footballing world.

France (4) 3-3 (5) West Germany 1982 World Cup Semi- Final
An epic football match marred by Harold Schumacher’s tendency to rush out to take out man or ball, in a mindset where the end justifies the means, as it did for the Germans. The match was level between the two sides with Littbarski rifling in a shot and a Platini penalty to equalise. Then Schumacher took out substitute Battiston (whose attempted shot went just wide), knocking him unconscious and leaving him with two less teeth. Later when Platini went for a header, when Schumacher came to claim the ball; Platini was left clutching his shoulder. Tresor scored with a hooked finish for France, followed by a thunderbolt from Giresse, Rummenigge pulled one back, before Fischer sent the match to penalties – a first in the World Cup. Schumacher made the headlines, by moving early off his line (a ploy not noticed by the officials) and saving twice from Six and then Bossis. The great French team of Platini and Tigana could not progress ‘because the officials did not do their job’ as the BBC commentator put it.

Real 0 -5 Barcelona 1973 Primera Division
After being voted out of the captaincy at Ajax, Cruyff left for a club that too was valued on playing beautiful football. In this match he crossed superbly twice to result in goals, and scored a gorgeous goal. Receiving the ball in the edge of the area from the left he burst forward to the left past the despairing lunge of a Real defender, running towards another defender, he quickly shifted the ball onto his right then again onto his left, always shielding the ball from the defender. To top off a superb performance, he finished with aplomb, blasting the ball through the keeper’s legs. To this day Cruyff and his Barcelona team-mates hold the record for Real’s heaviest defeat in the Bernabeu in an El Clasico, an astonishing achievement.


Arsenal 4-5 Man Utd 1958 Old Division One
The Busby babes came to North London, with a brand of exciting attacking, youthful football. They raced up a 0-3 lead in the first half, and the match seemed to be as good as over. Yet in the space of three minutes The Gunners came racing back and clawed back to a 3-3 score-line. The reputation of the Manchester United side came through, showing mental strength to score twice through the devastating Denis Viollet and Tommy Taylor to an unreachable 3-5 lead. Yet in the dying minutes The Gunners pulled a goal back, leaving a tense finish in which Vic Groves almost equalised. A few days later, the Red Devils flew out to Belgrade to meet Red Star in the European Cup. After a victory, their plane stopped to refuel in Munich. Therefore the game at Arsenal’s historical Highbury was to be the last arena where the famous ‘Busby Babes’ strutted their stuff in England.


England 3-6 Hungary 1953 International Friendly
The first defeat at Wembley by a team outside of the British Isles broke an undefeated streak since 1901 against such teams. Finally showed how different styles had evolved in contrast to the stereotypical gung-ho British football and it was no fluke. The Hungarians played a pass and move style, with a strike-force of ‘that fat little chap’ (The England player who referred to the Hungarian legend would later live to regret his words) Ferenc Puskas and Nandor Hidegkuti, who played in a revolutionary half-striker role, ghosting between the lines of midfield and attack, impossible to pick up. ‘The Mighty Magyars’ were seen to many as the influence to Rinus Michel’s ‘Total Football’ concept with their fluid formation and interchange of positions. The return game in 1954 was even more one-sided with Hungary annihilating England 7-1.


Real 11-4 Barcelona 1943 Kings Cup Semi Final
The words Generalissimo or Franco will crop up in remembrance of this semi-final. 3-0 up from the first leg, the Catalans were favourites to meet Bilbao in the final. Yet before the start of the second leg, they were paid a visit by the director of state security, who emphasized the unpatriotic Catalans were only living in Spain on behalf of the generous Franco. Therefore they were forced to throw the match, and even with ten men at half time, it is believed that only such a reason would cause such a loss. The conspiracy theorists continue to look to this dressing room visit. Real still managed to lose the final to Bilbao, after all of their favourite dictator’s help against their arch-rivals.