DIVING IS AN ART

Play hard. Get into every tackle. Pull their shirts. Make them scream. This is today’s 'lesser' sides' approach to a game against The Big 4. If you cannot match them on quality, you certainly have a chance at physicality. So push them off the pitch and break their superior style of play. Let them keep possession...but make them pay for it.

Now the question is...."Is this fair"?

Of course it is.

Arsene Wenger will most certainly beg to differ, but that is the modern game! English football as compared to the other leagues of Europe does allow that little extra sense of physicality. So if you don't have the quality, bulk up your quantity. Now by no means am I defending Shawcross for his tackle on Ramsey. That was a one-off (well, for the league) and although it is more likely to happen in the Premiership (with flying tackles and kung-fu bouts), it is not something that is really well endorsed.

British Football has and always will be about playing hard. The Spaniards are well known for their silky smooth style, and in Spain, the referees are a lot stricter when it comes to physicality. Shirt pulling – a norm in the Premiership usually ignored by referees, is a ‘serious crime’ according to their Spanish counterparts who do not hesitate in pointing to the spot for even the slightest of tugs. Most Spaniards who come to England to play are the biggest victims of crass English defending. In the United Liverpool game last Sunday, Maxi Rodriguez looked like he had been put through three stages of hell by Gary Neville. Every time he would touch the ball, Neville’s man-marking instincts would take over and he would immediately go right through the Spaniard. Eventually Maxi was taken off, bruised, battered and bandaged!

THIS Is the main reason why “Diving” is so common in the premiership now. A phenomenon that I believe is a foreign import has come up as a sly counter to hard tackles and challenges. Although it may be an immoral and cowardly act, ‘Diving’ according to me is an art.

An art of deception, that takes a magician to master. The rewards are excellent and the punishment is just. Either you get booked, abused and left there lying to incur your own abhorrence, or you are perceived to have been ‘brought down’ by the defender who is duly sent off just before you score that ‘well earned’ winning penalty. It’s a gamble that most strikers today are willing to take. 

My favorite example is Didier Drogba. Undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world, in every game that he plays, he is easily the biggest man on the pitch. Yet, at the slightest tug, pull or tackle, this giant of a man comes crashing to the ground as though he was steamrolled by a twenty tonne engine and lays there simulating a pain sequence that would easily be deserving of an Oscar.

But that is what the modern game has evolved to. With results becoming a matter of life and death – “if that’s what you gotta do, then just do it”. (Nike would endorse that!).

 One might wonder where the morals have gone, but the stark truth is, they were thrown out the window the day sliding tackles came into effect. ‘Diving’ is just a reminder that Football’s underbelly can get very ugly and yet remain seductive.

Its a classic case of Big vs. Small and Right vs. Wrong. It may not always work. And only makes things worse.

But when it is your only tactic, go ahead, create magic.  

THE ROONITED EFFECT

It was a tie worthy of a Champions League final. But the Round of 16 was where they met. Two great sides. Sides with history, tradition & ambition.
Amusing as it may seem, both sides are recovering from massive breakups. One with Kaka and the other, Ronaldo. Hence, the fight was on to see who had moved on first.

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza or The 'San Siro' as we know it was the venue and hosts AC Milan took on 'favorites' Manchester United. Both teams fielded their strongest lineups with Milan adopting a 4-3-3 of sorts and Manchester United playing their newly acquired 4-3-2-1. The game was touted to be a Rooney vs Ronaldinho affair. A lot was made of the Beckham saga too. Would he play? Will he start? Can he play? In all fairness, he did ok in the night. His cross set up the first goal and he displayed some master class defending as well.

At the very beginning of the game it was Milan who struck first blood. And who else, but Ronaldinho with a beautifully timed volley that deflected past Carrick into the back of the net. Pure class! It baffles me how a player like Ronaldinho manages to get himself omitted from his national side.  He showed great skill with the ball and played the kind of football that would have broken into smiles even the stubbornest of souls. For a lot of us, he was reborn last night. The bucktoothed wizard was arguably the best player on the pitch for the whole of 90 minutes. With the stylish flip flaps, to his intricate Joga Bonito style of play, he was the master performer of the night. Matched against his fellow Brazilian Rafael, he made the latter look half his age.

Milan dominated the first half despite a scrappy goal from veteran Paul Scholes that drew the visitor’s level. The attacking triplet of Pato, Huntelaar and Ronaldinho tormented the United defense that somehow managed to let loose only one goal despite their shabby performance. In all fairness, had Milan converted their chances, the game could have ended very differently. But they didn’t. And they paid for it.

Man of the night Wayne Rooney was virtually absent for the opening Thirty minutes of the game. The Nesta-Silva pairing, dubbed as Seria A's very best were given an easy first half with Milan's midfield enjoying majority of the possession. United's midfield in contrast were dismal and allowed the likes of Pirlo and Beckham to take a touch too many, too often. This was apparent when Thiago Silva marched nearly 20 yards within goal without being challenged for the ball.

Much was expected out of United's young wing wizard Nani, who not too long ago was out destroying world class defenses on his own. But he, like the rest of his teammates, had a very poor start and a majority of his crosses ended up in the stands leaving behind a very irate Rooney.

But, enter second half! The game transformed. Nani Out, Valencia In. And that made the difference! Scholes latched onto a misplaced pass by Silva and immediately drilled it towards the United substitute who then took on Favalli head on and after feigning an extra touch delivered a beautiful high cross which Rooney duly met with his head. As the ball rose from Rooney's head towards the top right corner, rose with it a million red devils from the edge of their seats. And as the ball sunk into the side net of Dida's goal, sunk with it the 'heady' hopes (no pun intended) of the Rossoneri.

Suddenly, there was a shift in possession. Fletcher and Carrick finally got into the game. United were creating chances after chances. Nesta and Silva were being unsettled by the quick pace of Valencia, Park and Rooney. And then came United's third of the night. The Game Breaker. Another wonderful header from Rooney, and the dream fixture was put to a premature end.

Or so we thought.

One criticism I have of AC Milan is them not starting with Clarence Seedorf, the man who proved to be the very same opposition’s nemesis 3 years ago. Nonetheless, the substitution was made and almost immediately you could see the difference. Within 5 minutes of full time, the ball was played to Ronaldinho who in a flash, played a dazzling low cross to Seedorf who's classy finish United fans will find hard to forget. To add to their woes, Carrick was shown Red for time wasting.
Milan's final chance came in injury time, when once again Ronaldinho sliced open United's defense with a slick through ball to Inzaghi only for him to shoot high and wide. The referee blew his whistle soon after, much to the relief of the United entourage.

Final Score - AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United

One thing to note is that despite the result, the tie is by no means over. Old Trafford may not be the kindest; when it comes to travelling teams but, Milan have done it in the past. The return leg will be won by the team that wants it more. Heart will play a big factor. Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been exposed too many times this season and with all the melodrama surrounding Beckham’s return and with Ronaldinho and co. out to prove a point, anything can happen.

After all, persistence is not just key.

It’s everything!

DON'T SACK RAFA!

He had the dream start didn't he? Champions League glory in his first season (04/05), FA Cup in his second (05/06) the Champions League final in the third (06/07). Everything seemed right and the red half of merseyside were happy with their Spanish leader. 

However, the last two years haven't quite been as good as the initial three but this season, they've been terrible. Having come so close to wining the league last season, a lot was expected out of Liverpool and Rafa this year. But an early exit from the Champions League and a poor string of results in the premier league is hardly what the fans had bargained for.

 To be honest, Liverpool have been punching over their weight for quite some time now. They've got a very average squad that relies too heavily on Gerrard and Torres. An injury to either and the team struggles to replace them. Their victory against Manchester United earlier this season, did them more harm than good. "The Comback was on",  "Liverpool will rise again", "Bring on the season now", were major headlines that circulated the papers the next day. The expectations were high once again. But Liverpool really were never back in it. 

Players like Lucas, Insua, Babel, N'gog, etc aren't quite top four class and their inability to bring in quality players is what is costing them this season. Their 'flukes' are being highly exposed and to add to that, their board room problems aren't helping either. 

I see a way out though. And its quite ironic too. For it involves someone not going out who already seems to be on his way out. Confused? Im talking about Rafa Benitez.

Now's the best time to keep the Spaniard at the club. Give him a new contract. Make him feel secure. Lift his spirits first and you will definitely see a positive change. He knows how the league functions and we saw how close he came to domestic supremacy last season and bloody hell, the man even knows how to win The Champions League. 

Let this season be treated as a 'detox' period for him and the club. Let the board trouble settle, give Aquilani and Rodriguez time to adapt, get rid of the unwanted players and build the youth system. Bringing in a new manager will not only be a very costly affair but will also further unsettle the existing players and the staff. Now is the time for the players and the fans at the very least to unite and believe in their manager. Rafa's saying he can do it. So why not trust him. 

Also, its the only way Torres and maybe even Gerard will stay at the club. Yes, some of you may argue with that but think of it this way -  Assuming Liverpool finish 6th/7th, Rafa is sacked, Manchester City come in with a 100mn pounds for Torres and Madrid come in with 60mn pounds for Gerard. Who's to say the board wont sell!

And if they sell, Liverpool will burn. It's that simple.

WE ARE THE ARSENAL

Being a United fan, I had this big dark secret which I only kept to myself. I'm going to let it out now. "Thierry Henry" was my idol. It was THAT squad - Pires, Henry, Bergkamp that really lit up the Premier League those days.

And then, one by one they left. Bergkamp was no more. Henry was no more. I began to wonder whether the mighty Arsenal would fall too. But today, I feel they'v come a long way. Their quality of football is excellent, the talent coming through is remarkable and finally, the mighty Gunners - after 3 years of false hope and under -achievement are finally stepping up. Cesc Fabregas has come of age and how! Their on field class is matched by an equally amazing youth academy/scouting system thats been put in place. When Wenger signs an unknown kid, its not too long before that kid's name is being chanted by the Emirates faithful.

But, they are still unproven. The kids have grown up and its time for them now to repay the faith put in them. And this season will be a very important one for them. The media, the fans are all getting impatient  and Arsenal must deliver.

And deliver they will! They have the squad (at least the starting 11). Arshavin and Vermaelen have been outstanding recruits and the team look a lot more composed now. Sure, its still an injury ravaged squad but its not a disadvantage when the other teams are also suffering from that. Look at Man United's defensive woes for instance. Carrick at centre-half!

As a United fan, 3 years of battling Chelsea and Liverpool have made me realize how much i miss the Arsenal rivalry. The Keane and Viera bust ups, the media wars between SAF and Wenger, etc.
In a way, I would love to see the Wenger-Ferguson relationship turn sour again. For the good of the rivalry, the truce needs to be called off and the mutual respect be thrown out of the window. Let the game's get feisty.

Having said all this, Arsenal could do with some 'cover'. Sol Campbell's been a shrewd signing but he needs to prove himself again. They desperately need a striker to partner Eduardo up front and an attacking midfielder to complement Fabregas. Abou Diaby is overrated and I feel he would do a lot better playing for a lesser side. So too would Bendtner and Eboue. This could be Arsenal's season. Having gone top of the table last night, the pressure is on now.

So failure once more - and Barca have a new midfielder!

DAWN OF AN ERA

We are now entering a new world of football, aren’t we? No more can a six year old child predict a scoreline at ease. The playing field has finally been leveled. I sit up a little more these days when I see the big four play the lesser sides. The gap has narrowed.

Birmingham have been on fire this season! Having gone on a 13 game unbeaten streak, that includes draws against Liverpool Chelsea and Man United. Clearly they’re one to watch out for. Bankrolled by their new Honk Kong owners, the club is finally seeing success after years of relegation dog-fights and championship stints.

But what really is making an impact on clubs like Tottenham, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Fulham etc. is the excellent management system in place. Harry Redknapp, Martin O’Neill, Alex Mcleish and Roy Hodgson have been outstanding managers thus far.

A lot of us also believe that its just the top 4 that’s getting weaker and weaker. Arsenal losing Hleb and Flamini, Liverpool losing Xabi Alonso, Manchester United losing Ronaldo. Well that’s not entirely the case. What’s really happening is, that the lesser sides are only getting stronger and stronger. A maverick like attitude is being adopted by the ‘pretenders’ as I like to call them. Theres no more respect for the elite. Every game is worth 3 points now. And look at the Big 4 squads. They still have at least 2 world class players playing in every position.

But the real winner here is Football. That dominating era is no more. We’re witnessing the dawn of an era where the term ‘The Big 4’ is history and the term ‘The Big 8’ may be in the rising.

English Football is getting more and more interesting. Sure, you may still bet your life savings on either Chelsea United or Arsenal winning the league this season.
But how about you bet on that happening 3-4 seasons later.

Exactly! I didn’t think you would.

QUIZ TIME

Test your football knowledge. Lets see what you got.

1.Which English team were the first to do the 'Double', i.e winning the Premier League title and the FA cup in the same season?

2. Which team made its first appearance in The Premier League in the 08/09 season?

3. Who is the Chief-Executive of the FA?

4. Which player won the 'Golden Boot' for the 2006/07 campaign?


5. Who is the current manager of the England U-21 team?  


6. Which team has the words "Arte Et Labore" on its crest?


7. Who succeeded Roy Keane as Sunderland's manager?


8. Who scored the first ever goal at the Emirates stadium?


9. Whom did Martin O'Neill succeed as Villa manager in 2006?


Post your answers below and try not to cheat.

Get 4 or more right and you know your football.

Bring Home the CUP!

Ive been a die hard fan of Manchester United since I first watched them play on screen one blissful night in my hotel in Kuala Lampur. This was i think back in 2003 when Beckham played his last for the club. Henry at the time was 'The Man to Watch' and Arsenal were pretty much the league dominators back then.

One Cup final that was actually prized in those days was The FA Cup. I remember that game against Milwall that ended with Manchester United winning 3-0. It was an awesome feeling. The season had been mediocre really, with Arsenal running away with the title unbeaten. A sick feeling for a United fan, but hats off to them. That FA cup semi-final was a special one. It was against Arsenal, with Scholes netting home the only goal of the game to make it 1-0 in the 32nd minute.

THAT, was the last time Manchester United lifted the FA cup. Its a shame really. 7 years have gone by, and the charm is now missing. The prestige of it has been junked off by top club managers who now only see this as part of a learning curve to blood their youngsters. The Cup still holds dear to a lot of fans, who still see this as the decider for domestic supremacy.

As a United fan, Ive seen it all in the last few years. The Champions League, Premier League, etc. But what i really want to see the club winning now is the FA cup. Dumped yet again at an early stage (by a lowly Leeds side), I probably will have to wait another year. But i hope SAF learns from this, and plays a full strength team next season. Bring Home the Cup - i say! For silverware is what we're all about.