What we learned from the group stages of Euro 2012
Mohamed Haniff presents a concise examination of the Euro groupstages, highlighting the good, the bad and the downright ugly with his uncanny wit.
Monday 31 October 2011
Sunday 30 October 2011
Are The Tables Finally Turning? The Resurgent Old Lady of Italian Football vs. The Collapse of a Controversial Dynasty
by Christopher Date
Juventus F.C. vs. F.C Internazionale Milano, The Bianconeri vs. The Nerazzurri, La Vecchia Signora vs. La Beneamata, no matter which of the numerous nicknames you prefer to use, one thing is always for certain, the Derby d’Italia is guaranteed to be one of, if not the most, passionate and enthralling matches in the Italian Serie A.
As history will attest, it is not exactly a rarity to witness Juventus defeat Inter Milan in this momentous derby. However, it is not simply the result which stands out after today’s encounter between the two Italian giants, but rather the fashion in which the Bianconeri defeated the Nerazzurri in their own back yard, Il Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, their beloved San Siro.
Remove the obviously biased San Siro crowd from the equation, and I highly doubt the casual fan would have believed Inter Milan was the home side. Not only did the players from the Turin based club have the lion’s share of possession for long periods, but their determination, attacking drive and overall spirits far surpassed their Milanese rivals by quite some margin. Testament to this was one period in the game around the 75th minute in which the visitors held the ball for what seemed to be at least forty passes while the Inter Milan players were seemingly content to sit back and let their opponents waste up precious time, not a usual tactic for a home side trailing 2-1 to their biggest rival in the entire league.
Admittedly, as a die-hard Juventus fan, there was nothing better than seeing the disheartened Inter players trod around the pitch looking completely defeated with twenty minutes still on the clock, and the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Claudio “Il Principino” Marchisio and Arturo Vidal dictating play in the middle of the park against some of the world’s best central midfielders in Wesley Sneijder and Esteban Cambiasso. A tad sadistic on my part some might say, but how would you feel if a bunch of undeserving people stole something from you that they in no shape or form deserved?...*cough* our Scudetto *cough* ;).
However, cheap shots and bias aside, the real issue at hand is why exactly do Juventus look so much more efficient this season and lead the league currently, while Inter continue to struggle profusely, with a mere eight points from nine games? In my opinion it is a combination of many various factors as outlined below:
Tactically speaking, in seasons past, Juventus’ main problem (apart from getting caught off guard by ridiculously simple long balls, the same kind of long balls we seemingly attempted to use and failed to convert against the “weaker” teams in the league), was the obvious missing link between the midfield and attack. Without Del Piero on the field to add some kind of creative spark to our play, our forwards were often too isolated and static due to the fact that our midfield was pretty poor at distributing sharp attacking passes into dangerous areas. We were more than happy to constantly ship the ball out wide to Milos Krasic, who by now has been figured out by every defender in the league it seems, and will just push the ball down the flank, run at full pace and attempt a cut back cross.
While I had no problem with the players occasionally trying to cross the ball into the penalty area due to a decent physical presence at the time due to players such as Matri, Quagliarelli and Toni getting quite a few minutes of playing time, when it becomes overly-predictable, even the poorest of defensive teams know how to mark these forwards and clear away the crosses all day. It's like defending set pieces for a whole game, something that even the weakest teams are good at, as it is easy to implement in training.
For instance, when I watched AC Milan destroy the exact same teams in the league that we often drew to, it was usually because of their fast paced passes into danger areas, such as inside the box, fairly direct efforts, and playing the ball through or to-feet in more central areas. I am not saying we should have never crossed the ball obviously, because Toni and Matri again are very good in the air, but the consistency with which we did the exact same thing every single play, (attack slowly and then retreat out wide and try to cross) was appalling.
This season though, with the implementation of Antonio Conte as our manager, not only have we transformed our team in terms of personnel, but our tactical approach is based much more on possession, sharp passes, movement and keeping a solid structure. The adapted version of a 4-3-3 formation we have recently been using has been beyond successful. With Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings surrounded by two key players in Marchisio and Vidal, that can both tackle adeptly and contribute greatly to attack, our team has many options both going forward and when defending the counter. This freedom, flexibility and creative licence has done wonders for Marchisio especially, who is slowly turning into quite the world-beater after a few fairly decent seasons at Juventus in years prior.
It would be terrible for me not to mention the ridiculous work rate of Simone Pepe as well, a player who personifies the team’s spirit, heart and determination. These players performances, coupled with Alessandro Matri’s lethal finishing and Mirko Vucinic’s clever dinks, chips and flicks, have given rise to a team that on a whole has improved to a great extent technically, mentally and physically. Moreover, there is the new desire and determination to win the ball each and every time there is a 50-50 situation, something I can only attribute to Conte’s motivational skills, as in his prime he was a fantastic hustler, true leader and a tireless fighter.
As for Inter, there are an abundance of factors which may have contributed to their downfall this year:
Their coaching changes, their involvement in Champions League football as well as the domestic Italian Serie A, and their loss of Samuel Eto’o and general lack of a striker of the calibre of him or Zlatan Ibrahimovic (as much as it pains me to somewhat praise Ibrahimovic). Not to mention, the lack of motivation that may accompany winning the league many times in a row may have negatively affected some players hunger to win, as well as the Champions League hangover after their win in 2009. One thing is for sure, with continually average performances from players like Alvarez, Obi, Nagatomo, Castaignos as well as veterans like Chivu, the future doesn’t seem too wonderful unless Inter can turn it around quickly.
Many would argue however, that the season has just started, and I would definitely have to agree. There is plenty time for any team to lose or gain form, slip or climb the league table, and for this reason I am trying to stay as realistic as possible with my expectations for Juventus this year. However, I can assure you readers that I am not being naive in saying there has been drastic improvement evident already at this stage of the season regardless of the fact that Juventus have played many of the “weaker” sides in the league. As for Inter, it is quite clear that if they don’t drastically change their performances and results, we may finally be witnessing the end of their era of dominance, an era that in all honesty came about due to some truly fortunate circumstances.
theRYGOchannel would like to give a big thanks to Chris for writing us this quality article, be sure to leave a comment!
Juventus F.C. vs. F.C Internazionale Milano, The Bianconeri vs. The Nerazzurri, La Vecchia Signora vs. La Beneamata, no matter which of the numerous nicknames you prefer to use, one thing is always for certain, the Derby d’Italia is guaranteed to be one of, if not the most, passionate and enthralling matches in the Italian Serie A.
As history will attest, it is not exactly a rarity to witness Juventus defeat Inter Milan in this momentous derby. However, it is not simply the result which stands out after today’s encounter between the two Italian giants, but rather the fashion in which the Bianconeri defeated the Nerazzurri in their own back yard, Il Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, their beloved San Siro.
 |
| Pirlo down to usual business, dictating the play for Juve |
Admittedly, as a die-hard Juventus fan, there was nothing better than seeing the disheartened Inter players trod around the pitch looking completely defeated with twenty minutes still on the clock, and the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Claudio “Il Principino” Marchisio and Arturo Vidal dictating play in the middle of the park against some of the world’s best central midfielders in Wesley Sneijder and Esteban Cambiasso. A tad sadistic on my part some might say, but how would you feel if a bunch of undeserving people stole something from you that they in no shape or form deserved?...*cough* our Scudetto *cough* ;).
However, cheap shots and bias aside, the real issue at hand is why exactly do Juventus look so much more efficient this season and lead the league currently, while Inter continue to struggle profusely, with a mere eight points from nine games? In my opinion it is a combination of many various factors as outlined below:
 |
| Del Piero celebrates victory with Conte |
While I had no problem with the players occasionally trying to cross the ball into the penalty area due to a decent physical presence at the time due to players such as Matri, Quagliarelli and Toni getting quite a few minutes of playing time, when it becomes overly-predictable, even the poorest of defensive teams know how to mark these forwards and clear away the crosses all day. It's like defending set pieces for a whole game, something that even the weakest teams are good at, as it is easy to implement in training.
For instance, when I watched AC Milan destroy the exact same teams in the league that we often drew to, it was usually because of their fast paced passes into danger areas, such as inside the box, fairly direct efforts, and playing the ball through or to-feet in more central areas. I am not saying we should have never crossed the ball obviously, because Toni and Matri again are very good in the air, but the consistency with which we did the exact same thing every single play, (attack slowly and then retreat out wide and try to cross) was appalling.
 |
| Claudio Marchisio is a player in fine form this season |
It would be terrible for me not to mention the ridiculous work rate of Simone Pepe as well, a player who personifies the team’s spirit, heart and determination. These players performances, coupled with Alessandro Matri’s lethal finishing and Mirko Vucinic’s clever dinks, chips and flicks, have given rise to a team that on a whole has improved to a great extent technically, mentally and physically. Moreover, there is the new desire and determination to win the ball each and every time there is a 50-50 situation, something I can only attribute to Conte’s motivational skills, as in his prime he was a fantastic hustler, true leader and a tireless fighter.
As for Inter, there are an abundance of factors which may have contributed to their downfall this year:
 |
| We'd hide our faces too Wesley |
Many would argue however, that the season has just started, and I would definitely have to agree. There is plenty time for any team to lose or gain form, slip or climb the league table, and for this reason I am trying to stay as realistic as possible with my expectations for Juventus this year. However, I can assure you readers that I am not being naive in saying there has been drastic improvement evident already at this stage of the season regardless of the fact that Juventus have played many of the “weaker” sides in the league. As for Inter, it is quite clear that if they don’t drastically change their performances and results, we may finally be witnessing the end of their era of dominance, an era that in all honesty came about due to some truly fortunate circumstances.
theRYGOchannel would like to give a big thanks to Chris for writing us this quality article, be sure to leave a comment!
Thursday 27 October 2011
The Top 10 Midfielders in World Football
Here is a list of the Top 10 Midfielders in World Football:
10. Yaya Toure – The Ivorian in my eyes is nothing short of world class. He is built like an Ox and moves like a freight train and this narrows down exactly how powerful he is. Being a product of the Barcelona system gives you the idea behind his good touch and fair passing range for a defensive midfielder. At one point in time, his coach, Roberto Mancini used him as the attacking midfielder for the team as his qualities shone bright in that position. He is truly versatile and he provides Man City’s back line extensive protection along with his partners De Jong/ Barry. Toure is in his prime and Manchester City will reap the rewards of having one of the best midfielders in the world in their starting line-up.
9. Kaká - A player that was once known as the best footballer in the world continues to give all he has at the highest level for Real Madrid. Kaká is comfortable with both feet and he is lethal in front of the goal if given the space. Known for his pass-first mentality, Kaká enjoys setting up his teammates in the play rather than scoring, a true mark of an attacking midfielder. His vision is of the highest quality, maybe only second to 2 or 3 players on this list. However, his biggest problem is fitness and he continues to struggle to keep fit, as his persistent knee problems have slowed the blossoming of his career.
8. Wesley Sneijder – The Dutch play-maker has had a wonderful few years of football and has found himself quite unlucky to not be a winner of a World Cup, Ballon D’or or FIFA World Player of the Year award. He had a stellar world cup and football season with his respective teams, scoring goal after goal in the most important games. For Wesley, if he wasn’t banging in the goals he was orchestrating them. He is easily one of the best players in the world right now and with his passing, awareness and lethal shot, these qualities place him on this list as he continues to ply his trade with Inter Milan and aim to conquer more glory.
7. Mesut Özil – The German genius has earned his spot in this "Top 10 List" by simply being the best play-maker of 2010-2011. He sets up more goals than any other player. This statistic alone speaks volume and tells the public the strides Özil has made since becoming a house hold name in football. Known to me as the “Crab”, based on his horizontal movement which is very similar to an actual crab, Özil skillfully moves around the pitch avoiding other players and gets those killer through balls to his teammates like a walk in the park. He has age on his side and will find himself near the top of the list in the years to come. He is truly an excellent footballer.
6. Luka Modric – The tiny Croatian is simply a magician on the ball. Small in physique but do not be fooled, he is one of the most difficult players to get off the ball. What makes Modric stand-out as one of the best midfielders in the BPL is his football intelligence. He is always two steps ahead of his opponent and doesn’t need to be strong, fast or have any other physical aspect to be good. He depends totally on his talent, which is reading and knowing the game to a level higher than anyone else on the field. His vision is extraordinary and although Modric may not score the goal or lay off the final assisting pass he is usually the most instrumental person in the play. 
5. Cesc Fabregas – The Catalan born midfielder continues to grow and become even more of a phenomenal player with each progressing game. From his green days in the Barcelona academy when labelled as a prodigy, he matured and developed into an established player under the stewardship of Arsene Wenger, during this time years of public flirting with the Catalan side ensued, primarily because of his rapid progression and meteoric rise in world football and he finally returned to his beloved Barcelona as the world class player he is now. Cesc is blessed with amazing vision and touch, cut from the classy cloth of most Catalan players. A high football IQ keeps him ahead of his opponents, given his lack of physical strength and speed which was never needed. He is young and can be one of the names you call for in years to come when speaking of the best in football.
4. Xabi Alonso – Speaking of technique? Not many stand above him. He enjoys passing like how strikers enjoys scoring goals. He is instrumental to everything Real Madrid does. You can find Xabi Alonso starting the play just after winning the ball back from the opposition either by his timely tackling or ability to read the play and intercept a pass. These are also skills that must be honed for a player who is position very deep midfield. He finds himself box to box, dictating play and controlling the tempo of the game. Along with his neat short passes, Alonso also has immaculate long range distribution, which makes him a potential danger from all areas of the pitch. Goalkeepers have learned that even from the half line he can cause trouble.
3. David Silva – This player is one of the most under rated footballers for the past three years. Placed high on this list simply because he undoubtedly and deservedly belongs here. David Silva is poetry in motion, easily one of the smallest players on the field, yet obtains one of the biggest collection of slithering, silky moves to shake off any opposition. He displays class as he glides around the pitch playing final balls to the highest degree, leaving his strikers with the simplest of tasks at times. His vision is also of the highest order, and Silva just seems to know what is going on around him at all times. At the young age of 25, he will have plenty of time to eventually find himself at the top of this list sometime in the near future.
2. Xavi - Simply put, football legend, Xavi is the perfect example to any central midfielder in what exemplifies a player in this position to be world class. What would Barcelona be without him? He will go down as one of the greatest players in the world. Xavi’s vision, ball control, passing range and awareness never seems to let him down as he rarely if ever has a bad game these days. He always dominates his opposition’s midfield and makes them look like amateurs by the most simple of passes in an unstoppable manner.
1. 1. Andres Iniesta – Many may see this as a controversial decision by placing Iniesta ahead of his Catalan team mate Xavi. But Iniesta has a few things going in his favour. Firstly, Iniesta is four years Xavi’s junior, giving him more than enough time to achieve more than his teammate and simply put, Iniesta just offers that extra edge and zest. If needed, Iniesta can play Xavi’s role to maximum potential and ping the ball around for fun. But when Barcelona needs that player (bar messi) to create that inch of space or beat their opponent to create an opening, look no further than Andres Iniesta. He glides around the park like most Spanish players, with his opponents left to either watch him in his waltz or foul as they never get close enough for the right tackle.
He is such a class player and it can be seen in all of his magical moments, namely the Champion’s League clash with Chelsea in the semi-finals, where he was the player who made that bit of difference to win it for his team, and last but not least, the one moment he will forever hold above his Barcelona compatriot, the winning goal of the 2010 FIFA world cup.
Notable Mentions
Steven Gerrard – The Liverpool captain has been a sensational player for years and has been instrumental in everything that Liverpool have won within his time. He has all the attributes to consider him the COMPLETE midfielder. His stand out attribute continues to be his shooting and finishing, where in England he is still second to none from outside the 18 if given the space. He is in the latter years of his career but still continues to be an outstanding asset and Liverpool missed his presence last season while he was injured.
Javi Martinez – The Bilbao player is growing towards hero status in his hometown as he continues to perform when he puts on his club's shirt. Javi Martinez would be a guaranteed start in the Spain set-up, were it not for the Barcelona biased, let me add a well deserved Barcelona biased, team selection. He is a player in "the Sergio Busquets role" but has a bit more to offer. He reads the game like some of the best players in his position would. For a more defensive minded player he helps dictate play in the midfield and is a positional player, one of the key aspects of a central midfielder. For Javi, it is only a matter of time before he is picked up by one of Europe’s best clubs.Other Players worth notable mention:
Michael Essien, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Javier Pastore, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kwadwo Asamoah, Nuri Sahin.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Levante Are The Uninvited Guests
Uninvited Guests
by Mohamed Haniff
As I settled in to watch Racing Santander take on Espanyol, an old friend of mine debated the strength of competition in La Liga, stating that there are certain teams he couldn't bare watching. The example thrown at me was Sporting Gijon vs. Levante; my friend conceded that Levante were flying high but that he still couldn't take them seriously. Alas this is the feeling most of us have had about Levante as we groggily scanned the league tables, expressing initially our shock at where the little Valencians find themselves; and then usually a scoff followed by a snide remark about how soon they will plummet. I myself have fallen into this trap, simply waiting for the underdogs to disappear and leave the big two to duke it out in peace. However should we be doing this? Shouldn't we be celebrating the achievements of this side so far?
In many of these instances when we see a side like Levante leading the way we assume it is a combination of two things; large batches of luck and an easy fixture list. However when one takes a look at Levante's unbeaten start to the season, they have disposed of Villarreal, Malaga and Real Madrid by a combined score of 7-0. Their latest 3-0 walloping of Villarreal occurred in the Yellow Submarine's home stadium, El Madrigal. In many ways Levante's scintillating start to the season is the polar opposite of Villarreal's blunt displays so far. Some could blame it on the Champions League hangover but the fact remains that they have looked unimpressive for weeks, where as their neighbours Levante have kept defying the odds.
At the moment there are three major Primera teams in the Valencia region; Valencia, Villarreal and Levante. As one might expect Levante has traditionally been excluded from the conversation, games against Levante have often been seen as formalities for the other two sides from this area. Last season however with the help of the talented manager Luis Garcia Plaza, the Blaugrana were able to comfortably steer clear of relegation. However Garcia Plaza jumped ship to Getafe leading many to believe that this would be the beginning of the end for the side; however they seem to be growing in confidence as the weeks go by.
One must not forget that it was not too long ago that Levante were one of the many sides in Spain's top flight who were guilty of being unable to pay their players' wages. Under the leadership of Quico Catalan, the chairman of the board, they have hauled themselves back from the brink of financial demise, and though they are not completely out of the woods, they're a bit more at ease; and its showing in their football.
The evergreen Sergio Ballesteros, one of la liga's most ridiculed centrebacks is a major player in this Levante story, throwing many of his doubters to the wayside with a string of dominating performances at the beginning of this season. Levante have the look of a side flung together, not carefully selected, when one peruses the 25 man roster for the club. Players like Valdo, Asier Del Horno and Javier Farinos, have been around the block a few times, never really setting the world on fire; the early going of this season however has made more than a few people sit up and take notice. Against Villarreal it was the winger Juanlu who stole the show for the Blaugrana, getting himself on the score sheet twice. Juanlu, himself a journeyman, having been at nine clubs in his eleven year career has had a blistering start to the season; popping up on the left hand side on Sunday to score a well taken volley.
Levante's game is not one built on fluidity or creative flair, but their organization and concentration are the cornerstones of their success so far. In the game against Real Madrid, we saw Los Merengues stymied at every turn, unable to get a look in, as Levante defended valiantly and held onto their shape, before firing in the only goal of the match. After the game Jose Mourinho was quoted as saying,
Mourinho implying here that Levante were forced to resort to underhanded tactics in order to gain the victory over his side. While I would not expect Mourinho to scream from the top of the Santiago Bernabeu how great Levante played, surely they deserve a bit more credit than that after blunting one of the sharpest attacks in world football.
This is the type of attitude that has become symptomatic when speaking about a side like Levante. They are painted as the uninvited guests who dare spoil the party that the big clubs have taken months and months to plan. This is the kind of attitude that we should be discouraging; while it may be too much to expect Mr. Mourinho to ever change his tune, instead of us waiting for the underdogs to fall why don't we just be glad that we have an interesting talking point in what was meant to be a predictable season in Spanish football.
While I certainly don't expect them to stay at the summit of La Liga we should all just enjoy it while it lasts. Savour this simple time of the season before Barcelona and Real Madrid renew their rivalry, complete with goals, eye gouging and insults. These are the teams that make football the people's game, so let's keep the goodwill flowing.
by Mohamed Haniff
As I settled in to watch Racing Santander take on Espanyol, an old friend of mine debated the strength of competition in La Liga, stating that there are certain teams he couldn't bare watching. The example thrown at me was Sporting Gijon vs. Levante; my friend conceded that Levante were flying high but that he still couldn't take them seriously. Alas this is the feeling most of us have had about Levante as we groggily scanned the league tables, expressing initially our shock at where the little Valencians find themselves; and then usually a scoff followed by a snide remark about how soon they will plummet. I myself have fallen into this trap, simply waiting for the underdogs to disappear and leave the big two to duke it out in peace. However should we be doing this? Shouldn't we be celebrating the achievements of this side so far?
In many of these instances when we see a side like Levante leading the way we assume it is a combination of two things; large batches of luck and an easy fixture list. However when one takes a look at Levante's unbeaten start to the season, they have disposed of Villarreal, Malaga and Real Madrid by a combined score of 7-0. Their latest 3-0 walloping of Villarreal occurred in the Yellow Submarine's home stadium, El Madrigal. In many ways Levante's scintillating start to the season is the polar opposite of Villarreal's blunt displays so far. Some could blame it on the Champions League hangover but the fact remains that they have looked unimpressive for weeks, where as their neighbours Levante have kept defying the odds.
At the moment there are three major Primera teams in the Valencia region; Valencia, Villarreal and Levante. As one might expect Levante has traditionally been excluded from the conversation, games against Levante have often been seen as formalities for the other two sides from this area. Last season however with the help of the talented manager Luis Garcia Plaza, the Blaugrana were able to comfortably steer clear of relegation. However Garcia Plaza jumped ship to Getafe leading many to believe that this would be the beginning of the end for the side; however they seem to be growing in confidence as the weeks go by.
 |
| Add caption |
The evergreen Sergio Ballesteros, one of la liga's most ridiculed centrebacks is a major player in this Levante story, throwing many of his doubters to the wayside with a string of dominating performances at the beginning of this season. Levante have the look of a side flung together, not carefully selected, when one peruses the 25 man roster for the club. Players like Valdo, Asier Del Horno and Javier Farinos, have been around the block a few times, never really setting the world on fire; the early going of this season however has made more than a few people sit up and take notice. Against Villarreal it was the winger Juanlu who stole the show for the Blaugrana, getting himself on the score sheet twice. Juanlu, himself a journeyman, having been at nine clubs in his eleven year career has had a blistering start to the season; popping up on the left hand side on Sunday to score a well taken volley.
Levante's game is not one built on fluidity or creative flair, but their organization and concentration are the cornerstones of their success so far. In the game against Real Madrid, we saw Los Merengues stymied at every turn, unable to get a look in, as Levante defended valiantly and held onto their shape, before firing in the only goal of the match. After the game Jose Mourinho was quoted as saying,
 |
| Jose smells a hater |
“I don’t want to detract merit from Levante, who always do very well when they are allowed to play their game at their stadium. I congratulate them for being clever. They know how to waste time and how to not give the ball back. They know this because it’s also part of football. Our players don’t feel comfortable in this sort of habitat and Levante know it.”
Mourinho implying here that Levante were forced to resort to underhanded tactics in order to gain the victory over his side. While I would not expect Mourinho to scream from the top of the Santiago Bernabeu how great Levante played, surely they deserve a bit more credit than that after blunting one of the sharpest attacks in world football.
This is the type of attitude that has become symptomatic when speaking about a side like Levante. They are painted as the uninvited guests who dare spoil the party that the big clubs have taken months and months to plan. This is the kind of attitude that we should be discouraging; while it may be too much to expect Mr. Mourinho to ever change his tune, instead of us waiting for the underdogs to fall why don't we just be glad that we have an interesting talking point in what was meant to be a predictable season in Spanish football.
While I certainly don't expect them to stay at the summit of La Liga we should all just enjoy it while it lasts. Savour this simple time of the season before Barcelona and Real Madrid renew their rivalry, complete with goals, eye gouging and insults. These are the teams that make football the people's game, so let's keep the goodwill flowing.
Sunday 23 October 2011
How City beat United
What a shocker. What an absolute shocker. By no means am I suggesting that City didn't have it in them to beat United, but scoring six goals at Old Trafford? - Phenomenal. It's a grey day for all who are involved with the Red Devils, who are probably looking a little more blue now then ever before, and Sir Alex Ferguson has to use the next week to rally his squad together for a tough trip to Goodison Park.
Manchester City look the real deal for title contenders after their exhilarating performance, and they now aim to build on their hard earned three points. But where did United lose the game? Or rather, where did City outsmart United to claim such a historical win?
Three factors largely influenced the clash between the reds and the blues:
The sizzling Balotelli
Building on his fine individual performance against Villa in City's last Premier League outing, Balotelli played a pivotal role in his team's victory against their rivals. Balotelli's movement was a bit much for the United defence to subdue and keep under control.
His first goal was a sublime finish, elegantly placed in the bottom right corner, but it was his positional awareness that allowed him to check his run and place himself at the top of the box, as opposed to scrambling into the clustered penalty area - both Ferdinand and Evans lost their bearings, caught ball watching and not communicating with each other, as he stood in acres of space to calmly punish the absentminded United defence.
This is where we see Balotelli's limitless potential and football wisdom, when he is able to get himself into these dangerous positions and use his undoubted physical talent to score goals of that pedigree. At the inception of the second half, 63 seconds to be precise, City was able to work the ball with quick passing and fluent movement to rattle the lacklustre United defence for a second time.
Again, Balotelli's movement allowed him to latch onto a perfectly weighted through ball, only to be wrestled to the ground by Johnny "Stone Cold" Evans. It was a horrible challenge that indicated his lack of concentration and ability to read the game, it was also a challenge that highlighted Evan's lack of pace and strength as Balotelli was able to use his knowledge to run across the bumbling defender, to then be brought down. Smart playing by Mario, as it was nearly a penalty and obviously a red card offence.
After City were soaring with their two goals, they were still relentless. The Spanish international, David Silva, who has been on top form for the sky blues so far this season, twisted and turned, waited and distributed the perfect pass to slice the home defence wide agape, as Milner latched onto the end of it, only to find who else but the sizzling Balotelli. He has now scored 6 in his last 5 games.
The Red Card
As it would in any game of such magnitude, being detracted to ten men is a hard blow. Johnny Evans was the culprit, but perhaps his selection in the United defence was a variable that brought an inevitability of apprehension with it. I remember reading the starting XI for the home team and thinking that perhaps Jones would have suited better in such a game, after all, he has the physicality to match City's tough players, but also brings a sense of surety to his team mates.
Subsequent to the sending off, City took advantage of the ball possession and at one point nearly had 70% of it in the first twenty minutes of the second half. This is where Mancini's tactical prowess shows in his team. They decided to control the game and be cautious, ultimately shutting out the lingering hopes of the United team and supporters.
With an extra man on the pitch, City then invited the waves of attack from United, with the intention of hitting them on the break - and my God did it worked. They doubled up on the right flank to give Evra a torrid time and used the same tactics to score the goals of Balotelli (his second) and the flying Argentine, Kun Aguerro. We are well aware of the detrimental effects a red card can bear on a team, but credit to City, as they took full advantage of the deficit.
Ferguson's Poor Choices
Who am I to question the great Sir Alex Ferguson in all of his years at the summit of English football? Yes, I'm not aware of who is doing well in training from who isn't, or who was more up for the game in the changing room, but what I am fully aware of is that you cannot play a City team of this calibre, and not list a central midfielder in the substitutes.
The failure to sign the World Cup finalist Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan and allowing City to lure Samir Nasri to the Etihad Stadium may be a move Ferguson regrets, as the lack of quality in midfield may only now begin to show it's frailties.
The world is growing to learn more about Manchester City's incredible team; the physical, technical attacking team that Mancini has at his disposal. Therefore it was quite a surprise when I learned that there would be no Michael Carrick on the bench, especially when Cleverley was still not near full recovery. This instantly limited United's options in the centre of the park.
Perhaps the starting line-up was a decent choice, but why not play Phil Jones as opposed to Johnny Evans? We know what Jones is capable of and we are well aware of what Evans is not, that is, consistency. After the team dropped to ten men, Ferguson's delayed reactions could have caused a third goal, as Rooney then dropped into defence to fill the void of his Irish team mate, leaving Welbeck to drown in depths of City's robust defence. They were numerous instances where I thought Carrick would have suited the game.
Fergie decided to go with the energetic duo of Fletcher and Anderson, who are both good midfielder's in their own respects, however Carrick may have been a better choice to compliment either one of these midfielders, as he does have a good reading of the game, and provides cover at the back. His ability to break up play in the midfield would have suited this fragile United squad, as a lot of the play would be broken down or at least slowed the blistering pace of City's attacks.
With five men in Manchester City's engine room, they provided a solid shield for their defence, making it all the more difficult for United to create any chances. United tried to get down to business as they attempted to use width and their usual wing play, but this just did not work against City. City always had all four defenders perfectly organised in the box, with Barry and Yaya Touré providing zonal marking in front of them to sweep up any loose or misplaced clearances. The crosses were never going to work. Never. With Rooney and Welbeck leading United's attack, both of the players were rather undynamic and insatiable in their roles. United needed the penetrating and energetic, zipping runs of Chicharito, without him, the Red Devils were always going to need an incredible goal in order to score.
All in all, it was a horrible, dark day for United players and fans alike, on the contrasting spectrum; a fantastic one for City, who are now bedazzled and inviting the hurdles of the future. The key ingredient for their success today was the raw urge to win. They wanted the win; they played like they wanted to win - and so they got their wish. Each player was on top form in the City ranks, notably Vincent Kompany, who organised his team like a real veteran and lead by example, as well as Micah Richards, who was solid at the back and produced some fine attacking play. The rest of the team were red hot and cooled the angst of the sputtering United side.
City grabbed this opportunity to full capacity and mauled the reigning champions. However, there shouldn't be much panic for the United fans nor any over excitement for the City faithful, as there is a long gruelling season ahead. Couple this with the fact that when Fergie's team were previously whipped in such an embarrassing manner in the past, the majority of the time his boys managed to bounce back to win the league.
But with City's depth and overall quality, it may just be the beginning of a major power shift in Greater Manchester.
Fergie's worst outings:
Manchester City look the real deal for title contenders after their exhilarating performance, and they now aim to build on their hard earned three points. But where did United lose the game? Or rather, where did City outsmart United to claim such a historical win?
Three factors largely influenced the clash between the reds and the blues:
The sizzling Balotelli
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| Balotelli showing his humor |
His first goal was a sublime finish, elegantly placed in the bottom right corner, but it was his positional awareness that allowed him to check his run and place himself at the top of the box, as opposed to scrambling into the clustered penalty area - both Ferdinand and Evans lost their bearings, caught ball watching and not communicating with each other, as he stood in acres of space to calmly punish the absentminded United defence.
This is where we see Balotelli's limitless potential and football wisdom, when he is able to get himself into these dangerous positions and use his undoubted physical talent to score goals of that pedigree. At the inception of the second half, 63 seconds to be precise, City was able to work the ball with quick passing and fluent movement to rattle the lacklustre United defence for a second time.
Again, Balotelli's movement allowed him to latch onto a perfectly weighted through ball, only to be wrestled to the ground by Johnny "Stone Cold" Evans. It was a horrible challenge that indicated his lack of concentration and ability to read the game, it was also a challenge that highlighted Evan's lack of pace and strength as Balotelli was able to use his knowledge to run across the bumbling defender, to then be brought down. Smart playing by Mario, as it was nearly a penalty and obviously a red card offence.
After City were soaring with their two goals, they were still relentless. The Spanish international, David Silva, who has been on top form for the sky blues so far this season, twisted and turned, waited and distributed the perfect pass to slice the home defence wide agape, as Milner latched onto the end of it, only to find who else but the sizzling Balotelli. He has now scored 6 in his last 5 games.
The Red Card
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| United are reduced to ten men as Evans is shown red |
Subsequent to the sending off, City took advantage of the ball possession and at one point nearly had 70% of it in the first twenty minutes of the second half. This is where Mancini's tactical prowess shows in his team. They decided to control the game and be cautious, ultimately shutting out the lingering hopes of the United team and supporters.
With an extra man on the pitch, City then invited the waves of attack from United, with the intention of hitting them on the break - and my God did it worked. They doubled up on the right flank to give Evra a torrid time and used the same tactics to score the goals of Balotelli (his second) and the flying Argentine, Kun Aguerro. We are well aware of the detrimental effects a red card can bear on a team, but credit to City, as they took full advantage of the deficit.
Ferguson's Poor Choices
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| Fergie rues his team's poor display |
The failure to sign the World Cup finalist Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan and allowing City to lure Samir Nasri to the Etihad Stadium may be a move Ferguson regrets, as the lack of quality in midfield may only now begin to show it's frailties.
The world is growing to learn more about Manchester City's incredible team; the physical, technical attacking team that Mancini has at his disposal. Therefore it was quite a surprise when I learned that there would be no Michael Carrick on the bench, especially when Cleverley was still not near full recovery. This instantly limited United's options in the centre of the park.
Perhaps the starting line-up was a decent choice, but why not play Phil Jones as opposed to Johnny Evans? We know what Jones is capable of and we are well aware of what Evans is not, that is, consistency. After the team dropped to ten men, Ferguson's delayed reactions could have caused a third goal, as Rooney then dropped into defence to fill the void of his Irish team mate, leaving Welbeck to drown in depths of City's robust defence. They were numerous instances where I thought Carrick would have suited the game.
Fergie decided to go with the energetic duo of Fletcher and Anderson, who are both good midfielder's in their own respects, however Carrick may have been a better choice to compliment either one of these midfielders, as he does have a good reading of the game, and provides cover at the back. His ability to break up play in the midfield would have suited this fragile United squad, as a lot of the play would be broken down or at least slowed the blistering pace of City's attacks.
With five men in Manchester City's engine room, they provided a solid shield for their defence, making it all the more difficult for United to create any chances. United tried to get down to business as they attempted to use width and their usual wing play, but this just did not work against City. City always had all four defenders perfectly organised in the box, with Barry and Yaya Touré providing zonal marking in front of them to sweep up any loose or misplaced clearances. The crosses were never going to work. Never. With Rooney and Welbeck leading United's attack, both of the players were rather undynamic and insatiable in their roles. United needed the penetrating and energetic, zipping runs of Chicharito, without him, the Red Devils were always going to need an incredible goal in order to score.
 |
| Richards was on top form against the Red Devils |
City grabbed this opportunity to full capacity and mauled the reigning champions. However, there shouldn't be much panic for the United fans nor any over excitement for the City faithful, as there is a long gruelling season ahead. Couple this with the fact that when Fergie's team were previously whipped in such an embarrassing manner in the past, the majority of the time his boys managed to bounce back to win the league.
But with City's depth and overall quality, it may just be the beginning of a major power shift in Greater Manchester.
Fergie's worst outings:
- Newcastle United 5 - 0 Manchester United (October 20, 1996)
title winners: Man Utd
- Southampton 6 - 3 Manchester United (October 26, 1996)
title winners: Man Utd
- Chelsea 5 - 0 Manchester United (October 3, 1999)
title winners: Man Utd
- Manchester United 1 - 4 Liverpool (March 14, 2009)
title winners: Man Utd
- Manchester United 1 - 4 QPR (January 1, 1992)
title winners: Leeds Utd
- Manchester City 5 - 1 Manchester United (September 23, 1989)
title winners: Liverpool
Friday 21 October 2011
MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY PREVIEW
This weekend, the Premier League prepares for a true clash of the titans, as the first edition of the much anticipated Mancunian derby kicks off on Sunday (12:30 GMT / 7:30 E/T). This fixture pits the current league leaders, Manchester City against the most successful team in Britain, and current holders of the BPL crown, Manchester United.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Analysis Of Barcelona’s 3-4-3 Formation Against Villarreal: Poetry In Motion
Youtuber allasFB2 has created a wonderful analytic video on the tactics employed in Barcelona's 3-4-3 formation. This was Barca's first game of the 2011-2012 season against a rather poor Villareal side.
The video makes it even more abundantly clear as to why Barcelona are considered the best team in the world, as it shows their understanding of the player roles, movement and chemistry they have forged under Pep Guardiola.
Barca went on to a well deserved 5-0 win.
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What's Brewing in Bilbao?
By Mohamed Haniff
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| This is what's brewin'? |
Throughout the course of Spanish football history there have only been three teams who have not faced the bitter disappointment of relegation from the top flight. No prizes for guessing that the first two are the notorious Real Madrid and Barcelona, however it may come as a surprise that Athletic Bilbao have never been axed from the Primera since the league's inception in 1928.
Saturday 15 October 2011
Irie Football
We can all recognise the distinct and legendary voice that floats across the airwaves of Bob Marley. We're all knowledgeable of his irie vibes, ganja blazing and spiritual, 'one love' teachings. But few of us know of the deep love and passion that he had for our favourite sport, football.
Friday 14 October 2011
BPL Preview: Liverpool v Manchester United
LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW
Tomorrow's early Saturday kick-off can potentially be the match of the season as Manchester United head to the formidably hostile fortress of Anfield.
Thursday 13 October 2011
The Real Ronaldo
Before the sordid hands of injury ensnared his career, Ronaldo Luiz Nazario De Lima was indeed a phenomenon. His bedazzling performances for both clubs and the Samba Boys, now provide us a wonderful collection of archive videos to reminisce on the sweet early days of modern football.
Read more to watch videos
Monday 10 October 2011
Science+Football
As technology continues to become more integrated in our everyday lives, our societies are now fully immersed in a wave of applied electronic mechanics. Today, science plays an integral role in every aspect of our existence, from gathering data on galaxies light-years beyond our own, to attempting to understand the most simple of forces of nature on our planet. Thankfully, there were a few scientists out there who were smart enough to apply the technicalities of science to the beauty of football.
Read more to watch videos!
Only 3 Possible Teams Can Win Euro 2012
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| Olimpiysky Stadium |
As qualification commences towards the cusp of completion, we begin to gather our thoughts and wonder, Which team is going to win the European Championship in 2012. We can ponder the many possibilities but we simply don't know the fate that lies ahead of the champions set to win. Click read more to watch videos! |
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Arsenal Legend: Thierry Henry
I have yet to see a striker that possesses all of the necessary quality attributes since Thierry Henry in his prime. He was such a phenomenal striker, so composed; so cool and collected when the pressure of delivering was at it's paramount highest.
Read more to see videos
Monday 3 October 2011
Keep 'em coming!
We've been receiving tons of views from all across the world, so we would like to give a shout out to everyone visiting from the U.S, the U.K, Russia, Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, Jamaica, Italy, Guyana, France, The Bahamas, Germany and Barbados!
Why don't you guys send us some footy videos of football in your country? Tricks, goals or any other footage you guys may have, we'd be more than happy to put them up.
Saturday 1 October 2011
The Future of England lies on their 5 lucky stars
For a very long time the England national team had attached to them a grubby reputation for being tournament chokers, and rightly so. They never seem to fulfill the high expectations, and they never display the high pedigree we have been accustomed to see weekly in their respective Premier League games.
Brazilian Legend: Ronaldinho
(Read more to watch videos)
