David Silva – best player in the Premiership?

The Premier League has only just begun but already the leading candidate for player of the season has emerged at Manchester City, David Silva. The Spaniard, who is only starting his second season in England, is emerging as one of the best players not just in the league but in the whole of Europe.

The diminutive midfielder has been the most outstanding player thus far in my mind. Although his team-mate Sergio Aguero has stolen many of the headlines it is Silva, whose guile and technical ability is really something to behold. He is not a new player to have suddenly been unearthed though; his talent and ability has been honed and encouraged at Valencia where he played since he was 14. He became a first team regular in 2007 and it is almost unbelievable that Barcelona or Real Madrid did not sign him.

Thankfully for fans of Manchester City and the Premier League we will get to see him and his phenomenal left foot for the foreseeable future. He has the remarkable ability that many of the current Spanish players appear to have innately – the ability to find space. The way he glides around opponent’s penalty areas must give opposition managers heart failure as he drifts into yet another opening. He struggled initially with the physical demands of the league but is now fully acclimatised.

It is staggering that he is still not a regular starter for Spain but when you consider his rivals in those positions it suddenly becomes more apparent. However, a couple of years ago there was a case for suggesting that he was inferior to Fabregas, Iniesta and Xavi but now the gap is nowhere near as big. He would walk into any team in the world on current form and that includes the current Barcelona squad; he is simply too good not to pick.

Last season he became too isolated with Mancini opting to play too many defensive midfielders. He and Carlos Tevez had to create most of the chances and finish them; however, this season, with the new signings the side are playing with far more freedom. Indeed, last season Silva created 75% more chances for City than any other player at the club. The relationship between City’s front players is something to admire already and will only continue to improve. The likes of Aguero, Dzeko, Johnson, Nasri and Tevez just make the side so dangerous and with class like that they don’t need many chances.

It appeared that the Premier League was in a little trouble when it lost two of its World Class players to La Liga in recent years – Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabregas – but with Silva around the quality remains. Everyone is waiting for City to slip up and implode but with Silva in this form anything is possible this season. They begin their Champions League journey tomorrow night and it will be fascinating to see how they get on.

Guardiola doesn’t rest on his laurels

It appears that a week cannot pass at the moment without more praise of Barcelona FC; their style, technique and work rate is admired globally at the moment, and quite rightly so. They are the stand out team in European football at this moment in time and the side that every manager aspires to catch and supersede. The team is blessed with the best three players in world football; Iniesta, Messi and Xavi and have recently added Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez.

However, it is all very well having the best players but you have to have a coach who can orchestrate the players. In the summer of 2008 it emerged that Barcelona were to part company with the then manager Frank Rijkaard and that former Barca fans favourite Josep Guardiola would be succeeding him. It certainly raised a few eyebrows as his only previous experience had been coaching the Barcelona B team.

The first thing he did was to get rid of some of the side’s star players which again looked slightly controversial. Out went Deco, Edmilson, Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Zambrotta and in came Daniel Alves, Seydou Keita and Gerard Pique. He also promoted Busquets, Jeffren and Pedro to the first team after coaching them for a year in the B team. He ended the season winning the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and La Liga in his first season. Surely it was the players everyone said….how little they knew.

Success appears to have come naturally to the Catalan coach who has now guided his beloved Barca to 12 titles in just over three years. However, it is the ethos and style of football that has endeared them to many and made them so successful. He has made them the best pressing side I have ever seen; every player from right back to striker hounds, harries and tackles under possession is retained. Pep has also clearly told the players that their best form of defence is also to retain possession. It sounds like common sense to say but actually is very hard to do in practice, most of their games end with Barca having had 60%+ in terms of possession.

The side also benefits hugely from their youth training facility – La Masia. After the purchases this summer they are now capable of putting out a starting eleven that features only home grown players. This education they have received teaches them how to look after the ball, how to use it effectively and most importantly gives them the awareness to know what their teammates are doing too.

He is also responsible for deploying Messi in the new position ‘the deep lying’ striker. From here he is able to drop deep and pick up the ball and then really hurt the opposition. Barca appear to have developed an incredible knack of playing defence splitting passes from just inside their own half. The two wide players on either side are then able to make inside out runs which then put them through on goal – as shown against Madrid in the Super Cup.

Last weekend’s game at home to Villarreal was fascinating for a number of reasons. Firstly, they brushed aside the side that finished fourth 5-0 which just shows how far ahead they are of the competition. Secondly, Pep began the game with a 3-4-3 formation with Busquets and Mascherano playing as part of the three defenders alongside Abidal. Next there was Keita who was the defensive midfielder and then they deployed Fabregas, Iniesta and Thiago in a three in front.

Whenever one of the back three brought the ball forward Keita would simply drop back into the three as cover. It enabled the side to always have at least two options to pass to every time they got the ball which makes it almost impossible for the opposition to retain possession – especially when up against some of the best football players in the world. It was remarkable to see and is the closest example of total football I can remember seeing in my lifetime.

Barcelona are a joy to behold for any football fan at the moment due to their style of play. Whilst many fans and pundits are quick to say it’s mainly because they have Messi, much of the credit must lie at Guardiola’s door. He has transformed the club from a very good team into possibly the best club side in the history of the game. Football is cyclical and the gap between them and the rest will narrow as time goes on but it will be fascinating to see how Pep’s career develops from here. He will not remain at the Camp Nou forever and will surely fancy a new challenge in the not too distant future.

Fabregas saga finally over

After almost three years of negotiations, speculation and transfer gossip the biggest transfer saga in history ended today with Cesc Fabregas finally sealing his move to Barcelona. The fee is understood to be £35 million with further add-ons depending upon the clubs success in La Liga and the Champions League.

It seems that the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reluctantly conceded defeat in attempting to hang onto his captain. The decision was inevitable as the pressure mounted on the French manager to sell. The young Catalan spent eight years at the North London side where he became their best and most influential player. He contributed regularly to the side and was even appointed captain during the 2008/9 season.

Speaking at the press conference this afternoon Fabregas said: “I waited many days, months, years for this moment. I return home after eight years. This will be the challenge of my life.” The joy on his face was clear to see for everyone around and the relief that the saga is finally over was clearly not lost on the player.

Much of the comment appears to focus around how much he will play. Many of the Arsenal fans seem to believe he will not figure much at the Catalan club and will have to settle for warming the bench; this is simply ludicrous. The modern game is built entirely around squad systems and rotating your best players so they are at their optimum for the big games. In the last three seasons at Arsenal he has endured several injuries which has restricted his playing time significantly. Indeed over the last three years the most he has played is 66% in 2009/10.

Over the recent years there have been significant injuries to Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez which has restricted the side. There is serious reason to suggest that if Iniesta had indeed been fit when they faced Inter Milan in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 09/10 they could have overcome the Italians. The emergence this summer of Thiago Alcantara has also added to the confusion but in a side with an abundance of quality there is always scope to add further excellence.

It is likely that Fabregas will indeed be eased in gently by the coach Pep Guardiola but he will certainly play in 40 odd games this season, starting with the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup. With Barcelona likely to be competing on every front this season he will certainly be a welcome addition and having played with many of the current squad for the Barcelona youth side and Spain the transition should be straight forward.

The move today will come as huge blow to Arsenal and indeed the whole of the Premier League. Fabregas has been one of the shining lights in the league for several seasons now and his contribution will be missed by all. The question for Arsenal now is how to replace their talisman and with only two weeks remaining in the transfer window Wenger must act quickly.

Barcelona run riot at Wembley

The Champions League final on Saturday night ended up being one of the most convincing victories in recent memory; Barcelona dispatched Manchester United effortlessly to win their fourth European Cup. It was a phenomenal display from the Spanish side who must surely now be regarded as the greatest club side in football history.

In an almost instant replay of the final in 2009 United began in dominant fashion whilst Barcelona eased their way into the game slowly. However, after threatening a couple of times the Catalan giants went ahead through Pedro after some wonderful work by Xavi. The diminutive midfield maestro pulled the strings for the entire game; he completed 141 passes from a possible 148 which is staggering. When you consider that United’s two central midfielders contributed 56 passes from a possible 70 it begins to tell the story.

Although United did score before half-time the result was not in doubt. The ease with which Barca picked off United would have been horrible to watch for Ferguson. His team could simply not live with their counterparts and humiliation was not too far away. Much of the blame must lie with Ferguson who believed that Carrick and Giggs could halt the opposing midfield.

After beating Schalke in the semi-final you cannot blame him entirely for feeling that it was possible; however, the difference in quality of the opposition had changed dramatically. The need for a top class enforcer in front of the back four has never been so abundantly obvious.

The class with which Barcelona went about their business was awesome to see and in all honesty I don’t feel they got out of third gear – they simply didn’t have to. When you consider the fact that this team could be together for another two or three years it is frightening. Much of the credit must go to Pep Guardiola who has masterminded this dominance in recent years.

He is an incredible man who knows the club intimately and was also a member of the 1992 squad. He played and offered guidance to a young Xavi when he first came through the youth set up and has been instrumental in bringing Messi into the middle where he can really hurt opposing defences. Having signed another one year deal earlier in the season he will be desperate to win another Champions League trophy next season before he moves onto pastures new.

It was a wonderful final and a great advertisement for how football can be played. There is too much emphasis on the physical side of the game in England and that was clear to see. The most crucial elements are technique and skill which enables Barcelona to play their sublime style of football. I, like most other football fans hope this continues for many years to come.

Champions League Final preview – Barcelona

This Saturday will see Barcelona return to Wembley for the first time since winning their first European Cup triumph in 1992. It seems unbelievable that it took a club of the stature of Barcelona until 1992 to win Europe’s most prestigious prize. Since then they have won two further titles and go into Saturday’s game as favourites for the crown.

I can remember watching the game back in 1992. I watched it with my Dad who was explaining to me that Barcelona had never won the tournament etc. I can picture the moment when Koeman’s free-kick went in and won them the trophy. It began a fascination with the club that has grown since that moment.

The current Barcelona team are the best in the world currently and there is certainly an argument to suggest they maybe the best club side ever. They have the best player in the world and boast the three Ballon d’Or finalists this season in Iniesta, Messi and Xavi.

However, this side is a tired one and one that do look vulnerable. The rest they have enjoyed over the last fortnight could prove crucial in deciding the final. Against Real Madrid in the semi-final they looked jaded and some of their crucial players were a little out of form. They can be got at and I think it is imperative that United attack Barca rather than defending deep as Madrid did.

The side certainly boasts enough experience having reached two of the last three finals. Their manager Pep Guardiola is one of the best up and coming managers in the world and one thing is guaranteed; Barca will not change their playing style. The pitch at Wembley seems to have improved which will certainly suit their preferred method of attack. It is crucial that David Villa regains form as United have look seemingly impenetrable in this seasons competition.

I am sure that the Barcelona coaching staff will have told them to target Rio Ferdinand. For me he is the weak link in the back four; not because of his ability but his lack of mobility is a real problem. After watching him against Blackburn a fortnight ago the man cannot live with pace and against Messi and Villa he will need it.

After the unnecessary furore surrounding their semi-finals with Real I hope we see the football match everyone hopes to see. They are currently the best two sides in Europe, if not the world but Ferguson is sure to have spoken with his friend Mourinho about shutting out the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, Villa and Xavi. The little Argentian wonder kid has already scored 11 goals in 12 games in this season’s tournament and is only one goal away from breaking van Nistelrooy’s record.

It should be a showpiece final for all football fans to enjoy. Let us hope it lives up to it.

Fascinating summer ahead for Manchester City

It has been a long wait but Manchester City have finally won a trophy and have qualified for next seasons Champions League. This is where their owner Sheikh Mansour intends them to remain after injecting a fortune into the club. However, as Tottenham have found, it is one thing qualifying for the tournament, it is another thing staying in it for many years.

On the one hand it is great that the so called top four has been broken up, but on the other it highlights the fact that success can simply be bought. The monopoly that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have enjoyed has ensured that their wealth far outweighs any of their counterparts. However, with City and their bottomless pit of cash anything is now possible.

They have struggled to attract the top level players as they have lacked a Champions League place. With this now assured the spending could be astronomical this summer. In 2009 they had a £100 million offer accepted by Milan for Kaka only to be rejected by the player as he felt City was a step down. Following the outcome of this season anything is possible.

There have already been links to several of the World’s top players although some seem very far-fetched; Iniesta and Xavi for instance. But, one article I did read suggested that some of these players might want one last pay day and they can pretty much name their fee at City. Football has been a business for a long time now but even with UEFA’s new rules coming in the clubs will still act as they please.

City have made massive strides this season but the true test will come next year. It will be fascinating to see what they do over the summer; one assumes it’s going to be busy.

Iniesta shines as Barcelona triumph

It must be tough playing in this Barcelona side when everything revolves around Lionel Messi. No matter how good you are there is always the little Argentian wonder kid stealing the headlines. However, in this Barcelona side there appears to be very few, if any real egos. They enjoy their football, enjoy playing together and it’s very evident which makes them such a joy to watch.

Last night it was Iniesta who stood out for me. Having missed the first leg last week he returned to the midfield alongside Xavi where he is at his best. My father watches very little football these days but sent an e-mail last week in which he described Iniesta as the ‘best European player since Platini’. Praise indeed considering some of his rivals, not forgetting his club and international team-mate Xavi who takes many of the accolades.

It is not a coincidence that when Barca lost to Inter Milan last season Iniesta was missing. He is such an integral part of the side but is hardly noticed which I find very strange. He is an amalgamation of Messi and Xavi; he can beat people so easily, can finish astutely and is also capable of providing the killer pass – as we saw last night. His understanding with Xavi appears at times to go beyond telepathic; the ball just glides effortlessly between them as they advance up the pitch without sharing a glance.

The game itself did not really come close to what people had hoped for. It was more open than the other three games but it had to be; Madrid had to go to the Camp Nou and score goals. At times the game was incredibly stretched and some of the football on display was phenomenal – from both sides. The referee dealt with the histrionics and baiting very well and should emerge with tremendous credit after his work last night.

The Madrid players were by and large a disgrace to the club, the fans and the spectators. Excluding Casillas, Higuain, Kaka, and Ozil the rest spent the entire game kicking lumps out of Barcelona players and whinging to the referee. I don’t often agree with Arsenal fans but Adebayor really is a nasty piece of work and was lucky to remain on the pitch. Although to be fair so were Alonso, Arbeloa, Carvalho, Lass, Marcelo, and Ronaldo….I could go on!

So, Barcelona have booked their place at Wembley which will be an historic return to London; the scene of their first European Cup triumph in 1992. It will be an incredible occasion and one that would not be the same if the Catalans were not there.

Villa and Xavi become record breakers

Spain’s victory over Czech Republic on Saturday marked two remarkable individual achievements by two outstanding players. Firstly David Villa scored twice to overtake Raul’s all-time goal scoring record for Spain and secondly Xavi – general regarded as the best midfielder in the world – reached 100 caps.

It is an incredible achievement by Villa who now leads Raul in the all-time goal scoring records; he now has 46 goals in 72 Internationals whereas Raul scored 44 in 102 games. Whilst he is fortunate to play in such a successful team this achievement should not be undermined. He is currently the best striker in the world and has already scored 21 goals this season after his move to Barcelona.

However, it is not only his goal scoring abilities that make him stand out as the best striker around. He is a great team player and has settled into his new club with aplomb. It is obviously a massive help when you see 6 of the players you started the world cup final with but his attitude has made him stand out from many others. Over the last few years Barca have tried to find a forward who can operate in their system (Bojan, Henry, and Ibrahimovic) and have finally found their man.

His team mate at Barca Xavi Hernandez also reached a personal milestone in the game by reaching his 100^th cap. His ability to retain possession and dictate the pace of the game has been instrumental in Barcelona and Spain’s successes in recent years. Leading up to the game on Saturday the Spanish press labelled Xavi as ‘the greatest Spanish player ever’ and it is hard to disagree.

Barcelona vs Arsenal - a review

The second leg of this encounter failed to live up to expectations as controversy took centre stage at the Camp Nou last night. The home side advanced to the quarter final after winning the game 3-1 which gave them a 4-3 aggregate victory over the north London side. However, it was the sending off of Robin van Persie that has got everyone talking after the game.

Arsenal’s approach to the game was clearly to defend for as long as possible and score against the run of play in the 2^nd half. It was a strange move from Wenger who always advocates that his side play attractive, attacking football; there was very little evidence of that last night. They set up to play very narrow and to encourage Barcelona to play down the wings rather than play through them.

The home side were far from their best last night; much of the build-up play was too slow and laboured. It was only when a player skipped passed a tackle or two that you thought they would actually carve through the defence. The technical ability shown by Iniesta for the first goal (after Fabregas’ atrocious back pass) was outstanding; his first three touches took him passed Wilshire and Fabregas before he played a perfect pass to Messi. The Argentine’s finish was exquisite and was a bitter blow to Arsenal who had almost made it to half-time without conceding.

Early in the 2^nd half Nasri managed to win a corner for Arsenal after some impressive work to retain possession from Mascherano. The resulting corner was headed into his own net by Busquets which levelled the game and put Arsenal ahead again in the tie. Three minutes after scoring we saw the controversial sending off; Fabregas had played his best pass of the night to van Persie who controlled the ball instantly but hit his right footed shot wide of the right hand post. Suddenly the referee ran over and branded a yellow card, given that it was his 2^nd of the night a red followed quickly afterwards.

It was a shocking decision. There is no other way to describe it; there was one second between the whistle blowing and van Persie shooting. The game as a spectacle was over, it was now a matter of when Barcelona scored and how many they would get. It must be said that Xavi’s goal (Barcelona’s 2^nd) was fantastic, an example of the Catalans at their best. The penalty taken by Messi ensured that Barcelona would advance at Arsenal’s expense.

Although the sending off changed the game it was difficult to see how Arsenal would have changed their style effectively without leaving more gaps in the defence. Their side is simply not good enough to go to the Camp Nou and defend for 90 minutes. They should also not have played Fabregas; he was far from fit and had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt.

The trophy should now be there for Barcelona to record their 4^th European Cup win this season. They were not at their best last night but it was still enough to see off Arsenal. It is no shame to lose to a side like Barcelona; they are the best team in the world, have the best players in the world and play the best football I have ever seen and probably will ever see. Credit should go to Arsenal for the way they played at the Emirates but they have come up short again.

Barcelona vs Arsenal - a preview

Tomorrow night’s 2^nd leg in the Camp Nou should be one to savour. The game is finely balanced with Arsenal holding a one goal advantage over Barcelona after the 1^st leg at the Emirates three weeks ago. Both sides are struggling with injuries but this should be a game that every football fan is looking forward to.

Arsenal travel to Spain without Alex Song, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott who all played in the first leg. Their manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that their captain Cesc Fabregas should be 90% fit for the game which will come as huge relief. He missed Arsenal’s visit to Catalonia last year and he was sorely missed as they were soundly beaten. It will be a tough ask for the Gunners to win the game but as long as they score and remain within one goal they will progress to the next round.

Meanwhile Barcelona have had somewhat of a defensive crisis as their captain Carlos Puyol has not recovered sufficiently to play tomorrow night. His regular partner Gerard Pique is suspended so they will have to call on Eric Abidal and Sergio Busquets to marshal the back line. This should all mean that Javier Mascherano will play alongside Iniesta and Xavi in the midfield with Messi, Pedro and Villa playing up front.

The game three weeks ago was fantastic; it was an example of how the game can and should be played at the highest level. There were chances at both ends and the only certainty tomorrow night is that there will be plenty of goals. We will definitely not see Arsenal go away from home and park the bus; both teams only know how to play one way.

The tie is balanced similarly to last season for me, the English side probably just edged the first game but Barcelona will not be as wasteful again. It is a real shame that both sides are missing such crucial players as the quality may not be quite as high as it could be. I would expect Barcelona to score three or four times so it will be question of how many Arsenal get in reply. They will have to maintain possession much more efficiently than they did three weeks ago or they will be severely punished. The whole world will be watching tomorrow night, I am sure it will live up to expectations.

Arsenal vs Barcelona – a review

What a spectacle we saw on Wednesday night at the Emirates in possibly the best game of the season thus far. The level of football displayed by both sides was something to behold and in all honesty it was simply exceptional. I am not the biggest fan of Arsenal’s but to deny them praise for the way they played against Barcelona would be criminal.

The opening few minutes were breathtaking as the ball travelled from one end of the pitch to the other at tremendous speed and under impeccable control. The way the Catalan’s pass and move around the ball is staggering at points and one wonders how any team can deal with it. However, in this game they ran into a side capable of producing a similar style of football and were not afraid to produce it at the highest level.

It was hard to believe that when Villa ran onto Messi’s through ball to finish calmly that 26 minutes had elapsed before the deadlock was broken. There had been significant chances at either end with Messi and Van Persie guilty of squandering good openings. The game was scintillating and at half time I for one still thought both sides were capable of more.

The second half will forever live long in the memory of Arsenal fans who saw their side continue to compete and begin to get have a stronger influence on proceedings. The away side made changes with half an hour to go which placed less emphasis on attack and the home side took advantage. Firstly Van Persie (who had been very wasteful previously) finished from an acute angle to level the game and then after a fabulous move started by Wilshire equalised through the much maligned Arshavin.

It was a thrilling game to watch and sets the tie up perfectly for the 2^nd leg in the Camp Nou in 2 weeks time. Some of the individual performances were outstanding; Busquets, Koscielny, Messi, Xavi – who had a 93% pass completion rate and the man of the match Wilshire. The young English midfielder surpassed all expectations in this game and really announced himself to the world with an incredible display.

The tie is evenly balanced although Arsenal hold the lead at the half way stage. It will be another extraordinary game in 2 weeks time and it will be fascinating to see how both sides approach it. I still think Barcelona remain favourites but the gap has certainly closed since last season.

Arsenal vs Barcelona - a preview

The game at the Emirates tomorrow night epitomises the term ‘mouth watering’. It will see possibly the greatest club side in history against the most attractive English side around. Last season we were treated to 180 minutes of utterly spell binding football that left everyone who watched open mouthed. There will be no defensive tactics employed – this will simply be a matter of who is the best attacking side.

For me it really is no contest; Barcelona sit at the top of La Liga and are currently the best side in the world. Their side boasts all 3 of the final Ballon d’Or nominees, the best striker in the world and one of the best up and coming coaches in world football. The style of football the Catalans play makes everyone envious and of the many imitations around Arsenal are the closest.

The game at the Emirates last season was the definition of a game of 2 halves. The first half hour was one of the best periods of football in a game I have witnessed in my entire life and the biggest irony of it all was that the much maligned Manuel Almunia kept Arsenal in the game (it could have been ten by half time without him). A rare tactical master stroke from Wenger then saw Arsenal score one and then a 2^nd after the introduction of Walcott; Arsenal could even have won the game at the end which simply did not seem possible after 30 minutes.

This season’s encounter should see Barcelona advance to the quarter finals but Arsenal are such underdogs that I really believe anything is possible. There is always a worry for me when teams are such overwhelming favourites and the team from north London are capable of shocking the entire world. Having said this not one player in the Arsenal squad would get into the Barcelona team although Fabregas and Nasri would certainly come into contention but in reality their counterparts are just better players.

We should see plenty of goals on Wednesday night as neither side would say they are defensively sound. The loss of Puyol for the first leg could prove crucial as Abidal is certainly suspect and Arsenal should look to isolate him at every opportunity. The problem is how you stop Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, Xavi and Villa from playing it round you. In truth I just cannot see how Arsenal can win over 2 legs; they may win tomorrow night but I think it will be a question of how many Barcelona score in the Camp Nou.