Champions League Last Eight Rundown

What a treat! Tuesday and Wednesday provided us with the classical thrills that European football is famous for.

Midweek games between the quater finalist saw goals, comeback's and one manager complete the touch line's equal to the Olympic one hundred metre's... For some reason I don't think Jose has the pace to out sprint his troops anymore, although he'd certainly give John Terry a run for his money. 

After Real Madrid steam rolled Dortmund in the first leg, everybody thought they were comfortably through but a young Reus had other plans. With the 3-0 lead going into the game, Real decided to rest many players including the great Ronaldo, although they were brought close to the wire as German runners up scored two goals in succession to heap put pressure upon the Spanish giants. This could have been Polish striker Lewandowski's last game for Dortmund as he's looking to secure his move to Bayern, similar to ex-team mate Matio Gotze, overall this was a hard fought and unlucky game, but in the end the two goals from Reus just didn't pay off. 

Moving on to the second of the Tuesday night fixtures, Chelsea hosted PSG after the French capital took the first leg 3-1. Before the game, Jose and Co looked really shaky as in press interviews his normally stern personality looked nerved. Straight away within the first twenty of the game, Chelsea looked in trouble as star man Hazard had to leave the field injured, then bringing on the inconsistent Schrrüle; you can imagine what every Blue's fans' confidence was like after this happening. However once again, Chelsea substitute managed to pull through as on the thirty second minute the German calmly slotted the host a goal up. After a long drag of gruelling football, with missed opportunities at either end, Chelsea decided to go all out, bringing on Torres and Ba in the hope they'd snatch a much needed goal; straight away they weren't far off as the boys from London struck the bar twice, leaving Sirigu stationary. It all came down to the final minutes then a moment of midweek magic occurred at Stamford Bridge, when Djemba Ba latched on to a deflected shot, scooping it from under his sliding shin to give Chelsea the all important goal they needed to put them through. On the eighty seventh minute, Chelsea celebrated as Jose Murinho sprinted the touch line, in a historic moment, where he cheered with his team and appeared to give them fearful instructions. Finishing up 2-0 to Chelsea (3-3 on Agg.), they won by the away goal rule as they scored in Paris. 

Manchester United's last area for success this season was for them to scrape though the quarter final. At Old Trafford, United could only draw even with Bayern in a 1-1 result, meaning that the Germans had the all important away goal. Going in to the Allianz Arena last night it was game on if the Red Devils scored that crucial goal at any point. The first half saw no goals but it only took just over quarter of an hour into the second for United to strike up what fans thought, was the ultimate comeback against the previous winners. Patrice Evra hit a wonderfully struck left footed shot from outside the area which ripped into the top corner sending United one up, but not for long. Just twenty three seconds after the game recommenced the kings of Europe casually trotted to the by line where they whipped in a cross which was neatly headed home by Manzukic. From here it just went downhill for Moyes and his men as they ended up losing the game 3-1 to a valiant Bayern side. Unfortunately for United this could be their last stint in Europe as they may not even qualify for Europa League standard this year. Hopefully for them, they can adjust and comeback as a better team in the future. 

The final quarter final was between Spanish titans Athletico Madrid and Barcelona. Both teams are currently slugging it out at the top of La Liga and I thought the winner of this game would go on to win the league. It was to everyone's suprise this year, how far Athletico have come, not only have they been dominant at the top of their league but also the success in the Champions League. The initial tie at the Nou Camp settled once again in a one-all draw leaving Madrid with the slight away goal advantage going into the second leg. This game was slightly different though as Althetico were missing their goal machine Diego Costa after he picked up a knock in the first tie. Just six minutes into kicking off the Spanish title leaders were one up as midfielding youngster Koke floated a decent finish into the back of the net. Many chances came for the home team as Madrid had five shots on target, as the ex-Barca man Villa was looking to bag a goal against his old club. Sadly for fans' and neutrals this game ended as only a 1-0 win, where I thought their would have been more goals, but Madrid did all they needed to do to qualify. The question on everyone's lips at the minute is what has happened to the mighty Barcelona?, they haven't lost any players and they most certainly haven't lost the mass fan base? Surely something in the tactical area needs changing because results just aren't going their way. Through out last nights fixture Barca dominated possession as they had seventy two percent overall, at the minute they just seem to lack the goal scoring ability, perhaps the chemistry just isn't there anymore. 

Tomorrow the draw for the semi final will take place as the final four have been decided. One team from England remain, with two from Spain and finally the previous winners from Germany. One things for sure, no matter who draws who, the game's will be emphatic because footballing standards are at an all time high. If I had to choose the fixtures I'd love to see it would be Athletico Madrid vs Real Madrid as it's a passion fuelled derby sparking excitement and energy between fans and players alike, then obviously Chelsea vs Bayern because I feel the boys in blue can do what it takes under Jose to finally finish the German dominance in Europe. My money is all on Real Madrid to win the competion as so far they have been consistent and strong through out the tournament, cruising through each round. 

You can see the draw tomorrow 11am on Sky Sports News or Online.

Desperate Canaries Sack Hughton

With only five league games to go Norwich City FC have made, what could be a crucial choice, to sack manager Chris Hughton. The Canaries ex-manager had been at the helm of the club for the past twenty two months, where we witnessed him dodge the bullet multiple times as he won potential job costing matches at home. After suffering a 1-0 loss at home against West Brom, Norwich head into the final weeks of the season just five points above the drop zone with a nightmare of teams ahead of them. Not only do they have to face known bogey side Fulham, also fighting for survival but they need to fend off Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, so points may be few and far between. In the last six games the Carrow Road men have scored only four goals and their top goal scorer for the season is Scottish midfielder Snodgrass which straight away shows that the attack force is failing.

Fans of the club now have well known local radio analysist and ex-player Neil Adams in charge of the team, who was up until now, the under eighteens manager. Many supporters have been fuelled with ethusiasm after the appointment, giving them belief that if they do get relegated, it will be with a decent fight. Mr.Adams, who won the youth F.A. Cup with his boys last year, has made a statement saying "People know what this club means to me, and so it goes without saying that we will be doing everything possible to ensure that we maintain our top-flight status for next season"; after hearing this, perhaps some passion will be injected back into the stands at Carrow Road. 

In my personal opinion I think the decision to get rid of Hughton is unbelievable seeing as their is only five games left, I really cannot understand why they just couldn't wait until the end of the season. The clear problem at the club is obviously the gutless board as out cries to get rid of Hughton have been circulating Norwich since the poor start at the beginning of the year, McNally and Co need to solidate a backing for the team to boost morales all round. When making decision's boardrooms need to be more ballsy as indecisiveness just leads to rash, last minute, rushes of blood as we've witnessed here. 

Managers all round deserve a lot of respect as they have so much pressure of them, fans around the country seem to forget that the men behind the teams are human too. One side of me really feels for Chris Hughton as I feel he's been shown utter disrespect by a few brainless fans and also the cowardness of the board. Earlier in the season the board at Norwich released a statement about Hughton's job security, so they constantly had him worrying about his future and also on Saturday groups of fans pelted the pitch with clappers, some of which struck Hughton. By all means express your opinions by vocals and comments but their isn't really no need for abuse with projectiles. 

Finally my last point is how the loss of Hughton is going to cause a major rift in the English footballing leagues because their is no longer a single black manager in the top five footballing leagues. This doesn't prove that managerial positions are chosen on racial terms but it certainly is going to arise a series of question and debates in the coming weeks. 

England Unveil Kits

Today, England have finally released images and information on the home and away kits they will be showcasing during this summers World Cup in Brazil. Here I have images of both strips, along with a review on my opinions on the new get up. 

HOME SHIRT: 

Design - 6/10 - This England kit really does lack any kind of excitement, some may say it foreshadows the type of football we have been playing in recent friendlies. An all white kit just lacks that tiny bit of colour, even a slight hint of blue could make it better. With a somewhat classic feel to it, everything has been stuck to its original roots, examples are the badge's and the colour, I really dislike the V-Neck collar also as it just doesn't possess that shirt like style; it would seem a lot of teams have gone for this approach this World Cup letting the colourfulness of Brazil shine through. An area I do like is the fact they haven't gone over the top and pulled out a shocker like an early 90's prem kit, perhaps as kit developers Nike have matured to show class. 

Relevance - 9/10 - Key area's this strip has kept with is the relevance it has with pre-successors, so things like the retro aspect with placement of the badge highlight the '66 champions, they have also stuck with the single star above the three lions to show the nation has won the cup before. The fact that England have had a solid crest for so long shows commitment and confidence stating that we as a nation are the three lions, always with our team. 

Comparison to Last Kit - Last years kit was under looked I feel, as it was a brilliant representation of a classic style kit that was still nice to look at; this year, it's again a classic kit but it just isn't so easy on the eye. The blue round neck, the blue shorts and the trimmed socks just cut through the white, giving an even balance and the crest was decorated beneath with a classy banner but now it's just a pure white drop with such a lack in many departments. Overall the previous years' kit was a real winner over this new, lack luster strip. 

AWAY SHIRT: 

Design - 8/10 - When it comes to home and away, for some strange reason the away kit always sits head and shoulders above the home in all area's. Again, this rule has proven true as this new England away strip has a real touch of class and has kept true to it's roots. A royal red shirt tipped with a neat round neck collar, keeping the traditions of an England shirt works well and is almost a rouge reflection on the previous years home shirt. White shorts and the red trim along with the red socks seem to sit so swell, side by side with the classic shirt design, giving of a real fanciful football kit feel. 

Relevance - 9/10 - All credit has to go to Nike and the kit designers here, as much like they did with the home kit, they have nailed it's relevance to England as a national side. The attention to detail upon the reflection of previous kits, the positioning of the three lions on the heart and also the lone star above the crest all need to be highlighted as they are what give the England squad their personality. Ever since Nike has made the shirts they have had real class, maturity and patriotic aspects giving a nation a great set of strips. 

Comparison to Last Kit - This ones a seriously tough comparison to last years away kit, as the only thing that really seperates the two is the fact that last years had a polo neck collar. If I were to wear a kit as a fan I'd prefer last years because the polo feel goes with more clothing but as a footballing strip this years just pips it at the post. Both look great and are awesome kits so I don't think I can choose a winning strip. 

Overall it doesn't matter about the kit that the squad is wearing, it's about how the men who have earnt it perform. What looks to be a young, inexperienced England squad going to Brazil, they must show much like the kit they are wearing, maturity, class and hints of heroes from the past, hopefully giving us a nation something to be proud of. One things for certain is that this summer is going to be a fantastic footballing showcase with pleanty of stunning action. 

Anfields Unsung Hero

Future Star

Throughout the season I've watched and admired as Liverpool have gelled as a unit, tearing through defences on a weekly basis with their prestine attacking play. The Reds' season will be mostly remembered for the solidarity of the goals scored by the dynamic duo that is the SAS (Sturridge & Suarez), however Liverpool possess a real overlooked gem in the squad. 

On January 26th 2013, Liverpool signed a young Brazillian midfielder for £8.5 million from Inter Milan, who ever since has been putting in world class performances week in, week out. That man is Phillippe Coutinho, the twenty-one year old deserves some real credit for the way he has not only grown as a player but also the outstanding display of footballing skill he puts on. 

As an avid Liverpool fan, Coutinho has fast become one of my favourite players in the league and is such a key assest to the Roger's revolution. He plays with such silk, finesse and maturity that you'd think the youngster has been tourturing Premier League defences for years rather than the short spell he's had. On comparison to past Anfield stars he shadows a younger Xabi Alonso as you see him vision passes and cushion them so comfortably across the field, much similar to how the Spaniard used too; not only that but he has such a light foot by which he can travel distances at speed and feather the ball in and out of oppositions legs with a cute skill set. 

Liverpool fans around the globe should appreciate some of the play young Coutinho has conjured up, as he has been the gem in the centre, constructing brisk passes to assist his squad mates in scoring. Overall this man has been a key figure in the overachieving Liverpool season and is a great midfielding maestro. A certainty to look forward to for the future and I can see him playing for a big club like Barça if he doesn't succeed at Anfield, watch out for this one. 

Red Card Choas & Goals Galore

Sunday 23rd March 2014

Yesterday's Premier League action provided once again more shock's and thrills, summing up what has been a real roller coaster of a season. Arguably, it was one of the years most exciting soccer Saturdays with a total of thirty two goals scored, a refereeing wrong doing at Stamford Bridge and also a nine goal thumper at Cardiff. One can only feel sorry for Wenger on his thousandth game in charge of the gunners as his side were torn apart in a six nil thrashing to Chelsea. These aren't the only things to highlight from the day though as we saw three easy contenders for goal of the season, here's my rundown of the best goals from third to first. 

3rd) Yaya Toure vs Fulham...

The midfield maestro was at the centre of the action in the game which saw him and his Man City team sink Fulham 5-0 at the Eitihad. Not only did Toure put away two penalties, he went on to rack up his hatrick in style with a sublime finesse finish. From what seemed to be a wasted free kick we saw Yaya push the ball in front of himself, setting up a placed curling effort from outside the box. The way he struck the ball was effortless and the precision was inch perfect in the way the ball neatly crept into the top corner. It seems the city skipper has picked up a real knack for scoring this season with this being one of his best. 

http://youtu.be/3O_7MSv8KY0

2nd) Rooney vs West Ham...

This is the goal that everyone's talking about, even at Rooney's standards it's something special. After the ball bounced out to the halfway line we expected to see a Manchester United counter attack but Rooney had other idea's, deciding to strike for goal in a rush of blood type moment. The England star struck the ball on the half volley after quickly turning and spotting the keeper off his line, ending shortly after with the reds one up. Similar to the Beckham goal many of year ago, this finish involved unbelievable technique, precision and power so that the ball reached it's target. Personally I think the keeper should have done better but it still doesn't take anything away from this breath taking strike. 

Putting this goal second seems slightly criminal but my top finish is a worthy winner. 

http://youtu.be/MhhgUGjn5Ng

1st) Tettey vs Sunderland...

Hughton and his men have a certain charm when it comes to must win fixtures as they always manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat at Carrow Road. The Canaries themselves are not renouned for scoring many goals and when they do, they don't come no where near close to contending for goal of the season. Young Norweigan Tettey secured the three points yesterday as his net busting strike shocked supporters around the ground, sending Sunderland home empty handed. After seeing the ball deflected clear for a Sunderland counter, out of no where Alex Tettey pops up and connects a volley mid flight which rifles past the keeper. At 32 yards the midfielder managed to time the shot to perfection which catapulted the ball at a massive 65mph leaving Mannone with no chance. My reasoning for placing this first is the sheer factor of timing and power that comes into play when scoring like this, it has traits of a video game like goal and is a real rarity. 

http://youtu.be/K7KR_c8P-HI

Champions League Quarter Final Draw

It's Crunch Time in the Champions League as the Final Eight's Fixtures are Drawn.

As the competition intensifies so does the standard of football between Europes elite squads. Here I will give a brief rundown on the quarter final draw and who I think will struggle to surpass to the semis. 

Barcelona v Althletico Madrid: 

An all Spanish draw sparks real excitement amoungst fans of the teams and footballing neutrals as winners of this will boost bragging rights in La Liga. With Althletico showing great form and success in league, their confidence could over come an underperforming Barça this year. However the star studded Barcelona team will not go down easy as Messi seems to score for fun in Europe... but can the beaten defence contend with Madrid's Diego Costa who's been on target all season?. 

PSG v Chelsea: 

Every football fanatics heart was racing when they saw this one drawn from the pot. PSG are a great, strong, dynamic side and will prove to be difficult opposition for the boys from London. It's been nearly ten years since the squads last faced off which was again in Champions League, where Chelsea were dominant victors in a 3-0 win. Things will be certainly be different this time around though as PSG have strengthened with players like Ibrahimovic and Cavani also sustaining a strong defence in the likes of Thiago Silva and goalkeeper Sirigu. I can see Mourinho's men struggling to pull a result in this one as his marksmen are falling short in the goal tally this year. 

Man United v Munich: 

The Red Devils must have been stunned into fear as they found out they drew previous winners Munich. This seems to be an impossible task at hand for Manchester as they are by far the weakest team in the competition facing off against true contenders for the crown. It's as though David Moyes would have to perform a miracle where so many other teams have failed before, by losing to the German high flyers; one of which were fellow Englishmen in Arsenal in the previous round. Everyone's money is going to be on the Bundesliga squad and it would be a serious shocker if Man U can get anything from this tie. 

Real Madrid v Dortmund: 

The fourth and final draw for the Champions League quarter final see's an in form Madrid side squaring up against an injury hit Dortmund. After easily bypassing Schalke in the last sixteen, Madrid are set in cruise control and seem comfortable contenders for the final. Not to mention that the team have gelled so well with Bale settling in Spain and Ronaldo racking up the goal tally as he has a Madrid record of more than a goal a game. Opposition Dortmund were pushed in the last game and don't look no where near as comfortable as last year as injuries have struck the camp. For this fixture I'm backing Madrid all the way and I can see them being crowned kings of Europe in May.

FIXTURES PLAYED 1st & 2nd APRIL 

Could United Win Spark a Revival?

Champions League Last 16

MANCHESTER UNITED 3-0 OLYMPIACOS 

It's no sercret that this season Moyes and his men have been in footballing turmoil, but after last nights triumphant Champions League Comeback may we see a turning point in the problematic roadblock at Old Trafford?. After the last sixteen win we see previous league winners head off into the draw for the Champions League quater finals where they will face tough opposition against one of Europes remaining elite, along with fellow Englishmen, Chelsea.

But who is to blame for United falling short this year? Is it the lack luster team that has been placed before Moyes in non-passionate Van Persie and a defence that has flopped? Or is it in Moyes himself not dealing with the pressure of taking the helm of a title contending club?. Many people will be quick to blame the ex-Everon gaffer but I feel he has taken a lot of flack this year, not only that but the team he has to work with just don't seem to click; with players showing no real commitment or consistancy in the set up. Moyes has had his work cut out and to top that off he has the pressure of one of the largest fan bases on his back, meaning if he doesn't perform he has a large weight on his shoulders which is what has happened.

As failure in the league continues their is more talk of the Scotsman getting sacked as he and his team dropped vital points at Old Trafford in a devistating defeat against rivals Liverpool. This seems to have been the final straw for fans and followers as the odds of Moyes getting the axe were slashed from 20/1 to 4/1 meaning he has to turn it around fast, many people are talking of the 'final three' which are the fixtures Moyes must win to keep his job. Luckily one of which was last nights fixture against Greek squad Olympiacos, the other two are West Ham away and finally a local derby against Man City. 

So is this the turning point for United or do they sack Moyes and rebuild again? Does the gaffer need more time or do the Red Devils need to get rid of the garbage and form a new squad which want to play ball? One things for sure we'll certainly find out over the next coming weeks in which a lot has to be proven.