End of an Era: FC Barcalona

In a recent press conference the World was informed that FC Barcalona has decided to part company with their manager Frank Rijkaard. I dont believe anyone who has watched Barcalona this season would be surprised by this news. The team has been shrouded in controversy and internal problems that seemed to have destroyed the seam that held the team together. Now gone are the smiles and beautiful play that the manager and his players executed flawlessly as they dominate their domestic league and won European competitions. Summer rumours have it that marquee players Etoo, Deco and Ronaldinho are on their way to other top flight European clubs. The team reached its Zenith in 2005 capturing both the La Liga title and Champion's League cup. It seemed that this victory quenched the thirst of its stars and they soon began a downward path that leaves them grasping for 3rd and 4th place in La Liga this year.

Next season Argentine wonder kid could find himself surrounded by new faces up front. I expect the new team to be built around the young machine. Messi has gradually become the number one player for the club since Ronaldinho began to lose interest. He had to increase his contribution due to wrathful injuries to both Etoo and Deco that had them sidelined for long periods during past seasons. The club's recent dip in form this season began when he too was sidelined by injury. This season the club also has been experiencing transition problems. During the summer transfer window they went all out and signed a number of players that were almost directly introduced into first team play due to injuries. These players with the exception of Toure are still adjusting to the game play at the Nou Camp. Rijkaard also introduced budding youth talent into the team. The likes of young Krikic and Dos Santos also needed time to adjust into the first team line up. I feel that if Rijkaard was given one more season to prove his worth the team would have reaped great benefits. Troubled party Ronaldinho would have been transfered to a new destination and the remaining members would now has some experience playing with each other. With so much talent in the team I could not project continual failure. We now have to wait to see if the new manager of the club will continue Rijkaard's tradition of entertaining football enthusiasts with beautiful, passing football.

The grass is always greener Prt 2: Flamini to Milan

AC Milan's website has just confirmed that French defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini has signed a 4 yr deal with the club. This is disappointing news, because it seems to me he has bitten the hand that fed him. Flamini has had an outstanding season in midfield, largely due to Wenger's living up to his word. Constant injuries in the Arsenal squad in the 06-07 season forced Wenger to utilize him as a left back defender. He was not happy with this role and gave Wenger the ultimatum of returning him to his original role. This season Wenger not only gave Flamini back his original position. He also gave him extended playing time, to the sacrifice of senior defensive midfielder Gilberto Da Silva. Wenger saw Flamini's partnership with Spanish central midfielder Cesc Fabregas as an integral factor in Arsenal's development. He played them continously in the season, as if to ensure that they would get used to each other's playing styles. This exposure has attracted big clubs with big money and Flamini obviously decided to go for the extra dinero's. Milan would not have signed him if Wenger didnt give him extended periods on the pitch.

Flamini's move to AC Milan may even decrease his liklihood of achieving silverware. Arsenal at the moment has just come out of a reconstruction stage while AC Milan is now starting this process. This summer Milan is expected to sign a number of players while a few maybe on their way out. These players will need some time to adjust to playing in the Seria A. Other teams in the Seria A, such as Juventus, Inter and Roma are more stable and are continuing to dominate the tables. There is even the possibility that Milan may fire their coach and Flamini will not know who he will be playing for next season. Arsenal on the other hand still have a chance to grab second place in the Premiereship despite struggling with injuries and other obstacles. The team have been playing with each other for a couple of seasons now. This year they showed evidence that they were close to maturity. I believe Wenger was setting his sights on next season to be truly challenge for the title. The loss of the French midfielder now means he has to enter the market for a replacement. Flamini now enters the growing list of players that have departed from Arsenal only to find out later it was not the best move. Good luck in your endevours Flamini and thank you for your contribution to the club.

The Battle Continues....Manchester United VS Chelsea: CL Finals Moscow

Last weekend the two top teams in England met face to face in a battle that could determine the Premiereship title. Manchester United walked into Stamford Bridge and were immediately shown the door with a 2-1 defeat to the Blues. The Red Devil's had to swallow their pride a walk awaly from London in anger. Low and behold both teams victories in the Champions League has made a chance for redemption a reality. In a couple of weeks these two will face each other in Russia to settle the score once and for all. The prize for this encounter will be possession of the Champions League Trophy the elusive jewel of Europe. Both teams will now toss in their beds with anticipation as the night approaches. The fans are also shaking with anticipation. The winning side can claim bragging rights for eternity over their rivals....or until this fixture is repeated. It will be the battle of the managers once more. A tactical battle between new kid Avram Grant against the seasoned soldier Sir Alex Ferguson. Who will reign supreme on the island of England. Grant wishes to gain the respect of his critics while Sir Alex dreams of adding a second Champions League final victory to his CV.

Chelsea pushed for glory for 4 yrs only to have the chance extinguish in the semi finals stage. Now Grants team has finally pierced through the red wall's of Liverpool. He has done what "The Special One" failed to do and now to his bosses pleasure embarks on a destination to Moscow. All eyes will now be on Drogba and company as the battle for victory. I have no idea what Grant's line up will be but I believe that Drogba, Essien, Makelele, Ballack, Terry and Carvalho will be needed to bring home the win. Drogba's strength and pace upfront can wear down even the most seasoned of defenders. Essien is able to play in right back or midfield. I would suggest him playing in the midfield since he likes to push forward and may leave a space for Manchester's wing attacks to counter in. Ballack has finally settled into his role at Chelsea and supplies his team mates with lovely passes, attacks on goal and precise spot kicks. His inclusion will increase chances in set plays and provide Champions League finals experience. Ballack also brings CL final experience to the table. Now that he has a second chance to win the cup he will work twice as hard to earn it. Makelele has been a rock in Chelsea's midfield and will stand in the way of Manchester Utd's attacks. The french midfielder also knows what it means to be victorious. In 2002 he won the cup with Real Madrid. Terry and Carvalho are two seasoned individuals that have one of the most impressive defensive partnerships in Europe for the past four seasons. They hardly let in goals and adapt their play as the clock ticks. Carvalho also has also won the cup with Porto and will look forward to win it once more.

Sir Alex has been working strenously for 9 yrs to enter the CL finals. Since his win in Munich he has been obssessed in constructing a team that could reproduce that result. This season be made major signings and retained most of his original squad to ensure that he would have the depth to pursue all cups. His determination has paid off and he is now fulfilled part of the dream by reaching the final. He will now stop at nothing to ensure that he walks away from Russia wit the cup clutched in his hands. He sat in the stands and watched Liverpool and Chelsea fight for their chance in Moscow. I am sure he took with him valuable information that he will use against Grant in the finals. The season has taken a massive toll on his squad and the ruddy nosed mastermind will hope that Rooney and Vidic will be able to make an appearance in Moscow. I believe for Ferguson to succeed he too will have to chose his team wisely. Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Hargreaves and Tevez are my first priority picks. Ronaldo is the greatest player in form at the moment and will need to have a colossal game for Man U. I dont expect him to score unless its from a set play. Chelsea will be doing their best to subdue him. I believe it would be better if used his skills to bring defenders towards him and then pass the ball to his team mates. Patrice Evra has had an outstanding season and Man U will need his runs on the wing and crosses to provide the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez chances to kick or head in a goal. His absence was largely missed in the premiereship battle. I dont know if Sir Alex will start Tevez but I believe that his inceptionat some point is important. Tevez has proven this season that when a goal is needed he is the man that will get it. He his goals have saved Man U three times this season from losing. He is a brilliant player that despite being vertically challenged can out jump and head in a ball at the last moment. He also shares Sir Alex mantra of losing is not accepted.

The next important player I chose is Owen Hargeaves. Like Essien he is multi dimensional and fit almost anywhere on the pitch. The position I think he should play is defensive midfield. If Vidic is unable to participate I expect to see him in right back. Hargreaves like Makelele is tenacious in midfield and provides that first barrier against attacks he will be able to cancel out Chelseas midfield runs before they reach the feet of Drogba. He also has Champions league experience after winning the cup in 2001. My final two are Ferdinand and Vidic, these two have the best defensive partnership in Europe. Ferdinand won the cup in Munich and should be able to stand firm in defense against attacks from Drogba and company. This match up should be a cracker, I feel that Chelsea will come out and attack, while Manchester will be more subdued role using counter attacks and set plays to gain the win. Let the best team of England win.

Showers of Joy Reign at the Bridge..Chelsea beat Liverpool for CL Finals berth

The final act has been performed in the semi final leg of the Champions League. Rain poured down on Stamford Bridge as Chelsea battled their rivals Liverpool to win the elusive prize of a spot in the final in Moscow. Drogba and company now face Manchester United. This creats a tasty rematch to Saturday's premiereship battle. Drogba scored two magnificent goals to answer Liverpool's managers off colour comments about his sportsmanship. Grief stricken English midfielder Frank Lampard scored an amazing penalty which he dedicated full of emotion to his late mother. This game saw Chelsea continue to play attacking football that lead them to victory on the weekend against a determined Manchester United side. Both teams came into the match knowing each other well. The appointment of team managers Rafa Benetiz and Jose Morinho fueled a bitter rivalry that saw the teams meeting each other 20 times. Monrinho is no longer around but his replacement Avram Grant ensured that the embers remained burning refused to let Liverpool gain the advantage over his team. Stamford Bridge was again became a sea of blue and white. The Liverpool supporters managed to control one area of the stadium and decked it full red. The home supporters raised their heads to the heavens and sang chants of Chelsea into the air. Even Sir Alex Ferguson sat patiently and waited for the match to start.

The game was played on Chelsea's home ground the formidable Stamford Bridge and Chelsea was full of confidence after denying Manchester United a victory on the weekend. Grant selected a team that had pace and power upfront. Drogba was at the front with Kalau and Joe Cole on either wing. Grant then went with experienced defense and attacking prowess in the midde. He positioned Makelele in the middle to anchor, and supported him with Lampard and Ballack. In defense he decided on a strong central force and attacking on the wings. He positioned multi dimensional Essien into right back and Ashley Cole on the left. The experienced combo of Carvalho and captain John Terry protected the space infront of keeper Peter Cech. Benitez on the other hand left most of his attacking Arsenal on the bench and went with a more defensive approach. Up front he chose the lethal striker Fernando Torres who was supported by Dirk Kuyt on the right wing. In midfield he chose defensive forces in the likes of Alonso and Mascherano, with Benayoun and Gerrard providing the offense. In defense he decided to use talented youth with experienced veterans. Risse and Arbeloa were combined with the indestructable Steve Carragher and January transfer Skrtel. Reina kept the space between the goal posts. Both sides looked evenly poised even though I felt Grant had the upper hand with placing Makelele in midfield, while bringing Essien to provide multi roles of defense and forward movement up the wing. Liverpool needed a goal and could have been more attacking in their approach using either Pennant or Babel to bring pace. However Benayoun is not much of a slouch.

As the whistle blew the players burst out into a high paced midfield run. The pitch was slick from a thunderstorm that dumped rain onto the field. Chelsea controlled the game with precision passes that forced Liverpool back in defense. Drogba is the first player to attack the goal. He finds an open space outside the box and hits a low range effort that almost foiled Reina. He found the wet ball difficult to hold and had to make a second attempt to grasp it. The second attempt on goal belonged to Liverpool. In the 9th minute Benayoun gets open and passes the ball to Gerrard who pushes the ball through Chelsea's box to the awaiting feet of Fernando Torres. El Nino quickly turns on his defenders and takes a low shot that is saved miraculously by Cech. Chelsea were quick to return the favour. Drogba recieved the ball from the left wing and then turns and powers his way towards the box. Skrtel rushes to end his run and kicks the ball away for a corner. In the process the defender hurts himself and express signs of discomfort. Drogba angered by Rafa's comments seemed determined to score and kept on running at Liverpool's defense. In the 14th minute Torres jumps to meet a cross and is fouled in the process by Carvalho. Risse takes the freekick but it fails to pass Chelsea's wall. Chelsea then make a swift counter attack in which Lampard precisely passes the ball to Drogba who beats the Liverpool defense and hits a diagonal shot from the left, but it ends up wide of the goal. Chelsea soon get another shot on goal in the 21st minute. Ballack finds himself open ouside the box and takes a long range shot. Reina was up for the challenge and stopped it from going in.

Rafa was then forced to make a substitution for his injured player. Skrtel was then replaced by Hyppia who ran on to the pitch and joind Carragherv in the back. The game then settles down, both teams decide to reduce the pace and fight it out in the midfield. This battle soon came to an end when Torres pushing out on the right wing runs into Carvalho and loses possession of the ball. Lampard takes control of the ball and passes it to Kalau. Kalau skillfully weaves his way the the left side of the box and takes a shot to the right. Reina stretches across his goal and pushes the ball away. The ball ends up infront of Drogba who came in from the left. Drogba immediately punished Reina for his mistake by hitting the ball while his he positioned himself in an almost impossible angle. His effort was rewarded with a goal as the ball hit the right corner of the goal. Roars from the home supporters cancelled out the groans from the Liverpool fans. Drogba then ran over to the Liverpool bench and tauntingly dived infront of them. Chelsea in the 33th minute were now in the driving seat to seal a victory. In the 38th minute Liverpool had an injury scare. Gerrard made a run in midfeild and Drogba slide tackles him hitting him on his ankle. The Liverpool captain spends the next couple of minutes hobbling, trying to run off the injury. Thankfully he was successful and was able to carry on valiantly. The game is approached halftime and Kalau continued to break away from his defenders. In the 40th minute he manages to breakaway on the wing and runs towards the box. He is then brought down by Alonso infront of the box. Alonso was then carded and Drogba and Ballack stand over the ball. Drogba pretended to take the kick as Ballack hit the a curving free kick that had Reina flatfooted. To the home team's dismay the kick was just wide of the goal.

In the second half Liverpool began to show their class. They soon took control of the game forcing the Blues into their own half with a number of offensive moves orchestrated by their skipper Gerrard. Gerrard wins a header and crosses the ball to Kuyt who almost brings home the goal. Not long after Gerrard and Kuyt challenge Chelsea's goal once more. Gerrard takes a corner cross that lands in Kuyts path but Drogba stood in his way. The Ivorian made took no chances and cleared the ball immediately. Chelsea then recieved their own chances. Ballack attacks the right and is brought down. Ghanian midfielder Essien, took the ball and continued towards goal but was called back by the referee for the foul. Esssien was furious as he saw the referee take away his chance to test Reina's reflexes. Lampard is chosen to take the free kick but it fails to connect. Liverpool then attacked Chelsea relentlessly in search of a goal. Chelsea soon return the favour. Ashley Cole finds himself open on the left and cross the ball to Ballack. Ballack brings down the ball outside the box and fires a shot. Reina was not impressed and saved the ball. Chelsea and Liverpool then battled on in the midfield neither team controlling possession. Liverpool finally wins the battle in the 54th minute and Mascherano makes a beautiful run on the right and crosses the ball across the goal. Cech clutches the cross to safety.

Liverpool then make tactical changes. Kuyt and Benayoun switch wings and Essien breaks free on a run. He passes the ball to who lines up a shot just outside the box. Reina makes an easy save and prepares Liverpool for an attack. Liverpool gain momentum and in the 64 minute Benayoun breaks into the box executing beautiful foot magic. He then passes the ball to Torres turns and slips a diagonal low shot that enters Reina's goal. Stamford Bridge went into shock. The home supporters were left speechless while Liverpool supporters sang their team songs. It was the first time Liverpool scored at the Bridge in over 40 yrs. Liverpool now smelled victory and Gerrard lead his players forward. Benayoun proved to be a lethal weapon on in his new role he once again breached Chelseas defense with a low pass. Torres met the pass but was engulfed by four Chelsea players who made a steel wall in his path. Chelsea quickly learned not to give Torres room to breath and cancelled out Liverpool's plans. Grant then decided to make changes. In the 75th minute Kalau taken off and the French midfielder Maloada was brought on. Essien refused to withdraw and defend. He recieves the ball from his own half and pushes through Liverpool's defense like a steam rolling engine. He enters into the box and fires a shot from a poor angle that ends up in the side netting. Cheers went up as everyone felt he scored. Rafa then decides to inject speed into his team. He replaces Benayoun with Pennant. Pennant introduction brought resurgence to Liverpool. In the 81st minute he runs down the wing and crosses the ball to Kuyt who clashes with Cech as they rush for the ball. Gerrard then rises over Makelele to win the ball. He then pushes it Pennant who crossed the ball to Torres. Torres then passes it to Kuyt who fails to score. The game approached full time and without a goal the game would have to be determined in extra time. In the 88th minute Gerrard falls to the ground. The ball is kicked out of play and to Liverpool's relief his feet were just cramped.

The game then went into extra time. Grants decides to add more attacking options up front and brings on Nic Anelka to replace Joe Cole. Liverpool continue to press forward. Risse makes a lovely run on the wing and passed the ball to Mascherano who flicks it to Torres but Chelsea defense stood firm. Drogba then revives Chelsea's chances with a beautiful run through the middle he then loses the ball to Carragher. In 4 minute of extra time Anelka floats to the right and executes a pass to Essien just outside the box. He fires in a screamer that leaves Reina grasping for rain droplets. Essien rushes to the sideline in celebration only to hear that the goal was called off because of an offside decision. The match officials felt that some Chelsea players interfared with play. Esssien and his teamates respond to the call in anger. Chelsea then recieve a chance to gain redemption. Hyppia trying to subdue Ballack fouls the German and a penalty is awarded. Frank Lampard decides that he will take the spotkick. Emotion rushes his face as he prepared to take the kick. The whistle blew and Lampard struck the ball into the right corner of the goal. Stamford Bridge erupts in happiness. Lampard took off his black armband and placed his hands in the sky and knelt in emotion. Everyone stood up as he paid tribute to his mother who passed away. After the dedication concluded everyone was surprised that Rafa took of his most valuable player, Fernando Torres. Torres quietly walked off the field and was replaced by Dutch midfielder Ryan Babel. Babel immediately makes his presence known with a run into the box that results in a corner. Gerrard crosses the corner to Alonso. He greeted the ball with a header on goal. Cech saved it brilliantly. Chelsea then pushed into high gear. Essien once again breaks free and executes a pass to Anelka. Anelka then seeks out Drogba who made no mistake to test Reina's skills. Drogba perfectly places the ball into the back of the net. He goes estactic and slides through the wet grass in celebration.

The second half of extra time then came to an end. The second half of extra time was full of determination and anticipation. Liverpool press into Chelsea's box. The ball is free in the box and Drogba pushes a foot out that trips Hypiaa in the box. The referee starts to put his whistle to his mouth to award the penalty, and then decides to withdraw. Chelsea somehow escape the call. Chelsea were now desperate to finish off Liverpool. Ashley Cole rushed forward and hit a low pass parrallel to the box. Drogba dummies over the ball and watches it meet Malouda. Malouda lined up to take the shot but was foiled by crunching tackle by Mascherano. The Liverpool defender is carded and Chelsea was awarded a free kick. Drogba took the free kick that is deflected into the sideline. The game is coming to a close, and Grant makes a bold move. He decides to take off midfielder Frank Lampard and replaces him with striker Andri Shevchenko. Lampard recieves a standing ovation from the crowd as he walks off with his black armband clutched in his hand. It could have been the strikers brilliant defensive display on the weekend that made Grant have faith in him over defensive midfielder Obi Mikel. Shevchenko was not even fully on the field when Babel broke away in the middle and blasted a shot from 30 yrds out that Cech failed to handle. Stamford Bridge is once more stunned and Liverpool push on. In the final minutes Gerrard pushes forward and lines up to cross the ball. Ashley Cole sacrificed his body twice to prevent the skipper from succeeding. The whistle then blowed and Drogba goes crazy in delight. Grant fallec to his knees and said a prayer to God. Gerrard and his team mates lowered their heads accepting defeat.

My two cents: First of all I have to say what a match. These teams usually provided as much entertainment as reading books hidden in the Library of Congress. But this tie provide some great action. This game was won by the tactics of the coach. Rafa made a number of mistakes that led to his teams downfall. The first one he made was to unecessarily anger one of the most lethal strikers in the game, Didier Drogba. His comments gave Drogba more incentives to embarrass Liverpool on the field. Rafa also failed to adapt to Chelsea new playing style. Grant and his assistants over the pass couple have weeks have changed Chelsea into an attacking side. Rafa after meeting Chelsea so much times prepared a team that would grind out a result. He decided to play holding defensive midfielders instead of his pacy wing men and relied on Torres to score the goal. This would have been a great move if Chelsea did not have an away goal, but they did. Rafa should have prepared a team that could outpace Chelsea's midfield. All of Chelsea's midfield were over the age of 30 and utilizing either Pennant or Babel could have required them to do a lot of running which could have led to mistakes. Torres was also subdued for the majority of the match. Rafa should have noted this and put on Crouch to take some pressure off marquee player. Chelsea defenders would then have to choose who to concentrate on and Essien would not be able to make as much runs up front leaving an open space in the back. His best move was to switch Benayoun on to the oppposite wing which made him free to run and service Torres. Liverpool like Barcalona had one attacking option and when their opponents adapted to create obstacles they were left in the wilderness to be taken out by sniper shots.

Grant on the other hand understood that he could not rely one the gift he was given by Risse. He then decided to go with a team that was proven to score goals. Drogba is more than used to holding his own up front. Kalau and Joe Cole provided pace from the wings and service. Ballack and Lampard provided forward movement with passes and Makelele providing a frontline for the defense. Knowing that he needed Makelele in defense he still decided to utilize Essien by placing him in right back. Essien's quick pace allowed him to fill the attacking void left by Makelele. When Liverpool began to tire, Grant realized that his wing attack was getting fatigued by constant battering from Liverpool. He then decided to bring his attack forward with attacking option Maloada, Anelka and finally Shevchenko.

Passport to Moscow...Scholes Screamer sends Man U Through to the CL Finals

The stage is now set for a first ever all English Champions League final in Moscow. Manchester United have earned their place in the finals after a screaming shot taken by Paul Scholes. Scholes was suspended in 1999 when Manchester United won the CL final in Munich won himself an all expense paid trip to his biggest game ever. Rising soccer master Lionel Messi made his presence felt at Old Trafford but failed to find the final dagger to sink the Red Devil's chances of progressing with an away goal. The English club was under pressure to win this match as their loss against Chelsea this weekend lead critics to believe that they would lose tonight. They were also without the services of Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic. Two players that have played an integral role in thier success this season. In their place Sir Alex decided to use striker Carlos Tevez and defender Owen Hargreaves. Barcalona on the other hand welcomed back their defensive gaurd Carlos Puyol and seemed the more comfortable of the two. The match was one of the most thrilling I have witnessed in the Champions League. Old Trafford was a sea of red as Man U supporters filled the stadium in red clothing. All eyes were focused on two of the greatest players on Earth. The Argentine Lionel Messi and the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. The question arised which one would shine on this big stage? Which one would score? If there was ever a time to prove their skills, it was now. The match up between the second and third runner up of last seasons FIFA World Player of the year.

The game started at neckbreaking pace as Barcalona's Messi took the ball and pushed forward down the right side of the box and was immediately fouled by Scholes who could not keep up with his speed. The foul resulted in a quickly taken free kick that failed to create a goal. The game then became a tug of war as both sides attack lines threatened each others halves. As the time ran Barcalona slowly began to take control of the game controlling all the possession. Manchester was forced to chase for the ball as the Spaniards passed the ball fluently among themselves. United then began to apply pressure and forced Barca's midfield into a series of mistakes. These mistakes eventually led to Ronaldo recieving the ball on the left wing and pressing forward. He was foiled with precision by Zambrotta but a lack of judgement made the defender pass the ball to a phantom team mate in front of goal. He had no idea that Scholes was lurking closeby like a shark eyeing its kill. Scholes wasted no time cashing in on his gift. The ginger haired assassin raced on to ball and kicked a screaming shot 25 yrds away from goal that pierced the right corner netting. It was 14th minute of the game and Barcalona saw all their hard work go up in smoke. Old Trafford went up in roars and their opponents were left to wonder what just happened.

The momentum now switched to Manchester United but the Argentine bomber, Messi took Barcalona on his shoulders and attacked Man U'S goal with an amazing display of foot magic that left his defenders dazzled. In the 19th minute he tricks Scholes with a couple stepovers and fires a shot at Van de Sar. Messi relentlessly continued his attack on Manchester United and forced the into defense . Manchester soon came back on the attack with determination. In the 21st minute Tevez breaks from his defender and crosses a ball into the box. Ronaldo determined to head the cross rises to greet the ball drawing both of Barca's central defenders towards him. Ronaldo is just short and the two defenders clash into each other causing temporary headaches. In the 33th minute Iniesta gets open and runs down the left wing before passing the ball to Deco who then hits a shot that goes over the goal post. Deco soon after becames the final recipient of a beautiful set of passes performed by his team mates. He then makes the final play a low shot that is just wide of the target. Messi was determined to score and shifted wings to gain space. He cleared a pathway to the box and crossed a deadly ball into the middle which Van De Sar strtetched his entire frame to clutch. The Red Devil's soon grew tired of withdrawal and pounced on the Spaniards in the 39th minute. Park and Nani pulled off a combination move that should have ended the contest, but the finishing touch left little to be desired. Park found himself open on the left aand crossed a beautiful ball into the box towards Nani who took a glancing header that went wide of the goal. The final minutes of the half belonged to Barcalona. Samuel Etoo quickly ran up the pitch during a counter attack taking on defenders before he got assistance from his team mates. He then passed the ball Deco who swiftly played it on to the foot of Abidail who was lurking on the left. The french left back then shot the ball, but was blocked.

The second half began very much like how the first like first ended with Barcalona pressuring Man United's defense. The red devil's then felt it was best to withdraw and protect their lead. Their defensive line went from 4 players to 9. Ronaldo soon found himself alone up the pitch. Tevez began to emulate his injured teamate Rooney as the striker transformed himself into a defensive midfielder. Ronaldo was not satisfied with defending the goal and gestured to his team mates to come forward. They ignored him and bolstered down as they prepared for the storm to attack. Once again Man U is forced to weather the storm as Messi and company push forward to gain a point. The game is approaching the 51st minute and Man U finally see some light. Evra manages to bring the ball forward and is swiftly tackled to the ground by Zambrotta. The referee gives Zambrotta a yellow card for his work. The tackle results in a free kick in a dangerous position to the left side of the field. Goal scorer Scholes takes the kick, directing the ball into the box. Rio Ferdinand is the first person to reach the ball and heads it into Ronaldo's path. Tension rises as Ronaldo brings the ball to his feet. Puyol and Milito close in on Ronaldo and he quickly passes the ball to Nani who takes a weak shot. The next couple of minutes that would then enfold belonged to young Maradona, Messi. He decides to take on Scholes and leaves him flat footed as he skipped around him and ran towards goal. Ferdinand and Brown however managed to stop his progress before he was able to do damage. The ball was then swiftly cleared and ended on the right wing where it was greeted twin wingers Nani and Ronaldo. The skillful midfielders decided to put on a show of their own as they portrayed magnificent skill performing marvelous one touch passes that destroyed Barca's defense. The twins found themselves at the goal and the crowd sat at the edge of their seats in anticipation. Everyone wondered what would be the end result of such finesse. Their beautiful dispay ended in disappointment as Cristiano passed the ball to Nani who lost his composure and shot the ball into the crowd.

In the 60th minute Ineista was replaced by the frenchman Thierry Henry. Messi drives forward towards the box and is brought down by Carrick within 30 yrds of the goal. Deco takes a swift free kick direct on goal but it gets a deflection and goes out of bounds for a corner. The corner results in a Man U possession with Ronaldo at the helm. He takes the ball and pushes up the wing and is greeted by Zambrotta. Ronaldo desperate to score overpowers the defender and slips ahead but is called for a foul. The referee then hands him a card for his actions. Barcalona take the free kick and Henry soon his first touch of the ball. He takes the ball at the foot of the box and passes it to Messi who sees back heel pass to Etoo that was well read by Ferdinand. The next attack would come from Man U. Park gained possession of the ball carried it up the pitch but was fouled Yaya Toure. The referee then continued with his card parade and gave Toure one of his own. The game then became a fighting bout as strikers from both teams took turn pulling shots on goal. The first came from Henry who attacked Van De Sar's goal with a brilliant header. Van De Sar was up for the task and prevented the ball from passing his line. Tevez then tested Valdes with a shot from outside that went just wide. Henry would threw a returning blow with a trademark dribbling move that left him open on the left. He then took a shot that quieted the Old Trafford supporters, but failed to pass the goal line. It was then the managers time to act. Rijkaard refused to give up and brought on offensive reinforcements. He took brought off Iniesta and Etoo, and replaced them with Bojan Krikic and Gudjohnson. Ferguson seeing this decided to bring in experience and defense. Nani and Scholes were substituted for Giggs and Fletcher. The two teams then remained gridlocked until a mishap by defensive partners lead to Evra recieving Wes Brown's boot in his face. He failed to shake off the injury and was stretchered off the pitch as Barcalona saw the injury time clock deplete. When the final whistle was blown Old Trafford went into a party mood. The stage is now set for Man U to face either rivals Chelsea or Liverpool in the final Battle Royale in May. It should be a mouth watering affair.

My two cents: This game was played on the field but the real battle was between the managers. Ferguson knew he needed a goal and decided to field an attack minded team. He placed Tevez up front with Nani and Ronaldo supporting him. He also shifted made the Portuguese exchange wings. Ronaldo ran on the left while Nani took the right. In centre midfield Sir Alex decided to bring in the experience of Scholes with the defensive stance of Carrick and the resiliance of Park. He then created a second placed defensive line utilizing Evra and Hargreaves on the wings and Wes Brown and Ferdinand in the centre. Fergurson used a mixture of youth and experience to outwit Rijkaard's. Ferguson's goal was to gain a goal and then close the game down, only attacking on the counter. This team differed from his set up in the first game that was built with defense in mind. The speed up front allowed the defensive players to keep in line, while Ronaldo, Nani and Tevez and Evra would be able to attack on the counter Carrick, Hargreaves, Park and Brown could continue to hold off attacks from Messi and Etoo. This defensive stance kept firm ground despite Barcalona's masterful passing and gradually led them to make mistakes. The English team remained organized and focused in defense. Sir Alex made sure his team was full aware of the quality that faced them and insisted that they made no mistakes. This was demonstrated by Hargraeves bicycling away the ball off the sideline in an effort to not to concede a free kick and Tevez and Nani falling back in defense to create a wall against Barcalona's attacks. Ferguson has managed to train a team that is in tune to the task at hand and relentlessly pursue their goal till the final minute.

Rijkaard on the other hand decided not to make much changes in his team. He kept Etoo up front with Messi and Iniesta in support. In his midfield he went for attacking prowness and defensive stance with Deco, Toure and Xavi. He then had an experienced backline that consisted of Puyol, Zambrotta, Abidal and Milito. Rijkaard team was built for forward movement as both Abidal and Zambrotta push forward to service the forwards. Rijkaard's cards were obvious, Messi would play an integral role on the right using his skills to bring him into an attacking position after which he would either pass or take a shot. Manchester United learned this from the opening leg and formulated their defense to meet him at the end of his run with a wall made by Ferdinand and Brown. I believe if Rijkaard really wanted to get a goal he should have started Thierry Henry. Henry is familiar to Manchester United's play and has scored at Old Trafford on numerous occassions. He threatened the goal a number of times in both games and could have been that significant figure. Rijkaard could have also went with the option of taking Deco off and have Etoo play along side Krikic, we saw on Sunday how Grant used his strikers to impose on Man U's defense which lead to the penalty awarded. Barcalona were also guilty of trying to keep the create the perfect goal. Many times they entered the box. Instead of taking the shot they overplayed the ball resulting in Man U defenders closing down their shooting range.

The grass is greener on the otherside....Erikkson to be fired at Man City

According to reports of BBC Football, Sven-Goran Erikkson manager of Manchester City football club will find himself without a job at the end of the season. This decision was made by the clubs owner Thailand business Thaksin Shinawatra who believes that Erikkson did not meet his standards for the season. Shinawatra explained that he was displeased with the teams sudden dip in form during the start of the year and believes its time to part ways with the Swede. I believe this is a grave mistake, but I cannot help wonder if Manchester City's next announcement will be the appointment of the "Special One" Jose Mourinho to replace him. I believe that owners and internal management in football clubs are becoming far too impatient and are leading football into a down spiral. Erikkson's short period with Man City has not only seen them improve their stand in the tables but has also made the club an attractive destination for marquee talent. He was able to take a club that dwelled in regulation threats under its former boss Stuart Pierce and has made the dream of appearing in Europe become realistic. Man City has so far has 55 pts on the table and have the opportunity to end with a tally of 61. Last season the clubs final tally was 42. Erikkson also improved the clubs wins by 4 to date. The club had a total of 11 wins last season and now stands at 15. The club now has a number of world class talent both homegrown and imported that are forecasted to bring the club silverware chances in the near future.

Erikkson has managed to retain budding home grown talent such as Michah Richards, a strong central defender that was targeted earlier this season by major clubs in Europe. His respect also allowed him two of the most promising midfield players in Europe, Elano and Petrov. The former was literally an unknown talent before Erikkson brought him to England. In the January transfer window he acquired the services of Benjani, who has two hat tricks. Benjani paid off the faith placed in him by scoring a winning goal against Man United and hitting numerous times to win against his former team, Portsmouth. He also impressed the mexican wonder kid Nel Castello so much that the player was reported to have went into his own pocket to pay for a loan release from his original club. Last week Erikkson signed Man City's most expensive signing a young Brazilian striker Jo for a reportingly 18 million pds. Its seems clearly that the Swede is paying dearly for overachievement during the first half of the season. His own then had dreams of reaping profits playing in Europe and now have watched them deplete as the team now rests 9th place in the league. Its a shame that a coach that has accomplished so much in his debut season for the club will no longer be given the opportunity to continue to improve its league position.

Two..For Togo..Adebayor scores 30 and second hat trick against Derby

Just yesterday Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor was selected in this seasons team of the year. He celebrated this achievement in fine style as just minutes ago he was in smiles with his team mates as he celebrated 3 remarkable goals coming on as substitute in c in a 6-2 win against regulated team Derby. This leads his season tally to 30 goals and he now has 2 hat tricks, both against Derby The game was like a Sunday afternoon football match for the Gunners. Every one of Wenger's strikers placed their name on the score sheet. They were full of smiles and laughter as they played keep ball for prolonged periods to the frustration of their opponents. Bendtner opened the goals with a easy low shot. A mix up in the box allowed Derby to came back with a goal of their own from a corner kick. Arsenal quickly regained their lead with a goal by Robin Van Persie. RVP beat the offside trap and hit a wicked shot in to the right corner of the goal. He would leave the game during half time after picking up a thigh injury. He was then replaced by the man of the moment Adebayor. Before the injury Adebayor recieved a rare, but deserved rest and was watching the game from the side line

Adebayor took a little time to get used to the pace of the game. His team mates overwhelmed their opponents with quick and precise passing that soon resulted in Ade tapping in his first goal on the 59th minute. The gunners once again took their foot off the gas and Derby substitute Robert Earnshaw made them pay dearly as he slipped a precise shot pass reserve goal keeper Fabianski. He then preceded to taunt the Gunners with an amazing somersault and a hilarious victory dance. Arsenal were not amused and upped the tempo. This increased focus soon led to an onslaught of goals. Rising star Theo Walcott was the first to draw blood. He took a curling shot from the left that ended up in the low right corner. His goal had me reminiscing of goals scored by Thierry Henry. Adebayor then nailed the coffin shot with two lovely goals of his own. Each time he scored he was joined by Eboue and they performed their own ridiculous dance moves in front of the away crowd. His second goal came from a beautiful cross taken by left back Gael Clichy. He would have to wait until stoppage time to slip around push around goal keeper Roy Carrol to score a beautiful slip in. The Gunners were in high spirit as they playfully grabbed afte the match ball presented to Adebayor. Ade in full smiles hid the ball under his shirt and protected it with all his might. They have now clinched 3rd place in the league and an automatic Champions League slot. Congratulations Adebayor on your great achievement.