In the final regular podcast for a while, Neil Sherwin is joined by Ger McCarthy, Willie Gannon and Michael Orr to talk Premier League, the Champions League Final, NYCFC and Ireland’s friendly against England next week.

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To kick off there’s a look back at the final round of Premier League action with Ger and Willie disappointed at Spurs’ failure to qualify for the Champions League, before the lads pick out some of their personal highlights from the season that was.

The Champions League Final is this weekend, and there’s an even split in terms of support with two firmly behind Dortmund and two rooting for Bayern.

Michael then gives us his expert opinion on the news that NYCFC will be the 20th Major League Soccer team from 2015 thanks to a partnership between Manchester City and the New York Yankees.

To finish with there’s a preview of next week’s big friendly at Wembley between England and Ireland, the first meeting of the two sides since the ill fated affair in 1995.

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Also if there is anything you would like to hear on the show in future simply drop us an email, tweet or comment on Facebook.

The 45 year-old’s side has captured the hearts and minds of football supporters in this year’s Champions League. It is the components of the club which make it so special and of course Klopp is an integral component of the club.

Klopp himself says: “When departments of the club work really well, I don’t always feel that it’s because of me. When a great goal is scored, then you are just a fan.”

Klopp’s nature makes him one of football’s most charismatic characters. The man himself says: “I know some other coaches do it other ways and they are successful. I can’t do it any other way though. Sometimes I get carried away. There’s a camera on me for 90 minutes during a match and sometimes you make strange and dramatic moves.

“I actually injured myself once when celebrating. I tore a muscle. That’s pretty unusual!”

Klopp started his managerial career at Mainz back in 2001 before moving on to Dortmund in 2008 where he took Die Schwarzgelben from 13th in the Bundesliga to consecutive league titles in 2011 and 2012, which saw the club return to the Champions League for the first time in eight years.

Last season’s outing in club football’s premier competition was disappointing though as Dortmund were eliminated from the competition at the group stage.

Klopp has stated that the reason for his side’s failure last time out was because they were unable to punish other team’s weaknesses and the fact that his side did not press hard enough on the ball. He cites the club’s defensive pressing is now better with more men behind the ball when under threat and the emergence of a quick counter attacking player like Marco Reus as being pivotal for BVB. “You could put hurdles in front of him (Reus) and he still wouldn’t be slowed down,” – says Klopp.

Klopp says he thinks his side plays “beautiful football” with “speed, strength and energy in a legal way. Hard but fair duels. Hitting posts and the bar with a lot of chances and corners. That for me is beautiful football.

“There are a lot of people who say that the way Barcelona play is beautiful, playing back and forth across the pitch and then when Messi gets the ball it’s a goal. That for me is not beautiful though.

“In terms of beauty and attractiveness, what I like is something a bit flawed, a bit rough. That’s our game.”

Klopp believes that Bayern’s two Champions League final defeats over the last three years could play on Jupp Heynckes side’s mind – especially if Dortmund go 1-0 up and Der FCB players might think: “Oh no, not again.”

As a player, Jürgen Klopp’s footballing career never hit the heights. Having won two Bundesliga titles as a manager, his managerial career is 90 (or possibly 120) minutes away from reaching a denouement it deserves. One suspects that the majority of neutrals and football media alike will hope that exactly that happens for a man who is always good for a sound bite.

A SELECTION OF JURGEN KLOPP’s BEST QUOTES:

If I were working as a bank manager I might have had a credibility problem looking like I do but I don’t work as a bank manager, I work in football, … I am nice to people and I like footballers. Why shouldn’t I? We share the same hobby. But that doesn’t mean that I am their best friend.

- Klopp on his relationship with the players he manages

It’s absolutely normal that people go different ways. At 18 I wanted to see the whole world. But I am only in Mainz and Dortmund since then and … [Klopp laughs] it’s not the middle of the world. It’s OK that they want to go to different places. But they get there and, shit, it’s not the same. Look, you work for the Guardian, and sometimes you see your colleagues and think: ‘Oh no, the same old thing every day.’ Maybe you want to go to the Sun? More money, less work. More photographs, [fewer] words.

- Klopp’s response when asked about the loss of Mario Götze to Bayern Munich, while revealing his knowledge of UK tabloids.

We are a club, not a company, … but it depends on which kind of story the neutral fan wants to hear. If he respects the story of Bayern, and how much they have won since the 1970s, he can support them. But if he wants the new story, the special story, it must be Dortmund. I think, in this moment in the football world, you have to be on our side.

- Klopp explains why the neutral fan should support Dortmund in the Champions League final

Shinji Kagawa is one of the best players in the world and he now plays 20 minutes at Manchester United, on the left wing.

My heart breaks. Really, I have tears in my eyes. Central midfield is Shinji’s best role.

- Klopp describes his affection for his former star player Shinji Kagawa

I’m afraid we will have a Scottish situation in this league soon.

- Klopp on the oligopoly status of the Bundesliga with Dortmund and Bayern far ahead of the rest

Follow me on Twitter:      @hoogenband0110

It’s good to be back

After Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez announced that their manager, Jose Mourinho would not be staying on despite signing a new contract last season, Chelsea fans around the world celebrated.

After all, the Special/Only One would be returning to the place where “he is loved by both the fans and the media” after five long, arduous years during which Chelsea won the Champions League, the Europa League, a Premier League title and the FA Cup. The cries of “Jose come back” were present the moment arch rival, Rafa Benitez was chosen as the manager to replace club legend, Roberto di Matteo. Their prayers were answered and for now, it looks like all the roads in Jose Mourinho’s career lead to Stamford Bridge. But there are some reasons why his return may not be as good as it looks on paper.

Jose Mourinho has always left his clubs with a bang, as proven by his acrimonious exit in the Copa del Rey final against Athletico where he was sent off and also decided to boycott the medal presentation on Friday night. He is not a person who leaves quietly and did the same thing when he left Chelsea after falling out with club owner, Roman Abramovich in 2007. So despite their earlier differences, why has Roman Abramovich decided to appoint Mourinho again? Simple. They both like to win. Despite winning two European trophies in the last two years, Chelsea haven’t won the Premier League for four years. They have always been in the title race but the last two seasons, they have bowed down to the pressure created by both the Manchester clubs along with the sudden rise of London rivals, Tottenham. Barely scraping it into the Champions League for two years in a row is not Abramovich’s style and his desire to get the Premier League back to Stamford Bridge is what has brought Jose Mourinho back to Chelsea for a second time.

But there is a catch. Both may like to win but Jose Mourinho has always prioritised winning over style, something which Abramovich has craved ever since he bought the club from Ken Bates. He has always wanted the club to play “sexy football” and this has been shown by his purchases along with the public wooing of Pep Guardiola. Players like Mata, Hazard and Oscar have all been brought in to realise this dream and at times last season, Chelsea did do their owner justice. Victories such as the 4-1 against Norwich City and the 8-0 demolition of Aston Villa have shown that Chelsea do have the potential to win with style and panache. Jose Mourinho on the other hand, has always been associated with results, not style. He has been pragmatic, straight-forward and slightly defense-minded in his approach to a football game, helping his team eke out 1-0 or 2-1 victories on most occasions.

His style of play has always been rigid, formulaic and negative, probably one of the reasons a player such as Joe Cole was never able to reach the true heights of his potential. Burdened under Mourinho’s rigid tactics, Cole was never allowed to flourish and use his talents with the Portuguese manager going on to say in 2004,  ’Joe can be a regular but he has to improve when the team needs him to be part of a defensive organisation.’ Now, not being a part of defensive organisation is something that players like Hazard and Mata have been accused of in the past with the media saying that the reason Chelsea conceded so many goals from the flanks was because Hazard and Mata never offered much help to full backs, Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic/Cesar Azpilicueta. Under Mourinho, the license to roam and the creative abilities of “the Three Amigos” could be revoked and they would be limited to properly defined and rigid roles.

Just three years?

There is no doubt that bringing Mourinho would go quite some way to getting back the trust of the supporters but it also means that the board, and Mourinho are looking at this for the short term. Abramovich has always wanted to create long, successful dynasties like at Barcelona which was the reason why managers like Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas were brought in. However, Mourinho himself has said on many occasions that he had no desire of staying at a club for a long period and that three years was probably the most he could stay at a club before he opts to leave or the club decides to kick him out. Mourinho has always put his career before his employers and in any case, replicating Barcelona would be the LAST thing he would choose to do.

Mourinho comes back to the Premier League when it is in a state of flux. A new manager for both Manchester United (just their second manager in the Premier League era) and Manchester City means that the time is ripe for Mourinho to seize the moment and the spotlight at the same time. But whether he will be able to conjure up the same magic which brought him back here in the first place is a question that for the time being, remains unanswered. Also, who will replace him when he inevitably walks out the manager’s office?

After another humiliating defeat for Molde on Thursday – this time a 5-1 hammering at home by Haugesund – Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side bounced back and put on an admirable display to hold back and draw 0-0 with second-place Rosenborg, despite going down to 10 men after only 20 minutes when Martin Linnes was shown a straight red card, when the two sides met in Trondheim on Monday. Despite only managing to win once in the league so far this season, Solskjær will no doubt be impressed with his side’s ability to keep a side as strong as Rosenborg at bay for 70 minutes whilst being a man down, and he will also no doubt be somewhat pleased – even if he doesn’t acknowledge it publicly – with his side’s ability to only lose once (albeit heavily to Haugesund) in their last five league games. Although the 2011 and 2012 Tippeligaen champions have yet to turn the corner just yet, you can sense that they might be approaching the bend at least.

The only significant gap in the table so far this season remains at the top, and Rosenborg’s draw with Molde leaves them five points behind leaders Strømsgodset, but also extends their unbeaten run to five games and keeps them in second place for another week. Strømsgodset have now won their last three games in a row – not to mention now being unbeaten in their last nine – and did so in fine fashion when they thrashed Start 6-0 away from home on Monday afternoon. Ghanaian teenager Bismark Adjei-Boateng and 22-year-old Stefan Johansen both scored in Strømsgodset’s 3-1 win at home to Sogndal during the week and were on the score sheet yet again in Monday’s game, joining Jarl-André Storbæk, Adama Diomandé, Gustav Wikheim and Start defender Glenn Andersen, who unfortunately scored an own-goal after 38 minutes to put the visitors 4-0 ahead going into the half time break. Strømsgodset have been on fine form this season and are already beginning to pull away from the rest of the field, and if they beat third-place Aalesund when the two sides meet in Drammen on Friday evening, they could pull away even further from the main title challengers and fully assert their dominance at the top of the table as we near the season’s midpoint.

Both Aalesund and Viking sit on 20 points – just one point behind Rosenborg – after their games this week. Aalesund bounced back from their 2-0 defeat away to Brann on Thursday to beat second-to-bottom-place Odd by the same scoreline when they hosted the Skien-based side on Monday evening, thanks to a 40^th minute goal from the penalty spot from Fredrik Ulvestad and a fifth goal of the season from Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah nine minutes into the second half. Viking, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to four games thanks to a 1-0 win away to local rivals Sandnes Ulf in the Rogaland derby on Tuesday evening. Local boy André Danielsen scored the game’s only goal after 54 minutes to extend Viking’s unbeaten run to four games and send them above Brann and Haugesund to fourth place in the table, two points clear of the Bergensers and three points clear of their Rogaland rivals.

Brann were unable to capitalise on their victory over Aalesund and were beaten 2-0 by Tromsø on Monday evening. After a goalless first half, former Rangers player Thomas Kind Bendiksen put the northerners 1-0 ahead after 76 minutes from the penalty spot, and Steffen Nystrøm wrapped up the win with his second goal of the season in the dying moments of the game.

Tromsø remain in seventh place following their victory and are now only one point behind Haugesund after their three-game unbeaten run was ended when they were beaten by Sogndal at Haugesund Stadion. A 69^th Malick Mane penalty was the only goal of the game and moves last season’s 12^th place finishers up to eighth place from 11^th, just one point behind Tromsø.

In the bottom half of the table, Hønefoss beat Lillestrøm 1-0, thanks to a goal early in the second half from Mats Kaland, to send the former up to 10^th place and the latter down to 12^th. Lillestrøm, who were only able to draw 2-2 with Sandnes Ulf during the week, are now without a win in their last five league games and are slipping further towards the relegation zone as the weeks go on; they now sit equal on points with 13^th place Start and only two points ahead of 14^th place Sandnes Ulf who occupy the relegation play-off spot.

Meanwhile, after a bright start to their return to Tippeligaen, ninth-place Sarpsborg 08 are now without a win in their last three games after they drew 3-3 with 11^th place Vålerenga on Tuesday evening. They valiantly came from behind three times, however, and denied Vålerenga only their fifth win of the season when French defender Jérémy Berthod scored in the 92^nd minute to steal a point and deny Sarpsborg 08 from losing their third league game in a row.

The irony of the announcement yesterday was that only a few weeks ago the bold Gerard was given an apartment in Grozny by the leader of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. What’s not ironic is that once more a club tumbles from the top flight amidst financial turmoil.  Meanwhile CSKA are crowned Champions of the first season under the new format which the RFS President is hinting at changing back from July – May to the more sensible Summer season.

This Friday (17/05) FC Tom Tomsk, who earlier in the season were unable and unwilling to pay wages, were awarded a licence to play in the Premier League, on the back of that is a mystery. A disastrous outing in the Premier last time shed light on the lack of interest in the club and only for a government handout they’d be bust. Winning promotion means a Siberian club in the top flight, though how they will survive without massive central funding will be interesting.

The penultimate round of the Premier League saw a few unusual results (Samara beating a lacklustre Rubin) and some very strange on pitch antics. Shirokov’s red card for Zenit for a rude gesture to the home fans in the aftermath of his tap in, surprised many, except those who know the laws of the game. A couple of weeks ago in Ireland there was an incident with Ardee’s Ross Gaynor, now it was a St. Pete’s boy gesturing to Zenit fans. Given that it was in injury time and the match was almost over, some apologists claim he should have been warned, yet from the RFS President, rules have to be obeyed by fans, players and clubs. This was the application in its purest. The commentators were embarrassed by his action and agreed with the referee, however TV bosses made sure that the slo-mo replays cut away before the “up yours”.

Meanwhile Spartak celebrated a chance to stay in a Europa League spot with some outrageous refereeing. FC Krasnodar have every reason to feel hard done by though from a neutral point of view there was no bias towards the Muscovites, just dreadful decisions by a referee who went card happy and reason blind. Although, anyone who saw the Alania-Spartak match last July will remember the same referee giving decisions that were certainly odd and definitely in favour of the visitors from Moscow. However it would be unfair and incorrect to claim he was bought or biased, though this didn’t stop the “Bulls” owner Galitsky from taking to Twitter to lambaste the official. Referee’s are human and can have off days, however the reactions of club owners and officials need to be tempered. The RFS have yet to wallop twitter or media outbursts by owners and officials, when they do, Russian football is going to be fun.

On a parting note, around the country celebrations are taking place for clubs who are moving up divisions and heads are down in those who went down. A thought must be spared for the Russian Under-17’s who went on a slalom run to the European title in a gruelling penalty shootout. Great respect must be given to the players and coaches involved, and warning given to the RFS and clubs, these are young stars who can do something, maybe only 1 or 2 will make the full Senior side, though they must be cherished now and developed as much as possible. Do not let them end up like the disastrous and pampered ice hockey team who looked like strangers on ice when they crashed out of the World Championship quarter finals. Hockey showed its leading place in Russian sport with the release of the woeful “Legend No. 17” movie and when the team looked like doing something everybody watched, football is playing catch up, so success at under-age is a great way to start.

Two interesting quotes from Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp from separate interviews, both of which allay fears for his club’s future competitiveness domestically and in Europe. Dortmund play their much wealthier country rivals Bayern Munich in the first all-German final in Champions League history. Despite a magnificent European campaign, the gap between Dortmund and Bayern are striking, with Klopp’s men finished 25 points behind ‘Die Hollywood’ in the Bundesliga table.

Between 2003 and 2012, five different clubs won the Bundesliga title (Werder Bremen 2004; Bayern 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010; Stuttgart 2007; Wolfsburg 2009; Dortmund 2011, 2012) This season has created a huge gap between Bayern and the rest. The transfer of Mario Götze for €37 million to Bayern cements the distance between both.

The margin of victory for Bayern domestically is not a singular phenomenon. Barcelona won La Liga and are currently leading Real Madrid by 13 points with two games left in Spain. Manchester United won the English Premier League by 11 points, Juventus were victorious by 9 points in the Serie A and PSG, who won the French title, currently lead Marseille by 10 points in Ligue 1. Benfica and Porto, and Ajax and PSV were involved in very competitive title races in Portugal and Holland respectively. For the most part though, a major club has comfortably claimed the major title in their country.

There was a time when the European Cup/Champions League produced winners from smaller, less financially powerful country’s and also champions from major countries who never really dominated for large periods. In the 1980′s alone, Aston Villa (1982) Hamburg (1983), Steaua București (1986) and PSV (1988) won Europe’s premier club competition. In the 90′s Red Star Belgrade (1991) and Marseille (1993) were victorious, while Ajax triumphed in 1995 with a squad heavily built on academy players. Between the 70′s and the end of the 1990′s, Holland, Greece, Italy, Spain, England, France, West Germany, Portugal, Sweden and Yugoslavia were represented in finals.

The romantic notions of the European Cup end there. In the past eight years, the top four leagues (England, Germany, Italy and Spain) have monopolised the finals. Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea should continue to be challengers in the coming years. Manchester City’s millions will surely result in them threatening the semi-finals or better consistently. France will likely join the party in the next few years, with PSG and Monaco’s financial clout making them formidable. Outside of them, only really Juventus are set up to be contenders in Italy, and Dortmund and Arsenal can surely not pose a constant threat when they continue to sell their best players.

The Champions League has never had so few potential winners. The financial muscle of certain clubs has made it tougher and more cut throat. Whether Uefa’s financial fair play plan has any impact or not will remain to be seen. A European shootout between super powers would still be a tantalising prospect, but the chances of a club with a stringent budget such as Dortmund making a final seem as unlikely as ever. It is clear that European football is as elitist as it has ever been.

First off there was the Alice band for men, sported by Steffi Graff looky-likey Claudio Caniggia. Then we had Don Diego and his Mafia roccocco look; half Argentinian street urchin, half Paulie Gaultieri from the Soprano’s. And who can forget Mario Kempes and Alberto Tarantini for going ‘natural’ thoughout the seventies and eighties?

Okay, we also have Javier Zanetti, with his suave good looks and tailored suits, ‘Che’ Guevara and his prototype combat rock look, as well as Jorge Luis Borges with his snappy mind and snappier slacks but, on the whole, the final reckoning of Argentinian fashion exports doesn’t make pretty viewing.

Diego Simeone is, sartorially speaking, a man who slots with ease into the negative column of that balance sheet. Last Friday night – in the presence of Royalty, no less – he donned a black three quarter length anorak with faux-fur black hood, black suit, black shirt, black inch-wide tie – last seen being sported by Neville Staples from The Specials, and – you guessed it – black Patrick Cox shoes, unseen since the mid-nineties. No, no, no, no, no…

However, when it comes to tactics, motivation and gamesmanship, he clearly knows a thing or two as Atleti scraped the Copa Del Rey in extra time against Real Madrid. The bare facts will show that Madrid took an early lead through a header from Ronaldo, Atleti equalised through Diego Costa and then went on to win the thing with a near-post header from Miranda – judging by his expression the most surprised man in the stadium. The reality was slightly different.

Mourinho was sent from the dug-out for reverting to spoilt-brat type and endlessly ‘getting in the face’ of the fourth official, Ronaldo saw red late-on for endeavouring to commit the most stylish foul ever and Atleti substitute Gabi saw red for two quick yellow cards in extra time. The sole purpose of the latter’s entry seemed to be to waste time and kick as many of the opposition as possible. He succeeded on both counts although the red card didn’t preclude him from gathering trophy and medal with his child in tow. You’ve got a lot to answer for Dennis Wise!

In between all this thrilling nonsense, Madrid hit the bar more often than George Best on St. Patrick’s night, Atelti scorer Diego Costa got in a tasty right handed jab on sidelined Madrid man Pepe – but only because he beat his manager to it – and the whole was presided over by a referee who, in the most trying of circumstances managed to make correct call after correct call throughout the 120 minutes. Well done, Sir. Just a shame you didn’t notice the pugilists slugging it out on the fringes.

And well done Atleti. Another season, another trophy and the interminable thrill of a Bernabeu cup final victory against the enemy.

We’ll start in La Segunda, where Elche sat back and enjoyed the sight of their immediate rivals Girona and Alcorcon failing to get all three points against Villarreal and Barcelona B respectively, which thrust the Green and Whites of Alicante province into Primera dreamland without to having kick a ball. Villarreal are now second and looking good for an immediate return to the big time after besting Girona by four goals to one which leaves Girona’s team and fantastic away support thinking of play-offs. Alcorcon will probably be joining them alongside Las Palmas and Almeria who took advantage of Elche’s hangover with a two-one home win. Sneaky.

Big League started on Saturday afternoon when Valencia got a Champions League boost with a one-nil away win at Getafe, although a two one away win for La Real that night against Sevilla saw both them and the Seville outfit held back in their respective Euro hunt.

One of the biggies of the weekend was up next when good Granada turned up and gave themselves a hefty dose of staying-up medicine with a three nil win over fellow struggler’s, Osasuna. The chaps from Andalucia are now on 39 points which may – just – see them home. The Pamplona Irregulars are back in the dark place dangling two points above the trap door with two games to go.

Sunday’s first encounter saw Rayo Vallecano travel to Levante and come away with three valuable points. Levante will be broadly happy with the season, although performances in recent weeks may be a little worrying for some looking to next year’s challenges. Rayo’s three-two win sees them move back into the Europa League spots, although the combined wisdom of the Spanish League Federation and UEFA (that’s alot of wisdom) will have a say in what happens with appeals by Malaga and Rayo against measurses seemingly designed to really piss off their fans measures that may see them expelled from EuroDreamLand before even getting there. Understand that? No. Neither do we.

Next up Depor moved out of The Zone with a two nil life giver against Espanyol. No doubt Depor fans went all red, white and green a couple of hours later when Bilbao ensured their own safety with a late comeback to win two-one by beating a Zaragoza team who are now wading through the soft-squelch of you-know-what in the bottom three.

FACT ALERT! FACT ALERT! Thanks to Daniel Last of Brighton, England for supplying the information that La Romadera – home of Zaragoza – possesses Europe’s deepest goal nets. I’m sure that’ll will be a balm for those pre-occupied with prospect of second flight football in Aragon next season, Danny. An El Balonazo T-Shirt is on it’s way to you.

Sundays final game saw Barcelona and Valladolid clash in Camp Nou. You know who won so I won’t bother. What you may not have seen is Spain’s first three-pronged civil partnership take place on a football pitch, when Carles, Rigobert and Eric tied the knot in an intimate ceremony with only work colleagues, Shakira and one hundred thousand people shouting ‘Visca’ at every opportunity. One of the grooms didn’t seem too thrilled on his big day…

Mallorca play Betis tonight. Anything but a win will spell curtains for the Islanders. Betis need to the win too. Not good for the Islanders.

Finally, the El Balonazo Grand tour of 2013 came to an end last night. Paul and Dave El Balonazo spread the gospel of competitively priced Football Fashion from the unseasonably cold plains of Madrid to Villarreal, Levante and Cuenca. Massive thanks and big love go to; everybody in Villarreal but particularly the family who supplied us with beer and tales of the champions league, the staff at the UD Levante trinket store and the Avenida Bar in Valencia – although, it must be said, not to the bullet headed grunts who spat at us for having the temerity to be ‘wrong’.

Additional amor to Wicklow Wednesday man Deaglán and his globetrotting pal Daryl, Cillian – the Bohemian of Blanchardstown and Danny ‘Hasselblad’ of Hove. Respect to all the Girona fans in the vertiginous away end at Villarreal for sticking it out despite the on-pitch travails and apologies to the the older gent in front of me who I inadvertently kneed in the head due to Luton Town style seating. Although the peck on the cheek his wife received from this slightly squiffy, poorly shaved Englishman surely made up for any wrongdoing…

In Cuenca, thanks go to the Frank Bough look-a-like fourth official, the Talavera subs who let one of our number prove his inability on the ball during half time for the benefit of the paying public at the Estadio Fuentesanta and especially the TV crew from Castilla La Mancha Television for their patience with our on-air swearing marathon during broadcast.

Finally we wish the best to Randy the Bull (above) and his splendid testicles. Randy scoured the fiesta stalked streets of Villarreal in an attempt to skewer any one of a number of polyester clad youths with inadvisable haircuts who spent their pre-match moments goading the poor creature. We hope you made it, Randy.

By El Balonazo // Twitter

Matthew Glazier of

On 3 March 2013, goals from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon helped Tottenham to win the north London derby and go seven points clear of Arsenal.

After the match, Arsene Wenger admitted that finishing in the top four of the Premier League looked a difficult prospect, with Ladbrokes offering 3/1 about the Gunners making the Champions League places.

The Frenchman said: “We have to fight and it will be difficult now, because we dropped points that we couldn’t afford to drop. But we will fight and we will keep our spirit.”

Wenger was true to his word, with Arsenal galvanising and edging out Tottenham by a single point to claim fourth spot on Sunday. But what were the main reasons why the Gunners were celebrating at St James’ Park last weekend.

1) The central defence partnership of Koscielny and Mertesacker

At the start of the season, it would have been hard to imagine Thomas Vermaelen playing second fiddle to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, although that is exactly what has happened over the past few weeks.

It was fitting that Koscielny scored the winner against Newcastle as the Frenchman’s performances have been excellent, with just two goals conceded in Arsenal’s last six matches. Mertesacker bagged the only goal at Craven Cottage and the pair are directly responsible for fourth place.

2) Arsenal’s win against Bayern Munich

So the defensive horror show at home to Bayern seemed to indicate that the Gunners were leagues apart from the cream of Europe, although Arsenal then went to the Allianz Arena and claimed a 2-0 win. This was just ten days after losing at White Hart Lane and essentially sparked the team’s unbeaten run which lasted all the way to the end of the season.

3) Tottenham’s participation in the Europa League

Andre Villas-Boas declared at the start of the season that Spurs would be trying to win the Europa League and he was as good as his word. Unfortunately, you have to say that fielding a first-team from the word go backfired, especially towards the end of the season when Spurs lost 3-2 at Liverpool just days after beating Inter Milan.

Similarly, extra-time in the San Siro the following week then led to a lacklustre performance against Fulham which saw the Cottagers win 1-0 at White Hart Lane. A 2-2 draw with Basel was followed by another 2-2 draw at home to Everton and the damage was done.

Harry Bronsdon believes that everybody should get behind the team in yellow for this weekend’s Champions League Final.

1- Jürgen Klopp

Is there a more likeable manager in world football than Jürgen Klopp?

Since Klopp came to Dortmund in 2008 he has dramatically improved a team that was only a few years earlier close to folding. He made shrewd signings such as Pizczek (on a free) Hummels (discarded by Bayern), Subotic (came from Mainz with Klopp) and numerous others. He transformed the team over just a few years, finishing sixth and fifth in his first two seasons. Then came the trophies, the first was a Dfl Supercup, beating Bayern in the final in 2008. It was clear he had certainly changed things for good. This is where his status elevated to a legend, from there he won two consecutive Bundesliga trophies and a German Cup last year, beating Bayern emphatically 5-2.

Everything is likeable about Klopp, his team’s style, his touchline passion, his relationship with the players and fans. He actually says interesting things in interviews unlike most managers of today. He is too good for any other team in modern football today, by that I mean if he leaves Dortmund, where is there that would match him so perfectly as Dortmund do. I just can’t imagine him working under a Russian Oligarch or a Saudi Sheikh. But undoubtedly he will leave sometime, just hopefully not for a while yet. Hopefully we will see a Klopp Guardiola rivalry for a few years at least.

2- Dortmund’s style

A large reason so many neutrals have started enjoying and therefore followed die Scharzgelben is because of their aesthetically pleasing football. They attack quickly through quick passing and the front four combine to great affect. Add to that a great centre-back partnership in Subotic and Hummels, plus the ever reliable Pizczek and Schmelzer who both provide great attacking width. They link well with Kuba and Reus and allow both the two attackers to drift inside. Gündogan has grown massively in the past two years, his midfield performances have been so good Klopp didn’t put Nuri Sahin straight back in the team upon his return. Weidenfeller has been excellent too, yet has still not been called up for the German National team.

Dortmund combine fast, incisive attacking when on the ball with a tremendous pressing off it. Similar to Barcelona in many ways, although Dortmund tend to attack a bit quicker when they have the ball. In the final it is likely Bayern will dominate possession, Dortmund will have to counter-attack, taking up space that Bayern leave. Problem is for Dortmund Bayern have no real weak spots. If Van Buyten plays, it could be him who Dortmund target as he’s the weakest of the centre-backs.

3- A one off chance/ The Underdogs?

It has taken Dortmund time to build their team and now that they have reached fruition as shown by being in the Champions League final, naturally the big teams are now circling for many of Dortmund’s finest. Götze is already off, Lewandowski almost sure to go with him. Hummels and Gündogan are the latest linked with moves away from the Westfalenstadion. So if Dortmund don’t take this opportunity how long will it be before they are back in with a chance with such a great first eleven as is currently the case. Unlike Bayern who will be appearing in their third final in four years, Dortmund haven’t got to the final since last time they won it, in 1997. It’s hard to envisage Dortmund appearing so frequently in finals over the coming years.

Bayern Munich are a very likeable team, they play well, are well run, although that really goes without saying as it’s generally the case throughout the Bundesliga. They have masses of money compared to the rest of the league, this is what makes it such an incredible achievement Dortmund have surpassed even them, the mighty Bayern in the previous two years. Dortmund’s financial restraints are a thing Bayern never have to worry about. In a way though Dortmund must be thankful for Bayern’s vast wealth as the Bavarians loaned them around €2M back in 2003 when Dortmund were in financial turmoil.

At the start of this season Bayern paid €40m for Javi Martinez, while Dortmund paid €17m for Marco Reus although this was unusual, it was their biggest transfer since Márcio Amoroso back in 2001, a Bundesliga record at the time. Bayern actually failed in trying to sign Reus who chose his boyhood club instead. This was after Dortmund had just won the double, so more money was coming in, prior to that Klopp had only paid small fees for what have turned out to be very talented players, Lewandowski only €4.5m, Kagawa better still was only €350,000. Whoever Dortmund’s scout is, he is deserving of a new contract after his work of the last few years.

4- Götze’s parting gift

Just over 24 hours prior to Dortmund’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Real Madrid the news broke of Mario Götze’s impending summer transfer. It was the worst news at possibly the worst time. Maybe only the day before the Champions League final against Götze’s new team could have been worse. Klopp took Götze to one side before the game and helped get him prepared for what he may face. It worked! Götze provided the assist for the first of Lewandowski’s four and didn’t seem affected by the news, nor did the team as a whole.

This transfer was shocking as there had been no rumours of it coming and because Götze has been at Dortmund since he was a kid. It was not surprising that Bayern bought one of the best players in the Bundesliga, they have been doing this for years. But this transfer took someone right at the heart of Dortmund to their rivals. It showed a lack of loyalty on Götze’s part, which is disappointing, maybe he thought Dortmund had gone as far as they could and the lure of playing for Bayern and under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola was too hard to resist. I have since heard that Götze turned down a mammoth offer from Man City that would have been more lucrative, whether this is true or not it’s something to be thankful for that it didn’t happen.

5- The best fans in the world? 

Another aspect of what makes Dortmund so likeable to a neutral are their fans, thanks in part to having a 80,000 capacity, less in European competitions. Built for the 1974 World Cup, Westfalenstadion is a perfect stadium for football, stands tight to the pitch unlike so many stadiums with a mixture of terracing and seating. The South Stand (Südtribüne) is where most of the noise emanates, holding 25,000 fans I suppose it shouldn’t be such a surprise. The banners too (see before the Malaga game) make it a great sight panning round at each stand before and during a game.

For the final Dortmund have had 500,000 apply for it tickets, sadly only 24,000 are available to Dortmund and Bayern, with 27,000 going to UEFA sponsors, therefore only suppressing the all German atmosphere. Borussia Dortmund’s popularity naturally has risen with the success they have achieved in the last few years, although Bayern still dominate when it comes to fans, with further success Dortmund’s fan base will naturally only increase further.

Various international players over recent seasons have further propelled Dortmund’s following outside of Germany. Due to Pizczek, Lewandowski and national captain Blaszczykowski Dortmund have become more popular in Poland,  I have even heard of them being referred to as Polonia Dortmund. Shinji Kagawa has also definitely helped get them more attention in Japan too.

So this Saturday night, let’s hope for a yellow glow radiating in the London sky.

Harry is the man behind the A Random Ball blog.

Last week’s expulsion and subsequent banning of Aiden McGeady meant they were left without a player with the bottle to take on defenders and throw himself into the game. His team-mates certainly did take on the second part, with a slightly different trajectory. The examples of diving and play-acting reached a crescendo in the dying seconds as Jose Manuel Jurado chased the ball back on the right wing, was easily dispossessed and threw himself to the artificial turf, allowing the Samara player to launch a nearly costly attack on the Spartak goal. Not even the most hardcore Spartak fans were defending his actions and subsequent inaction.

It has been so with Spartak for too long. A club without silverware for almost a generation and seemingly hanging on for the move to the under construction “Okritie Arena/Stadium” in the suburb of Tushino. They’re building, always building, while everyone waits for the finished product. Instead of bringing in a new generation of fans who have moved up in the world and on with their ideology, this season marked more lows in how the Spartak “fans” show their love for the club, and none of them attractive for new fans to push the club on. On the Sunday after the match, walking along the bank of the Moscow river opposite Tushino, I saw at one end of the old airfield abandoned planes. At the other the skeleton of the new stadium. It was there in Tushino where the Soviet Air Fleet Day was annually held, showing off the latest in USSR-built air power triumphs of Soviet aviation and military advances. Now the Ilyushin-14 that sits restored in the area will be testament to a new form of entertainment and not one that will be as energising as 22 years ago.

In 1991 an ambitious local invited legends of rock like AC/DC, Metallica and Pantera to the airfield to host the first Monsters of Rock in the former Soviet Union. Figures range from between 150-500,000 of punters who showed up for the event, yet Spartak will soon have the opportunity to surpass this flash in the pan by bringing tens of thousands in every second week in the season and turning a fertile hunting ground in North-West Moscow into their domain. And yet, and yet. Who in their right mind would run the gauntlet of showing up to stand (the “real fans” won’t sit) next to people who chant “White Power” when they’re going to away matches in Europe, make monkey noises or obscene chants, and who misbehave in shows of club love when things don’t go their way. It’s not a place to bring children and it doesn’t inspire players either. Yet club officials won’t confront it.

Nothing on or off the field suggests that the tens of millions pumped into the club by oligarch Leonid Fedun is achieving the required results. Frequent spats with other clubs and the FA by Fedun and his club officials do not improve or even begin to rehabilitate the image of Spartak in the neutral or opposition eyes. And more worrying, yesterday (Friday 17/05) Fedun stepped down from his position in Lukoil, the company he co-owns and from which he finances the club, such events too often have dire consequences. While opponents will always go against them, losing the neutrals is what Spartak cannot continue to do. When their fans regularly smash up seating in their own and host stadia, cause fights in the street and misrepresent what the club stands for, it’s not only the club name but brand that loses value and in pure business terms club branding is going to be more and more important as FFP and reality dawns on Russian clubs.

Ultimately it is all about leadership and the lack thereof. The lack of a personality or leader to grab the game by the scruff of the neck with visitors Krylia Sovetov visibly wilting in the muggy Moscow heat cost Spartak the win. Leadership and direction on the pitch is a mirror of what is going on off it. It is not for nothing that Alex Ferguson and the Manchester United Directors achieved such success for a long period, there was communication, cohesion, trust and belief – everyone knew what their job was and they got on with it. In Spartak, and other clubs who find themselves off the pace despite sufficient investment in operations, such best practice is rarely followed…

As I stated before, Valery Karpin is one of the gentlemen of Russian football and at any other club would be a successful Coach or GM, but he wouldn’t be both. As a player he had vision, intelligence and class, as a person he has the same, plus he’s a nice guy. A former colleague, now back coaching in Ireland, told me (when a club officer stated that a certain first teamer should be treated nicer as he was a “nice guy”) “Alan, we can have a team of nice guys and win nothing and we’re both out of a job, or we get players in who can do a job and stay working.” I agreed with him then and I agree with him now. How Spartak long for a Roy Keane on the pitch and a Sam Allardyce off it, yet the majority of “fans” who come to matches waving red scarves wouldn’t want to build, they want to win because it is the right of Spartak to do so, yet in their hearts they know that something major has to change, and fast. With a new stadium to move to, it could prove a fitting coffin on the banks of the Moscow river if the club flotation takes it the way of Hajduk Split or worse, Portsmouth.