Manchester City have unveiled their new home kit for the 2013-2014 season.

The new sky blue home kit is sponsored by Nike, after Nike sold former kit makers Umbro to Iconix Brand Group last year for £140million, ending City’s association with the Manchester-based firm. As with the new England kit, it’s a new era for Manchester City.

Composed of recycled polyester, the shirts are detailed with white ribbed collars and cuffs, as well as a dark blue trim referencing the socks of the inaugural 1882 team kit, apparently. Other features include Nike’s sweat-wicking Dri-FIT technology and special laser-cut ventilation zones.

With Roberto Mancini sacked earlier this month and Manuel Pellegrini expected to take the reins at the Etihad Stadium imminently these are changing times for Manchester City both on and off the field. A partnership with the New York Yankees in their start-up of an MLS franchise, New York City FC, also points to a new, internationally visible City. The New York skyline in the background of this kit image reflects that.

What do you think of the new Manchester City home kit? Comments welcome below. I quite like the neat simplicity of the design, so I’m giving it a solid 7.8/10.

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Big spending Queens Park Rangers could face a range of financial difficulties after being relegated from the Premier League.

Being a Championship club next season allows QPR to escape Michel Platini’s Financial Fair Play rules as they do not have to apply for a UEFA license. However, as this article notes:

“in early 2012, the Football League, which comprises the second through fourth divisions of English football, announced its own set of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules aimed to reduce the levels of losses being incurred and establish a league of financially self-sustaining professional football clubs.”

With a potential transfer ban being imposed on clubs that over-spend and incur losses in a failure to meet the Football League’s FFP rules, let’s take a look at QPR’s current financial status:

(Figures obtained via ESPN from links here and here.)

In their most recent accounts QPR have posted a loss of £22.6millon. Furthermore wages have doubled from the prior year with an alarming wages-to-turnover ratio of 90% in 2012.

If we do a quick estimated projection for the current period ending 31 May 2013, QPR’s financial outlook continues to paint an even darker picture.

According to transfermarkt.co.uk £22million was spent in January on Loic Remy and Christopher Samba and further cash outlays would have been incurred on the sacking of managers Neil Warnock and Mark Hughes.

See also: The Champions League and Financial Fair Play – who’s affected? (Part I)

Furthermore, QPR’s wage bill will certainly be significantly higher than the £58million for 2012. If we assume revenue will be roughly the same, then we can safely predict that QPR will incur a loss for 2013 considerably greater than the £22.6 million loss for the period ending 31 May 2012.

If we look ahead to next year, QPR will be somewhat boosted by a parachute payment but this will not offset the lost TV revenue from no longer being in the Premier League.

The club will more than likely offload a few high profile players and thereby also reduce their wage bill. Despite this, the club seems destined to fail to break even once more in 2014.

What does this mean for QPR?

The 2013/2014 accounts will be assessed under the new strict FFP rules for the Championship. QPR are in grave danger of being penalised with a transfer ban for failing to meet these requirements.

Fair Play Tax

Should QPR not gain immediate promotion back to the Premier League next season, a transfer ban will adversely affect their ambitions of doing so the following season.

However, if QPR were to bounce back immediately to the top flight they could be slapped with a “Fair Play Tax” under the new regulations. All clubs that achieve promotion based on overspending and fail to meet the FFP rules will pay a ‘tax’ based on predetermined calculations.

QPR are 66% owned by Tony Fernandes, the executive officer of Malaysia’s Air Asia Bhd (AIRA) and 33% owned by the Mittal family. Both are exceptionally wealthy multi-billionaires and their continuous support of the club will ease supporters’ fears that QPR could face suffer the same fate as Portsmouth and Leeds United.

Despite a worrying escalating debt figure QPR fans can be comforted by the fact that they had no external debt at 31 May 2012. The debt of £89 million on the Balance Sheet represents loans from Fernandez and the Mital family. A £15 million loan was secured with Barclays Bank in Hong Kong in March 2013 for the development of a training ground and this now represents QPR’s only external debt.

Fernandes’s willingness to fund QPR’s losses and commit to a long-term project will ensure QPR escape bankruptcy. However while the wealthy owners may be prepared to pump continuous money into the club, QPR’s current business model is unlikely to meet the new FFP regulations for English football going forward.

QPR’s main aim will be immediate promotion back to the Premier League next season as a “Fair Play Tax” is something Mr Fernandes and the Mittal’s family’s wallets can easily take care off.

A transfer ban however, should they remain in the Championship, is something that the owner’s money won’t be able to solve easily.

(photo credit: Steve Apex via Flickr)

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Ahead of the upcoming friendly with the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on May 29th, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has tweeted a picture of the new England kit.

Like this kid, my England dream began here, so he was first in #theshirt – England’s new kit from @nikefootball twitter.com/JackWilshere/s…

— Jack Wilshere (@JackWilshere) May 20, 2013

The kit, worn by a student at Wilshere’s old school, is the first to be designed by England’s new kit manufacturers Nike, who replace Umbro after their 60-year association with England ended this season. Nike will be England’s kit makers in a deal until 2018.

The round-neck shirt features the FA’s 150th anniversary badge emblazoned underneath the crest. Many are comparing it to Germany’s 1974 World Cup-winning kit, which is sure to cause a few smirks here and there.

My first thoughts on the new kit? I miss Umbro already.

What do you think of the new England kit and will you be buying? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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by Matt MacKenzie

Despite their frankly astonishing FA Cup triumph, the axe has finally fallen on one of the Premier League’s most appreciated sides. A neutral’s favourite throughout this season in particular, Wigan Athletic have become the latest victims of relegation to the Championship.

Perennial escapologists, Wigan have clung on to Premier League status by their fingernails for the last eight years. Promoted in 2005 and expected to go straight back down, they managed to frustrate expectations for longer than any could have envisaged; finally, though, their luck ran out with a 4-1 capitulation to Arsenal on May 14th. As so often, their defensive organisation proved their undoing.

Eminently watchable, occasionally scintillating in attack and often shambolic in defence, they will be missed by most. It is likely, too, that their eviction will be long-lasting. Yet with Wigan there was always hope, and it is a shame that their penultimate match proved a bridge too far for an already stretched squad.

Their squad contains talent that deserved better. Even their much-criticised defence, the Premier League’s joint worst, is not utterly hopeless. Ivan Ramis, signed in the summer of 2012 from this year’s La Liga strugglers Real Mallorca, looked promising before succumbing to injury. But it is clear that their real stars operate further up the field.

James McCarthy has been earning rave reviews all season for his consistently composed, impressive performances in the middle of the park. By all accounts an extremely pleasant, modest man – his national team manager Giovanni Trapattoni has jokingly threatened to punch him for being too shy – McCarthy turned down overtures from Liverpool and Arsenal in favour of regular playing time at Wigan, and looks set to depart following another excellent season.

McCarthy is a midfield general of moderate stature but exceptional authority, dictating play and distributing precisely off both feet. His 12 caps in a currently poor Ireland side will multiply many times over before his career draws to a close.

Ivorian striker Arouna Kone has long ploughed a lonely furrow up front, and his 11 goals in 36 games for a club of comparatively low standing tell their own story. Creative attacking player Shaun Maloney too has finally begun to fulfil his enormous potential, scoring arguably their most important league goal of the season with his dipping free-kick against QPR in early April.

Much has been made recently of winger Callum McManaman, who has done well to perform strongly in the face of media condemnation for an (admittedly) dreadful tackle on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara. Wigan’s FA Cup success will have been particularly sweet for McManaman. His man-of-the-match performance, throughout which his pace and persistence tortured City left-back Gael Clichy, was discussed in glowing terms by the British media.

Wigan Athletic – The entertainers?

Opinion divides over the root of Wigan’s relative successes. While languishing in a lowly league position, fans and pundits alike agree that Wigan’s approach is entertaining and not entirely ineffective.

Manager Roberto Martinez, a true football man renowned even during his comparatively undistinguished playing career as a student of the game, is regularly in the frame for more prestigious positions and it is hoped by many that he remains in his job.

Chairman Dave Whelan, even in this era of cut-throat competition, has repeatedly and openly demonstrated real faith in his manager, something perhaps belying his popular perception as an opinionated, right-wing rent-a-gob. Certainly, his shrewd stewardship has done Wigan proud.

A solid structure remains in place if Martinez does not depart, something that bodes well for the club’s future.

Martinez’ tactical approach earns much praise, although his detractors point to relegation as evidence of his deficiencies. It is commented often that while Wigan are an attractive side to watch, they can be embarrassingly easy to break down.

Is this, though, something that could be expected? The side has never been of more than sporadic footballing quality. Moreover, it almost always loses key players at season’s end.

Eight years without relegation, in view of these circumstances, is in my mind an underrated achievement. Much was made, after all, of Blackpool’s footballing approach during the 2010/11 season, but their maiden adventure in the top flight proved to be their last.

It is true that Wigan have survived narrowly on multiple occasions, but performances such as their 3-0 defeat of David Moyes’ well-drilled Everton side indicate that on their day Wigan were a cut above other relegation candidates in terms of style and end product. The Premier League, after all, is not without its teams whose philosophy consists of simply hoofing it to the big man up top.

Wigan, though, are the only side in the league to regularly play with a back three and espouse a free-flowing, attacking style that comes unstuck primarily because of the paucity of quality within the ranks.

With 47 league goals (the equal of Swansea, more than Newcastle, Sunderland, Norwich, West Ham and others) Wigan did have firepower. 73 goals conceded however was the league’s joint worst tally. It is this as much as their periodic attacking flair that endears them to neutrals. Fans love goals, after all.

Some say Martinez’ tactical approach is simply too open, others point to poor-quality defenders, arguing no feats of tactical alchemy could turn the likes of Gary Caldwell and Emmerson Boyce into gold-standard players. Yet regardless of the reason why, Wigan’s games have not often been boring.

Natural order

But even more than this it could be argued Wigan’s very existence as a top-flight football team is a surprise. Wigan are without doubt the Premier League’s least fashionable club.

Opposition fans sometimes consider Wigan’s poor away attendance a personal slight; a sign of disrespect. But this view fails to take into account the difficulties Wigan have had in establishing a support base.

Not only are they surrounded by nine ‘bigger’ clubs, one of which (yesteryear’s Lancashire giants Preston North End) plays in League One, they inhabit also a part of Greater Manchester solidly wedded to the sport of rugby league.

Further complicating the issue is Wigan’s dearth of home-grown talent. As a consequence of their circumstances, their young talent is in large part composed of cast-offs from these larger clubs. Some have succeeded at Wigan through poor judgement on the part of others. It is frankly astonishing, for example, that Liverpool deemed the young Leighton Baines insufficiently talented, or Everton Callum McManaman.

Even so, a club reliant on talent slipping through the net takes its own life into its hands. This fact almost makes their slickness and success perverse, particularly within the context of the comparatively unreconstructed English league.

As such, many neutrals will hope that they haven’t seen the last of Wigan, existing and playing as they do so precariously.

Matt Mackenzie is a guest contributor to Just Football. Follow him on Twitter @oagmackenzie.

(photo credit: inmediahk via Flickr Creative Commons)

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
(Saint-Etienne / Gabon)

Like all human beings, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a man of many complexities and contradictions.

A home-loving figure most at ease in the tranquil countryside of his home town Laval, yet willingly appears on French TV dressed as Michael Jackson.

Extremely popular and outgoing yet prefers to surround himself with close, childhood friends. Shy yet he drives a lime green Aston Martin. Humble, but he wears Swarovski crystal-encrusted football boots and shaves the Superman logo into his hair.

The Gabonese international striker is without question one of French football’s more compelling characters; a pop star footballer who adds pizzazz to a league that can sometimes lack a certain glamour. But it his natural ability on the football field, and goalscoring prowess, that has everyone talking – and scouts purring.

Aubameyang has hit 19 goals in 35 league appearances this season to add to the 16 in 36 league games last season, and has been a fundamental part of Saint-Etienne’s transformation from Ligue 1 mid-table-at-best fodder to Champions League contenders and cup winners for the first time in 32 years.

It hasn’t always been this way though. The 23-year-old’s journey to his current status as one of Europe’s most coveted talents has not been without setbacks.

Formative years

Born in Laval, Aubameyang is the youngest of three brothers in what is something of a Gabonese football dynasty. His father, Pierre Aubame, was captain of the first Gabon team to make it to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1994 and played for a number of French clubs in his career including Laval, Le Havre, Toulouse and Nice.

In retirement, Aubame found work as a scout for AC Milan and all three sons, Pierre-Emerick as well as elder brothers Catilina and Willy, grew up at Milanello after showing promise as teenagers. Pierre-Emerick was on the books at Milan for three years (2008-2011) without ever making it, spending most of his time shipped out on loan to French clubs (Dijon, Lille, Monaco) and making only two official appearances – one in a friendly and one in the Coppa Italia.

Despite this Aubameyang still looks back fondly on his time at Milan. “It was crazy, I shared a dressing with players like Seedorf, Kaka and Pirlo,” he told So Foot in an interview in December. “Personally I feel honoured to have spent my formative years at such a great club.”

Failure to impose himself at Milan, however understandable under the circumstances, was followed by doubt and at times even ridicule back in France. Aubameyang’s coach at Monaco, Guy Lacombe, talks about the many arguments he had with directors who disagreed with his decision to persist with the Gabonese striker, who managed only 2 goals in 19 games.

“Certain people said he was pathetic,” Lacombe recalls. “After a month I told them they should activate his buy-out clause but they didn’t listen and as soon as I left the club they discarded him.” 

After a failed loan spell in the Principality Aubameyang was loaned to Saint-Etienne in January 2011. Les Verts coach Christophe Galtier was not so foolish and, having admired the youngster’s technique, skill and electric pace from a distance, made sure to sign him on a permanent contract as soon as he could.

Style of Play and Character

Aubameyang’s record since joining Saint-Etienne reads 37 goals and 14 assists in 85 appearances, and he continues to get better.

This season Aubameyang won the Marc-Vivien Foe Prize for Best African Player in Ligue 1, was shortlisted for Ligue 1 Player of the Season alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Silva and, with goals in seven straight Ligue 1 games up to March, broke a record for goals in consecutive games held previously by Loic Remy.

It is not just his on-field statistics that make Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang such an impressive player however. His endearing character would also come welcome in many a dressing room. He comes across as a very likeable person and is extremely popular with the players at Saint-Etienne.

‘Spiderbam’

His vibrant personality and infectious charm have won him friends and admirers, and he is also very warm and considerate.

The former Sainté goalkeeper Jeremie Janot says he was ‘moved to tears’ when, after scoring a goal back in October, Aubameyang wore a Spiderman mask in tribute to the recently departed club legend. “An extraordinary striker and an extraordinary man,” Janot tweeted after the gesture. “Milan should regret letting him leave!”

When Jeremy Clement broke his ankle earlier this season Aubameyang shaved ‘JC 6′ into his famously-coiffed hairstyle and he was also a chief instigator of Sainté’s own version of the Harlem Shake.

“He definitely has a bling-bling side but in person he is extremely generous. He really has his hand on heart,” says teammate Joshua Guilavogui.

What I like about Aubameyang is his style. He plays with a certain relaxation. He is unflustered in possession, taking his time on the ball in one-on-one situations before committing the defender with a sudden explosion of pace.

His movement is intelligent; perpetual motion, darting from one side of the field to another, switching positions. Always calculated, always with purpose. His assist at the Stade de France for the winning goal in the league cup final against Rennes was a perfect example.

His pace is dazzling and in front of goal he is a calm finisher, capable in the air and clinical with his right foot. That said, he does have the ability to score more goals and can be wasteful at times, something he readily admits.

“I need to be more deadly in front of goal,” he commented in a recent interview. “Why not reach the level of the greats, who score 50 goals per season? I’d like to score 38 goals in 38 games in a league season. That would be exceptional.” Above all else, it is this ambitious streak residing within him that I really like, and convinces me that he could go all the way to the top.

The future

As far as the future is concerned, rumours persist that Aubameyang will leave France at the end of the season for destination unknown. A vast number of top European clubs are seriously interested in the striker and PSG, Manchester City, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and many others have already made enquiries.

With France’s 75% tax rate soon to be introduced for high earners, Aubameyang admitted in January that it was likely to be his last six months in Ligue 1, but his stance softened when Saint-Etienne looked like reaching a Champions League place. A late season dip in form however makes the likelihood of that now quite remote.

It would be fantastic for Saint-Etienne and Ligue 1 in general if they could keep him for another season, but if he does leave in the summer Aubameyang will command a big fee and will always be remembered for his star role in the first team to bring a major trophy back to Stade Geoffrey-Guichard for over 30 years.

(photo credits: Aubameyang7 on Twitter)

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by Tim Palmer

Real Madrid’s dropped points at Espanyol last weekend helped seal the title for Barcelona, confirming the four winners of Europe’s four major leagues in England, Germany, Spain and Italy.

It didn’t come as a shock that Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus were the winners, but the comfortable manner in which each league has been won has come as a shock.

In England, Manchester United will finish between seven and thirteen points ahead of their nearest rivals Manchester City. It’s the same situation in Spain – second placed Madrid are well adrift of their Catalan foes.

In Germany, the gap between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund is a staggering twenty-two points, while Italy features the smallest gap at present with nine points separating Juve and Napoli.

With the European season entering its final weeks, the current combined points difference between first and second in the four major leagues is fifty-one points: a remarkable statistic. It also represents a significant increase from the twenty one points that separated the winners from the runners-up in last season’s title races.

These are four outstanding winners but, curiously, apart from a shared superiority over their respective leagues, there is no constant theme to their success.

Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s twentieth and final title was achieved on the strength of a versatile, flexible squad with no clear, overriding philosophy – instead, the Scotsman tweaked his selection and tactics from game to game which combined with the outstanding form of Robin Van Persie to produce a comprehensive title win.

Juventus

In contrast, Italian champions Juventus have a very settled starting XI, and their lack of an elite striker is at the opposite end of the spectrum to Manchester United’s system. Conte only makes subtle changes to the format of his side, confident in the fact that sheer strength and power can overrun opponents.

Arturo Vidal’s storming campaign has been important, providing midfield drive and energy from a deeper position, while Claudio Marchisio’s goal-scoring impact from a deep position shouldn’t be underestimated. They’ve been the outstanding individuals in what is otherwise a balanced, cohesive team unit.

Barcelona/Bayern

Meanwhile, the champions of Spain and Germany share the most similar systems. Both dominate possession on a regular basis, but whereas Barcelona’s game is to priortise the ball at all costs, Bayern mix their possession with ruthless counter-attacking.

It was why they were able to so effectively destroy the Spanish giants in European competition – they had a variety and precision to their game that Barcelona could not match.

See also: Bayern Munich – Story of a Record-Breaking Season

Interestingly, Barcelona and Bayern also share the common trait of rotating their squad fairly regularly. It’s not quite at the level of Manchester United, but nor is it as infrequent as Juventus – Jupp Hencykes and Tito Vilanova have ensured their fringe players continue to have a role, even if there remains a clear first choice side.

There is a distinct lack of a common theme across the major winners. There’s never ever been a ‘right’ way to win matches and titles, but the past few years have exaggerated the point, with the ‘big’ teams developing different identities and not relying on an overriding tactical theme.

Whereas trends such as defensiveness or offensiveness come and go, we’ve now reached a middle ground, where the major teams find a balance between attack and defence.

Consider last year’s winners, a set of completely different teams, and again, a set of completely incongruent approaches.

Manchester City used two playmakers in narrow roles to support a rotating cast of strikers, while the crowning feature of Juventus title in 2011-12 was the creativity of Andrea Pirlo from a deeper position. They are the only side to retain their league title this season, but have still evolved their style of play.

Meanwhile, Spain and Germany again boasted the two most similar systems, both revolving around transitions – Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid successful with a powerful and effective brand of counter-attacking football.

In that regard, it’s ironic to consider how much football seems to have progressed in the past few months. We’ve gone from the era of extreme possession, when Barcelona prevailed at Wembley in 2011, to extreme defensiveness with Chelsea in 2012 in the space of three years.

It remains to be seen who will triumph when the Champions League final returns to Wembley, but we already know it won’t confirm the era of any overriding philosophy, given the disparate nature of strategies on the domestic front.

If you tried hard enough, you might find a pattern – but what Europe’s recent title races have shown us is that although there are clear winners in each of Europe’s major leagues, there’s no clear strategy.

Tim Palmer is a new contributor to Just Football specialising in football in Australia and Oceania. Follow him on Twitter or check out his A-League tactics blog for more.

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Manchester United supporters were in jubilant mood at the parade to celebrate their 20th league title on Monday.

A day after being handed the Premier League trophy, Sir Alex Ferguson’s 13th and final league championship before he retires from football after 26 and a half years in charge at Old Trafford, United’s trophy parade took place in Manchester.

With all the players on board, United’s red open-top bus, adorned with the words ‘Champions 2013′ and ‘Thankyou Sir Alex’, travelled from Old Trafford down Sir Matt Busby Way, through Deansgate and on towards Albert Square, where a stage was set up to greet players, staff and manager.

Manchester was absolute chaos as fans climbed lampposts, traffic lights, office buildings, ran along roofs and craned themselves into any vantage point possible to get a glimpse of the champions and their legendary outgoing manager. The Manchester Evening News suggested that around 100,000 supporters took to the streets, although unofficial figures suggest it was anything up to 300,000+.

One picture summed the day up, taken as hundreds of fans climbed the scaffolding of a building in Deansgate. The picture, captured it seems by @TomHalsall14 and Instagrammed by Alex Buttner and Anderson among others, is an iconic image showing just what lengths supporters will go to get a glimpse of their heros, and a superb tribute to the passion Manchester United fans have for their team:

So much for the myth about their fans coming from outside Manchester. A brilliant, iconic image of football fandom.

Videos of the ‘Scaffold Army’ below (note: for those of a sensitive nature, some contain a few naughty words, mainly aimed at crosstown rivals Manchester City who sacked their manager Roberto Mancini on the same day).

View from the scaffolding:

View of the scaffolding, at street level:

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The weekend’s 3 to See for the weekend 10th-13th May, as brought to you by Just Football:

Crystal Palace v Brighton 

(Friday 10th May – 19.45 GMT)

After Leicester and Watford did battle in the first of the Championship play-off semi finals on Thursday attention turns to the teams who finished 5th and 4th in the Championship respectively, as Crystal Palace face fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in what should be a tense and dramatic play off.

The two teams are separated by some 45 miles, but despite this the rivalry is strong, dating back to the 1970s.

Clashes between the two in recent years have seen several fans arrested in a bitter atmosphere, and as such both teams announced a rather draconian set of rules for fans wishing to acquire tickets for the game, including making supporters’ seat numbers available to both Metropolitan and Sussex Police and one year bans for anyone found to have sold their tickets onto another person. Ludicrous, really.

Despite the authority’s attempts to limit trouble – or, as some might see it, suck all the life out of an intriguing rivalry – it should be an exciting game between two of the most exciting sides in the division.

Both Palace and Brighton outscored the two automatically promoted teams Cardiff City and Hull City, and with Brighton hitting 10 goals in their last 3 games Ian Holloway’s Palace will have to be wary. In return, Gus Poyet’s team need beware of the prolific former Brighton player turned Palace hotshot Glenn Murray.

Palace, for their part, managed only one win in their final 10 league games. For those interested in betting on the match, Brighton are the favourites to qualify. The second leg in Brighton is on Monday.

FC Porto v Benfica

(Saturday 11th May – 20.30 GMT)

In arguably the biggest game of the weekend, rivals Porto meet Benfica in Portugal’s ‘O Clàssico’ – a game that should effectively determine the destiny of the league title in Portugal.

Both teams have gone the entire league season thus far unbeaten and only 2 points separate the two teams in the table, with two games remaining, the last game almost academic given the pair’s win record this season.

Benfica have a two-point lead over current champions Porto, but must travel to the Dragao and hope to secure a point at least in order to have their destiny in their own hands going into the final game. Basically, this is as big as it gets.

Both Porto and Benfica have played some stunning football at times this season, Benfica reaching the Europa League final where they will meet Chelsea while Porto were excellent at times in the Champions League (one game where they tore PSG apart at home springs to mind, belying the narrow victory), before succumbing to Malaga.

Lisbon and Porto are the two largest cities in Portugal, with Benfica and Porto the richest and most influential sides in the country. These two pretty much hate each other, and with the likes of James Rodriguez, Jackson Martinez, Oscar Cardozo and co on show, it should be a classic. As a bonus betting offer, Porto are favourites to win this one on home soil.

Manchester United v Swansea City

(Sunday 12th March – 16.00 GMT)

All good things come to an end, so the saying goes and this game will be all about Sir Alex Ferguson, as the most successful manager in English football history calls time on a stunning 26 trophy-laden years in charge at Manchester United.

Ferguson announced his retirement earlier this week in news so big it provided The Guardian website their biggest ever day in terms of traffic, and afforded Sir Alex over 6 million mentions on Twitter. Modern statistics for a traditional manager.

Ferguson has been a pillar of English football for over a quarter of a century now, and with United also set to be handed their 20th Premier League trophy, and final trophy of the Ferguson era, the game is really less important than the spectacle around it.

There won’t be a dry eye in the house on what will be a truly emotional occasion for all Manchester United fans.

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by Katie Ball

In recent seasons the Football League has seen a number of strikers thrust into the limelight after their remarkable progress throughout the three divisions. This year it is Glenn Murray’s turn.

The Crystal Palace frontman became the first player in Britain to hit the 30-goal mark back in March, in his team’s 2-2 draw against Leeds United. A relative drought in the final nine games of the season saw him end the season with 31 goals to his name, but it was still enough to earn his team a place in the playoffs, and the striker a new contract.

In just over ten years, the 29-year-old has advanced from Non-League football to the verge of the Premier League.

Murray started his career in his home county of Cumbria with Conference North side Workington Reds, before he moved to America in 2004 to join the Wilmington Hammerheads.

His stay in the US proved a short one as he returned to England to sign for Barrow; and after netting nine times in nine appearances Murray earned a move to Carlisle United.

A three-year spell followed, where the Englishman contributed towards his side’s two consecutive promotions. The Cumbrians experienced Conference Play-off success in 2005 and subsequently claimed the League Two title a year later.

Murray never hit real goal-scoring form for the club and was sent out on loan, most notably to Rochdale who decided to sign the striker on a permanent basis. It was here that Murray started to demonstrate his true potential.

During 2007/08 Murray struck 22 goals in 46 appearances to force himself onto the radar of a number of League One clubs and it was Brighton & Hove Albion that snapped him up for a reported fee of £300,000.

In his opening two seasons at the Withdean he netted nine and twelve times respectively, but it was the 2010/11 campaign under manager Gus Poyet where Murray really started to flourish.

The hot-shot finished on an impressive 22 goals in Albion’s title winning side; however Murray chose not to renew his contract with the club on their return to the Championship. During his stay he featured over 100 times, finishing on 56 goals.

Since joining Palace in 2011, Murray has struck 38 times – his notable tally of 30 in the current campaign has helped propel the Eagles into the play-offs under the leadership of both former manager Dougie Freedman and his successor Ian Holloway.

His fine form over the past seven months saw him rewarded with a nomination for Championship Player of the Year and to round off his most successive season yet, Murray signed a two-year extension to his contract in April to keep him in South London until 2016.

His manager Holloway raves about him. “There’s not many strikers around in my time who have got 30 in one season. Hopefully he can get a few more to get us up as well. What he’s done is phenomenal.”

“It’s not just [goals]. It’s his work rate, he leads the line and how he brings other people into the game is as good as I’ve seen to be honest.”

After jumping from club to club in the early years of his career, he has now firmly established himself at Championship level. It seems Murray and Palace are the perfect fit. Now for the playoffs, and a chance to help Palace advance to Wembley by knocking out one of Murray’s former clubs – Palace’s big rivals Brighton.

Katie Ball is a sports journalism graduate and new contributor to Just Football focussing on the English Football League. Follow her on Twitter @KatieBall3

(photo credit: redsforest via Flickr)

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In previous generations, the skills of tomorrow’s footballers were born on the cul-de-sac streets and playing field pitches of working class Britain, until it got dark or you were called in for tea.

Competitive football for kids began at age 8 or so, usually a hoof-fest on a full size pitch, with dads clubbing in to give lifts to away games. Barely any kid would touch the ball more than once or twice, instead freezing away on school pitches, hugging the touchline under instruction from an overenthusiastic clipboard coach and waiting for the misery to end.

Things have changed, however, with CRB checks and health & safety making things much more structured and systematic. Perhaps the fun of learning football has gone somewhat, but the hunger to play has not and in an effort to integrate this desire to play with the rules of modern Britain, the F.A. has recently regulated equipment, pitch and team sizes for each level of competitive football in England.

From under-7s all the way through to senior, there are now recommended sizes for ball, pitch, goalpost and team size. The aim is to get kids playing on a field that suits their age, allowing them more time on the ball and avoiding the situation where children barely more than three foot tall go in a full sized adult’s goal trying to dive around and make saves.

Equipment retailer The Soccer Store has kindly collated these recommendations into a handy infographic bought to you by The Soccer Store.

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The temperature continues to rise for Jose Mourinho in Madrid. After elimination in the semi finals of the Champions League courtesy of a brilliant Borussia Dortmund side, and with the league title all but conceded back to Barcelona, the pressure on Mourinho is building as speculation increases that this will be his final few weeks as head coach at Real Madrid.

With sections of the Spanish media supposedly against him (so Jose would have us believe) and the number of player/manager spats at the Bernabeu multiplying on a near daily basis, it seems the knives are sharpening for the Portuguese master of feather ruffling.

His fallout with Iker Casillas has split the dressing room and divided Madridistas in general. Furthermore, a perceived tendency to overstress the ‘I’ over the ‘we’ has irritated fans and pundits alike, many of whom did not take too kindly to Mourinho referring more to his chase for a third Champions League trophy than Real Madrid’s hunt for ‘la decima’ (their tenth) and cryptic hints of a possible move to Chelsea immediately after Real’s bitter defeat to Dortmund.

Ahead of Real Madrid’s game against Malaga tomorrow however Mourinho has come out swinging, once again using his favourite stage – the press conference – to point the finger defiantly at his detractors. Some of the tastier quotes he offered:

On Iniesta, who told the Spanish programme Onda Cero he could not understand why Iker Casillas was not playing, Mourinho replied: “He can think what he likes but I only want to say to him that without Messi his team is so different that it did what it did in the semi finals of the Champions League (7-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich).”

On Pepe, who had commented that Casillas ‘deserved more respect’ and that some of Mourinho’s comments ‘had not been appropriate’, Mourinho hit back.

“It’s very easy to analyse Pepe. His problem has a name, and that name is Raphael Varane. It’s not easy for a man of 31 years of age to be overtaken by a kid of 19. And this kid is fantastic.“

I had the courage to put the kid in. The problem is simple. Very simple. Pepe’s life has changed. He used to be guaranteed a place in the starting eleven and now he no longer is.

I understand his frustration and I don’t have any problems with him. I have to try and be honest and I don’t think many will disagree with me that the future of Real Madrid is Varane and Sergio Ramos.”

On Casillas, Mourinho elaborated on the reasons why he is no longer first choice keeper at Real Madrid:

“I am a football coach, and one of my responsibilities is to decide who plays. I do this by thinking, analysing, discussing and studying my decisions for many hours, watching videos, trying to make the right decision.

For me I prefer Diego Lopez as a goalkeeper to Iker Casillas. It’s simple. It’s not a personal decision. I like a keeper that is good with his feet, who is dominant in the air and who is a phenomenon between the posts.”

“I prefer this other profile of keeper. In the same way that Casillas can say that he prefers another type of manager, like Del Bosque or Pellegrini. While I am the coach of Real Madrid, Diego Lopez will play in goal.”

Mourinho seems to be drawing the battle lines here with some of his comments.

His analysis of Casillas makes interesting reading. The notion that Casillas has any kind of flaws to his game is one that has been rarely challenged in over 15 years in Spain as ‘San Iker’ has grown into a national icon.

Does Mourinho have a point in his assessment or is he simply using Casillas as a pawn in a game to show everyone who is really in charge at Real Madrid? (Gary Curneen’s assessment of Casillas when he went behind the scenes at Real Madrid last summer make pertinent reading.)

Furthermore, given some of Diego Lopez’s performances since joining in January (excellent saves against both Manchester United and Dortmund stick in the mind), can anyone really argue that Casillas would have done a better job?

The problem with Mourinho, as always, is that his managerial style is so confrontational, so based on Machiavellian power plays and mixed messages, that it is hard to know quite where the fiction ends and the truth begins.

A winner of league titles in four different countries, it would be wrong to assume Mourinho would put politics over winning, given his remarkable record as a coach to date (and his not too shabby win percentage at Real too, it should be noted).

That said, stubborn-minded comments like some of the above portray a man willing to take on any and everyone at Real Madrid, with scant regard for diplomacy or the potential consequences.

Given the amount of compensation he may be due in the event of a possible contract termination, is Mourinho doing his best here to burn bridges?

(photo credit: meiling_bedard via Flickr Creative Commons)

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‘We don’t need to change any players’. Tito Vilanova’s words after Barcelona’s humbling 0-7 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich.“What we do need is to get our injured players back because they are top performers,” he added.

“Bayern Munich came here with all their players available but we are here without some of our key players. I still think our squad is very good. I am convinced that if we had been at 100 percent we would have competed in a different way.”

Would they? Surely, playing with or without the best player in the world makes quite the difference. Recognised players like Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano would have been of more use then the likes of Bartra, Adriano and Alexandre Song.

But to state things would have gone very different is rather harsh. Bayern Munich were far superior and especially the different goal threats told a story.

‘Messidependencia’ and lack of a goal spread

In the two legs, Müller scored three, Robben two and Mandzukic one, the other goal coming from a Pique own goal. This Barcelona Champions League season has only seen Messi and Jordi Alba score more than one goal.

Eight Bayern Munich players have contributed two goals or more. The ‘Messidependencia’ is even more staggering looking at the percentages of the respective goalscorers. Müller and Messi have both scored 8 goals so far, but whereas Müller is ‘only’ responsible for 27.5% of Bayern’s Champions League goals this season, Messi is responsible for 44.4%.

This is not only an issue for Barcelona in the Champions League though. Over the last two seasons, Messi has been the only one to score more than 15 goals in a Barcelona shirt.

The three seasons before that, there were at least three scoring over 20 goals. The lack of players of the calibre Eto’o, Henry, Ronaldinho and Ibrahimovic have really made the Catalans a one-man team scoring wise. This season, the overall direct involvement of Messi speaks volumes.

Not only has he scored 58 of the 144 goals, he has assisted 16 of them as well. The only two who come ‘close’ to having a similar impact is, as some will expect, Andres Iniesta and perhaps more surprising Cesc Fabregas. Both are on 24 goals/ assists, which is still not even a third of the impact the Argentine is having. More importantly, Iniesta (with 5 goals) has shown himself more of an assist man than a finisher.

For the wonderful footballer that he is, his lack of goals is worrying. His career goal scoring record (51/504) is worse than for instance that other Spanish catalyst Xavi (84/733), even though the latter plays in a more withdrawn role. This doesn’t have to be a problem, as long as there are finishers around. At the moment, as earlier stated, Messi is the only one consequently fulfilling that role.

Apart from the aforementioned ‘Messidependencia’, Barcelona have more running against them. Of their last six Champions League games they only won one. In that game, they kept their only clean sheet in this run too.

Pique, Puyol and Barcelona’s defensive problems

Before the onslaught by Bayern Munich they had conceded 5 goals in 4 matches. To say the defence is not exactly sound is an understatement. With the season not over yet, the number of goals shipped (65) has been overwhelmingly higher than the last three seasons (39, 39, 46).

The shield that is Busquets has not been absent as often as Vilanova’s statement suggests. If Busquets plays all remaining games, he would have played the same amount of games as two years ago and only six games less than last year. Furthermore, he was available for all Champions League knockout games bar the last one. At that point, the tie was all but over.

Carles Puyol has been on the slide for three seasons now, missing out on roughly half of the matches possible (60 of 109 league games). Mascherano has filled that void and it is only in recent games that young defender Bartra was necessary to make an appearance on the main stage for Barcelona.

Pique has missed out on quite a few games too the last couple of seasons (26 league games alone). But again, Mascherano filled in when needed. Puyol’s decline is a worry.

Ever since Pique has joined the club, Puyol has been dubbed by many as the lesser defender. But the league stats provided by Opta show that ever since 2008, the winning percentage with Puyol was considerably higher than without him (82.6% versus 69.7%, gaining 2.6 points per game with and 2.3 points per game without him).

Talking Pique, Barcelona have won more without him, although the overall impact of his presence is neglectable (75.4% with Pique, 81.00% without him, 2.5 points no matter what). When both are on the pitch, Barcelona pick up 2.6 points per game and win 81.7% of their games. Without both, the numbers drop to 2.4 points per game and a winning percentage of 74.6%). Most telling is perhaps the goals conceded.

A defence containing Puyol concedes 0.7 goals per game, with Pique 0.8. When Puyol is out, Barcelona concede 0.8 goals per game, when Pique is out, Barcelona concede 0.7 goals per game. When the two are on the pitch together or are both absent, the average is 0.8 goal per game.

Considering Carles Puyol is now 35, it is not very likely he’ll ever recover to full fitness for an extended period. Meanwhile, Pique is all but the mainstay of Barca’s defence. Busquets has been available the large part of the season and the same thing goes for Messi, who was fit during the AC Milan defeat and played part in all but the last Champions League fixture.

The story of Eric Abidal has been inspiring but at 34 and with four seasons of ups and downs behind him, he’s not likely to be part of reinvigorating this Barcelona side.

Vilanova himself has had health problems too and the reality is this also, unfortunately, has not aided the cause of this team. With the manager recovered and everybody fit, Barcelona would be a more worthy opponent. But this does not warrant all of Vilanova’s statements.

The attack is more one-dimensional than it has been in years, the defence is more prone to lapses. The dependance on a small core of players is concerning for a team that was considered ‘the best football team ever’ only a couple of years ago. If one or two players are out, the ‘Machina Blaugrana’ gets stuck pretty easily.

The loss against Bayern Munich may not be the end of an era and doesn’t knock Barcelona off its place as ‘The greatest team of all time’, but it surely shows that the Emperor’s Army is in need of some refreshments.

Note: I am aware a team does not consist solely of attack and defence and that the current situation can’t be assessed as simple as done above. However, this piece was mainly written to highlight several flaws of the current Barcelona squad, not to completely analyze every aspect of Barcelona’s game.

Furthermore, I owe all my gratitude to Opta Sports for delivering and confirming the statistics used in this article and a special word of thanks goes out to Duncan Alexander, who was kind enough to help me out resolving several difficult statistical issues. 

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The 2013 South American Under-17 Championships took place in April in Argentina. Brazil went through the tournament unbeaten, but a succession of draws in the final group stage saw them finish third behind Venezuela and eventual winners Argentina.

Although Brazil’s squad is very talented on paper, they failed to impress as much as on the pitch, relying too much on the talents of the following players rather than playing as a team.

The team are coached by Alexandre Gallo,  who replaced Emerson Ávila in January. His squad missed some of the top Brazilian under-17 players such as São Paulo’s full-back Foguete, who got injured, and striker Bruno Gomes, who was left out of the squad for no apparent reason, apart from the fact he plays for Desportivo Brasil.

Brazil had little trouble advancing from the group stage, winning three out of four games, and drawing only with Uruguay. Abner was the best Brazil player in the group stage, creating a number of Brazil’s goals.

The team’s performances dropped in the final stage as they faced stronger teams, but Fluminense’s striker Kenedy became the main player. The team had many injury problems in the last games, which contributed to Brazil’s failure to win the title, Argentina becoming South American champions on home soil. Here are some of Brazil’s standout performers:

Abner

(Left-back, 16 years old, Coritiba)

The Coritiba left-back was the best Brazilian player in the first stage although was less impressive in the final stage. As most Brazilian full-backs, he is mainly an attacking player, being particularly good with crosses.

But despite being an attacking full-back,  he can also defend. He has been part of Brazil’s youth national teams since he was under 15.  He is also strong and has good stamina, but missed some of Brazil’s last games due to an injury.

Boschilia

(Attacking midfielder, 17 years old, São Paulo)

Boschilia currently plays for São Paulo and is an attacking midfielder that tends to lean to the right side of the pitch. Boschilia has very good technique and likes to shoot from distance with his left-foot.

He started his career at Guarani, where he was regarded as one of their most promising players in recent years, but had to be sold due to the club’s financial problems. Despite never playing at senior level, he often trained with Guarani’s senior players.

Kenedy

(Forward/winger, 17 years old, Fluminense)

The Fluminense left-footed winger was Brazil’s top scorer in the competition with 6 goals. He had previously impressed in the Al-Kass tournament, which Fluminense won.

He is a fast player with good dribbling skills as well as having a good height, and besides scoring goals, has contributed with assists as well.

Follow the link to read more about Robert Kenedy Nunes.

Mosquito

(Forward, 17 years old, Atlético Paranaense)

He is a forward with great technical skills, although his finishing needs to improve. His call-up was somewhat controversial as it meant Desportivo Brasil’s striker Bruno Gomes was left out, despite his goal record.

His career has been full of problems already, as there were suspicions that he faked his age and he controversially left Vasco after shining in the South American Under 15 Championship.

Robert Santos

(Attacking midfielder, 16 years old, Fluminense)

As with Kenedy, Robert plays for Fluminense and shone in the Al-Kass tournament. He has previously played for Brazil’s under 15 national team. He was developed by Bruno Petri, who has also helped develop Lucas Piazon and Oscar.

He is an attacking midfielder, a typical number 10 and is deemed the most promising player from Flu’s academy in Xerém. Robert is tall and has a commanding presence on the pitch and has good technical skills as well.

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The post Generation Next: Brazil’s Young Talents at 2013 South American Under-17 Championships appeared first on Just Football.

by Tom Furnival-Adams

When Edgar Davids reflects upon his football career, his 36-game spell at Barnet will surely be one of the most memorable periods – not, albeit, for the same reasons as his Champions League-winning stint with Ajax, or his contribution to three Serie A titles while at Juventus.

For Barnet fans, his emergence as their saviour-elect in October injected a genuine sense of hope following three consecutive bottom-four finishes. At the time of his appointment as player-coach they floundered in 23rd in the League Two table, having failed to win a single game in any competition. As they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Northampton Town on the final day of the season to seal relegation with a 23rd-place finish, Davids and the Barnet supporters alike must have wondered what all the effort and anguish was for.

Regular frequenters of Underhill may have become familiar with destitution since their return to the football league in 2005, but this season was more profoundly tainted with disappointment than any other in recent memory.

A week before their non-league fate was determined, they played their final game at Underhill, a stadium that they have called home since 1907. Their 1-0 victory against Wycombe, which was sealed by a late Graham Stack penalty save, was almost magical in quality. It seemed to reflect the desire amongst the majority of fans to stay put in the face of an impending move to ‘The Hive’ in their neighbouring London Borough of Harrow, an arrangement which is anticipated to last ten years (pending the establishment of a more long-term solution in Barnet).

Underhill’s sloping pitch and shades of a bygone era are not pretty – not necessarily even functional – but they hold deeply ingrained memories for fans of the club. After 106 years, Underhill is not just a place to play football, it’s a significant component of Barnet’s identity.

Relocation

As is increasingly the case in a sport dominated by free-market capitalist ideals, the decision to relocate to an entirely different part of London does not seem to have been at all informed by the wishes of the fans.

The limitations of Underhill are clear to see, but the fact that the club has been unable to secure an alternative venue in the local area is absurd – a fact that has been magnified by their relegation. A return to the Conference will inevitably lead to weakened attendances. To have this compounded by decamping six miles away may be fatal.

On the move to the Hive, Derek Rocholl, the director of the Barnet FC Supporters Trust, said in April that “provided we retain our league status everything should be on the up and up”. It is hard not to conclude that the retention of the club’s league status was crucial for the move to be a success, and that their failure to do so will be extremely difficult to overcome.

Echoing the situation at Coventry City, where the club’s future is dependent on the consequences of a messy dispute between their owners and the local council (who have a stake in the Ricoh Arena), Barnet’s position has come about largely as a result of a strained relationship with the Tory-led Barnet council, who have seemed intent not to support Barnet FC’s cause.

Many feel aggrieved that the council revoked planning permission for the football club to erect a new stadium on the nearby Copthall athletics stadium site, only to later pave the way for Saracens RFC to relocate there.

Given that the London Borough of Barnet contains a population of over 350,000, it is a travesty that an arrangement could not be agreed with the council whereby the club could at least find a temporary solution to sustain local football, but that the traditionally more middle-class sport of rugby appears to have been accommodated plentifully.

Lack of consideration

While Barnet may eventually acquire fresh supporters from their new home in Harrow, it is far from a foregone conclusion. London is saturated with football clubs, several of which offer fans the chance to watch Premier League football on a regular basis. The prospect of watching their new squatters play the likes of Braintree and Dartford is unlikely to attract enough new fans in Harrow to compensate for those lost on principle as a result of the move.

Financially, the outlook is bleak, and it is impossible to say what lies ahead. Seasons concluding in the depths of League Two may eventually be viewed retrospectively with wistful fondness by those associated with the club.

It is the lack of consideration for a loyal and long-suffering fan-base that grates most. When supporters are rendered helpless and disenfranchised, the entire purpose of a football club is cast in doubt.

If its actions are motivated to the detriment of fans, a club becomes a mere corporate entity, acting solely in the interest of market-defined success. Making it so abuses the position of fans that support their team because of an emotional attachment, or as a link to their hometown. Remove this and you are left with a consumerist model whereby supporters may as well choose their football club on the basis of its ability to compete with the elite.

When Barnet are moved away from their birthplace next season, against the will of their fans, it will beg troubling questions about their identity. What constitutes the make up of a football club? When decisions are made at boardroom level by financial investors with no emotional investment in the heritage of the club, does it lose its authenticity as a community asset?

There is a frustrating irony to Barnet’s situation when placed side by side with that of Wimbledon, whose traumatic journey culminated in league survival last weekend at Barnet’s expense. Whilst not quite as grave as the chain of events that resulted in the original Wimbledon FC’s extinction, Barnet’s current plight is of genuine concern – and will continue to be until reassurances can be offered that the club will be able to return home at some stage.

Champions League glory seems comparatively straightforward compared to the factors informing Edgar Davids’ thoughts as he considers whether or not he will remain in charge of the Bees as they embark on next season in a foreign abode.

Tom Furnival-Adams is a new contributor to Just Football.

(photo credit: Barnet FC via Twitter)

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Liverpool have released their new home kit for the 2013-2014 season, a kit that is based on the shirt worn in the 1983-1984 season – the year the Reds won their fourth European Cup.

Manufactured by Warrior, the kit is designed as a tribute to past glories. The stripe and collar details are similar to the kits worn by Liverpool in the ’83-84 season when they beat Roma on penalties in the European Cup final. Sponsors Standard Chartered remain emblazoned across the design.

Liverpool’s star man Luis Suarez modelled the design on the club’s official website to help unveil the new shirt, which features a subtle, two-toned red pattern to go with the white stripes.

What do you think of the new Liverpool home kit for 2013/14? And will Luis Suarez be in a Liverpool shirt come the start of next season?

Comments welcome below.

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“”We’re hurt but this makes us even more determined. Everyone should support the team [tonight], no matter what – Real Madrid cannot capitalise on this. If someone does not understand how much heart has gone into getting this far, they should not come. Those who understand will support the team unconditionally. Our fans have reacted extremely well in extreme situations in the past. I think that will be the case again.”

“Let’s make it a special and outstanding night, a real BVB night. Leave all your negative emotions at home and will us to victory against Real Madrid.”

Jürgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund manager

They may be losing Mario Götze. They may be the underdogs. They may not have the financial muscle or commercial clout of their fellow Champions League semi-final counterparts. They may lack world-renowned names like Ronaldo or Messi.

But what Borussia Dortmund do have is one of the finest, most vibrant and most atmospheric stadiums in world football, as proved by this magnificent choreo display ahead of the quarter final second leg against Malaga.

That Götze’s impending departure was leaked on the eve of BVB’s first semi final in 15 years was described by Klopp as ‘a nine’ on a scale of one to ten of atrociously timed announcements. How Dortmund react to this deflating, crushing news, not even Jose Mourinho could predict.

But one thing is for sure. 65,000+ fans draped in black and yellow (reduced from the usual 80,000 in Europe due to UEFA regulations on safe standing areas) will be there to support their team with both passion and creativity. Even before kick-off, this is one semi-final not to be missed.

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On a day that was firstly dominated by Bild announcing Mario Götze would be transferring to Bayern Munich, then Borussia Dortmund confirming said transfer, then RMC Radio announcing Edinson Cavani had agreed terms with Paris Saint-Germain, it was easy to forget about the true footballing matter of the day. And no, it wasn’t Millwall versus Blackburn Rovers.

A semi-final between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, two of Europe’s most dominant sides was also on the cards. In the end, despite all the controversy on the day itself, the biggest shock of the day could be found on the field of the Allianz Arena. A 4-0 win for Bayern Munich was, to say the least, a rarely predicted result.

A last check-up by the Barcelona physio staff saw Messi fit to play, but in the early stages of the game he was hardly involved. Bayern were pressing Barcelona very convincingly and saw a penalty shout turned down. However, in the 24th minute, Thomas Müller gave Bayern a well deserved lead. A Franck Ribery corner was headed back to the right post by Dante. It found the German atttacking midfielder, who headed it hom from two yards out.

After a dominating performance from the Germans in the first half, although the Spanish were dominating possession, second half goalscoring began early with who else but Mario Gomez, netting a second for Bayern after Thomas Müller headed back an Arjen Robben corner. With Barcelona looking astonishly timid, waiting for their presumably unfit star player Lionel Messi to do something, the Allianz Arena was even more Bayern then was anticipated before the match.

Arjen Robben, who was excellent this game, made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute, taking the ball and fooling Jordi Alba by turning to his right leg rather than his left, followed by a tap-in from the right corner with his left. Müller’s blatant block on Alba was overlooked by the referee. It would’ve hardly made a difference for the Robben goal, but was testament to the game. Bayern were fully on it, Barcelona weren’t.

A late Müller contribution in the 82nd minute saw Bayern finish the game with a 4-0 lead ahead of the second leg. Again, Barcelona were looking timid. As if the new kings were taking over from the old kings of football.

Left-back David Alaba, who completely eclipsed his name-a-like colleague Alba, swung in a cross and found Müller. Ironically, the Man Of The Match Müller played mainly because Toni Kroos was injured.

In the end, Bayern were superior in what was probably their best game in quite a while, whereas Barcelona were anything but convincing. A 4-0 deficit has never been overcome in Champions League history, so there’s quite a task for Barcelona to make it to the final this year. Bayern were impressive and don’t look like a side willing to concede 4 or 5 next week.

Meanwhile, the Game in 10 tweets:

@chalkontheboots Bayern win, by 4 goals.

— David Muir (@Sugarape5) April 23, 2013

Thomas Muller in the right place at the right time – again.

— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) April 23, 2013

Who are you and what have you done with Lionel Messi?

— Jack (@sargeant_j) April 23, 2013

It’s time….. gomezbutton.de

— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) April 23, 2013

Barca are in need of a Pep talk *whistles*

— Andrew Gibney (@Gibney_A) April 23, 2013

Now that’s what I call beating Barcelona. Sure, 2 of the 3 goals shouldn’t have stood. Ref has been awful. But Bayern still the better team.

— Miles Jacobson (@milesSI) April 23, 2013

Bayern Munich – 33.3% possesion – 100% of the goals.

— Ryan Keaney (@RyanKeaney) April 23, 2013

4-0 Bayern and it had been coming. Muller with his second, knocking home at near post from Alaba cross.

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) April 23, 2013

‘Barca Müllered at the Allianz’ you’re welcome

— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) April 23, 2013

This has to be one of the all-time great European performances. You don’t do this to Barcelona.

— Niall McVeigh (@niallmcveigh) April 23, 2013

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by Cristian Nyari

Another weekend, another win for Bayern Munich. That seems to be the trend this year in the Bundesliga.

The recently-crowned German champions rolled over Hannover with an emphatic 6-1 on matchday 30, prior to that they got their their 100th win at the Allianz Arena with another imperious 4-0 win against Nürnberg, and with a squad of second choice players no less.

More than anything, the win symbolizes Bayern’s extraordinary season; one full of records, domination and extraordinary results and performances.

With a potential treble looming and statistically the best individual season in league history under their belt, it would not be farfetched to argue that this Bayern side is the greatest of all time, but none of this came on its own. The club and the players had to look inward and work hard to get where they are.

Learning Process and Key Changes

Change is not an isolated action. The previous decade was a tumultuous learning experience for the club. From chasing the ghosts of 2001’s success to overcoming its own internal obstacles, Bayern were constantly either reinventing themselves or in the search for the right formula of success.

Much of what Bayern have achieved this season has been the culmination of that exploration, like the hiring of Louis van Gaal or bringing on Jupp Heynckes for a brief spell in 2009.

In that sense the foundation was laid out step by step over the years. However, management also had to make some some tough decisions before the season to get Bayern on the right path. Letting go of friend of the club and recently appointed sporting director Christian Nerlinger was a tough but necessary decision to move the club forward.

Even more important was the hire of Matthias Sammer. Bayern missed out on signing him as a player but making him sporting director turned out to be crucial in their development. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called Sammer the “heart of Bayern’ very early on in his tenure already and his relentless will to win and constant striving for success has kept players and staff sharp throughout the year.

Transfer policy

The club’s transfer policy in the offseason was also another significant factor in their current success.

The willingness to maintain their pursuit of Javi Martinez despite Athletic Bilbao’s bureaucratic roadblocks signalled a departure from the club’s usually sceptical hesitation in spending record sums on players still in the process of building their profiles.

The record signing of Martinez was a bold but ultimately vital ingredient in the recipe for record-breaking success. The Spaniard has so far been one of the team’s outstanding players and instrumental in their Champions League campaign.

The additions of Dante in defence and Mario Mandzukic up front cannot be understated either.

Dante, who for under 5 million Euros may just be the bargain of the season, was a much needed defensive reinforcement for a back line which struggled in the last couple of seasons. Bayern have already set a record for most clean sheets in a single season and are on the road to breaking the fewest goals conceded league record.

Mandzukic was originally brought to add cover for Mario Gomez but has since established himself as the first choice striker and a brilliant enabling factor for those around him.

His all-round game, work ethic and ability to press off the ball have given Bayern the extra edge in attack they were missing with Gomez. Bayern have averaged close to three goals a game this season and have scored four or more goals in a game on 10 occasions already in all competitions.

Photo credit: 246-you via Flickr Creative Commons

 The manager

Most importantly, the transfers created a healthy competition within the squad, managed by the fatherly figure of Jupp Heynckes. Heynckes always loved to rotate at clubs but last season lacked that luxury at Bayern, certainly not to the standard other European clubs have.

This year has been a complete turnaround and Bayern find themselves dominating opponents while resting several first choices players. Against Werder Bremen earlier this season for example, Heynckes rested six players and Bayern still ran out 6-1 winners. Many at the club have respectfully cited Heynckes as the biggest factor in their amazing season for a reason.

Similar to how Sammer has kept Bayern players on their feet and sharp, Heynckes has made sure to prevent any sense of complacency creeping into the squad. For the first time in years, Bayern approach every game as if it was a cup final and never rest on their laurels.

The mantra has basically been along the lines of, “nothing is won until we’re holding the Cup in our hands” and every player has been up for the challenge.

From starting eleven to squad player to 17-year-old Bundesliga debutants, every player in red this season has raised their game and it shows every week on the pitch.

Key Moments

It may not be the most prestigious competition but the Super Cup at the beginning of the season offered a first glimpse of competitive football for Bayern and their win over Borussia Dortmund in August gave them the necessary momentum to start the season the way they did.

After five consecutive games without a win against Dortmund it was an important mental hurdle that needed overcoming this season. Their performances against Dortmund continued to improve. The 1-1 draw later in the year was their best outing against Jürgen Klopp’s team in years and they finally beat them and kept them scoreless in the quarterfinal of the German Cup in February.

The other key moment, separate from the club’s on-pitch matters but symbolically significant, was the announcement of Pep Guardiola as the new coach starting in July.

The move signaled a symbolic transition of power not just in Germany but in European football and validated the club’s development and trajectory over the last couple of years. Bayern reaching the Champions League semifinals for the third time in four years is a further indicator of said evolution.

It may be the most forgettable game of the season but their 2-0 loss against Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 encounter also did a lot to steer Bayern on the right track.

Instead of letting it derail their entire season, the wave of criticism that emerged following a potential catastrophe spurred the team on and refocused them. Whereas in the past the media circus and internal criticism would affect their performances, this time it invigorated them and the domination of Juventus in the quarterfinals proved it.

The records speak for themselves

Just to give one an idea of what a remarkable year it has been for Germany’s record champions, here are just some of the many records they have already set this year:

• Won their 8 first matches of the season, a new league record for the best start to a season
• Bayern won the “Herbstmeisterschaft” or “Fall championship” earlier than ever before, on just the 14th matchday
• Bayern won the Bundesliga title on matchday 28 with their 1-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt with six games to go, the earliest in league history
• Their current 20 point lead over second place Borussia Dortmund is another league record
• Bayern currently have 26 wins in 30 league matches, equalling a single season Bundesliga record
• Bayern have set a new goal difference record in the Bundesliga of +75
• Bayern are currently on course to set the league record for fewest goals conceded in a single season with just 13 goals in 29 games
• With 13 wins from 13 games in the second half of the season, Bayern have had the best “Rückrunde” in Bundesliga history
• 13 consecutive wins in a single league season is also a new Bundesliga record
• Their 14 away wins this season is also a new Bundesliga record in a single season
• Not conceding a single goal in their first 5 away matches is also a Bundesliga record

Cristian Nyari is a senior editor and columnist for Bundesliga Fanatic and expert on all things German football. Follow him on Twitter @cnyari

(photo credit: 246-You via Flickr)

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The post Bayern Munich: The Story of a Record-Breaking Season appeared first on Just Football.

Our two-part analysis of the UEFA Champions League and Financial Fair Play continues on Just Football.

In Part I we assessed Financial Fair Play and the ‘safe clubs’ – Bayern, Barcelona and Real Madrid. We now take a look at the murkier side of FFP – the clubs under scrutiny from UEFA and the punishments being handed out for bending the rules of the new initiative.

Both Paris-Saint Germain and Malaga lost out narrowly in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Both teams have invested significant amounts of money in their quest for Champions League success. While the pair might be on UEFA’s Financial Fair Play radar, the future looks vastly different for these two clubs.

PSG

Since the introduction of FFP, much of the talk and controversy has surrounded big spenders PSG. The Qatari owners have spent large sums of money on players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Javier Pastore with the ultimate aim of bringing European glory to the French capital.

Besides the well documented spending spree by the owners, it is the sponsorship deal signed with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) that has caught everyone’s attention. PSG announced a four-year deal with Qatar Tourism Authority worth an estimated €150m per year, in December 2012.

Firstly, under FFP requirements, all “related party” transactions will be assessed and a fair value applied to the deal. While it is not 100% clear if the deal is with a related party, UEFA have indicated that they will assess the deal.

Secondly and of vital importance is the timing of the deal. The announcement was made in December 2012 and the deal reportedly agreed in December /January 2013. PSG however have included €125 million in revenue from the QTA in their accounts for the year ending June 2012.

It appears PSG have back-dated the agreement and UEFA’s panel of accountants will need to thoroughly scrutinise the recognition of this revenue.

“Although the club hasn’t posted formal accounts for two years they have had to provide figures to the DNCG [the organisation that oversees club accounting on behalf of the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP)].  The DNCG publishes the account information.” [1]

PSG made a loss of €5.5 million for the year ending June 2012 despite the controversial inclusion of the €125 million revenue figure.

As things stand, UEFA will have their work cut out in assessing PSG’s figures and whether or not they are in accordance with the FFP break-even requirements. “PSG have to respect the rules, they want to respect the rules,” said UEFA’s general secretary Gianni Infantino.

It is also interesting to note the implications of David Beckham donating his salary from PSG to a children’s charity. While many have labelled it a PR move by “Brand Beckham”, PSG stand to gain within FFP as well. Under article 58-2 of the FFP regulations, expenditure “on community development activities” will be exempt from the break-even calculation.

PSG seem to have dodged a bullet with a potential further massive addition to their wage bill, thanks to the very generous David Beckham.

Malaga

As proof that UEFA are serious about enforcing FFP, Malaga have been banned from next season’s European club competition. The ban and an imposed fine are as a result of Malaga failing to settle outstanding debts to other teams, staff and tax authorities.

Like PSG, Malaga is also owned by a Qatari, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani. However, while PSG’s owners have continued to invest money in the team and secure sources of revenue, Malaga’s Qatari owner has inexplicably ceased investing in his team.

Whatever the reasons for the owners sudden disinterest, the uncertainty as well as the punishment handed down by UEFA has thrown Malaga into turmoil. With no European football next season, Malaga faces the possibility of losing their most promising players. On top of that they are unlikely to attract any further big name players.

In what is a double edged sword, the punishment handed out by UEFA will have a severe negative financial impact for Malaga. While FFP advocates profits and reduced debt, the punishment for FFP breaches, results in the exact opposite.

Malaga, who are now seemingly bankrupt and unable to pay certain debts, have been slapped with a further fine by UEFA. More importantly, no European football for Malaga will significant reduce revenue. The Spanish club will earn less television rights income and experience a drop in match day income with no midweek European fixtures.

Malaga finished 4th in La Liga last season – the highest position in the club’s history. Their foray into the Champions League was meant to be the beginning of a new era.

Now after narrowly being eliminated at the quarter-final stage, they are in danger of slumping into complete obscurity. Malaga’s excessive spending has ultimately plunged the club into extreme financial difficulty.

Conclusion

UEFA have taken stringent measures to ensure European football does not plunge into the same financial crisis large parts of the world are currently experiencing. However an ongoing debate persists on whether or not Financial Fair Play is indeed fair and what the impact on football will be.

Sceptics are primarily concerned by the effect on competition by FFP limitations. Will well-established clubs now be protected from competition from non-established clubs with no access to external money?

Even if this may be true the unregulated market (prior to FFP) of football reflects exactly that sort of monopoly.

It comes as no surprise that three of the clubs in the Champions League semi-finals are in the top four in terms of revenue earned and market value. These well-established clubs continue to win, earn more money and grow in prestige while non-established clubs are unable to catch up.

Significantly, as mentioned above with regards to Malaga, the punishment for FFP breaches certainly needs addressing by UEFA. A concept that promotes long term financial sustainability in football is needed.

However, punishing clubs who fail to do this with measures that simply further enhance the chances of bankruptcy and negative growth surely cannot be the answer.

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In my latest piece for FourFourTwo, where I write as a feature columnist on French and African football, I take a look at Paris Saint-Germain’s brilliant centre back Thiago Silva and his rise to becoming one of – if not THE – best defender in the world. I also look at the unspoken truth in Paris that, really, he never wanted to leave Milan and probably wouldn’t have joined PSG if the choice were his:

Le Parisien declared him “already a legend.” Alain Roche, a former France centre-back who won the European Cup Winners’ Cup with PSG in 1996, called Silva ‘the Lionel Messi of defenders.’ “The question is no longer if he is the best defender in the world,” said Roche, “because he is quite simply one of the best players in the world – better than Cannavaro when he won the Ballon D’Or.” Ricardo, another Brazilian centre back who played for and coached PSG in the 1990s, simply dubbed his compatriot “a monster.”

Head over to FourFourTwo to read the full piece, and let me know your thoughts on the piece, as well as Thiago Silva, if he is the best defender in the world, and his future, below.

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The post Thiago Silva – the best defender in the world? appeared first on Just Football.