WHY WOULDN’T YOU LOVE THIS GAME?
How can anybody not love football? How can you ignore this beautiful game?
The crazy week we have had in football highlights once again why the game is the most popular on this planet
It’s fireworks all through; the thrills, the suspense, nerves, the comebacks, excitements, skills, talent, energy, tackles, and we even saw red.
This is why football is the best game on the planet.
MADRID DRAW BAYERN IN UCL SEMIS
That’s the UCL semi-final draw.
Real Madrid have to overcome Bayern Munich in two legs to each the UCL final for a third consecutive season.
Jupp Heynckens and his boys have a big job on their hands as they try to stop Ronaldo and co… well, Juventus almost did it, save for Michael Oliver’s last second penalty kick and you can just see Ronaldo, Ramos and co hoping to use their experience to cross the line in this one.
Liverpool on the other hand get Roma and have to do what Chelsea failed to do: beat Roma in two legs to arrive in the final.
With Liverpool’s Attack, I don’t think they would fear any team in this competition, and both teams like to attack with high tempo football. Both are direct and have tactically astute managers at their helm. Roma would fancy the tie, so would Liverpool; as they have both avoided the big boys for now.
Mo Salah has the opportunity to play against and prevent his old club from reaching the final at his own expense.
Can’t wait for the ties to begin…
THE MANCHESTER DERBY
It was full marks to Jose Mourinho and his warriors at the Etihad on Saturday. The arena was full, the tickets were sold out and the entertainers were ready… the missing objects were the circus clowns and the circus elephants.
The Etihad needed 11 and the circus clown and they were to be dressed in red, so that they stand out, in a circus painted sky blue.
The first 20 minutes was a struggle, as the reds were not going to be dragged into the circus, so Jose and his 11 boys defied expectations and cancelled out the City game plan.
But as soon as Kompany rose above Smalling, it was one way traffic and you actually wondered whether this epic disgrace would it be talked about for several generations! City were in the mood and the United fans in the stadium either wanted to go home, or allow the ground swallow them up, it was so bad it could have been four or five goals.
Jose wasn’t prepared to be the clown, and he sure wasn’t dragging his 11 boys to do the show, and the Special One told his boys exactly that at half time. The script changed; and from Sanchez and Pogba, the beats changed with two well worked goals, and while the circus became silent with the City players still wondering what hit them, Chris Smalling sent a bullet into the stands to effectively scatter the circus.
And whatever hope was left was shattered by David DeGea as he pulled a wonderful save to deny City and consolation. 2-3 to United at the Etihad!
Whoever gave that scoreline a thought, even at half time!
HARRY SCORES, ERM.. OFF THE PITCH!
How do you score a goal long after the game has been concluded?
Well ask Harry Kane and the Premier league goal committee.
After awarding Tottenham’s goal to Erikssen, the premier league received an appeal from Harry Kane, claiming the ball touched his shoulder on the way in. The video footage was reviewed and I have watched it from all angles, but can’t say that i saw any touch by Harry Kane.
Did you?
So how have the premier league reached a decision? Track record? Harry’s submission? Is this the right thing to do or Have we set a bad precedent here?
What wouldMo Salah say, if in the end Harry Kane wins the golden boot by that one goal?
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN IN THE UCL
Outfoxed, out thought and outplayed by Liverpool, Manchester City falter in the Battle of Britain and crash out of the champions league again.
It was a beautiful advert for the premier league as both games were with passion, energy, pace and character.
What now with Manchester City? Have we started celebrating this team’s greatness too early?
With So much money spent, but a premier league and league cup to show, would the sheikh be happy with the progress or would he demand more?
What if Sterling has started the first leg at Anfield? What if Pep had changed his tactics and nullified Klopp at Anfield? Would he have had a better slope to climb at the Etihad as opposed to the mountain he was faced with?
MESSI-LONA CRASH OUT IN ROME
When DeRossi fired home the second goal against Barcelona in Rome, it was 58 mins on the clock and I truly expected Barcelona to go guns blazing and just go for it. What I saw however, baffled me; Barca were holding on to what they had! 0-2! They were lethargic, had no plan to break down the Roma defence and Messi and Suarez looked lost, isolated and frustrated.
As question marks continue to torment and surround Pique, Umtiti, Alba and Semedo’s defending, let’s not forget that
Barcelona is a team in need of a transition and are indeed in transition.
Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar, Dani Alves and Mascherano are not easy to replace.
Busquets is also winding down the clock because of the so many games under his belt and Rakitic cannot just do this all by himself anymore.
The days of JUST bringing players through the academy is gone (you can still have some very talented boys and bring them through, but you have to spend) The engines of Madrid team are not home made (Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Benzeema, Varane, Bale) were all from the Harris’s and Knightbridges of football.
£220m+ on Dembele and Coutinho, but in today’s market, I’m afraid they’ll have to spend more to become the force they once were.
They have had a run in Laliga this season because the others have not been at it (a bit like when Leicester won the league)
Barcelona need a complete overhaul and the days of solely relying on Messi may be coming to an end.
THE EPIC IN SANTIAGO BERNABEU WITH JUVENTUS
After losing the first leg 0-3 at home against Real Madrid, nobody gave Juventus a chance in the return leg.
Madrid were favourites and you could see that the Madrid players walked into the pitch with a swagger that said “Surely we would score”
But after 2 mins, Juventus had scored, and when Mandzukic added a second before half time, the script was being re-written. Even the mighty Madrid panicked and became desperate to win but it was Juventus that added a third through Matuidi.
“Surely we would score?” Well they did, and sadly Michael Oliver was at the centre of it. I have watched the footage over and over again and to be honest, in that split second, nobody would have criticised him if he didn’t give that penalty. I have played football and if it was my team, I would be unhappy that it was given, because many more blatant ones have not been given to my teams in my career. And if i was Madrid and it want given, I would complain, fume and be unhappy, but if we lost, I wouldn’t put the loss down to that penalty, but our overall performance on the night.
Mr Oliver gave it, and furthermore sent Buffon to the stands. A yellow? Yes with emotions high and tempers frayed with 80,000 screaming from the dome.
But a red? Well, today’s decisions are tomorrow’s realities, and one thing is for certain, Juventus fans would always remember Michael Oliver.
One Juventus fan said to me ‘Can you see why there are no English referees at the World Cup? He is supposed to be one of the best’