Can Arsenal Perform A Munich Miracle?

On Wednesday night, Arsenal travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich in their Champions League Round of 16 second leg tie. The Gunners lost the first leg 3-1 at The Emirates Stadium after a very poor performance against a deadly Bayern side and leave themselves needing to score at least 3 goals and hoping the home side score no more than 1 to be in with a chance of reaching the Quarter-Final stage. The question is can this travelling side low on confidence pull off a miracle against a team that is full of it playing in their own backyard?

Since Arsenals last game was on March 7th against Tottenham Hotspur, the team will have had more than enough time to rest and fully prepare for their biggest challenge so far this season. However with that last game against their biggest rivals ending in defeat, momentum and morale might not be on their side and will make the task ahead an even harder one. Bayern won their league game at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf 3-2 on Saturday which sent them 20 points clear at the top of the table. As well as that, the team continue their 100% win record in all competitions in 2013 and remain unbeaten since late October. So while all the odds appear to be stacked against Arsenal, can they still pull of the unthinkable?

To stand any chance of leaving the Allianz Arena with something, Arsenal will have to be organised and avoid making costly mistakes as Bayern will look to pounce on any slip ups the visitors make. The Gunners will likely spend most of the game in their own half defending Bayern attacks and any real chances they get may well come from a counter-attacking move. When that chance comes all the players involved will need to get everything right in making sure they get those all important away goals. One thing for sure is that the players need to go into the game believing they can get the right result and not walk on that pitch at the start of the game thinking the tie is already lost or it is going to be a miserable night for them and their fans.

Many people will say that it will be the performances of players like Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere that will be key in determining whether or not Arsenal can win the game or not, and while I would agree with them, I don’t think the responsibility lies completely on their shoulders. Captain Thomas Vermaelen will be in charge of making sure everybody gives their all that night and he pushes his teammates on to do their best. Other players such as Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott will want to make the headlines by playing the biggest part in a hopeful turnaround by grabbing the goals up front, but I also think the experience of players such as Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski will be crucial for Arsenal. The reason I say this is because both men have featured in the Bundesliga and for the German National Team many times and so will have plenty of experience playing at the Allianz Arena. Whenever I watch games take place there, the fans play a huge part in how the game takes shape from the noise they make and can make it tough for opposition players to play there. Having been on both receiving ends in the stadium many times for club and country, these two players will play a huge part in telling their teammates exactly how to play in the heated atmosphere and not let it prove to be a costly distraction.

Whether or not Arsenal can pull it off a shock is all down to them and the coaching staff. Arsene Wenger knows exactly what his team have got to do, but whether he can inspire them to do it or not remains to be seen. All I know is that one big mistake and Bayern Munich will punish them and it will be game over for sure. The Gunners face a team with the potential to go all the way and win the tournament this year having gone so close last season. The heartache of losing last season’s final in their own stadium to Chelsea will surely push them to go one step further this season and win it at Wembley in May.

I will be watching on Wednesday night with great interest hoping for an entertaining match with a few surprises in store. Arsenal remain the only British side left in the Champions League this season after Manchester United and Celtic’s departures last week, so they will have the backing at home from their own supporters who have not travelling to Germany for the game and those who want the last remaining side from their country to keep going in the tournament. While I may have made out that Arsenal have a great chance of winning from the points I’ve made, it will also take a shocking performance from the home side to help see the visitors all the way through, but I don’t think given how well they’ve performed this season that Bayern are in any real danger of throwing it all away in this upcoming match. Being a realist now, I could see Arsenal sneaking a win in this match if they get everything right, but even if they do that I think winning the overall tie is a real long shot and I predict that when the referee blows for full-time, it will be Bayern Munich celebrating progression into the Quarter-final stage.

Andrew.

https://twitter.com/ADNU92

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview and Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur travel north to face Liverpool in the Premier League hoping to gain themselves more points to help solidify a top 4 finish and Champions League football at White Hart Lane next season, while the home side will be looking to finish as high as possible themselves in the hope of securing a place in European competition next season having been knocked out of both domestic cups and this seasons Europa League.

With what is at stake for both clubs in this game, most of the focus and attention will be on two men, the clubs two top goal scorers this season, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale. Both men are in exceptional form for their respective teams at the moment and without a doubt their performances will play a big part in how the match takes shape. Suarez is the top league goal scorer this season having scored 21 times, his most recent additions to that tally coming in the form of a hat-trick in his last game against Wigan Athletic. The 26 year old Uruguayan has certainly had controversy follow him in recent years for different reasons, but putting that aside, he possesses immense quality on the pitch and has made himself to be someone Liverpool now rely on to help them score goals and change games for the better.

Bale had a good start to the season, but since Tottenham’s 4-0 away victory at Aston Villa on Boxing Day where he scored a hat-trick in that game, he’s continued on a sensational run of form that has helped put Tottenham in a position where the Champions League is a real possibility for them next season. The Welshman has started to draw comparisons to players such as Cristiano Ronaldo due to their similar traits and the difference they have made to their respective teams performances in recent seasons. At only 23, Bale still has the potential to get even better as well and the more he continues to put in outstanding performances, the more the bigger teams will take a closer look at him.

While Suarez and Bale will be the main men to watch at Anfield, the other 20 players on the pitch certainly cannot be ignored. Every defender on the pitch for both sides will have to make sure that while they try and frustrate the key players as much as possible, they don’t lose focus on the other players who can cause a threat to their goal. Liverpool have Phillippe Coutinho and a returning Daniel Sturridge who can cause a threat to the Spurs goal and also have the inspirational Steven Gerrard at the heart of their midfield who will be driving determination into his players to make things happen and cause their visitors problems.

Tottenham themselves aren’t lacking in attacking quality. While Bale causes a serious threat down the left wing, Aaron Lennon also causes problems down the right wing. Both men have the ability to make runs into the box and make space for a shot, but both can also put balls into the danger zone for central minded players to take advantage of. With Bale on the left, Lennon on the right and players like Lewis Holtby in the centre, Tottenham have creative players spread across the whole width of the pitch that will need to be watched carefully.

The last time these two teams met was at the end of November at White Hart Lane. Tottenham won 2-1 with early first half goals from Lennon and Bale. An own goal from the latter in the second half gave Liverpool a chance to get back into the game but Tottenham held on for the 3 points. This game may well have a different story as Liverpool have had over a week to rest and prepare for this fixture while Tottenham are just days removed from beating Inter Milan 3-0 in the Europa League. Fatigue might well be a deciding factor in the end result, but I don’t think it will effect what should be a quality game of football. I predict an entertaining 2-2 draw with Suarez and Bale both scoring at least once in the match.

Andrew.

https://twitter.com/ADNU92

Manchester United 1-2 Real Madrid - Ferguson's Player Choices

After 26 years in the Manchester United hot seat, there are not many in the world that should be questioning Sir Alex Ferguson’s team decisions. The man has been at that club longer than I have been alive and has won no less than 37 honours with The Red Devils. But the chance of making it 40 this season was cut by one after their 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in The Champions League on Tuesday night sending them out of the tournament 3-2 on aggregate. United edged the first half but it remained goalless at half time, but they took the lead just a few minutes into the 2nd half after Nani’s low ball into the box was inadvertently diverted into the Real Madrid goal by Sergio Ramos. United then looked to be in control until 8 minutes later when referee Cuneyt Cakir sent Nani off for a high footed challenge on Alvara Arbeloa, a decision which incensed Sir Alex Ferguson and everybody else wearing the colour red that evening. After that Madrid took advantage of the missing man and punished United with two goals in quick succession from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo. United just didn’t have enough to respond and were sent crashing out of the tournament leaving players, management and fans distraught and unhappy by the way the events of the match unfolded.

While there is still lots of debate on whether it was or wasn’t a red card, I came to the decision that because TV cameras showed that Nani was looking at the high ball coming in towards him, he didn’t see Arbeloa coming in for it as well and so when he stuck his foot up to control it he inadvertently made contact with the Real Madrid full back. There was nothing intentional about it and Nani can feel very hard done by in my opinion. But whether the referee saw it like that is unclear and if he didn’t notice Nani’s focus completely on the ball and just saw the high challenge, then I can understand why he has made his decision. I personally would have given no more than a yellow, but unfortunately for Manchester United fans, the damage is done.

Although at the very start of this I said there aren’t many that should be questioning Sir Alex Ferguson’s team decisions, but having given it plenty of thought, I do think he could have made some better decisions that might have given his team a better chance of winning the game. There were 6 changes made in total from the team that beat Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday. Out went Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Antonio Valencia, Anderson, Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney. In came Rio Ferdinand, Rafael, Nani, Tom Cleverley, Ryan Giggs and Danny Welbeck. For a start, I wouldn’t have brought Nani into the starting eleven simply because I don’t think he has hit the same heights for United as he has done in the last couple of seasons. Kagawa and Rooney had excellent games against Norwich at the weekend, but both played the full 90 minutes and I think that is what cost them a starting place on Tuesday night. If I was in Ferguson’s shoes, I would have taken both men off after the 2nd goal on Saturday and while it would have only been an extra 15 minutes rest, it might still have made a difference. Jonny Evans might have been disappointed in losing his place given how well he has done this season, but given Rio Ferdinand’s experience and how well he plays with Nemanja Vidic, the decision is understandable.

The red card changed the game completely, but it wasn’t until after Madrid scored their second goal that United made any substitutions. First Rooney came on for Cleverley, a good decision that might have put United back in with a shout of getting at least one goal back, but 7 minutes later I was left scratching my head when I saw Danny Welbeck making for the bench, Was it time for Shinji Kagawa? A man who scored a hat-trick at the weekend, or Javier Hernandez? Someone who has built a bit of a reputation for scoring goals after coming on as a sub, nope, it was Ashley Young. While I don’t think Young is a bad player, he’s been a bit like Nani in that he’s not exactly set the world on fire this season and he hasn’t even managed to score a single goal in any competition either. At least Hernandez and Kagawa have scored and set up goals this campaign. A very odd decision I thought and couldn’t understand why it was made. A few minutes before the end United brought on Antonio Valencia for Rafael but by then it was too late and everyone involved at Manchester United is now left wondering what could have been.

We most likely won’t find out any answers from Sir Alex Ferguson about his team choices for Tuesday until the pre-match press conference this weekend for their FA Cup game against Chelsea. Ferguson didn’t attend the post-match press conference on Tuesday as his assistant Mike Phelan took his place instead. Phelan said Ferguson was too “distraught” to face the press that night, something that is likely to put Ferguson and Manchester United in hot water with Uefa who are obligated to provide reporters with the chance to interview the manager after the game. While they can certainly feel hard done by, perhaps on this occasion if Sir Alex Ferguson had done things a little differently with his team, it may well have been a different story. Fans have every right to be upset, but they should all remember that they still have a quality team that will qualify for The Champions League again next season and that they’ve got a manager who will surely now be more determined than ever to make sure they can go all the way and win it in Lisbon 2014.

Andrew.

https://twitter.com/ADNU92

The Media's Impact on Football

The Media’s Impact on Football

Whether it is for good reasons or bad, football is always going to make headlines. We live in an age where we can find out about almost anything we want about the game by the use of watching games live at grounds or on television, reading the back pages of the newspapers or reading articles on websites. The media has always had a big presence in the game and that presence doesn’t look like it is going to get smaller anytime soon. In the Premier League, managers are expected to give pre-match interviews and press conferences for their clubs website and journalists respectively. Then for the upcoming match, cameras are set up for television and internet coverage to cover the game and once the match is finished, managers give post match interviews for TV and websites before ending their day with a final press conference to give journalists something extra to write about in their respective newspapers.

I don’t think many people will have complaints about the presence of television cameras at football grounds. It gives people the chance to still see the big games if they are unable to make it to the stadium to see the game in person and also generates extra revenue for the clubs involved. With the coverage of the match comes pre and post match analysis and interviews which come with a bit more of a mixed reaction. Some viewers do not care for analysis and just change channels or switch off when the final whistle is blown regardless of who is trying to analyse the match they’ve just seen, and if a manager has just witnessed his side suffer a tough loss, the last thing he wants is to then receive a barrage of questions about “What went wrong?” and so on and so forth. But regardless of whether they like it or not, the manager and players have to answer the questions for the cameras as it is the money that comes from broadcasters such as Sky Sports which helps the football clubs fund new projects or signings etc.

While television coverage is generally received very well, the same can’t always be said for newspapers and journalists involved with the game. While it is unfair to put them all into the same category, a select few journalists will often go to extreme measures to try and get a story and sell their paper the next day. Managers can often get irritated with reporters when they question them about a story which could be considered confidential or completely made up but still leaves them questioning how or where they got the information from. Players very rarely speak directly with newspaper reporters as anything said can easily be twisted to make it have a negative effect on that player and his team. An example of both the above has come this weekend after a national newspaper reported that it had spoken with 3 unnamed Queens Park Rangers players who claimed that they engaged in a late-night drinking session while they were away training in Dubai recently. Manager Harry Redknapp said there was no truth in the report and slammed the person behind the story claiming they were just trying to cause problems at the club. Occasionally you might come across an interesting piece in a newspaper that may or may not be true, but the way it is written and the information given in the article can make for interesting thinking. The best examples I find in this case are articles about transfers, while I don’t always trust the source, it does always leave me thinking what impact the player in question could have at his rumoured next club if the information is in fact accurate. So while I can understand why others might have issues with journalists, I myself have no problems and look forward to reading their views on the stories making the news in football.

I’m not sure how much bigger the media effect will be in the long term future of the game, but the short term is much clearer to see. Obviously for the Premier League the new multi-million pound television deal kicks in this summer, whether that will include more access behind the scenes at games for the broadcasters only time will tell. An increased use in social networking sites in recent years has allowed for more interaction between fans and the people involved with their respective clubs which I see as nothing but a good thing with the exception of fans that support a club that is having problems and they aren’t able to provide you with any solutions to them. So with the internet, newspapers and television all able to keep you updated with nearly everything you need to know, there is no shortage of football media coverage in the world and I don’t think that will ever change.

Premier League – Weekend Review

The gap at the top of the table was once again extended to 15 points this weekend as Manchester United ran out 4-0 winners against Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. A Shinji Kagawa hat-trick and a wonder goal from Wayne Rooney made it a miserable afternoon for the travelling Canaries. The gap could be reduced to 12 points if Manchester City beat Aston Villa at Villa Park tonight. Hot on City’s heels though are Tottenham Hotspur who are now just 2 points off second place after won a very entertaining North London Derby against Arsenal 2-1 at White Hart Lane. Poor defending from The Gunners led to two goals in quick succession towards the end of the first half from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon put Spurs in the driving seat, and despite conceding a goal from Per Mertesacker 5 minutes into the second half, Tottenham kept Arsenal out for the rest of the game and got themselves a bit of payback for their 5-2 loss at The Emirates earlier in the season. Chelsea recorded a 1-0 home win against West Bromwich Albion thanks to a first half goal from Demba Ba. The Blues were back up to 2nd until Tottenham’s win yesterday and they now sit 2 points behind their London rivals. Elsewhere a 3-1 win for Everton against Reading at Goodison Park helped the Toffees put more pressure on 5th placed Arsenal by closing the gap on them to just 2 points although The Gunners do have a far superior goal difference.

Queens Park Rangers earned a huge win on manager Harry Redknapps 66th birthday as they beat fellow strugglers Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s. Redknapp’s men now sit 4 points from safety after Wigan Athletic suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Liverpool at The DW Stadium with Luis Suarez grabbing a hat-trick after Stewart Downing had opened the scoring for The Reds. Aston Villa can move out of the bottom 3 by getting at least a point against Manchester City tonight. While not in immediate danger anymore, Newcastle United didn’t do themselves any favours in capitalising on their 6 point gap over Wigan and Villa by suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Capital One Cup winners Swansea City thanks to a late goal from striker Luke Moore. The Magpies are tied on points with rivals Sunderland who drew 2-2 with Fulham at The Stadium of Light. But what the north-east teams couldn’t do, West Ham United could as they defeated Stoke City 1-0 at The Britannia Stadium and gained a 9 point gap between themselves and the drop zone. Each team minus Aston Villa and Manchester City have 10 league games left before the Premier League season draws to a close. Now is the time for teams to start performing if they want to be playing European football next season, achieve as high a finish as possible or stay in the division for next season. If the teams that need the points don’t start to get them in the very near future, this time next month it might well be too late. The time to stand up and be counted is now. 

Andrew.

https://twitter.com/ADNU92