Manchester United secured their 19th league title recently. James, Chief MUFC Writer for writtenoffside.com, chronicles the highs and the lows of a another memorable season.

Pre-Season

Manchester United kicked off the 2010-11 season with three new additions to the squad. Chris Smalling had agreed his transfer from Fulham back in January 2010 but the deal was officially signed in July. Javier Hernández was signed from Chivas Guadlajara and impressed United fans with his pace and eye for goal during the World Cup in South Africa. The most surprising purchase by the club was that of Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (better known as Bébé) who arrived for a reported fee of £7.4million and with just 26 games as a professional behind him and seemingly little pedigree as a top class footballer.

United kicked off the season with the traditional Community Shield fixture against double winners Chelsea at Wembley. The Red Devils picked up their first silverware of the season emerging as comfortable 3-1 winners which included a goal from Hernández who displayed the first glimpse of his penchant for improvisation in the process of scoring his first strike of the season. The little Mexican’s goal was sandwiched between efforts from Valencia and Berbatov.

August to October

P10, W5, D5, L0. GS:22 GC:12

The Premier League campaign for United kicked off on Monday 16^th August with a game against newly promoted Newcastle at Old Trafford. The home side ran out comfortable winners by three goals to nil with the night rounded off by a sublime Scholes assist leading to a fine Giggs finish which saw the Welshman maintain his incredible record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception in 1992/93.

Scholes’ fine form continued at Craven Cottage the following weekend with a trademark strike from outside the box to give United the lead against Fulham. The Reds dropped their first points of the season in what was to become a worrying trend in the early weeks as a late Hangeland header drew the teams level after the Fulham defender had put through his own net just five minutes earlier. The frustration was further compounded by a Nani penalty miss which would have sealed the points with the score at 2-1.

A comfortable home win against West Ham followed which was notable only for Rooney’s first goal of the season from the penalty spot and a fine individual strike from Nani after cutting in from the right flank.

Matches at Goodison Park always have a habit of producing excitement and this season’s fixture was no different. After falling behind, United replied either side of half time with goals from Fletcher and Vidic before a casual but cultured Berbatov strike left United cruising as the game meandered into injury time. However, lapses in concentration allowed the Toffeemen to equalise and leave the away side with red faces as the stuttering start to the season continued.

Next up was the small matter of Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford who would come to be knocked off their perch by the season’s finale. After storming into a two goal lead courtesy of the languid Berbatov whose overhead kick for his second will live long in the memory, United’s habit of letting leads slip emerged once more as Gerrard brought the Scousers level. Scenes of extensive camera and badge kissing were quickly extinguished by the Bulgarian number 9 completing his hat trick with a second header to secure a much needed three points for the home side. The result heaped more pressure on then Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson who had begun his tenure at Anfield in patchy fashion and it ultimately led to his sacking in January ahead of the FA Cup meeting between these two sides.

Away draws followed against Bolton and Sunderland as United looked unconvincing on their travels against teams they would have swept past in previous campaigns. The malaise surrounding the club’s performances grew deeper with the team surrendering a two goal advantage at home against promoted West Brom who benefited from one of the only blunders from Van der Sar all season. These were to be the only dropped points at Old Trafford all season.

It was at this point in October that news started to filter out about Wayne Rooney’s apparent desire to leave the club. This was swiftly confirmed by Sir Alex in a captivating press conference where he attempted to explain the player’s motives for turning his back on the club. In everyone’s eyes it was a brilliant “performance” by the manager who heaped pressure on his wayward striker and made it clear that he was being badly advised. With the United faithful firmly behind the boss and the sentiments expressed, Rooney had a change of heart and returned to the negotiating table. In many fans eyes, he emerged somewhat fortuitously with a bumper new contract although it took some quality end of season performances to win round the favour of the fans who once idolised him.

The gloom engulfing the club was lifted further by the joy of a first away victory of the season at the Britannia Stadium where a new star appeared from the shadows to nudge United past the challenge of Stoke. Javier Hernández secured a brace on the day but it was his opener that will be fondly remembered and brought him firmly to the attention of the football watching public. After a corner had been headed back across goal by Vidic, the Mexican leapt up with his back to goal and managed to flick the ball towards goal in one swift motion. Replays proved beyond doubt that it was a tremendous piece of improvisation rather than luck as the timing of his jump was crucial to the eventual execution. The winner was a typical poacher’s goal from within the six yard box that sent the travelling army of fans home happy. This was also the game that proved why Gary Neville’s eventual retirement was a sound idea after he was caught struggling for pace numerous times and fortunate not to receive a red card.

October drew to a close with a game against Spurs at fortress Old Trafford. With Rafael keeping golden boy Gareth Bale quiet, it was left to Gomes in the away team goal to take the headlines after he gifted Nani the all important second goal after a Vidic header had put United in front. With the game still closely fought, Nani’s claims for a penalty were waved away by referee Clattenberg who gestured for the game to continue. Gomez clearly thought it was a free kick to Spurs and proceeded to put the ball down only for the Portuguese winger to fire the ball into an unguarded net. The inevitable Spurs protests failed to see the goal overturned and led to phone-in shows being deluged with calls from irate supporters still seething at the “goal that never was” by Mendes a few seasons back. Ironically, Mr Clattenberg was on duty that night also!

November to February

P17, W12, D4, L1. GS: 39 GC:13

The first league game in November saw the visit of Wolves to Old Trafford. The pre-match talk centred around the inclusion of Owen Hargreaves. Sadly for the former Bayern Munich midfielder, the much anticipated return lasted barely five minutes and he was never seen in a United shirt again. His replacement on the day, Bébé did not fare much better on the pitch as he faced the ignominy of being a substitute substituted after an erratic display. United managed to sneak the three points late on thanks to a Ji Sung Park strike.

Next up was the small matter of the Manchester derby at Eastlands but this occasion passed by relatively unnoticed due to the home side’s negative tactics as the game ended goalless and without incident.

Villa Park has been a happy hunting ground over the years both in league and cup competitions for United but after 75 minutes, the Reds found themselves two goals down after another insipid away performance. Thankfully, the much renowned never say die attitude that resonates from every section of the club shone through as goals from Macheda and Vidic claimed a share of the spoils.

A routine 2-0 home victory against Wigan followed soon after but was notable for the return to action of Wayne Rooney after his injury lay-off to a lukewarm reception from the Old Trafford faithful. Perhaps mindful of a negative reaction, the manager chose to introduce the Englishman at the same time as Paul Scholes to help to quell any disquiet. Wigan in the end were architects of their own downfall in many ways after being reduced to nine men. A rare Evra header was followed by a late Hernández one to secure the three points for the home side.

United’s biggest win of the season arrived shortly after, as Blackburn Rovers were steamrollered 7-1 thanks in the main to Berbatov’s five goals which equalled a Premier League record. It was a day when the home team were at their imperious best with Anderson standing out in midfield with accurate passing and driving runs that Blackburn had no answer to. The fourth goal that arrived shortly after half time will long be remembered as the team goal of the season. Berbatov picked up the ball in an unaccustomed position at left back and after swapping passes with Evra, pinged a glorious pass out wide to Nani who made his way towards the box before cutting the ball back to the on-rushing Bulgarian to fire home. The move was symptomatic of the flowing football displayed by the team that day.

Arsenal at home is always a pivotal match for United and a solid defensive display coupled with an instinctive Park header saw the Reds to victory against their arch rivals. The second half saw a missed penalty from Rooney as he struggled to regain full fitness and form. This malaise in his play was set to continue for a few matches yet.

Following Chelsea’s suspect decision to postpone their home fixture with United a full 24 hours before the game due to adverse weather conditions, the team had to wait until Boxing Day to return to league action where a dull two goal victory against Sunderland was achieved thanks to a Berbatov brace. A Midlands away double header then followed with a trip to Birmingham followed closely by a visit to the Hawthornes to take on West Brom as the New Year began. The trip to St Andrew’s saw a scrappy 1-1 draw played out with more frustration for United on their travels thanks to a late Bowyer equaliser. Rooney and Hernández struck a few days later to give the Reds three points against West Brom although the home side will count themselves unlucky not to pick up at least a point after missing a penalty and having claims for another after a suspect Gary Neville lunge.

Stoke City were the first visitors to Old Trafford in 2011 and went home with a narrow defeat after goals from Hernández and Nani. United managed to keep their unbeaten record in tact following a goalless draw at White Hart Lane which saw Rafael fall foul of Mike Dean’s yellow card on two occasions prompting an early bath for the feisty Brazilian. The match quickly lapsed into stalemate as both sides seemed happy to leave the game with a point in the bag.

Birmingham were duly dispatched 5-0 in late January which saw Berbatov’s third hat trick of the season. Incredibly, this meant the Bulgarian was on 17 goals at the half way stage. Unfortunately for United, he would only add three goals to that tally in the second half of the season.

United’s trip to Bloomfield Road to take on Blackpool brought yet another poor away display followed by a late rally to secure the points. Trailing 2-0 and with little sign of inspiration, the manager brought on a couple of renowned game-changers Giggs and Hernández and the picture rapidly altered. A Berbatov brace sandwiched by a Hernández clinical finish brought yet another Lazarus like recovery from this Manchester United side who were starting to feel that a record 19^th league title could be a possibility with their nearest rivals starting to self implode.

February dawned with a solid regulation 3-1 victory at home to Villa with Rooney returning to the goal trail and showing signs of finally getting into his stride once more.

The seemingly inevitable first defeat duly arrived when a visit to Wolves saw the home side emerge victorious. The omens were not looking favourable before the match started when Rio Ferdinand pulled up with a calf injury in the warm up that was to sideline him for 8 weeks. Despite Nani’s early strike, United looked lethargic and lacking in invention throughout as they tasted defeat in the league for the first time in 29 matches dating back to April 2010 against Chelsea.

The perfect way to bounce back presented itself the following Saturday with the magnitude of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. The performance paled into apparent insignificance following a goal of such majesty to claim the three points by Rooney in the 79^th minute. The undisputed individual goal of the season came courtesy of a deflected Nani cross that saw Rooney launch an athletic bicycle kick that sailed past Hart in the City goal. It is easy to forget the quality of United’s opener from Nani just before half time as he collected a through ball from Giggs before slotting past the advancing Hart. Amazingly, it proved to be Nani’s last goal of the season as the “noisy neighbours” were put in their place. With Ferdinand absent, this was the game that saw Chris Smalling really come of age at the heart of the United defence as he demonstrated composure and class that belies his lack of experience at the top level.

The final game of February away at Wigan saw the start of a partnership that would ultimately drive the team towards their much coveted 19^th title. Rooney and Hernández contributed three in this game and a further nine in the remaining league games. The partnership blossomed to such an extent that it left the league’s leading scorer to sample life on the bench for much of the remainder of the season. Probably the best away performance followed the selection of these two together and the Reds left the DW Stadium with a 4-0 victory with Fábio adding the final goal in the last few minutes.

March to May

P11, W6, D2, L3. GS:13 GC:12

“Beware the ides of March” we are all told and so it came to pass for United as their title challenge faltered following successive away defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool. A fantastic first half display saw the Reds lead Chelsea by a goal at half time thanks to a fine Rooney strike and an all round energetic performance notable for Scholes and Carrick controlling midfield and dominating on the flanks. However, the second half was a complete reversal as the home side were galvanised by Luiz’s controlled volley and took control before taking the lead thanks to a Lampard penalty. The result meant that Chelsea were effectively back in the title race although some poor officiating from Martin Atkinson left a sour taste in the mouths of the United faithful at Stamford Bridge.

The following weekend saw a much anticipated trip to Anfield but the midfield was once more over run and a Kuyt hat trick put United to the sword. The match will be remembered by many for the dangerous studs-up challenge on Nani by Carragher that saw the Portuguese winger in tears at the assault committed. Although Nani was only out for a week, it could be argued that he was not the same player for the remainder of the season as coupled with Antonio Valencia’s return, he was switched out to the left wing and was noticeably less effective.

Valencia’s return to league action came in the home game against Bolton after a brief cameo versus Arsenal in the FA Cup the week before. A late Berbatov strike (a rare impact as substitute) got United back on track with a precious three points. Jonny Evans was given a red card for a dangerous tackle on Stuart Holden that made United’s strength in adversity all the more important.

There were echoes of Bloomfield Road once more for the Reds as they trailed West Ham by two goals at half time at Upton Park. In similar fashion, United stormed back to claim a vital three points as a rejuvenated Rooney struck three times (including one from the spot) and Hernández popped up late on to put the icing on the cake. Controversy is never far from Rooney’s door and so it proved once more at Upton Park as he swore down the lens of the television camera which led to an FA charge and a ludicrous two match ban that would rule him out of the FA Cup Semi Final against City.

A week later saw the visit of Fulham to Old Trafford and they were comfortably dispatched by first half goals from Berbatov and Valencia before the home side took their foot off the gas with tougher tests on the horizon. A disappointing midweek draw at Newcastle gave United’s title rivals fresh hope in a performance that lacked authority or the necessary invention to break down a stubborn Toon defence. This match followed the sub-standard display at Wembley against City that saw the team’s treble dream evaporate and put their opponents on the brink of ending their 35 year trophy drought.

Having experienced two goalless games, the nerves were out in force for United’s attack in the home game against Everton as the match drew closer to its conclusion. Fortunately, prayers were answered when Hernández, not for the first time, secured the three points late on with a salmon-like leap at the far post.

The least said about United’s trip to the Emirates Stadium the better as the away side slumped to their fourth, and thankfully final, defeat of the season. Neither side looked particularly threatening over the course of the game and post-match many United fans called into question the wisdom of abandoning the tried and tested 4-3-3 formation that has been so effective against the Gunners in recent years. As it was, a momentary lapse in concentration from Park who had just been moved to a central midfield position, left Ramsey free to fire past Van der Sar. A late penalty claim was turned down as Clichy caught Owen but it was not to be United’s day.

The penultimate game of United’s home campaign brought Chelsea to Old Trafford in the knowledge that if they could repeat last year’s victory at the Theatre of Dreams then they would be in a strong position to retain their league title. As it turned out, these hopes were effectively extinguished after just 34 seconds as Hernández was put clear on goal and nervelessly steered the ball past the advancing Cech. What followed was United’s most complete performance of the season as the Chelsea defence wilted under the pressure exerted by the likes of Park, Rooney, Valencia, Giggs and Carrick. In fact, the Ecuadorian gave Ashley Cole such a torrid time that it is hard to recollect another such time in the left back’s career. The relentless pressure told once more midway through the first half as Vidic surged past the Chelsea backline to power in a point blank header. Although, Lampard gave the away side hope with a smart finish in the second half, the home side continued to create a multitude of chances but as each one was squandered so the nerves grew. Chelsea knew only a win would realistically keep them in the hunt and they eventually ran out of both ideas and time. United now knew that a single point in their remaining two matches would see them finally knock their old rivals Liverpool off their perch to claim their historic 19^th league championship.

First up in their quest for the one remaining point required were Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. The home side had the audacity to shock the massed ranks of the away support as they took the lead and looked good value for it as Kuszczak in the United goal demonstrated perfectly why he will not be considered as Van der Sar’s replacement. His nervousness with the ball at his feet spread panic amongst a back line usually so composed under the guidance of the veteran Dutchman. In the end it was left to Rooney to secure the draw with a well taken penalty after Hernández was bundled over in the box by Robinson. The final ten minutes saw both sides happy to settle for a point as the ball was played around among United’s back line with barely a threat of forward progression. The final whistle blew and the scenes of jubilation that followed will live long in the memory as this alleged sub-standard squad celebrated their historic championship with the fans lucky enough to be present.

Going into the final league game at Old Trafford with the title secure, the only remaining goal was to see if the team could complete an almost perfect home record. Only West Brom had left the Reds fortress with anything other than a defeat. Unfortunately, a United victory consigned Blackpool to relegation after a season where they imposed their own brand of attacking football on the division but ultimately they conceded far too many to survive. Their spirit was amply demonstrated by having the impudence to take the lead at one point but hopes of saving themselves were dashed by Anderson, an own goal and a late Owen strike.

The club’s 19^th league title was presented after the game but not before Old Trafford had applauded Ian Holloway’s gallant battlers from the field in a sign of class from those in attendance sympathetic to the plight of a fine football team. Nemanja Vidic lifted the trophy and started the celebrations in earnest as the players wives and children joined in the party on the pitch.

The season was to end on a sour note with the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League but there was no disgrace in coming off second best to one of the best sides of all time. Despite this disappointment, it was never going to take the gloss off a remarkable season that has seen Sir Alex Ferguson navigate his way through the congested fixture list with wonderful imagination and bravery in terms of squad rotation. The challenge as ever is how to remain on top next season and plans are already under way with rumours flying around about transfer dealings at the club. As well as players coming in to strengthen the squad, there will be inevitable departures too with the likes of Neville, Van der Sar and Scholes retiring and question marks about the futures of a number of others. Whatever happens, United will rise again next season in the face of renewed challenges from the usual rivals as they look to retain their league trophy and conquer Europe once more.

You can follow James on Twitter @writtenoff_mufc for updates, news and general Manchester United information.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

2008/2009 was all-in-all Barcelona’s season. Pep Guardiola led his childhood club to glory like no other manager had done before him.

United on the other hand, weren’t too bad the whole season. They were back again in the UEFA Champions League final to defend the title that they had won last year against Chelsea.

08/09 Champions League for Manchester United

In 2008/09, Manchester United were in a rather easy group with Villarreal, Aalborg and Celtic. Four draws and two wins saw them top the group and move on to the first knockout stage.

They had Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the Round of 16. Julio Cesar saved the day at San Siro but United was too much to handle at the Old Trafford. United went through 2-0 on aggregate.

Porto caused some concerns for Alex Ferguson when they managed a 2-2 draw in Old Trafford in the quarterfinals. But a 1-0 away win guaranteed a place in the semifinal.

Arsenal was the semifinal opponents and United supporters were sure that United have the Gunners in their pocket for this one. United lived up to expectations and a 4-1 aggregate win awarded them a place in the final against the mighty Barcelona.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Manchester United vs Arsenal

08/09 Champions League for Barcelona

Barca, however, had a relatively easier start to the Champions League. Sporting, Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel didn’t cause them much trouble in group stages and a 6-3 aggregate win over Lyon in the Round of 16 meant it was all a walk in the park.

The quarterfinal opponents were Jurgen Klinsmann’s Bayern Munich. 4-0 at Nou Camp meant Guardiola’s men could just defend in the away leg. Aggregate score was 5-1.

The semifinal against Chelsea saw a lot of drama as Champions League was closing in on another all-English final. Actually a replay of last year’s final to be exact.

But Andres Iniesta’s late goal in the second leg meant Barca goes through to the final on away goals with the scores tied 1-1 over two legs.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Chelsea vs Barcelona

The Final

The final saw the beautiful Barca undone the moment of magic from Paul Scholes a year ago in 90 minutes.

Except the first few minutes of attack from the Red Devils, it was mostly one way traffic – the other way.

After a slow start, Barcelona had taken control of possession and Samuel Eto’o struck on the ten minute mark with a close-range near-post shot going just past Edwin van der Sar.

Then as the legs got tired, Barcelona’s young ace Lionel Messi rose between two of the best defenders, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to meet a cross and seal the game 2-0.

Whistle was blown and the Barcelona was crowned the 2009 UEFA Champions League champion.

2009 Champions League Final: Barcelona vs Manchester United

Teams in 08/09

Back in 08/09, Barcelona had a make-shift defense with Dani Alves and Eric Abidal missing. Yaya Toure was moved back to fill out the central defensive duties as Carles Puyol covered for Alves. Youngster Sergio Busquets was given the opportunity to perform at such a huge stage, so early in his career.

Xavi and Iniesta completed the midfield with Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry as wide forwards and Eto’o up ahead.

Manchester United, to start off with, still had Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. CR started and Tevez was brought on in the 46th minute for Anderson (because unlike in the FIFA game, Anderson can’t take on the prowess of Xavi and Iniesta).

Also van der Sar, Ryan Giggs and Scholes were young-er. Dimitar Berbatov was considered a very expensive goal-scorer. His going rate at that time was something like five or six million a goal.

Teams in 10/11

Since the match hasn’t been played yet, I will not be able to glorify Barcelona even more in a handful of paragraphs. So lets jump to the current squads:

Barcelona squad:
As we have noticed during the El Clasicos that Barcelona lack the depth in their squad. Throwing lots of high-importance fixtures their way seems to be the only way to beat them; as Real Madrid conducted the experiment.

In the final on 28th May, however, we expect that Barcelona will not have that problem.

Samuel Eto’o, Theirry Henry and Yaya Toure might be missing but Gerard Pique will be playing (hopefully) and up front, we have witnessed Pedro to have taken the step up. Also, the addition of David Villa to the ranks will somewhat fill the space Eto’o left behind.

Busquets will be available as well and now he has picked up a couple of years of experience and taken some acting classes.

Manchester United squad:
Squad depth is certainly not the issue with United.

Ronaldo and Tevez might not be here but they have been replaced with Berbatov and Javier Hernandez. Also, Wayne Rooney is coming back to form.

Nani and Antonio Valencia have both done a fine job on the wings. Two players who didn’t take the part in the 2009 final. Nani was on the bench and was left on the bench.

This year Ferguson has a fantastic team. A team full of talent and flair. But the actual question is, will Ferguson’s tactics this time be good enough to overcome Barcelona’s?

United fans will say yes and come up with a hundred theories, Barca/United haters will say yes/no and add a hate-comment to it and Barca fans will say no and come up with a hundred theories.

One thing that should be learned from the 08/09 final is that if you’re going to attack Barca early then you better as hell score. If they get the ball off you, you’ll be running around like a dog all day.

What else has changed?

In 08/09, Guardiola was new and no one had quite figured it out how to play against Barcelona. It has been three years since and we have seen Barcelona get defeated at the hands of a very few.

But one thing is for sure. Teams are building confidence in what little hope they see of beating Barcelona. They have realized that no matter how well rehearsed and efficient Barcelona are, they can be beaten.

Their terrific form over three seasons is also getting on other people’s nerves topped up with the on-field theatrics of Busquets and Pedro – mainly Busquets.

Alex Ferguson is one of the most experienced and seasoned tactician and with rumors circulating of his retirement, he will definitely want to give fans the Champions League glory to top off the 19th title and rub it in Liverpool’s face a bit more.

And Guardiola knows that very well.

Road to London

Barcelona had Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos in Group D, where they eased through to the Round of 16. The much debatable match against Arsenal ended in a close 4-3 aggregate to Barca’s favor.

The quarterfinal was a rather easy draw, Shakhtar Donetsk were no match for the Catalan giants as they won the two-legged tie 6-1.

The semifinal was a part of the four El Clasicos to be played in 18 days. With Madrid drawing the first and winning the second, it seemed like Mourinho has finally overthrown Barca.

Barcelona won 2-0 at Santiago Bernabeu and drew 1-1 at home. Theatrics from both side saw people flame the two teams and mainly Barcelona between the two legs. I know that doesn’t sound right, but that is what happened.

The away leg surely made the critics silent as Barcelona players stayed on their feet (or tried to) and Madrid players repeatedly got away without getting a second booking.

On the flip side, Manchester United had a relatively tougher group. In Group C, they were joined by Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor. But it was like a piece of cake.

In the Round of 16, Marseille fell to United 2-1 on aggregate. United won both legs of the quarterfinal against Chelsea and won the tie 3-1.

The semifinal was won before the first whistle blew. Even though Schalke had overcome defending champions Inter Milan but so did Tottenham.

United made the win official right in the first leg away from home by winning 2-0 at Veltins Arena. The two-legged match ended 6-1.

Semifinal decides the winner?

Let me take you back to 2008 UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United vs Chelsea. I won’t talk about the 2007 final because justice was done that day to AC Milan.

United faced Barcelona in the semifinal and won with just one goal scored by Scholes from long range. Chelsea faced Liverpool in the semifinal and they managed to overcome the Reds 4-3 in extra time. United won.

In 2009, Barcelona faced Chelsea in a crunching 1-1 draw over two legs and away goals rule deciding the winner. United scored three away goals against Arsenal in their semi. Barca won.

In 2010, even though Bayern Munich had won the Round of 16 (against Fiorentina) and the quarterfinal (against United) on away goals but both the time they managed three away goals. In the semifinal, Bayern won 4-0 over two legs against Lyon. Inter Milan on the other hand had to stop Barcelona from scoring two goals at the Nou Camp. Inter won.

Non-football reference: India beat fierce arch rival Pakistan in the 2011 Cricket World Cup semifinal and went on to win the cup. Like you care, right?

The 2011 CL Final

Barcelona have played against Real Madrid in the semifinal and came away as 3-1 winners after being considered slight underdogs in a long, long time. United has had an easy road to the final comparatively. You can argue but you know Schalke starts with a Madrid-reject (so did Inter though).

Prediction: Odds point towards Barcelona taking the trophy again but all I know is that it will be a tightly contested match with Barcelona somehow winning the night.

Lets just say that it will be kind of like Spain vs England.

Disclaimer: Forgive me, I am a Barcelona fan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Dimitar Berbatov does a mean Godfather impression as part of adidas’s ‘Call The Shots‘ campaign, where fans are given control of the world’s best players.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Two Manchester rivals are set to go head to head in the race to become this year’s Premier League Top Scorer. Although Manchester City seem to have fallen just short in the Premier League title race, their star man Carlos Tevez is the favourite to pick up the Golden Boot award at the end of the season ahead of Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov.

Their fight has been brewing for a long time now, but with both short of goals of late the chance was there for somebody to come with a late run, however the likes of Darren Bent and Robin Van Persie have surely left their challenge too late.

Dimitar Berbatov

The problem for Berbatov in the past few weeks has come in the shape of a ‘little pea’. Javier Hernandez, as he is more commonly known has forced his way into the side ahead of the Bulgarian who has started just one of the last seven Premier League games. In that time Berbatov has found the net only once, compared to the four of Hernandez.

Since he scored a vital double in the 3-2 victory at Blackpool, Berbatov started the next two games and failed to find the net. Sir Alex Ferguson it seemed had seen enough and his ruthless streak meant Berbabtov would be on the bench for the next three games. To make matters worse he was given a starting place at Liverpool where they were soundly beaten thanks to a Dirk Kuyt hat-trick. That was the last time Berbatov started a Premier League game.

Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez scored at the weekend to close the gap to one on his rival, which was his first goal in four outings, and knowing Carlos Tevez that could open the floodgates for an end of season flourish from the Argentine front man.

Before the mini drought that left Tevez with no goal in four games, he found the net six times in the four games previous, including a hat trick against West Brom. He is very much a confidence player and he is very good at punishing any inferior opposition with his lethal finishing.

Unlike Berbatov, he is a guaranteed starter in the Manchester City team and Mancini builds the team around his talisman. That is shown by the fact he has never started with Tevez on the bench once this season.

Head to Head

Berbatov and Tevez look set to fight to the finish, with the Manchester United man one goal ahead on 20, compared to the 19 times Tevez has found the net this term. Their stats in front of goal for the season as a whole are remarkably similar, Berbatov hitting the target with 62% of his shots, compared to Tevez’s 59% accuracy. Berbatov averages one goal from every four shots he fires at goal, Tevez’s record is slightly inferior, taking just shy of five attempts to score.

The Manchester City man has played 2328 minutes in the Premier League so far, compared to the 2005 minutes of Berbatov, who has only started 21 games this season where as Tevez has lined up from the start on 27 occasions. If this trend continues it is safe to say that Carlos Tevez will be on the pitch a lot longer than his adversary in the final run in, giving him a stronger chance to overhaul the Bulgarian.

Current Betting Odds

At present, Carlos Tevez is favourite to end the season as top scorer at odds of 1.88 (Betfair). Berbatov is available at 2.4 (Betfair). Their nearest challenger is Darren Bent, who is currently on 13 goals, seven off the pace. He can be backed at 55 (Betfair).

Although the Manchester United man is one goal ahead of his City rival, I can understand why Tevez is the favourite given that it seems he will be getting a much greater chance to add to his tally. However, with Wayne Rooney suspended for one Premier League game (two domestic ties in total), Berbatov will get the chance to regain his starting place, so don’t write him off just yet.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester United’s Berbatov leads the scoring charts but Manchester City’s Tevez is the better all-round player.

Carlos Tevez has been involved in more goals than any other player in the Premier League this season, having scored 18 times and delivered five assists.

Tevez may trail Berbatov by one goal in the scoring department, but it’s the Argentine who is more of a threat in all departments of the game. He shoots more and generally sees more of the ball than the Bulgarian. He also crosses, dribbles and tackles more, putting in a lot of effort to chase down opponents.

Berbatov hasn’t scored against any of the top five sides this season (Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur) but on a positive note for the Red Devils he has been much more prolific at home where he has bagged 15 of his 19 goals, which included two hat-tricks and a five-goal performance against Blackburn Rovers last November.

Berbatov vs Tevez – Premier League 2010/11

However, United fans will be wary of Tevez’s impact: he is the top goalscorer away from home in the Premier league this season with eight goals.

Berbatov vs Tevez – Premier League 2010/11

Most goals – Premier League 2010/11

Also See:

Manchester United v Manchester City Preview.
United v City: Three Fantasy Football Strategies.

Stats by: Castrol Football.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Since his record-breaking transfer to Chelsea, Fernando Torres has been compared to many former big-money strikers – from Shevchenko (by one of Soccerlens’ own) to Chris Sutton.

And after a low-key debut against Liverpool where the tactics of both sides were analysed to death (although few remembered that Steve Clarke, the former Chelsea assistant coach, now works with Dalglish), it’s worth remembering another record signing who took more than just a few games (almost two seasons to be exact) to find his feet at his new ‘big’ club – Dimitar Berbatov (who is, according to the latest sports betting from BetUS, odds-on favourite to finish top goalscorer in the Premier League this season – what a turnaround from the last two seasons!).

Like Torres, Berbatov angled for a move away from Tottenham when he realised that a) Tottenham weren’t good enough at the time to challenge for the league title and b) there was a bigger club waiting to sign him. Although Berbatov didn’t suffer from as poor a run in form before his move as Torres, he took his bloody time at making a transition from being the most important player for his club to being one of three-four strikers the manager could call upon.

The similarities with Berbatov are there in age too – Berbatov was 27 when he moved to United, and called it his final move in his career (or his final ‘big’ move, in any case). Torres will turn 27 in March, and with his contract he’s unlikely to be pitching up tent anywhere else for the next 3-4 years.

Torres, like Berbatov before his move to Manchester United, was always given the main striking duties for his club. His role at Chelsea is different, and he’ll take time to adapt. For the sake of Chelsea fans, hopefully it will be this season or at worst, start of next season. He’s already proving to be a valuable commercial asset selling plenty of shirts, but for a player who aspires to challenge for titles, he’ll need to start scoring goals soon.

With other quality strikers alongside him he may not reach the same prolific heights as he did for that season with Liverpool, but terrorise Vidic again and score 20 goals every season and you’ve more or less paid back your transfer fee…in about 5 years. Unless he helps them win the league title or the Big Cup, although looking at Chelsea’s squad they’ll need to improve performances or strengthen again if they are to mount a convincing challenge for either title.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Out of the top leagues in Europe (Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France), Barcelona have scored the most goals and maintained highest goals per game ratio. They have scored 67 goals in their 21 La Liga games so far this season – an average of 3.19 goals per game. Barca have only conceded 11 goals in their matches; roughly one goal every two games.

Over in England, English Premier League leaders Manchester United have scored 54 goals in 24 games and conceded 22 at 2.25 goals a game. United’s Bulgarian striker has found his form this season and finds himself on top of the 2010/2011 Premier League top scorers’ sheet with 19 goals. That is great but that is also two shy of Barca’s top scorer, Lionel Messi.

In Italy, AC Milan are the Serie A leaders and they have only managed 39 goals while conceding 18 in 23 games at 1.66 goals per game. Inter Milan have also scored 39 at 1.77 goals per game are currently at the third position with one game in hand – they have conceded 24.

It seems like everything has been turned on its head in Germany, where Borussia Dortmund lead the pack after 20 games. Dortmund are also the top scorers with 46 goals at 2.3 goals per game and they have conceded 12. Bayern Munich are a staggering 14 points behind the Borussians and have scored 40 goals at 2 goals a game.

Whereas in France after 21 games, Lille top the Ligue 1 charts. They have scored 39 goals at 1.86 goals per game and conceded 21.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Paul Scholes, the finest English player of his generation, continues to defy his age each week with a masterclass on how to pass a football and manipulate a game. That’s the good news; the bad news is he is 36, no longer able to play every game and realistically may have only one season left. Replacing Paul Scholes is impossible, he is a magician, but Sir Alex Ferguson must make the position of attacking central midfield a priority.

Between the years of 1994-2005, goals were a massive part of Scholes’ game; he worried teams not only with his playmaking abilities but with his real desire to score goals and was a huge threat. In the season of 2002-2003, he scored a remarkable 20 goals in just over 50 appearances. Since then, the goals have understandably begun to dry up.

Anderson has never really seen his Old Trafford career take off, he has had his fair share of injuries, but a return of 1 goal in 106 appearances says more than I ever could; he certainly possesses the ability but has yet to consistently show it. Michael Carrick, who is a shadow of the player of two seasons ago, has registered just 17 goals in 201 appearances for United. A player of such fabulous passing ability but increasingly defensively minded, seems to have suffered a severe lack of confidence.

Darren Fletcher has improved his record as a goal scorer in recent years but only has a mere 21 goals in 273 appearances. At times this season he has been pushed further forward; the problem is he is never going to be a playmaker in the mould of Xavi or Iniesta, he’s a grafter and that said, he is one of the best. Then there’s Darren Gibson, who can certainly strike a ball, but at the age of 23 he has so far struggled to establish himself. Owen Hargreaves, if he ever returns to fitness, is effectively a defensive midfielder. Tom Cleverley, on loan at Wigan, may well turn out to be the answer, he has a decent goal scoring record in the lower leagues but whether he can transfer this to the Premier League is debatable.

Every top team in the Premier League has a player who provides consistent assists and a real goal threat from central midfield. Chelsea boast Frank Lampard, who hit an incredible 22 league goals last season and carries a goals-to-game ratio of 1 goal every 3 games for Chelsea spanning over 10 years. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard regularly scores over the 20 mark and has 7 goals already to his name in just 12 games; he carries an equally impressive ratio of a goal every just under 4 games. Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal’s conductor, registered 19 goals last season, including 15 in the league. Tottenham’s Rafael Van der Vaart has also started the season in fine goal scoring form. Fabregas along with Van der Vaart, Lampard and Gerrard all pose a real threat from midfield, not just with goals but with their presence of a goal threat, each also provides an impressive assist record.

Manchester United need a playmaker. That said, finding that player is a lot easier said than done. Wesley Sneijder had been identified but was dismissed as paper talk by Sir Alex; however with Inter struggling in Serie A, he may be seeking a new challenge after his success last season. Javi Martinez is also an option; he certainly has an eye for a pass and would provide a goal threat. Luka Modric is also an option, but with Tottenham unlikely to sell, the chances are slim. Bastian Schweinsteiger is a fine player who had a magnificent World Cup in a more withdrawn role, but he has all of the attributes to fill the void further forward and there have been noises made that he is ready to try his hand at the Premier League.

The fact United didn’t take up the option to sign Van Der Vaart in the summer is very much a mystery. He showed promise at Hamburg, had real pedigree at Real Madrid although deemed surplus to requirements by Jose Mourinho, and has proved he can compete in the Premier League.

The present and future for Manchester United is bright but they continue to lack that spark in central midfield. They have good options in defence with Rafael and Fabio likely to fill the full back slots for years to come and Smalling and Evans deputising impressively in central defence. Antonio Valencia, Nani, Ji Sung Park and the improving Gabriel Obertan and Bebe provide good options when the evergreen Ryan Giggs has to call it a day. Up front the returning Wayne Rooney, Federico Macheda and impressive Javier Hernandez provide a youthful attack along with the class of Dimitar Berbatov.

A player to link the team together would be the final piece in the jigsaw. Despite the club’s well documented debt, there is money to spend; such assurances have been made to Wayne Rooney. Let’s not forget, this is Manchester United, one of, if not the biggest club in the world. Sir Alex is perhaps reluctant to spend big in this area after the £28 million move for Juan Sebastian Veron and £17 million move for Anderson in recent years. They possess Fletcher and Carrick who are good disciplined midfielders and being defensive in midfield is imperative when playing away from home against the big teams. But United have found it difficult to unlock defences at Old Trafford against lesser opposition, lacking that final killer ball. In a league which focuses heavily on being physical there has been a real emergence of smaller, slighter, wiser midfield players in recent seasons. There’s something about a Sneijder playing in behind Rooney which really would be a joy to see.

In an age where managers seem to have become obsessed with the art of a well disciplined defensive midfielder, the need for a goal scoring attacking midfielder could not be greater.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Alongside the worldwide players’ union (FIFPro),  FIFA have this afternoon announced the 55 players that have been included on the shortlisted for the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2010 – which will be unveiled as the undercard event on the night that football’s governing body also plan to dole out their prestigious Ballon d’Or award in Zurich on January 10th.

The World XI is voted for by the 50,000 professional footballers that are registered with FIFPro, who will now conduct a secret ballot to nominate whichever of their 11 peers they see fit for inclusion in their ‘fantasy team’, i.e. their individual pick of 2010′s best four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and single goalkeeper.

The 55-strong list, of basically what is just the world’s most famous players, reads as follows (in alphabetical order):

Goalkeepers:

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea), Julio Cesar (Brazil, Inter), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands, Manchester United).

Defenders:

Daniel Alves (Brazil, Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham), Michel Bastos (Brazil, Lyon), Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea), Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Lucio (Brazil, Inter), Maicon (Brazil, Inter), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Alessandro Nesta (Italy, AC Milan), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Walter Samuel (Argentina, Inter), John Terry (England, Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Brazil, AC Milan), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United), Javier Zanetti (Argentina, Inter).

Midfielders:

Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina, Inter), Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Ricardo Kaka (Brazil, Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands, Inter), Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid), Xavi (Spain, Barcelona).

Forwards:

Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria, Manchester United), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, Inter), Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina, Real Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, AC Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Diego Milito (Argentina, Inter), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich), Ronaldinho (Brazil, AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United), Carlos Tevez (Argentina, Manchester City), Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool), David Villa (Spain, Barcelona).

That’s that horrible lump out of the way. Here’s a few nationality/league-based break-downs of the shortlist for you to digest of your own free will:

Unsurprisingly, reigning World (and European for that matter) champions Spain are leading the way with ten players included on the shortlist, followed closely by nine from Brazilians, eight Argentinians, six Englishmen, four Germany natives, three each from the Netherlands and Italy, two from Portugal and one each from Uruguay, Wales, France, Bulgaria, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Spain’s Primera Division also managed to attract the most nominees with 18 La Liga-based players making the cut, followed swiftly by 17 of the Premier League’s finest, 15 from Italy’s Serie A, a further four representing Germany’s Bundesliga and just one from France’s Ligue 1.

The same old problems arise due to FIFA’s insistence on having their awards cover a calendar year rather than the familiar annum-straddling seasonal schedule that most of Europe’s major leagues currently adhere to.

Of course, every four years a World Cup comes along half-way through to simplify matters, meaning that Sneijder and most of the Spaniards are almost guaranteed to walk their way into the final selection but, as with the Ballon d’Or many short-listed selections can seem strangely dated (Buffon, Mascherano) or knee-jerk (Bale, Berbatov) depending on the timing of the given player’s particular spurt of form.

With that in mind, I’ve plumped for the following hypothetical selection:

Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Puyol, Cole; Fabregas, Xavi, Sneijder; Forlan, Messi, Tevez

Fancy having a flutter yourself? Feel free to leave your suggested ‘World XIs’ in the comments box below…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

0-0  at La Mestalla stadium and Sir Alex Ferguson, late in the second half, looks to his bench. He needs a goal badly and he knows it. Manchester United threw two points away at Old Trafford a few weeks earlier against Rangers and needed to atone. A draw would heap pressure onto the three-time Champions League winners who are favorites to top the group.

Knowing what’s at stake, Ferguson summons his chosen substitute on 77 minutes. But what?! It’s not Michael Owen, who scored in his last two games, including the clinical header that snatched a point and spared United’s blushes against Bolton at the weekend. Instead, it’s Javier Hernandez, who would be making only his second appearance in the competition. A few minutes have passed and with no goal in sight, Ferguson looks to his bench once more. Again though, it’s not Owen he calls into action, it’s 19 year old Federico Macheda.

There’s a bit of an injury and form crisis at the England camp. Given Owen’s recent surge in goal-scoring form, one would think that now would be a good time for Fabio Capello to bring Owen back in from the wilderness, but instead, Newcastle’s Andy Carroll looks set to make Capello’s squad after being omitted from the England U21′s. Capello thus remains true to his word that he would only pick Owen if he plays regularly for his club.

There’s no end to Owen’s frustration, it seems. Despite the goals he scores, he is just not going to get enough pitch time for club or country and at an age when the curtain is coming down on his career, surely, playing Cup games, getting a few odd minutes here and there or just warming the bench is not the way Michael Owen envisioned his career would end. Being deemed redundant both at club level and for country is surely demoralizing. Credit to the former Liverpool and Real Madrid ace though, he isn’t throwing a hissy fit. He works hard and he takes the chances afforded to him, however few and far in between they may be. But, things did not have to be this way.

Almost a year and a half ago, Owen had a very important decision to make. He had a few offers from different clubs worth considering. However, when he heard of United’s firm interest, he jumped at their offer. That proved to be a huge mistake and at this stage of his career, he’d be fortunate to get an opportunity to correct it. Given the fact that Rooney and Berbatov were at the club, Owen should have known that chances would have been few and far in between. Understandably, the lure of playing for Manchester United would have been too strong to resist, especially at a time when his career seemed to be heading south. In his mind, that opportunity seemed too good to be true and ultimately, too good to turn down. However, had Owen spurned United’s advances and gone to a Premier League club that could have guaranteed him a starting berth on a regular basis, there’s no telling the kind of impact that decision would’ve had on his faltering career, including at International level.

Now, at the age of 30 going on 31, is there enough time for Owen to atone for his error in judgment? Well, with Gerard Houllier registering an interest in his former pupil, there is time for one last chance yet. Ferguson is adamant that his No.7 is staying put, but if things continue the way they are, Owen will want to grab that chance with both hands. There are five strikers in the United squad at the moment. Don’t forget that there are two more out on loan (Diouf and Welbeck). Surely, there is a bleak future at United for Owen. His contract expires next summer and I don’t think it would be renewed. That said, he would have a few clubs, including Aston Villa, waiting to pick him up on a free. This may be his last chance to end his career on a high, so Owen would want to weigh his options carefully this time around.

He may not have the legs anymore, but Michael Owen still possesses that killer eye for goal. He still has the predatory instincts that endeared him to the Liverpool faithful. He still has his renowned ability to nick a vital goal. His savoury strike against fierce rivals Manchester City proves that point. Given a fresh start at a club where he plays as often as his body allows, England’s 4th all-time top scorer will remind the football world that he still has a lot to offer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News