The new Barcelona home and away shirts for the 2012/2013 season have a fusion-theme, giving Barcelona players (and Barcelona-supporters) a distinctly unique Nike football jersey to wear.

The home shirt sees three vertical bands of blue and maroon blended in to give a slightly electric feel to the traditional Barcelona colours, with blue dominating on the shirt and red trim adorning the collar and sleeves (also seen with yellow trim). The shorts are blue.

The away kit is a horizontal fusion of orange and yellow, and is probably the first Barcelona away shirt that manages to properly use the colour orange in their shirts. The away kit gently fuses into completely yellow shorts, giving a very nice spectrum effect from top to bottom.

All in all a refreshing design by Nike, and you will soon be able to pre-order / buy your new Barcelona shirts at the Soccerlens Store.

Barcelona Home and Away Kits for 2012/201 (by Nike)3

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When you look upon FC Barcelona as a squad, you might think you are looking at a squad that is almost perfect in every way.

They have a squad with experienced players that know each other well. Because they know each other, they play exceptionally well together. They have a tactical setup that calls for a passing and possession game. Their preferred tactical formation is a 4-3-3. The squad and tactics look set and fixed.

However, when a new manager comes into a squad, he tends to clean house, to mold the squad to fit his philosophy, his own playing style, and often renovate the tactical setup. Such is the dilemma that Tito Vilanova will have since he has been chosen to be the man that will take the Blaugrana into the post-Guardiola era.

Often a new manager has a hard choice to make. He can either start from scratch or, build on the foundation left by the previous manager. With Tito Vilanova being new to managing a team such as Barcelona, and because he was Guardiola’s right hand man, it is likely Tito will change very little about the tactical setup of the team. It is in the opinion of this writer that instead, Villanova will build on the squad left to him by Guardiola. What will he correct in a perfect squad you say? Tito will focus on correcting the shortcoming this team current has which aren’t many, but they are critical.

For starters, with all the rumors starting to fly in anticipation of the transfer window, it is unlikely Barcelona will release many players this summer.

One of the problems that plagued Barcelona this season has been squad depth, or a lack there of. There is no doubt that Barcelona’s starting XI is an extremely strong and capable squad. But this season, we saw a Barcelona that was decimated by injuries and had to go through most of the season without its preferred eleven. Pedro, Villa, Abidal, Puyol, Pique, Afellay, were all injured.

Some of these injuries were for the season and others sporadically. Apart from Afellay, what the rest have in common is that they are members of Barcelona’s starting XI. Barcelona surely suffered, and perhaps, lost some matches due to the absence of these players at one point or another.

Another reason Barcelona suffered was because it’s bench was not of the same quality or skill level to fit into the shoes of those who weren’t available. So Tito inherits a small squad, and a bench that poses a problem. That problem is, are they good enough? And if not what area’s need better squad players?

For Barcelona it is impossible to have a bench that is composed of pure world class players. The board will not give Tito a blank check and having a bench of divas and stars will be a nightmare in the locker room. So Tito will look to have a bigger squad while focusing on expanding it in areas Barcelona is in need of players. Tito must choose players that will be able to fit into Barcelona’s defense and attack.

The midfield of Barcelona is perhaps the most hotly contested area for starting spots on the squad. There is an overabundance of talent, and therefore, it is likely Seydou Keita and utility player Adriano, will be shipped out to enlarge the transfer budget. What Tito will be looking for is not to reshuffle tactics, but to buy players that will offer a tactical solution to a problem.

Football is like chess, it is a game of strategy. Your tactics and your strategy to defeat the opposition is enhanced or hindered by the number of pieces you have at your disposal and, by the functions these pieces serve. Tito will be looking for specific tactical pieces to solve Barcelona’s tactical shortcomings.

In defense Barcelona need another Carles Puyol. Easy to say right? But not easy to find. What Puyol has is experience, its leadership, he is the man who orders Barcelona’s defense. With him Barcelona are more solid, but without him they run into the problem that no one is in charge of the defense.

This past weekend, Betis demonstrated that Mascherano and Pique are both on the same level. That level is that neither are the boss, they don’t communicate, and at times they make tactical mistakes such as going to cover the same man, because neither is the dominant defender.

This is the center back Barcelona must find to fit the tactical void that Carles Puyol is slowly leaving behind. This defender will be someone with an aerial threat, a leader that will make Barca’s defense his defense. This defender must read the game well since Barcelona rely on the offside trap as the first line of defense. But, this man must also be a bruiser, a defender like Puyol, a man that when he is the last man in defense,he is a wall.

Perhaps you don’t know what I’m talking about, you might say that’s impossible to find, but take a look at the man that is now in the twilight of his career and see what Barcelona stand to loose defensively if a replacement isn’t found. Puyol won’t be easy to replace but it is best to start looking early before Carles is gone for good.

Mascherano has had an excellent season, but the fact that he is not as good as Puyol at reading the game, nor is he as tall, nor as fast as Puyol, is cause for concern. Numerous times this season, speed has proven to be the Argentines Achilles heel, and, his stature makes him a liability for Barcelona on corners and set pieces. He will most likely be moved into a permanent midfield role once Tito finds his central defender. Neither Busquets nor Mascherano can realistically be converted into central defenders, the reason being is that they don’t have the positional sense of a defender. Just take a look at the Chelsea goals and you’ll know what I mean. They are riddled with the error of double marking by Mascherano and with Busquets not dropping deep fast enough to cover for the exposed CB.

Another thing that really affected Barcelona besides command in the central defense was an actual left back that could defend. This was a missing element Barcelona suffered the most without. The defender Barcelona lost is sorely missed because in his absence Barcelona lost even more ability to defend. Due to Eric Abidals debilitating health, Barcelona’s left flank became a nightmare to this team.

In the CL semi-finals, defending the flanks proved to be the tie’s flash point. The match between Barcelona and Chelsea was decided by attacks that originated on the flank. Eric Abidal was crucially important to Barcelona because he offered speed, and physical prowess. Big Eric, as Ray Hudson affectionately called him, was just that, a big body defender that used his size and speed to dispossess the opposition. In doing so, Barcelona could effectively always have a three man defense when Alves decided to bomb forward on the right. Barcelona were always secure with Eric since in the case of a counter attack, Puyol would mark Dani’s zone while Abidal handled the left flank and the spare CB would cover the center.

To try and remedy the absence of Abidal, Guardiola would often instruct Busquets to drop deep. But Busquets would drop into a center back role and push one of the other defenders out to the flank. This left a player in a position he was unfamiliar with. If we look at the tie against Chelsea, in the away leg, that should have been Abidal marking Drogba. I’m not saying that he would of stopped the goal, but his speed would of assisted him in getting to the zone were Ramires was crossing to, instead it was Adriano, and he was to slow to make it.

Moving on to the second leg, when Ramires bombed down the left flank, Puyol came out to meet him, but by the time he had moved over to that side, Ramires had lobbed Valdes. If there had been the dedicated presence of Eric on that flank, perhaps neither would this goal have occurred. In essence, Barcelona must find the speedy, big body, reliable defender in the mould of Eric Abidal.

So to sum up what Tito will mostly do is strengthen Barcelona’s base, it’s defense, so as to render it impregnable (or almost) by anything the opposition can manage to throw at it.

Looking at it in this sense, Victor Valdes could also be seeing his last days as Barcelona’s #1. The fact that in these last games he has given away so many cheap goals with his terrible positional sense will surely worry Tito. The best defense in the world cannot keep the opposition from scoring if your keeper gives them such easy opportunities as does Valdes. It is perhaps wise for Tito to start the search for a more reliable man to stand between the sticks.

Just by looking at the attributes Tito will be looking for in defenders and also taking into account that according to the transfer rumor mill, Tito wants a target man, a true tactical change is taking place under Tito. The change that Tito will probably embark on is to make Barcelona a more physically commanding team. You are perhaps looking at the last Barcelona that will be wasting corners, that will be weak in the aerial game, and that will be allergic to physical play by the opposition.

Tito is looking for a target man because parking the bus is a strategy that is easier to implement when the opposition can deny you passing lanes and when they have total command over the aerial play. When a team can snuff out everything you throw at then, you are rendered helpless. Barcelona is helpless if it cannot pass its way through an opposition’s defense.

With Barcelona’s attack not surpassing the 5’9” mark, an aerial threat is unlikely to evolve when a team with superior stature parks the bus. It’s just part of the game, if Barcelona really wants to move into the realm of embodying the total football philosophy then is must have the ability to exploit every medium that football is played through, including aerial play. It must master and command aerial play to makes its attack better. This can only be done by a man that is taller than the current crop of attackers.

The reason I have mentioned for needing a tall defender is because again, with such a small squad aerial play is a dangerous weapon that the opposition can use. Barcelona will also seek more physical defenders because the teams they are likely to face in European and domestic competition also have physically imposing strikers. Falcao, Huntelaar, Ronaldo, RVP, Zlatan, are just a few names that top the scoring charts around Europe.

If you notice a curiosity, Messi has more goals than all of then, but Messi is raw talent and I’m lead to believe this because most the men mentioned today as elite strikers are physically imposing players. Stature also implies more body mass, so with stature also comes the ability to be more physical in a match.

However, not everyone in Barcelona will turn into a giant, this will most likely only affect the defense and the attack. After all, height has very little use if your sole mission is to serve the ball on a platter for attackers. That is not to say Barcelona’s midfield will not feel the effect, in fact it’s one of the few areas that has already felt the effect since Guardiola took up the managerial role. Yaya Toure and Sergio Busquets are tall, physically powerful players, and in their role as defensive midfielders they need to be so. This is what makes Toure and Busquets among the most effective DM’s around, and it’s not a problem for the current Barcelona squad unless of course, Busquets is injured.

But to sum it up, it’ll be the same old Barcelona in the coming seasons. The difference will be that it’s defense might be turned into a force to reckon with, making the team as a whole more effective. Effective in the sense that it will be a physically imposing line able to deal with threats through the air as well as the floor, VV will have a tough life in the Tito era if he cannot get his A game together again, and with rumors coming around that Guaita or Ter Stegen are being considered, I’d play with more poise and calm if I were VV unless I want the best seat in the house to watch the Barca game from (aka the bench).

If rumors turn out to be true and Barcelona do sign Drogba or Llorente, they will probably retake the lost hardware by storm. An aerial threat, combined with the long distance shooting ability of David Villa, and Messi’s scoring instinct, will probably overwhelm any defense around. It’ll make a whole lot easier for Barca and with these tweaks to the fine machine that is Barcelona, the opposition will be back to square 1 in terms of coming up with a strategy to stop them.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Depending upon the outcome of Copa del Rey Final on May 25^th against Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona can finish the 2011/2012 campaign on a (relative) high.

Winning the domestic Cup competition is nothing to sniff at but it pales to the accomplishments achieved in previous seasons. FC Barcelona finished the season with 91 points; in most cases this total haul would’ve clinched the title in every other league across Europe. However, Real Madrid unseated FC Barcelona at the summit of the Spanish league with a whopping 100 points.

So is it time to panic? Abandon total football?

Not really. However, it is time to make a few adjustments and fine-tune the squad once more. The key adjective here being “fine-tune”.

Unless Sandro Rosell wants to emulate AC Milan’s “model” and hang onto to ageing Champions until they’re approaching retirement he’d be well advised to sell and buy some players.

Whereas the club’s decision to announce their transfer budget ahead of the 2011 transfer window paid rich dividends (signing Cesc Fabregas & Alexis Sanchez below their market value), this year they seem to take a different route. How much money is or isn’t available to Tito Vilanova is pretty much a mystery at this point. However, one is inclined to believe that his transfer kitty is significantly smaller than Guardiola’s in his heyday. Nevertheless, a smaller Barcelona transfer kitty probably still dwarfs that of every other major club bar a few chosen ones (Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich).

For the purpose of this article let’s assume FC Barcelona has a war chest of 50,000,000 Euro (the transfer budged for 2011). In this massively inflated market it’s probably just enough to open negotiations for Santos Neymar. Bar any significant drop in oil prices it’s not likely that the exorbitant evaluations of top talent will decline anytime soon.

Barcelona were lucky enough that both Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez have made it known that the only wanted to join the Blaugrana which gave the club some leverage for negotiations. This year it’s pretty much open season on anybody. In order to stay competitive in the transfer market FC Barcelona has to sell.

Let’s take a look at some players who are most likely sold this summer.

Likely to be sold:

Seydou Keita, 32 (8,000,000 Euro)*

Ibrahim Afellay, 26 (10,000,000 Euro)*

Isaac Cuenca, 21 (3,000,000 Euro)* or Cristian Tello, 20 (5,000,000 Euro)*

Should be sold:

David Villa, 30 (35,000,000 Euro)*

Could be sold:

Pedro, 24 (28,000,000 Euro)*

The Breakdown:

Seydou Keita should be sold. The Malian, 32, has never been a regular under Pep Guardiola and will most likely not become one for Tito Vilanova either. The 8,000,000 Euro evaluation represent the high-end of what Barcelona can expect from any sale. The benchmark is Ricardo Carvalho’s transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid for 8,000,000 Euro. However, Carvalho was a starter in the Blues set-up and one of the best defenders in the EPL. Hence the more realistic fee the Blaugrana can expect is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000,000 Euro.

Verdict: Any proposed sale of Ibrahim Afellay would certainly take place after the 2012 European Championships. At present his market value is set at 10,000,000 Euro. A fine performance in the tournament could potentially double his value.

Verdict: Barcelona is not short on wide options (Pedro, Cuenca. Tello, Alexis) so they would probably entertain any offer of 15,000,000 Euro and more.

As mentioned earlier, Barcelona has a lot of wide options. Therefore it would only make sense to sell either Cuenca or Tello. Jeffren was sold to Sporting Lisbon in the previous season and there’s nothing to suggest that it won’t happen again.

Verdict: Liverpool are credited with an interested in Cuenca. 6 – 7,000,000 Euro (for either) seem reasonable since Barcelona sold Oriol Romeu, who had virtually no first team experience, to Chelsea for approximately 5,000,000 Euro.

As fine a player David Villa is, he is just not what Barcelona need (at least the incarnation where Lionel Messi plays centrally). If the plan is to keep him on the left-wing it would be wiser to sell him. Alexis Sanchez wasn’t acquired to warm the bench and Pedro is showing signs that he’s returning to form.

Furthermore, in Cuenca and Tello Barcelona have ready-made back-up players. At 30 years of age his transfer value will drop in subsequent seasons. Though he is rated at 35,000,000 Euro a more realistic fee would be 20 – 24,000,000 Euro.

The most expensive 30 year old was Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea for 46,000,000 Euro). Nevertheless he was Serie A’s best player and a Ballon d’Or winner. Both Thierry Henry and Ruud Van Nistelrooy transferred to Barcelona and Real Madrid at the age of 30 (Henry turned 30 in the 2007 calendar year) for 24,000,000 Euro.

But that would be the high-end for David Villa. After all, El Guaje turns 31 in December. Sell him and remove his annual wages of 7,500,000 Euro would free up additional funds.

If someone would match Pedro’s evaluation of 28,000,000 Euro it’s probably for the better to sell him. Another inconsistent season and his market value could be less than half. He’s a good player but there’s nothing to suggest that Cuenca or Tello can’t match him. Any offer upwards of 20,000,000 Euro should be seriously considered.

As far acquisitions are concerned there are two positions that need to be addressed – left-back and central defense, perhaps another striker (one that actually plays as a striker).

Center-back:

According to various press reports Barcelona have made AC Milan’s Thiago Silva (rated: 32,000,000 Euro)* their primary transfer target. If these reports are to be believed Barcelona are convinced they can do a deal for about 25,000,000 Euro.

It’s not going to happen folks. Not for 25,000,000 Euro. Adriano Gallani is a lot of things, for instance he looks like Uncle Fester, but he’s arguably the best negotiator in all of football. Along with Ibrahimovic (who he shrewdly bought from Barcelona for just 24,000,000 Euro), Silva is Milan’s most valuable asset. Galliani has already been tasked with rebuilding AC Milan on a shoestring budget and it’s not likely that he’ll sell a world-class defender below market value.

Alternative: Mats Hummels, 23 (20,000,000 Euro)*

Coming off of a second successive German championship the Borussia Dortmund defender wouldn’t come cheap but propose a viable alternative to the Brazilian. A full German International, technically sound, superb sense positioning and, most importantly, he can pass a ball. Perhaps Bundesliga’s best central-defender he is already bordering on world-class, if he isn’t already. Though Dortmund have announced that they aren’t entertaining any sales, save for the inevitable departure of Shinji Kagawa, stranger things have happened.

Verdict: A bid of 25 – 30,000,000 Euro would almost certainly test their resolve. Nevertheless, Mats Hummels doesn’t seem to appear on Barcelona’s radar.

Left-back:

Jordi Alba, 23 (10,000,000 Euro)*

At this point it’s almost a forgone conclusion that Alba either extends his contract with Valancia or rejoins Barcelona. The press suggests that Barcelona is preparing an offer to the tune of 12 – 15,000,000 Euro.

Verdict: Will most likely happen. With one year left on his Valencia contract can’t expect to fetch more than 15,000,000 Euro especially once he makes his desire known to return to Barcelona. In 2010 Mesut Özil transferred under similar circumstances and fee from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid.

Fantasy Football: Gareth Bale, 23 (35,000,000 Euro)*

To make it short – he’s too expensive. EPL-based players are unreasonably more expensive than their continental counterparts. Andy Carroll, Shaun Wright-Phillps, James Milner etc.

Verdict: Not gonna happen

Striker:

Barcelona were found out – opposing teams have figured out how to stop the Blaugrana. However, only a couple of them have the necessary players to execute that particular game plan.

While Barcelona’s usual game plan will work almost against every La Liga team and most European sides, it will most likely not be effective against the likes of Chelsea or Madrid who sit deep and attack on the counter. And there’s the emerging giant Manchester City who could virtually field 10 world-class defenders. A frightening thought.

David Villa is a world-class striker; at least he used to be. But he is absolutely wasted on the left-wing. The feeling, however, is that his situation will not change anytime soon. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have the imposing striker physique that Pep has mistaken him for a winger. Who knows? Barcelona need an out-and-out striker. Ever seen a Barcelona corner? Nothing fruitful ever happens following a corner. Never. Hence a couple of (potential) recruits.

Fernando Llorente, 27 (25,000,000 Euro)*

He’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic minus the outstanding technique and ego. But he more than compensates that with an exceptional work-rate. At any rate, he has quite exceptional technique for a tall guy.

Verdict: 30 – 35,000,000 Euro and not a penny less. Llorente would walk into most sides. On second thought, there isn’t any side that wouldn’t make him their focal point. If Barcelona still have money in the bank after acquiring their primary targets this one is a realistic possibility.

Robin Van Persie, 28 (45,000,000 Euro)*

Europe’s most wanted. The market value credited above is NOT what Arsenal are stand to make should they cash in on their captain – it’s merely a reflection of his outstanding season. Barcelona are said to be interested in the flying Dutchman but apparently he’s asking for a wage package north of 200,000 Euro/week, which would make the highest earner alongside Lionel Messi. Arsenal are reportedly offering 120,000 GBP/week (roughly 150,000 Euro). And then there are the usual suspects of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Italian Champions Juventus Turin.

Verdict: Robin Van Persie could become the first player who commands a 30,000,000 Euro transfer fee in the last year of his contract. The previous high was Samir Nasri’s 27,500,000 Euro from Arsenal to Manchester City. 45,000,000 Euro seem out of the question but 30,000,000 Euro is a distinct possibility if City decide to blow the competition out of the water. Though FC Barcelona have been financially irresponsible in the past it’s unlikely that they will engage in bidding war for a player that only has one year left on his contract.

Overall analysis:

Assuming Barcelona have a basic transfer budget of 50,000,000 Euro and raise cash through the sales of players such as Seydou Keita, Ibrahim Afellay, Isaac Cuenca or Cristian Tello, David Villa and Pedro, they could potentially look 110,000,000 Euro to reinvest in the squad. Unless Barcelona wants to add a striker to their ranks there’s no reason to sell David Villa or Pedro. In that case 50,000,000 Euro should be sufficient enough to buy a world-class center-back and a left-back. A complete overhaul isn’t needed but addressing the left-back and center-back position is essential in mounting another title challenge.

*transfer values courtesy of www.transfermarkt.de

You can always disagree and argue with me on Twitter @JubeiKibagame.

Also See:

• More Barcelona News.
• More Transfer Rumours.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

What is there left to say, or write? Though I won’t be as harsh as Jose I will also refrain from championing Pep Guardiola the best in the business. He did exceptionally well but let me ask you a question:

How is it possible to not win a title when you can call upon the talents of say Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi?

Now let me ask you another question:

Does FC Barcelona need Pep Guardiola to be successful or does Pep Guardiola need FC Barcelona?

FC Barcelona has not ever played football that was not sexy or stylish for that matter. Frank Rijkaard’s team was definitely one of the most entertaining sides in the past decade. If anything Rikaard’s Barca was not over-reliant on one player, not even Ronaldinho. Though it would be a stretch to suggest that the Dutchman’s team was evenly balanced it was less centered around the talents of the brilliant Brazilian than it is on Lionel Messi these days.

While Pep’s team actually outscored each and every team during his reign, domestic and continental, save Real Madrid, one cannot shake off the feeling that FC Barcelona has been essentially a one-man show – The Lionel Messi Show.

Chief among his achievements, certainly the one on which the fundaments of his success are built upon is the ability to capitalize off of Lionel Messi’s talent. Ever since Pep Guardiola took charge Lionel Messi’s numbers have steadily increased over the last four seasons 2008/2009 (38); 2009/2010 (47), 2010/2011 (53), and an unworldly 72 in the ongoing 2011/2012 season but so has Messi-dependency. In the treble season of 2008/2009 the triumvirate of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi scored an astonishing 100 goals (26; 36, 38) in between them.

Just to give you an idea, an elite forward is someone who scores roughly 1 in 2, or, over the course of a season of 40 to 45 games some 20-plus goals. Most managers would kill to have one 20-plus forward – Kenny Dalghish is definitely one of them – meanwhile FC Barcelona had three.

But for whatever reason Pep Guardiola felt inclined to dissolve this spectacular trio and give in to his inner “feelings”. Those feelings led him to believe he needed to get rid of Samuel Eto’o. Of course there were only a very few that a) could afford Samuel Eto’o and b) offer a viable replacement for the indomitable lion.

Meet Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the 69-Million-Euro-Man (49 Million Euro and Samuel Eto’o who was rated at 20 Million Euro).

The combination of the volatile Swede and FC Barcelona was never going to work, even though this writer once foolishly believed so. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a track record of being lazy, a diva and a certified Euro-flop. In the now infamous return leg of the 2009/2010 Champions League semi-final against his former employees, Inter Milan, Ibrahimovic managed to cover less ground than goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Who would go on and win a second successive treble that season? Samuel Eto’o, the player Pep Guardiola wanted out of Barcelona.

In retrospect the idea was right, someone had to go but it wasn’t Samuel Eto’o but his colleague Thierry Henry. The Frenchman joined the Blaugrana with one objective, and one objective only – winning the UEFA Champions League.

It can be argued that after he finally achieved to win the trophy that eluded him for so many years he found it hard to motivate himself properly in the subsequent season. Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola quickly found his replacement in another La Masia graduate, Pedro. However, in 2009/2010 the newly assembled triumvirate of Pedro, Ibrahimovic and Messi “just” scored 89 (21, 21, 47) goals in between them.

Apparently 69 Million Euro weren’t enough to convince Pep Guardiola to keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In 2010/2011 he yet again had another revelation and requested the services of David Villa – for 40 Million Euro no less. Wouldn’t it have been easier to buy El Guaje a year earlier and keep Samuel Eto’o, even if it meant losing him on a Bosman?

After all, the rationale of retaining value and saving money doesn’t really apply when FC Barcelona have essentially wasted 109 Million Euro (excluding the exorbitant wages of Ibrahimovic) in finding a replacement for a player that didn’t want to go in the first place. What’s even worse, Pep Guardiola was hell-bent in remodeling a central striker in his prime at the age of 29, into a left-winger.

Can somebody please explain the logic behind that?

FC Barcelona’s financial woes are well documented but with acquisitions like these one doesn’t have to wonder. David Villa is a finer player. There’s no arguing that. But for one he has no resell-value after this summer, he’ll turn 31 in December and two, he is not a left-winger. Someone is to blame and that someone is most likely Pep Guardiola. In 2010/2011 the re-reassembled triumvirate of David Villa, Lionel Messi and Pedro scored 98 (23, 53, 22) goals in all competitions. For the second time in a row Lionel Messi scored more goals than his fellow forwards combined 53 > 45.

It’s a worrying trend that started after Pep Guardiola succumbed to his feelings back in 2009. In the ongoing 2011/2012 season the disparity has only increased exponentially. Not only has Lionel Messi already scored 72 goals in all competitions, he has also scored more goals than the next 4 (!) players combined: 72 > 64 – Cesc Fabregas (15), Xavi (15), Alexis Sanchez (14), Pedro (11) and David Villa (9).

Only the most ignorant of FC Barcelona supporter will argue the legitimacy of Messi-dependency. Under Pep Guardiola FC Barcelona become one-dimensional and utterly dependent on Lionel Messi. The most recent games against Real Madrid and Chelsea FC can attest to that. Nullify the threat of La Pulga renders FC Barcelona possession play useless.

Sure, Pep Guardiola has led FC Barcelona to several honors and admiration throughout the football world and beyond but it’s largely built upon the back on one man – Lionel Messi. For better or worse that’s the legacy he leaves behind.

Written by Adi-Oula Sebastian. You can follow him (and provide feedback) on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Days have passed since FC Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League by Chelsea FC. In that time this writer has come full circle in his impression of a man whose tenure has also, come full circle at Barcelona. Pep Guardiola announced this past week that he will no longer be Barcelona’s manager in the coming season and in this writer’s opinion, Gracias Pep should not be the general feeling, instead it should be good riddance.

Although in the eyes of many Barcelona fans, Pep Guardiola has been an exceptional manager who brought unprecedented glory to the club, this writer feels that Pep Guardiola in fact has been well short of spectacular and attributes his success over four seasons more to his players that to the man’s tactical genius. No game served to expose more of Peps flaws as manger than the games against Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola has shown that he is unable to learn from past mistakes. Chelsea was not the first club to play Guardiola defensively. Inter in 2010 managed to win a Champions League semi-final in similar circumstances so the fact that Guardiola has no answer for what was the same plan proves he is not a manager that learns from mistakes. Guardiola made both errors in planning and horrendous tactical errors that cost him a tie that should have been won.

Errors in planning are basically not anticipation the game plan your opponent will utilize. All logic would dictate that if Chelsea were going to run a defensive game over two legs Pep Guardiola could not afford Barca to concede any simple goals in either. Meaning that he had to hope that his best men in attack could score, and, put in his best defense so as to ensure that he has his best chance at not conceding any goals.

Why Guardiola played a 3-4-3 instead of his usual formation is unfounded. It is also the choosing of this formation that demonstrated that Guardiola simply had no answer to the defensive game Chelsea had planned. It showed that Pep didn’t learn from the past and that in terms of trying to beat a very defensive team, he was still a novice. That he didn’t expect, meaning he hasn’t learned.

You think that a man who plays over 90% of his games in a 4-3-3 would stick to a tried and tested method in such a game, but he didn’t and it backfired. In both games he committed too many players forward and exposed his already weakened back-line (Due to injuries of Abidal and Pique) to even more danger. This was done by taking out that extra defender that would ensure greater security and allowed Chelsea easy counters through the flanks, which they used to great effect to score two of their 3 goals.

Another mistake committed by Guardiola is that he did not attempt to correct the toothless attack Barcelona displayed throughout the tie. He exacerbated the problem by continuing to show confidence in players that didn’t merit it.

Every manager has players he considered battle hardened, his veteran that he trusts even when they are not playing well, to get him results. Why Pep Guardiola didn’t trust Pedro Rodriguez to form the attacking trident with Messi and Alexis, the same Pedro that scored 2 goals this weekend, was an idiotic move.

Instead, Pep chose to trust in the likes on Issac Cuenca and Cristian Tello, both of which have just 1 season at the top level. Throughout both legs both Cuenca and Tello were terrible. Bullied, hurrayed off the ball, unable to get the best of Ashley Cole, unable to put a decent shot on goal, and continually being wasteful.

How Guardiola did not see this wasn’t working is unimaginable. Why Pep would not trust Pedro over these two rookies is also a mystery. Why Pep chose to gamble in such an important game no one knows, but stupid it was, and the gamble he lost. Pedro is clearly a player that on his worst day is still dangerous, he can still score a goal, and he can still cause trouble.

Why he trusted the inexperience of Tello and Cuenca is unknown, but it played a part in costing him the qualification since Guardiola never gave his attack the weapons necessary to have a maximum opportunity to score.

In essence Guardiola’s failure is full. It starts by picking a formation that is weak defensively against a counter-attacking team. It weakened a fragile defense further. It then progresses to wasting one of his precious attacking spots on players that frankly, did nothing throughout the whole tie. He thus also severely weakened his chances of scoring against a hunkered down side and increased his chances of getting scored on. Both happened, and Barca are out of the CL and Pep is out of Barca.

Gracis Pep? Thanks for what? The legacy he leaves of Barca is not one that is spectacular when looking at other managers that have had to do with less.

Frank Rijkaard once defeated a Chelsea at the height of its power with a less impressive squad than Guardiola has ever had at his disposal. Yet Rijkaard managed what Guardiola never did, a comprehensive victory over the Blues. This is even though Guardiola’s squad is man for man, superior to the Dutchman’s. Guardiola had Messi along with what is the core of the Spanish national team against what is arguably the most weakened Chelsea side in years.

The fact that Guardiola will always be remembered as the man that lost with the best team to a team that was weaker but with a better tactical setup will forever tarnish his record. He is no genius, he was kept in the tie by his players, but as a manger he failed them with such poor tactic choices. Namely, his 3-4-3 did not utilize the best his Barca squad had to offer. He weakened his defense further, and wasted a slot in attack throughout this tie by having faith in inexperienced canteranos.

Gracias Pep, is not how Barca fans should feel. This man is paid to win and deliver trophies, Gracias Pep? For loosing with the best squad in this clubs’ history in such an uneventful way is blasphemy.

Written by Jose Avila – you can follow him (and provide feedback) on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. If your team goes a couple of goals down more often than not the result will not be in your favour, but sometimes the spectacular can happen.

Following Manchester United’s recovery from three goals down to get a 3-3 draw against Chelsea recently, here are football’s ten greatest comebacks:

Liverpool vs AC Milan

Liverpool fans travelled to Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan with great expectations. However after seeing their side slip to a 3-0 half time deficit, not even the most ardent Merseyside supporter could have imagined their team’s comeback. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought the game back level, and The Reds claimed victory in the eventual penalty shoot out.

Tottenham vs Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side found themselves 3-0 down at the hands of Tottenham in September 2001, with goals from debutant Dean Richards, Christian Ziege and Les Ferdinand giving the White Hart Lane hosts a comfortable lead. However a Spurs capitulation and strikes from Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistlerooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham saw United win 5-3.

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Tottenham found themselves three goals to the good once more in February 2004, this time against the Blue side of Manchester. Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege (again) had Spurs in a dominant position, and Joey Barton had been sent off for City. Despite this, the ten-man visitors rallied in the second period and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jonathan Macken gave City an unlikely win.

Cheltenham vs Burton Albion

Cheltenham fans won’t forget March 13th 2010 any time soon, as their side came back from losing 5-3 against Burton Albion with five minutes remaining to win 6-5. A Justin Richards strike and two late goals in the dying minutes by Michael Pook saw The Robins record a memorable victory.

Bayer Uerdingen vs Dynamo Dresden

Going back to 1986, Dynamo Dresden had beaten Bayer Uerdingen 2-0 in the first leg of a German cup tie, and were again winning 3-1 at half time in the second leg to give them a seemingly unassailable 5-1 aggregate lead with 45 minutes to play. However Uerdingen hadn’t read the script and scored six unanswered goals in the second half to record a historic 7-5 aggregate win.

Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan

After a commanding 4-1 win at the San Siro, Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan side looked destined for the 2004 Champions League semi finals. However Deportivo had other ideas, as Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Alberto Luque and Fran all scored at the Riazor to send the Spaniards into ecstasy in a 4-0 win.

Mancheter United vs Bayern Munich

Forever etched into Manchester United fans’ memories, the 1999 Champions League final must go down as one of the best comebacks of all time. With a 1-0 deficit to overcome and the game in injury time, substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both found the net in stoppage time to give the Englishmen a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Fulham vs Juventus

Fulham’s first ever appearance in the Europa League in 2010 was an eventful one, and they met Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin, both sides had scored at Craven Cottage to given Juve a comfortable 4-2 aggregate advantage. However a Bobby Zamora strike, a brace from Zoltan Gera and an 82nd minute winner from Clint Dempsey gave The Cottagers an unforgettable 5-4 aggregate victory.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead against Arsenal back in 1999, and the Stamford Bridge club looked comfortable amongst their fans chants of ‘we want five’. However Arsene Wenger threw on Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu, who duly scored a hat-trick to give the Gunners a 3-2 win in wet and windy conditions.

Metz vs Barcelona

Back in the 1984 European Cup Winners Cup, Spanish giants Barcelona had a 5-2 aggregate lead over French opponents Metz after a 4-2 victory in the away leg and an early goal at the Camp Nou. However, the Stade Municipal outfit scored four goals to record a 5-4 victory over the Catalans, with Zvonko Kurbos grabbing a hat-trick to ensure we are talking about him over 25 years later.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Pep Guardiola has sensationally called time on his Barcelona career following a difficult season in which the Catalans relinquished their grip on La Liga to rivals Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea.

The 41-year-old, who was appointed in 2008 and has led the Catalan club to 13 trophies, will be succeeded by his current assistant Tito Vilanova come the end of the season.

Since becoming manager of the La Liga side, Guardiola has won 13 trophies: two Champions League crowns, three La Liga trophies, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopas, two Uefa Super Cups and two Fifa Club World Cups.

It’s fair to say his Barcelona will go down in history as one of the game’s great teams—some would argue the greatest. They’ve not only dominated, but done so with a grace and beauty in their play that has left even the most cynical in awe. The naked eye tells us that Barcelona’s play is a symphony of intuition. Yet we shouldn’t be fooled by the breath-taking aesthetics. Guardiola is an obsessive, perfectionist. The technical relationships on the pitch are the result of years of indoctrination and feverishly practiced drills.

This style of play has led Guardiola to become the most successful coach in Barcelona’s history. In his final season with the club, Barcelona find themselves seven points behind Real Madrid with four games to play. But there is still a Copa del Rey final to come at the end of the season; a win in this would mean a success rate of 14 out of 18 competitions.

On top of this, he has overseen the rise of three-time world player of the year Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, while signing Fabregas from Arsenal.

Guardiola was particularly close to Messi - describing him as “the best ever” player - while the Argentina forward suggested Guardiola was the main factor behind Barca’s recent success.

A Catalan and a product of Barcelona’s youth system, the young kid plucked from obscurity by Cruyff, Guardiola became the captain having been a member of the Dream Team – the model against which all other Barcelona teams are measured and which Guardiola’s team superseded.

Barcelona announced that Pep Guardiola was going to be their new coach, back in the summer of 2008. The team had just finished the season empty handed, 18 points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, Many fans were convinced performances  would improve, but no-one could have expected quite so much change and quite so quickly. Within 12 months, Barcelona had won a unique treble: the league, the Copa del Rey and the European Cup were theirs. Much more followed.

It’s clear the pressure from managing such a huge club has taken its toll on Guardiola over the last few years.

“The reason is simple: four years is enough,” said Guardiola.

“I’m drained and I need to fill up. The demand has been very high and a manager must be strong.”

The Future for Guardiola?

The 41 year-old is expected to take a year’s break from football before re-joining the game at a new club.

The current situation in the Premiership could provide very interesting circumstances if Guardiola decided to stay in the game. I feel it’s unlikely he would manager another Spanish team in the La Liga, therefore England is the only logical move he could make.

It has been announced within the last 48 hours that Guardiola is Roman Abramovich’s number one candidate to replace Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea’s next full-time manager. Unfortunately the Russian wants his man now, rather than in a year’s time. He intends to tempt Pep into postponing his gap year by offering him huge amounts of money.

Unfortunately, this tactic might not come off. Guardiola is very much his own man, to the extent that he famously only signed rolling one-year contracts at the Camp Nou instead of committing himself to the club long-term. And that determined streak could scupper Chelsea’s plans.

At Old Trafford, there won’t be too many names above Guardiola’s on the Glazers’ shortlist of potential successors for Sir Alex Ferguson. The only problem is shifting the man currently in the chair. Fergie has been on the brink of retirement for the past decade since announcing he was planning to call it a day when he turned 60 in 2002.

The Scot has recently declared he fancies two more years in the hot seat. Nobody at Manchester United would ever suggest Ferguson left the club on anything but his own terms, of course, but should his side have a successful season next year, he may consider quitting at the very top of his game, leaving the door open for a refreshed Guardiola to take the throne.

Furthermore, Arsenal is a possible future club for the Spaniard. Given their common philosophy of making the beautiful game as beautiful as possible, Guardiola would 100% suit the London clubs style of play. Wenger still has two seasons to run on his current deal at the Emirates, and would almost certainly want to lead his rejuvenated side into next season. But if Guardiola goes through with his plan for a break, then Arsenal might try and tempt Wenger with a role upstairs to accommodate him.

Finally, at White Hart Lane. With Harry Redknapp’s short-term future undecided to say the least, there’s no doubt that Tottenham would love to get Guardiola. Whether the Spaniard would feel the same way is debatable at best.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would have to pull of the sale of the century to convince Guardiola his future lies at White Hart Lane. But the club do have a promising pool of young talent – Pep is a fully-paid up member of the Gareth Bale fan club – and the potential to become a domestic and European powerhouse. Extremely unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Why He Should Stay at Barca?

Many people would suggest Guardiola’s decision to leave Barcelona is a poor decision. It seems a week of poor results has forced him to make a rash decision regarding his future at the club. Below are a few reasons why he should stay:

1)      He won’t find better players anywhere else in the World – The Likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta are obviously very special. It is these players who possess the world-class ability to play the sort of football Guardiola loves his team to play. It’s highly unlikely that the Spaniard will find this calibre of players at his new club. As great as clubs like, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are, they don’t contain the same individual player quality as Real Madrid or Barcelona.

2)      Barcelona has arguably the best youth system in football – at his new club Guardiola won’t have the luxury of one of the world’s best youth systems to rely on. Top level players require the correct mentality to know what is required of them when they step onto the pitch. Throughout the Spaniards career as Barca manager, the clubs youth system has produced two or three players that have moulded wonderfully into the first team, with very little work required.

3)      Barcelona are very, very wealthy – Throughout his Barcelona career, Guardiola relied on great huge transfer budgets to allow him to sign the best players for his team. For example, this season he recruited Fabregas for 29 million Euros and Alexis Sanchez for 26 million euros + bonuses. With the exception of Real Madrid, Manchester City and at a push Chelsea, most clubs do not have this sort of spending ability.

4)      Finally, he won’t find a more welcoming home anywhere else in the World – When he began his managerial career for the Barcelona first team, he arrived with very little experience. Even when he quickly discarded three of the clubs best players, he was allowed to do so with little question. His connections with the club were a major reason for this. His playing career had made him a fan favourite. Wherever Guardiola goes after his ‘gap year’ he’ll be embraced by the fans for his prestige and reputation. But he won’t have the same undying devotion that the Catalan fan base gave him. He’ll go from being a regional hero to being just another manager at another club.

“I want to thank Pep with all my heart for everything he has given me personally and professionally.” - Lionel Messi

“Pep is Barca. He lives for this club. That is what differentiates him from many coaches.” - Barcelona president Sandro Rosell.

“In my time as manager, it’s the best team I’ve faced.” - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, after Guardiola’s Barcelona team beat United in the 2011 Champions League final.

Wherever his future takes him, Guardiola will always be remembered at Barcelona for the incredible style of football played at the Nou Camp. He’s had a huge impact on the club; this has been highlighted by his amazing success in competitions against the world’s best teams.

It’s going to be a very long year for fans of football, as we wait to see where he’ll end up next, the man is a legend!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Netherlands international team go into this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament as one of the favourites and frontrunners, with quality throughout Bert van Marwijk’s side.

However, unfortunately the Eredivisie has lost its ability to keep the best homegrown players in the country and Ajax’s UEFA Champions League glory of 1995 seems like an eternity ago.

For the national team’s last game, a friendly against Germany, only seven of the 21-man squad ply their club trade in the Dutch homeland, and this was without a number of big-name exports who were rested.

Holland certainly has produced a raft of great players over the last ten years that have graced other European leagues, with the ten best as follows:

Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael VDV for Spurs

Rafael van der Vaart left Ajax in 2005 to join Real Madrid, before moving on to Hamburg; he now plays in England for Tottenham. The playmaker has amassed 93 international caps despite only being 28, and is a key player in Harry Redknapp’s revitalised Spurs team.

Jaap Stam

Stam for Ajax

Netherlands is known for its attacking players who play total football, but Jaap Stam epitomises a fantastic defensive combatant from the nation. A rock of a central defender, Stam left PSV in the late 1990′s and enjoyed playing at the highest level for Manchester United, Lazio and AC Milan. Famed for his no-nonsense approach, Stam won 67 caps for his nation before retiring in 2007.

Arjen Robben

Robben for Bayern Munich

The skilful winger left PSV in 2004 and has since been an important player for Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as well as the national side. Robben is one of the best dribblers in recent memory, with his trickery, pace and eye for goal an asset for every team he has represented. Robben has won top flight titles in Holland, England, Spain and Germany, but is yet to win the Champions League.

Robin van Persie

RVP for the Gunners

A product of the Feyenoord academy, Van Persie left Netherlands in 2004 to join Arsenal, and he is currently their captain and talisman. The in-form striker is currently the Premier League’s top goalscorer this term, the winner of the PFA Player of the Year award and undoubtedly one of the most dangerous and prolific attackers in the European game.

Edgar Davids

Davids for the Dutch

One of the most iconic footballers of his generation, Davids’ will to win and determination set a precedent for the rest of Europe in the 2000′s. Played at the highest level for AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan, before stepping out for Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the latter days of his career.

Part of Ajax’s golden generation and the Champions League winning side of 1995. Davids won three Serie A titles but never lifted Europe’s top club trophy again after leaving Amsterdam.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud for Man Utd

Ten years playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid show Van Nistelrooy’s undoubted quality, with a goal record to envy. The Dutch marksman has also played for Hamburg and Malaga since leaving his homeland, and still continues to be a goal threat in La Liga despite being 35-years-old.

35 international goals and three top flight titles ensure that Van Nistlerooy will be remembered as one of the country’s top centre forwards.

Mark van Bommel

van Bommel for Milan

Former PSV midfielder Mark van Bommel has played at the very highest level since leaving Holland in 2005, having worn the colours of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. The current Holland captain has one last international tournament in him this summer, and will look to add to his medal collection of four Eredivisie titles, one La Liga title, one Serie A title, two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League victory.

Edwin van der Sar

van der Sar for Man Utd

The now-retired goalkeeper plied his trade in Italy for Juventus, before representing Fulham and Manchester United in England. Four Premier League titles and a Champions League medal are just reward for the 41-year-old, who hung up his boots last summer. Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to fully replace Van der Sar, who himself stepped into the massive shoes of Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford, and excelled.

Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder for Inter

Arguably one of the best playmakers in the modern game, Sneijder left Ajax in 2007 after five years with the senior side to join Real Madrid. After two seasons the attacking midfielder departed the Santiago Bernabeu to join Inter, and was the subject of a protracted transfer saga over a potential move to Manchester United last summer.

League titles in Italy and Spain have been backed up by Champions League success; Sneijder is truly one of Holland’s best recent exports.

Clarence Seedorf

Seedorf for Milan

One of Holland’s greatest ever players, Clarence Seedorf is still an integral player for Italian champions AC Milan at 35-years-old. The veteran midfielder has an unbelievable trophy haul at club level, with Champions League titles with Ajax, Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan. 87 international caps and over a decade of playing at the highest level, Clarence Seedorf is Netherlands top export.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Ahead of Barcelona v Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow night, we look at the importance of Petr Cech and the Chelsea defence in keeping out Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

Chelsea Must Dig Deep to Repel Barcelona

According to Castrol EDGE Performance analysis, Petr Cech could be the key if Chelsea are to spring a surprise and resist Barcelona’s attacking advances in next week’s Champions League semi-final second leg.

Many critics in recent weeks have suggested that the Blues ‘keeper is past his best, but Cech has answered them with some excellent performances in Europe this season and currently boasts the best saves-to-shots ratio in the 2011/12 Champions League (regular ‘keepers only).

Indeed, the Czech international has made 48 saves already in Europe this term (another competition-high), a remarkable 39 more than Barcelona number one Victor Valdes.

Best Saves to Shots Ratios – Champions League 2011/12 (min five games)

On the one occasion Cech was beaten in the first-leg, defender Ashley Cole was on hand to save his goalkeeper, in doing so taking the Blues’ tally of goal-line clearances in Europe to four, the most of all teams.

Most Clearances of the Line – Champions League 2011/12

Stopping the likes of Messi and Xavi is going to be extremely tough for Roberto Di Matteo’s side next week, but the Blues have proven they have the fight and ability to dig deep and defend for their lives. If Cech can maintain his excellent form, the Pensioners are well capable of booking themselves a place in only their second Champions League showdown.

Barcelona Breaking Records Despite Stamford Bridge Blank

 Castrol EDGE Performance data shows that although Barcelona failed to find the net in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Chelsea last week, the Catalan giants are still well on the way to breaking a record in terms of most goals/game in a single Champions League campaign.

Barcelona have netted 33 goals in 11 games in Europe so far this term, giving them a ratio of exactly three goals per game, the joint-best record in the history of the competition (with Real Madrid this season).

Highest Goals/Game Ratios – Champions League History

Pep Guardiola’s side are understandably spearheaded by Lionel Messi. The mercurial Argentine is yet to find the net in 565 minutes of Champions League football against Chelsea, but has already fired in 14 goals in Europe this season, another competition record.

 Most Goals in a Single Champions League Campaign

 Barcelona may have been shut out at Stamford Bridge, but their record at home this season is impeccable. The Catalans have scored in 31 of their last 33 Champions League home games, though ironically the last team to stop them netting were Chelsea back in April 2009.

Barca enjoyed almost 80% of possession in their defeat in London, and if they are afforded that much of the ball at the Nou Camp, they certainly have the quality and firepower to blow Chelsea away.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After watching the Chelsea – Barcelona game on Wednesday night, I couldn’t help thinking that I’d seen this somewhere before. Now where was it? I can’t quite put my finger on it.

We saw an epic battle between an underdog and a champion which seemed to last forever. The champ was battering the underdog to a bloody pulp. The underdog offering almost no reply or retaliation, somehow was managing to use their big thick skull to soak up all of the pressure. Now and again a few big blows would get through and inflict some damage.

Damage yes, but the killer blow? No.

Every single Rocky film that has ever been written had its script played out in full Champions League Technicolor fanfare as Chelsea the home-town, school of hard knocks-educated misfit somehow managed to defy all the odds and put the well-groomed, and expertly disciplined Champ away.

It seemed to me that no matter what was going to happen last night, Chelsea were going to emerge as winners. The script had already been written, the massive sea change that has occurred at Stamford Bridge under Roberto DiMatteo is currently at high tide, and to be fair, shows little sign of subsiding.

Barcelona did not actually play badly, I very much doubt that anyone is trying to argue this, but their play in the final third really let them down. That was plain to see by the glaring misses from Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez.

As soon as the 20th minute it looked as if the Barcelona stranglehold had already started to tighten, the Chelsea players looked tired, sluggish, and I could not see how they were going to get the ball back. Time after time the ball got slipped through the Chelsea ranks and provided yet another chance on goal, but it just wasn’t going to go in.

The goal post and cross-bar may as well have been dressed up in blue because they turned out to be Chelsea’s 12th and 13th men. Although, you have to give credit to Ashley Cole for a last-ditch goal line clearance that I think would have crushed the Londoners, and opened the floodgates for a full-on Barcelona onslaught.

So Barcelona dominated the game with 79% possession, a fact that certain friends of mine seem to be obsessed about, and are trying to convince me that this is the most important statistic from the game. I like to keep things old-school by applying a more logical approach, primarily by looking at the score-line first. But all of these passes counted for nothing if they couldn’t land that killer blow by putting the ball in the net, and knocking that Chelsea team down.

A rare lapse in midfield by Barcelona (Messi of all people) gifted the ball to Lampard, who has apparently silenced all of his critics by pumping a ball up to Ramires, who in my humble opinion made the goal with his control and assist. That was it, the big unexpected flurry from the under-dog and in one attempt managed to get through the Champ’s guard and land one right on the button.

Chelsea spent the rest of the game staggering round the ring, barely being able to see out of their left eye. In this case that was Juan Mata, where was he hiding? I read a stat earlier that said that he touched the ball 9 times? That is poor.

But despite this, and some terribly aimed shots from Barcelona, they hung on and claimed the spoils.

The big re-match is next week, a chance for the humbled Champ to prove that this was a one-off and a fluke. Barcelona will be on home turf, where they have not lost this season, and the pitch is ideally suited to their play and width.

This will be an altogether different test of Chelsea’s defensive tactics and skill. This is one sequel that I am looking forward to.

You can follow me on twitter: @gianni_saw / or at my blog: onacoldwindynight.wordpress.com.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News