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Premier League: 3 talking points after the weekend

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment

Liverpool making their own luck:

Two penalties against Manchester United a few weeks back and two penalties yesterday at West Ham have been crucial to Brendan Rodgers’ side finding themselves top of the table with five games remaining.

However that’s not to say Liverpool have been getting it all their own way, as shown by West Ham’s equalizer yesterday. The fact is that Liverpool wouldn’t be getting penalties were they not creating chances, and they are top of the league by virtue of playing the most exciting football this season. They could still lose out if Manchester City come to Anfield next Sunday and win, but Brendan Rodgers deserves great credit for how his side have come from fourth place outsiders to title challengers.

Also, if there is a highly contested decision during a game, either video technology should be available to the referees or there should be no replay of it on the big screen. There can be no half measures. Liverpool players pointing to the big screen at Upton Park yesterday, screaming at the referee to watch Andy Carroll’s foul in the build up to West Ham’s goal while the referee refused to do so was farcical.

Norwich board take big gamble:

An underwhelming campaign thus far from Norwich City has led to the sacking of manager Chris Hughton. While lying fourth from bottom with five games left is bad enough, the fact that four of those five games are against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal leaves Norwich with much to do if they aren’t to be playing in the Championship next season.

Whatever the dire circumstances Norwich find themselves in, is it wise to sack Hughton at this stage of the season? Admittedly the team has been uninspired under the former Republic of Ireland international all season, but what makes the board think that this will change under the tutelage of youth team coach Neil Adams? Are they hoping for that “new manager effect” that sometimes lifts teams particularly in the early stages?

That doesn’t always happen. Ask Pepe Mel, the West Brom boss since December and Hughton’s final adversary as Norwich manager.  His first win didn’t come until mid March.

The final four games against the big sides pale in comparison to Norwich’s fixture next weekend. They come up against fellow strugglers Fulham in a game that could see the Canaries go eight points clear of Felix Magath’s side with a win. Depending on other results, three points for Norwich may leave them in 13th place by Sunday evening. For the club to disrupt the preparations for that game by sacking Hughton is a huge gamble.

 

McCarthy and Coleman thriving under Roberto Martinez:

Everton’s performances this season have been wonderful to watch. Yesterday was one of the best yet as they dismantled an Arsenal side who not three months ago were among the favourites for the title.

They may lose some of their key players during the summer if they cannot make their loan deals permanent. Striker Romelu Lukaku is certainly one they would like to keep, but Gerard Delofeu will more than likely return to Barcelona and Gareth Barry may also move on.

One thing is sure however, Martinez will be doing all he can to keep hold of Republic of Ireland internationals James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman. The pair have been key to Everton’s fight for a Champions League spot all season. Gareth Barry last week heaped praise on McCarthy, saying he was one of the best midfielders he had played alongside. Seamus Coleman is almost a certainty to be named in the Premier League team of the year. The Donegal man has been in outstanding form, chipping in with important goals from full-back.

All this is good news for Irish football fans, and if Everton manage to hold onto both players then they will only improve further under the astute Martinez. Darron Gibson may return from a serious knee injury before the end of the season, and with Aiden McGeady at the club since January, Martinez has a crucialrole to play in the development of important Ireland players in the Martin O’Neill era.

 

Featured Image: GETTY Images

Champions League Review: 3 ties balanced but Dortmund doomed

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment

With the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals over with, it’s time to reflect on this week’s performances and look forward to next week’s encounters.

Manchester United v Bayern Munich

On Tuesday night Manchester United entered unfamiliar territory as underdogs at Old Trafford. They were up against a much lauded Bayern Munich side under the management of the much lauded Pep Guardiola.

While United can’t claim to ever really have dominated the game, they did cause problems for Bayern and Danny Welbeck had two great chances. The striker was unlucky to have a goal disallowed early on but he should have done better with a later chance when one-on-one with Manuel Neuer.

United managed to strike first, with a wonderful Nemanja Vidic header off a Rooney corner. Bayern adopt zonal marking when defending set-plays and we’ve seen over the years that this tactic is open to exploitation. The German team further incapacitated themselves by neglecting to put a man on the posts.

Bayern had looked a bit lacklustre early in the second half, but that goal jolted them into action. Eight minutes after United took the lead, substitute Mario Mandzukic nodded down into the path of Bastian Schweinsteiger and the German blasted home on the half-volley. After that it was all Bayern. Antonio Valencia was lucky to escape a second yellow for a heavy challenge on Boateng, and Guardiola was seething when Schweinsteiger was sent off for a less robust challenge in the closing stages of the game.

The goalscorer will miss the return leg, as will Javi Garcia. However Mario Gotze was rested for the first leg and is a capable replacement for Schweinsteiger. Dante returns from suspension and will slot in instead of Garcia. With an away goal in the bag and home advantage for the second leg, it is difficult to see past Bayern for a semi-final berth. However stranger things have happened and if United can put in a strong performance at the Allianz Arena they have a chance.

You can see the two goals from Old Trafford here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK-j9I7QXPI

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid

In Tuesday’s other game Barcelona welcomed La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid to the Camp Nou. This was the fourth meeting of the sides this season and it ended like the previous three, in a draw. Atletico manager Diego Simeone has exceeded expectations this season after the sale of lethal Colombian striker Falcao last summer. His side work hard to press teams high up the pitch and it has had the required effect against perceived bigger teams.

Falcao may have been the main man last season, but Atletico’s other striker Diego Costa has negated the loss in this campaign, scoring goals for fun and looking a threat every time he gets on the ball. He was an injury concern before Tuesday’s game but spearheaded the attack from the start. However he only lasted 28 minutes before having to be substituted with a hamstring concern. His fitness will be crucial if Atletico are to maintain their La Liga challenge.

His replacement on Tuesday night was the Brazilian Diego, who gave Atletico the lead in the 56th minute with an absolute screamer. Behind to the away goal, Barcelona responded quickly. Busquets was denied by Courtois before a sublime Andres Iniesta pass released Neymar for a cool finish in the 71st minute.

The score remained at 1-1 until the end and so Atletico Madrid have the slight advantage going into next week’s game at the Vicente Calderon. If they play their usual brand of high-tempo pressure football they have an excellent chance of advancing to the semi-finals, even without Diego Costa. But on the other hand, Lionel Messi.

All the goals from Tuesday night here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVis7rmliGE

 

Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea

Last night saw the clash of two major egos as Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea took on a PSG team spearheaded by Zlatan Ibrahimovich. Both men were respectful before the game, playing down their own team’s chances while praising the ability of their opponents.

Ibrahimovich has been scoring at will all season, however last night he was well marshalled and came off with a hamstring injury in the second half after being ineffective in the main. PSG had taken the lead in the third minute from a Lavezzi half-volley which was a direct result of an uncharacteristically poor headed clearance from John Terry. An Eden Hazard penalty in the 27th minute levelled matters, and it remained that way until half time.

PSG were the more composed side in the second period, and it was further defensive errors which allowed the home side to take a 3-1 lead to Stamford Bridge. With Matuidi running towards the corner flag with the ball on the hour mark, David Luiz opted to barge into the midfielder from behind. From the resulting free, Luiz bundled the ball into his own net after it cleared everyone else. In the third minute of stoppage time Javier Pastore scored a brilliant individual goal, tempered somewhat by the quality of Chelsea’s defending and Cech’s goalkeeping.

After the game Jose Mourinho again did something to his strikers that they themselves seem uncapable of. He attacked. While noting that his defenders had been solid all season and were allowed to make the occasional mistake, he bemoaned his lack of strikers. He had opted to start winger Andre Schurrle as the furthest man forward and as such there was no one to get on the end of threatening balls from creative talents like Hazard, Oscar and Willian.

A two goal deficit is far from insurmountable, particularly at Stamford Bridge. However Mourinho must figure out in the coming days who is most likely to bridge the gap for Chelsea. It’s clear he doesn’t believe his strikers are up to the task.

Here are all the goals from Parc des Princes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tT6YMB5kXQ

 

Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund

The Santiago Bernebeu is a difficult enough place to come without having five of your first team players missing. Add to that the fact that the 4 goal hero against Madrid in last year’s semi-final Robert Lewandowski was missing througt suspension, and Borussia Dortmund were always going to have a mountain to climb.

Madrid were ruthless from the off, with Gareth Bale poking the ball into the Dortmund net from close range in just the third minute. Isco added a second from the edge of the box in the 27th minute and Ronaldo wrapped the game, and more than likely the tie, up in the 57th minute, showing quick feet to get a shot away from eight yards out.

Out of all the quarter finals, this one looks to be beyond doubt. Home advantage may not help Borussia Dortmund in the second leg. Just ask Schalke, who Madrid demolished 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen at the last 16 stage.

All the goals from Madrid’s victory here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDB2JQdGfMM

 

 

Manchester United v Bayern Munich: As it happened

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment
man utd, bayern munich, champions league

United will look to Rooney for inspiration tonight

Welcome to this evening’s Champions League live-blog.

It’s the quarter finals stage of Europe’s premier club competition, and tonight plays host to two cracking games. Manchester United welcome old adversaries Bayern Munich to Old Trafford, while first and second in La Liga meet at the Camp Nou where Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid. This live-blog is for the United-Bayern game, but I’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening in Spain too.

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And so to Old Trafford and the meeting of Manchester United and Bayern Munich. If the home side win tonight it would be a bit of an upset, but United have beaten the odds against Bayern before…

History won’t save United tonight if they don’t perform in all areas of the pitch however. Bayern Munich are the reigning European Champions and boast an embarrassment of riches in midfield. The visitors though will be without Thiago Alcantara and Dante tonight. Alcantara sustained an injury in league action at the weekend, while defender Dante  is suspended.

The team news is in:

Man Utd: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Buttner, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Giggs, Rooney, Welbeck. Subs: Lindegaard, Hernandez, Nani, Young, Fletcher, Januzaj, Kagawa.

Bayern: Neuer, Ribery, Martinez, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Lahm, Muller, Alaba, Schweinsteiger, Kroos. Subs: Starke, van Buyten, Mandzukić, Shaqiri, Pizarro, Gotze, Hojbjerg

You may have to refresh the page to update content. New posts will appear at the top. Comments on the games can be posted underneath or tweeted to me at @AlanKeane23.

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Full time thoughts: United’s performance will have delighted manager Moyes and the fans. Not so much for the quality but for the commitment the players showed. They were second best in the first half with Bayern dominating the possession and dictating the play but second half they gained more of a foothold. Guardiola may be a bit disappointed with his side for losing some of their intensity in the second half but even with Schweinsteiger and Martinez suspended for the second leg Bayern should have enough to advance to the semi-finals. Ribery and Robben create too many chances for them not to score at the Allianz Arena.

93 mins – Full time comes somewhat bizarrely as Neuer’s attempts to take a goal kick  are hampered by paper being thrown at him by the United fans.

90 mins – 3 minutes added here.

89 mins – RED CARD! Schweinsteiger gets a second yellow for a late challenge on Wayne Rooney. Not the smartest move from the German knowing he was already on a caution. Bayern might feel hard done by after Valencia escaped similar action earlier.

88 mins – Yellow card for Javi Martinez for a cynical tackle on Hernandez, who had spun smartly. He was clear on goal if Martinez hadn’t taken him down. He’s out of the second leg for that caution though.

84 mins – Substitution for United. Hernandez on for Welbeck, who will be ruing his disallowed goal and his other missed chance in the first half.

81 mins – Mandzukic booked after fouling Nemanja Vidic in the air.

79 mins – Bayern haven’t dominated this half quite like they did the first but they’re still creating chances. Robben knocks a ball across the six yard box but Mandzukic isn’t in the wrong place.

78 mins – Incidentally Neymar has levelled for Barcelona at the Nou Camp. 1-1 there but Atletico have the away goal.

77 mins – Robben comes close after taking advantage of confusion near United’s goal. He drags his right-footed shot just wide.

73 mins – Substitutions: Buttner injured so Ashleyon in his place. Gotze on for Kroos. Valencia moves back into the United defence. Fortunate not to be down the tunnel.

72 mins – Valencia a lucky boy. Already on a yellow, he jumps into a challenge with Boateng and catches the German defender. The ref shows leniency.

70 mins – Gotze receiving instructions from Guardiola. He’s on next.

67 mins – An away goal for Bayern and Old Trafford is a little quieter, except for the corner the away fans are in.

66 mins – GOAL! United’s lead lasts just 8 minutes. Rafinho finds sub Mandzukic with a cross and the striker nods down for Bastian Schweinsteiger to thump in on the half volley from close range.

65 mins – Boateng stings De Gea’s hands with a shot from distance. The Spaniard holds on.

62 mins – Substitution. Muller off and leading goalscorer Mario Mandzukic on for Bayern. Guardiola’s side have scored at least one goal in their last 60 matches and it has been two years since they failed to score in an away fixture. An interesting half hour in store.

60 min – Kagawa races in behind the Bayern defence and Neuer has to punch clear. Schweinsteiger booked for a tackle on Carrick. The away side are rattled. Rooney wastes the free-kick.

57 mins – GOAL! A Wayne Rooney corner is directed brilliantly into the bottom left corner by the head of Nemanja Vidic. No-one picked up the captain and no Bayern players were covering the posts either. Game on!

56 mins – Chances both ends now as the game opens up once more. Fellaini should have done more controlling a high ball near the Bayern penalty spot and Schweinsteiger gets a shot off the other end.

53 mins – Muller, Robben and Schweinsteiger combine well to allow the Dutchman a shot at goal. Blocked away. United support is right behind their team and has been since before kick-off. No sign of a plane over Old Trafford tonight.

52 mins – Rooney gets a header on target following good play from Kagawa on the right. The Japanese playmaker has looked bright so far.

51 mins – Neither side dominating the in the early stages of the half. Still 0-0 in the other quarter final at the Camp Nou incidentally where Barcelona are hosting Atletico Madrid.

46 mins – Early chance for Bayern. Rafinha plays a ball through to Schweinsteiger who has crept behind the United defence but he fails to find the targer.

45 mins – We’re underway again.

20:46 -Second half about to begin and substitution for United. Giggs is off, and Kagawa on. Positive change from David Moyes, but it was forced due to a groin injury.

 

Half time thoughts: Bayern dominated that first half, and if their final ball improves they should be able to bag an away goal in the next 45 minutes. However United have had chances of their own, most notably Welbeck’s. They need to find a way to stem the flow of Bayern’s passing in the second half, as they can’t get their foot on the ball as of yet.

Roy Keane pleased with Mancester United’s commitment in the first half, and calls the home side’s problems “nice” ones because the chances Bayern have created in general haven’t been clear-cut.

45 mins – The half time whistle goes to boos from United fans. Not because of their team’s performance but because they thought the ref should have allowed United to take another corner. He’s not obliged to do so and the teams make their way down the tunnel.

44 mins – Valencia’s shot deflected over for a corner after Rooney and Welbeck cause problems at the edge of the box.

39 mins – Big chance! Boateng loses his bearings and allows Welbeck to race onto a through ball from Rooney. The striker tries to chip it over Manuel Neuer instead of drilling it hard and low and the keeper gets a hand to it. Moyes doesn’t look happy.

38 mins – The Old Trafford surface must be slippy. Everyone is losing their footing. Phil Jones more than most.

36 mins – An Alaba cross is heading towards Muller for a tap in but Vidic makes a vital interception.

33 mins – The game is opening up now. Commotion in the United box as Jones and Ribery both slip and the ball is cleared by De Gea. Seconds later, A Rafinha shot hits Buttner on the arm but calls for a penalty are waved away.

31 mins – At the other end Danny Welbeck bounces a shot in front of Manuel Neuer. The German keeper was always behind it though.

30 mins – Robben tests De Gea with a nice curling effort from the edge of the box. The Spaniard is equal to it and palms it to his right for a corner.

28 mins – The only thing saving the home side is the quality of Bayern’s final ball so far. Crosses haven’t reached their targets.

25 mins – United can’t string three passes together. All the play in and around their box. Arjen Robben popping up everywhere.

21 mins – A Vidic slip almost allows Ribery’s cross-field ball to reach Robben, but the Dutch winger mis-controls.

19 mins – United fans cheering any indication of passion from their team. It’s all they’ve got so far, as Bayern are playing keep-ball.

18 mins- Ribery with a speculative shot from distance. Well wide from the Frenchman, who came third in the Ballon d’Or last year.

16 mins- Ribery and Robben have such a good understanding of each other’s game. The two link up down the left to win a corner.

14 mins – United haven’t been out of their own half for the past five minutes. Valencia picks up a yellow card for a tackle on Lahm.

10 mins – A Ribery cross finds Muller in the six yard box but Muller doesn’t connect properly and United clear their lines. Chances for both sides early on.

8 mins – Neuer forced into a hasty clearance under pressure from United’s forwards.

7 mins – Arjen Robben curls a first shot a yard or two wide of De Gea’s right hand post. Nice passing from Bayern in the build-up.

2 mins- Danny Welbeck finds the net for United! But… Bayern get a free out for a high boot. Good work by Rooney and Valencia to set up the chance. That decision could have gone either way really but it’s given United and their fans encouragement early on.

1 min – And we’re off!

19:40 – With nothing left to play for in the Premier League, winning the Champions League is the only way United can take their place among the European elite next season. They’re quoted at odds as high as 6/1 to even beat Bayern tonight. 5 mins to kick-off.

19:35 – Roy Keane on ITV calls it a “big ask” for United tonight.

Lahm isn’t playing in the Bayern defence after all. He’s in the midfield with Rafinha slotting in at right-back.

19:25 – In the build-up to tonight’s game, Utd manager Moyes and veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs were in bullish mood. Moyes predicting that tonight would be the first of many times he will come up against Pep Guardiola, while Giggs had this to say;

“As players we don’t see ourselves as underdogs, we see ourselves as Man Utd playing at home in the Champions League and we can’t wait. These are the games that you want to be involved in as a player and we will go out there and try and win the game.”

19:10 – Injury and suspension have forced David Moyes’ hand too, with Alexander Buttner replacing the suspended Patrice Evra and Phil Jones at right back instead of Rafael. Record signing Juan Mata is ineligible in the Champions League.

19:05 – With Dante suspended, it looks likely that Philipp Lahm will play at  right-back. It’s a position that he’s pretty familiar with… It’s only this season under Pep Guardiola that the Bayern captain has pushed up into the midfield.

19:00 – As I said at the beginning Bayern are spoilt for choice in midfield. One of their stand out performers is Tony Kroos, who David Moyes is rumoured to be interested in buying this summer in an attempt to strenghten United’s centre. The German international has yet to sign a new contract at Bayern, however that’s not to say United will have an easy time acquiring his services.

Jury still out on UEFA’s Nations League

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment
Spain v Italy - UEFA EURO 2012 Final

Spain, winners of a 16 team Euro 2012

In the future, international friendlies will be a thing of the past. The 54 members of UEFA this morning unanimously ratified the proposed Nations League, which will come into effect from 2018 onwards.

The aim of the competition, according to UEFA’s website, will be “to improve the quality and standard of international football.” UEFA admits in its statement that the exact format of the Nations League is yet to be determined, but “the concept is for the 54 teams to be divided into four large groups according to co-efficient rankings.”

When news of this possible development broke earlier in the week, it was easy to dismiss it as a PR move to make international friendlies more appealing. However it has emerged that the Nations League will be linked to the Euro Qualifiers, with extra places in the European Championships at stake.

In some respects this is a welcome move. Weaker countries will get extra opportunities to qualify for the European Championships. Anything that adds some spice to international friendlies can only be good for supporters, particularly Irish ones. If it wasn’t for the appointment of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane last autumn, the Aviva Stadium would have been harder to fill for games against Latvia and Poland.

However is there really a need to throw another competition into the mix? The Nations League runs the risk of becoming the Europa League of international football; important to the smaller sides but treated with contempt by the top teams. Furthermore, if it is important to the weaker nations, does that allow less room for them to blood new talent? International friendlies, while often tedious, have always been the stepping stone for younger players between club football and the higher intensity of competitive international fixtures. If the Nations League threatens teams with relegation should they lose, will they be reluctant to field inexperienced players?

In any case, with the expansion of the European Championships to 24 teams taking place, surely the current qualification route would have been enough of an opportunity for the weaker teams to stake their claim. Traditionally the group stages of the Euros have been more exciting than those in the World Cup due to fact that there were only 16 teams of a decent quality involved. Raising the quota to 24 teams has already given the third-best side in a qualification group the opportunity to progress to the flagship tournament via the play-offs.

UEFA run the risk of not only diluting the quality of the championship itself but also of the qualifiers. If a team is doing well in the Nations League, will they focus more on achieving their qualifying objective in that manner than in the qualifiers?

These are all questions which cannot be definitively answered until the inaugural Nations League in 2018. The tournament could be a success, or it could be just another ridiculous idea like those linesmen behind the goals who don’t actually do anything.