Champions League knockout draw produces a repeat of last year's final!

The draw for the first knockout phase of the 2010-2011 Champions League (CL) has once again produced some mouth watering encounters between teams with with recent past history.

The most amusing match is between the current champions Inter Milan & the team they beat in the final in May, Bayern Munich. On the other hand, Barcelona will meet Arsenal, the team they demolished last year & beat in the final a few years ago. And Real Madrid will have to get past Olympique Lyonnais, the team they were expected to beat but in fact lost to in last year's quarter finals. The following are my predictions for the quarter finals (teams in bold to win)

• Barcelona vs Arsenal: Whilst there is no doubt Arsenal are a much better team this year, so are Guardiola, Messi & this year's Barcelona team. This makes this encounter of two teams with attacking styles the most mouth watering encounter of the round.

However, Barcelona showcased their prowess in the 5-0 demolition of Mourinho's Real Madrid team in the "La Liga Clasico" two weeks ago. In fact this Barcelona team is probably one of the greatest European teams of all time. The only problem in the make of the team last year was Ibramovic. He has now moved back to Italy where Milan's style is more suitable to him & in his place, arguably the best goalscoring forward in the world, David Villa has completed the magical puzzle that is the wonderful Barcelona.

Barcelona are the overwhelming favourites to win back the Champions League.

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Bayern Munchen vs Inter Milan: Last year's Champion League finalists, Bayern & Inter have both been struggling this season in their respective domestic leagues.

Inter are not the same compact counterattacking unit they were under Mourinho last year, and Benitez is not the CL winning coach he was a few years ago either & has simply lost his touch. On the other hand, Bayern have been stuttering without the influential injured Robben & with a very long injury list from 11 tired players returning from the semi final & final of the World Cup.

However, whilst Benitez seems to be incapable of filling Mourinho's big shoes, Van Gaal can look forward to revenging the May final's defeat with an injury free squad which will include Robben, Klose, Ivic & Badstuber. In fact Bayern can once again be one of the dark horses of the tournament as long as they can solve their problematic central defensive issues.

• Real Madrid vs Olympique Lyonnais: Lyon, the perennial CL quarter finalists surprised everyone by defeating Real Madrid in the quarter finals last year & reaching their first ever semi final. But the galacticos of Real Madrid, under the polarising yet brilliant Mourinho are a different proposition this year & should easily dispatch of Lyon. (although I must admit predicted the same last year too!)
• Tottenham vs AC Milan: This is the best AC Milan team since they won the CL by beating Liverpool a few years ago. Ronaldinho seems to have rediscovered his passion for the game & Ibrahimovic has settled in well. However, Spurs have won many hearts with their gallant display in both legs against Inter Milan & could be one of the surprise packs of this year.
• Manchester United vs Olympique Marseille: I think this is one of the weakest & worst Manchester United teams under the long reign of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, they are too strong for a gallant Marseille side & should go through.
• Chelsea vs Copenhagen: Chelsea were the runaway leaders of the EPL & all of a sudden they lost the influential John Terry & more importantly the irreplaceable Frank Lampard to injury, and as a result have lost their way. Copenhagen on the other hand have been one of the surprises of the season & the first Danish team to make it to the knock out stage of the CL. However, with Lampard back, I expect Chelsea to once again mount a serious challenge in both EPL & CL.
• Shaktar Donetsk vs Roma: Shaktar are simply too strong for Roma. On the other hand, except for a come from behind 3-2 win against Bayern Munich, Roma have been unispiring.
• Schalke vs Valencia: Schalke have had a shocking run in the Bundesliga but possess enough quality & in Raul one of the all time greats of the CL, to progress past Valencia.

Champions League football first knockout stage is always full of goals & surprises as well as plenty of great football & bag full of goals. This year's is no exception & we can expect many predictions turn out to be wrong! Let's wait & see!

European season update: Mourinho is working his magic at Real Madrid whilst Barcelona continue to shine

On the eve of the "Classico" in La Liga in Spain between Guardiola & Messi & co(Barcelona) & Mourinho & Ronaldo & co (Real Madrid), the two teams:

a) are the most attractive to watch in Europe
b) have many of the best players currently playing in Europe
c) have arguably the most effective two coaches in Europe &
d) are most likely to win the 2011 Champions League

Whilst the likes of Inter Milan (current Italian & European champions), Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich & Arsenal are stuttering in one or more fronts, both Real Madrid & Barcelona are smashing their way through both the Spanish Premira & Champions League.

The much polarising Mourinho has taken his mojo with him from Inter Milan to Real Madrid & after a slow start to the season, Ronaldo & co have now become a free scoring team. Mourinho however is also enjoying the convenience of coaching this latest "Galacticos" ensemble in its second year. He has however lost none of his unprofessional arrogance as was evident in the Champions League match against Ajax last week when two Real players got themselves sent off, according to many as a result of a tactical decision by Mourinho.

Barcelona on the other hand still continue to set the benchmark standards of beautiful, attractive & attacking football & in my view will be able to yet again impose themselves on Real Madrid & win the classico on Monday morning. They are also my tip to lift the Champions League this year.

Elsewhere meanwhile, in Italy, whilst AC Milan & its aging stars are playing a more cohesive football than they have done in the past few seasons, the European Champions Inter Milan are drifting away under the now fading leadership qualities of Rafa Benitez. Rafa's career is beginning to resemble that of Goran Erikson. Erikson was a cutting edge coach in Italy's Serie A when he was lured in a big money signing to manage England. He never reached or recovered his magical Italy days & subsequently faded to obscurity. Rafa did very well in Spain & luckily managed to lift the coveted Champions League at Liverpool. But his methods are becoming less & less effective & his player transfer policy & managements leave a lot to be desired.

In England, I believe all big three, ie Manchester United, Chelsea & Arsenal will stutter from time to time & won't be able to match Barcelona or Real Madrid. Manchester City meanwhile, with all their money have been ordinary & the wonderfully exciting Tottenham team deserves to progress in Europe & win a place in the Top 4 again to do even better next year.

Amongst the rest of the big clubs, the Champion League finalists Bayern Munich are still suffering from Robben's absence & the hangover of having provided 11 players in the semi finals of the World Cup, resulting in tiredness & injuries.

However, Bundesliga is retaining its comfortable position as the League with the highest average attendance per game in the world & as the most competitive in Europe. Whilst the Spanish La Liga is in my view the most attractive football league to watch, & the English Premier League is fast & exciting, these leagues are realistically can only be won by a handful of teams, Barcelona & Real in Spain, & Manchester United & Chelsea (and Arsenal?) in England.

Bundeslia on the other hand is yet again an open ended competition this year with a multiple of teams seriously challenging, something that is unheard of in other major European Leagues

Nevertheless, the 2010-2011 European season so far seems to belong to Mourinho & his Real team, and Guardiola & his Barcelona stars. As fans & spectators, we are lucky as both play attractive attacking football.

Champions League quarter final pairings: What to expect

The Champions League final will be held in Madrid in May. Sadly however, the start studded Real Madrid will not be there to win the title at their Bernabeu Stadium! The star studded but at times misfiring Madrid side lost to the gallant Lyon side who despite going to the return leg with the narrowest of margins never lost their self belief.

Whilst I wrongly underestimated Lyon's depth & predicted Madrid would easily go through, I can still save face by referring to my several blogs at the beginning of the season when I claimed Real were a collection of great but selfish players who would not be able to deliver Mr Perez instant gratification, at least in the first year of his reign. The fact that Real have given Barcelona & the out of this world Messi a run for the Primera in fact comes as a surprise!

My other major flop for the round was Chelsea's loss to the arrogant master tactician, Jose Mourinho & his Inter Milan side. Mourinho simply rubbed salt to the Chelsea supporters' wound by reminding what they are missing out of since his departure!

Overall, this year's quarter finals amazingly are littered with surprise qualifiers. The elimination of giant former winners AC Milan, Juventus, Liverpool & Real Madrid as well as Porto & the newcomers Chelsea mean that the less fanciful CSKA Moksva, Bordeaux & Lyon have made the quarterfinals easier to predict, at least on paper!

The most exciting match up is undoubtedly Manchester United vs Bayern Munich. Manchester United comfortably disposed of a misfiring AC Milan whilst Bayern at the just scrapped past a gallant & unlucky Fiorentina side on away goals rule due to a masterful goal by Arjen Robben.

The last gasp heartbreaking final win by Manchester United in 1999 & the subsequent home & the subsequent quarter final home & away win by Bayern on their way to win the CL in 2001 means these two teams have an unbreakable history. Also, in Robben & Rooney, I believe we will witness the second & third current best players in the world going to the battlefield.

My Prediction: If Bayern's defence holds off Rooney & co in the first leg in Munich, Bayern may go on to win the tie. Otherwise, Manchester United are the favourites to go through.

Barcelona vs Arsenal: Arguably the two most skillful & entertaining club sides in the world repeating their CL Final encounter of a few years ago. With Messi in his current form speeding towards the super stardom legendary status, Barcelona are favourite to take advantage of Wenger's side's occasional lapses & go through.

Lyon vs Bordeaux: The all French tussle will produce the first French side in the semi finals of the CL since Monaco reached the final & lost to Mourinho's Porto a few years ago. Lyon have been a consistent performer in the CL League & go the battle with the confidence boosting elimination of Ronaldo & Co of Madrid. On the other hand, Laurent Blanc has built a masterful compact unit at Bordeaux capable of many surprises. I believe Bordeaux will continue their dream run to the semi finals.

Inter Milan vs CSKA Moskva: Whilst CSKA have quietly enjoyed good solid performances & slightly easier draws to get to the quarter finals, they are also a great team which fully deserve their position at this level. On the other hand, hats off to Mourinho for getting Inter Milan through the battle with Chelsea. I still feel uncomfortable about Inter & believe CSKA are capable of causing a huge upset!

No matter which team you are following, the quarter finals will be as exciting as ever. Let's just hope they do not get too tight & defensive. The away goal rule is making home teams timid & nervous & has a negative impact on the game as a spectacle.

Fabio Capello has made England one of the World Cup favourites. But lack of English born coaches capable of managing England remains a major concern.

I am simply blogging what most fans of international football around the world treat as a joke! The scarcity of English born coaches in the English Premier League!
Fabio Capello is one of the greatest coaches of the modern era & seems to have at last managed to make England a solid & reliable unit as a team. But shouldn't the mother home of the beautiful game be able to manage to produce an English born coach to lead it to the World Cup?
The answer is simply no! It can't! Outside a few true & trusted old hands such as Harry Redknapp of Tottenham & Roy Hodgson of Fulham, there are very few high calibre English born coaches around these days. The late Sir Bobby Robson was probably the last of that generation.
I rest my case by listing the names of the top 10 EPL Teams Managers for those of you who are not aware of their nationalities. This is based on the league table as of 1 March 2010:
1. Chelsea: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy)
2. Manchester Utd: Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland)
3. Arsenal: Arsen Wenger (France)
4. Manchester City: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
5. Tottenham: Harry Redknapp (England)
6. Liverpool: Rafa Benitez (Spain)
7. Aston Villa: Martin O'Neill (Northern Ireland)
8. Brrmingham: Alex McLeish (Scotland)
9. Everton: David Moyes (Scotland)
10. Fulham: Roy Hodgson (England)
As you can see, only two out of ten were born in England. Of course, as you know the English would protest saying we & the Scots & Northern Irish are all British! That's OK! My question remains the same:
Are there any coaches born in England who can claim to have the calibre to lead a major footballing national side to the World Cup?
I believe the answer remains negative. As a result the international performance of England will continue to suffer & whilst they are a very good side, I don't think they can win the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in July 2010.

Champions League knockout stage in 2010 promises to be exciting as well as intriguing

UEFA Champions League (CL) knockout stage kicks off on Tuesday 17th Feb 2010. As the world's richest and most watched annual sporting tournament, the real excitement starts in the round of 16 as the knock out stage commences.
In the absence of any form of salary cap system in Europe, the disparity amongst football teams in the CL is becoming more & more evident by the fact that most of the same usual suspects reach the quarter finals, ie teams from the powerhouse nations in Europe.
This year is no exception. The surprise casualties of the group stage were past winners Liverpool & Juventus, both of which are also having a relatively lean domestic season as well. the other surprise is the timely return to form of another former winners Bayern Munich.
Here are the round of 16 encounters & my predictions:

• Olympique Lyonnais vs Real Madrid: Whilst my pre season prediction that Real Madrid will need time to mould their star studded team to a force is still a valid point, Real are far too good for a mediocre Lyon that are a shadow of the perennial quarter finalists of the last few year. This is regardless of whether the recently back from injury Ronaldo or the out of form Kaka are present to help them.



• AC Milan vs Manchester United: This is a far more intriguing contest with the added spice of David Beckham's return to Old Trafford in Milan's colours. I am not a fan of either team this season (or any season for that matter!) & like many others believe selling Ronaldo has substantially weakened Manchester United, even though Rooney is playing the best football of his career. Milan on the other hand have dipped in form again after a mid season revival led by the resurgent Ronalidino. I think Manchester United will survive & pip Milan to the quarter finals. However, I don't think the eventual winner of this year's Cup will be either of these two teams
  
• Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina: A classic case of reversal of fortunes. Fiorentina played great football in the group stage & topped their group which included Liverpool. Since then however, Fiorentina's form in Serie A has dipped & Mutu has got suspended. On the other hand, Bayern were seemingly down & out & had to win their last match in Turin to qualify for the knockout stage. They fell 0-1 behind in the match, but in perhaps the best match of the current season ended up winning 1-4, their best ever away win against a top Italian side. Since then, they have had 12 consecutive wins in all competitions & scored 40 goals in the process. With Ribery rumoured to be starting against Fiorentina & Mutu suspended, Bayern should be win reasonably comfortably. If they can maintain their current form, they may even be an outside chance to win the CL this year! (Disclaimer: For those of you who don't know, I am a life long Bayern supporter!)



• Porto vs Arsenal: At the beginning of the season I predicted arsenal's attractive & flowing style lacked the experience factor. This is showing & I believe Porto, another former winner, whilst upstaged by Benfica in their domestic league this year, are too tricky & experienced for Arsenal & will win this close tussle.
  


• Stuttgart vs Barcelona: Barcelona will comfortably win against out an out of sorts but reviving Stuttgart & remain my tip to win the CL back to back. Pep Guardiola has done a magnificent job even if I believe Ibrahimovic is not suited to Barcelona's & Spanish football & is over rated.


• Olympiacos vs Bordeaux: Bordeaux are the refreshing surprise of the current season & disposed of Juventus & Bayern in style. Alongside Guardiola, Laurent Blanc is a rising star coach. Bordeaux should win this encounter comfortably even though their form in the French League has recently been inconsistent & Olympiacos are difficult to beat in Athens


• CSKA Moskva vs Seville: This is a hard one to predict simply because both teams can and do score goals & have proven themselves to be hard to beat. Seville have a better team on paper & should prevail.
  


• Chelsea vs Inter Milan: The last & most intriguing encounter is the return of Jose Mourinho with Inter Milan to Chelsea. I must say I am not a fan of Mourinho & believe Inter Milan would currently win the Serie A even if they don't have a coach! Both teams ae frustrated with lack of European success & are hungry. How much of a distraction John Terry's personal life & Ashley Cole's untimely injury are to Chelsea is open to speculation as they have been wobbly lately & lost to Everton this week with John Terry at fault. On the other hand, Inter Milan have a lot to prove in the european stage & this plays heavily on their players' minds. I believe Ancelotti is a better tactician than Mourinho & predict Chelsea will win the battle & in doing so will start the end of Mourinho's time at Inter Milan.

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Debate- Coquelin or Frimpong- Who has the best chance of making it at Arsenal?

They were two of the biggest success stories to emerge from last season’s double-winning run, but which one has the biggest chance of making it as a first-team regular at Arsenal.

Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin gelled immediately following the latter’s arrival from Laval last summer, and their distinct understanding of eachother’s game has earned them both many admirers.

Both were on the fringes of the Carling Cup squad last season and this year they will be looking to push themselves into Arsene Wenger’s thinking. Coquelin appears closer to the first-team at present, although this is more to him being slightly older than Frimpong than anything else.

Coquelin and Frimpong both possess the ability to break up play effectively and distribute the ball to their team-mates, although one aspect of their games which needs improving is their goalscoring ability (they scored just three goals between them last season), but there is no doubt that they both have fantastically bright futures ahead of them.

It could be argued that Frimpong’s absence from the side is more detrimental to the team’s wellbeing. This was perhaps best shown in the FA Youth Cup Final 2nd leg when Arsenal, missing the injured Frimpong, struggled to dominate the midfield in the way that they previously had.

The under-18s preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of last season meant that both players got a chance as regulars in the starting XI, but, as they progress to the Reserves and ultimately the first-team, chances will become more and more limited.

Coquelin has another string to his bow in that he can play right-back, although Frimpong possesses a more powerful shot.

It is an intriguing debate and one which you can participate in by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below.

Cesc fabregas arsenal captain

Pofile :
NAME : Francesc Fabregas Soler
BIRTHDAY : 04/05/1987
BIRTH CITY : Arenys of Mar, Spain
CLUB : Arsenal FC
POSITION : Midfielder
PREMIERSHIP DEBUT :15/08/2004 Everton
SPAIN DEBUT :01/03/2006 Ivory Coast

Biography:
Spanish midfield playmaker Cesc Fabregas is a brilliant passer of the ball with an eye for goal and is one of a crop of outstanding youngsters beginning to establish themselves at Highbury.

National team
Fabregas was voted the player of the tournament at the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championship and won the Golden Boot after his six goals helped Spain reach the final. He was a key member of the Spanish squad in the 2004 UEFA Under-17 European Championship, and scored a vital 89th-minute goal against England to take the team through to the final. Has since stepped up to U21 level.

Club
Despite coming through the ranks at FC Barcelona, Fabregas moved to Arsenal FC in September 2003 at the age of 16 having never played a first-team game at Camp Nou.

2003: After impressing with the reserves, he became the youngest player to feature in the Arsenal first team when, at 16 years and 177 days, he made his debut in the English League Cup against Rotherham United FC on 28 October.

2004/05: Fabregas made his Premiership debut in the 4-1 win away to Everton FC on the opening day of the season and went on to start 24 matches as Arsenal finished second in the league. He opened his Premiership scoring account in the 3-0 win against Blackburn Rovers FC on 25 August and scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in December's 5-1 victory against Rosenborg BK.
http://www.cescfabregas.org/

Theo James Walcott wonderkid arsenal player

Profile :
Full Name :Theo James Walcott
Date of Birth : 16 March 1989 (1989-03-16) (age 19)
Place of Birth : Stanmore, London, England
Playing Position : Striker
Club Career :
Youth career
A.F.C. Newbury
Swindon Town
Southampton
Senior career
2005–2006 : Southampton
2006– : Arsenal
National team
2006– : England U21
2006– : England

Arsenal Linked With Steven Appiah

Looks like Arsenal are the latest club to be linked with Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah, who is out of contract and available on a free transfer.

Appiah trained with Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for almost a month, but coach Harry Redknapp has failed to sign him up.

The 28-year-old has had persistent knee injuries that have brought his club career to a halt, but he continues to feature for the national side and scored in the Black Stars’ 2-2 draw with Egypt in Cairo yesterday.

Appiah has previously played for Fenerbahce, Juventus, Parma and Udinese.

MY POV: Would be a nice pickup. His persistent injuries haven't helped his career but he's a good player and needs consistent play to achieve his former level. I love this move.

Adebayor Wins African Player of the Year Award

Congratulations to Togo and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor who today won the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) Player of the Year Award.

The Arsenal scoring machine won the award ahead of BBC African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Aboutrika of Egypt.

The award was decided by a poll of African national team coaches, and CAF's figures gave Adebayor 74 points to Aboutrika's 53.

Adebayor scored 24 goals in the English Premier League last season. He also scored four goals in three games for Togo in their World Cup qualifiers.

"I'm highly honored by what I have done in African football," said Adebayor at the awards ceremony in the Nigerian city of Lagos.

"Now that the World Cup is coming close and is in Africa, we'll work hard to win the championship."

Aboutrika won the Inter-Clubs Player of the Year award, for locally based players.

His club, Al Ahly, was voted Club of the Year, while African Cup of Nations winners Egypt won the National Team of the Year award and their coach Hassan Shehata was voted Coach of the Year.

MY POV: Great honor for the lanky striker. While I thought Aboutrika was the best African player this past year, one can't really argue Adebayor's merits. He had a sensational season and deserves the accolades.

Congratulations once again!

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