Paul Scholes and Manchester United's over-reliance.

January 8th 2012 was the day that opinions were divided amongst Manchester United fans. Some saw it as a psychological tactic by Sir Alex Ferguson to rally his troops before taking on Manchester City in the FA Cup. Many saw it as an act of desperation considering the Sniejder love-in over the summer that amounted to nothing with the lack of any high profile midfielder joining the ranks. Others, myself included, saw it as the best and only option available albeit I was nearly left with egg on my face considering a couple of lack-lustre moments in that game which brought a 10-man Manchester City within touching distance of a draw.

The beginning of the 2011/2012 season started well in a post-Scholes Manchester United, with the side keeping their faith in youth plus experience. A good pre-season which included beating a 7/10 Barcelona side and a customary comeback in the Charity shield was followed by wins against West Brom, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Bolton.

- Surprisingly the toughest test was against West Brom and United were lucky to come away with a win after De Gea's howler. Considering the opposition, a game such as this was not going to trouble United's midfield or make any observers aware of the seed that was planted upon Scholes hanging up his boots.

- Spurs were without Modric, King, Parker and Adebayor so once again, this was not a game that would have proved too tricky. All the goals did come in the second half but a midfield of Livermore and Kranjcar was never really going to trouble anyone at United, especially when their game changers (not including Bale) were not playing.

- Against Arsenal, regardless of the scoreline, cracks did appear. Maybe it was the way that Arsenal play but a team that looked extremely weak; Jenkinson (remember him?) and Traore as full backs and Coquelin in midfield still managed to score two plus miss a penalty. Looking at Arsenal's bench makes even worse reading when they have Giles Sunu and Oguzhan Ozyakup as backup. Proof that this was the best team available yet still managed some twenty shots at goal. Only five less than United.

- The Bolton game I have covered in a previous post but I shall surmise it by saying Bolton didn't deserve to lose 5-0. On the day, the better team won but five goals to no reply was flattering.

- When a real test came along at the Estadio Da Luz against Benfica, it became apparent that the lack of stern opposition had papered over the cracks. A very disappointing performance from United as they couldn't create anything and the lack of a player to dictate the play was discerning to say the least. For if it was not for a wonder strike by Ryan Giggs, this game would have changed the back pages the following morning.

The run up of 23 games from that Benfica game up until the end of 2011 yielded 13 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses. That's not the mark of champions when you dissect it like I will. Discounting cup wins over Leeds and Aldershot, the Chelsea game was a surprise result with a few refereeing decisions going against them. United didn't control the game as you would expect and I haven't seen an end-to-end game like that against a top side that wasn't Arsenal in a while. De Gea had a good game and Chelsea had good chances (the Torres miss included) to put this game away. It's an unfortunate place to be when a midfield that contains Frank Lampard can dominate, and that's what occurred against Fletcher and Anderson. The former clearly not fit and the latter just disappointing once again. This isn't to say that United should have lost as only one side took their chances whereas Chelsea were profligate. In the next few games there were draws against Stoke, Basle and Liverpool a tough win over Otelul Galati and the 6-1 embarrassment against City. In all of those games, there was no one to take the game to the opposition. A midfield shorn of an 8/10 player was becoming clearer and clearer and a lack thereof exposing a weak defence in front of a pubescent goalkeeper.

Going forward from those games, United were embarrassed at home by Crystal Palace, couldn't beat Benfica once again, failed to put away the chances against Newcastle and were outplayed away to Basle. My personal opinion was that it was this game that made Ferguson speak to Scholes and convince him to make a U-turn on his retirement only 6 months prior. In and around those games there were wins against Everton, Sunderland, Swansea , Otelul Galati (another struggle) and Aston Villa. In all of the league games mentioned, they were only won by a single goal. I won't go and say the games were undeserved wins as that's not fair on the efforts of the players. What I will say is that bar the Aston Villa game, United did not dominate as they should and would have done in years gone by. A smash and grab against Everton, an own goal against Sunderland and a tough win over Swansea is not a nice place to be when you are reigning champions.

It seemed like business as usual against Wolves, QPR and Fulham as not one of the teams really tested United with a goals ratio of 11 for and 1 against proving as such. The home game against Wigan contained the controversial sending off of Connor Sammon and the 5-0 win most probably wouldn't have been as such considering United were only 1-0 up until the sending off (on 40 mins). Also of note was that during this time Carrick and Valencia were both in defence due to injuries to Ferdinand, Vidic and Evans. Fitting that in the away tie against the same opposition did United look like the team from November/December, however we shall come to that. Reason being as I need to mention the games against Blackburn at home and Newcastle away. In both of these games United were dominated by their opposition. A weakened team was put out against Blackburn and even on paper it looked wrong. An oversight was Carrick/Jones against Yakubu as he would overpower both with ease, something he actually did. Rafael in midfield was another anomaly considering Anderson and the apparent talent Pogba were warming the bench. De Gea's beginning of the season jitters came back to haunt him and he was subsequently dropped after this match after failing to handle a corner for Blackburn's winner. Another oversight considering his poor build against a powerful side such as Blackburn. 

The Newcastle game is the most poignant for many when the midfield was completely outclassed. I'm sure Scholes had already re-signed at this point and he was needed now more than ever. Everything I have said above stems from having a mediocre centre of the midfield. Bereft of such a thing starves the goalscorers in the team and also exposes the back line. It is no secret that United were conceding more shots on goal than anyone in the league and the midfield was nowhere to be seen when it came to Cabaye and Tioté. They dominated the game and United have never cried out more for someone to keep the ball and distribute with aplomb. 

Scholes's return was announced prior to kick off for the Manchester City game in the FA Cup which was a timely boost coming off the back of two successive and humiliating defeats. Considering what happened at Old Trafford against the same opposition, this could have been another banana skin on the road to retaining the title. Yet United took the lead before Kompany was sent off. The game finished 3-2 with Scholes entering the fray on 60 minutes and helping United keep their lead; something they had been missing all season. He may have made a few stray passes but you can't put the blame just on one man for allowing Manchester City back into the game.

From this game up until Wednesday's match against Wigan, United won every single game bar 1 that Scholes started in. United only dropped points to Liverpool in the FA Cup when he had already gone off, the 3-3 draw against Chelsea and the fleeting appearance against Ajax. Patrick Vieira called United desperate in recalling Scholes to the side and however effective his appearances have been, desperation is still a word that can be used as long as the end product is victory. 

Against Wigan, United haven't looked that bad since Scholes wasn't playing and ironically he wasn't. They couldn't control the game, there was no one to take the ball and make a telling pass. I won't take away from the fact that Wigan were excellent throughout and stifled United in possession. However that happens nearly every week so it is not an excuse. This game reminded me of Basle away. Giggs starting in centre midfield has always worried me and he made a 90+% passing completion player look mediocre. Yes, Carrick had nothing to offer without Scholes by his side and that's testament to the talent that Scholes possesses. 

He is the figurative player I have mentioned throughout; the player that plays the 60 yard passes to our wingers, the player that takes it away from Ferdinand/Evans before they make their trademark hollywood pass that never reaches it's intended destination, and more importantly, the player who helps Wayne Rooney get goals. These tasks are not taken care of by any of his understudies and it's a telling problem that Sir Alex Ferguson is living with on a daily basis. There is no way that he can play every game and he was rested against Wigan for the reason of 3 games in a week. It's an issue that will continue to remain when a 37 year old is United's most important current player. The hole he leaves behind when not playing is more of a gorge than a hole and how long can it go on that a team of Manchester United's stature can rely on such a player? You have to remember that he will eventually retire properly and even if he carries on for another year or so, how good will he continue to be? Something needs to be done come the end of the season and whatever that may be this is an awkward situation to be in when there is such a reliance on a player who shouldn't even be playing.

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Fabrice Muamba: Bringing the football world together for all the wrong reasons

I'll always remember the moment I heard the news. In my hotel room on my brother's stag in Marbella my Uncle walks in and says "have you heard about the Spurs game?" Now I've heard quips like that many times in my life and naturally my answer was "no, what's happened?" automatically thinking that someone is losing by a large amount of goals. His next words were "Fabrice Muamba...." and at that exact moment not one ounce of me was ready for what would be said next. My subconscious went through the usual process of elimination in my head by first coming up with a list of options: goal from the halfway line, own goal, bicycle kick, sent off etc but I was not prepared for the tail-end of my Uncle's sentence: "....collapsed on the pitch and the game has been abandoned". My heart sank and I still can't recall what was being said prior to these words being uttered. In an instant my mind cast back to 2003 when Marc Vivien-Foe succumbed to the same fate. Difference being, I was actually watching that game and I've only felt that weird sensation when learning of a relative passing away. To see someone fighting for their life is one thing, but to watch them pretty much pass away is horrible viewing. I'll never forget that match against Columbia.

Muamba's path was different to Foe's, he survived for one thing and it's being hailed as a 'miracle' and you're not wrong. He saw the light and effectively died multiple times, only for the perseverance of the medical teams is he still allowed to be on Earth with us. In an odd way, the man to thank for this is Petr Cech. In 2006 Cech received a terrible head injury and changed the game for emergency services within football forever: a classic case of being reactive rather than proactive. When Cech had been tended to by the physios present, he had to wait for 30 minutes for an ambulance. Only after multiple complaints did he eventually get to an emergency room for them to find out he'd smashed his skull. It was clear there is only so much a physio can do in these circumstances and this was the catalyst to the abundance of medical options at football matches now. Doctors at football matches are now trained in how to diagnose much faster and find a solution just as fast as it is this quick thinking that can save lives. Also a reason why difibrillators are now commonplace at stadiums  However this does begs the question: "If that level of medical help was available in 2003, would Foe still be around?".

Amid the furore of Muamba's situation, there did seem to be an air of sensationalism. People just using the '#prayforMuamba' hashtag in order to get followers or for someone famous person to retweet them was just ridiculous. Somewhat odd behaviour when another human being is dying and you're asking for twitter love. This was merely a slight downside when compared to the 'trolls' out there. In fairness, the term 'troll' never looked right but after this it couldn't be more apt. Enter Liam Stacey, a boy that openly mocked Muamba's collapse and followed up with racial slurs. Once he had been exposed, his first reaction was to claim that his account had been hacked. Only to weep like a child in court as he was jailed for 56 days for being a complete and utter imbecile. I'm pretty sure that's the fastest I've seen a member of the public be tried and subsequently jailed and it's a great option to have. Lessons can be learned here for all that bring hate to twitter as even I have been accustomed to the occasional Piers Morgan jibe.

When the footballing world in this country was going through a bad time with racism being the ball and chain clamped around its ankle, it took a moment of genuine shock to change everything. Ever since the Evra/Suarez and Terry/Ferdinand debacles there has been some form of racism-related news story accompanying the back pages every single week. From ex-footballers to current footballers all receiving some sort of abuse it can only be described as embarrassing. First a laughing stock on the pitch, now matters off it are even more prevalent in the news. I'm of the belief that racism will always exist, however minor it may be and the optimists among you may disagree but remember that someone can not like the colour of your skin either.

So it's ironic that the colour of Muamba's skin had nothing to do with the collective support everyone had. It didn't matter that he was the same colour as the footballers and pundits getting abused. All that was of concern was that a fellow peer/person needed help and that's exactly what he got. It took a player to come close to death for the majority of fans in this country to come together and it was a sight to behold. It didn't even affect people just from England as fans from across the globe added their tributes along with many footballers in foreign lands. It's just a shame that it takes something of this magnitude to peel away the stupid-ness of footballing life in order to reveal that it is just a game. We're euphoric in victory and dejected in defeat however it's a case of going on to the next one. So do not fret as there will always be another game, another match to hold on to the hope of scoring one more than the opposition. Make no mistake, there will always be people with sub-human levels of I.Q but that's what sets you apart, that's why you can view them as imbecilic and that's why you're better than them. That's why I believe we can get past this.

Football is now in a better place in this country. Confidence hasn't been completely restored but it's a great way in order for everyone to move on. Well, until John Terry gets tried and everyone forgets how, for a brief moment, Muamba changed everything.

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Chelsea: The hardest managerial post on Earth.

So Villas-Boas has been sacked. The guillotine above the man's head has inevitably fallen and is anyone really that surprised? Abramovich has always exuded his monarchist attitude among his employees and eventually each one is cast out as Judas.

- Jose Mourinho sacked - won titles and trophies and usurped Manchester United.
- Carlo Ancelotti sacked - won the double in his first season and were runners up the following.
- Avram Grant sacked - reached the Champions League Final and only lost out on the League on the final day of the season

It makes awkward reading when you're a manager lined up next to take the reins of one of the most destabilised top tier clubs in European football. What is a guy to do in order to see out his contract? Now my thoughts on this are two-fold:

1. Ambramovich is a very difficult man to please
2. AVB lost before he even arrived

Number 1 is outlined above and it pangs of Abramovich's search for that elusive Champions League trophy. You'd think Avram Grant would've kept his job seeing as though he got them the closest. Now this was four years ago when this 'ageing' squad was in its prime so another run the following year could've worked in their favour just by tweaking parts of the system/clientèle. Let's not stick on that though as it's common-knowledge that no manager is safe when the Oligarch's axe constantly wielded.

Villas-Boas's record as the Chelsea manager is the worst out of his predecessors. 19 wins in 40 games equals a 47% win record. Even Scolari, who lasted only 36 games, had a win percentage of 56%. Now it's easy to blame the manager when you're looking at such statistics. Many forget the 'past their best' squad that he had at his disposal when he took over and jump on the bandwagon when the current senior players speak up. His refusal to play Kalou and freeze out Alex and Anelka looked like moves of a decisive man once they handed in transfer requests. However it's not worked out as he wanted and the team have regressed. Is it the player's fault? In short, probably. Though the players he has bought, one of which is incredible can't be blamed. Juan Mata has the potential to be one of the best in the league yet having one stand-out player isn't enough. Unless you're Arsenal.

AVB is not a footballer, he's a man that had great one-season success at Portugal's richest and most current successful side. He became hot managerial property after winning a league and cup double plus claiming the Europa league with an exciting style of football where his players were given the unpredictability of freedom. Falcao and Hulk scored 74 goals between them using these tactics. He came to Chelsea with a mentality of change and wanted to make these changes wherever he could to turn this team into a dominant force again. Now he's a man that knew the club inside out having worked as Mourinho's chief opposition scout so it should not have been such a hard task. However his previous employer said it was too soon for him to join a big club and he was somewhat right. At many times during the season he's looked lonely and completely out of depth. Carlo Ancelotti came out in the press and said that he tried to change too much too quickly and in a way he's also right. The style of play changed, the squad rotation changed, the tactics changed and the personnel changed all at the same time and it would take any number of games for all of it to come to fruition. Unfortunately it was tiime that was not available and he was naive to think that it was. Regardless of the £13m spent to break his Porto contract, he should have realised that money is no object and to discount himself from any favouritism. Proof of which can be seen in the £40m needed to pay AVB off upon being sacked.

Now not being a footballer and only a few of years older than the senior 'elite' members of the squad is an issue that's very current. Many are blaming them and even more are blaming the manager. Now the manager is to blame for not being able to handle them, however does he have the backing of the hierarchy in his attempts? However the players are to blame for not conforming, not accepting that he is the manager regardless of age and that they're not bigger than the brand. Putting it into context, imagine your manager at work was only 2 years older than you yet gave you the jobs no one wants all the time. You'd be preaching to your peers about how he's not that much older so how can he do such a thing. He can because he's the decision maker, the guy that's been tasked with providing an end product, he's the Manager. Regardless of circumstance, it isn't his fault he's now your boss but you have to respect him and he got very little; especially from the English based contingent.

I read an interesting piece that the three of them plus Drogba should be player managers and see how well they do. In all seriousness it would never happen however the thought of it is brilliant. Let's see how they deal with prima donnas. The bum chumming of Terry and Lampard would soon come to an end and Roman would see he's been loyal to the wrong entity. That would be the only way for the owner to realise he's made a mistake, something that isn't befitting of him in his stint as owner. My opinion on this whole matter is the senior players coupled with the naivety of AVB ultimately cost him his job. As I said before, he made decisions that even baffled me and I've been a supporter of his approach. Since Ancelotti played such 'boring' football, his high defensive line and quick passing brought excitement back to Stamford Bridge however at times they were suicidal tactics. The losses to Manchester United and Arsenal are examples of both sides of his tactical naivety. The game at Old Trafford - Exciting -  was not a one-sided affair and AVB was unlucky to come away with a loss. However given the loss of form for former footballer Fernando Torres and their profligacy in front of goal, it was inevitable. The new - Suicidal - tactics he enforced were also apparent against Arsenal and despite scoring 3, they conceded 5 which was unheard of and the question marks arose again.

Many are concerned with Lampard being 'dropped' was the reason for Chelsea's demise, however the well-versed among us know that not playing him is better for the team; Chelsea fans included. Yet he played 23 out of 27 league games and started 20 of them. Now he was also playing when Chelsea were at their worst when castigated in the press so to claim anything about his non-playing is nonsense.Yet when he was put on the subs bench for a total of 7 (SEVEN) games this season, he claimed it as 'not ideal'. Yet any professional at any other club would understand that they need to adapt and get on with it. A quick glance at the elder statesmen at Manchester United and Liverpool are obvious examples. Lampard is the darling of the English media, as annoying as it is, and much like his cousin Jamie Redknapp, are punching above their weight given their talent or lack thereof. He has never been one to shy away from the press and it's all too telling given the amount he supposedly leaked.

The senior members of this current side are an embarrassment. An embarrassment to this league and an embarrassment to themselves. They failed to adopt his methods in fear that they're incapable of adapting their games. It is clear that as the season went on, the team was beginning to play worse. Now I'm not one to say they were purposely playing badly, but I can say that they weren't conveying the managers messages from the training pitch to match day. He would obviously have told them to forget everything that Ancelotti told them (a manager with 16 years more experience) and learn his methods instead as they are what is best to make them succeed. As mentioned before, freedom was one of them and this would make a player have to think for themselves more rather than using Ancelotti's monotonous approach which removed the element of surprise. In turn, this leaves a player accountable if it goes wrong. Something that the senior players turned their nose up to. Added credence to this thought process is that the younger players, players that incidentally adhered to his methods, have succeeded in otherwise a poor season. Mata, Romeu, Ramires and Sturridge (only just) have had good seasons so far. However Ivanovic, Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Cole and Cech have had not one moment that comes to mind and the season ends in 2 months. The latter of those having the worst season I can remember and he's only a goalkeeper so has less to change. These players deemed themselves too important to take his methods on board and thus take the accountability.

The match against West Brom that ended AVB's season, it was these exact senior players that were terrible that day, Michael Essien included (I shall also include Terry for arguments sake). All players that are big dressing room personalities, all players that whined to the press upon not being in the team and ultimately became too big to drop. Having a player like Terry within the ranks is an isolated problem that is a disease that Chelsea have created. This guy took on Capello during the middle of a World Cup and is not afraid of mutiny. He placed himself on a pedestal and it's all too convenient that he's returned from 'injury' 2 days after AVB has been sacked.

So what next? Any manager on the shortlist will be completely put off with the debacle that just occurred. Finding a manager willing to deal with the cancerous players and an impatient employer are more than enough reasons to steer clear. No manner of things seem to work: from winning the league, getting to finals or trimming the squad of ageing players. You can be the best manager around or the hot shot youngster coming through the ranks yet you're not safe. Di Matteo is the interim First Team Coach until the end of the season and it is a laughable choice. He has no experience of managing a club of this size. His previous exploits include MK Dons and being sacked as the West Brom Manager despite finishing second in the Championship and he's supposed to get the respect that AVB didn't?

Good luck to you Roberto as you'll need it more than ever. Good luck to André Villas-Boas also, I'm sure you will find success in the future however enjoy your forty million pounds first.

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Marcelo Bielsa; an enigma

This current season marked the return of Bielsa to club management and I, for one, am glad to see him back. Nicknamed 'El Loco' or 'Madman' in English, he employs tactics that many clubs are afraid to use and akin to his namesake. Here I take you through the philosophies of Marcelo Bielsa, the Madman of modern football.

The Early Days

Bielsa had a relatively short playing career as a defender in Argentina as can be seen by retiring at 25. He found that he was better suited to coaching and moved in to that department at Newell's Old Boys when he qualified as a P.E teacher. Much at the behest of his father as Bielsa shunned playing for Rosario Central, Newell's rivals. From there, he coached various youth teams before being the coach of the first team at the age of 35. During his few years in charge, he was relatively successful in winning a couple of tournaments. After brief stints at Mexican clubs, Espanyol came in for him only for Argentina to come knocking and wanting him to be the manager in 1998. Argentina won their qualifying group for the 2002 World Cup however their memorable performance for not getting past the first round won't be forgotten easily. To make amends, they were runners up at the 2004 Copa America and won the Gold Medal at the Olympics the same year. Following this, Bielsa resigned out of the blue; adding to his 'Madman' moniker.

It was when he became the manager of the Chilean national team after a 3 year hiatus did his philosophies become apparent. It was not sheer luck the stark improvement the side went under during his stewardship and a list of firsts can be compiled to corroborate:

• First away point gained against Uruguay ever
• First win over Argentina, causing Basile to resign
• First away victory over Peru for 22 years
• First away victory over Paraguay for 20 years
• First ever away win over Colombia
• Helped Chile qualify for the 2010 world cup after an 8 year absence

His willingness to play young players and fast track them to the first team was something held close to Bielsa. 

Also instilling a much more attacking mindset among his players, regardless of opposition and regardless of stadium. He would stick to the same style of play regardless of whether it was home or away. Reminds me of a certain Catalan team.

It was only when he became the manager of Athletic Bilbao did I get excited again as I felt he had done all he could with Chile. Similar to Raynald Denoueix in my post about Real Sociedad, Bielsa was not too dissimilar. Without offending anyone from the Basque region of Spain, Bielsa was a newcomer to La Liga, much like Denoueix. He also inherited a team with many highly talented individual players. Moving to the Basque country was a shrewd move for him as there was strong interest from Inter Milan. Shrewd in the sense that Bilbao were already a young, energetic team playing high-tempo football under the guidance of Joaquin Capparos, whereas Inter are very much the opposite; ageing, defending deep and playing a slow paced game.

The marriage of Bilbao to Bielsa seems like one that was meant to be as Bilbao are not your average club. Their insistence on bringing through youth players from the Basque region can only aid Bielsa who did not ask for new signings when he joined. Testament that he can make his methods work regardless of clientèle. His insistence on training and retraining players to cope with his style of play can be seen from his transition from Argentina to Chile. Both played a variation of 4-1-3-2/3-1-3-3 deploying a high tempo direct style of play that included aggressive pressing while off the ball. Such a style requires extreme fitness and it took a while for him to get Bilbao on his wavelength and such fitness can be seen by Guardiola's Barcelona. The main aim is to  win the ball as close to the opposition's goal as possible, attacking directly and at pace. He talks of the value in squeezing the game into a 25-metre area.

(image courtesy of zonalmarking.net)

El Loco

It's his personality that draws you to him though. He's somewhat of an enigma and not understood by many. He sees no reason to be part of something and would rather create his own path. He has in the past refused to grant exclusive interviews to the press, taking the view that no single media outlet should receive preferential treatment: he's not wrong either. Then there is his famous ‘El Loco’ touchline persona which stems from his passion for his mindset and straying from that can be explosive. Finally his willingness to field every single question at press conferences which I think is brilliant but is a side-effect of his egalitarian approach to the press, which at times has led to three or four hour sessions with the press. His meticulous nature could very well be where Rafael Benitez learned to be so contrite. Bielsa has an obsessive collection of football videos which he has studied in depth and has derived his tactics due to this. There are even rumours he paces out the length of a pitch before a game to decide what formation to deploy.

False Start

It took a while for Bielsa to get a tune out of Bilbao. So much so, they went through their worst start to a league in 32 years after accumulating just 2 points from their first five games. It could have been six games had their match against Real not been postponed due to player strikes. It is common knowledge in La Liga that SociedadDeia. Here was a man with principles stauncher than most coming to team used to having one way of playing and attempting to change everything. 

The players didn't initially warm to Bielsa and for good reason, his methods were so meticulous that many didn't understand. He was labelled a 'smoke-seller' by a few and his opposition was growing stronger with each game they failed to win. It seemed as though his radicalisation of Bilbao was occurring at too fast a pace and the support was growing impatient. Remember this is a team that has Fernando Llorente, Iker Muniain, Andoni Iraola and Javi Martínez; three very gifted players.

The methodology is entirely different: the work is much more conceptual, theoretical and technical than it has ever been before, highly detailed stuff. Players are walked through moves without opponents, the areas that they should occupy are marked out on the turf. There has been just one 11-a-side game in training all season. As one player notes: there are actually explanations and instructions now. But those explanations have been hard to apply.

There have been different formations too, from three at the back, to four, to five. The game that Yoigo Pérez played was at left-back – which is not his position. Nor is it Oscar de Marcos's position – he is a  is a young winger/forward who wears the number ten shirt. – but he has played there too. Carlos Gurpegui has been all over the place. Javi Martínez, one of the finest central midfielders in the country, has been played at centre back – where, rather than brilliant, he is just very good. Martinez is naturally a holding midfielder, and has played for the national side in that position. Bielsa often used midfielders in the defensive line for Chile, believing they were more mobile than some of his centre-backs, and also better at starting moves. The shift for Martinez is perhaps not surprising, because Bielsa always wants a very defensive-minded holding midfielder. Martinez is more of a ball-player, and therefore, whilst it may seem strange to move a player into the defence because his strengths lie in playing the ball rather than winning it back, it’s not completely unexpected. At 6′3 he has the ability to challenge in the air so not all is lost.

When results did not arrive, those apparently bizarre, nonsensical decisions looked even worse.

The players needed to time to adopt his methods and increase their fitness and fitting that in all came to fruition during the Basque derby against Real Sociedad. In the previous game against PSG in the Europa league, Bielsa managed to get a tune out of his team. He had to evolve otherwise he would have ended up forgotten in Bilbao, tarnished even. Bielsa created a hybrid of Bilbao's system created over generations coupled with his own high tempo  style. Atlethic won 2-0 despite PSG's new found riches and Bielsa was a relieved man. This was the game that all his hard work came together and even the players, as could be seen, were revelling in this new style that presented them with the ball more often than not while retaining their direct approach to the game. After the win away to Sociedad, one of Spain's great derbies where opposing fans sit next to each other, Bilbao were looking like a tough side to beat. Martinez, of Sociedad, scored one of the best goals at the anoeta (according to former player Xabi Alonso). However this was the only way that Sociedad could score: spectacularly. Llorente scored the equaliser and the winner and these were his first 2 goals of the season. It lifted a weight off his shoulders.

'Out Barca' Barca

Pep Guardiola famously travelled through the night to Bielsa's remote residence outside Rosario to ask advice when he was considering becoming a coach. Along with bizzare facts, he was presented with a question: "Do you really like blood that much?" Guardiola said 'yes'. Besides, he had come to Bielsa to learn, and learn he would. Bielsa showed Guardiola the art of pressing, the art that all pundits are waxing lyrical about now. It is one thing to have the ball and embrace tiki-taka, it is another to win it back withing seconds of losing it. These were important stepping stones that Guardiola adopted in order to make Barcelona who they are today.

Fitting that the reason I wrote this is because of the recent match between the now seasoned Guardiola and Bielsa. Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona at the San Mames. "A hymn to football" Guardiola called it after the game and he was not wrong. Before going on to the game, I need to mention the torrential downpour that was in full force when the players made their way on to the field. There was no relief either as by the end of the game, parts of the pitch were flooded. That hampered both teams but Barcelona more-so.

(image courtesy of zonalmarking.net)

Bielsa is probably the only Manager who could have pulled off what he did due to how his team have trained and adapted over the season. Their fitness and intensity levels are pretty much unrivalled with the exception of Barcelona so it was fitting that the game ended 2-2. Bielsa went for a 4-3-3 formation, if you can call it that. The reason I say this is that the majority of his team marked Barcelona's players man-for-man. That's not something you see everyday and any other team would probably have come unstuck deploying such a tactic. Bilbao's pressing extremely high up the pitch forced Valdes into playing long balls which played into Bilbao's hands as Barcelona's front line were all small and rarely challenged for a header successfully. Llorente worked very hard trying to close down the centre backs, but wasn't joined by another. This was due to Bielsa wanting to retain a spare man at the back (something he has always stuck by as to not come overrun). He deployed a man marking system due to Barcelona's system of players swapping roles according to their Total Football mantra. Bilbao's centre backs were happy to come a long way out of defence to track Messi or Fabregas, sometimes even into the midfield. The full-backs would come infield, and on other occasions would find themselves in extremely wide positions, particularly Iraola while getting tight to stifle Adriano. There was always either Amorebieta or Martinez sweeping up at the back, usually covering a huge amount of space. Somehow, Bilbao rarely needed to make any last ditch challenges and credit for that goes down to this system. Even more credit is due when Iniesta and Xavi were both unable to make a mark on the game as they're used to. Susaeta and Muniain were both clever with Abidal and Alves respectively, Abidal looked like he was scared of Muniain and rarely pushed forward while Susaeta adopted a more conservative approach and was the assist maker for the opening goal. It was this directness in possession that helped Bilbao that evening. 

Athletic made clear their intentions to take the game to the defending champions and Susaeta had a good chance when Llorente laid the ball off for him to fire a piledriver goalwards, but it was straight at Victor Valdes.

The warning was not heeded by Barca, who fell behind in the 20th minute to a fine goal, with Susaeta driving down the wing before finding Herrera who curled the ball beyond the reach of Valdes. It was the first goal Barca had conceded in nine games which in itself is quite amazing. Added credence to Bilbao's play is that in order for Barcelona to equalise, they scored a goal that is uncharacteristic of them: a cross and a header. Abidal the former and Fabregas the latter. It was, however, not one way traffic as Barcelona began to take control, and Messi slipped a ball through for Iniesta but Iraizoz made a good save to deny him. But Athletic were still plugging away and a defence-splitting pass from Herrera released Muniain but he could not get his shot right. Fabregas then released Messi but Iraizoz denied him again as the weather made things more and more difficult for both sides to find a rhythm.

It was Athletic who took advantage of the disjointed game as they went back in front in the 80th minute thanks to a comical mix-up in the Barca defence, with Abidal's attempted clearance striking Pique and bobbling over the line. Cue Barcelona to barrage Bilbao's goal from here in the final moments of the game. Iniesta had a great chance to get Barca level again three minutes later when David Villa, on as a substitute, brilliantly controlled the ball and laid it off for Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean found Iniesta at the far post but he could only shoot into the side netting. But just when it appeared that Barca would suffer their first defeat, Messi fired in to snatch a point. A point that was deserved for both teams when taking everything into account.

Come the end of the game, you could see the relief in both managers. Guardiola, the once upon a time pupil had poignant words to say: “We’ve never played against a team who were so intense, so aggressive, and has denied us so much space” He and his players didn't really know how to react or adapt to let their technical quality shine through; they simply aren't used to facing a side like that. It is not a policy that is recommended for any team as more often than not they will be ripped apart. Few other sides would be able to play this way as easily as Athletic did – because this is close to the usual style Bielsa wants, they were able to adapt. Also there was an element of luck as well as nature which played it's hand so it's not a blueprint for other teams.

Bielsa has been a breath of fresh air to La Liga, even if he is a break from the norm. Sometimes it is what is needed to make others take notice. His philosophy to football is exuded throughout his team and it is paying dividends with reaching the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey, 7th in La Liga and prior to their recent defeat by Real Madrid hadn't lost in 7 games. (12 if you don't include the Europa League) - only conceding 4 goals along the way For me, Bilbao are now right up there with the best of the rest and that's only a good thing.

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Luis Suarez: The verdict

This post is only going to be short. I was in the middle of writing a piece on this whole fiasco only to have Andrew Thomas beat me to it and even word it slightly better! He has gone through everything I would have in an eloquent and effective manner and remaining impartial throughout. Please have a read and let him know what you think. Even better would be to follow him @Twisted_Blood.

Read the full piece here on Surreal Football:

http://www.surrealfootball.com/2011/12/21/luis-suarez-the-verdict/

Amit

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Sir Alex

I'm not one to say 'I told you so' but what better reason? A series of inept performances all season culminated in the embarrassing failure to progress from the easiest group in the Champions League. There are many things to consider here and, once again, I hope you can relate. Feel free to criticise but not in anger as I'm not turning on the club, I'm here to open eyes and see the bigger picture.

First and foremost, a team doesn't deserve anything. The team is only as good as the sum of it's parts and Sir Alex is usually adept at making United look much better than they are. It's not exactly a problem but this season the team was weakened two-fold:

1. Changes in formation nearly every game
2. Players being rested or rotated inexplicably at times

1. I for one have never understood the need to have two different formations reserved for different opposition. A player is only human and constant change can't be good for anyone. Also remember most players aren't the brightest tools in the box so teaching them one way to play should suffice. Changing tactics for a game is mandatory but changing the entire system cannot be good for the harmony amongst the team.

Look around at the top teams and only when the best come to play against you does a team change the system in order to nullify the oponent. Not away to Basle who, without being harsh, are not Barcelona who knocked United out last year. That brings me to an interesting point. United got to the final last year changing our system throught the campaign and it worked. So what happened this year? Edwin Van Der Sar retiring? Playing defenders in midfield? Playing center backs at right back? If you ask me, all of them.

2. Sir Alex took the competition for granted in playing weakened sides against what appeared to be inferior opposition. If he wanted to rotate players for freshness then fair enough but at times it just looked like he was giving players games to keep them happy. On one hand, morale is a big deal to the club, on the other, success is paramount to the club and morale goes hand-in-hand with it. So playing a player just to feel part of the group is a double-edged sword.

Before the first Champions League game away to Benfica United played Bolton away and won 5-0. It was not as convincing as you might think if you read one of my previous posts here. The formation was 4-4-2 and it looked like a formation United were enjoying considering that they had scored 18 goals in four games. If you read my previous post, yes they weren't disciplined in their defending but at least they were scoring goals to compensate. When they played Benfica, who were unbeaten at the time much like United, they changed to the 'European formation' and made seven changes to the team. Sir Alex brought in experience but if anything it was a hinderance. Considering in their first few league games before this tie, they made 2 changes per game, mostly in defence, it is plain to see the players work better in a 4-4-2 formation. As much as I do not see it as a formation to take on the best, for the most part, it is working. They were thoroughly outplayed against Benfica and for it not for a wonder goal by Ryan Giggs, it would have been a game that should have ended in defeat.

Only 3 players remained in the next game against Stoke. A culmination of injuries and players returning from injury forced Ferguson's hand and the game finished 1-1. Why they can't keep a first choice goalkeeper and defence in the majority of games is beyond me. Bar 1 or 2 games, they have had a different back four every match of the season and that makes no sense at all to me.

When United played Basle at Old Trafford, it was back to the 'European formation' with another 5 changes to the team. Injuries again could have been a reason here but altering the entire system at home to such a team makes strange viewing. (Also of note was Rooney was not in the entire squad after kicking a Romanian). In a game where they had 60% of the possession yet conceded 16 shots speaks volumes. Not forgetting that they were 2-0 up within 20 minutes but ended up finishing the game with an injury time equaliser to make it 3-3.

Liverpool away was up next and there were again many changes. Rooney could only make the bench which is odd considering he is United's best player. This was a first eleven that struck a chord with me as the two most effective players were named as substitutes. One as his frame of mind wasn't right, the other, Nani, made not an ounce of sense. Seven changes again to the team and surprisingly, 4-5-1 was stuck with. This is where things get a little confusing. Sir Alex alter the system for Champions League opposition who, to be fair, are easier to play against than Liverpool at Anfield yet they stick with the 4-5-1. It would seem that Sir Alex prefers the formation against tougher opposition, not just European sides. United were outplayed somewhat in this game though what do you expect when there was a lack of potency within the team. This was the first game that Phil Jones played in midfield as well which was mystifying. He didn't look comfortable and at Anfield is pretty much suicide. Only once United's two talismans came off the bench did they look like scoring a goal. A goal that was scored by Hernandez, the forgotten man at this time of the season.

The next European outing was against Otelul Galati and being inferior opposition, 4-4-2 was kept here. Another change in formation yet the one that seems to work best for the team. An astounding nine changes were made for this game and the fluency in the team was not the same. Cast your mind back and the only way United won this game 2-0 was with two penalties. This is a team languishing in mid-table in their league and they struggled when you look at the statistics. They had 33% possession yet created 15 opportunites to take a shot on goal compared to United's 11. That is extremely efficient on their part but lacklustre on United's.

Six changes occurred in the next game and the result was a 6-1 loss. The less said about this game the better.

You guessed right, another seven changes for our next game at Goodison Park. Also another game where it was a different back four. Rooney played in midfield here to compensate for injuries and played well though it was another game the stats show United aren't the same team. Everton had nearly 3 times as many opportunites than United yet they came away with a 1-0 victory somehow. Not to forget the point here, the formation was changed once again back to 4-5-1. I am assuming considering last season's freak result where United were 3-1 up yet the game finished 3-3 with two last minute goals was the reason for our 'safe' formation.

If you haven't seen a pattern yet, there were another seven changes for our game at home to Otelul Galati. It was at this point that I thought, strong team, 4-4-2, Old Trafford, this should be a game where United can show off their talent. Yet once again they were made to work for it in terms of goal-scoring opportunities. It's a game that strikes me as the one where there was an impotency in front of goal and it has stayed that way up until now. Profligacy such as this is not a good place to be considering the opposition.

Seven changes again when United played Sunderland. Another poor game in front of goal with 1-0 being a familiar shoreline this season. Rooney was in midfield once again and was out best player by far in the middle. Says a lot doesn't it.

Swansea away, looking like a hard place to go and let me tell you this time there were eight changes to the team. 4-4-2 remained and Swansea matched United throughout. Only a rare mistake from this passing team caused them to concede a goal. Concrete chances were few and it was another game that United didn't look right going forward. How Andy Gray insists Manchester United are an 'attacking team' is beyond me at times. Yes they are great on the counter-attack but judging by this season, bar the first four games, it has been anything but.

Here comes one of the most irksome games of the season. Home to Benfica, who already outplayed United earlier on and Sir Alex makes six changes for this game. The formation was effectively 4-5-1 with our best strikers not playing and Young a false-nine alongside Berbatov. I'm not sure if Sir Alex viewed this game as an easy win with players being 'rested' but upon viewing, it was anything but. Benfica had half as many shots on target against United yet scored just as many goals.

When United played Newcastle I honestly thought they would put them in their place as they are clearly punching above their weight. With 5 changes to the team that played Benfica, they had 29 shots at goal and only scored once. Worrying reading.

The only major anomaly to my research and only 3 changes for the game against Aston Villa. Judging by the performance against Newcastle, Sir Alex saw that the team played well. That is somewhat true, if it wasn't for Tim Krul United would have won the game easily. This was one of United's best performances seeing as the team remained pretty much the same. Without the change in goalkeeper, Phil Jones was moved from defence to midfield so wasn't the tinkering United have been used to. The performance was good but remember this was Villa under Mcleish. 

The next game was the one that brought the most disappointment. 3 changes for this game but actual changes as 3 players came in to cover injuries etc. The performance wasn't great but United did create a lot of chances - 22 altogether. Vidic ruptured knee ligaments and United are resigned to ITV4 after losing 2-1.


Being Manchester United, on the back of a poor performance or result there is usually a backlash. I've always thought that it shouldn't need to come to that as they should be playing better and dominating games more often than not. This time Wolves were visitors to Old Trafford and the Final score was 4-1. I am of the belief that Sir Alex has realised the error in his ways due to only 3 changes in the last couple of games, and 3 changes for the visit of Wolves. Vidic's injury forced his hand so technically only 2 players came in. The overall play was much better and finally goals were being scored. Ironically by United's two most effective players this season. Here's hoping that Nani and Rooney are now the free-scoring individuals they were during September and October.


It's not a question of the hunger of the team. There are many fantastically gifted players at the club and down to that alone, Manchester United will always be there or thereabouts. That, to me, is a problem in itself as to be the best it can't be down to the players alone. They need some continuity and I believe that is now coming.


The main problem isn't the formation as I once thought; it is the constant changing of personnel. Leaving me to think that Sir Alex has no idea what his best team is and what makes it worse, because of this, I have no idea either. Where do I play Jones? Is Smalling a right-back? Is Rooney our best midfielder? Is Valencia a better right-back than Fabio? I'll leave you to ponder on that while Sir Alex considers making seven changes for our next game. 

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Real Sociedad: A team I will never forget.

I've had some favourite teams in my lifetime:

- Manchester United 99 and 08
- Chelsea 04-06
- The current Barcelona team
- Real Sociedad 02/03
- AC Milan 05/06
- many many more

It's easy to name most of them but one of my ultimate favourites was the Real Sociedad team of 02/03. If you're unaware, this was the team that remained unbeaten at home all season and yes that includes the big two in Spain. Overwhelming Real Madrid 4-2 and narrowly beating Barcelona 2-1. They only just lost out on the league and this with a team bereft of Galacitcos and outrageous budgets.

I distinctly remember this team due to one player, Xabi Alonso. Now remember this was nearly 10 years ago and I turned to a good friend of mine and said 'this guy is one of the best passers of the ball I've ever seen'. How right I was as I still regard him as the best around when it comes to passing a football. This isn't to take away from any of the other players on show here: Kovačević,  Nihat, Karpin, De Pedro and Westerveld all had key parts to play in this pantomime season. This team had a style about it and their overall play was fantastic. This was all vindicated by the fact they were top of the league all season up until the last two games. 

The coach of this team, Raynald Denoueix, was best described as an enigma. After winning the French title with Nantes, he wholly disappointed the next season and was duly sacked. Real Sociedad then hired him and after pushing Madrid all the way, he was again sacked the next season after finishing 15th. Since then he has disappeared from the footballing world and rarely spoken about since. It was characteristics like this which made Sociedad who they were that season. Their bold attacking football regardless of the opposition was a thing of beauty and it was no surprise that Kovačević and Nihat finished 2nd and 3rd top scorers that season.

I must remind you also that the Madrid team that year had Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos and Makelele to help them win the title. That bodes fantastically well for Sociedad who had no big name stars of that ilk. It looked like Denoueix studied at the Bielsa School of Football with the way in which he set his team up. Their relentlessness to win the ball back and short passing style was very much Barcelona-esque and no team in Spain was playing with this much verve. It makes me wonder what happened to Denoueix that year, was he just lucky? I'm not so sure.

Talking of Madrid, they were trailing Sociedad by a point coming into gameweek 37. All Sociedad really need to do was get 4 points from the next 6 to clinch the title and claim one of the best wins of a Spanish League in recent memory. Sociedad were due to play away to Celta Vigo and their away form was not as formidable as their home record. The game was a thriller and Celta Vigo edged it just at 3-2 leaving Sociedad hoping for a Madrid slip up. Unfortunately this is Madrid and their pedigree towards the latter stages of the season shone through and they won the Madrid Derby 4-0. So, the final day of the season comes and Real Madrid have finally claimed 1st position, something they hadn't seen for the majority for the season and it's highly likely they were going to relinquish that spot with ease. Atletico Madrid were then due to play Sociedad after being mauled by Real and the game finished 3-0 to Sociedad. All fans were listening to the Real Madrid game throughout and unfortunately they beat Bilbao to claim the league they didn't deserve.

I'd like to take a moment to digress a bit about Real Sociedad and focus on their key player: Xabi Alonso. In his teens, Alonso was like most Spanish midfielders in that he was slight with a laughable hairstyle (Mikel Arteta anyone?) As a child, Alonso practised passing more than he did shooting under the stewardship of his father and his position of defensive midfielder was decided. Coming up through the youth system at Sociedad he was sent on load to Eibar in the Segunda Division to gain some much needed experience which was corroborated by his Father, who was also a decent player in his day; winning the league twice and playing for Barcelona. Now coupled with Sociedad languishing in the relegation zone and a change of manager to one John Toshack, Alonso's fortunes swiftly changed. He was recalled to the first team and made captain at the tender age of 19. These changes marked a  resurgence in Sociedad and with their new captain pulling the strings, they finished mid-table with Alonso marking his first senior league goal. At the end of the 2002  season, Denoueix took the helm and this was the beginning of their marvellous season. Alonso finished the season with 12 goals and became known to scouts and coaches across Europe as well as the the national coach. He duly received his first international cap and his life changed forever. 


Champions League games awaited Sociedad after their 2nd place finish and it took it's toll on the Basque side. They could not keep up with 2 games a week and travelling around Europe despite qualifying for the knockout stages. They finished 15th in the end and Denoueix was removed from his post, disappearing into folklore and not heard from since. Alonso was now hot property and Real Madrid came sniffing around. This was a team he wanted to play for but he stayed loyal to Sociedad as Madrid would not meet the £13m asking price. He played at the Euro 2004 Championships in Portugal catching the eye of Liverpool scouts who agreed a £10.4m package with Sociedad and he could join the Spanish contingent already there under the watchful eye of Rafael Benitez.


Back to the point at hand. Since that fabled season, Sociedad have never hit those heights but I still cast my mind back to those days when a team of extremely talented young players could take on the galacticos and nearly win. On the contrary, they battered them 4-2 and I leave you with the icing on the cake.

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