Category Archives: Jonathan Wilson

Euro 2012: England versus Italy, an abbreviated but charged rivalry

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“England against Italy feels as though it should be one of football’s classic fixtures, a meeting between the motherland of the game and a country that has won the World Cup four times. Yet the sides have met only twice before in major tournaments, never on neutral soil, and only four times in qualifying games for major tournaments. England have won just one of those six competitive fixtures and Italy are one of only four teams (Brazil, Uruguay and Romania being the other three) to have the advantage over England in a head-to-head comparison. It was, though, a game against Italy in 1948 that brought perhaps England’s greatest ever victory.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Portugal 2-1 Holland: van Marwijk makes changes, but Holland crash out with zero points

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“Portugal suffered an early setback, but played better football and fully deserved their win. Paulo Bento kept the same starting XI for the third game in a row. Bert van Marwijk made three changes. In defence, Ron Vlaar replaced Johnny Heitinga in a straight swap. It was further forward where he made significant alterations – Rafael van der Vaart came in for Mark van Bommel in order to add some creativity to the midfield, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar started upfront, meaning Robin van Persie played just behind a and Wesley Sneijder went to the left, the system Holland used at the end of the Germany match. There was a huge contrast in styles here – Holland were a bunch of individuals without any cohesive structure, while Portugal were disciplined, organised and clear with their attacking intentions.” Zonal Marking

Ronaldo answers critics in victory
“The mark of a great player is responding in the face of criticism. An irritated and annoyed Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t hit a barn door against Denmark on Wednesday, but the Ronaldo who vies with Lionel Messi for the tag of best player in the world showed up Sunday in Portugal’s pivotal Group of Death clash with the Netherlands.” ESPN (Video)

Three thoughts: Ronaldo finds form in Portugal’s win over Netherlands
“Here are my three thoughts on Portugal’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands in Group B… 1. The Dutch midfield: Finally Bert van Marwijk gave the Dutch public what it wanted, dropped Mark van Bommel and played a holding pair of Nigel De Jong and Rafael van der Vaart. And finally we saw just why Van Marwijk has been so reluctant to go into games without his two dogs of war. It all started extremely well for the Dutch, Van der Vaart showing the positive side of his game as he ran on to an Arjen Robben pass and whipped a finish around Rui Patricio. That showed the advantage of playing him: not only would Van Bommel probably not have been able to produce such an instant, accurate finish, but he wouldn’t even have been that high up the pitch. The two halves of the broken team from the first two matches were suddenly linked. That gave the Dutch a flow and a rhythm but it also left it with a desperately soft center.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Euro 2012: Holland are sent home by Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo
“After all the speculation about the tortured arithmetic that might decide this group, the sums were simple. Germany and Portugal advance. Hope had arrived for Holland in the shape of Rafael van der Vaart’s opening goal, but Cristiano Ronaldo first equalised and then struck the winner in the second half to send his side into a quarter-final meeting with the Czech Republic.” Guardian

Three thoughts: England switch to 4-4-2 keys comeback over Sweden

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“Three thoughts from England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Sweden in Kiev, Ukraine. 1. England is winning with 4-4-2. There is a scene in Steve Barron’s 2001 film Mike Bassett: England Manager, an affectionate satire on the England national team, in which Ricky Tomlinson, playing the title character, reaches the end of his tether. He reacts furiously to the suggestion that he might experiment tactically. “Four-four-fookin’-two,” he shouts as the audience laughs at a poor, befuddled man out of his depth. Eleven years later, England is again playing 4-4-2. And somehow, it seems to be working.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Euro 2012: Alan Dzagoev is finally meeting Russia’s expectations

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Alan Dzagoev
“Russia has been waiting since 11 October 2008. It was then that Alan Dzagoev made his international debut, coming off the bench at half-time in a World Cup qualifier away to Germany and hitting the bar. He was aged 18 years and 116 days and so became the youngest outfielder ever to play for Russia. Comparisons with the Russian forward Eduard Streltsov, who, at 17 years and 340 days, became the youngest outfielder ever to play for the USSR, were inevitable if not entirely fair. Streltsov, after all, is one of the great icons of the Russian game, a forward who scored a hat-trick against Sweden on his international debut, was jailed for a rape he may or may not have committed and returned from five years in the gulag to inspire Torpedo to a league title.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

France 1-1 England: France dominate possession but creativity stifled by England sitting deep

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“A match with little invention, played at a very slow pace. Laurent Blanc chose his expected side in a 4-3-3, with Florent Malouda shuttling forward from the midfield. Roy Hodgson’s side contained one surprise name – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who started on the left. James Milner started on the other flank, and Danny Welbeck got the nod over Andy Carroll upfront. As expected, France dominated possession (65%) and had 21 shots compared to England’s 5, but many were from long-range, as Blanc’s side struggled to create clear-cut chances.” Zonal Marking

Three thoughts: England’s set play success forces draw with France
“1. England thrives with English goals. In the Balkans and perhaps elsewhere, a goal scored with a powerful header is known as an English goal. If that header comes from a set play, that makes it even more English (British, really, but in the Balkans comprehension of the distinction is blurry). So far in this tournament, that stereotype has proven to be true. Only two goals have been scored with one touch from a set play, and, appropriately, both were scored by players on English clubs: Sean St Ledger of Leicester City for Ireland and Joleon Lescott of Manchester City for England.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

France 1 England 1: match report
“Good point, average creativity. England were under sustained pressure towards the end of their opening Group D game but they held on and will take deserved satisfaction from this result, if not necessarily the display. It’s a good start though. The French were more technical, more assertive through the likes of Franck Ribery and their terrific right-back, Mathieu Debuchy, comfortably the man of the match. Uefa awarded the honour to Samir Nasri, who had brilliantly equalised Joleon Lescott’s header, but Debuchy really impressed most.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Euro 2012: Samir Nasri’s goal for France echoes England’s old failings
“New coach, but familiar pattern. England have scored before conceding at every international tournament they have competed at since 1990. Yet so often they lose that lead with a goal struck from a similar position. For years England’s weak zone has been the space between defence and midfield and it has constantly been their downfall in opening games. In 2000 the game-changer was Portugal’s Rui Costa, who got all three assists as England squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2. In 2004 Zinedine Zidane scored a superb free-kick after a clumsy Emile Heskey foul in that position. Two years ago Clint Dempsey turned past Frank Lampard’s poor challenge before his weak shot squirmed between Robert Green’s legs.” Guardian – Michael Cox

Not a bad start for England, France
“Not a win for England, but not a bad start. A team devoid of four regulars, including Wayne Rooney, showed grit, organization and calm to earn a 1-1 draw with tournament dark horse France, which extended its unbeaten streak to 22 games. Les Bleus won’t be disappointed, either. Neither team wanted to lose.” ESPN (Video)

England, France draw in Group D
“England held on for a 1-1 draw with France on Monday at the European Championship, giving the Group D favorites one point each. Joleon Lescott put England in the lead with a header in the 30th minute, and Samir Nasri leveled for France shortly before halftime with a strike into the bottom corner of the net. France still has not won a match at a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup. The national team, however, is unbeaten in its last 22 matches.” SI

Lionel Messi hat-trick leads Argentina to 4-3 win over Brazil

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“The summer friendly has become a familiar genre for American fans, but this felt different. For one thing, Brazil and Argentina are perhaps the only teams in the world able to draw more than 80,000 people in the same time slot as Germany-Portugal — a European Championship game that actually matters. For another, it provided another chance to compare Neymar and Lionel Messi, excellent players in their own right and proxies in the cold war between Pele and Diego Maradona.” Guardian

4-4-2 G4M3 TH3ORY 4-3-2-1 4-2-2-2 3-4-1-2
“Brazil finds itself in an awkward position. After a desperately disappointing quarterfinal exit in the 2011 Copa América, the Seleçao has three years to put it right with only the Olympic Games this year and the Confederations Cup next in the way of ‘proper’ matches. (Even then, the Olympic Games allow only three players over the age of 23, and the quality of opposition in the Confederations Cup is questionable, as the major nations seem unsure of the tournament’s importance.) Other teams may complain about qualifiers, but they do at least offer an opportunity for competitive games.” Howler – Jonathan Wilson

Spain 1-1 Italy: Spain start with no striker, Italy use a 3-5-2

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“A fascinating tactical battle between two systems rarely seen at international level. Vicente del Bosque supposedly had a three-way choice between Alvaro Negredo, Fernando Llorente and Fernando Torres upfront – but instead chose to play with a false nine, with David Silva and Cesc Fabregas both becoming the highest player up the pitch at different points. Cesare Prandelli went with the 3-5-2 system he’s been using in training over the past two weeks, which meant Daniele De Rossi dropping into the defence, and Emanuele Giaccherini making his international debut as a left wing-back.” Zonal Marking

Three thoughts: Spain’s striker-less attack cost them vs. Italy in draw
“1. Spain’s striker-less attack: Spain’s system, a 4-3-3-0, was the most radical seen in a major international football tournament for decades. Usually the international game, because of the lack of time the players have to work together, lags way behind the club game, but this placed Vicente Del Bosque firmly in the avant-garde. Unusual systems that have been termed “strikerless” at least have a forward — a Francesco Totti, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi — to drop back and create space for runners from deep while still getting forward to score goals themselves. But Spain’s shape, with Andres Inietsa, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva across the nominal forward line had three players who have spent most of the season operating as orthodox attacking midfielders.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics key in Italy-Spain draw
“A mouthwatering matchup between the past two World Cup winners became all the more engrossing as both managers made brave tactical decisions ahead of the game. After a 1-1 tie, one man, Italy’s Cesare Prandelli was left seeming bold. The other, Spain’s Vicente del Bosque, appeared more desperate. The decisions were different responses to a similar problem — the lack of the team’s best-fit striker. Spain’s David Villa was unable to recover from the broken leg sustained at the Club World Cup last December. Italy’s Giuseppe Rossi has been a long-term absence after suffering a double ACL tear.” ESPN (Video)

Euro 2012: Spain v Italy – as it happened
“In the end, a draw is probably the right result and both teams will perhaps be as disappointed as they are satisfied with a point. Italy had the better chances and played in an engaging fashion for much of the game, while Spain’s strikerless formation left much to be desired. But Spain’s response once behind was excellent and a fine goal from Cesc Fabregas got them out of jail; from there, they could and would have won it if Fernando Torres hadn’t been Fernando Torres. Overall another entertaining match in what is becoming a very entertaining tournament, but Spain can produce so much more than they managed in the first half, as indeed they showed in the second half. In the end, I just about forgive them for that ridiculous starting line-up.” Guardian

Rapid Reaction — Spain vs. Italy
“There was elation for Antonio Di Natale, vindication for Cesc Fabregas, and more misery for Fernando Torres. Add it all up, and it made for an action-packed 1-1 tie between Spain and Italy in the Euro 2012 opener for both sides. Italy had broken on top in the 61st minute, when Di Natale ran onto a gorgeous through ball from Andrea Pirlo and coolly finished past Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas. But three minutes later, Fabregas hammered his shot past Gianluigi Buffon after taking a deft pass from David Silva.” ESPN (Video)

Spain, Italy draw in Group C
“For Spain, a tie counted as a bit of a stumble. For Italy, a bit of a reprieve. Opening their bid for a third straight major title, the Spanish rallied to earn a 1-1 tie Sunday against Italy, which entered this year’s European Championship amid another match-fixing scandal. Antonio Di Natale put Italy in front after an excellent setup from Andrea Pirlo in the 61st minute, but Cesc Fabregas tied it for the defending champions three minutes later by finishing off a dazzling display of Spain’s trademark passing game.” SI

Croatia 3-1 Ireland: Ireland invite pressure, but deal with it poorly

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“Croatia recorded a comfortable victory over Ireland and go top of Group C. Slaven Bilic used Vedran Corluka in the centre of defence and played Darijo Srna in his traditional position of right-back in order to play Ivan Rakitic on the right of midfield, and used Ognjen Vukojevic as his holding midfielder. Giovanni Trapattoni announced his XI days ago, and they started as expected (with 1-11 on their backs). Set-pieces played a large part here, but Croatia were the better side – more inventive with their passing, cleverer with their movement, more ruthless in the penalty box.” Zonal Marking

Three thoughts: Hard-hitting Jelavic helps Croatia upend Ireland
“1. Croatia doesn’t miss Ivica Olic: When Ivica Olic returned from injury to play in the playoff games against Turkey last November, he came as a revelation. He is not as technically gifted a player as some of those Slaven Bilic has to choose from, but he has an energy and a muscularity that drives back opposing defences giving the more skilful midfielders space in which to play. Turkey couldn’t cope with him and Croatia, finding the sort of rhythm they hadn’t shown in over three years, swept to a 3-0 victory in Istanbul, taking an early lead and picking Turkey off on the break.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

No luck for the Irish
“Despite being considered a significant second fiddle to Spain and Italy’s cagey, engaging midday draw, we should have seen this coming. Group C was already pressurized given the four teams pitted against one another, yet that pressure increased thanks to the 1-1 result in Gdansk between the presumptive favorites to advance. (That, plus the tension accompanying overnight reports of fighting between fans that resulted in 14 arrested.)” ESPN (Video)

Russia 4-1 Czech Republic: Russia’s Zenit-style counter-attacking exposes Czech weaknesses

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Roman Shirokov
“Russia made a terrific start to their Euro 2012 campaign with a high quality counter-attacking performance. Dick Advocaat named his expected side – a 4-3-3 system, with Vyacheslav Malafeev in goal. Michel Bilek’s side featured one alteration from the expected XI – Michal Kadlec moved to the left, where he frequently played during qualification, which meant Roman Hubnik playing at centre-back, and no place for David Limbersky. Russia were simply the better side throughout the game – more organised defensively, and showcasing much more penetration going forward.” Zonsl Marking

Russia too strong for Czechs
“Andrei Arshavin frustrated Arsenal fans this season, but he remains a joy in interviews. Call him a thoughtful, philosophical chap. Here was more proof as Arshavin discussed Russia’s mindset. ‘To put it simply, what lies in the Russian character, and why someone might consider us a dark horse, is that we can lose against every team and we can win against every team,’ he told UEFA.com.” ESPN (Video)

Three thoughts from Russia’s 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic
“1. Russia is excitingly fluid. The potential was always there. This is a Russian side that has been together for a long time. All of the starting XI apart from Alan Dzagoev either played at Euro 2008 or would have played if not for injury or withdrawal. Six of the starting outfielders also play for Zenit St Petersburg, providing Russia with a greater mutual understanding than just about any side at the European Championship. On Friday, that chemistry paid off: With Aleksandr Kerzhakov’s natural inclination to drop deep and operate almost as a false nine, Andrei Arshavin and Dzagoev’s cutting in from the flanks and Aleksandr Anyukov and Yuri Zhirkov overlapping from full back, Russia was superbly fluent.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

The Question: Does 4-4-2 work for England?

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“‘In 1966, English football changed forever. Alf Ramsey led his wingless wonders to the World Cup and Allen Wade sat down to start writing the FA Guide to Training and Coaching, a book that, published the following year, became a Bible to a generations of coaches. Wade’s thinking chimed with that of Ramsey, whose success legitimised an approach that might otherwise have been thought of as overly negative.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Euro 2012 Preview: Ukraine

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“Co-host Ukraine’s preparations for the tournament have been chaotic. Myron Markevych was forced to re-sign as coach in 2010 following a bribery scandal at Metalist Kharkiv, the club he continued to manage while running the national team. He had overseen four friendlies, three wins and one draw, and the sense until his departure was that everything was steadily improving. He was replaced by Yuri Kalitvintsev, who led the Under-19 side to the European Championship in 2009, but in seven months as caretaker, Ukraine won just one of eight matches. So it was Oleh Blokhin, the former star of Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s Dynamo Kiev side, who took charge.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Euro 2012: Andriy Shevchenko dreams Kiev final provides fitting end

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“This has been a year of extraordinary, sentimental finales. From Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations to Chelsea in the Champions League via Manchester City’s last-gasp triumph in the Premier League, football has wrung every drop of drama and emotion from its climaxes. On 1 July, Andriy Shevchenko hopes there might just be another – this time one tinged with poignancy and followed by a farewell. ‘For the last five years I’ve hardly thought about anything but the European Championship that will be held in my country,’ the 35-year-old says. ‘It’s fair to say this has extended my career. It’s my dream.'” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Juan Román Riquelme and Boca have the final word – just for a change

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“Juan Román Riquelme never changes. He is the eternal question at the heart of Argentinian football, the solemn-faced representative of a romanticised former age constantly rebuking the present for not being quite as graceful, quite as thoughtful, as he is.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Bayern 1-1 Chelsea: Chelsea win it on penalties

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“Chelsea lifted the European Cup after a tight match was decided on penalties. Jupp Heynckes named his expected line-up: Diego Contento came into the side at left-back, Antoliy Tymoshchuk played at centre-back, with Toni Kroos deep in midfield, allowing Thomas Muller a start in the attacking role. Roberto Di Matteo’s line-up featured one surprise name – Ryan Bertrand was given his Champions League debut on the left side of midfield, meaning Florent Malouda was only on the bench. The tactical battle didn’t really go Chelsea’s way – but the penalty shoot-out did.” Zonal Marking

Chelsea’s unlikely triumph a testament to Di Matteo’s tactics
“Sometimes football simply doesn’t make sense. The cliché that a club’s name is on a trophy can’t have any truth, and yet it was hard during Chelsea’s Champions League final victory not to feel it had some greater power behind it. Perhaps Chelsea’s players came to feel that as well: how else can you explain Didier Drogba finding an equalizer with two minutes remaining? How else can you explain Petr Cech’s penalty save on Arjen Robben? How else can you explain how it came from behind in a shootout (Drogba netting the clincher) to beat, of all things, a German side in Germany, in front of the Bayern Munich fans, while going second?” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Chelsea claim Champions League glory
“Chelsea won the Champions League final on German soil as they beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties after the game finished 1-1 in normal time. Bayern had much the better of the game, missed numerous chances in the first-half and were made to wait until the 83rd minute for the opener when Thomas Muller appeared at the back post to head past Petr Cech.” ESPN

Chelsea win Champions League on penalties over Bayern Munich
“These are the moments Chelsea will always cherish and never forget. They gave everything and finally, when it was all done, they had the European Cup in their possession and a night that will go straight in at No1 in their list of great triumphs from the Roman Abramovich era. It was a rare form of euphoria on a night when, just like Moscow four years ago, it came down to the gut-wrenching drama of a penalty shootout. At one stage Bayern Munich were leading 3-1 and the Chelsea players stood in line, heads bowed, fearing the worst. Juan Mata’s effort had been saved by Manuel Neuer and at that point Roberto Di Matteo’s players knew they were on the brink of walking past the European Cup and not being allowed to touch the silver.” Guardian

An impressive new stadium cannot hide rotten core of Romanian football

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“The new Arena Nationala in Bucharest is magnificent. Its steep sides – the steepest permissible according to European law, apparently – are conducive to a good atmosphere, it’s near enough the centre of town to make access relatively simple and the early teething problems with the pitch have been sorted out. After all the problems over funding and all the delays, Romania has ended up with a national stadium to be proud of. Sitting in the press box for last week’s Europa League final – plug sockets and televisions aplenty, Ethernet cables at every seat – it was hard to believe this was the same city I first visited 11 years earlier.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics and the role played by religion in the shaping of the modern game

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“After Brazil had won the World Cup in 1958 using a back four, the rest of the world were forced to react. Almost overnight the old-school W-M formation, which dominated tactical thinking almost everywhere else, seemed outmoded and needed revision. As a result, teams essentially took one of two routes – and the route they chose was determined almost entirely on national grounds, with that choice continuing to have an effect on the basic tactical template in those countries today.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid: what type of player to use as the number ten?

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“Mario Gomez scored very late to give Bayern a slender advantage going into the second leg. Jupp Heynckes’ major decision was as expected – Toni Kroos played in the advanced midfield role, with Bastian Schweinsteiger deeper. Jose Mourinho played Fabio Coentrao at left-back, rather than Marcelo. Bayern were the better side over the course of the game here – Real started poorly, got better in the second half, and then conceded a late winner when the game seemed to have died.” Zonal Marking

The Question: how did Bayern Munich outflank Real Madrid?
“There can be tactical errors and miscalculations, of course, but it’s rare that things are as black and white as that. More often there are options, choices of emphasis and at times what is usually a strength can become a weakness. Even the very best players can, on occasion, become a liability.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

The Question: is Steven Gerrard good for Liverpool?

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“When Steven Gerrard came off the bench against Newcastle United on 30 December and transformed a 1-1 draw into a 3-1 win, the assumption was that, with their talisman back after an ankle injury, Liverpool would kick on. That win took them to fifth and with Chelsea and Arsenal faltering, Newcastle seemingly beginning to feel the effects of their comparatively slender squad and Tottenham being Tottenham, a challenge for Champions League qualification, perhaps even third place, seemed probable.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

After changes, England in clueless state heading toward Euro 2012

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Stuart Pearce
“Plucky England, fighting back from two down only to be thwarted by a deflected last-minute winner. A brave effort from Psycho’s young lions. Pleasing fluency at times. The start of a bold new era for English football. … As a response to a single game played with a youthful side under a caretaker manager, such commentary made a certain sense. But the crucial thing to remember after England’s 3-2 defeat to Holland last Wednesday was context.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Ivan Jovanovic’s devotion to detail takes Apoel into unknown territory

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“The path of Ivan Jovanovic’s career was determined by a fighton a dusty field in a low-key competition in East Germany in 1988. He wasn’t even on the pitch, having been substituted 10 minutes from time of an Intertoto Cup tie (in the days when it consisted of eight groups of four, with no knockout stage and no winner) between his side, Rad Belgrade, and Carl Zeiss Jena. He played no part in the brawl but when Uefa handed out punishments his role as captain was taken into account and he was banned from European competition for two years.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Arshavin looking ‘better and better’ as Zenit close in on Russian title

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“Anybody who thought the two draws with which Zenit St Petersburg began the third – and final – part of this marathon Russian season might signal a dip in form, opening the possibility of a realistic title challenge, was rapidly disabused on Friday. Dynamo Moscow were third in the table and had lost only twice in 17 home games this season; they seemed a genuine threat. If they could even have held Zenit to a draw, CSKA could have closed to within four points with a win in the Moscow derby against Spartak. CSKA fulfilled their part, winning 2-1, but Zenit were imperious, winning 5-1, keeping the gap at six points and, by the manner in which they did so, emphasising just how far they are ahead of every other team in Russia.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

The Question: Why is balance more important than symmetry in lineups?

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“Humanity seems to have a built-in regard for symmetry. It was what William Blake admired in the tiger and it explains, various surveys have claimed, why certain faces are considered more attractive than others (Denzel Washington and Cate Blanchett, apparently, have the most symmetrical faces in Hollywood). The instinct with football teams and formations has always been to set them out symmetrically – a 4-3-3 with the shuttling players neatly flanking the anchor and the wingers placed precisely on their touchlines, or a blockish 4-4-2 that becomes two lines with a line half the length set centrally atop them.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics: Zambia combine spirit with organisation

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“Oscar Tabarez and Herve Renard may not obviously have a lot in common. With his sober ties and thoughtful limp, the 65-year-old former schoolteacher Tabarez looks like he should be the precinct chief in a seventies detective series, while the flamboyant, 43-year-old Renard’s long hair and unbuttoned shirts make him look like the passionate lead in a 19th-century romance. And yet, in the past year, both have taken unfancied sides to continental tournament triumphs, and both have done so with similar methods.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson (YouTube)

Villas-Boas’ exit falls in line with Chelsea’s problematic philosophy

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“‘Rome wasn’t built in a day,’ Brian Clough once said, ‘but then I wasn’t on that particular job.’ It’s a good line, but in terms of his career utterly misleading. Clough never had instant success at any club. In his first seasons at Derby County and at Nottingham Forest, he finished in the bottom half of the second flight. Within five years he’d won the league with Derby; it took three with Forest. Alex Ferguson was in his seventh year at Manchester United when he won the league for the first time. Herbert Chapman was in his sixth at Arsenal. Turning around a ship headed in the wrong direction takes time. Andre Villas-Boas was given eight months by Chelsea.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Liverpool hopes Carling Cup triumph is springboard for success

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“As Cup final victories go, Liverpool’s Carling Cup final success (3-2 in a penalty shootout) over Cardiff City on Sunday was particularly unconvincing. When a Premier League team plays a side from a lower division, even if it plays a team from lower down the same division, anticlimax is probably the best it can hope for; to win by a comfortable two- or three-goal margin.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Reds win Carling Cup on penalties

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“Liverpool overcame conceding a 118th-minute equaliser to win the Carling Cup on penalties against Cardiff City on Sunday. Steven Gerrard saw the Reds’ first penalty of the shoutout saved by Tom Heaton, but cousin Anthony missed Cardiff’s decisive final spot-kick to hand the Merseyside club their first significant piece of silverware since 2006. Gerrard, on as a substitute, was consoled by his relative at the final whistle – as Kenny Dalglish and his side were finally able to celebrate their success after a rollercoaster afternoon that had numerous twists and turns.” ESPN

Liverpool hopes Carling Cup triumph is springboard for success
“As Cup final victories go, Liverpool’s Carling Cup final success (3-2 in a penalty shootout) over Cardiff City on Sunday was particularly unconvincing. When a Premier League team plays a side from a lower division, even if it plays a team from lower down the same division, anticlimax is probably the best it can hope for; to win by a comfortable two- or three-goal margin.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher Ruins Sky’s Andy Burton
“After yesterday’s Carling Cup Final Sky stooge Adam Burton asked Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher if his celebrations were part of a long farewell. As you can see, Carra enquires if ‘he’s the coach’ then tells him he was ‘lucky to keep his job after that Wolves game.’ Legend.” Sabotage Times (Video)

The Coolest Soccer Team in Europe

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“Napoli’s startling 3-1 upset of Chelsea in the Champions League last Tuesday accomplished three important things. It put a formal timestamp on the moment everyone realized that Serie A had caught up to the Premier League. It launched a thousand ‘Andre Villas-Boas DeathWatch’ columns, to the point that hasandrevillasboasbeensackedyet.com became a vital resource for soccer journalists. And it cemented Napoli’s status as the coolest club in Europe and the default answer to the question, ‘If you’re an American looking to get into European soccer, which team should you support?'” Grantland – Run of Play

Napoli 3-1 Chelsea: Ivanovic plays high up and Napoli exploit the space in behind him
“Napoli played their classic counter-attacking game to put themselves in a strong position going into the second leg. Walter Mazzarri was suspended from the touchline, so assistant Nicolo Frustalupi took charge. Morgan De Sanctis returned in goal, Hugo Campagnaro was fit to start, and Juan Zuniga was picked rather than Andrea Dossena on the left. Andre Villas-Boas left out Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, though the latter replaced Jose Bosingwa early on at left-back. Florent Malouda got a surprise start (though he has played the majority) of games in Europe this season. As expected, Didier Drogba played rather than Fernando Torres, while John Terry was out.” Zonal Marking

The Question: Why is the back three resurgent in Italy?
“Given everything in football – tactically speaking – is relative, perhaps nothing can ever truly be dead. Systems and styles of play that have seemed to have outlived their usefulness drift away, fade from consciousness and lie dormant, waiting for the game to forget about them so they can be triumphantly reintroduced. For a long time, playing three at the back seemed finished, but Napoli’s victory over Chelsea on Tuesday night was just part of a wider resurgence.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics: winning ways with Universidad de Chile

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“You wonder what Marcelo Bielsa must think of it all. In 2011 the two most successful club sides in the world have been Barcelona and Universidad de Chile. Both play hard pressing, attacking football, often going with three at the back. In other words, they both play Bielsista football – which raises the question of why the man himself is leading Athletic Bilbao to upper mid-table in Spain rather than managing one of the continent’s giants.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson (YouTube)

Wenger and Arsenal’s decline due to idealism or fundamentalism?

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“There is probably no better account of a leader in decline than the depiction Gabriel Garcia Marquez gives of the final days of Simon Bolivar in The General in his Labyrinth. The great liberator is seen as exhausted and paranoid, clinging ever more desperately to the doctrines that made him great even as he drifts down the Magdalena toward death. Soccer managers tend not to have sufficient longevity for their decline to achieve such an epic feel, but the protracted misery of Arsene Wenger does. All great men, perhaps, are doomed to slide into self-parody.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Zambia gain redemption to stun Ivory Coast in Africa Cup of Nations

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“Zambia 0-0 Ivory Coast (Zambia win 8-7 on pens). Stopila Sunzu began Sunday as an unheralded centre-back for the Congolese side TP Mazembe. He ended it as the unlikely hero of one of the greatest stories of redemption football has ever known. As Kalusha Bwalya, the greatest Zambian footballer of all time, was engulfed by the Zambia players after their victory in a penalty shoot-out, there were tears of joy but also tears born of the knowledge that this should have been his team-mates celebrating with him.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Zambia 0-0 Ivory Coast: Zambia win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations on penalties
“Zambia completed an astonishing victory on penalties after a tight final. Hervé Renard made the predictable but astute decision to switch to the team which ended the semi-final win over Ghana. That meant Emmanuel Mayuka starting upfront, Chisamba Lungu on the wing, and Isaac Chansa back in the centre. After plenty of rotation throughout the competition, François Zahoui went for an unchanged side from the XI which beat Mali in the semi-final. However, there was an early change for Zambia when left-back Joseph Musonda went down injured, and was replaced by Nyambe Mulenga, shown on the diagram.” Zonal Marking

Zambia’s triumph heals 19-year-old rift with Gabon over plane disaster
“Of all the extraordinary memories of the Africa Cup of Nations final, perhaps the most remarkable was the reaction of the crowd. In the aftermath of the 1993 plane crash that killed 18 Zambia players just after take-off after refuelling at Libreville, relations between Zambia and Gabon sunk to ugly lows.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

The 2012 African Cup Of Nations: The Final
“Cote D’Ivoire never had a chance. Whatever the multi-talents of their squad, the Elephants were going to struggle in this African Cup of Nations final…up against two teams. As if the Zambian side at this competition wasn’t good enough, there was the memory of their 1993 predecessors with which to contend, and the current squad’s hugely admirable determination to do justice to that memory. Arguably Zambia’s most-talented, all-but-one of the 1993 squad lost their lives in a plane crash off the Gabonese coast near capital Libreville – the venue for this year’s final – as they journeyed to a World Cup qualifier in Senegal.” twohundredpercent

Best and worst moments from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations
“From the disappointment of Senegal, to Kily Alvarez’s goal and Ali Bongo’s wild celebration…” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Spot-kick drama secures fairytale title
“Zambia clinched their first African Nations Cup crown with a poignant penalty shoot-out win over Ivory Coast. Nineteen years after a plane crash which killed 18 members of their squad in Libreville, the Chipolopolo returned to the Gabon capital to record the most famous victory in the country’s history. A dramatic shoot-out at the end of 120 minutes of largely underwhelming football went the way of Zambia when Gervinho shot wide and Stophira Sunzu stepped up to slot home.” ESPN

Miracle man Kalusha Bwalya behind Zambia’s rise as they take on Ghana

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“Look at all that is good about Zambian football and you will see the hand of Kalusha Bwalya. He scored a hat-trick when Zambia beat Italy at the 1988 Olympics. After the air-crash of 1993 had wiped out almost the entire team, he was the rallying point the new side was built around. And, as Zambia look to reach their first Cup of Nations final since that remarkable renaissance side of 1994 in Wednesday’s semi-final against Ghana, it is Kalusha, now president of the football federation, who drew the blueprint.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Africa Cup of Nations 2012: Mali’s heroes weep for a nation at war
“There were a lot of tears in Libreville on Sunday. There were the tears of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, overwhelmed by having missed the decisive penalty in Gabon’s shootout defeat to Mali and there were the tears of Seydou Keita as he used his side’s progress to the semi-final for the first time in 10 years to highlight the crisis overwhelming his country.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Ghana ‘lucky’ to be in Nations Cup semi-finals

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Zambia 3-0 Sudan
“Ghana have admitted they are lucky to have reached the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, after being gifted a quarter-final winner by Tunisia.” BBC

African Cup Of Nations: Ivory Coast, Ghana on collision course
“Thoughts on the winners from the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals…” SI

Six points on Ghana 2-1 Tunisia
“Ghana replicated the Ivory Coast’s tendency to rely on opposition mistakes and set-pieces to get their goals. Forcing errors in the opposition is a large part of attacking, and dead ball situations make up a high percentage of goals at any level of football. But the dependency on those two avenues is a damning indictment of the lack of creativity in the two sides considered to the best in the tournament. A final between the two is probable, but it could turn into a defensive stand-off.” Zonal Marking

Ivory Coast 3-0 Equatorial Guinea: Ivory Coast reliant on set-pieces and mistakes
“The individual quality of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure proved too much for Equatorial Guinea, but the Ivory Coast are yet to convince. Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui has made plenty of changes to his side in this competition – always in a 4-3-3 shape. He seems keen to utilise his strong squad, and almost every position aside from the goalkeeper and centre-backs has seen rotation.” Zonal Marking

Football ultras have a history of political violence

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“Exactly what happened in Port Said on Wednesday night, and exactly who was to blame for the 74 deaths, remains unclear. What is certain, though, is that football “ultras” have become increasingly visible – and not just in Egypt. The ultras are, essentially, radical supporters’ groups, but to dismiss them as hooligans is overly simplistic, underplaying both their level of organisation and what makes them so attractive to disaffected male youths in particular.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Why Senegal should not make a scapegoat out of coach Amara Traoré

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“They came with great expectations and the most vaunted forward line in the tournament, but Senegal limped home from the Africa Cup of Nations having lost all three of their matches. In the usual run of things, you’d expect the coach, Amara Traoré not to be long for his job. A scapegoat, says the logic of international football, must be found, and the coach is as convenient a figure to sacrifice as anybody.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Why Senegal failed to shine at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations
“To really grasp the nature of Senegal’s spectacular failure at this Africa Cup of Nations you need only look at the teams who finished above them in Group A. For Senegal to finish below Equatorial Guinea is surprising, unfathomable even. But to finish below Libya, given the vast gap in quality and wildly differing paths they travelled before meeting in Bata, is astonishing.” FourFourTwo

Kily keen to upset the odds for Equatorial Guinea against Ivory Coast
“Kily usually chugs up and down the right flank for the Spanish fourth-flight side Langreo. His chance of making it big in football seemed to have gone when Atlético Madrid released him – after 44 games for their B side – in 2008. But last week, he became the first hero of this year’s Cup of Nations as he arced a last-minute 25-yarder into the top corner to give Equatorial Guinea victory over Senegal, and take them through to Saturday’s quarter-final, in which they’ll meet Ivory Coast. Suddenly, he was a man in demand: there was talk of offers from teams in Russia and Saudi Arabia, while it’s safe to say that, barring something astonishing at the weekend, he will remain his adopted nation’s most celebrated player for some time.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

African Cup of Nations a wonderful spectacle for both host and fans

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“This has been a tournament that has restored the joy to African soccer. Without the traditional powers of Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt, it is as if a great weight both of expectation and fear has been lifted. Only Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are playing with the albatross of favoritism around their necks, and both have been notably cautious in their opening matches; everybody else seems liberated, as though the subconscious dread of humiliation at the hands of one of the great names has gone (Botswana, who lost by a record 6-1 to Guinea, might regret that). It has been a tournament of fluid, constant attack.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Sudan the big positive but Angola stagger home despite the swagger
“Before Monday night it had been 42 years since Sudan had last won a game at the Africa Cup of Nations. Now, thanks to Mudathir El Tahir’s two goals against Burkina Faso and Angola’s supine display against the Ivory Coast, they are in the quarter-final, where they will face Zambia. It is deserved progress, too; Sudan have lacked a little self-belief and did their best to self-destruct against Angola, but when they have forgotten themselves and simply played, the Falcons of Jediane (they used to be the Nile Crocodiles, but have rebranded since the split with the south) have been the most coherent passing side in Group B, more fluent even than the self-conscious Ivorians.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Senegal left soul-searching
“For some, a road without any obstacles can be just as tricky to travel on as one that is punctured with potholes. Some like Senegal. Without record-breaking continental giants Egypt, heavyweights Cameroon and Nigeria in the ongoing African Nations Cup (ANC), the path was considered clear for the likes of them, Ghana or Ivory Coast to emerge champions. But, Senegal will not get anywhere near the trophy after finishing Group A in last place. They limped out of the tournament without a single victory, despite being FIFA ranked the highest of the four teams in their pool, 20 places above the nearest challenger, Libya.” ESPN

The 2012 African Cup Of Nations: Group Stage Round 2
“Sudan went into this tournament having failed to score an ACN goal since 1976. Bet you didn’t know that at kick-off against Angola last Thursday. Bet you were sick of hearing it by full-time. Sudan broke this goalscoring duck (36 years, you know) moments after Eurosport’s Matt Jackson declared he didn’t know where their next goal is coming from. So Ahmed Bashir’s header meant that he and Dan O’Hagan could stop talking about Sudan’s ’36-year’ goalscoring drought. Unfortunately, they chose not to – almost as if Eurosport’s crib sheet only had one fact.” twohundredpercent

Tunisia – The team to beat at ACoN 2012?
“For a team that could just as easily be sitting at home watching on TV, they made a pretty good start. Tunisia were seconds away from going the way of Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria in this competition last October. With Malawi 2-1 up against Chad going into stoppage time, the South East African nation were about to cause another Africa Cup of Nations upset by sneaking to the finals alongside Botswana.” FourFourTwo

Unfancied co-hosts Equatorial Guinea sparkle in the rain

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“The radio coverage was two or three seconds ahead of the television coverage, something that first became apparent 58 minutes into Equatorial Guinea’s game against Senegal. Roars could be heard across the city, followed by a great groan of disappointment. On the screen I was watching in Banapa, the district of Malabo around the city’s stadium, the winger Randy was still loping into the right side of the box at the stadium at Bata on the mainland. As two defenders went to close him down, he squared towards Fidjeu.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Côte d’Ivoire’s Golden Generation looks to shed underachiever tag

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“There are some moments in soccer that stay with you, snippets of action that seem to represent a wider trend. One such came in 2008, in Kumasi, Ghana, in the semifinal of the African Cup of Nations. Côte d’Ivoire, with one of the greatest generations of players any African nation has ever produced, faced Egypt, the team who had beaten it on penalties in the final in Cairo two years earlier.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Africa Cup of Nations: Libya team a symbol of hope for nation renewed

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“Ask around and the consensus is that Libya’s best player is the midfielder Tariq al-Taib. He has twice finished in the top 10 of the voting for African Player of the Year, had successful stints in Tunisia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and captained the national side the last time they reached the finals of the Cup of Nations, in 2006. When Libya walk out at the Estadio de Bata on Saturday to face Equatorial Guinea in the opening game of the 28th Cup of Nations, though, Taib will not be there.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

FA Cup struggles for relevancy

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“The FA Cup would be nothing without its traditions. Every third-round weekend the regular old rituals are trotted through: the grainy shots of finals past, the semi-knowing talk of the romance of it all, the hand-wringing about how the luster can best be restored to “the oldest cup competition in the world.” The FA Cup is a peculiarly English event, not just because it stretches back to 1871-72 and the prehistory of the game, but because it is something that is never as good as it used to be.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Blackburn’s form improves but many questions remain off the field

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“In the midst of Blackburn Rovers’ defeat to Bolton Wanderers last week, a tall unkempt man strode along the front of the stand toward the home dugout. Steve Kean, wisely, was standing at the front of his technical area, barking instructions and waving his arms to offer a simulacrum of control, as far from the fans as is possible under Premier League regulations. The man stood, unmolested by stewards, just behind the perimeter advertising hoarding. Slowly, he raised his left arm and, with a dramatic flourish, pointed off to his left.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics: high defensive line costs Chelsea

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“Chelsea’s Andre Villas-Boas may be a forward-thinking, progressive coach, but his attempts to impose a high line on players who seem reluctant, or unable, to adapt have resulted in defeats this season against Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, Liverpool (twice) and Bayer Leverkusen.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson

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“The opening words of Jonathan Wilson’s gripping book on the evolution of football and its tactics set the stage for his argument: that the game has not only become more organised and structured but, as the title suggests, progressively less reliant on a mass of forward players.” There Is No Original Name For This Sports Blog

Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics
“Whether it’s Terry Venables keeping his wife up late at night with diagrams on scraps of paper spread over the eiderdown, or the classic TV sitcom of moving the salt & pepper around the table top in the transport cafe, football tactics are now part of the fabric of everyday life. Steve McLaren’s recent switch to an untried 3-5-2 against Croatia will probably go down as the moment he lost his slim credibility gained from dropping David Beckham; Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, is often brought to task for trying to smuggle the long ball game back into English football (his defence being his need to ‘break the lines’ of banks of defenders and midfielders).” amazon

Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona: Real press early on, but tactical switch gives Barca the upper hand

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“Jose Mourinho surprised many with his team selection, but Pep Guardiola adapted to guide Barcelona to victory. The surprise was with the use of Mesut Ozil, who most expected to be omitted in favour of an extra defensive midfielder. In fact, it was Real’s usual front four in a 4-2-3-1 system. Lassana Diarra did start, but in place of Khedira, whilst Fabio Coentrao played at right-back.” Zonal Marking

Guardiola’s tactical switch swings clásico in favor of Barcelona
“There are still those, remarkably, who ask whether tactics really matter, still those who persist with the Luddite insistence that the best players will win out come what may. No matter that Lionel Messi never produces his Barcelona form for Argentina or that Dani Alves regularly flounders for Brazil, Barcelona, these flat-earthers keep saying, win because they have the best players.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

5 Things We Learnt From Real Madrid vs Barcelona
“1) There is a reason why Valdes is Spain’s number three… It’s not rocket science, for the first 15 minutes of any big game the number one rule is do not take any risks, if your unsure always do the simple thing. Somebody forgot to inform Victor Valdes of this. 22 seconds had elapsed when the keeper was far too casual and gifted the ball to Real and Benzema punished him with a nicely taken vollied finish.” Sabotage Times

Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
“There are several ways of saying ‘bewitched’, or ‘under the spell’ in Spanish. I particularly like the words hechizado and embrujado. These words form part of the reason Real Madrid seem unable to function when they come to play Barcelona. Bewitched, bothered and bewildered.” ESPN

Barca ends Real’s winning streak
“Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 to move into a tie (on points) atop the league standings, although Madrid does have a game in hand. Barcelona is now undefeated (6-0-1) in seven straight league meetings with Madrid, including three in a row at the Bernabeu. Here are five more notes on Saturday’s Clasico — which marked an end to Real’s run of 10 straight victories in La Liga.” Five Aside (Video)

Real Madrid 1 – 3 Barcelona
“Barcelona recovered from conceding the quickest El Clasico goal in history to end Real Madrid’s 15-match winning run and strike a potentially decisive blow in the race for the Primera Division title. Despite having lifted the trophy for three years in a row and enjoying both domestic and European dominance over Madrid over recent times, Pep Guardiola’s men went into tonight’s match as the underdogs, trailing the capital club by three points and having played a game more.” ESPN

Capital punishment for Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid as Barcelona show they aren’t ready to be dethroned just yet
“Pep Guardiola remains unbeaten as a coach at the Bernabeu as the Catalans recorded what could turn out to be a hugely significant victory over their arch rivals in El Gran Clasico” Goal

Group B one of the toughest in European Championship history

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“As ever, with thedraw for the European Championship, the first thought is how many exciting ties there are in prospect in the group stage. Holland vs. Germany, Spain vs. Italy, France vs. England, Portugal’s games against the Dutch and the Germans … this is how tournament soccer ought to be; big games at every turn. The World Cup, ludicrously bloated as it now is, doesn’t offer that sense of immediacy, of giants clashing from the off, and the fear must be that as the euros expand to 24 teams from 2016, it too will be diminished by the grind of small sides packing their half and seeking to frustrate opponents.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics: the genius of El Loco

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“Marcelo Bielsa might be known as ‘El Loco’ but he is far from stupid, and his decision to turn down Internazionale in the summer was rooted in the most worldly of considerations. And as Gian Piero Gasperini’s ill-fated five games in the San Siro hot seat demonstrated, the grandees of the game simply don’t have time for radicalism – particularly with Inter’s ageing, slow squad simply unsuited to the sort of hard-pressing game favoured by both Bielsa and Gasperini. Instead of Italy, Bielsa went to Spain, where he joined Athletic Bilbao, a club almost as idiosyncratic as he is.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Book Review: There’s a Golden Sky

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“It’s often been asserted that the one remaining advantage mainstream media has over bloggers is the issue of access to the game’s personalities – Jonathan Wilson made this point on establishing The Blizzard earlier this year and Kevin McCauley expounded on the subject in an overview of a spat between blogger Les Rosbifs and Teamtalk that fired up the twitterati last week.” thetwounfortunates

Susic’s Bosnic squad a unifying force among old divisions

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“The smell of wood smoke hangs pungent in the early morning mist. As the cafe owners set up for the day, and old men, huddled against the cold, begin another session of backgammon in the courtyard of the mosque, the call of the muezzin echoes through the cobbled streets. On a corner on the square in front of the national library, a stall-holder sets out his wares. He has green Wolfsburg shirts, but today is not a day for club soccer. He slides hangers through the necks of two blue Bosnia shirts and hooks them over the rail that holds up the canopy over his stall. The back of each shirt is to the square so you can see the name and number. The left reads “Dzeko;” the right “Misimovic”: Muslim and Serb side by side.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Tactics: the formation that cost Inter coach his job

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“A 3-1 defeat at promoted Novara brought a swift end to Gian Piero Gasperini’s three-month reign as coach of Internazionale, and the day after he was sacked the 53-year-old was in belligerent mood. ‘I know that results determine everything,’ he said. ‘Inter knew that my system was 3-4-3. It is not that I do not know another system, but I believe that with this one the team I coach play better. I explained this to Inter’s chiefs three times when I spoke with them. I believe that the controversy about the formation was used as an excuse [to sack me]. If Inter did not believe in my work, why did they sign me?’” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Questions being asked of Villas-Boas’ tactical approach at Chelsea

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“There was one doubt about Andre Villas-Boas when he arrived at Chelsea in the summer. Astonishing as Porto was last season — it won a treble of Europa League, Portuguese Cup and Portuguese League (in which it dropped only four points) — it never really faced a test. Sporting is at a low ebb and Benfica looks much stronger this season, while in Europe it faced no side from England, Germany, Italy or France. Of teams from the top five leagues in Europe, Porto met only Sevilla and Villarreal.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Mancini’s City exposes Man United’s season-long vulnerability

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“When Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at White Hart Lane at the end of August, Manchester United did what they have been doing for half a century and eclipsed the majesty of that performance by beating Arsenal 8-2. If these had been four anonymous teams, it might perhaps have been rather easier to acknowledge what at the time was barely a puff of dust on the horizon: that it had been City’s performance that had been more impressive, that the ‘noisy neighbors’ might perhaps have arrived.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Shakhtar and Zenit share the spoils in wide-open, high-tempo affair

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“With two minutes remaining of Wednesday’s Champions League game between Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit St Petersburg, Razvan Rat, the Shakhtar left back, sprayed a cross field ball to the right back, Dario Srna. Nothing too extraordinary about that, except that both were 20-30 yards inside the Zenit half. That’s how attacking the game was, that’s how much Shakhtar chased a late winner its performance wouldn’t have merited.” SI

Tensions rise, sparks fly as Greece, Croatia go their separate ways

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“Friday should have been a night of triumph for Greece. A 2-0 win over Croatia moved it back to the top of its Euro 2012 qualifying group, and a draw away to Georgia on Tuesday will guarantee the top spot in the group, while Slaven Bilic’s Croatian side has to go through a playoff. But the events in the stand that caused the match to be stopped for seven minutes cast a long shadow. None of Greece’s 11 national sports papers led with the hooliganism, but these were serious outbreaks, not something to be brushed under the carpet of a satisfactory result.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You – By Jonathan Wilson

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“Brian Howard Clough was never less than a complex man; the sum of a contradictory bunch of impulses, desires and drives. Jonathan Wilson, in this first full, critical biography draws an intimate and powerful portrait of one of England’s greatest football managers, and his right-hand man, Peter Taylor, and reveals how their identities were forged in the unforgiving world of post-war football, a world where, as Clough and Taylor’s mentor Harry Storer once said, ‘Nobody ever says thank you.'” In bed With Maradona

Brian Clough, Bosnia & Bruce – Our Chat With Jonathan Wilson
“The words ‘genius’ and ‘legend’ are bandied about football these days far too easily. Nyron Nosworthy accidentally does a Cryuff turn in the face of Wayne Rooney, he’s a ‘legend’… A manager staring defeat in the face brings on two strikers with ten minutes to go, they both score, the team wins, he’s a ‘genius’… please, don’t insult us.” Roker Report

Barca’s 3-4-3 formation another tactical weapon for Guardiola

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“Sometimes soccer can seem a very simple sport. The great Dutch coach Rinus Michels, the father of the Total Football school of the late sixties and early seventies and the man who took that style of soccer to Barcelona, believed that his side should always play one more defender than the other team had attackers. If the opponent played three up, Michels liked four back; if two up, then three back. To an extent, that has been the theoretical orthodoxy ever since.” SI

Subpar opposing defense helps Manchester clubs excel

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“In 1968, Manchester City won the league and a few days later Manchester United won the European Cup. In May, City won the FA Cup; later the same afternoon, United won the league. It was typical of the relationship between the Manchester clubs that after City had thumped one north London team 5-1 on Sunday, United went and thrashed the other one 8-2. Of more concern to the Premier League and football in general, though, is what Sunday said about the relationship between the Manchester clubs and everybody else.” SI

Behind the Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football

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“From the war-ravaged streets of Sarajevo, where turning up for training involved dodging snipers’ bullets, to the crumbling splendor of Budapest’s Bozsik Stadium, where the likes of Puskas and Kocsis masterminded the fall of England, the landscape of Eastern Europe has changed immeasurably since the fall of communism. Jonathan Wilson has traveled extensively behind the old Iron Curtain, viewing life beyond the fall of the Berlin Wall through the lens of soccer. Where once the state-controlled teams of the Eastern bloc passed their way with crisp efficiency—a sort of communist version of total soccer—to considerable success on the European and international stages, today the beautiful game in the East has been opened up to the free market, and throughout the region a sense of chaos pervades.” amazon

Uruguay light the way

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“In the end, it was only a slightly surprising result. The 2011 Copa America might not have gone the way of holders Brazil or hosts and favourites Argentina, but Uruguay were probably the next in line to win it. Sunday afternoon’s 3-0 win over Paraguay was the result most expected after the semi-finals, and sees the Celeste lift their 15th Copa, pulling clear of Argentina, who they’d previously been level with on 14 tournament wins.” ESPN

Future bright for Copa kings Uruguay
“The record 15th Copa America triumph came with a fair dose of suffering – the only way Uruguay know how. They drew both their first two games. Then they mounted a heroic rearguard action in the quarter final against hosts Argentina, where they had a man sent off in the first half. But in the end it was conclusive. And so was the message from Buenos Aires after the 3-0 win over Paraguay in the final – last year’s run to the World Cup semi finals was no fluke. Uruguay are back.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Uruguay 3-0 Paraguay: Tabarez gets things right
“Uruguay won their record 15th Copa America with an excellent, controlled performance. Oscar Tabarez likes to spring a surprise with players and formations, but it was his expected XI for this match, in the 4-4-1-1 system that can reasonably be described as his first choice shape throughout this tournament. Gerardo Martino’s side was less predictable – he made four changes from the semi-final win over Venezuela, but kept roughly the same system – a narrow 4-4-2 / 4-5-1 with Pablo Zeballos making forward runs from a wide-left position, although Nelson Valdez sometimes switched positions with him. Uruguay were better all over the pitch – they were more secure at the back, more potent upfront, and most crucially, they won the midfield battle.” Zonal Marking

Uruguay’s Copa América triumph ushers in another golden age
“This has been a tournament that has persistently defied expectations, but not in the final. Uruguay were comfortable winners over Paraguay, collecting a 15th Copa América title and so, on Argentinian soil, moving past Argentina to become the most successful team in the tournament’s history.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Suarez pays tribute to team-mates
“Luis Suarez was named Player of the Tournament after helping Uruguay to a 3-0 victory over Paraguay but paid credit to his team-mates for the success. Suarez scored the opening goal and set up Diego Forlan for the third to round off a hugely impressive tournament as Uruguay cruised to victory.” ESPN

Brazil pay the penalty

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“Eight-time Copa America winners Brazil were left stunned and eliminated as they failed to convert a single penalty in their shootout against Paraguay, losing it 2-0. The Brazilians created the better chances throughout the 120 minutes, but were unable to make the breakthrough as both sides remained scoreless to send the quarter-final in La Plata to penalties.” ESPN

Paraguay 0, Brazil 0
“Paraguay advanced to the Copa America semifinals on Sunday by defeating defending champion Brazil 2-0 in a penalty shootout after the score was level at 0-0 following extra time. Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar stopped Thiago Silva’s shot and Elano, Andre Santos and Fred also missed for Brazil, which was eliminated from the South American competition a day after host Argentina lost to Uruguay.” ESPN

Argentina and Brazil lead the fall of the Copa América giants
“The giants woke up, but only to be felled. When Argentina and Brazil scored seven goals between them in their third group games at the Copa América, it seemed they were slowly rousing themselves for the march to a meeting in the final that the organisers had done everything in their power to make inevitable. In their quarter-finals, though, the problems of the opening games returned. Both struggled to make domination of possession count, both lost on penalties, and both will look on a barely credible semi-final line-up and wonder why on earth they are not there.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Brazil coach defends ‘historical incompetence’ after Copa América exit
“The Brazilian daily paper O Globo may have branded it an act of “historical incompetence” but the Brazil squad and coaching staff have defended their exit from the Copa América. The five-time world champions were beaten on penalties by Paraguay after a shoot-out in which they failed to hit the target with all four spot kicks. But despite the failure the coach, Mano Menezes, has pleaded that the public look on the bright side.” Guardian

Fickle Copa America quarterfinals yield surprising remaining quartet
“The full moon shone bright and white over San Juan, its domination of the chill sky seeming a symbol of the lunacy that took over the Copa America this weekend. The tournament — perhaps any tournament — has never known a series of quarterfinals like it, as the three group-winners and the hosts all crashed out. The machinations of the schedulers, who had done everything in their power to ensure a third successive Brazil-Argentina final, are left looking a little silly.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Inspirational Markarian leads Peru to semi-finals
“At the time of writing there is the chance that Venezuela might make it two, but at the moment there is the certainty that one of the Copa America semi-finalists will be a team who missed out on last year’s World Cup – and who missed out by the widest possible margin. Peru finished bottom of the table in South America’s 2010 qualifiers. They lost all nine away games, conceding 26 goals in the process.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Venezuela 2, Chile 1
“Venezuela reached the Copa America semifinals for the first time as Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and Gabriel Cichero scored either side of halftime to beat Chile 2-1 on Sunday. Humberto Suazo equalized briefly for Chile in the second half. Venezuela is unbeaten in four games at the Copa America and has been the surprise team in a surprising tournament.” ESPN

Uruguay 1, Argentina 1
“Uruguay advanced to the semifinals of the Copa America with a penalty shootout victory over hosts Argentina on Saturday, with Carlos Tevez having his spotkick saved by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera in the decider. The game ended 1-1 after regulation time and there was no addition to that scoreline in extra time. The final tally in the shootout was 5-4 to Uruguay.” ESPN

Argentina dumped out
“In the biggest upset of the 2011 Copa America thus far, Uruguay have defeated tournament hosts Argentina on penalties in their quarter-final in Santa Fe. The match itself ended 1-1 as Argentina dominated large portions of the contest, but Uruguay showed their steel to win the shootout 5-4 and eliminate the favourites. Carlos Tevez, the figure at the centre of much transfer debate, had his spot-kick saved by Fernando Muslera while Uruguay converted all of their penalties in clinical fashion.” ESPN

Peru 2, Colombia 0
“Peru reached the Copa America semifinals for the first time since 1997 by defeating Colombia 2-0 in extra time on Saturday. Carlos Augusto Lobaton fired a powerful shot from just inside the penalty area in the 101st minute and fellow midfielder Juan Manuel Vargas sealed the victory with a shot from near the penalty spot in the 111th.” ESPN

Brazil 4-2 Ecuador: Brazil finally grab a win

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Francesco Guardi
“An open game was always likely to favour Brazil, and they took advantage to confirm their progression to the knockout stage. Mano Menezes changed his right side completely – Robinho and Maicon replaced Jadson and Dani Alves. Reinaldo Rueda left out Segundo Castillo in the centre of midfield, with Oswaldo Minda coming in. Brazil turned in their most impressive display in the Copa so far, though they still lacked cohesion upfront, and remain a little nervous at the back.” Zonal Marking

Brazil 4, Ecuador 2
“Alexandre Pato and Neymar scored two goals each as defending champion Brazil hit form with a 4-2 win over Ecuador on Wednesday to secure a Copa America quarterfinals spot. Brazil finished atop Group B and advanced to a knockout match against Paraguay. Ecuador was eliminated. Pato scored with a header in the 28th minute and a close-range shot in the 60th, while Neymar netted from inside the area in the 48th and 76th. Striker Felipe Caicedo scored for Ecuador in the 37th and 58th.” ESPN

Chileans in raptures after sealing quarter-final against Venezuela
“Finding grilled meat in Argentina isn’t usually a problem, but for days the parrillas of Mendoza have been rammed. With Chile only 130 miles across the Andes, fans have come in their droves, with reports of queues of more than six hours at the border. Even a day after their 1-0 win over Peru – a poor match in which neither side managed a shot on target before the decisive late own goal – they lingered, and many will make the short hop up to San Juan for Sunday’s quarter-final.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Grondona: Messi could quit
“Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona has warned that Lionel Messi could call time on his international career if the criticism from fans and the country’s media continues. Messi came under fire for below-par performances in the first two group games at the Copa America before sealing Argentina’s progress against Costa Rica.” ESPN

Venezuela 3, Paraguay 3
“Grenddy Adrian Perozo scored a stoppage-time equalizer with the help of his goalkeeper as Venezuela rallied for a 3-3 draw with Paraguay in a thrilling Copa America Group B match Wednesday. Venezuela was trailing 3-1 but pulled one back in the 89th via Nicolas Fedor. Goalkeeper Renny Vicente Vega then rushed to the other end in the game’s last play and met a corner with an angled header to set up Perozo’s equalizer two minutes into stoppage time.”>ESPN

Tourney of greatest club teams

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Gerd Muller and Paul Breitner. Germany in the 70s.
“THE IDEA: Is the present Barcelona side the best team ever? The debate feels futile: this side was great going forward; this side was great at the back; this side had so many great individuals it was impossible to stop them scoring; this side was so good defensively it could stop anybody from scoring. So let’s add a structure; let’s design a tournament in which the best sides can compete against each other, analyzing virtual games between the best teams there have ever been. It’s guesswork, of course, but at least it’s educated guess work.” SI – Jonathan Wilson, Pt. 1, SI – Jonathan Wilson, Pt. 2