Tag Archives: Football Manager

PSG 2-2 Barcelona: Ancelotti justified in using a brave starting line-up

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“Barcelona twice took the lead, PSG twice equalised. Carlo Ancelotti surprisingly named David Beckham as part of a midfield two, with four outright attacking players used in a 4-4-1-1 system. Tito Vilanova played Alexis Sanchez, rather than Cristian Tello, as part of his front three. Barcelona dominated in terms of possession and territory, and there was an element of fortune for both PSG’s goals – but overall Ancelotti’s side defended solidly and counter-attacked effectively.” Zonal Marking

Messi expected to return soon, but Mascherano loss leaves Barca weak
” They say that the secret to great comedy is great timing, so it was hard not to giggle when just after 1pm on Wednesday FC Barcelona announced the launch of a new App called “Barcelona fitness.” Not that Barcelona’s fans would have seen the funny side of course. Not while they anxiously awaited news of Lionel Messi’s injury. Minor scare or total disaster? Muscle tear or muscle pull? Three weeks? Six? Or just ten days? And nor is it just Leo Messi. Soon after he departed, so did Javier Mascherano, the latest victim of a defensive injury crisis. A fitness app? Oh, the irony.” SI

Bayern 2-0 Juve: Bayern’s pressing prevents Juve bringing their strike duo into play

“Bayern take a commanding lead into the second leg, after a dominant first leg performance. Jupp Heynckes named his expected side – Luiz Gustavo came in for the suspended Javi Martinez – although Toni Kroos’ early injury pushed Thomas Muller inside, with Arjen Robben introduced on the right. Despite strong rumours Antonio Conte would select a 3-5-1-1 formation, he went for the usual 3-5-2 with Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella (his least favoured strike duo this season) upfront. This was all about Bayern – they pressed excellently and Juventus struggled to put together good attacking moves, or bring their strike duo into play.” Zonal Marking

Bayern 2-0 Juventus: Tactical Analysis
“Former champions Juventus traveled to Munich to take on German giants, Bayern Munich at the Allianz arena in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final which eventually finished Bayern 2-0 Juventus. The home side started as expected, with Lahm, van Buyten, Dante and Alaba in defence. Luiz Gustavo played in midfield alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. The wide areas were patrolled by Ribery and Thomas Muller, while Toni Kroos played behind the lone frontman Mario Mandzukic. The Bianconeri had veteran keeper Buffon in goal, and played their usual 3-5-2 formation. At the back, Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci were selected. The midfield trio of Marchisio, Pirlo and Vidal were handed the unenviable task of stopping Bayern’s midfield. Out wide, Lichtsteiner started on the right, and Peluso on the left. The front line consisted of Matri and Quagliarella to start with.” Outside of the Boot

Tactical Analysis: How important is the ball-playing centre-back?

“‘In the modern game, you don’t need tacklers the same way you used to. There’s no call for it. It’s about anticipation and reading the game.’ Which moron said that? The most successful manager in the history of English football, that’s who. Sir Alex Ferguson has a point – a well-founded, deep-rooted one. Football is incontrovertibly becoming a more technically-reliant sport. A refined, thinking game.” Think Football

Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: Mata’s ball to Ba bypasses the zone United kept secure

“Juan Mata and Demba Ba combined for a brilliant goal in an otherwise quiet match. Rafael Benitez made various changes from the side that lost at Southampton on Saturday – he fielded his three exciting creators together behind Demba Ba. Sir Alex Ferguson left out Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, while Wayne Rooney was injured, so Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck were upfront. A terrible first half was followed by a much more open second.” Zonal Marking

Chelsea beat Manchester United thanks to Demba Ba’s touch of brilliance
“It will probably register as the most satisfying result of Rafael Benítez’s short and difficult time in office and not just because it was possibly the first time he was spared the condemnation of Chelsea’s supporters. His team can look forward to an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City and, after all the personal indignities Benítez has suffered, he will probably not care too much that it was such a scruffy game to get them to Wembley.” Guardian

Atlético Madrid 1-1 Valencia

“A wet evening at the Vicente Calderón stadium, Atlético Madrid failed to capitalize on the opportunity to go 2nd following Real Madrid’s draw with Real Zaragoza on Saturday. Valencia had the chance to leapfrog Málaga and go level on points with La Real, but both teams had to settle for a point each – a game full of overloads provided a stalemate.” Outside of the Boot

France 0-1 Spain: both sides use one wide player for ball retention and the other for direct attacks

“Spain recorded a narrow victory, and go one point clear of France at the top of Group I. Didier Deschamps used Patrice Evra rather than Gael Clichy at left-back, and the late withdrawal of Mamadou Sakho saw Laurent Koscielny start at centre-back. But the key change was higher up – from the side that defeated Georgia 3-1, Olivier Giroud was dropped, with Yohan Cabaye coming into the centre of midfield, turning a 4-4-2 into a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3.” Zonal Marking

Stuttgart 1-2 Dortmund: Tactical Analysis

“Borussia Dortmund travelled to play Stuttgart in a key game for the home team. Stuttgart sat in mid table before this game and needed to get a win, or least a draw in order to keep their challenge for the Europa League spots alive. Dortmund needed a win to tighten their group on second spot in the league table. The home side started with a make shift defence as some key players like Serdar Tasci and Cristian Molinaro, resulting in Felipe Lopez making only his 2nd appearance of the season. Stuttgart lined up with a 4-1-4-1 formation. This was done to stop Dortmund playing through their midfield with ease.” Outside of the Boot

Five Minutes of Your Time, Please; Leo Morris

“Five Minutes of Your Time is a series of interviews with people from different areas and eras within the game. This one features Leo Morris, a former non-league player and for twenty seven years, Assistant Manager to Gordon Bartlett….” 2nd Yellow (Video)

Tactics: playing the game the “right way”

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“Certain ways of playing have become imbued with moral values, with certain styles becoming accepted as being the ‘right’ way to play, of representing ‘good’ football. For instance, when Oldham Athletic put Liverpool out of the FA Cup in January by playing a direct game based around the raw physicality of their centre-forward Matt Smith, there was much chortling about their robustness and how Liverpool’s delicate, academy-groomed youngsters ‘didn’t like it up ’em’.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Montenegro 1-1 England: Montenegro start timidly but introduce attackers effectively

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“Branko Brnovic surprisingly started with a lone forward, but ended up with four outright attackers as Montenegro deservedly claimed a point. Brnovic’s selection was hampered by injuries and suspensions – Miodrag Dzudovic, Mitar Novakovic and Simon Vukcevic all came into the side. Roy Hodgson made significant changes from the side that comfortably defeated San Marino on Friday evening, with Danny Welbeck, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, James Milner, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson returning. A game of two halves – England dominated against an oddly passive Montenegro, but were unable to deal with the increased attacking threat after half-time.” Zonal Marking

England manager Roy Hodgson needs to wake up to some harsh realities as spectre of World Cup play-offs looms
” England are in a dark place, a potentially damaging and hugely expensive place. They trail to bullish Montenegro in the race for automatic qualification, face the possibility of a play-off against France and risk losing out on the 2014 Brazilian bonanza of £26m to the FA and £100m to the nation’s economy. Hodgson is confident of overtaking Montenegro, who lead Group H by two points, but the spectre of the play-offs should really focus his thoughts sharply. November’s two-legged examination of psychological, tactical and technical strengths must be avoided. Hodgson needs to stop clutching at draws and start winning, instilling a more assertive culture in his players and his own response to difficulties.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Venezuela 1-0 Colombia: Venezuela keep two upfront & offer a consistent threat on the break

“Venezuela recorded an important victory to strengthen their chances of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup. Cesar Farias made two changes from the side which lost 3-0 to Argentina. Cesar Gonzalez replaced Luis Seijas on the right, while Fernando Aristeguieta played upfront rather than Frank Feltscher. Mario Yepes was out, so Luis Perea came in at the back. Jose Pekerman pushed Juan Cuadrado forward to the right wing, with Juan Zuniga at right-back. Venezuela deserved this victory – they were forced to withstand pressure as Colombia dominated possession throughout, but the home side produced more goalscoring opportunities.” Zonal Marking

Uruguay 1-1 Paraguay: Tabarez ditches his double pivot, then makes more attacking moves

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“Reigning South American champions Uruguay recorded their third consecutive 1-1 home draw – their participation in Brazil remains in the balance. Oscar Tabarez fielded a familiar core to this side – Edinson Cavani was only on the bench, with Diego Forlan behind Luis Suarez upfront, the combination that won Uruguay the Copa America final against Paraguay in 2011. The major news was in the centre of midfield, where Tabarez played Nicolas Lodeiro rather than a second defensive midfielder. Uruguyan-born Gerard Pelusso selected a cautious 4-4-2 formation for bottom-placed Paraguay, having experimented with 4-3-3 earlier in the qualification process. Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Valdez were together upfront, while Ricard Ortiz pushed forward to the left of midfield. This game started slowly before gradually developing into something quite interesting – mainly because of Tabarez’s constant chances.” Zonal Marking

Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Germany’s Formations

“Against Kazakhstan Germany lined up without a recognized striker in a competitive game for the first time in its history. It was a landmark tactical decision that symbolized both a growing talent pool of attacking midfielders in German football and the acclimatization to a generational trend in football tactics. With more and more of these versatile and technical attacking players being integrated and Löw expanding his tactical arsenal, just what are Germany’s options going forward? Let us examine the various tactical formations Löw has used and at his disposal and the strengths and weaknesses of each in the context of Germany’s continuing development as a team.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Croatia 2-0 Serbia: brave decision to use Kovacic in midfield helps Croatia dominate the game

“Croatia’s two strikers – Ivica Olic and Mario Mandzukic – scored a goal apiece before half-time, to win an incredibly hotly-anticipated derby. Igor Stimac’s major decision was the surprise selection of 18-year-old Mateo Kovacic for his international debut in the centre of midfield. Sinisa Mihajlovic used Ivan Radovanovic as a holder, and Alen Stevanovic rather than Dusan Tadic on the left. Marko Scepovic played upfront, although he lasted less than ten minutes. Why Croatia v Serbia? Well, for both political and football reasons, this was an absolutely huge fixture – especially the meeting between fierce rivals Stimac and Mihajlovic. For the incredible background to the story, read this excellent summary – with that in mind, the main feature of the match was its surprisingly sporting nature.” Zonal Marking

With such a weak England squad were England’s golden generation under-appreciated?

“England smashed San Marino 8-0 on Friday night, which might lead some fans to get a sense of renewed optimism in their county’s ability to make a mark in Brazil 2014. However, in perspective, despite the fact 8 goals were scored, this was an incredibly low quality opposition and we cannot really read much into the result. What was striking about the squad that faced San Marino and has been selected for the qualifiers is how weak it is, particularly after Rio Ferdinand dropped out. This is in stark comparison to the wealth of quality England had between 2004 and 2010 during the ascent of the ‘golden generation.’” Think Football

Valbuena has earned his chance with France

“France doesn’t share Argentina, Brazil or even Italy’s relentless obsession with the number 10, but having boasted the most celebrated creative midfielder of recent times, Zinedine Zidane, the number has since taken on extra importance. Since Zidane’s theatrical retirement in 2006, France’s No. 10s have hardly fit the mould. Sidney Govou, the speedy winger who never fulfilled his vast potential, wore it at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 while striker Karim Benzema inherited it for last summer’s European Championships. In all three tournaments, France disappointed: two group stage exits and a quarterfinal elimination. Perhaps they need a proper No. 10. And that’s where Mathieu Valbuena comes in.” ESPN – Michael Cox

England’s centre back problem

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“It seemed inevitable that when Roy Hodgson had to choose between John Terry and Rio Ferdinand last year, the manager would eventually end up with neither. Whatever your views of Terry’s international retirement, or Ferdinand’s decision to turn down his call-up this week, citing an ‘intricate pre-planned programme,’ this is typical England. When forced to choose between two options, England always gets the worst of both worlds.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)

Is Thiago Alcântara the bridge to FC Barcelona’s future?

“Catenaccio, Samba, Tiki Taka – Italy, Brazil and Spain have as deep-rooted an influence on the game as any nation. They’ve lit up world stages, produced some of the finest players and imprinted themselves on the Annals of football history. They’ve amassed a colossal ten World Cup triumphs between them. Imagine a player with the characteristics from this trio of football’s supremacy. Italian born, Brazilian parentage, Spanish bred. Thiago Alcântara seems like a beast set unto us, conveyed from the fires of Mordor with the heat of the Spanish blood coursing through him. I may be getting slightly carried away.” Think Football

Statistical Analysis: Has van Persie been the difference between Manchester United and Manchester City?

“Other than the long transfer saga revolving around where Eden Hazard would ply his trade in the summer, there was the drawn out battle for Robin van Persie’s signature. Many neutrals and pundits felt that van Persie would follow former team-mates Sami Nasri and Kolo Toure and join Man City, which led to some surprise when van Persie joined title rivals Manchester United, despite the fact Rooney had scored 27 league goals the season prior. This addition to an already impressive front-line has been a key factor in United’s current 15 point lead over Manchester rivals, City. But has van Persie made the difference between the clubs?” Think Football

City’s back three come unstuck against Toffees

“EVERTON 2-0 MANCHESTER CITY: At a time when the back three is out of fashion in much of the world, Italy has a style of its own. Last week, the majority of managers in Serie A ignored the footballing orthodoxy that four players start in defence. This week, the Premier League’s most famous exiled Italian did likewise.” ESPN

Manuel Pellegrini and Fatih Terim back where they belong

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“By common consent, five of the eight remaining sides in the Champions League have a good chance of lifting the European Cup at Wembley in May. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Juventus — current league champions, imminent league champions or, in Juve’s case, both. The dark horse? Paris St Germain have performed well in Europe under Champions League specialist Carlo Ancelotti, and following their recruitment of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi, their presence is no great surprise.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Barcelona 4-0 Milan: Villa plays centrally and allows Messi space between the lines

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“Barcelona recovered from a 2-0 first leg defeat. Jordi Roura (perhaps with help from Tito Vilanova) used David Villa upfront, with Cesc Fabregas on the bench, and played Javier Mascherano rather than Carles Puyol. Max Allegri kept things close to the first leg XI – Mathieu Flamini replaced Sulley Muntari, with Riccardo Montolivo moving to the left of the midfield trio. Upfront, with Giampaolo Pazzini injured, M’Baye Niang played upfront. Barcelona were excellent in the first half here – and although the home side’s strategy was slightly confused after the third goal which had tipped the balance of the tie, Milan didn’t have an answer for their unusual system.” Zonal Marking

Embattled Villa seizes opportunity in Barcelona’s comeback
“David Villa took two touches, one with his right foot and one with his left, and took his chance like a man that was never going to miss. Smooth and precise, lethal. Just like Villa always did. With the first touch, he controlled the ball and eased away from his marker in a single move, letting the ball come across him; with the second, opening out his body, he curled it past AC Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati and into the far corner, so far from the goalie that he did not even bother moving.” SI

Liverpool 3 Tottenham 2: In-Depth Tactical Analysis

“Rodgers made only one change from the last game against Wigan. Sturridge returned to fitness and replaced Allen, with the shape reverting to the usual 4-2-3-1. However, Reina was injured so Jones had start in a goal. For Tottenham, Lennon missed the game. It was always going to be interesting how Villa-Boas chose to replace him. As it played out, Dembele was moved to the right flank with Livermore partnering Parker in the centre. The other two changes (compared to the Arsenal game) were anticipated and part of the usual rotation, pre and post a Europa match. Lloris and Dawson replaced Friedel and Gallas respectively. Bale remained central, which meant Sigurdsson and Dembele were playing in narrow positions off the flanks (something that had certain ramifications on the whole tactical battle). The team’s formation looked the usual 4-2-3-1. But given that on the flanks there were two natural ball-players, playing on their wrong foot (hence looking to come infield), the shape predominantly morphed into a sort of 4-2-2-2.” Tomkins Times

Lazio 0-2 Fiorentina: Ledesma shows how not to play the holding midfield role – again role

“A familiar, assured passing performance from Fiorentina – but a rare away victory. They leapfrog Lazio into fourth. Vladimir Petkovic was without right-winger Antonio Candreva after his red card against Milan last week, so moved Alvaro Gonzales to the flank and used Ederson in the middle. Lorik Cana started at the back, in place of Giuseppe Biava. Vincenzo Montella selected his 4-3-3 formation. Alberto Aquilani was unavailable in the centre of the pitch, so Giulio Migliaccio started in his position, while Nenad Tomovic played at right-back. Fiorentina were clinical here – dominating the opening period with clever passing triangles, then playing possession football in the second half to seal a relatively comfortable victory.” Zonal Marking

Schalke 2-1 Dortmund: squeezed game allows full-backs forward on the overlap
“Schalke won the Revierderby with an excellent first-half display. Atsuto Uchida came back into Jens Keller’s side, with Marco Hoger moving forward into midfield in place of Jermaine Jones. Jurgen Klopp recalled Mats Hummels – although he didn’t seem 100% fit and only lasted half the game. Klopp left out Marco Reus, presumably because of rotation after a busy couple of weeks for Dortmund. This game was amazingly attack-minded in the opening stages, and almost solely about the flanks, with all four full-backs playing attack-minded roles.” Zonal Marking

The Question: is the away-goals rule counterproductive?

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“Imagine that on Tuesday night, rather than playing that late free-kick short so Milan lost possession and conceded a fourth goal, Robinho had hurled it into the box. Imagine Philippe Mexès had jumped for it, the ball had taken the merest brush off his pony-tail and that had been enough to take it past Victor Valdés. That would have made it 3-1 on the night, 3-3 on aggregate and Milan would have beaten Barcelona on the away goals rule.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Manchester United 2-2 Chelsea: United storm into an early lead, then Chelsea dominate

“Manchester United appeared firmly in control for 20 minutes, but substitutions helped Chelsea get back into the game. Sir Alex Ferguson recalled Wayne Rooney, using him behind Javier Hernandez, with Shinji Kagawa left and Nani right. Jonny Evans also returned. Rafael Benitez surprisingly named Ramires and Frank Lampard in midfield, allowing him to play three attackers, including Victor Moses, behind Demba Ba. Cesar Azpilicueta was at right-back. United took an early lead with goals from Hernandez and Rooney, but then seemed to stop playing – and Chelsea could have won it late on.” Zonal Marking

Lyon 0-0 Marseille: A bad reflection of Ligue 1, and a bad result for Ligue 1

“PSG were the real winners, as 2nd versus 3rd played out a boring goalless draw. Remi Garde was without Anthony Reveillere, so Mohamadou Dabo played at right-back, with Samuel Umtiti on the left. Clement Grenier dropped to the bench, with the more defensive-minded Gueida Fofana starting instead. Elie Baup was without Morgan Amalfitano, so used the pacey Modou Sougou in his place. Otherwise, his side was as expected. This was desperately poor – two negative sides apparently content to play out a goalless draw, in a match featuring just three shots on target.” Zonal Marking

Analysis – Schalke Rule the Ruhr After Win Against Borussia Dortmund

“Schalke pulled off the double against their regional rivals by winning the 142nd Revierderby 2-1. Goals from Julian Draxler and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the first half overcame a visibly fatigued Dortmund side that were outplayed despite Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the second half. The win was Schalke’s 400th home win in the Bundesliga and lifts them into the final Champions League spot for the time being while Dortmund continue to struggle following matches in Europe. After an extended slump Schalke have now won three straight and are unbeaten in their last five competitive matches.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Andre Schurrle: Scout Report

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“André Schürrle is a German footballer who currently plays for German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Schurrle can either play as a Left Forward, Centre Attacking Midfielder, or Centre Forward. This season he mostly appeared as a left forward to Leverkusen’s Stefan Kiessling.” Outside of the Boot

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis

“There seems to be a shifting of power in England’s capital city. With the ‘Lilywhites’ of North London rising high in the league and competing with London’s more dominating duo of Arsenal and Chelsea. Spurs faced their fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday night. The game finished Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal, a result which saw the home side leapfrog the Blues of London and extend their lead over the Gunners. The game strengthened Tottenham’s push for a Champions League spot and possibly 2nd as well (they are 2 points behind City who have a game in had). The win would particularly please young manager Andre Villas Boas who has won over the Spurs fan, and seen his side move above a club who only a year back had sacked him for a poor run of results. The game also highlighted Arsenal’s dip in form in the past few seasons with a push for a Champions League spot their only aim for the end of the season.” Outside of the Boot

Manchester United 1-2 Real Madrid: red card allows Real to take control

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“Manchester United’s starting strategy nullified Real Madrid’s main threats, but Jose Mourinho reacted quickly after United went down to ten. Sir Alex Ferguson left out Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa, favouring Nani and Ryan Giggs on the flanks. Tom Cleverley started in place of Phil Jones, while Jonny Evans dropped to the bench as Ferguson favoured the old-school Ferdinand-Vidic partnership. Jose Mourinho named his expected side. Gonzalo Higuain was upfront rather than Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane continued at centre-back. Sadly, we were denied a chance to see how the 11 v 11 game would play out – Real had looked impotent until Nani’s red card, and it would have been fascinating to see how they tried to break down United in the final half hour.” Zonal Marking

Controversial red card changed complexion of Madrid-United tilt
“There was no doubt about the moment that changed the game. Manchester United had been leading 1-0 on Tuesday night, 2-1 on aggregate, and was winning the tactical battle when, 11 minutes into the second half, Nani leapt to try to take down a dropping clearance from Rafael. His raised foot caught Alvaro Arbeloa in the stomach, and Turkish referee Cunet Cakir decided, to widespread surprise, that he was guilty of serious foul play and showed a red card.” SI – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Manchester United red with rage after referee wrecks Champions League dream with Nani red card against Real
“When Manchester United’s devastated players finally emerged from the dressing room, they would not, probably could not talk. The club had advised them to stay silent over Cuneyt Cakir’s unspeakable decision to send off Nani. Their inner fury, the anger in the eyes said it all.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Wins over Man. United and Barcelona give Mourinho an exit strategy
“There is a phrase, borrowed from bullfighting, which the Spanish use a lot: por la puerta grande. Out through the main door, triumphantly. Maybe even on the shoulders of supporters while a crowd gathers at your feet, holding the trophy in the air — a bloodied bull’s ear, in this case, the cup with the big ears if we’re talking football. There are different ways to depart after the fight, many ways to leave, and departing victorious is always best.” SI (Video)

Newsstand: British Tabloids Aflare After Man United’s Controversial Loss To Real Madrid
“Real Madrid eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League today with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The English champions led 1-0 after an own goal by Sergio Ramos, but the turning point came when Turkish referee Cuynet Cakir sent off Nani for a studs-high challenge.” SI (Video)

Dortmund 3-0 Shakhtar: Dortmund exploit Shakhtar’s poor positional play

“After a 2-2 first leg draw, Dortmund performed excellently to qualify for the quarter-finals with surprising ease. Jurgen Klopp was still without Mats Hummels, so Felipe Santana and Neven Subotic continued at the back. Otherwise, the side was as expected, and played in the traditional 4-2-3-1, rather than the 4-3-3 we saw against Bayern last week. Mircea Lucescu named Taison on the left wing. Douglas Costa was only on the bench. In a game between two similar sides, Dortmund were better in almost every department, dragging Shakhtar out of shape and exploiting the spaces in behind.” Zonal Marking

Win or bust as Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund meet again
“It was business as usual for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League on Friday, and that in a sense is part of the problem. They hammered Volyn Lutsk 4-1 and lead the table by 13 points with 11 games remaining. They are in the quarter-final of the cup and, with Dynamo Kyiv and Metalist Kharkiv out, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk stand as the only other probable winners. This has been a crushingly easy season for Shakhtar.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Borussia Dortmund Make the Big Leap Forward
“Borussia Dortmund have reached the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1997/1998 season following an emphatic 3-0 win Tuesday night over Shakhtar Donetsk at Signal Iduna Park. Despite their recent domestic success, Dortmund made a big leap forward in advancing to the quarterfinals following two previous seasons of not advancing from European group stages. While the Ukrainian side held off Dortmund for the first 30 minutes of the match, the uneasy feeling for Dortmund supporters of a result going awry was dispensed with Felipe Santana’s powerful header in the 31st minute, as the Germans went on to create what Coach Jurgen Klopp deemed ‘an extraordinary moment’.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal: high lines and balls in behind the defences

“Tottenham recorded an important victory over their North London rivals, thanks to two identical goals towards the end of the first half. Andre Villas-Boas used Gylfi Sigurdsson rather than Lewis Holtby, while Jermain Defoe was fit enough for the bench. Arsene Wenger used Santi Cazorla on the flank rather than in the middle, which meant Aaron Ramsey played in midfield, and Lukas Podolski was on the bench. Arsenal actually started strongly and dominated possession for long periods, but as Wenger acknowledged after the game, Spurs were more efficient in the areas that mattered.” Zonal Marking

Look outside “big” leagues for action, drama

“How does one assess the strength of a league? An obvious answer would be something along the lines of ‘strength’ multiplied by ‘competiveness’ — basically you want quality but also expect unpredictability. Let’s be honest — 2012-13 just isn’t a great season for European domestic football. The Champions League is as exciting as usual and the raw quality is certainly apparent from the major clubs. But in terms of competitiveness, this year has been a disaster. Manchester United lead the Premier League by 12 points, Barcelona lead La Liga by 12 points, and Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga by a staggering 17 points, while Juventus are a relatively modest six points clear in Serie A.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)

Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid: Real comfortable defensively and ruthless on the break

“Barcelona suffered their second major defeat within the space of a week, and Real are through to the Copa del Rey final. Jordi Roura brought in Jose Pinto for Victor Valdes in goal – as always in this competition. The rest of the side was the same as against Milan with both Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta in the side, despite David Villa’s impact against Sevilla at the weekend. Jose Mourinho chose Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos at centre-back, with Pepe on the bench. Gonzalo Higuain, as expected, started upfront. Real outplayed Barcelona. Their defensive shape was good, their breaks were typically direct and efficient. 3-1 didn’t flatter them.” Zonal Marking

Xavi is wrong: Barça have lost far more than the least important title
“Xabi Alonso took up his favourite position at the Camp Nou, easing into a seat in the stands and looking silently out across the pitch, feet up, job done. It was some time after Real Madrid had won the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg 3-1 against Barcelona, the clock ticking towards midnight, and the Camp Nou was quiet. The stadium had been emptying for a while, ever since Raphaël Varane headed Real Madrid’s third; by the time Jordi Alba scored Barcelona’s only goal in the 88th minute, there were not that many fans left to celebrate and those that were still there did not much feel like doing so.” Guardian

Bayern 1-0 Dortmund: Bayern dominate

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“Arjen Robben’s superb goal won the game, but Bayern’s nine shots on target to Dortmund’s one demonstrates the home side’s overall dominance. Jupp Heynckes used the XI that triumphed over Arsenal last week, with one exception – Franck Ribery was out, so Robben started on the left. Daniel van Buyten was alongside Dante again. Jurgen Klopp was unable to call upon Mats Hummels, so Felipe Santana played alongside Neven Subotic. Kevin Grosskreutz got a start in midfield. This wasn’t a fascinating tactical battle, but Bayern were by far the better side – pressing well, mixing short intricate passing with longer balls, and featuring good variety and movement in the centre of midfield.” Zonal Marking

Bayern Munich finally gets over Dortmund hurdle in German Cup
” Robert Lewandowski, a reported Bayern Munich target, was the center of attention during Borussia Dortmund’s German Cup quarterfinal match at runaway league leader Bayern Munich. The Polish striker had a quiet game, however, much like his team: Dortmund was outplayed and outsmarted through large spells Wednesday night. The hosts could have easily won by a bigger margin, but it was fitting that Arjen Robben separated the sides with his beautiful first-half goal. Robben’s penalty miss against Dortmund in the 1-0 defeat at the Westfalenstadion sealed Borussia’s title win last year and rang in two more soul-destroying defeats in the Cup (Dortmund 5-2 win) and the Champions League (Chelsea win in penalties) finals.” SI

Tactical & Statistical Analysis: How has Steven Gerrard evolved under Brendan Rodgers?

“Steven Gerrard’s Premier League form tailed off a bit in the last two seasons under both Dalglish and Roy Hodgson. At 32 at the start of the season, some pundits may have been ready to write off Liverpool’s talismanic captain, but he has evolved under Brendan Rodgers and been a consistently good performer for the side this season.” Think Football

PSG 2-0 Marseille: PSG attack at speed, but fortunate to keep a clean sheet

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“A closer game than the scoreline suggests. With injury problems in defence, Carlo Ancelotti named Sylvain Armand as his left-sided centre-back. David Beckham was on the bench. Élie Baup named an unchanged side from the XI that triumphed over Valenciennes last week. PSG’s four outright attackers combined effectively at times, but Marseille will feel they had enough chances to get something from the game.” Zonal Marking

Inter 1-1 Milan: Milan should have been out of sight by half-time

“Inter upped their performance after a terrible first-half display. Andrea Stramaccioni gave a rare start to Ricky Alvarez on the left, after his impressive performance against Cluj in midweek. Diego Milito is out for the season, so Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio started upfront together. Max Allegri made changes from the victory over Barcelona – Mario Balotelli, cup-tied in Europe, returned in place of Giampaolo Pazzini, while Riccardo Montolivo played in Massimo Ambrosini’s deep-lying role to allow Antonio Nocerino to play. Stramaccioni managed to alter things to get his side back into the game, but only Milan profligacy and another fine Samir Handanovic performance prevented the ‘away’ side from victory.” Zonal Markind

Gareth Bale the sensation who owes it all to Tottenham’s compact style

“Gareth Bale is playing brilliantly. He is quick and powerful, technically gifted and can strike the ball ferociously with his left foot. He self-consciously models himself on Cristiano Ronaldo and in terms of his drive for self-improvement and even his style of play, cutting in from the left flank, there is validity to comparisons between them.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea: Chelsea stay deep, narrow and compact but City find a way through

“Chelsea played negatively, and afforded City too many goalscoring opportunities. Roberto Mancini surprisingly played Yaya Toure behind Sergio Aguero, a combination he’s rarely used this season. Jack Rodwell started alongside Javi Garcia, while Vincent Kompany wasn’t fit, so Kolo Toure started at the back. Rafael Benitez used Demba Ba instead of Fernando Torres. John Terry was on the bench, as were Cesar Azpilicueta and Oscar, with Branislav Ivanovic used at right-back and Ramires on the right of midfield. City dominated the first half but broke through in the second, after Mancini turned to his bench.” Zonal Marking

Case for the defence: Is Liverpool’s passing game a necessity?

“Since the beginning of the World Cup competitions in 1930 up until WC 2010, four football nations made it consistently to the finals; Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Germany. Any world cup final had at least one team of that quartet. Brazilian football fans lazily labelled their football rivals. The Germans, as a ruthless tasteless well-oiled machine, the anti-football counter-attacking Italians, the heirs of the “catenaccio,” which translates literally to “door-bolt.” The Argentinians were not kindly branded after Maradona’s televised admission of sedating Brazilian players in WC 90 and an open court admission of a political deal between Peru and Argentina in WC 78 to knock out Brazil from the semi-finals. On both occasions Argentina knocked out Brazil out of the competition.” Think Football

Where has Africa’s creativity gone?

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“The former Cameroon captain Theophile Abega died in November, aged just 58. He was one of the great midfielders of what now seems a golden age of west African football; a period that lasted for about two decades, from the start of the 1980s, when it appeared that African teams might seriously challenge for the World Cup.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

Tactical Analysis: Why are Manchester City so far off United?

“Manchester City are now 12 points behind leaders United and looking increasingly unlikely to retain their Premier League title. Their home game against Chelsea on Sunday could be crucial, but if United beat QPR on Saturday they could go in to the tie 15 points off the pace. So where has it gone wrong for Mancini and his side?” Think Football

4-4-2 Managers and 4-4-2 Fans

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“If you, as a football fan, recognise the shortcomings of 4-4-2 (the system, not the magazine), then that leaves you a few genes short of being a ‘proper bloke’ and certainly unpatriotic in the extreme. Here, we welcome back John Dobson, a regular chronicler of Yorkshire football, to point out how fan pressure must not be allowed to hold sway at Bootham Crescent.” thetwounfortunates

Milan 2-0 Barcelona: Barca completely nullified

“Milan restricted Barcelona to only one shot on target – a hopeful effort from 25 yards – and pounced at the other end with a set-piece and a counter-attack. Max Allegri was without cup-tied Mario Balotelli, so Giampaolo Pazzini played upfront. Kevin-Prince Boateng replaced M’Baye Niang on the right, and Max Ambrosini returned to the side. Jordi Roura selected what appears to be Barcelona’s first-choice XI – Alexis Sanchez and David Villa on the bench, and Cesc Fabregas in his roaming free role. Aside from Victor Valdes’ return, it was the same XI that started the recent Copa Clasico against Real Madrid. This was a highly impressive display from Milan, and arguably the most convincing defeat of Barcelona since the current era started in 2008.” Zonal Marking

Bayern Munich Have One Foot in Quarterfinals After First Ever Win in London Against Arsenal

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“Bayern Munich took took a big step in sealing qualification to the quarterfinals with an impressive away win against Arsenal. It was Bayern’s first ever win in London and thoroughly deserved on the run of play. Germany’s record champions dominated the majority of the match and again showed why they are one of the favorites to lift the trophy come May. Goals from Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller and Mario Mandzukic capped off a performance that further underlines just how focused and determined Bayern are to succeed this season, putting them firmly in the the driver’s seat in this tie. It took a fortuitous corner to get Arsenal back in the game in the second half with former Bayern player Lukas Podolski taking advantage of a rare lapse in concentration but the Bavarians gradually resumed control and didn’t let go until the final whistle.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Arsenal 1-3 Bayern: Arsenal outpassed and outpressed
“Bayern took a commanding lead following a dominant first leg performance. Arsene Wenger chose to leave out Olivier Giroud, using Theo Walcott as the primary striker with Santi Cazorla right and Aaron Ramsey in midfield. Left-back problems forced Thomas Vermaelen into that position. Jupp Heynckes was without Jerome Boateng and long-term injury victim Holger Badstuber, so Daniel van Buyten was forced to play at centre-back. Arsenal made another poor start at the Emirates, and despite a promising spell for Wenger’s side after the break, Bayern always looked the better side.” Zonal Marking

Comedy of errors leaves Arsenal with more questions to answer
“Realistically, Arsenal was never likely to beat a Bayern Munich side that is cruising to the Bundesliga title, but what Tuesday’s 3-1 Champions League loss might have offered was comfort. Yes, there was always the chance of an upset, but, realistically, a promising performance would have done, something that said, yes, this team isn’t perfect, but it is on the right track.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich: Tactical Analysis of a Bavarian Battering
“Arsenal succumbed to a damaging 3-1 home loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, leaving their hopes of advancing to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals hanging by a thread. The Gunners enjoyed a 20-minute renaissance in the second half but only managed to carve out one real chance which fell to Olivier Giroud, and their consolatory goal was a product of a corner that shouldn’t have been awarded. Let’s take a look at how this game was won.” Bleacher Report

England should look to Germany for inspiration, coaches
“It would be unreasonable to use Bayern’s dismantling of Arsenal as sole evidence of the Bundesliga’s dominance over the Premier League, but among various other factors, it has become increasingly clear that Germany will imminently become European football’s true power base.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Arsenal put to the sword by Bayern Munich’s game intelligence
“At the stroke of half-time, Bayern Munich had the chance to go an unassailable three goals up instead of the 3-1 scoreline it eventually finished. The Germans had possession of the ball at the back before they quickly switched it forward to the on-rushing Philip Lahm. As the full-back picked up the ball, Jack Wilshere stretched his arms out as if to say ‘how did that happen.’ Bayern Munich might have felt the same sense of bewilderment when Mario Mandzukic flashed a header wide from Lahm’s cross.” Arsenal Column

Gazprom face UEFA stand off

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“How does one begin to comprehend the manner in which football and politics have become so inextricably linked? It is disturbing to contemplate that such a truly global sport is quite possibly one of the most corruptible institutions in the modern era. It has got to the point where there are simply too many issues upon which we must turn a blind eye in order to replicate the perceived naivety of days gone by – with the game finding that its hands are increasingly tied behind its own back. Such a situation is glaringly apparent in Eastern Europe, where discussions have continued over the viability of the formation of a league system comprising of sides from Russia and Ukraine.” SFUnion

Simon Kuper and the New Language

“About a week ago, Simon Kuper wrote an interesting but ultimately disheartening article breaking down the shortcomings of 21st century soccer, and the reasons he’s fallen out of love with the game. From materialism to tribalism, Kuper draws a contrast between the noxious atmosphere that permeates the modern game, and a sort of wholesome, unbridled joy that underlined the halcyon days of say, Maradona in the mid-1980s. While it’s understandable that Kuper gets queasy with the incessant chatter of pundits waxing about wages, transfer budgets and misunderstood tactics, it’s hard for me to believe that Kuper looks back and sees any sort of purity.” Futbol Intellect

Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United: Real dominate but United withstand the pressure

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“A headed goal for either side – and all to play for the in the second leg. Jose Mourinho chose Rafael Varane at the back, and Karim Benzema upfront – elsewhere, his side was as expected. Sir Alex Ferguson named a very positive starting XI, with four outright attacking players in the side – Danny Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa both started. Jonny Evans played at centre-back rather than Nemanja Vidic. Real Madrid dominated in terms of possession, territory and shots – but both sides had chances to win the game.” Zonal Marking

Why would any manager want the Chelsea job?

“Talented Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has essentially ruled out a potential move to Chelsea, claiming he is ‘definitely’ going to remain in Germany next season. This seems to be an intelligent move, given the certain risk attached with becoming the Chelsea manager. Klopp is only the latest manager to reject the overtures of the Stamford Bridge club with Pep Guardiola having out right snubbed the club in favour of taking the managerial role at Bayern Munich. With the tough demands of the Chelsea job, why would anyone want to manage them?” Think Football

Celtic 0-3 Juventus: Celtic cause problems in the first half, but Juve’s finishing far superior

“There was much to admire about Celtic’s performance, but they couldn’t sustain their early effort. Neil Lennon decided to use Efe Ambrose at the back, despite his participation in Nigeria’s 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations win on Sunday evening. Upfront, Lennon used three attackers – Kris Commons, James Forrest and Gary Hooper. Antonio Conte is still without Giorgio Chiellini, so Martin Caceres was on the left of defence, and Federico Peluso was the left-wing-back. Alessandro Matri’s good run of form saw him get another start upfront. An odd match – for spells in the first half Juventus looked genuinely rattled, and yet they had already gone 1-0 up with Matri’s early goal. Celtic’s first-half performance depended on energy and brave pressing, which resulted in tiredness late on.” Zonal Marking

Interview Translation: Jürgen Klopp – “I don’t just want to win, I want to feel.”

“The Spanish newspaper El Pais took it upon themselves to find out the reasons behind Dortmund’s success by interviewing Jürgen Klopp. Here is our translation of their interview. ‘I don’t want to spend the whole day thinking about things that could still be better than they are’ says Jürgen Klopp (Stuttgart, 1967) to explain his compulsive optimism. The Dortmund coach, this year’s Champions League surprise package and German champion in the last two seasons, sports a smile with big teeth and starts to speak.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Five points on Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

“1. Bacary Sagna typifies Arsenal’s defensive performance. The referee had barely put his lips to the whistle when Bacary Sagna punched both arms in the air and let out a cry of both jubilation and relief. Wojciech Szczesny crashed to the floor and held the ball tightly to his chest, knowing that all three points were finally secure. Sunderland had just pelted their 48th cross into the box and a little less than that many long passes, and Arsenal survived them all. When one of them did get through, however, Arsenal had Szczesny to thank (he also made some crucial punches to go with his saves), some wasteful finishing – and Titus Bramble.” The Arsenal Column

Nigeria 1-0 Burkina Faso: Nigeria triumph

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“Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations following a typically tight, tense final. Stephen Keshi was able to select Victor Moses (who had been a doubt) but Emmanuel Emenike was injured, and replaced by Ikechukwu Uche. Paul Put, who has tinkered with his formations and line-ups throughout the tournament, was able to name an unchanged side after Jonathan Pitroipa’s suspension was overturned. This was a disappointing game, both in tactical and entertainment terms. Nigeria played better football, but there were very few shots on target from either side.” Zonal Marking

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Sunday Mba gives Nigeria victory at last
“It says much for the baffling politics of Nigerian football that a week before the Cup of Nations began there were moves afoot in the sports ministry to have Stephen Keshi replaced as coach. And it says much for the 52-year-old’s strength of character, his combination of thick skin, single-mindedness and good humour that he was able to ignore all the distractions so that he stood on the touchline in Johannesburg on Sunday night beaming as only the second man – after the Egyptian Mahmoud El Gohary – to win the Cup of Nations as both player and coach.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Stephen Keshi has worked miracles for Nigeria, but will they keep him?
“Back in 2006, when Stephen Keshi was still manager of Togo, he gave an interview to a handful of journalists in a hotel lobby in northern Cairo. The first time I’d spoken to him, four years earlier in Bamako, he had been lying on a sun lounger by a swimming pool and, metaphorically at least, he still was. Keshi always gives the impression of being laid back. But for a moment, the hardness beneath showed through. ‘Some day,’ he said, ‘I will be coach of Nigeria and then they will know they have a coach.'” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Keshi avoids politics as usual by winning Africa Cup of Nations
“The Cup of Nations, in the end, was won and lost in the thunderstorm in Rustenburg. Nigeria had gone into its quarterfinal with hope but little concrete evidence of its abilities. Then it defeated the perennial favorites, Ivory Coast, 2-1 and discovered a profound sense that it would win the tournament. It went on to hammer Mali 4-1 in the semifinal before beating Burkina Faso 1-0 in Sunday’s final.” SI

Why I’ve fallen out of love with football

“A friend of mine says that when he’s driving and listening to one of the countless football programmes on talk radio, in which fans call in to rant about their team’s manager, opponents, referees, ballboys, et cetera, he feels the urge to phone in himself and say: ‘Have you ever realised it doesn’t really matter?’ That’s how I’ve come to feel about football. I played it until my left knee dissolved into pulp, and have written about it for 25 years, but now I often think: I don’t like the game any more. Partly, this is professional deformation: I’ve got too close to the adored object and seen what it’s really like. But partly, I’m suffering from a condition that is common among middle-aged men yet rarely discussed because it’s considered an embarrassing taboo. Football just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.” FT – Simon Kuper

Tottenham 2-1 Newcastle: all about Gareth Bale

“Gareth Bale scored twice in a match that started slowly, but turned into an exciting contest. Andre Villas-Boas handed a first start to Lewis Holtby – Jermain Defoe was injured, so Clint Dempsey played upfront. Alan Pardew named an unchanged XI from the side that beat Chelsea 3-2 last weekend. This was a relatively unexciting game tactically, but Bale’s half-time switch in position was very interesting.” Zonal Marking

Tactical Analysis: Why are Chelsea playing so badly?

“Chelsea have been poor of late, there is no getting away from it. They have not won a game since beating Arsenal at home two weeks ago, losing one and drawing three in the mean time. Worryingly, one of those draws was to Brentford, one saw them crash out of the League Cup and the other saw them squander a two goal lead to Reading with just five minutes left on the clock. Despite remaining third in the Premier League, Chelsea are slipping, having won just two of their last six league games. The busy period over December and January, where the club played 9 games in each month, is now over and with just four games in February they must re-find form or risk falling out of the top four.” Think Football

Tactical Analysis: Are Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie reviving the strike partnership?

“Since the relative decline in the use of the 4-4-2 we have also witnessed a decline in Premier League strike partnerships. The days of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole appear to be long gone, with most side’s playing with just one central striker. But at Manchester United there are two top strikers scoring goals and playing in the same team; Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. The two players have scored a combined 28 league goals this season, which has been critical to United’s title surge, as the team have scored a massive 60 league goals, compared to 2nd place City’s 47 league goals. So are we witnessing a return to prominence of the strike partnership at Manchester United?” Think Football

Tactical Analysis: Why aren’t Manchester City’s strikers scoring consistently?

“Both of City’s goals at the weekend were scored by their strikers, but in truth, this merely masks the inconsistency of their front men this season. City have generally had a bit of a problem in the goal scoring department this season, compared to last season, which has arguably been a factor in the title race. Manchester United, who signed City target Robin van Persie have scored 60 league goals this season, compared to just 47 for City. A side with such attacking talent should probably be scoring more and much of this is down to a relative drop in form for City’s strikers, compared to last season.” Think Football