Category: Football

The 2018-19 premier league season is without question one of the best in recent times. The brilliant and extremely high quality battle for the title between two wonderful sides (which will be decided on the final day). The energy and freshness that Wolves play with. The scrappy relegation battle. And then there’s the battle for top 4.

Is it exciting? Yes! Is it fun to watch Arsenal, Chelsea and United battle it out? Nope. It genuinely looks like they’re trying to get into next season’s Europa League. To be fair, the way the sides are playing, winning the Champions League next season will be pretty difficult and the Europa League could be what these clubs actually deserve right now. I’m not including Spurs in the conversation for the top 4 race (they have been defeated 13 times and yet will finish comfortably in the top 4. Not sure what that says about the standard of the teams below them…).

Every time one of Chelsea, Arsenal or United drop points and present an opportunity for the other two to catch up/extend their lead, those too drop points! Don’t get me wrong, I love how close and “competitive”(?) this battle is. But the quality on show at times is just appalling. It’s getting to the point where we might as well hand over the 4^th spot to Wolves. At least they play hard every game and it’d be fun to watch them in Europe.

Chelsea and Sarri will probably be the most disappointed if they were to miss out on a top 4 spot considering the way they started the season. For a brief period at the start of the season they were playing the best football in the premier league. But then it happened. The Chelsea dressing room happened. In fighting. Players not giving it their all. Staff not being 100%. The manager losing composure. It all just appears chaotic. Emery has actually done a decent job at Arsenal so far considering the side he has to work with and the quality of the opposition. And it is far too early to judge Ole at United.

These clubs just need to play out the season, maybe give a few youngsters a chance and get the season over with. If they want to even get close to the likes of Liverpool and City, there’s a lot of work to be done. Spending big in one summer won’t do it, because even Liverpool and City will be looking to improve (!). They have to find a way to get the best out of the current crop and find players who fit the team rather than just big names (which is what Chelsea and United tend to do at times). It’s about changing up your systems and thinking outside the box.

When it comes to signing players, Arsenal, Chelsea and United won’t miss out on top targets if they don’t get Champions League football. Chelsea can pay any player anything they want. Arsenal are a big, big club to play for regardless. And United have both history and deep pockets.

Players will come. The job now for the three managers is to focus on the rebuild of their respective teams. Start next season fresh and hungry. Sarri and Emery would have had a full season behind them and be clear on what they want. Ole will have his first pre season and transfer window.

I can see next season being a really good one. This season was a huge slap in the face to the clubs chasing the title contenders and they desperately want to be a part of THAT race. I’ll write one of these review/previews at the end of next season too. Hoping for a similar article title (minus the parentheses!).

One of the greatest managers of all time versus a “big club” rookie. Same club. Same set of players. Very different teams. Polar opposite attitudes.

The biggest rivalry in English, arguably World football, is set to commence on Sunday. The battle between the two biggest clubs has a very different feel than when it did the first time these two played each other in the league. United went to Anfield to avoid defeat. And there’s an argument to be made that not losing in Sunday’s game would’ve been the goal if Jose Mourinho was still at the helm. That’s what his history, and more importantly his attitude would suggest. Attitude. Great word. Many perceptions, many meanings. But it leads to one thing, Impact. Whether that impact is good or bad completely depends on the attitude. Of course, just having a smile on your face and talking jovially hasn’t led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s success. That would be too easy and if it that’s all it took, then Jose Mourinho, Louis Van Gaal or David Moyes would not have had the failures they did. But it is hard to disagree that attitude is the one trait that stands out the most in this new look Man United, or some might say it’s reminiscent of the old school Man United.

For a leader to be effective, he/she must be able to make the team follow him/her subconsciously. It is very easy to inspire a group of people with a rousing speech. Making sure that the inspiration isn’t followed by inaction is where leaders make their money. During a speech or during a team talk, the people around you are using all their energy to focus and pay attention and are making a conscious effort to grasp everything they can. But getting your team, to observe you and ultimately, to follow you is tricky. The team members, knowingly or unknowingly, look at the leader and notice his/her actions. That then feeds into their subconscious. If a lack of effort is witnessed by a team member, there will be a drop in his/her performance too, and the person won’t even realise it. Similarly, if the leader shows extra commitment and a great work ethic, it pushes the team members to take things up a notch.

People, for some reason, can’t seem to give enough credit to Ole for what he has done in such a short amount of time. The argument thrown around is that the only reason he’s found success is because he isn’t Jose Mourinho and that anybody could have done what he did. People also keep saying that it’s simply down to the players and that they should have performed like they have been recently even under previous management. These aren’t valid arguments whatsoever, because what it is implying is that, the manager and his style of management has no impact on the performance of the team, which simply isn’t true. A team is only as good as its leader. And Manchester United are being led by a very good one right now.

So the Barclays Premier League season 2015/16 has come to an end, with Leicester City being crowned champions. Yes, LEICESTER CITY. The club who just about managed to hang on to their premier league status the season before. And they didn’t just cross over the line, they won the title in a pretty comprehensive manner, leaving the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, United and Man City far behind. Spurs were the only other ‘big’ club to have had a decent season and could have been classified as genuine title contenders. Arsenal fans may argue that they finished higher than Tottenham AGAIN, which makes their season more successful than their fierce North London rivals. But for a club the size and stature of Arsenal, a season with no silverware isn’t a good one. Yes, they came second (their highest position in the league in 11 years!), but they still ended up being 9 points behind Leicester City, which simply isn’t good enough. We can analyse all we want about how and why the ‘big’ clubs failed to make a sustained impression this season, but credit where it’s due, Leicester City thoroughly deserved to be crowned champions. Was this season a one-off or will something similar to this happen again? Nobody truly knows the answer, and that’s what makes the Premier League what it is- The most ENTERTAINING league in the world, not necessarily the BEST, but definitely the most intense and unpredictable one.

Let’s now look at where and how the traditional juggernauts of English football improve and strengthen themselves, ‘cause I bet even though they were very open in their appreciation towards Leicester City, they will do whatever it takes to make sure that a season like this doesn’t repeat itself. The fact that none of the ‘Elite’ clubs were in contention to lift the Premier League trophy will irk them. A LOT.

Let’s start off by looking at the club who finished 10^th, the defending champions (former):

CHELSEA:  Now, Chelsea have had a REALLY topsy-turvy season. They started off with a lot of enthusiasm and vigour, Mourinho looking to defend ‘his’ title in what should have been a flawless season, but it was a season to forget. Only after Guus Hiddink was appointed interim manager we could see glimpses of the old Chelsea, and the future looks bright with the appointment of Antonio Conte, which is bound to lift the gloomy atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.

When you look at the squad that they’ve got, one expects them to be competing at the very top level. This is the same team that ran away with the title the previous season. But then again Leicester City won the League with pretty much the same team that flirted with relegation last season, so……

Let’s look at who Chelsea can bring-in and where they can improve in the summer transfer window.

POSITIONS TO STRENGHTEN: Conte will definitely be looking to beef-up his midfield. Pedro looked completely out of sorts in his debut season, Eden Hazard was lacklustre too (though he greatly improved towards the very end of the season). Willian was the one major bright spot in a hugely disappointing campaign. But these are players of very high quality and calibre, the area in midfield that really needs improving is probably the holding midfield spot. Yes, they do have Matic and Fabregas, but the loss of Ramires has had an effect.

The other glaring weakness is in the defence. Ivanovic was torn apart by quick wingers all season long, Zouma suffered an unfortunate injury, and with John Terry seemingly coming to an end of his Chelsea career, that defence really needs some serious reinforcements. Here are some players Chelsea can look at:

Thiago Silva (PSG): Now, what a signing this would be, not just for Chelsea but for the Premier League as well. Thiago Silva is a real leader, he’s shown that with PSG and Brasil, and he is not too shabby a defender as well. He would be the ideal replacement for Terry.

 Paul Pogba (Juventus): This is a guy who absolutely ran the show in Serie A this season. There were a few doubters at the start of the season as to whether Juve, in particular Pogba, would be able to cope with the departures of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, well, he answered them in some style! He is someone who has the desire to be the best and his best years are yet to come. If Chelsea pull this transfer deal off, then he can take them to another level.

Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli): Now, you may be thinking “What is this guy on about? Another striker? Don’t they already have Diego Costa? “, but just hear me out okay? Yeah, I totally agree that Costa is a fantastic player and is their main man right now, but he is almost their only big goal scoring threat. A quality striker like Higuain doesn’t just guarantee goals, but he’ll also make sure that Costa is kept on his toes. Competition for places is very important and Diego Costa doesn’t really have that at Chelsea.

Chelsea also have some great young players coming through who can provide them with that much needed spark. Looking forward to see how they go about in the transfer window.

Now moving on to the next ‘big’ club:

LIVERPOOL: The only reason that Liverpool are in this list is because they are a huge club, not because they have a very good chance of Premier League glory next season. I still think that they need a couple of seasons to overhaul the current squad and then come back really strong competing on all fronts. Liverpool had a very average season again. Within a few weeks Brendon Rodgers was sacked, but the appointment of Jurgen Klopp was a stroke of genius. He is one of the few managers in the world who can bring Liverpool back to the very top level again. He’s got the determination and the connection with the fans to do the job. He understands the club. They still have the chance to end the season on a high with a European trophy and earn themselves a place in next season’s Champions League.

POSITIONS TO STRENGHTEN:  Liverpool are a club that need a massive change. Most of their players are either too old or are injured too often. Like many of the top clubs in England, they do have a terrific group of youngsters, but that isn’t enough. You look at players like Simon Mignolet and Allen, they don’t strike you as Liverpool players. They’re just not good enough to represent a club like Liverpool. Players like Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge provide flair and quality on the ball, but they need top quality players who are willing to run and win the ball back, and then initiate the next attack. They need to find the next Steven Gerrard. They need to find a leader. If you look at the squad that they’ve got and see where they’ve ended up in the league (8^th), it doesn’t surprise you right? It’s a team good enough to challenge the top sides in matches against them, but they lack consistency. Severely. And that needs to change ASAP.

ARSENAL: How many times in the past has this happened? They play some really attractive football, are on top of the league table for a few weeks, and when it’s crunch time, they buckle and just fade away. Granted, they did finish this season strongly, but they didn’t finish the season as champions, which is what they set out to achieve. This season was probably Arsenal’s best chance at the Premier League in recent times as most of the top clubs had faltered, but next season onwards every other major club will be looking to strengthen up and have a real go at the title, also, they have better resources than Arsenal. Majority of the Arsenal supporters were just glad and celebrated to having finished above Spurs and come second in the league. That shouldn’t be something to celebrate over! Arsenal should be competing for the title! They shouldn’t be content with just finishing above their rivals.

POSITIONS TO STRENGHTEN: I don’t think that Arsenal need to spend a fortune in the transfer window, just a few areas to improve the squad. For me, the main problem with Arsenal lies in the Club’s and the player’s attitudes. They need to become tougher mentally. They need another Viera or a Campbell type of character, who can rally the team along during tough situations. That’s not to say that their team is perfect in terms of quality at the moment. Here are a few players that Arsene Wenger may be looking to bring in:

Granit Xhaka (Borussia Mönchengladbach): Xhaka is a Swiss international who is currently contracted to Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany. He’s a nifty little player, reliable on the ball, and can pick a pass as well. He’s got a very bright future, so if Arsenal are serious about him then they better hurry, because there are other clubs circling around for his signature.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Free Agent): Everyone knows that Arsenal need a top quality striker and who better that Zlatan. With him in the side, all of a sudden Arsenal look formidable. The best part is that he is a free agent. The only thing that could prove to be an obstacle are his wages. Arsenal will have to fight off stiff competition from fellow Premier League Giants Man United and also clubs from the MLS.

Whoever Wenger decides to go for, it needs to be someone who can intimidate the opponents just by being named on the team sheet. They need a proven goal scorer who can shoot them towards the title, who knows next season may be his final shot at the Premier League…….

MANCHESTER CITY: Man City will be looking for a fresh start next season. With Pep Guardiola arriving, it should be an exciting season and an exciting transfer window. Who will he acquire, or more importantly, who will he axe from the squad?! He already got rid of Yaya Toure once before in his career, when he was at the helm at Barca. Will the two part ways again? Will he want to have a constantly injured Kompany around? Will he give the youngsters like Kelechi Iheanacho a chance to show their worth? Many questions will be answered this summer. Pep will definitely want to stack up his defence though and will have to fight off competition from Chelsea who also need to strengthen that area of the pitch.      

 POSITIONS TO STRENGHTEN: Or rather POSITION to strengthen. Once they get their defence sorted, City will again begin to look like a powerhouse side capable of blowing teams away. Scoring goals has never been the problem for Manchester City, it’s the other end of the pitch they need to worry about. Let’s have a look at possible transfer targets:

Thiago Silva (PSG): If Chelsea can afford him then Manchester City surely can. Money isn’t an issue for the club and they also have the added appeal of being managed by arguably the best manager in the world. Again, Thiago Silva brings more than just quality to the game, he has a strong character and that is needed to succeed at a club like City. For example: Mangala is a terrific young defender, but sometimes he looks like he’s all over the place, someone like Thiago Silva would be a perfect partner alongside him. Or imagine him and Vincent Kompany as the central defence, certainly a very intimidating prospect for opposition strikers isn’t it!?!

Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid): Godin has already played against some of the best forwards in the world in La Liga (don’t really need to name the attackers do I?) and has been rock solid in defence. He is one of the main reasons for Atletico’s immense success, both in Spain as well as in the rest of Europe. Handling the physical aspect of the Premier League should not be a huge issue, as his game is VERY ‘physical’. But getting Atletico to sell him will be really difficult.

Marquinhos (PSG): Another PSG player on the list. Marquinhos is a very athletic and talented young defender. He can be the player that everyone expected Mangala to be. There are doubts over his future at the Parc des Princes, and if he is available on the market, City should make a move, as there won’t be a shortage of suitors for his signature.

But whatever happens in the transfer window, the next few years will be the most exciting in Manchester City’s history.

Now on to the last club that we’ll be looking at:

MANCHESTER UNITED: United were expected to challenge for the title this season, but fell miserably short. This season has been one to forget (been saying that for the past 3 seasons though). The fans are really starting to show their anger and frustration towards Louis Van Gaal and his style of play, and rightly so. The football witnessed at Old Trafford has been awful. Football should be exciting to watch at this club. Where is ‘The United Way’ of playing football? Watching Real Madrid’s football is like watching aircrafts in formation, watching Bayern Munich is like enjoying an orchestra, and United? Well it’s like being in a library. Something has to change. Even if they do finish the season with the F.A. Cup trophy, it doesn’t make it a successful season. No champions league football again next season, it’s what United deserve, and on the basis of the performance that has been displayed this season, you can’t argue with that. There is still unrest within the club as well.

United have good players, maybe not good enough to win the Champions League, but definitely good enough to compete for the league title. That main problem with United is that Van Gaal isn’t ready to ditch his so called ‘philosophy’ and adapt. He is a great manager, and he’s proven that over the years already, but to manage the biggest club in the world and be content with an F.A. Cup winner’s medal isn’t good enough. Just like Arsenal, a change in mentality is a bigger priority than change in personnel. But this squad still needs to improve if they are to compete with Britain’s and Europe’s best. Let’s have a look at United’s potential summer buys:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Free Agent): EVERYONE has been talking about this story. ‘Ibra’ would make a wonderful addition to any squad in the world. He can prove to be the next Cantona for United, and God knows how badly United have needed a character like him over the past few years. He would also bring a wealth of experience to the youngsters at United. The inspiration and knowledge that they can gain from him will prove to be invaluable. Money isn’t an issue for United, they can easily out muscle any club in the world for his signature.

Paul Pogba (Juventus): A former United player who makes EVERY United supporter pull his/her hair in frustration as to why United let him go. He has developed into one of the best midfielders in the world and from here on he can only improve. If United do manage to get their hands on him, he could finally fill in the void left by Paul Scholes. A big negative this season has been the amount of sideways and backwards passing, Pogba can provide the necessary creativity and incision required.

Samir Handanovic (Inter): With growing speculation that David De Gea might swap Old Trafford for the Santiago Bernabeu, United will want to start looking for possible replacements. The Inter shot-stopper is a top quality keeper and could well be the next No. 1 for United.

Romelu Lukaku (Everton): Lukaku has publicly stated his love for United, and he may want to make the change to United Red from Everton Blue this summer. United cannot just rely on one striker to do the job, the biggest problem this season has been scoring goals, and Lukaku will provide that. He knows the Premier League well, and would be the ideal No. 9 for United.

United need to go big AGAIN this summer, the quality just isn’t there, even after spending a quarter of a billion Pounds. There is also a dire need for a change in the temperament. If Van Gaal is not sacked, many United fans will be disappointed, but all he really needs to do to better the situation is adapt and alter his mind-set.

So the transfer merry go round is all set to begin again, players, managers, coaches, everyone will be alert. Even though the summer will be dominated by the European Championships in France, the transfer window will not be a dull one; with other clubs rising to challenge the traditional giants and disrupt the status-quo; the bigger clubs fighting back to make sure that the 2015/16 season is a one-off. Fasten your seat-belts guys, It’s gonna be a hell of a summer this time round!

If the Dutchman is actually leaving, who is likely to take over?

With Pep Guardiola agreeing to manage Manchester City from next season, and with Chelsea looking as favorites to land Massimiliano Allegri next season, United wouldn’t want to be left behind, and with growing speculation that Louis Van Gaal is set to depart United this summer, let us take a look at the potential candidates to replace LVG at United and analyze them a little bit, look at the pros and cons. Keep in mind that football is VERY unpredictable (one look at the Premier League table illustrates this perfectly), so the ‘cons’ that are mentioned below may not turn out to be cons at all. The managers may take up the job with a whole different approach.

So let’s jump right in and view the candidates who could take over from Van Gaal in the near future.

1.   Jose Mourinho: Mourinho is probably in pole position to land the United job right now. According to reuters, Mourinho has apparently told his close friends that he’ll be managing at Old Trafford from next season,(if his friends have revealed something to the press then I’m not quite sure how good these ‘close friends’ are!) but until this is confirmed we can just speculate.

 PROS: Mourinho has always had a special feeling towards United and he’s made that pretty clear. He’s got the charisma, swagger and just the right amount of arrogance one needs to run a club like United. Mourinho is a winner and he’s proven that time and time again, across some of Europe’s biggest leagues. His record at home (for all the clubs that he has managed) is phenomenal, up until this season, he was unbeaten at home for NINE years! His methods might not have been popular but he knew how to get his team across the line. He also has the ability to attract some of Europe’s biggest players. The ‘Special One’ was always seen as the heir to Sir Alex’s ‘throne’. And lastly the chance of resuming the Mourinho-Guardiola rivalry, this time in the same city! Seems like a mouthwatering prospect, and would take the Manchester Derby to another level!

CONS: Despite his impressive record, the higher ups at United are not too fond of the controversial Portuguese (surprise surprise), Bobby Charlton had said that despite his record, he isn’t a United manager due to his demeanor. An example of this is when he fought (he actually physically fought!) Pep Guardiola during their time in Spain, while that may spice things up both on and off the field, it isn’t how a Man United manager should carry himself. Another problem may be that, there is no Football Director at United, which is why the transfer dealings are conducted by Ed Woodward (chief exec). Mourinho though, would want total control when it comes to identifying and acquiring transfer targets, so this could be an issue as well. The futures of a few of the current United stars could be in danger as well (Juan Mata is the most obvious name that comes to mind). But arguably the biggest worry that a United fan will have is whether Jose Mourinho would continue to blood-in youngsters into the first team, he generally tends to go for proven and experienced players.

  If he does get to manage United, then maybe he will alter his methods slightly, you never know.

2.   Mauricio Pochettino: The Spurs manager is doing a brilliant job at the moment in turning Tottenham Hotspurs from a top 5 team to genuine title contenders. He has been very impressive this season; in a recent interview Sir Alex Ferguson said that Pochettino is the best manager in the Premier League. Along with Mourinho he’s being heavily linked with the United job.

PROS: Pochettino is a manager who demands 100% in every training session and works his players to their limits. Some of you may say that even Van Gaal is a very demanding coach in training, agreed, but just look at the number of injuries that occur during training sessions under Van Gaal… There have been numerous reports of players being frustrated with LVG’s training methods, but the Spurs players seem to be enjoying the intense training under Pochettino. Clearly Mauricio Pochettino is doing something right then. Unlike with Mourinho, the United hierarchy appreciate the way Pochettino manages his players. He is also someone who isn’t afraid to give youngsters a chance (Harry Kane, Alli, Mason, Eric Dier etc), that is a quality that the United fans would love to see.

CONS: Even though Pochettino is doing very well at Spurs, and he also did a fantastic job at Southampton prior to this, he is still lacking in one major department- Trophies. He is no doubt very talented, but he is yet to win a title in England. So…. very talented but short in the silverware area, sounds a bit too similar to David Moyes doesn’t it!?! He will have to change his mentality and attitude a bit if he is to manage a club the size of United, which isn’t beyond him.

  Personally I think that Pochettino is a brilliant manager, but he just needs a couple of trophies (doesn’t matter whether it is the FA Cup or the League Cup) before taking the next step in his managerial career.

3.   Ryan Giggs: The current number two at the club under Van Gaal, Giggs seems to be destined to become the main man at United. Almost everyone associated with the club share this thought, and he seems ready to take on the challenge.

PROS: Ryan ‘Giggsy’ Giggs is a United legend. He is such a big character and influence that the previous sentence somehow feels like an understatement! The respect that he commands is phenomenal. There is an aura about him. He seems to have the backing of the board members, the current manager and even the former manager. And like Mourinho, he too can bring in big name signings (maybe someone like a Gareth Bale, who idolizes Ryan Giggs). If he were to succeed Van Gaal at United, it would be like a dream come true for the fans as well as for Giggs himself! He is somebody who understands the club inside-out. He knows that the way United are currently playing isn’t ‘United’ enough. The free-flowing football with wave after wave of attack is what United are used to, it is what Ryan Giggs himself is used to. And because he was part of an era that was dominated by United, he knows what is needed to bring success, excitement and the ‘fear factor’ back to Old Trafford.

CONS: Ryan Giggs faces a similar problem to Pochettino, he is yet to prove himself at the highest level of management. It might be better for him to go out and take up a managerial job and work his way up rather than immediately take over at United. The transition from player to manager isn’t easy, case in point- Gary Neville at Valencia. Neville is yet to register a win! There is no doubt that he will turn it around, Valencia are good enough to overcome this tough spell, but until that happens there is a lot of pressure on Neville; and the fans of the Spanish giants are letting their feelings known. Giggs may face a similar situation in the beginning if he faces a rough period at the start of his ‘journey’, which is why it would be better if that happened elsewhere rather than at United, considering that he is an icon at the club. Man United fans are probably the most demanding supporters in the world along with the Real Madrid supporters. If Giggs were to ‘fail’ at United right away, there is a risk of the fantastic work done by him as a player to be somewhat overshadowed. Once he gets some experience, he will be better prepared/equipped to deal with complicated situations which any manager is bound to face.

 Ryan Giggs is certainly a fan favorite and if he will take over at United, I’m sure he would be a very popular manager as well and he will certainly have the backing of the fans and the club’s hierarchy.

These three managers seem to be the most likely prospects to become the next United manager. They are all very talented and have tremendous potential to turn United into the force they once were.

If you think there are any other managers who are suitable for this job you can let me know by commenting below!

Also you guys can comment below and give your opinion as to who should replace Van Gaal, or whether he should be replaced at all!

“Manchester United will be there or there about, but I’m not so sure that they can win the league/cup”, This is what almost every football ‘expert’ says at the start of every season. Only to be proved wrong time and time again. But in the past few years, the ‘pundits’ are winning the battle. David Moyes failed spectacularly in succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson, but to be fair to him, it was just about the most challenging job in football management. It was always going to be easier for the man succeeding the successor of Sir Alex, as Louis Van Gaal has shown. But even after the current trophy-less spell that United are having to go through, there is still a sense that eventually everything is going to fall in place, and that they will once again reach the pinnacle of world football. Just a quick glance at the history of this footballing institution justifies my point. The club is built on overcoming rough periods. The best example of this is probably the 1998-99 season. United won the treble that season, they won almost everything that there was to win. Now, after reading the previous sentence you might be thinking that they blew away their competition and steam-rolled towards the title, but it was never going to be such a comfortable season. They won the FA Cup after a tense cup-tie against Arsenal, where a certain Ryan Giggs produced one of the most magical moments in football. Just prior to that goal, Peter Schmeichel had saved a penalty. The league title was one in a hard fought 2-1 victory against Spurs in a must-win game. The whole season was littered with incidents like these where United showed true character (a word that Brendan Rodgers is quite familiar with!). That season United just found a way to get over the line, they had the right amount of dedication, commitment, talent, leadership and just the right amount of ‘magic’. At times they would destroy teams with their attacking display, or they would dig in and grind out a result if they needed to, but they would always find a way to get past the hurdle. The European Cup final between Bayern Munich and United probably sums up their season the best. Those 90 minutes were like the perfect summary of the season and was the perfect conclusion to this roller-coaster of a season. Bayern get an early goal, they batter United the whole game, who have just the right amount of luck on their side. Bayern hit the post and the cross-bar, and it was in moments like these where you begin to think whether it’s just meant to be. Sir Alex brings on two strikers towards the end of the game to stretch the game. 90 minutes were up, United started getting into their groove. Then the referee indicated 3 minutes of stoppage time. There was a feeling that United would find something, they always did, Beckham swung in from a corner and Teddy Sheringham scored the equalizer. The whole stadium erupted. One minute to go and United won another corner. David Beckham jogged over to the corner flag to take the corner, and then EVERY United fan knows what happened next ,” Beckham, into Sheringham! And SOLSKJAER HAS WON IT! Manchester United are the champions of Europe, once again!” (Don’t lie! you read it as if you were commentating, didn’t you!). You walk up to any Man Utd fan and he/she will be more familiar with those lines than with his/her own country’s national anthem! This was just a small, yet very important, piece of history that made United what they are today- the biggest club on Earth.     

Another example is Sir Alex’s final season in football management. They eventually won the league title by a landslide, and took back ‘their’ title from their ‘noisy neighbors’, but they had to fight hard and the season was filled with come-back victories. United, especially under Alex Ferguson, came to be known as the ‘Come-back Kings’.

Every time somebody doubts United, all they have to do is take a look at the club’s history. There are many who fear that the Red Devils (as they are colloquially known) could follow the path of their great rivals Liverpool. Liverpool were THE club of the 1980s. But then they stopped evolving and are now competing for a top 5 finish in the league, which is not a very high target for a club that has FIVE European trophies (I’m not jealous, okay maybe just a little) and EIGHTEEN League titles to its name, just saying. The reason that United will not go down that path is because of the sheer size of the club, they are represented in more countries than McDonald’s! (United managed to beat somebody who deals with food, FOOD! That’s something people literally die over and yet Manchester United FC are better known! Just let that sink in). They are also one of the richest clubs in the world, if not THE richest. So getting out of a sticky situation like the one they are currently facing isn’t THAT big of an issue. They can quite literally buy their way out of trouble, and they are doing just that. This new money-ball approach may not be ingrained in their tradition, but it is necessary. That’s where Liverpool went wrong, they didn’t change, and nobody made an effort to go against the club’s hierarchy to enforce positive changes. Revolution is the cause of Evolution. If you start stagnating, those around you will leave you behind, and in today’s fast-paced world, staying still is going to feel like moving backwards.

Date- Feb 6th, Year- 1958, Time- 03:04. This is when the ‘Munich Air Disaster’ had occurred. Many of United’s finest players and so many other people were so abruptly taken away from the world. Much of the club’s history is built off of that very tragedy, that was the team that Sir Matt Busby was so proud of, that was the team that should’ve conquered Europe, they could become the first English team to win the European Cup, it was a cruel way to be denied that honor. United was Sir Matt Busby’s “heaven”. But in true United fashion they still managed to complete that feat in the 1968 European Cup against Benfica. Sir Matt Busby had finally reached the ‘promised land’. To get over such a tragedy, to rise above the flames, was in itself a great achievement and it all culminated in winning the European Cup.

There is a beautiful poem that remembers the people who lost their lives on that fateful day in Munich, that shows the spirit of United:

“A broken heart, a broken dream,
A broken plane, a broken team,
No words were said, a silent vow.
We loved you then, we love you now.
The Red flag will always fly,
For Man United never die.”

No matter how big a challenge, they will succeed again, it’s in their blood. United will rise again.

SO! It’s OFFICIAL now! India will host the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup! What a huge opportunity for the country. This is going to be the biggest sporting event that India has hosted on an international scale. Now, you guys (particularly the cricket-crazy Indian sports fans!) might be wondering,” Wait a minute, didn’t India host the ICC Cricket ODI World Cup in 2011, and aren’t they also the hosts for the ICC 2016 T20 Cricket World Cup?!? Surely these events are bigger and harder to organize, right?!”, well, it’s a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sorta thing. You see, cricket is a pretty big deal in India, no doubt about it, but on a worldwide scale, football( or ‘soccer’ for y’all ‘mericans! ) pretty much dwarfs cricket. Whether it’s in terms of revenue, spectators etc, football is bigger and much more influential. The number of worldwide TV viewers, the average attendance figures in the stadia etc will be at a level never experienced before. An estimated 300 million Indians will be following the event, along with an estimated 600 million television audience. With a population of over 1 billion, there is also a great potential to tap the Indian market through sale of merchandise and services. Stuff like this could forever change the history of the sport in India.

      The fact that India is hosting the world cup at the youth level should be noted. This could be very significant in its own development of the sport. Everything starts at the youth level, developing and nurturing talent when it is raw, and guiding it to be the finished product it deserves to become. Youth academies are one of the, if not the, most important part in a young footballer’s career. Just take a look at some of the ‘top’ or ‘big’ football clubs in the world, Barcelona have got ‘La Masia’- they’ve produced arguably the best footballer of this generation in Messi, Manchester United had their famous ‘Class of ‘92’ batch of footballers ,and all of them have acquired legendary status at the club. Similarly, look at Real Madrid, Santos FC, Southampton, Liverpool, Milan (both A.C and Inter), Bayern Munich and the list goes on and on. Each and every one of them puts a lot of emphasis on youth development, it’s, simply put, the way forward. It’s not just the traditional powerhouses of football that do this. The clubs that are owned by billionaires and the ones that aren’t as ‘big’ as their rivals also focus a lot of resources on younger players and their development. For example, Manchester City virtually bought their way to their first Premier League title in 2012, but they have since given a lot of importance and finances to their youth academy, and it’s one of the best in England now. Same goes for Paris St. Germain in France. These clubs are a great example for India, in the sense that even if you start late, and if the effort is put in, then results will inevitably arrive. Nobody is born a star……( Well, maybe Sachin Tendulkar and Leo Messi are exceptions!! )

     The under-17 tournament can be the perfect stepping stone for India in so many ways. It will be the first time that India will participate in a football world cup. The senior team can use this as motivation to qualify for the FIFA world cup in the years to come. The younger generation of Indian sports fans can witness a great sporting event and maybe they can gain inspiration to represent their nation one day….

    The AIFF ( All India Football Federation ) must start building more youth level academies, conduct more under- 17 and 16 level tournaments, start advertising more, organize more youth camps and just generally give a little more interest towards the ‘lower’ levels of Indian football. The talent, potential and resources are all right there, nobody can say that “ it is a matter of finding the right mix, since the ingredients are available, but rather about finding the right method to mix them and find the right ‘mixer’(if that makes any sense!)”.

    In 2012 Sepp Blatter(The then President of FIFA) visited India and called Indian football a ‘sleeping giant’, well, it’s high time that the giant woke up. Indian football is like the ‘Kumbhkarn’( If you don’t know who that is, then I would highly suggest that you google it!!) of the footballing world!! It sleeps for a helluva long time! Let’s just hope that like Kumbhkarn, once football in India awakens it stays wide awake for a long time as well!!