When was the last time I posted something? Champions League semifinals?
Well, everything's over. I mean the season of course. The Champions League final, and everything else that comes after that - FA Cup final, Primera Liga and Serie A final fixtures. (Shouldn't the Champions League final be the ultimate climax of the season? Probably it will be next season, Platini said no more midweek final, it will be on a weekend from now on. Nice.)
This season is quite good I would say, from a Liverpool fan point of view. Yeap, we didn't win anything, but to challenge the title right until the second last match of the league season is a great leap from the previous seasons. 86 points is a club record in the Premier League era; in fact, 86 points would win the title in the last seven seasons, but United showed up with 90 (even with two defeats to Liverpool) which must be said an astonishing accomplishment.
United strolled with I-don't-know-how-many consecutive wins (with a slight hiccup of two consecutive defeats, but they continued that winning streak then) and broke the record for the longest clean sheet in English top-flight history. They were seemingly invincible. Even after the humiliating defeat at home, they still continue to win even if unimpressive. They were the best team, according to the man that made it all happen, Alex Ferguson. This best team of his will write the history of the only team to accomplish the unprecedented quintuple.
Then came Rome and they got a huge slap of reality. Came Barcelona - who might have been lucky to be there in the first place, but showed no luck was needed when they conquered Europe - and wrote their own history to become the only club from Spain to achieve the historic treble. If there is any team that is too good not to win everything, it is Barcelona. United were good for 10 minutes, then Eto'o came out with the seemingly smash-and-grab goal. It turned out not to be exactly a smash-and-grab goal. Barca took procession from then on and United made to look mediocre. Their passing was mesmerizing, I have never seen a team stringing more passes through the middle than them. Puyol was a makeshift fullback, I would expect the most defensive-minded player to be defensive. Turned out, he was asking the ball from the flanks, even had a couple of really good shots on target himself. One of them was built from a string of thirty or even forty passes that left United watching. Messi, with all his dribbling prowess, scored with a header. Credits to Iniesta and Xavi, their exquisite darting runs and the most outstanding cross (the cross had to evade Ferdinand - who was probably twice as tall as Messi - and reach his shorter teammate) bossed the midfield. The media revelled at the winner, citing art had won. True enough, art was victorious. When Arsenal went unbeaten a whole season, that was the brand of football played, and it proved, with enough class, that brand of football is irresistable (yup, you need class, that's why Mowbray couldn't keep WBA afloat, too bad).
The FA Cup came later, almost like an anti-climax, but by no mean inferior. FA Cup is still a silverware, and teams like Liverpool and Manchester United got beaten because they were second best against their opponents. Unfortunately, their conquerors, Everton, couldn't find the extra mile to beat their fellow Blues, Chelsea. It was a fitting farewell to Guus Hiddink, an incredible professional who sticks with his job to bring Russia to South Africa (unlike Scolari who told Ronaldo not to bother about club transfers and then himself signing a contract with Chelsea while managing Portugal). Everyone who has worked with Hiddink would know how incredible a manager he is. Yeah, probably they're some helping hands here and there, Essien being fit and all, but no credit should be taken away from him.
So who's the manager of the year? Hiddink did an amazing job boosting the morale of a depleted Chelsea into finishing with a silverware, but he only managed something like 22 games. Pulis did an amazing job to avoid relegation (he did more than just avoid). I don't want anyone to get relegated, but if there is one team that I want to be relegated, it would be Stoke City, because of their frustrating defence, their setpieces and the throw-ins. But hey, he did the job, and Stoke finished a very respectable mid-table, unlike his counterpart Mowbray who insisted in playing beautiful and got relegated. I still like him though for the mentality, if only he had better players to convert the chances. Moyes and O'Neill made a magnificent job to finish the best outside the so-called 'Big Four' but obviously lacked the squad to go the distance, but it was Roy Hodgson who stole the limelight, bringing Fulham from the brink of relegation last season to Europa League this season. Redknapp did outstanding himself, taking Spurs off the bottom to almost Europe. I think Zola did incredibly well himself in his first season, fighting off financial problems and playing out the famed West Ham academy players with some flair to finish top half.
But the one that stands out the tallest to me is Pep Guardiola. Yeah, he has Henry, Messi, Eto'o, Xavi, Iniesta, Krkic at his disposal, but to dish out 150+ goals in one season and a thrashing at the Bernabeu in his maiden season as manager at only 38, you run out of superlatives to describe that. Fact is, nobody scores three digits of goals in a 38-game top flight football season in an elite European league, except Barcelona. Their passes are irresistable, and the possession is tremendous. They make their opponents chase the ball, tiring them - physically and mentally. Even if they lose possession, they have the tenacity to win it back almost instantly. Chelsea were the only team to comprehensively shut them down, and had they got a good ref, they probably would have won against Barca, but it was almost scripted that Europe wants the most entertaining team to win. I still adore Hiddink very much for his tactical triumph against the young Guardiola (although a lot of neutrals hate the defensive approach of Chelsea, but Hiddink knew what it takes to beat Barca and he almost executed it, and defensive play is just as artful as attacking), but throughout the course of the season, Guardiola's team played far more mesmerizing football, and in the future, everyone how comprehensively the final was won and no one will remember how lucky they even got through the semis. Too bad, but that's the truth. Some say, Guardiola never has a plan B, but with that football, he might say, "Who needs?"
In every competition, the best teams have won. There are arguments here and there, controversies everywhere, ongoing debates as to who is better, but that is football, and that is why it is the most celebrated sports in the world. Everything is anti-climax from now on, you probably get to watch highlights and reviews of the season together with some reruns of insignificant matches you already know the results. Come August and everything starts all over again, the rollercoaster ride of emotions as we eagerly wait some bunch of people who don't even know us to lift trophies. For now, there's international football to keep us occupied.
Well, everything's over. I mean the season of course. The Champions League final, and everything else that comes after that - FA Cup final, Primera Liga and Serie A final fixtures. (Shouldn't the Champions League final be the ultimate climax of the season? Probably it will be next season, Platini said no more midweek final, it will be on a weekend from now on. Nice.)
This season is quite good I would say, from a Liverpool fan point of view. Yeap, we didn't win anything, but to challenge the title right until the second last match of the league season is a great leap from the previous seasons. 86 points is a club record in the Premier League era; in fact, 86 points would win the title in the last seven seasons, but United showed up with 90 (even with two defeats to Liverpool) which must be said an astonishing accomplishment.
United strolled with I-don't-know-how-many consecutive wins (with a slight hiccup of two consecutive defeats, but they continued that winning streak then) and broke the record for the longest clean sheet in English top-flight history. They were seemingly invincible. Even after the humiliating defeat at home, they still continue to win even if unimpressive. They were the best team, according to the man that made it all happen, Alex Ferguson. This best team of his will write the history of the only team to accomplish the unprecedented quintuple.
Then came Rome and they got a huge slap of reality. Came Barcelona - who might have been lucky to be there in the first place, but showed no luck was needed when they conquered Europe - and wrote their own history to become the only club from Spain to achieve the historic treble. If there is any team that is too good not to win everything, it is Barcelona. United were good for 10 minutes, then Eto'o came out with the seemingly smash-and-grab goal. It turned out not to be exactly a smash-and-grab goal. Barca took procession from then on and United made to look mediocre. Their passing was mesmerizing, I have never seen a team stringing more passes through the middle than them. Puyol was a makeshift fullback, I would expect the most defensive-minded player to be defensive. Turned out, he was asking the ball from the flanks, even had a couple of really good shots on target himself. One of them was built from a string of thirty or even forty passes that left United watching. Messi, with all his dribbling prowess, scored with a header. Credits to Iniesta and Xavi, their exquisite darting runs and the most outstanding cross (the cross had to evade Ferdinand - who was probably twice as tall as Messi - and reach his shorter teammate) bossed the midfield. The media revelled at the winner, citing art had won. True enough, art was victorious. When Arsenal went unbeaten a whole season, that was the brand of football played, and it proved, with enough class, that brand of football is irresistable (yup, you need class, that's why Mowbray couldn't keep WBA afloat, too bad).
The FA Cup came later, almost like an anti-climax, but by no mean inferior. FA Cup is still a silverware, and teams like Liverpool and Manchester United got beaten because they were second best against their opponents. Unfortunately, their conquerors, Everton, couldn't find the extra mile to beat their fellow Blues, Chelsea. It was a fitting farewell to Guus Hiddink, an incredible professional who sticks with his job to bring Russia to South Africa (unlike Scolari who told Ronaldo not to bother about club transfers and then himself signing a contract with Chelsea while managing Portugal). Everyone who has worked with Hiddink would know how incredible a manager he is. Yeah, probably they're some helping hands here and there, Essien being fit and all, but no credit should be taken away from him.
So who's the manager of the year? Hiddink did an amazing job boosting the morale of a depleted Chelsea into finishing with a silverware, but he only managed something like 22 games. Pulis did an amazing job to avoid relegation (he did more than just avoid). I don't want anyone to get relegated, but if there is one team that I want to be relegated, it would be Stoke City, because of their frustrating defence, their setpieces and the throw-ins. But hey, he did the job, and Stoke finished a very respectable mid-table, unlike his counterpart Mowbray who insisted in playing beautiful and got relegated. I still like him though for the mentality, if only he had better players to convert the chances. Moyes and O'Neill made a magnificent job to finish the best outside the so-called 'Big Four' but obviously lacked the squad to go the distance, but it was Roy Hodgson who stole the limelight, bringing Fulham from the brink of relegation last season to Europa League this season. Redknapp did outstanding himself, taking Spurs off the bottom to almost Europe. I think Zola did incredibly well himself in his first season, fighting off financial problems and playing out the famed West Ham academy players with some flair to finish top half.
But the one that stands out the tallest to me is Pep Guardiola. Yeah, he has Henry, Messi, Eto'o, Xavi, Iniesta, Krkic at his disposal, but to dish out 150+ goals in one season and a thrashing at the Bernabeu in his maiden season as manager at only 38, you run out of superlatives to describe that. Fact is, nobody scores three digits of goals in a 38-game top flight football season in an elite European league, except Barcelona. Their passes are irresistable, and the possession is tremendous. They make their opponents chase the ball, tiring them - physically and mentally. Even if they lose possession, they have the tenacity to win it back almost instantly. Chelsea were the only team to comprehensively shut them down, and had they got a good ref, they probably would have won against Barca, but it was almost scripted that Europe wants the most entertaining team to win. I still adore Hiddink very much for his tactical triumph against the young Guardiola (although a lot of neutrals hate the defensive approach of Chelsea, but Hiddink knew what it takes to beat Barca and he almost executed it, and defensive play is just as artful as attacking), but throughout the course of the season, Guardiola's team played far more mesmerizing football, and in the future, everyone how comprehensively the final was won and no one will remember how lucky they even got through the semis. Too bad, but that's the truth. Some say, Guardiola never has a plan B, but with that football, he might say, "Who needs?"
In every competition, the best teams have won. There are arguments here and there, controversies everywhere, ongoing debates as to who is better, but that is football, and that is why it is the most celebrated sports in the world. Everything is anti-climax from now on, you probably get to watch highlights and reviews of the season together with some reruns of insignificant matches you already know the results. Come August and everything starts all over again, the rollercoaster ride of emotions as we eagerly wait some bunch of people who don't even know us to lift trophies. For now, there's international football to keep us occupied.
No comments:
Post a Comment