Belgium: A Coach Short of a Rising Force!

There is one team in Europe that will not be present at the Euros this summer that has the potential to have a big impact at the next World Cup. That team is Belgium. 

Renowned for their wonderful talents of the 1980’s and 90’s and  a successful World Cup and European record during that time, not much has gone right for the Red Devils since. Looking back at their history of players during that time its a who’s who of European football legends: Eric Gerets, Ludovic Koeck, Marc Vercauteren, Jan Caulemans, Enzo Scifo, Michel Preudhomme and Marc Wilmots all left a significant mark on the European stage.

 

Since then however the talent pool dried up and Belgian football went into steady decline. The 2000’s have proven to be fruitless years for the Belgians with little success or recognition on the international stage.

 

The current crop of young players making their mark at club and international level however look set to change all that in the near future. In goals the young 19 year old Atletico keeper Courtouis had a splendid season showing real class, maturity and reflexes. His performace in the Europa League Final was one of maturity and presence, amazing for someone so young.  The defence is stocked with well renowned players playing at the highest level. Vermaelen of Arsenal and Kompany of Man City form a formidable partnership at centre back, with the highly rated Ajax captain Vertonghen plays at left back. At right back, Aldeweireld also playing at Ajax, has shown glimpses of potential at the highest level.

 

The midfield has the irrepressible Fellaini of Everton and a player I hugely admire, Axel Witsel of Benfica pulling the strings. He is one of those midfielders that seems to have it all, able to dictate the play and score but also work hard and cover the defence. On the wings is probably the most wanted man in European football at the moment, Eden Hazard, hugely skilful and capable of frequent scoring. Mertens of PSV has had an outstanding season and reminds me of Marc Overmars with his small stature and pace on the dribble. The talented youngster DeBruyne has recently been signed by no less than Champions League winners Chelsea.

 

The striking department has the young striker of Olympiacos Mirailas who has has also had an outstanding and prolific season. Partnered with Dembele of Fulham, Belgium on paper looks like a dangerous team with skilful imaginative attacking players and an experienced and solid defence. The highly rated Chelsea youngster Lukaku also waits for his chance should he develop into the striker people predict he will be.

 

Their results thus far may not have been spectacular and they are currently without a full time coach, but should the Belgian Football Association get it right and appoint the right man to guide this young and talented team, they should be able to qualify and make a mark at the next World Cup in Brazil 2014.  Belgium has a high profile friendly match against England this weekend. Regardless of the result, the appointment of the right coach in the very near future might see Belgium as a rising force on the world stage once more. 

EURO 2012 PREVIEW

With the European Championships around the corner it's worth having a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team and evaluate their likely line-ups.  Every international tournament springs surprises and the likes of Greece, Denmark, Ireland and Ukraine will be hopeful they might be the ones this time round however the playing field seems to be stronger than ever.  The heavyweights of Spain and Germany appear too strong on paper and in terms of current form but if there's anything this European league season has taught us, it's that anything is possible with luck and a good game plan.. 


Group A

Group A is probably the most open of the four groups. The battle for top spot is likely to be between Poland and Greece however Russia may cause a surprise as they did at Euro 2008. The Czech Republic lacks the quality to progress further.

 

Poland:  4-2-3-1 Szczesny; Piszcek Wasilewski Perquis Warwzyniak; Polanski Murawski; Blaszykowski Obraniak Peszko; Lewandowski 

Strengths: Home ground advantage, a centre forward in top form, a fine goalkeeper 

Weaknesses: Lack of experience at this level, fans pressure and lack of midfield quality

Watch out for: Scezcny, Piszcek, Lewandowski

 

Greece: 4-3-3 Tzorvas; Torosidis  Papadopoulos Papastathopoulos Holebas; Karagounis, Katsouranis Tziolis; Ninis Gekas Samaras

Strengths: Creative attacking mids/strikers, patience that is required at this level, a more attacking attitude than the past

Weaknesses: New defence lacks experience at international level, lack of speed in transition.  

Watch out for: Papastathopoulos, Ninis, Samaras

 

Russia:   4-4-2 Malafeev; Anyukov Berezutsky Ignashevich Zhirkov; Denisov Semshov Zyryanov Dzakoev; Arshavin Pavlyuchenko

Strengths: Experience from Euro 2008, good crowd support, tricky forwards.  

Weaknesses: Key players past their best, loss of surprise element 

Watch out for: Berezutsky, Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko

Czech R.:   4-5-1 Cech; GebreSelasie Sivok Kadlec Limbersky; Stajner Plasil Rosicky Jiracek Rezek ; Baros

Strengths: A goalkeeper in top form, organisation, swift counter attacks

Weaknesses: No real X-factor, if Rosicky is kept quiet then lack of creativity will hinder them.  

Watch out for: Cech, Kadlec, Rosicky

Group B

The Group of Death! The Germans will most likely dominate however Holland and Portugal will push them all the way. Winner of these two will be very dangerous in knockout rounds.The Danes will also cause an upset at some point.

 

Germany   4-2-3-1 Neuer; Lahm Boateng Hummels Badstuber; Schweinsteiger Khedira; Ozil Reus Podolski; Gomez

 

Strengths: Extremely quick transition into attack, abundant world class options in attack, movement in final third

Weaknesses: Defence not up to standard of predecessors, a tough first round group may push them hard too early

Watch out for: Hummels, Ozil, Reus

Holland    4-3-3 Stekelenburg; VDWiel Heitinga Mathijsen Anita; Strootman VBommel Snejder; Kuyt VPersie Robben

Strengths: Familiarity with system, exceptional strikers, team with lots of experience at the highest level 

Weaknesses: Left back a problem, Sneijder and Kuyt not the players of 2 years ago, clash with Portugal a must win 

Watch out for: VDWiel, Strootman, Van Persie

Portugal   4-3-3 Patricio; Bosingwa Alves Pepe Contreao; Moutinho Veloso Meireles; Nani Postiga Ronaldo 

Strengths: The form of Ronaldo, very dangerous wingers, solid and technical midfield and defence  

Weaknesses: Lack of international class centre forward and goalkeeper.  

Watch out for: Pepe, Moutinho, Ronaldo

Denmark  4-3-3 Sorensen; Jacobsen Kjaer Agger Poulsen; Eriksen Kvist Zimling; Rommehdahl Bendtner KrohnDehli  

 

Strengths: Fast hungry players, experts of the 4-3-3 system, directness  

Weaknesses: Defence will be severely tested, placed in Group of Death, over-reliance on wing play

Watch out for: Agger, Eriksen, Bendtner

Group C

Spain is the hot favourite for the tournament and only Italy can seriously test them from this group. Croatia are not to be underestimated and have the class to progress but Ireland may find themselves out of their league. 

 

Spain:   4-2-3-1  Casillas; Arbeloa Ramos Pique Alba; Xavi Alonso; Silva Fabregas Iniesta; Soldado  

Strengths: Ball possession, combination play, most technical players in Europe, strongest midfield in the world. 

Weaknesses: Possible rift between Madrid/Barcelona players, loss of Puyol in defence and Villa in attack

Watch out for: Iniesta, Fabregas, Soldado.

Italy  4-4-2 Buffon; Abate Barzagli Bonucci Chiellini; Marchisio Pirlo Montolivo DeRossi ; Cassano Balotelli

 

Strengths: Tactical discipline, strong options in midfield, unpredictable in attack

Weaknesses: Centre backs not proven on international stage, lack of width in attack

Watch out for: Pirlo, Cassano, Balotelli 

 

Croatia    4-4-2 Pletikosa; Corluka Simunic Schildenfeld Vida; Srna, Modric, Kranjcar Rakitic; Mandzukic Jelavic

Strengths: Skilful playmakers, dangerous forwards,

Weaknesses: Do not respond well to adversity, defenders likely to overdo fouls, drawn against two super powers

Watch out for: Corluka, Modric, Jelavic

Ireland     4-4-2 Given; Kelly O'Shea Dunne Ward; McClean Whelan Andrews Duff; Keane Doyle

Strengths: Coach with vast experience and tactical ability, fighting quality of team, defensive organisation.  

Weaknesses: Lack of a quality centre forward, key players past their peak, majority of players untested at this level

Watch out for: O'Shea, McClean, Keane,

Group D

Group D should be a fight between France and England. England can expect Rooney to play like an uncaged lion when he returns from suspension but both they and France do have their weaknesses. Ukraine/Sweden lack the necessary quality to beat them but anything is possible with the right tactical plan and will provide stern tests.  

 

France    4-2-3-1 Lloris; Koscielny Mexes Rami Evra; Cabaye MVila; Nasri Valbuena Ribery; Benzema 

Strengths: Hungry and determined to make amends for disappointing World Cup, lethal world class players in attack.

Weaknesses: Lack of experience in midfield, loss of Sagna and Abidal in defence due to injury 

Watch out for: Rami, Ribery, Benzema

England   4-2-3-1  Hart; Johnson Cahill Terry Cole; Lampard Barry; Walcott Gerrard Young; Rooney

 

Strengths: Expereinced and talented players all over the pitch, the form of Chelsea players

Weaknesses: Coach appointed too late, loss of playmaker (Wilshere), loss of Rooney for first 2 games due to suspension

Watch out for: Cole, Gerrard, Rooney

Ukraine   4-4-2  Piyatov; Kusher Rakitskiy Shevchuk Mikhalik; Gusev Rotan Tymoschenko Yarmolenko; Voronin Shevchenko

Strengths: Home support, surprise element, core of Shaktar players experienced in Champions League football  

Weaknesses: lack of creative midfielder, poor current form, loss of goalkeeper due to injury, forwards well past their best

Watch out for: Shevchuk, Timoschenko, Shevchenko

Sweden    4-4-2 Issakson; Grandqvist Mellberg Olsson Olsson; Elm Kjallstrom Svensson Toivonen; Elmander Ibrahimovic

Strengths: The form of Ibrahimovic, tactical organisation, always tough to beat. 

Weaknesses: Two old and mighty adversaries in their group, back four not up to international standard

Watch out for: Mellberg, Kjallstrom, Ibrahimovic

 

PREDICTION There is no one in the world willing to bet against Spain and Germany meeting in the final, however should Italy and Portugal advance into the knockout rounds from their tough groups I expect them to provide a serious challenge to the favourites in the semi finals. Greece is my tip of the 'smaller' nations to cause a major upset. 

I believe Spain will take out the title once more, there is simply too much class through the team and they are all on the same wavelength and play fantastic football. Only a game of missed scoring opportunities can stop them. 

Success Of A-League Depends On Football Fans

The end of season upheavals in the A-League have left Australian football fans wondering what more could go wrong with the game in this country. From threatening club owners, folding clubs and others in the red it seems Football Federation Australia is constantly under fire.

 

One of the fundamental causes for the problems mentioned is the poor crowd numbers seen across the league. The issue was reinforced in my mind when watching the Central Coast Mariners playing a preliminary Grand Final in front of empty stands. So what can we attribute this lack of interest to? Is it fair to state that the FFA has caused all this due to lack of marketing and bad contract deals?

 

There is no doubt that marketing is a key component when trying to attract crowds, particularly for a new product or competition. But the A-League after 7 seasons is not a new product and should be able to attract fans keen to finally be a part of a football culture in Australia. Unless they have been hiding under a rock, everyone now knows the existence of the A-League clubs, so why are the football fans not attending? 

The football fans I refer to range from those whose origins are from migrant communities and have grown up with the game to all the new football fans that embraced the Socceroos during the 2006 World Cup; from the ones who love to watch their kids play and all the the thousands that are involved in the game at grass roots; even the thousands that may not actively participate in the game but love to watch and talk about the glamorous leagues of Europe. We are not talking about a few thousand, but hundreds of thousands of people.

 

So given the above why is the league still struggling to get more than a few thousand to a game? A significant part of the blame I believe, and I say this with the risk of putting readers offside (pardon the pun), has to be apportioned to the football fans themselves! Not the ones who do attend of course but the majority that don't.

 

The FFA has perhaps not done everything perfectly but they have planted the seeds for the game to develop. The A-League is a competition with a decent standard of football, perhaps not the greatest level you could see on the global stage but skilful and entertaining enough for any football fan to enjoy. It's played in impressive facilities and a safe environment. The fact that it is usually played on balmy summer evenings away from competing football codes should also be an attraction. Add to that classy Socceroos that have played at the highest level, a number of technically gifted foreign recruits, emerging young Australian talent and entertaining high scoring (mostly) games.  

Speaking from a personal level, I know how many football fans there are around me and how many attend and I hate to report that the majority don’t participate. Could you imagine if for one weekend all of Australia’s football fans attended the matches how full the stadiums would be?

 

Reasons for not turning up are varied and some are justified. However there are other fans such as the so-called Euro snobs, fans that believe the standard of the A-League is not comparable to European football and therefore choose not to watch it. There are also fans of the old National Soccer League that don’t want to support the new league as their NSL club was harshly treated when the A-League was created.

 

As far as I’m concerned these reasons for non-attendance are not fair on the local game, because the truth is that unless Australia’s football fans unite and support the A-League then it will always be a second rate competition in the eyes of the media, and the standard of the competition will never rival Europe’s leagues and grow both in playing standard and wealth. 

Greater crowd attendance leads to increased media coverage and in turn increased revenue from sponsorship, resulting in more money in the game. Ultimately the standard rises by being able to attract better coaches and players with the increased wealth of clubs. 

It’s a vicious cycle: fans blame either the standard of the game or the lack of media coverage for non-attendance , yet don’t turn up to the stadiums to convince the media it is a competition worth reporting and helping the game grow. If the FFA solves most of its off field dramas next season then all the football fans can also do their bit for the game: attend matches!  

* photo from The Age

Will Melbourne Victory play like Brisbane Roar?

With the terrible 11/12 season over and the announcement of Ange Postecoglou as the new coach for next season, Melbourne Victory fans are looking forward to better times ahead.  The club could hardly have chosen better than a coach with 4 National championships on his CV, two of them with South Melbourne in the old NSL and two more with Brisbane Roar.

His last two in particular came with a style that has opened the eyes of the coaching fraternity in Australian football. A style based on playing from the back, adventurous full backs,  a ball playing defensive mid, an extremely mobile attacking midfield with swift passing movements and attacking with width.

 

The outgoing coach Jim Magilton however raised concerns over the quality of the playing squad during his short tenure. So keeping in mind the old tried and trusted football adage of adopting the style that suits the players, can we possibly expect Melbourne Victory to play the way Brisbane Roar has? 

Ange Postecoglou has already hinted that he might not and has announced there will be some changes to the playing roster. So let's assess whether the current squad can potentially play in the fluent and attacking 4-3-3 that Brisbane has been playing:

 

Ball played out from the back.

This requires defenders with sound technique, comfortable on the ball and calm under pressure. Adrian Lejier is not a player that distributes well and Petar Franjic is slightly better but nowhere near the level required. The defence was the Achilles of last season and new signings are most definitely required if Victory is going to play out from the back! 

Attacking full-backs.

On the right, Matthew Foschini struggles in this department and usually concentrates on his defensive priorities. Adama Traore is a good signing in terms of an attacking full back however more depth is required for this position when taking into consideration Matthew Kemp’s poor season.

 

Mobile midfield

The emergence of James Jeggo was a huge positive from a disappointing last season and has the game to play the ball playing defensive midfield role. Looking forward at attacking midfielders however Carlos Hernandez's mobility is not his forte and Ferreira and Leigh Broxham are purely suited to a defensive mid role. Best suited for attacking mid is Billy Celeski if he rediscovers his form but it is doubtful that he will. If Carlos leaves the club as rumours suggest, Victory will have to bring in two quality attacking midfielders, even if the hugely talented Harry Kewell plays in a more withdrawn role. 

 

Wingers

Victory is blessed in this department with Harry Kewell, Marco Rojas, Isaka Cernak and Julius Davies who I predict will be the revelation of the next season. Furthermore I expect Archie Thompson will be converted to a winger under Postecoglou, as he tends to prefer a traditional centre forward.

 

Centre Forward

As mentioned, Postecoglou likes the presence of a true centre forward like Solorzano or Berisha. Relying on Danny Alsopp to score 10 goals a season or to create spaces will not guarantee success, therefore Victory will surely enter the market for a signing. My money is on a foreign recruit.

 

So taking the above into consideration, unless the new players brought in can adapt easily to the Roar’s style of play and system I believe that Melbourne Victory’s style will be more cautious than the Roar’s. Although it will still be a high tempo and attacking game I expect Victory to be playing slightly deeper with two holding midfielders in Jeggo and Ferreira and transitioning quickly into attack with quick passes on the deck to the wings, probably in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 

A blueprint for this style of play is Real Madrid and if Ange Postecoglou can imitate this system then he really will be on his way to becoming the first Australian Socceroos coach since Frank Farina. 

* photo from Herald Sun 

Barca's Wonderful Era Is Not Over..

There is no way to make this sound better, the truth is that the past seven days have been a nightmare for all FC Barcelona fans. 

Losing the championship title to their eternal rivals Real Madrid in the Nou Camp; a Champions League exit at home to a team that sits in sixth position of the English Premier League; and the saddest news of all: that their most successful coach of all time and mastermind of their brilliant football, Pep Guardiola, has resigned after four years due to the stress of coaching a club that expects and demands success. Furthermore Barca fans have had to endure the commentary that perhaps this is the beginning of the end of the Barcelona era. An era that has included winning 13 titles in 4 years with some of the most breathtaking football the world has ever seen.

The only good news (and this of course remains to be proven!) is that at least the man taking over from club legend Guardiola is his assistant Tito Villanova, who is steeped in the club's traditions and style. Although his playing profile is not one to write home about it has been confirmed by all within the club, including Guardiola, that his coaching contribution to the recent success of Barcelona has been immense and that he has the necessary skills to more than adequately perform the job. 

This however is not enough reason to expect that Barcelona will continue to dominate. Instead there are other factors that are just as important that point to Barcelona remaining a force to be reckoned with for a few more years. 

 

AGE:

If you look at the great Ajax, Bayern, Milan teams that have defined great eras in the past their winning cycles have come to an end due to the age of the playing group nearing the 30’s or when they have been forced to sell star players, as occurred to Ajax when they sold Johan Cruyff to Barcelona. 

 

This Barcelona team however will not be hampered by this for the  following two reasons: as far as the transfer merry-go-round goes Barcelona could be seen as top of the food chain and their players are still at the peak of their powers.  Messi is still only 24 years old and the likes of Fabregas, Busquets, , Iniesta, Pedro, Sanchez, Pique, Adriano and Valdes are at a similar age whilst Alves, Villa and maybe Puyol still have two more years at least at the top.

 

Further to this and keeping with the clubs traditions, Guardiola has given significant playing opportunities to young La Masia Academy graduates this season (Thiago, Cuenca, Tello, Fontas, Montoya, Muniesa, Bartra) and although they may have not set the world alight this season, have gained valuable playing experience and made their transition to the first team seamlessly. In contrast to this, their great rivals Real Madrid has not unearthed any new players this season with the exception of Callejon, and Mourinho has mostly stuck with the same starting XI. 

 

FORMATIONS:

One of the things that made Barcelona so successful last season was the consistency of being able to play 4-3-3 all season long. Consistency leads to familiarity and therefore even more flowing football. Unfortunately this season due to injuries to key men like Pique/Puyol/Abidal at the back Guardiola had to experiment with only three at the back. Another reason he may have had to do this is partly because he didn’t want his team to become too predictable. So this season he may have taken a few risks that resulted in dropped points, however the team has become more flexible tactically than ever before and able to play 4-3-3, 3-4-3 and 3-3-4. This can only hold them in better stead for next season.

 

DEFENCE:

What was clearly evident in the 2 key games of the past seven days is that Barcelona’s defence desperately missed the likes of Pique and Abidal, and Puyol was missed at the start of the season which had a significant impact on the team. In addition the youngster Fontas, who has great potential was also out for most of the season. Whilst last summer the club added to their attacking strength with the additions of Fabregas and Sanchez, there is no doubt that this summer they will add one if not two defenders to the squad. If Pique and Puyol can avoid injury next season then the club will not have to rely on Mascherano or Busquets, converted midfielders, to hold the fort at the back.

 

ATTACK:

There is so much talk at the moment about Plan B being required after their failure to break down Madrid’s and Chelsea’s defences but it’s more a case of missing pure finishers like Villa and Pedro to injuries and more adventure required to take shots outside the box, as was done in last season's Champions League final against Manchester United.  The fact is that Barca created so many chances in these last 3 games that had they converted them we could have been talking about an astonishing 6 trophies this season, alas it was not meant to be. But hopefully next season Villa and Pedro will return in top form and with Sanchez and Fabregas fully integrated into the team's pattern of play the attack should be more formidable than ever. Particularly if Messi repeats the form shown this season.  

 

PRESSING:

Apart from their 'tiki-taka' football, Barca is known and respected for their immense pressing tactics that put so much heat on opponents they are forced to make mistakes and result in Barcelona regaining possession. 

This season the players have had to play more high pressure games than any other club. Pre-season games in USA, won the Spanish Supercup after a tough and violent two-legged tie against Real Madrid, won the European Super Cup, won the World Club Cup, and is in the final of the Spanish Cup after knocking out Real Madrid in another two-legged tie  in January. They have also been involved in an immense tussle with Madrid for the league, with every opponent wanting to knock off the greatest team on the planet. With such a heavy workload its no surprise that Barca’s players are suffering from fatigue. In particular to play the high pressing tactic that they specialise in for a 70 game season is almost impossible. Unfortunately it appears that fatigue set in at the worst time of the season, in the crunch games of last week. Without a distracting European Super Cup and World Club Cup to play for next season, avoiding Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup until the final, and even more depth in the playing squad then this season, fatigue shouldn't be a problem next year.  

Taking into consideration the factors above there is no reason why Barcelona cannot remain at the top for a couple more more years yet, maybe in time for Guardiola to return from his sabbatical! 

 

Barcelona's Formula for Success!

It took me a while to think about what should be the first thing I write about in my football blog but in the end the decision was easy-my favourite team Barcelona!- who I had the privilege of seeing live at the Nou Camp this season.

I wanted to write as to why they are so successful, not only about their great players but their tactical style. Any coach/fan or journalist will tell you that they play 4-3-3 but what are the intricacies of the system that makes the perform so well compared to other teams that try and copy the style and formation? For the sake of the article i have broken it into formation, defence, midfield and attack.

FORMATION:

By consistently playing the 4-3-3 system the Barca players are so in tune with it that it often looks like they could play it with their eyes closed. Whilst the thinking of modern coaches is to continually change systems and personnel dependent on the opposition, this tinkering sometimes tends to break up the rhythm of the players, who suffer from lack of familiarity to each other and the changing systems. However Barca only play one way, always looking to attack mostly with a 4-3-3, and although this may make it predictable in some ways it is too difficult to stop due to the level it is played at and the expertise of the players with the system.

Having said that it is notable that Guardiola has changed and chopped the formation this season, mostly due to injuries and also due to the long period of playing 4-3-3. He recognises that his players are tactically intelligent enough to play a variety of systems so as to always keep the opponent guessing. Therefore he has utilised the flexibility of Alves/Iniesta/Adriano/Fabregas to play 3-4-3 or 3-3-4 this season.

DEFENCE: Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal
or; Montoya, Mascherano, Fontas, Adriano

Barcelona plays with a zonal defence and their defenders have very quick recovery powers when the opponent is countering. They are extremely intelligent with their distribution, thereby putting themselves under pressure a lot less than other teams who turnover the ball more often.

What makes the centre-back pairing of Puyol and Pique special though is their ability to play the ball out comfortably under any circumstances, the fact that Pique was at one stage the third most successful passer in the 2010 Champions League is astounding! The two are always there as back up to the midfielders to receive the ball back if they are under pressure, with the midfielders knowing that they can rely on them to keep possession. They also complement each other perfectly, Puyol/Mascherano the more abrasive and aggressive of the two and the leader of the defence, Pique the quieter one but with the more effective distribution. Barcelona's insistence to build from the back is also the key factor in maintaining possession.

At the right back position Dani Alves is as an attacking right back as anyone in the world. Not only is he fast which enables him to recover and seldom be out of position when the opponent is counter attacking but his dribbling and the timing of his runs is excellent. So often he ends up on the blind side of the defence, unmarked, and able to receive a pass whilst the opponent is focusing on Barca’s 'tiki-taka' football in the middle or the opposite wing.

Abidal at left back is extremely athletic and versatile, more of a defender than Alves and also able to double up as a centre back, however like his colleague on the right flank, his runs forward are timed exceptionally well. When under pressure they are also comforted that they can play back to a ball playing keeper in Victor Valdes, much like Ajax used to do in the 90’s but not used as often thankfully.

Valdes is a commanding keeper and excellent shot stopper who has saved his team on countless occasions when the opponent has countered, especially in 1 v 1 situations. However, like most non-British keepers he can be weak at crosses at times. His ability with the ball at his feet however is second to none.

Of course the last thing to mention is the collective pressure that Barca puts on the opponent when not in possession, the beauty of it being that it all starts with the attackers and therefore allowing the team to defend high up the park.

When they lose possession the team's clever positional sense and work rate allows the team to press the opposition high up the park, much like the great AC Milan team of the early 90's would do. They hunt in packs and leave the other side of the park free, thereby creating 2 v 1 situations in the immediate vicinity of the ball. By retrieving the ball quickly they can then work on their wonderful possession game again.

MIDFIELD: Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta
or; Thiago, Keita, Afellay

The midfield for Barca is unique in that it has essentially two playmakers. Whereas the trend in world football is to have two defensive midfield screeners with little playmaking ability, Barca has only one: Busquets. And his distribution is in fact immaculate. His covering in front of the defence allows Xavi and Iniesta, two midfielders as skilful and visionary as can be, to roam the pitch and be available not only for passes out of defence but also to link up with the three forwards.

Defensively Xavi will play predominantly on the right and Iniesta to the left but once Barca gets possession they can be found almost anywhere. Xavi's consistent passes to the attacking trio are always a threat, and Iniesta's creativity in the middle adds the decisive and necessary flair in the middle of the park which keeps teams on the back foot, especially when he runs at them. The false No.9, whether its Messi or Fabregas drops into the midfield to mesmerise the opponent with exquisite wall passes and dangerous balls to overlapping full backs or wingers on the run. The smart positioning skills of these players makes it impossible for the opponent to dominate the midfield, hence the vast possession stats of Barca.

Furthermore if you watch the midfielders and forwards closely they are very comfortable with playing a wall pass and making another angle for another pass, thereby creating space and/or allowing the ball to be switched to another attacker or players making the 3rd man run.

ATTACK: Villa, Messi, Pedro
or; Sanchez, Cesc, Cuenca

Barca is unique also in attack and that they actually play with three true forwards. Whereas a lot of teams play 4-5-1 and claim that they do in fact play with 3 forwards when in possession Barca’s wingers play as out and out forwards. The forwards are also versatile to be able to play on either wing or through the centre, which means they can switch during a game to make it had for the opposition to mark them. This is something that was perfected by Johann Cruyff's Dream Team of the 90's, and Guardiola his disciple has carried on the tradition.

In addition to this Barca has perfected movement of the forwards around the penalty box, particularly when the wingers are cutting inside to one of Xavi’s or Iniesta’s through balls. These diagonal runs make it extremely hard for defenders to keep all three strikers marked at all times.

The 'No.9s' role for Barca is not only a finishing one but one that also has to contribute to the link up play. Of course it would be wrong to not mention that Barcelona have the world's greatest player Leo Messi to perform that role. It is worth noting that Barca really became a superpower when Guardiola had the smarts to deploy Messi in this role in the Champions League final of 2009 against Manchester United, thereby throwing off United's centre backs who expected the typical No.9 Eto'o to play there. With Messi dropping into the midfield hole this leaves no one for the centre-backs to mark, whereby they push up and leave the space behind them exposed to a diagonal run from the wingers or a forward run into space from the midfielder.

So in summary, Barcelona is a team with quick recovery skills and work rate in defence, and a flexible, creative team who's excellent sense of positioning and passing skills allows the team to make this great game look wonderfully easy.

VIVA BARCA!