Roberto Firmino signs for Liverpool.

Last season for Liverpool fans was simply unacceptable.  Their last game of the season was the epitome of how their season went. A humiliating 6-1 defeat away at Stoke had seriously put Brendan Rogers job at risk.  No Liverpool manager had ever survived 3 seasons in succession without winning a trophy.  And this is what Brendan Rogers had done in his first three attempts at his dream job.  This had also resulted in Breandan's back room staff to be sacked by Fenway sports group.  This upcoming season is set in stone Roger's last crack at success with the Red's.  

 When Raheem Sterling had turned down a £100 thousand pound a week deal to stay at Liverpool, many thought this was the worst news possible for Liverpool.  A year before they had last their star player Luis Suarez to Barcelona.  Without him they were a shadow of the side that had narrowly came close to winning the title the season before.  Now Liverpool were being told by a 20 year old kid that they basically weren't good enough for him and that he wanted to play Champions League Football.  


      Unfourntate news for the club right?  Well Yes and No.  At one end of the spectrum Liverpool are most likely going to lose on of the most upcoming English talents.  Liverpool have clearly stated however that they will not budge unless their £50 million pound evaluation of the player is met.  If Liverpool can recompense that kind of money for Sterling they would the benefactor of the deal.  Does Sterling have potential to be a great player? Yes.  Is he a great player at this moment in time? NO.   His dribbling and pace and some what effective but his end product to his game is missing massively.   When you look at the likes of Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez, who were both bought for less than £40 million you seriously have to question that price tag that Manchester City are willing to pay.  So in Liverpool's point of view, 50£ million for a bloke that can't cross or shoot is a job well done and absolute financial steal.  You just have to wonder weather Rodgers is that right manager to spend that kind of money after his record of brining in players from last season.

     
       However, with the Sterling deal looking imminent Liverpool have wasted no time to strengthen the team in order to propel themselves back into the Champions League for next season.  One of the young stars of the Bundesliga for the past few seasons is making the big step to the English Premier League.

Just days after scoring his first goal in the Copa America for Brazil, it was confirmed that Roberto Firmino had signed a 5 year deal with Liverpool.  According to multiple sources from the UK including Sky Sports, the deal for Firmino will cost Liverpool £29 million.

Firmino is an extremely versatile attacker with an abundant of attacking talent.   He's got pace, great dribbling and creativity and an outstanding eye for goal.  He will bring dynamism and energy back that was missing for much of last season.  He is very much like Luis Suarez and Alexis Sanchez in that respect.  He will drop deep to chase and harry the opposition defenders making life difficult for them to play out of the back.   For Hoffenheim, he played centrally either as a number 10 or as a false 9.  In the Bundesliga over the past season, he has absolutely made his mark.   Over the past two seasons his stats are as seriously impressive. 

He comes from humble beginnings like most Brazilian footballers.  The 23 year old was born in Maceio, which is the capital of and largest city of of the costal state and one of the most dangerous cities in the world.  His father used to sell water bottles on the streets.   

Currently Firmino is out in Chile with the Brazil squad preparing for their quarter final matchup against Paraguay on Saturday.  With 4 goals in 9 games for the Selecao it has been a promising start to his international career.  

While the £29 million price tag might seem a lot for Firmino, if Sterling gets sold on for anything between £40-£50 million they would be getting a better player for less money.  Meaning they could use the profit to spend on other areas of improvement for the squad.  

REPORT: Cech Signs for Arsenal

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have agreed a £10.9 fee with Chelsea for the signing of Petr Cech.  This would see the 33 year old head to Chelsea's North London rivals very much still in the prime of the goalkeepers career.

Roman Abramovich
is said to have let Cech join their inner city rivals due to his 11 tremendous years of service.  Tremendous brings a strong winning mentality to the gunners.

For Arsenal it would be an outstanding signing .  Arsene Wengers side have had goalkeeper concerns over the past decade.  The last real world class goalkeeper they had was David Seaman from 1990-2003.  Cech brings what arsenal have lacked in between the sticks for the past decade; consistency and stability.

Chelsea captain John Terry has talked with TalkSport in a recent interview and had very high praise for the 33 year old keeper.

" There's talk of signing signing Petr Cech and, if they do get him, he will strengthen them for sure.  He will save them 12 or 15 points a season.  Petr was an unbelievable professional last year.  When you get left out of the team it can be hard to accept but, when he came into the side he was exceptional.  

While Cech is a game changing signing, Arsenal cannot rest on their laurels.  Goalkeeper in my opinion is one of the 3 major signings Arsenal need to address this summer in order to be real title contenders and put in a strong Champions League performance.  It is by no means the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle.  In my opinion they still need a physically imposing defensive midfielder with technical quality.

 A strong solid center back to partner Laurent Koscienly in the centre of defense.  And lastly a world class striker to lead the lines.  ( Morgan Schneiderlin and William Carvalho) would be two outstanding candidates in defensive midfield,  however both have heavy price tags. £25 million and £35 million respectively.

 In the centre of defense someone young with a huge future like Raphael Varane would be ideal.  However the feeling is around the Emirates that Arsene Wenger is content with the trio of Koscienly, Mertasacker and Gabriel Paulista yet to have a full season under his belt in the Premier League.


Finally, a true goal scoring force to lead the lines I believe would propel Arsenal to the next level.  For me, Karim Benzema is the perfect fit.  A big strong technical striker, Karim is quick and lethal.  At Real Madrid he creates spaces for Ronaldo and Bale to flourish and scores his fair share of goals.  If you look at all the top sides across Europe they all have a world class striker.  Chelsea have Diego Costa, Bayern have Robert Lewandowski, PSG have Zlatan, Barcelona have Luis Suarez and even the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United have Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney.  If Arsenal were able to secure the signing of Karim Benzema I have absolutely no doubt that he would take Arsenal back to the days where they were a serious force in Europe and put a real assault on the Premier League.  

Knowing Wenger however, I doubt that he would sign the areas of need for the gunners this summer.

These 3 signings would likely cost Arsenal upwards of £100 million.  I don't
think that anyone in their right mind can see Arsene Wenger spending that kind of money in one transfer window.  However one of these three signings could be feasible.

Lets hope for Arsenal fans, this is just the start of Wenger's intent to win the Premier League next season.

Season Preview. What formation Should Barcelona use? And who should be the starting lineup?

Fastly approaching is the 2014 season where FC Barcelona will be looking to massively improve on one of there most disappointing seasons in recent memory.   The appointment of former Barcelona player Luis Enrique is already a foot step in the right direction.  Although he was sacked from his high profile gig at Roma,  his year project had a bright future, but unfortunately was cut short just after one year due to the board wanting immediate results; even when the club needed a serious rebuilding phase. 

Last season Luis Enrique furthered his trade as a manager at La Liga side Celta De Vigo.  This is a huge positive for Barca fans.  Not only are we gaining a  passionate Blaugrana but now in addition an experienced La Liga manager who knows the in's and out's of the league and can now what to expect straight away without any settling in time unlike Tata Martino who never actually settled.   He led Celta Vigo, to a solid 9th position in the table, highlighted with a 2-0 home win against Real Madrid :).   Luis Enrique will also be coming back with exciting Barcelona prospect Rafinha who has a very bright future.  I for one am extremely looking forward to the upcoming season more than ever.

So for the upcoming season I certainly have a few things I am pondering. 

1. What formation will Enrique use, and how will he incorporate the new signings  ( Rakitic and Suarez in particular ) 

2. Will the style of football that will be played be tweaked at all ? 

3.  What final signings should we truly be considering. 

4.  And finally what should our expectations for this season be? 

1. This is probably going to be the most interesting thing that will have to be difficulty decided by the new manager.  And as a football nerd and a die hard Barcelona fan I am buzzing pre season to see what formation Enrique will incorporate.  Will he go with the traditional 4-3-3 ?  Which would allow the players to move into the new season knowing the system and feeling comfortable.  Last season if you remember with Tata Martino in charge in the so called big matches he would go away from the 4-3-3 and revert to clogging the midfield with 4 natural midfielders : Xavi, Inestia, Fabergas, and Busquets, which would ultimately make us very predictable and decrease our movement in the attacking end.  He would then usually leave Neymar and Messi up front and only Neymar would try and make runs to create space.  This failed attempt in change of formation by Tata Martino is the main reason I believe we failed miserably last season, we were just so predictable.

So would the 4-3-3 fit the new faces in the squad this season?  Well we have the front 3 big names, Neymar, Messi and Suarez.  Although there is an immediate problem with this.  The 4-3-3 has one central attacker usually and nor Messi or Suarez are going to want to play a Cavani like role at PSG where he constantly plays second fiddle to Ibra.  So just based on this alone I personally don't think this will work.   So what are the other options ?  Personally I really like the idea of a 4-3-1-2 which was originally brought up on the main page of the blog.   There are however some question marks that I will pose to this formation and how we can fit our best starting 11 onto the pitch.  

With this proposed formation nothing will change in the back.  Until Barca sign a true long term solution to center back we will see Mathieu paired together with Pique and Dani Alves and Jordi Alba on either side.  The midfield is were things start to get really tricky.  In reality we have 2 great, great defensive midfielders in Busquets and Mascherano.  As Mascherano showed clearly in the World Cup he is being wasted as a make shift center back.  The big question in the midfield will have to be decided by Luis Enrique.  Does he fell that one defensive midfielder will provide enough cover for the fragile Barcelona defense.  He overall will have to decide what he fells best makes the team more balanced.  We will most likely see a midfield trio of Mascherano, Busquets and Inestia if he feels the midfield needs to be more defensive.  If not he will most likely put in new summer signing Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla in place of Mascherano, if he wants a free flowing midfield which would be much more creative and technical. 

Personally I would try the second option and see how it fairs in a proper match.  Rakitic is to big of a signing not to be put into the starting lineup.  A trio of Busquets, Rakitic and Inestia will leave Barca fans like myself thrilled with this prospect.  However if the balance in the midfield is not right we will have to bring in Mascherano and or make Rakitic into more of a box to box midfielder, providing attacking and defensive qualities.  The front three pick themselves.  However as you can see below there is a change on how they set up.  Messi should play as a number 10 in behind Neymar and Suarez much like how he played with Argentina in the world cup.  Neymar and Suarez should then be given the freedom to move and create space as well as come get the ball to feet as they feel best suits the team.  I expect this attacking lineup for Barcelona be much more explosive and dynamic with the inclusion of Suarez combined with a better balance in midfield.   Overall the introduction to the 4-3-1-2 could prove to be Barcelona's new love.  With a balance in midfield and the creativity in the attacking end, there is no reason why this formation can't succeed.  

2. The simple answer is no.  Our style and the Barcelona philosophy will remain the focus.  However our the key is blending and making sure our new signings can adjust and execute the style effectively.   I think the proposed new formation will have a huge positive effect on the way were are able to play and be yet again the Barcelona that we all know and love.  Rakitic in my opinion is the perfect replacement in the starting lineup for the aging legend Xavi.  Vison, Control, passing, this Croatian international is a proven world class maestro, and with his knowledge of the league from his time at Sevilla is the perfect midfielder to spark up the midfield.  

3.  All Barcelona fans have been crying out to the board over the last few seasons for them to finally solve the achilles heal at the back.  Recently the Barcelona board had revealed there final 5 targets for the remainder of the transfer window via Marca.  Listed are the following: Vertonghen ( Spurs), Vermaelen ( Arsenal), Marquinhos ( PSG), Blind ( Ajax), Hummels ( Dortmund);  however the last two are the most unlikely to happen.  Now me personally and probably for most fans of the five listed, Hummels is without a doubt the one we should be going after.   However, Dortmund are keen to keep ahold of him and he is happy there.  From there I would shorten the list down to two primary targets.  In this order; Vertonghen and Marquinhos.  In my opinion Vertonghen is the highest quality defender on the list behind Hummels and he has expressed his interest in joining the club.  Marquinhos is a different prospect.  Only just turned 20 he has the potential to at one stage through his career be the best defender in the world, but is that a risk Barcelona can afford to take at this moment in time? I would say no.  There is no room to gamble on a young defender.  Vertonghen is the safest opinion.  Strong, a physical presence, good on the ball, and a cracking left foot he is nearly the complete Barcelona defender.   If the stubborn Barcelona board a willing to fork out 20 million euros for Mathieu, if they really care about the performance of the club they should have no problem bidding in at least 3o million euros which would be to good of a deal for Tottenham to turn down.  Make it happen Zubizaretta !

4.  Finally what should our expectations be for this season?  Barcelona is the biggest club in the world and I don't care what anyone says it simply is.  Therefore our natural mentality should be to win every competition that we are in.  Realistically however we have to look at some of the teams around us.  In La Liga alone, Real Madrid have signed World Cup star James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, and Atletico have signed proven striker Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann.  Competition will be fiercer than ever.  Now, coming off our worst season in recent memory under Tata Martino I think it should be a genuine priority to regain the La Liga title and at least get to the semi finals in the Champions League.   I think realistically as well there is no reason why a cup run to the final in the Copa Del Rey should not be retained.  

Super stoked for the upcoming season !

Visca Barca! 

Top 20 Goals Of The 2013-2014 Barclays Premier League Season

20. Oussama Assaisdi vs Chelsea 

Stoke were drawing 2-2 with the Blues in the 90th minute when substitute winger Oussama Assaidi, on loan from Liverpool, earned the home side an unlikely victory with a superb long-range strike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6gdOmmlK_A

19. Jesus Navas vs Tottenham 

When Tottenham visited Eastlands in November, they were handed a 6-0 drubbing—their worst league defeat in 18 years by the title-chasing Citizens.  Jesus Navas needed only 13 seconds to open his account that day, latching onto a spilled Sergio Aguero shot to deliver an inch-perfect chip over Hugo Lloris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Axd-Asl_H4

18.  Leighton Baines vs. West Ham, September 2013 #1

Everton earned three points in a thrilling 3-2 victory over West Ham at Upton Park in September, in a game inspired by Leighton Baines.  The English left-back brought the scores level at 1-1 in the 62nd minute with a powerful free kick that Jussi Jaaskelainen wasn't able to get a hand to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdifT0slEzw

17. Leighton Baines vs. West Ham, September 2013 #2

In the aforementioned 3-2 victory over West Ham, Everton's Leighton Baines wasn't content with scoring one amazing free kick.  Not long after his first dead ball, a Mark Noble penalty put the Hammers back in front. With seven minutes to go, Baines took another free kick, this time curling the ball into the other corner of Jaaskelainen's goal, with a shot that tucked in off the post. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdifT0slEzw

16.  Daniel Sturridge vs Everton 

     Everton were completely taken apart at Anfield in January, thanks in part to striker Daniel Sturridge, who scored twice in three minutes in the first half.  Running on from a long ball from Kolo Toure, the England striker beat the Toffees' offside trap and then beat goalkeeper Tim Howard with a perfectly timed lob.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq1SuEGNVVQ

15.  Robin Van Persie vs Swansea 

David Moyes' Manchester United career got off to a dream start on the opening day of the season with a 4-1 win at Swansea.  Robin van Persie scored twice that day, with his first proving to be a Goal of the Month-worthy acrobatic effort. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwqOZmcDaEI

14.  Ross Barkley vs Manchester City 

City won 3-2, but precocious midfielder Ross Barkley got the Toffees off to a fantastic start with an incredible one-touch strike from the edge of the box.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUd8zFu4g1w

13.  Luis Suarez vs. Norwich, December 2013 #1

Luis Suarez is something of a Norwich specialist. In six appearances against them, the Uruguayan has bagged 12 goals—and he didn't even score in the first game.  Picking up the ball just inside the Norwich half, Suarez charged towards goal and—in a move reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne's goal against Scotland at Euro 96—he flicked it over Leroy Fer before slicing home a powerful half-volley. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8yKbJZXNvc

12.  Yaya Toure vs Aston Villa 

One gets the impression that Yaya Toure could burst through the midfield and head towards goal like a steam train at any point in any game.  This is exactly what the talismanic Ivorian did in last week's crunch match with Aston Villa. We've seen Toure do this before, but to show such determination and power in the third minute of extra time on a soaking-wet pitch in the club's penultimate game shows why he is the player of the season for many Premier League fans. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFkaj6BMOs

11. Aaron Ramsey vs Norwich.

This goal in the last day of the season showed yet again of what the season could of been for Arsenal is Aaron Ramsey remained fit for the whole season.  When Olivier Giroud chipped a ball towards Ramsey in the 53rd minute, Ramsey responded with an incredible volley that looped over goalkeeper John Ruddy. It was his 17th goal of the season and easily one of the finest scored in the league this year.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/what-a-hit-aaron-ramsey-scores-fantastic-volley-for-arsenal-at-norwich-gif-vine/

10.  Ross Barkely vs Newcastle 

In what was a truly breakout season for the Everton youth product, against Newcastle Ross Barkley demonstrated what he is all about.  Pace,control,skill, and most importantly an end product. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX_ps2RVjdo

9. Sandro vs Manchester United 

Tottenham's Sandro doesn't score too often—particularly when Tim Sherwood doesn't give him the time of day—but when he does find the net, it can be very special.  The crazy Brazilian thought he has handed Spurs a morale-boosting win over Manchester United at White Hart Lane in December when he picked up the ball, dribbled around Tom Cleverley and rifled off an unstoppable 25-yard shot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKrT0mMkkU

8. Pablo Osvlado vs Manchester City 

In the first few months of the season, Manchester City were a bit like Guinness: They were fantastic at home but didn't travel well.  The Citizens were held to a score draw by Southampton in December thanks to an incredible strike from Pavlo Osvaldo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhwMKkxvNBw

7.  Wayne Rooney vs West Ham 

Wayne Rooney bagged his 212th Manchester United goal in style at Upton Park in March. Spotting Hammers keeper Adrian off of his line, the England striker sent an audacious lob into the back of the net from just inside the halfway line.  The goal was reminiscent of David Beckham's career-launching lob against Wimbledon in 1996. Coincidentally, Beckham was watching this performance from the stands. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyQGuPGRac

6.  Seamus Coleman vs Southhampton 

Seamus Coleman fought off stiff competition for Everton's Player of the Year Award thanks to performances such as the one against Southampton at the end of 2013. The Irishman opened the scoring at Goodison after nine minutes by charging all the way down the right flank, beating James Ward-Prowse and firing a blistering shot past Kelvin Davis.  Not bad for a right-back. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Roq-8hl2Wlw

5.  Luis Suarez vs. Norwich, December 2013 #2

A mistake by Leroy Fer—who was a stooge in Suarez's aforementioned strike—led to the Uruguayan picking up the ball from around 40 yards out and looping a perfect lob over John Ruddy, who wasn't even particularly far off his line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8yKbJZXNvc

4.  Tomas Rosicky vs Sunderland 

As you will see later in this countdown, Arsenal have scored a few very impressive team goals this season.  In February, Tomas Rosicky broke his duck for the season with the help of Jack Wilshere and Olivier Giroud, who collectively threaded together five tight passes to unlock Sunderland's defence and beat goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZNFxLO4fEc

3.  Jonjo Shelvey vs Aston Villa

Swansea helped seal their survival with a 4-1 win against Aston Villa on April 26th, in which Jonjo Shelvey scored the best goal of his career.  A poor pass from Ron Vlaar was picked up by the former Liverpool star just inside the centre circle, who proceeded to punish Villa keeper Brad Guzan for poor positioning by blasting the ball into the top right corner.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcre8DbPZo

2.  Pajtim Kasami vs. Crystal Palace, October 2013

The Macedonian collected a long ball from Sascha Riether on his chest, and managed to loop a perfect volley over Julian Speroni, despite very close attention from defender Adrian Mariappa.  A sweetly struck volley from the corner of the 18-yard box.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klHmEiqwFvU

1.  Jack Wilshere vs Norwich, October 2013

In the heady days of October, when tiki-taka beauty was not yet replaced by bus parking and counter attacking as the tactic de rigueur, Arsenal scored a stunning goal from an incredible one-touch passing play.  Jack Wilshere opened the scoring in the Gunners' 4-1 victory over Norwich after a slick passing movement with Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud on the edge of the box.  The goal was praised as one of the finest team efforts ever seen in the Premier League, with Mesut Ozil claiming it was like his teammates were "playing PlayStation."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMKlFkDEKs

The Final Debacle. Premier League VS La Liga? Which is the Best?

 La Liga or the Premier League?  

Which League is the best? 

IN MY OPINON

  La Liga has been the most successful league in European competitions. That's why their UEFA coefficient is the highest. Contrary to popular belief it is not just the big two being Barcelona and Real Madrid, responsible for this (Europa League is factored in). No other league has sent a greater variety of teams to ANY stage of the CL.  

Group stage: 13 different liga teams have qualified compared to 10 from the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

Round of 16: 10 Liga teams to all other big leagues 6.

 Quarter Finals: La Liga and Ligue 1 have both sent 7 different teams.

Semi Finals: La Liga has sent 6 different teams to the BPL's 5 .

Final the BPL and La Liga are tied with 4 different teams qualifying (but the Spanish teams have won more finals).  

This season even with Barcelona's faliure to reach the Semi Final for the first time in 8 years, another Spanish team has taken their place.  In the Semi Finals of the European Competition's 4 of the final 8 teams left in all of europe were from La Liga.  

1.Real Madrid CL

2. Atletico Madrid CL

3. Sevilla Europa League

4. Valencia Europa League 

     

     The performance of the Spanish teams in the CL and Europa league is impressive. I don't see any of the other PL teams outside the top 3/4 doing anything in Europe.  The PL may be balanced, but that doesn't mean it's teams are a match for La Liga's.  The money and attention the PL gets are great smokescreens for their payroll and revenue.  

  Now people always tell me how La Liga is a two horse race, their is no balance, etc.  I'll agree that the EPL is more balanced (the table is generally closer) but the results year to year are often very consistent which is why only 6 different BPL teams have made it to the round of 16 in the CL compared with 10 teams from Spain. The competition for those 3rd and 4th place spots is more unpredictable in Spain because there aren't the same teams finishing in these spots year after year. Then many of these teams go deep into the tournament (Málaga last season, Atlético this season). Also as far as the title race goes only 5 different teams from Spain or from England have won their respective titles in the last 20 years...

     Conclusion:  La Liga is the best while the EPL is the most exciting. The Premier League Title has been a game of musical chairs between Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Next year Man U will come back and make it 5 teams that will challenge for the title. Who knows, If Tottenham get a good manager that can get the players in good form it could be a 6.  If we’re talking about the level of the clubs that are a bit further down the ladder then obviously Spain in terms of [European] trophies is better. If we’re talking about atmosphere and equality, well, the Premier League is a competition that’s very equal where there are always four or five teams fighting for the title, more or less. For me however, the difference is that the Spanish league has possibly six or seven of the best players in the world, maybe ten even, and that says a lot about the league and the football. Of course the English league is fantastic, though.

Winner:  La Liga

Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea Post Match Reactions And Thoughts

Atletico Madrid secured their progress to the Champions League final with a superb 3-1 win away to Chelsea on Wednesday night. It was about as comprehensive an away victory as could be expected at this stage of the competition and one that provided further confirmation that both this Atletico side and their coach Diego Simeone are the real deal.  Atletico's displayed in front of the whole world how good they really are.  

     What Atletico has achieved this season is little short of incredible. With a budget that is dwarfed by those of both their domestic and the majority of their continental rivals, Atletico are just two wins away from winning La Liga and have made it through to the final of the Champions League.  Atletico are not even in the top 15 net transfer spent in the last 5 years.  

     Credit has to be given to the players, but it is clear that the architect of the clubs success, the man who inspires such fidelity, who has fostered the togetherness that has been such a key part of what they have achieved, is Simeone.

     "Simeone's mere presence on the touchline motivates us," midfielder Tiago Mendes recently told The Guardian's Sid Lowe. "Seeing the way he lives every minute reaches you; what he transmits to us on the pitch is incredible."

   Simeone is clearly a gifted leader and motivator from the touchline, yet on Wendensday night at Stamford Bridge he was much, much more than that.  He made some tactical decisions during the match as well as picking the best possible starting 11 to defeat Chelsea at the Bridge.  The first was the surprise selection of Adrian Lopez in place of Raul Garcia.  Raul Garcia, who started the first leg was dropped from the starting 11 and the ever improving Adrian yet again showed how effective he is.  

     Likewise, Arda Turan, who was always expected to start after recovering from injury, but whose inclusion nevertheless limited David Villa and Diego Ribas to the substitutes bench. He was bright throughout and scored Atletico's third goal, reacting quickly to tap home the rebound from his own header against the crossbar.  His intricate passing sequences and composure on the ball was very notable.  

      Most impressive, however, was the way in which a slight tactical tweak at half-time, in alliance with Simeone's conviction, saw Atletico take control of the match in the second half.     

     Koke had spent the first half exchanging flanks with Turan, but was pulled into a central midfield three for the second half, with Adrian, then the substitute Raul Garcia, patrolling the right flank and Turan permanently stationed on the left. He saw more of the ball in his new role, completing 36 passes, in comparison to 19 in the first half, and helped his side establish control of the match.  This change, gave Atletico complete control of the game; and was some of the best football we've ever seen them play this season.  Quick passing, one two's, flair, playing with style as well as composure this Atletico side showed that they can be just as strong on the ball as off.  

     Diego Costa, who was kept quiet by the Chelsea defense in the first half, was the man who provided the tangible end product, going down inside the area under a challenge from Samuel Eto'o before dusting himself off and converting from the penalty spot.  After the penalty, there was little doubt that Atletico would be joining city rivals Real Madrid in the final.  From the remaining time in the match Atletico was passing through Chelsea like practice dummies.  It was a possession based tranning exercise for Atletico for the remaining of the match who put on a clinic.  

     Diego Simeone has crafted a team in his own image: strong, intense, hard-working and tactically astute and efficient.  Atletico have answers for most questions opposition sides ask of them and if the quarter-final victory over Barcelona did not provide sufficient evidence of their excellence, Wednesday's win certainly did.

     For Simeone, it was also an opportunity to show he could hang with and beat the best. On the back of a season like this, he is certain to be one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe this summer.  

     Mourinho and his players have been criticized heavily since, accused of parking the bus to get one over on their rivals.  It’s a criticism that has been wide off the mark.  Sure, there was a defensive ethic to Chelsea’s Anfield performance, but it was one that came with the intent to capitalize on Liverpool’s errors and to punish them at certain times in the game.  It worked masterfully, exactly how Mourinho would have liked. 

    On Wednesday Simeone did the same.  However Simeone's defensive style had much more purpose in attack and they still could control the game and counter attack at the same time.  Atletico's performance was one worthy of reaching a Champions League final. Simeone’s players not only battled for everything—their endeavors eventually giving them the reward they deserved—they showed their class as a team and as individuals. 

      When Torres scored his opener on 36 minutes, it seemed nothing was going to stop the Chelsea train from rolling on.  I from the thought Atletico were going to win the tie had a very edgy feeling that Chelsea might just be able to sneak out a win.

     The goal wasn’t the turning point, though.  That came just eight minutes later when Adrian fired home the equalizer right on half time.  It was a killer blow that deflated Chelsea and they never recovered.  Had the Blues held out for the break, it would have been a different story.

     Instead, it was Simeone’s game plan that was getting the better of Mourinho’s.

     From that moment, there was only going to be one winner.  Adrian’s goal meant Chelsea were no longer in a position to bide their time. With away goals counting for so much at this stage, the tie was out of their hands and the Blues needed to get their noses back in front.  Chelsea was now in the position where they had to come out of their comfort zone of playing extremely defensive and start trying to take initiative in the game.  The decision by Mourinho to play 5 defenders from the start really was suicidal.  The decision to not play Oscar meant that there was no flow for Chelsea going through the midfield.  The midfielders could not link up on a consistent basis with front players, making there attack very slow and predictable.  

     When Chelsea then needed to start going forward, with that intent came the gaps Simeone and his players had planned for.  And just like Chelsea at Anfield, they ruthlessly punished their opponents.  

  It's one thing defending as a unit, but quite another to expose a wounded opponent. Atletico showed they are the real experts.

     It’s on nights like these that remind us of why Atletico lead the way in La Liga.  Nights where, regardless of the opponent, they grind out victories in the same way Chelsea have become known for.  Critics may lament their style, but let that be their problem. This Atletico team is going to the places Mourinho hopes to take Chelsea. 

MOTM:  Koke: Taking all set pieces was generally Atletico's best attacking player throughout the whole match. He touched the ball more than anyone else and was generally involved in everything Atletico created going forward.  Was a pleasure to watch.  

9/10

What has been the key to Real Madrid's success this season?

 Last night the whole of the footballing world's attention was focused in Munich, Germany at the Allianz Arena; to witness the two most powerful teams in European football battle out their second leg UEFA Champions League Semi Final. Real Madrid steamrolled Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich over the two legs in extreme fashion, booking their place in next month's Champions League Final in Lisbon.

     For Bayern, their dream and ambition of becoming the first club to successfully retain Europe’s most prestigious prize was terminated effectively in the 20th minute after Sergio Ramos's second goal. The third goal created from a classic Real Madrid counter attack finished off by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo sealed their tickets to Lisbon on May 24th. Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti now have the chance to win "La Decima"—the 10th European crown that everyone associated with the club craves. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner then scored from a free-kick in the final minutes to complete the beating of Bayern in front of their home supporters. It’s 12 years since the notion of that landmark Decima was formed and now the club's confidence of completing the landmark will be sky high.

     With Real Madrid's capture of the Copa Del Rey two weeks ago their season has taken a turn towards success. The morale of the squad, coaches, board and everyone associated with the club is higher than ever. They remain on track to complete the ever clear path towards the treble, which has been the benchmark and expectations Carlo Ancelotti set out for his team during his first campaign at the club.

     Where should the credit for Real Madrid's successful campaign be given?

     The manager? Carlo Ancelotti?

     The transformation of Real Madrid during this season has been drastic... For the good. Before this season, Real Madrid always had the firepower necessary to win titles. The blueprint that Ancelotti has emphasized that would make this team unstoppable is their organization defensively which has been the biggest improvement in the team. His determination and commitment to make this Real Madrid team nearly perfect both offensively and defensively has come with a huge reward. Real Madrid's defensive side of the game has undoubtedly been their most drastic change. Ancelotti, hats off to you. The likes of highly profiled managers such as: Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, Manuel Pellegrini and even Jose Mourinho have not managed to get Real Madrid this dynamic both going forward in attack and being some comfortable in defense. Credit must be given where credit is due. The work done by Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu in his first season.Ronaldo, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, has said that “[Ancelotti] has changed everything. He has changed the mentality of the players.” When Angel Di Maria was subbed off in the second half against Bayern, he was greeted by a huge father son like hug by his boss Ancelotti. This shows the types of relationships Ancelotti has created with his players at Real Madrid. This alone speaks volumes of how the players feel about Ancelotti.

     The players?

     Cristiano ? 

     The last year and a half Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing the best football in his life. The reining Ballon'Dor winner has been the creator of almost every Real Madrid attack. Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night to set a new Champions League record goal tally of 16. He broke the record of 14—held by three other players, including Barcelona rival Lionel Messi—and everyone is talking about it. That achievement in itself triggered yet another goalscoring feat for the hotshot: his 250th for Real Madrid. He has 176 goals in 163 games in the Spanish top flight, meaning he averages 1.08 goals per match. Which is the highest goals to game ratio in Spanish football history. When Real Madrid paid a massive €100 million to take Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, there were plenty that thought it was an almighty gamble. His arrival in Madrid has formed what is now known as the " BBC" ( Benzema, Bale, Cristiano). This front three of Real Madrid could be one of the deadliest we have ever seen in the history of football.

     His performances have steadily improved and his link-up play with his fellow forwards at times has been devastating. Despite the stop-and-start nature of his first eight months, he has scored 14 league goals in 22 starts and five from seven in the Champions League. Only three players have made more La Liga assists than Bale and one of them is fellow Los Blancos player Angel Di Maria. When you consider it's his first year in a foreign league and country, it's impressive. That achievement is multiplied further as a British player in a non-English-speaking land, as Brits notoriously don't travel well in the game. His winning goal in the final of the Copa del Rey was the announcement he needed. Without Ronaldo he has shown he can carry the weight of expectation for the team.

     With the amount of money know being available and spent in football at this day and age, Bale has been worth every penny. He gives Real Madrid a different dynamic option rather than Ozil. They have consistent speed everywhere in the field and are more balanced. Who would've thought? I still don't think that any player in the world is worth that type of money, but for Real Madrid the deal has paid off. The ever improving performances of the center back pairing of Pepe and Sergio Ramos must be looked at as well. Even prior to the two matches against Bayern the the whole back four has improved. They have a great understanding between them and have become one of the best defense's now.

     Conclusion: Real Madrid this season under Carlo Ancelotti are in my opinion one of the most improved teams in all of Europe. For me, Ancelotti has totally transformed the way this team attacks and defends. In attack, their counter attacking style is the best of its kind around. They have the ability both to posses and attack with extreme pace and efficiency. Defensively, like I said before; Ancelotti knew what he had to fix with the team defensively and has made them near perfect. Their organization and desire to work just as hard when they have the ball and vise versa has made all the difference. The players likewise have all bought in to Ancelotti's tactical style, and training methods. The combination of Ancelotti and these Real Madrid's players improvement collectively is the reason why they have set themselves up for the possibility of completing the treble.

Real Madrid Player Ratings: Casillas 7, Carjval 8, Pepe 9, Ramos 10, Contreao 7, Modric 8, Xabi Alonso 7, Di Maria 8, Ronaldo 9, Benzema 7, Bale 7

Bayern Munich Player Ratings: Neuer 4, Lahm 5, Boateng 3, Dante 4, Alaba 6, Kroos 5, Schweinsteiger, Muller 5, Robben 7, Ribery 4, Mandzukic 4