Things That Sound Good But Aren't

photo by jaygooby	via PhotoRee

Like Ed's thoughts today, for starters:

I'm excited that Borussia Dortmund is in the Champions League finals. I've always enjoyed their attacking style of play, their talented midfielders, and of course Robert Lewandoski. I'm also a fan because I know they're not a big budget team like Manchester United -- just to throw out a name -- a team who last year bought one of their players and if rumors are correct tried to buy two. Bummer to be Shinji Kagawa at this point I guess.

I'm also pleased for Bayern Munich, not so much because I'm a fan, but more because they fought so hard for it and are (regardless of outcome) the best team in Europe this year. The way they pressed high but backed off once beaten, the way they played a physical man-to-man defense on Xavi and Iniesta, they way they countered fast with width -- none of this was that new, but I expect everyone to do it against against the diminutive Spaniards now that we know it works. Plus Bayern were probably unjustly robbed last year when they lost to an inferior Chelsea squad who played above their ability throughout the tournament. I also remember Bayern beating up Manchester City in the group stage. At the time I thought City was weaker than I thought; now I think it was Bayern that was tougher than I thought.

But yet, but yet, despite all of this I'm not that excited about the final. These two teams know each other very well and play each other often. Advantage Bayern, therefore, even though Dortmund has gotten the better of them in the past. Plus, it would seem this battle has already been decided in the Bundesliga (I could say that over and over even though I don't like watching it much) over a 38 game season. Playing it again, even if for a different trophy, just doesn't seem right.

* * *

Wow, was that really Barcelona that Bayern played the other night? I've never seen that team look so positively meek. Some time ago I wrote an article questioning whether it was personnel or tactics that made Barca so good. Well, Barca without Messi and several others looked so very ordinary, it would seem an argument in favor of personnel. That said, their coach missed much of the season, and the team also looked sloppy tactically or at least positionally. Either way, I'm still shocked that Bayern put them out of the tournament 7 to 0. They lost their will and their pride. And now Bayern has their old coach? Egads!

Picture Perfect: Round 28 in the BPL

o Gareth Bale is a fearsome sight on the football pitch these days, indeed. Just ask the cameraman that took this picture.

o Meanwhile, if Bale was excited, you have should seem the reaction from Spurs' fans. These people really know how to party.

Movement and Light: Round 23 in the BPL

photo by pingnews.com	via PhotoRee

o While everyone's talking about Clint Dempsey's late late show against the League leaders, we prefer to focus on the goal that handed United an early advantage at White Hart Lane on Sunday -- and not just for the obvious reasons. What we saw was stupendous movement by Robin Van Persie, the kind you don't see from any other player in the League at the moment. One minute the Red Devil striker is carefully marked by Spurs' defensive pairing of Walker and Vertonghen, and the next -- don't blink or you'll miss it -- he's standing in acres of space, lit up all by himself. The striker is in imperious form right now and this week's goal demonstrates it clearly -- he's playing an utterly different game than the many mere mortals who surround him, and the timing of his runs is pure magic.

o And while a bunch of people were only too happy to criticize young David De Gea for his weak punch on Sunday, check out the replay before you make the accusation: the Spaniard was completely taken out of the play by his own Captain. Nemanja Vidic rushed straight into De Gea and basically submarined him - and not many players in the world are capable of surviving a collision with the big Serb.

o We're not big fans of whining Frenchmen here at farlieonfootie, but we have to admit that Arsenal bossman Arsene Wenger had a point on Sunday. Not a point from the game -- it was a toothless Arsenal side he sent out to meet the Blues at Stamford Bridge, after all -- but instead a point about Referee Martin Atkinson missing a clear foul by Ramires on Francis Coquelin (the former a dirty player if ever there was one) immediately preceding Juan Mata's opening goal. Compounding matters that involved the same parties, Atkinson doubled his gifts to the home side by awarding Ramires a penalty -- when the Brazilian clearly tripped untouched over Arsenal 'keeper Sczcesny's outstretched leg. We've harped on it time and time again on this blog -- Atkinson is a poor and obviously biased referee who is either not up to the task or on Roman Abramovich's payroll.

A View from Liverpool on Sir Alex's Week That Was

photo by Ben Sutherland	via PhotoRee

As a Liverpool supporter, Scott feels entitled to comment on the Sir Alex situation -- proving only that Liverpool supporters will pick on someone even if it's their birthday....:

I'm not even going to write about Liverpool's slump to Stoke City on Boxing Day. In fact, I didn't even watch it. Having duly recorded it for later viewing, I promptly bumped into the score and, after choking back a bit of vomit in my mouth, resolved to delete the offensive footage unseen. The Premier League Review show provided all the lowlights I needed to want to put that debacle in the rear view mirror and drive on to Loftus Road.

In such a state, it should not be surprising that my attentions turned to the hullabaloo surrounding Darth Ferguson and his on-pitch berating of referee Mike Dean and the subsequent war of words with Alan Pardew.

As with most things in life, nobody is blameless nor totally at fault. Coaches should have a right to question calls and hear why a ref did or did not make one. So the fact that Ferguson approached Dean does not trouble me. Nor does the fact that the former was, to put it politely, animated when expressing his views. Dean had a right to sanction Ferguson on the spot if he felt the exchange was inappropriate. He chose not to do that - I understand I was not privy to the actual conversation and respect his interpretation and decision. And if that decision, and the one not to report the incident in his Match Report, was influenced by Ferguson's seniority, then I begrudgingly congratulate the old knight for lasting so long in the toughest league around.

But then Darth Ferguson showed his dark side of the force after Pardew had the audacity to suggest, politely, that the Man United man had received preferential treatment since his antics brought no consequence. The Newcastle manager's comments were no doubt influenced by the two-match ban he received for a similar incident, although in his case a slight push was involved.

Holy Newcastle!

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?:
Columnist Ed Watching Footie with Two of His Closest Friends

Columnist Ed on all the latest happenings in the BPL:

o Well, not exactly holy, but just when you’re ready to anoint Harry Redknapp as the manager of the English team and Brendan Rodgers of Swansea as the EPL coach of the year, you get Newcastle on the cusp of Champions League qualification with Alan Pardew.  There have been times when the Magpies have looked like absolute junk – the 5-0 beating they took at Spurs comes to mind – but they’ve just won five in a row during this key time in the season.  Can they pull it off?

o Well, it really depends more on whether Spurs are truly imploding or whether they can get it together against the bottom of the League in the last five weeks.   By my count, Spurs have to win at least three and tie one of their last five.  Theoretically . . . . I think that’s worth saying again for emphasis . . . . theoretically this shouldn’t be that tough, in light of the fact that they have to play QPR, Blackburn, Bolton, Villa, and then Fulham.  In their current form with no central defenders and Gareth Bale currently abdicating his position in favor of a crowded central attacking midfielder role, this doesn’t seem easy.  But if there’s one thing that’s a certainty in the BPL, it’s that no one can predict what will happen next.  I recall United being dead and buried after being blown out by City; I also recall people wondering if Wenger had a future at Arsenal.  In short, who knows really?  Certainly not the experts.

o But tracking back to Newcastle – what impresses me most is Pardew’s ability to simply insert any striker he finds fit and for that person to become a star.  Think about it, a year and a half ago it was Carroll, then it was Ba this year, and now it’s Cisse.  I think even the withered old bossman might be able to put a few in if he played the position at . . . . wait, sorry about that, I took it too far.  But I think you know my point.

o But here’s what I wish for most:  In this year of the unknown, it would be nice to see a second-tier team like Spurs or a third-tier team like Newcastle [Ed. Note: Columnist Ed's term, not mine -- let the abuse begin below] make the top four instead of the big money teams that everyone knows are going to be in the top four.  In other words, as much as Chelsea represents England well in Europe, I’d prefer they get bumped this year for a change and someone else given a chance.  I mean, wouldn’t that be fun?

o Speaking of teams that have been kind enough to give the rest of the table a chance, how about that eighth place Liverpool squad?  I was desperate enough to watch a bit of their game against Blackburn (painful), and wow, they put in their entire second team.  So in case you were still wondering, and you shouldn’t be, Liverpool has abandoned League play and doesn’t care at all where they end up in the BPL this year.  One wonders about their future.  Is Liverpool a place where talented players come to die, or is it that the players that Dalglish brought in are simply awful?  Hard to say, but I would suggest that IF there is a team more in need of that arrogant, petulant, childish, master named Jose Mourinho, I can't think of it. 

Inside Newcastle United

Sometimes in life you get lucky....  While on vacation in the Bahamas recently, I ran into an 11 year old footballing genius on a deserted island.  Herewith, the first column from a boy who will be a legend someday -- Columnist Connor on Newcastle United:

Inside Newcastle United

Established…………………….. 1892

Manager……………………….. Alan Pardew

Nickname…..…………………..  The Magpies

Stadium…….…………………..   Sports Direct Arena

English Premier League Titles… 0

Position………………………… 6^th

Coming into Saturday’s game against Wolves, the Magpies were sixth in the EPL. The last time the Magpies met Wolves, it went our way with a 2-1 victory back on October 1^st.

50, 671 people attended that game, and, well, they saw a pretty spectacular contest. First half goals from Demba Ba (17^th minute) and Jonas Gutierrez (38^th minute) started the game off with triumph. Though, in the 88^th minute the stellar Magpie defense got a little lazy and let Steven Fletcher score a goal.

Newcastle, who had a fourth round exit at this year’s Carling Cup (which Liverpool just won), is in a position to make a late run. If they make that late run they would be gunning for the Europa League bid the EPL has to offer. Saturday’s game against Wolverhampton, though, did not help the cause, as it ended in a  2-2 draw. 

It started in the 6^th minute when Papiss Cisse (who had his Newcastle debut on February 5^th against Aston Villa) sent home a rocket. And only 12 minutes later Jonas Gutierrez scored, putting the Wolves upset chance down.

As the teams went to the break Magpie fans began to celebrate victory, but Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle from Wolves had other plans. They both sent in goals in the opening minutes of the second half. With the equalizer given, Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew made some substitutions. Striker Shola Ameobi came on in the 80^th minute for Chiek Tiote, after Danny Guthrie came in for Ryan Taylor.