City suffer; ultimately for Napping too early

How will Mancini react to this elimination?

Wednesday 7th December 2011
Manchester City 2 – Silva 37, Touré 52
Bayern Munich 0
The Etihad Stadium

Manchester City completed the job against a weak Bayern side but weren’t able to get through to the knockout stages of the Champions League at the first time of asking. But how significant will this be?

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

City’s biggest Champions League night in history had come. But it isn’t yet 19th May 2012, and they weren’t playing in the Allianz Arena, where the final will take place. Ironically, it was Bayern Munich who made the trip northwest in this, the last of the group stage matches for this year’s competition.

Manchester City: An Inconvenient Truth

The score-line that summed up all the shock at Old Trafford yesterday

What yesterday’s result at Old Trafford would have told many a bewildered spectator is that the blue half of Manchester has truly staked a newfound claim as being a cut above the rest. But to what advantage?

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

“Why we so afraid of revolution?” screams the voice within the bass-heavy artist Basshead’s most renowned track, ‘Art of Revolution’.

Defined as a fundamental change in power, philosopher Aristotle’s own view of the concept had two dimensions: either a complete change from one constitution to the other, or a modification of an existing constitution.

Generally, I’m wondering if the rise of mega-funded clubs like Manchester City implies a “complete change” or only a “modification” in the “constitution” of Premier League football? For what it’s worth I think a revolution is on the horizon – the Premiership was intended at first to be a relatively equal business, which makes City’s rise nigh on ridiculous.

Easy to transfer competition?

Radamel Falcao celebrating for Porto in the Europa League

Hernandez chooses to ‘Jav’ last say as United beat valiant Valencia

Javier Hernandez celebrates his winner at The Mestalla

Wednesday 29th September 2010
Valencia CF 0
Manchester United 1 – Hernandez 85
La Mestalla

(see poll at bottom of review)

Manchester United overpowered a fluid Valencia side to record their first win in Spain since 2002.

By Connor Whitmore

Valencia are back, and they’re raring to show everyone who’s best. At home in Spain, they’ve been heavily criticised by the critics for their poor displays over the last few seasons, in which faltering campaigns in Europe were combined with not the most successful league finishing positions.

The biggest flop witnessed by many Spanish followers of football was in the 2007/08 season, when Valencia finished a miserly tenth place under ex-manager Ronald Koeman. It was a major disappointment for a team with such a grand history, and which also still contained world class players such as David Villa and David Silva. There was a point at which ‘Los Che’ were flirting with relegation, two points above the drop zone itself, with only a few months of the season left. When Koeman was sacked just a month before the end of the season, as a result of a humiliating 5-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, even new manager Voro couldn’t guide them to any better than a final tenth place. It was seen as a disastrous season, but with a couple of positives – winning the Copa del Rey and keeping the services of Villa and Silva – there was still a slight hope that all was not lost with this squad.

Ancelotti makes sure that Deschamps doesn’t have his ‘seilles’

Chelsea captain John Terry celebrates his sides' first goal

Tuesday 28th September 2010 (28/09/10)
Chelsea 2 – Terry 7, Anelka (pen.) 28
Olympique Marseilles 0
Stamford Bridge

(see poll at bottom of review)

Chelsea bounced back from their weekend defeat at Manchester City by comfortably beating Marseilles at Stamford Bridge.

By Connor Whitmore

It’s the fashion these days in club football to have young players in your squad. The new rule of twenty-five league players in every side came around during the transfer window, and in this rule it was also stated that each team could have an unlimited number of under-21 players. Whilst Arsenal thrived, with their exceptional flowering of young talent, and Manchester United also saw this as a great opportunity to show off their youngsters, it was Chelsea – the last of the big three – who were most excited about this concept.

Chelsea have been praised to the fullest extent in the last few seasons. Despite only winning the Premier League once in the past four campaigns, they were miles above other challengers such as Arsenal in terms of competing for the title with Manchester United. They have flourished especially up front, where they scored an exceptional 103 league goals last season, with talismanic forward Didier Drogba collecting the ‘Golden Boot’ award. Furthermore, Chelsea have a starting line-up brimming with proven internationals, with their usual three in midfield being Lampard, Essien and Mikel. These colossal players also do well to chip in with at least twenty goals between them a season, adding to their attacking potency. Lastly, at the back, though they haven’t achieved the most sheets in the league over the last two seasons, Chelsea have only conceded two goals so far from six games. So how – in terms of the squad at present – is there anything wrong with the team?

Marin leaves a heavy Mark on ill-experienced Tottenham

Hugo Almeida leaps high to head home Werder Bremen's first goal

Wednesday 14th September 2010 (14/09/10)
Werder Bremen 2 – Almeida 43, Marin 47
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – Pasanen (o.g.) 12, Crouch 18,
Weserstadion Bremen

(see poll at bottom of review)

Tottenham’s first game in the Champions League ended in a deserved draw against a competitive Werder Bremen.

By Connor Whitmore

How do you solve a problem like Werder Bremen? They got to the now-called Europa League final two season ago, and attained the name ‘The Italian Killer’ as they knocked both Milans and out in their wake. Furthermore, they finished an extremely respectable third place last season in the Bundesliga to achieve yet another season in the Champions League after a qualification triumph against Sampdoria. Lastly, they’ve managed without much effort to get the best out of Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro, who was their top scorer last season and without doubt has shown everyone the form he was unable to produce when at Chelsea. Many positives for Werder Bremen, then – but there are some negatives that explain why they’re squandering the potential they displayed at the end of last season.