Arsenal win and Klinsmann exits

In the end Arsenal cruised to a 2 goal victory at Emirates against a Middlesborought who look very likely to be relegated this year. Arsenal on the other hand strengthened their 4th place with this victory and also managed to get two key players, Fabregas and Walcott some rest ahead of the Champions League match against Manchester United.

It was free flowing football from Arsenal and it is not everyday that teams allow us to do this. Fabregas was on top form and as usual our catalyst Arshavin was on song. There were couple of moves from him that drew lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Towards the end of the match he was tired but he was worth very penny that we spent on him. Wenger doesn’t buy expensive players and when he does, they are on players like Arshavin…rare and fine cut like a diamond.

Ferguson was watching the game from the stands and I am sure he must have seen the creativity when we go forward. Arshavin will be missing but with Nasri, Walcott and Fabregas in the team I am sure United will have lots of problems to take care of. Man Utd also had a good game and I am sure Wednesday night will be a good match with Arsenal being the second favourites to go through, so the pressure is on United.

In other news, Klinsmann is out…If someone had told me an year back this is going to happen, then I would have laughed it. I wuld have thought that even if he did decent enough (which is what he has done so far) he would be persisted with. The Bundesliga club has made a press statement saying that they “may not achieve its minimum targets for the season”. I think the Barca result in the Champions League was a stab in their reputation. Anyways more on CL football soon.

Champions League draw

Arsenal qualified in style netting an aggregate of 6 goals against FC Twente over two legs while Liverpool huffed and puffed its way to qualification…There certainly is something about Liverpool and Champions League…Lady Luck always shines on them!!!

So the Groups are like this and I have put my predictions on the same.

Group A
CHELSEA – Qualify
Roma – Qualify
Bordeaux
CFR Cluj

Group B
Inter Milan – Qualify
Werder Bremen – Qualify
Panathinaikos
Anorthosis Famagusta

Group C
Barcelona – Qualify
Sporting Lisbon – Qualify
Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk

Group D
LIVERPOOL
PSV Eindhoven
Marseille – Qualify
Atletico Madrid – Qualify

Group E
MAN UTD – Qualify
Villarreal – Qualify
CELTIC
Aalborg

Group F
Lyon – Qualify
Bayern Munich – Qualify
Steaua Bucharest
Fiorentina

Group G
ARSENAL – Qualify
Porto – Qualify
Fenerbahce
Dynamo Kiev

Group H
Real Madrid – Qualify
Juventus
Zenit St Petersburg – Qualify
Bate Borisov

Games will be played on the following dates:
16/17 September
30 September/1 October
21/22 October
4/5 November
25/26 November
9/10 December

This time around I will be supporting Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Lyon in Europe 🙂

It’s been 1 year of blogging

Football is a game which I love to watch and occasionally would love to play. The best I can do on a more regular basis is write about it and that is what I have been doing for the past one year. Yes, I am proud to have kept my blog alive for one year now. Lots of goals have been scored and free-kicks taken that I have written close to 140 posts in the last 365 days.

Thanks a lot guys and gals for stopping over my blog and reading it, sometimes also leaving your valuable comment for me. It has been a pleasure and I can understand why Theirry Henry is one of the most adored player in this whole world. The post about his farewell has received the most hits and comments in this blog. Most of the comments have been like “Henry is the best, I love you”.

The most number of articles have definitely been on Arsenal, on the Premier League and about Football in Europe. You cannot blame it if that is what is the most shown and watched around leagues in the world. But it has been a long journey and I have loved every bit of it.

I have met a few people through the blog from Germany, France and India. It has been a pleasure guys and keep coming back for more. And ya Arsenal has had a decent season to put it realistically. Hope that they would challenge for more honours in this season and give Manchester Uniteds and Chelseas of the world a fight.

EPL – Whatever Keegan has said, it has been one of the best seasons ever with the Title being decided only  in the last day of the season. Manchester United started slow but played consistently well and scored the most and conceded the least to deservedly win the league. Chelsea came back strongly in the second half, but it was too little too late. Arsenal was written off by one and all of the opposition camps but Wenger believed in his players and they proved him good. Next season is again a challenge.

La Liga – Real Madrid were the least worst in the league to put it mildly. Barcelona were in shambles with internal fighting dominating the media and some of the star players not even getting to play. Villareal came back strongly and so did Athletico. Should be interesting to see how they strengthen or weaken the league next year with mass exodus predicted from Barcelona.

Serie A – The top 4 should be Inter, Roma, Juventus and AC Milan hopefully. Milan has been a shadow of the past and need a overhaul for sure. Inter and Juve will be strengthening themselves to fight for the Champions League and Roma will remain a powerhouse with Totti and the likes. There will e new guard in most of the top clubs.

Bundesliga – With Klinsmann taking over Bayern expect an exciting team from Germany in next year’s Champions League. This is going to be my second favourite in Europe next season. They are coming, the Germans…

Champions League – The final on May 21st between Manchester United and Chelsea should be a good watch for Football fans around the world. I have this hunch that Chelsea is going to win the match. Hope next year’s edition brings better luck to Arsenal.

Flamini mystery & Reading

As Arsenal get into the last 4 matches of their season in which the best they can hope for now would be a 2nd place finish IF Chelsea screw up in between somewhere in their pursuit of Manchester United, Wenger stepped up the pressure on one of the star performers of the season Flamini. Guardian reports the deadline that Wenger has set for Flamini, month end of April. Flamini’s injury means that he is not going to play anymore in this season and there has been renewed interest coming from Juventus, Bayern Munich etc.

With Clichy, Sagna, Hleb and Fabregas, Flamini has been one of the most outstanding players of the season for Arsenal. And his renewed vigour in midfield has been one of the reasons for Arsenal’s great run in this season. He has been virtually irreplaceable this season with Gilberto being a shadow of his past there has been no player in this team who had the bite to replace our Terrier. Wenger is right in saying that Flamini has to respect the team and the manager and sign on the dotted lines if he intends to stay. If he doesn’t then Wenger needs those extra weeks to sign a replacement.

It should be interesting to see how strongly Arsenal finish the season and 12 points from the next 4 matches starting tonight with Reading would be the way to go. Here is to three points and lost pride.

Ladies & gentlemen please welcome Jurgen Klinsmann

When Bayern coach Hitzfeld had made it clear that he would be resigning by the end of the season, the footballing world was put on red alert that Bayern is looking for a coach. Media linked everyone from Mourinho to Benitez for that job, but ultimately they chose a man who has been one of the most exciting new managers to have evolved out of a footballer. And he is the dashing Jurgen Klinsmann.

He will join Bayern at the end of this season from US and was unveiled to the media yesterday. The board went for their ex-player who did a brilliant job for Germany as a player and an even better job as a coach. His mindset was always to attack and hence his team has the desire to think like him. This was seen in the German team of 2006 World Cup. I am keenly looking forward to how he works with the likes of Ribery, Luca Toni, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Klose etc. This team could be the team to watch out for next year in the Champions League.

Klinsmann says

I’m very much looking forward to continuing the work I began with the national side

On his new backroom staff

It will be an international team, including people from the United States. We will create a hive of energy that the players will enjoy a lot

And to top it Klinsmann speaks English, French, Italian and now Spanish other than his native German. That should take care of melting pot of cultures that Bayern is today.

You can read his interview with the German media after the press conference here.

A rare gesture in Football

You might have seen on TV or in other media of fans holding banners supporting their club. How many times have you seen a Football team holding out a benner for their supporters thanking them for their support.

Well Bayern Munich players did just that. They thanked all their supporters for supporting them in 2007. What a nice gesture.

Bundesliga is the league with the most following in Europe for no reason…Hats off to Bayern Munich

Bayern Lose for the first time

The draw with Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup might have taken its toll when Bayern took on VfB Stuttgart away in the Bundesliga. The result was Bayern’s first loss in the league. Many would have wondered if this Bayern team can ever lose…well they got their answer.

I still love the way this team plays, very attack minded, mastered by the one and only Ribery. Hamit Altintop played in the right back position against Bolton (I never knew he can play that position) due to injury to key players I presume. Bayern dominated that match and I think the decision to substitute Ribery, Schweinsteiger and Podolski (I think) in that match. They combined very well to score the first goal and looked good for many more.

Against Stuttgart, they were faced with an opposition who was not scared to attack. And it did not help to play the final 20 odd minutes with 10 men after Lucio got sent off. Despite that they scored one. Wonder if he had stayed on if Bayern would have  equalised. I would have put my money on that one.

When sports writers and fans discuss who is the best player in Europe, the regular names floating around are Messi, Ronaldinho, Fabregas, Ronlado, Kaka etc. I think Ribery would be right there for his sheer playmaking. He is in some tremendous form and I think he will be one of the rising stars this season in Europe.

Watch out for Bayern & La Liga Serie A openers

Well caught a bit of Bayern Munich vs Hanover 96 match and now I do not have any doubt that this Bavarian side will surely win the Bundesliga hands down. They won the match quite comfortable, 3-0, goals coming from Luca Toni, van Bommel and Altintop!!!

Ribery was running the game and Bayern are getting their money’s worth from him. Now that I have seen him play in the pre-season and in the Bundesliga matches I think he would not have fitted into the Gunners line up as he controls the team. And we already have Fabregas doing it in the Arsene way. Using Ribery as a right winger would be restricting his movement and game. Ribery had a wonderful match. I have never seen somebody take corners and free-kicks so perfectly (maybe Riquelme). He was quick, he avoided tackles, got the tough balls and passed it around. Well Bundesliga winners are decided. Well they are the only unbeaten team in Bundesliga with 10-0 goal tally! Impressive.
La Liga started with Real winning their Madrid derby, 2-1 and Sevilla slamming 4 goals past Getafe.

Serie A had its own share of excitement when Juve scored 5 goals with Trezeguet scoring a hat-trick.

Gunners are back with a bang

Arsenal won the inaugural Emirates Cup beating Inter 2-1. The tournament format was such that you get an additional point for every goal scored. So Arsenal ended up clear winners with 10 point – 6 points for 2 victories and 4 for the 4 goals. The youngsters in the team showed their composure while still maintaining their passing game. They ran around the Italians weaving passes all over the field. This was a high class performance from the Gunners and definitely a notch above their previous match.

Hleb playing just behind the striker, Persie is a wonderful move by Wenger with Eboue playing ahead of Sagna and newcomer Kieran Gibbs playing in the left flank with Fabregas and Flamini in the middle of the park. Hoyte played on the left flank with Toure and Gallas the captain in the centre of defence. Lehmann was on duty under the crossbar. Playing in his first match for the senior team the 17 year old Gibbs showed that he was no kid when it comes to playing for the senior team. He showed his class and was given a standing ovation by the crowd when he was substituted. I am sure we will see more of him as the season progresses. Wenger has found the right positions for Hleb (one of the most under-rated footballers in EPL) and Eboue. Eboue’s combination with Sagna is something to be savoured for the future. I can see that partnership building slowly and steadily. Eboue’s forward play is gonna earn some penalties too.

Arsenal had all the chances in the first half and there were quite a few positives like the shot from outside the box which none of the players hit last season were all back. Persie had a freekick being saved by the goalie and another clipping the back pole. It was an eventful first half. As usual we concede the goal, which came out of nowhere. A precise header which beats Lehmann. And then the familiar story of having all the chances but taking none and the opposition taking it was coming to mind. And then Hleb takes the ball from Arsenal half, combines with Eboue and Sagna before getting it back scores a nice team goal. Scored were level. The commentator said “now somebody should step to the next level and win the match for Arsenal”. Persie heard it I guess because he comes up with a nice twist and turn and blasts it with his weaker foot to put it beyond the Italians. It was a fitting goal that could win any tournament.

Now there is hope. I think with this team we can look at a Top 3 finish which was looking difficult with all the transfers out of the club.  Wenger may buy one or two more players according to him. But he knows whats best for the club.

In other news, Bayern Munich beat Schalke 2-0 on Saturday to claim the curtain-raising  League Cup for the sixth time in their history. Watch out all you Bundesliga teams…

Bayern Munich & the Beckham debut

Bayern Munich defeated Werder Bremen, 4-1 in the league cup match yesterday. In display were their new signings for the first time in German soil. League Cup is the six-team tournament, comprises last season’s Bundesliga top four, German Cup winners Nuremberg and second division champions Karlsruhe

Out came Klose to spearhead the forward line. Their most expensive signing this year Ribery, joined Ze Roberto, who has been brought back from Brazil and their new Turkish attacking mid-fielder signing from Schalke, Hamit Altintop. Luca Toni was injured and hence did not play this match. Looking at the current Bayern line-up, they are strong enough to win the UEFA Cup and shoudl possess one of the best teams in Europe without doubt. Just have a look at their line-up.

GK – Oliver Kahn

Def – Sagnol (French), Lucio (Brazilian), Van Buyten (Belgian), Philip Lahm (German)

Mid – Ribery (French), Hamit Altintop (Turkish), Ze Roberto (Brazilian), Van Bommel (Dutch) and super stud Bastian Schweinsteiger(German)

Fwd – Klose (German), Podolski (German), Luca Toni (Italian), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguayan)

This is one formidable line up and looking at the attacking football they played yesterday I dont have any doubts that they will have a very memorable season. We will know how good they are in their next match where they play VfB Stuttgart

In the US, Beckham made his debut for LA Galaxy against Chelsea and hearing from the noise the crowd made to see him in flesh, I am sure he would be worth all the money paid by Galaxy in endorsements atleast. It seems they have already sold or got orders for 250, 000 jerseys!!!

As he walked past the crowd and was loosening up before being substituted, the crowd went into a frenzy and they were no longer interested in the match. Hope the other players in the team dont get intimidated by all this.