Messi, Ronaldo or Xavi?

It’s awards season in the football world and the shortlist for the biggest award of all has been announced. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi are the three footballers battling for the coveted Ballon d’Or.

Last year the shortlist caused controversy because all three nominees (Messi, Xavi and Iniesta) were from FC Barcelona. This year sees a slightly more inclusive list with Iniesta being replaced by former winner, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, however once again all three nominees are based in Spain. This move has unsurprisingly drawn the odd compulsory complaint from English and Italian representatives, slightly annoyed that their leagues aren’t represented on the shortlist. But the vast majority of observers are in agreement that the three best footballers in the world over the past twelve months were Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi.

Some are arguing that the shortlist proves that La Liga is the best league in the world. Whilst there’s no doubt that the nominations prove that La Liga has the world’s best players, it certainly doesn’t prove that it’s the best league. After all, the three nominees play for either Real Madrid or Barcelona. In the extended shortlist, released on 1^st November the only Spanish clubs represented were Real Madrid and Barcelona (although Kun Aguero and Diego Forlan played for Atletico Madrid before their summer moves).

Now that I’ve dismissed that argument, I’d like to concentrate on the nominees by assessing their performances and experiences over the past 12 months.

Xavi

I might as well start with the underdog. This is the third year in a row that the Catalan midfielder has made the shortlist. I’m a huge Xavi fan. There isn’t a more elegant, intricate passer of the ball in the world at the moment, and it’s possible that there never has been. In any other era Xavi would have won at least one Ballon d’Or. He combines outstanding skill and ability with the vision of a kestrel. His intelligence puts him in a different category to most players.

Many argue that Xavi is Barcelona’s most important player. His passing and game-control has been key to Barca’s successful 2011.

He began 2011 by breaking Barcelona’s all-time appearance record, previously held by Migueli. Xavi’s consistency alone is enough to justify his nomination. One of world football’s most consistent performers, it’s unknown when the pint-sized playmaker last had a bad game. He has captained Barca many times in the absence of Puyol, and has led my example. The team have found the going tough at times away from home so far this season, but Xavi has been a driving force, not least when he curled a great free-kick into the top corner to clinch victory in Granada.

His big moment of 2011 came in the Champions League final in Wembley. Xavi alone was more stylish, composed and creative than Man Utd’s entire midfield. He was a major reason why Barca managed to retain over 70% of the possession. He was also instrumental in last season’s bruising encounters with arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Xavi ends 2011 a Spanish, European and World Champion. He has achieved pretty much everything in the game apart from the Ballon d’Or. Will 2011 be his year?

Messi

The Barcelona and Argentina winger aims to emulate UEFA President Michel Platini in winning a third consecutive Ballon d’Or. The Frenchman is the only player in the 56 year history of the award to have won it three times in a row, but Messi has a great opportunity in 2011 to add to his 2009 and 2010 trophies.

Messi has had another superb year. His quick feet and goals have entertained us all and despite being surrounded by stars Messi’s always managed to stand out. Aged just 24, Messi has won everything there is to win at club level. He is just 29 goals away from breaking Barcelona’s all-time scoring record. Many of those goals have come in the last 12 months, including some pretty special ones. Despite scoring in the Champions League final in May his two most memorable strikes came in earlier rounds. In the semi-final against Real Madrid, Mourinho’s negativity had stifled Barcelona in what was a turgid affair in the Spanish capital. Messi took the bull by the horns and sped through the Real defence like a hare before finishing neatly past Iker Casillas. His other unforgettable goal came in Arsenal’s last 16 demolition of Arsenal at the Camp Nou when he latched onto an Iniesta through-ball and with glorious speed of thought, chipped the ball over the head of the unsuspecting Wojciech Szczesny. With the Arsenal keeper still wondering what had happened, Messi volleyed the ball into the empty net from close range. It was a piece of skill that typifies Messi’s genius, and it’s one of the nominees for FIFA’s goal of the year competition.

Like Xavi he’s achieved everything at domestic level. But could his disappointing Copa America hold him back when the voting takes place?

Ronaldo

Just over a year ago Cristiano Ronaldo was taught a lesson by Barcelona when he was marginalised in an incredible 5-0 El Clasico thrashing. If there’s one man in world football that hates being out-played it’s Ronaldo. The Portuguese winger began a personal mission to better himself, and boy has it worked.

Last season Ronaldo scored the only goal as Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final; the only competition in the 2010/11 season where Real beat Barca. Ronaldo’s biggest achievement in 2011 was winning the Pichichi, scoring an astounding 41 league goals, finishing above Messi in the scoring charts. Ronaldo’s goal-scoring in 2011 has been phenomenal, but his other physical attributes have been the subject of intense study. In the show “Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit” experts analysed Ronaldo’s fitness and technique and drew the conclusion that he was one of the most perfect athletes in world sport.

This season he’s managed to continue his incredible scoring run (17 goals so far in La Liga), whilst contributing far more in the way of assists and, more importantly, defensive effort. He has been on red hot form throughout 2011, and will be looking at Saturday’s El Clasico as a golden opportunity to prove himself the best player on Earth.

Ronaldo has also performed exceptionally for Portugal, at times being the difference between victory and defeat. He was instrumental in Portugal’s emphatic triumph against Bosnia in Lisbon.

I believe that in the first half of the 2011/12 season Ronaldo’s been the world’s best player, outshining even Messi and Xavi. However the winner is judged on his performance throughout 2011. Ronaldo might have been sensational for Real last season but he was consistently outdone in El Clasico matches in the league and Europe. Could those games count against Ronaldo in the final voting.

Verdict

Lionel Messi is the favourite for the prize, having won it in 2009 and 2010. However I have a sneaky suspicion that Ronaldo could clinch it. Statistically Ronaldo has been better than Messi over the last year. More importantly Ronaldo’s been better than his Argentinian rival so far this season. In previous years the voting has tended to be based very heavily on the events of the summer and the autumn of the year. Over the summer Ronaldo worked hard on his game, whilst Messi had a below-par Copa America in his homeland. Since the summer Ronaldo’s been more consistent than Messi and has bulldozed nearly every single opponent he’s faced.

Despite his consistent, technically brilliant performances, Xavi doesn’t possess the same wow-factor as Messi and Ronaldo. Rightly or wrongly, the voters will probably overlook his intelligent passing and playmaking in favour of Messi and Ronaldo’s unpredictability and spontaneity

There’s very little between Messi and Ronaldo. Messi has the medals but Ronaldo is statistically superior (though not by much). Whoever wins there’s sure to be controversy and disagreement. Whatever the result, the great rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo is sure to continue into 2012 and beyond.

Juventus and Lazio, back at the top of the tree

This week-end sees Juventus travel to Rome for a 1^st versus 2^nd clash with Lazio. Juve are above Lazio only on goal-difference going into the match (although Juventus have a game in hand).  It’s a very interesting match between two big clubs who haven’t seen much success in recent years.

The 2006 Calciopoli (or the Italian refereeing scandal to you and me) hit Juventus hard. The club from Turin were found guilty of bribing Serie A referees and as a result they were stripped of their 2005 and 2006 titles and relegated to Serie B with a 9 point deduction. The club lost many of its key players, such as Gianluca Zambrotta, Patrick Vieira, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the FIFAWorld Player of the Year, 2006, Italian World Cup winning captain, Fabio Canovaro. They won promotion at the first attempt, but since regaining their cherished Serie A status, they’ve struggled to challenge for the title; finishing in 2^nd and 3^rd spot, but always quite far behind the champions. Last year they finished the season in 7^th, 27 points behind champions Inter.

For Lazio, it’s been a far longer struggle. The Eagles haven’t won Serie A since 2000, when a side containing Pavel Nedved, Alessandro Nesta, Roberto Mancini, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Juan Sebastien Veron and Dejan Stankovic, managed by Swede Sven Goran Eriksson, pipped Juventus to the title on the final day of the season. Eriksson left and so did all the club’s star names, and with them went the success. Lazio have consistently finished outside the Champions League spots since 2001, whilst their bitter rivals Roma enjoyed the spoils of Champions League football.

This summer the two clubs had had enough and decided to splash the cash.

Lazio spent €25m on players, with the view to strengthening all areas of the pitch. €5.2m was spent on Italian international keeper Federico Marchetti, who’s impressed since his move from Cagliari. Their unreliable defence was sured up with the acquisitions of Stankevicius, Konko and Lulic. Lazio also needed strikers, particularly after letting star player Mauro Zarate go on loan to Inter. So they spent big on former Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé and picked up Miroslav Klose, one of Europe’s deadliest finishers over the past 10 years, on a free.

If Lazio’s spending was impressive, Juventus’ was staggering. The Turin outfit wanted a team that would look the part in their impressive new stadium. The Old Lady flashed the cash and spent over €85m on players. Eljero Elja, Andrea Pirlo, Stephen Lichsteiner, Fabio Quagliarella, Simone Pepe, Arturo Vidal and Mirko Vucinic, to name but a few. Such was the ambition shown by Juventus that they were even being linked with Kun Aguero and Javier Pastore. Juventus fans have always felt that their rightful place is at the top of the tree, and with these signings they thought they could once again be Kings of Italy.

So far the €85m gamble is paying off. Juve are unbeaten this season and leading the pack.

Manager Antonio Conti has helped reinvigorate the club. The Juventus legend was praised last season for leading Siena to promotion from Serie B, and now he’s got Juventus playing an elegant brand of attacking football. One of the keys to Juventus’ success has been the work of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio. The two co-operate beautifully on the pitch to provide the players around them with an abundance of chances. Last season questions were being asked of Pirlo, now 32 years old, but he’s hit back since his move to Turin, and has been one of the stars of Serie A this season. With stylish Montenegran Mirko Vucinic tormenting full-backs on the left wing, and Pepe cutting in from the right wing, they have genuine goal-scoring threat from the wide positions.

Lazio’s style of play has been slightly different. Experienced manager Edoardo Reja has got Lazio organised. They play a high-energy game, built to get 1-0 or 2-1 victories. They don’t like getting stretched, but stay compact throughout the 90 minutes. The majority of their goals come from crosses into the box. Much like Pirlo, Miroslav Klose was the subject of much scrutiny last year as he scored just one league goal for Bayern Munich. However the German’s finishing is back to normal in the Italian capital; Klose’s netted 6 goals in 10 league appearances. Lazio’s most influential player isn’t a new boy. Brazilian midfielder Hernanes has been outstanding so far this season. His skill, flare and attacking style of play makes him a deadly weapon for Lazio. This squad’s also unified, as was demonstrated when they beat city-rivals Roma 2-1, then celebrated as though they’d just won the title.

There’s clearly a genuine feel-good factor at both clubs, which one would presume has contributed hugely to their early success this term.

Saturday promises a tactical battle between two confident teams. Despite Lazio’s strong, determined start to the season, I see Juventus leaving the Eternal City with all three points. Their cutting-edge and creativity should prove decisive against a Lazio team that have picked up more points away from home than they have at the Stadio Olympico this season. It promises to be a great game.

Why we need to appreciate our Lower Leagues!

I love lower league football, and I’m not ashamed of it. The thrills, spills and unpredictability of Europe’s lower leagues make them in many ways far more interesting than the plastic, commercial, and over-hyped premier leagues. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent most of my life supporting a lower league team (Swansea have given me the chance to watch football in four tiers of English football) but I think lower league football has far more to offer than attendances would suggest.

My opinions aren’t shared by most Europeans. The unglamorous, under-publicised and devalued lower leagues are certainly unappreciated in most European nations, including some of the largest. So why is it that some countries embrace the lower leagues more than others? And are the large countries where the lower leagues aren’t appreciated, likely to change their attitudes anytime soon?

England, more than any other European country, appreciates its lower leagues. In no other country does professionalism extend so far down the football league ladder. Professionalism is mandatory in the top four tiers of English football, and is now the norm in the fifth tier. This is down to the high attendances clubs draw as far down as the fourth tier (seven League 2 clubs averaged over 5,000 fans last season, including Bradford City who averaged 11,128).

In sharp contrast to most countries in Europe, English fans have always felt passionately about their local clubs. There exists a sense that the local club represents the local area. Whereas in other countries, clubs in the fourth tier tend to draw small crowds, who tend to view these clubs in the same way as I’d view the local Sunday league side, fourth tier teams in England ignite passions and excite fans as well as any Premier League teams. There’s no better example of this than League 2’s bottom side, Plymouth Argyle.

Plymouth have been in dire financial troubles, and last summer had to sell much of their squad in order to stay alive. This season they’ve managed just two wins, but they’re still averaging around 6,000 for every home game, and hundreds travel to every away game. The fans have come out in energetic support of their local club at a difficult time, and it looks like their actions have saved this club, which is clearly a huge part of the community.

Compare this to the story of RC Strasbourg. The Alsatian club was once one of the giants of French football. League champions in 1979, they were in the UEFA Cup as recently as 2006. However the club was relegated in 2008 to Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Attendances dropped drastically, and the once great club found difficulty on and off the pitch. In 2010 they were relegated to National, the third tier of French football. The club faced huge financial troubles, and the 30,000 capacity Stade de la Meinau saw as few as 1,200 fans last season. When RCS dropped into the third tier, the local fans stopped caring to a large extent. I watched a few Racing matches in National, and it was spooky sitting in a large stadium, watching professional football with no more than a handful of true supporters.

Strasbourg’s last ever professional match was played behind closed doors due to the deteriorating situation at the club. It was a sad end for a great club. During the summer the club was liquidated and was reformed in the regional fifth tier.

Racing’s fans’ ambivalence towards the prospect of liquidation is a fair reflection of French fans’ attitudes towards lower league football. Last season Ligue 1’s average attendance was 19,742 (a disappointing figure itself), but Ligue 2’s average was less than a third of that. Four clubs in the second tier averaged less than 5,000. This is despite reasonable ticket prices and a large increase in national publicity for the league.

France’s case is hardly unique.

Earlier I mentioned English fans’ love of their local clubs. The same can’t be said of Spain, a country where the football culture is dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona. It’s tough enough for the other La Liga sides to attract fans (last season eight clubs in the top division failed to average 20,000 fans). So you can imagine how hard it must be for clubs in the Liga Adelante to get fans. Apart from the Seville-based giants, and last year’s champions, Real Betis, no club managed an average attendance above 15,000. This contrasts sharply with England’s second tier, where 16 out of 24 clubs averaged more than 15,000.

As well as the powerful lure of Barca and Real, there’s one other factor which devalues the Spanish lower leagues immensely. The majority of Spanish fans see lower league clubs’ sole raison d’être as opposition for aspiring youngsters, playing for the big clubs’ B-teams. In Spain the lower leagues are infested with the B-teams of La Liga sides, and thus many in Spain view the lower leagues in the same way as English fans view the reserve league. It devalues the competition hugely, and makes a mockery of other clubs that compete alongside the mini-Messis. The situation was made more farcical when last year, the league introduced a promotion play-off, similar to the hugely successful ones held in England. The aim was to generate excitement at the end of the season, as the third to sixth placed teams battled each other out for the last remaining promotion spot. Due to Barcelona B finishing 3^rd, the play-offs were extended to include Valladolid, who finished 7^th.

Italy’s lower leagues are possibly in a worse state than Spain’s. For in Spain the standard of football played in the Liga Adelante is remarkably high, considering the disgraceful funding and attention it receives.

In Italy the situation’s desperate. Serie B is seen as nothing more than a punishment for Serie A clubs that bribe referees. Last season over half the league averaged less than 5,000 per game, and Portogruaro-Summaga averaged just 1,369. Much like in Spain, efforts to strengthen the image of Serie B have largely failed, due in part to the priority given to the revival of Serie A, which itself has seen turnout shrink.

Funding is in short supply in Italy. Football has been touched by the effects of the economic crisis that has ravaged Italy. In recent years many smaller clubs have been forced to either close or merge with other clubs to create more sustainable outfits, such as FC Neapolis-Frattese. The brand new, modern stadia that we see in England’s lower leagues contrast with the crumbling health-hazards seen in Italy’s equivalent. Lower league football in Italy is struggling.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Germany’s 2 Bundesliga is flourishing. The rise in the standard of play over the last ten years, coupled with low ticket prices and a welcoming atmosphere have helped make the 2 Bundesliga an entertaining and widely-followed league. Last season the Olympiastadion in Berlin contained 77,116 fans for the Berlin derby between Hertha Bsc and Union Berlin. This was the largest post-war attendance for a second-tier football match in Europe.

The standard of football on show in the 2 Bundesliga has certainly improved recently. Gone are the battles of attrition, here to stay are elegant passing teams. Sky in Germany have picked up on the popularity of lower league football and have devoted much air-time to 2 Bundesliga matches. Though average attendances in the league are lower than in England, it’s clear that Germans value their lower leagues. This is partly due to the large number traditional teams that play in the lower leagues. Many of the great teams of the 50s, 60s and 70s are now plying their trades in various lower leagues, for example, Rot-Weiß Essen, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Munich 1860 and Eintracht Frankfurt. Lower league football in Germany is in a far better state than in France, Spain or Italy.

A quick look at the second tiers in each of these countries and you spot large clubs. In France the likes of Nantes, Lens and now Monaco (who have failed to adapt since their relegation last year, and now find themselves bottom of Ligue 2) have all dropped into Ligue 2. In Italy 1992 Champions League finalists Sampdoria are playing catch-up in Serie B following their shock relegation last year. Last year’s incredible relegation also means Deportivo La Coruña are in the Liga Adelante this year.

Unfortunately these big clubs don’t draw the huge attendances one would expect. In some cases big teams get largely forgotten when they drop out of the top divisions.

It’s sad that the globalisation of European football has led to the neglect of the lower leagues, for here we find the real beauty of football. These clubs aren’t viewed by millions of people every week, in places like Singapore, Los Angeles and Tokyo. These players don’t get paid £200,000 a week. These fans aren’t prawn sandwich eaters. These are regular clubs, that are the cornerstones of communities, and they provide character to towns and cities across Western Europe. We must protect our lower leagues and attempt to strengthen them, in tandem with the growth of Europe’s Premier Leagues.

City officially better than United

This Sunday was one of the most incredible days in the Premier League’s 20 year history.

Out of the blue, QPR beat their neighbours, Chelsea, 1-0 in a feisty, controversial yet hugely entertaining encounter at Loftus Road. Everton edged a thriller at Craven Cottage which included one of the misses of the season by Fulham’s Bobby Zamora. Arsenal’s Robin van Persie kept up his incredible scoring record this season to save his team against Stoke. In Lancashire the pressure on under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean increased as his team lost again, this time against Spurs.

However there was one stand-out result that will live long in the memory.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City may one day be seen as a real landmark result in the history of English football.

Following the final whistle football analysts across the world scoured the record-books, searching for the last time something like this last happened.

City’s victory ends a run of nineteen consecutive home league wins for United. This is Manchester United’s largest defeat since 1955. Alex Ferguson has only ever had six goals scored against him once in his career as a player or a manager; a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Airdrie when he was playing for Falkirk in the Scottish First Division. This was United’s largest derby defeat in 85 years.

The facts and figures are startling, but the main lesson learned from Sunday’s incredible match was that the blue half of the city is now the superior side!

City were better than their opponents in every department. A quick comparison of the squads shows us that Man City have not only caught up with their rivals, but have actually overtaken them. City’s squad is younger, fresher, livelier, but more importantly, they’re more technically assured than United’s squad.

David De Gea is undoubtedly one of the top young goal-keepers in World Football. However Joe Hart’s experience has made him a better goalie. De Gea’s only been playing professional football for 3 years, and though he’s represented Spain at many levels, he’s yet to receive a cap for the senior team. His youth has meant that he’s had a shaky start to life in England, and he won’t remember this weekend with much fondness. Hart on the other hand is now 24 years old. His extensive experience of lower league football, coupled with his top-flight experience and 14 England caps have made him one of the most consistent keepers in Europe at the moment.

In defence there’s no contest. Mancini’s policy with his defenders has always been perfect. Kompany is possibly the best defender in the world at the moment. He has an air of impenetrability about him and a controlling influence that instils confidence in his fellow defenders. Joleon Lescott has undoubtedly benefitted from having the Belgian beside him; the centre-back finally looks like the defender that cost City £22 million. The full-backs are on top form. Richards is fulfilling the potential he showed when he was 18, and Gael Clichy has fitted in remarkably well at left-back.

United on the other hand are in the middle of a transitional period in defence. Nemanja Vidic, United’s best defender, was missing on Sunday, and it showed. Rio Ferdinand’s injuries have taken their toll. He’s past his best, and looked like an old man against City’s vibrant attacks. Smalling and Jones are ones for the future. The youngsters are exciting prospects, however they’re not world class yet, and they will have learned many lessons against City. Johnny Evans isn’t good enough to start for United, and he proved that against City. Even reliable Evra no longer looks like the player of a few years ago.

The largest gulf between the two clubs can be found in midfield. I was shocked that United didn’t purchase a top class central midfielder during the summer spending spree. By Champions League standards the United midfield is distinctly average. Fletcher scored the best goal of the game against City, and he is vital for United by now. He’s the physical presence. Next to him is Anderson who is a lovable player, but can’t tackle. The two don’t work well together and central midfield lacks balace. Ashley Young has impressed since his move, but Nani, Giggs and Valencia are all struggling to follow Young’s lead. I don’t understand why Park didn’t start against Man City. I would have thought his terrier-like energy would have been ideal for this fixture.

Man City’s midfield is the most well-balanced in world football apart from Barcelona’s. The combination of Barry and Milner isn’t a glamorous one, but both were outstanding on Sunday. Yaya Toure is a tank that rules midfield. But the star quality comes from David Silva. The Spaniard has been incredible this season, and is on track to become Player of the Season. His touch and control is phenomenal. His style and creativity is something we rarely see in the gung-ho Premier League. But unlike their rivals, City have plenty of strength in depth. Nigel De Jong is the kind of player that United need; a Roy Keane type bruiser who can command midfield. The Dutchman is a beast, but a cultured one (maybe Fergie should enquire about a loan deal if De Jong’s not starting for City). Samir Nasri was my choice for player of the season last year, but he too was on the bench for City against United. City started the game against United without wingers, deciding instead to use the attacking force of the full-backs. However Adam Johnson is always an option off the bench.

Last year, City were criticised for their defensive nature and inability to score. This year they are the top scorers in the division, and last year’s star player Carlos Tevez hasn’t scored once. Aguero is everything you’d want in a striker. He’s a hard worker, a skilful dribbler, a clinical finisher and a great team-player. Dzeko has found his scoring boots at last. He’s being told to play simple football, and he’s netting regularly. Then there’s Balotelli, one of the most controversial players in world football. I saw Balotelli play for the Italy u21s when he was 19 years old and he blew me away. His athleticism is frightening, but he also has great feet. Though his decision-making is questionable, his ability isn’t.

United are by no means lacking in this department. Rooney has been brilliant this season, and Welbeck has surprised me pleasantly. Javier Hernandez is an old-fashioned striker with modern day skills. It speaks volumes about the strength of United’s forwards that Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen aren’t playing.

I will end this report by praising a man that gets very little praise for his hard work at the Etihad. Roberto Mancini has managed to unify a dressing room full of huge personalities. They say any man could coach a team with the amount of money Mancini’s had to spend. However not every manager could get the team to beat United 6-1 at old Trafford! Mancini’s got his team playing attractive, attacking football, with a solid defence. I would also argue that he is the only person in the world that can tame Balotelli and get him playing the way he is at present. Mancini understands his players brilliantly, and he’s got them all playing at full capacity.

His opposite number now has a big challenge on his hands. Man City have better players than United, and they’re playing better football. At the start of the season I thought United’s experience and winning mentality would see them pip City to the title. However, after watching both teams’ starts to the season, I’m struggling to see what Ferguson can do with the quad he’s got that’s going to win him another title. If they’re still close to City in January, Ferguson will have the chance to spend big on star players. Otherwise I think this year’s premier league title is City’s to lose.