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Is There A Right Way To Play?

2:16 PM | Labels: Barcelona, Champions League, Chelsea, Roman Abramovich

Surely the winner of the trophy deserves their name on the trophy? Yet it appears that “purists” of the game believe that the manner and style in which the trophy was won has placed a shadow over the winners. This is quite ludicrous, if they won then they deserved to? Yet for the fans who love to watch the “beautiful game” then perhaps it was not pretty, yet for those have a knowledge and understanding of the game, perhaps they will be more complimentary to Chelsea.

In the wake of Chelsea’s highly impressive and yet somewhat surprising victory in the Champions League, it has led to many fans and pundits accusing Chelsea of not deserving the trophy.

Chelsea’s tactical decision to defend in numbers and to stifle the space and time for players like Messi was a correct decision in hindsight. If Barcelona had beaten them then people would have questioned their tactics, yet this is the same for every game; tactics are regarded as good when successful and bad when not.

For Chelsea there was a certain pragmatism of how they could play against Barcelona, Bayern and even Benfica if they had any need to qualify. They did not have the personnel to implement on open brand of football, something which Villas-Boas learnt the hard way, simply this style was not applicable to the current squad. Chelsea admitted their vulnerabilities and used their strengths to counter that. Di Matteo went back to the method which had suited Chelsea so well for many seasons, with a mentality which was instilled from the "Special One" many years ago. Defend deep and compact and counter attack with fast wingers and the power of a strong number nine. The side which won the Champions League was Jose’s, it always has been.

Only one way to play?

Johann Cryuff has spoken out about Chelsea's success; he believes it was better to not have the trophy than win it the way Chelsea did. "Only Chelsea fans will be happy with this, for the rest, nobody can be happy with the outcome" Cruyff said to De Telegraaf."What especially bothers me is that a football team can forget everything and still win. I'd choose to take the steps we take at Ajax, towards the football that we all want to see," Cruyff stated.

Now this interesting and shows the arrogance of Cryuff and those who prophesise about “totalfootball” and playing the game the “right way”. The thing is, there is no “right way”, for some there is an ideal of how to play, yet football is open for interpretation. In the senior game, there is only one thing that really matters, the result. The means in how you get there is not recorded in the history books, you either win or lose. Is Cryuff serious when he believes that it is better not to win if you play defensive football? This is a ludicrous mentality. If your chosen tactic is not working then a good coach will change it to suit the game and attempt to improve their sides performance. It says it all about Cryuff however that his “dream team” lost 4-0 to Milan in 1994; his reluctance to change things cost Barca the game. This stubbornness effectively ended Cryuff’s reign and prevented that side from going on to achieve more.

The need for a gameplan

Yet Cryuff arguing against a style is one thing, at least you can respect his opinion, however I have heard Arsenal & United fans in particular being distinctly harsh on this triumph. It sounds very much of jealously. United & Arsenal have both been beaten in the finals by the beautiful, total football of Barcelona. Do their fans wish that their managers had conjured a plan to beat a superior side? How they did they play against them? Did they have a tactic? A “blueprint” like Chelsea?

It was interesting last season in the build up to the final between United and Barcelona when Ferguson stated that he had a “plan” to beat Barca, that he had learnt his lesson from the previous final and that this time would be different. Well he was right, Barca were even better than last time and United, Rooney excepted, were abject and clearly clueless in how to deal with this side. When Ferguson spoke of his masterplan last year I expected something similar to the formation used by Inter and Chelsea.

Tactically United were awful, playing without a defensive midfielder again, whereas many sides now deploy two. United sat back quite deep, yet they allowed too much space between the defensive and midfield unit. With the movements Messi makes, surely Ferguson’s “plan” should have been to close off space centrally? Why a 4-2-3-1 formation was not used was baffling; and the threats came from those pockets of space. This showed to me that Ferguson and his assistant Phelan, were not tactically good enough to beat a side of Barcelona’s class.

He often talks of the United way of playing, that they play attacking football. Yet I didn’t see anything in that final which was impressive, which justified his tactics and style; careless in possession, panicked under pressure and tactically inept. Is this what Cryuff means when he believes it is better to play this way and get nowhere? In the final you choose a style that gives you the best chance of winning, United did not show this last season. No wonder United fans are jealous of Chelsea, when will be the next time United get close to the Champions League final? I assure you that City will be there before them.

Attacking football is only half of it

The same can be said for Wenger, who has failed for many seasons to overcome Barcelona, especially at the Camp Nou. This idealistic belief that by playing open, attacking football means that you can be content with failure is a preposterous mentality. As a manager you set out your side, especially away from home or against superior opposition, to be compact, organised and ultimately defensively sound. Arsenal in particular will never win anything while they have a tactically inept manager in charge who disregards the defensive side of the game because he sees it as being negative. This lack of understanding is why Arsenal have not won anything for seven years.

What Wenger forgets about totalfootball is that it is a defensive tactic first of all; the key is that as unit you press high to win the ball closer to the goal. It does not mean, in possession play nice triangles yet when the ball lost just wait to get it back. Arsenal are one of the most disorganised and poorly coached defensive sides in the Champions League. And Arsenal, in 2006 the were winning 1-0 against Barcelona and were even down to 10 men, yet they continued to play their style, somewhat believing that defending is an admission of guilt and that attacking football is what the game is about. This naivety has been the reason Arsenal have not won a trophy for seven years and their manager hides his tactical ineptness with a philosophy of attacking football. The key to any successful side is being strong defensively. Arsenal are one of the worst at this art. No wonder both sets of fans were jealous, because they witnessed a side who showed that strong defences can win trophies.

To lose with beauty or to win as the beast?

Tactics are a fascinating conversation as they separate the fans from the knowledgeable. And tactics, on the biggest stage, tend to make the difference between success and failure. The words of Cryuff are of a man whose beliefs have been rocked. He witnessed a side in Chelsea surrender possession to his beloved Barcelona and who said to Barcelona, “show us what you can do”. He shows his frustration that the beauty of Barca could not overcome the beast of Chelsea.

In 2010 Inter Milan arrived at Camp Nou holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg, they knew that Barcelona needed two goals to qualify. After Motta was sent off after Busquets play acted to a hit to the face, Jose decided that it was going to be a defensive effort from all 10 players on the pitch. In the whole game Inter did not have single shot on goal, yet they didn’t need to; The onus was on Barcelona to break this side down. A hand ball decision at the end of the game prevented Barca from reaching the final, yet what Jose had done was show the football world how to play against Barcelona.

What Chelsea and Inter have shown is that defending is so much more than saying defend deep, be compact. Mourinho's biggest asset is bringing together a group of players and making them one unit, united together. This was Saachi’s achievement at Milan and Guardiola’s at Barca; a sytem and style in which “players are connected to one another, which moves together as if was a single player”, these are the words of the master Sacchi. And he believes that “today few teams know how to do this. Few teams work as a unit. They are all made up of little groups. There is no great connection, nor a good distribution of players around the pitch.”

These words are what make tactics so important, it is not just the formation, the defensive mentality or attacking style. A manager who is able to bring together a group and make them in to one unit, one united team, will have the ability to be successful. This is why Arsenal have failed in the past several years, the lack of a cohesive unit where the whole team works together. They are individual units around the pitch which often do not work together.Sacchi says that “It is not a question of 4-4-2 or 4-2-1-3, it is a question of having a team which is ordered, in which the players are connected to one another, which moves together, as if it was a single player." It is this which made Chelsea victorious in Munich, a collective spirit of togetherness, belief and trust in each other.

When will Chelsea get back to the final?

Personally I cannot see it next season as the side is now in a real stage of transition; the side which was put together by Jose is eventually going to be split up, and it will up to a new manager to start a new era off at Stamford Bridge. Roman Abramovich desires his Chelsea side to play like Barcelona yet if they had done so against Napoli, Benfica, Barcelona or Bayern then I assure you they would not have got anywhere close to the final. Di Matteo was pragmatic and he did the way he saw best; in very much the path of the man whose shadow continues to linger over Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo adopted tactics which reflected the strengths and very much the weaknesses of the side. However, perhaps Chelsea do need to move on and adapt their tactics.

You see Cryuff is right in a way. In 2010 Inter defeated Barcelona and overcame Bayern to life the title, it was a display of defensive might and which was seen as perhaps the end of the Barcelona style. Jose had beaten the best side in the world, yet the following season Barcelona were back in the final and winning it again, while Inter have been on a decline ever since that win. Could Chelsea be on that same path now? I wrote before that the final last week was possibly Chelsea's last chance to win that trophy, because their wish to play a certain way may actually be detrimental to the team's success. Look at Arsenal to see what happens when you attempt to change a winning formula! Yet in the long term it is much more beneficial to have the ball and dictate the game, than trust the opposition not to score.

The success and then decline of Inter comes from Mourinho; for all his qualities in motivating and getting the best out of the players he has by playing to their strengths, he does not consider the long term impact of his position; he works only for the present. It serves a purpose, to win, yet it does not give any long term success. This is why Chelsea’s win, which I commend, is a one off. They lack the quality to sustain this kind of success on a regular basis. It is why Cryuff is right when he talks of the problems with the win at all costs mentality. Barcelona are a great example of a side which believes in a way to play, they don’t always win yet they have been continually successful. Their style has been able to permeate through generations and their qualities and superiority have won out eventually over others.

Long term plans required

Realistically Chelsea qualified through aspects of luck and fortune. In almost all their games post Villas-Boas they were saved by the wastefulness of the opposition over their own quality. Of course this is football and this is what happens, yet their tactic, to give the other side the ball and hope they don’t score, could have been seriously flawed. That is in the past now and Chelsea are winners, yet where is Greece after Euro 2004? Where is Inter after 2010? A moment of success which history remembers but which cannot be sustained.

It may have been written in the stars, it may have been destiny. Yet if Chelsea are serious about being one of the top sides in Europe then they need to develop a side which plays better football, which keeps better possession and which attacks with fluency. Their defensive strengths make them a better side than Arsenal and even United right now, yet they need to improve their ability to keep the ball and not concede possession. They need to consider the long term and finally move on from the Jose era.

This will not happen overnight and so Abramovich needs to understand that if he wants to see great football combined with trophies, then he has to be patient and allow his manager to build the foundations in the senior level and importantly in the youth academy. It took Barcelona decades to get where they are, yet they continued their belief in what they did and have become a blueprint of how to develop great players and thus, great sides. Now Roman has his grail, perhaps he can be more patient for the future. Unfortunately I doubt it.

Follow The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address

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Chelsea’s Date With Destiny

6:27 AM | Labels: Champions League, Chelsea, Roman Abramovich

In June 2003 Chelsea’s fortunes would be changed when a Russian billionaire bought the club from Ken Bates and went about seeking to make Chelsea the best side in world football. Chelsea had already qualified for the Champions League and so Roman went about buying up the best talent in world football.

If it wasn’t for a remarkable Arsenal that season Chelsea under Ranieri may well have won their first league title. As it was, Ranieri was deemed not of the calibre required for Chelsea to succeed and the Champions League winning coach Jose Mourinho was the man given the opportunity to take this club to greatness. He unquestionably delivered, two league titles put Chelsea on top in England and for a time it appeared that this side would go on to dominate world football.

However, the problems with foreign ownership was made apparent when Abramovich appeared to take matters into his own hands, the acquisition of Shevchenko, no doubt a top player, yet perhaps not what Mourinho wanted ruffled Mourinho and his lack of control on the club led to the the Special One departing. Yet his legacy has lived on at Stamford Bridge ever since.

The Old Guard - Jose's team

This weekend Chelsea will make their second appearance in a Champions League final, cruelly missing out in 2008 with a slip from John Terry on a match winning penalty. It seems fitting therefore in what is most likely the end of the Jose team which dominated England, they have a chance to win the trophy which has eluded the “Old guard” as they are referred of Cech, Cole, Terry, Lampard, Essien and Drogba. It will be their last chance to win the coveted prize that Roman seeks so much. How ironic that this is perhaps the one season where no one would have expected to see Chelsea anywhere near the Champions League final.

The sacking of Ancelotti was unnecessary and cold, very much of the attitude of a Russian who perhaps focuses too much on the present and forgets about the past and the need for a stable future. Seven managerial appointments in seven years is not the signs of a stable club and although success has come in that time, the side has not been able to evolve. A new manager is not given time to build their side and so must rely on the current lot, this is why it is very much Mourinho’s side which will take the pitch in Munich.

The new era

The arrival of Villas-Boas was supposed to signal a new era for Roman’s Chelsea, a new style, based on that of Barcelona. However, it is not as easy to instil a way of playing that is not natural for the players you have. What Villas-Boas was able to produce at Porto, was not easy to replicate when the current players are used to playing another way, the Mourinho way. Poor results led to confrontation and the departure of AVB became inevitable, Villas-Boas had focused too much on the future, naively believing that a three contract meant job security.

The problem with Chelsea is that “the old guard” wield power, yet they deserve to, they have earned the right to have an opinion, and the truth is that the “replacements” just aren’t good enough.

How have Chelsea got to the final? By playing the tactics of Jose and neglecting the total football approach sought by Roman. A smart man would realise that this squad are built to play a certain way, yet Roman still longs to see the beautiful game at Stamford Bridge. His only concern should be that if he get’s that, he won’t win anything. It would seem he cannot have it both ways.

Why are Barcelona so good at what they do? Because that is their way, each manager seeks to define the philosophy of Michels and Cryuff and so the total football philosophy is ingrained in the soil of Camp Nou and La Masia. This is simply not the case with Chelsea, where Jose built a strong and powerful side capable of dominating games. It is not that they can’t play good football, yet this is not their strength. Barcelona and Guardiola in particular were scared of Chelsea, because in affect they were the antithesis of Barca, one side was small and the other were giants. Drogba and Esien dominated the games in 2008 yet Barca somehow scraped through. It was not a reflection on the game itself and Chelsea really should have gone through that night. I am sure it was Chelsea's dominance which prompted Barca to go and buy Zlatan, yet I am sure they would have taken Drogba, and do not be surprised if they get the Ivorian this summer.

My point is that Chelsea are who they are and play the way they do, they should not seek to change that to emulate another side, as it will ultimately end in failure. I wrote before that Villas-Boas needed to be more Jose andless Pep in order to succeed at Chelsea, yet he failed and Di Matteo has done what is necessary with this side. He has brought back the best in Terry, Lampard and Drogba by playing to their strengths. This is what has got Chelsea to the final and it is this style which will be the key to their success.

Munich problems

The major problem for Chelsea in Munich however will be those who are not available. Ivanovic and Ramires have been arguably Chelsea’s best players this season and since Di Matteo has returned John Terry has been sublime (discounting the Liverpool game). His actions in Camp Nou were unnecessary and his absence may have a major impact on the final. I wonder how well Luiz and Cahill play together? The performance in Naples would indicate not so well, yet that was under AVB and perhaps Di Matteo can get something from them.

It will not be easy, although Bayern lack the unity of other sides in Europe, they have an excellent side, arguably the world’s best keeper, a strong defence, one of the world’s best midfielders in Schweinsteiger and an attack which is one of the best in the world. Can Bosingwa really keep hold of Ribery? Can Mikel track the runs of Kroos? Perhaps Cole can deal with Robben, yet with overlaps from Lahm it will be important the midfielders are tracking runners. Even though away from home Bayern have been poor, and their last game in the German cup against Dortmund was atrocious, at home they have been impressive, the 7-0 defeat of Basel in particular was sublime and Bayern will want to win the trophy in front of their home fans more than anything. Chelsea have a real test on their hands.

What lies ahead?

The last time Cheslea they got the final they were a penalty kick away, at that time the side were at their peak. It is not the same now and this is really the last chance for a lot of these players to go and win the Champions League. The truth is, not winning it will mean only Europa League football next season and I do have to question the future of this side. The Old guard have been derided and mocked as to their abilities this season, yet without them Chelsea would not have had any resurgence and would not have won the FA Cup and be in Munich for the final.

What then afterwards? Drogba appears set to leave and this will be a big game for a player who has personified this Chelsea side for the best part of a decade. His strength, power and skill has been overlooked at times by his flamboyance, antics and petulance, a somewhat fitting metaphor of Roman’s time at Chelsea. Yet he will be difficult to replace. As for Cole, Terry, Lampard and Essien; their careers are coming to an end and Chelsea fans must be worried about replacements like Bertrand, Cahill, Mata and Meireles, are they really worthy replacements? The 4-1 loss to Liverpool could be put down to resting players for the game in Munich, yet what it showed me was that the future of Chelsea is weak and clearly not good enough to challenge the might of Manchester. Will Chelsea be competing for the title upcoming seasons? I have my doubts.

And what about the manager? Is Di Matteo the right man to lead this team and take them forwards in their “transitional” journey, I believe he may be if the ambition is to build a new squad, he has shown he can be successful and Chelsea need to trust someone to take this team forward. A new manager may find themselves in another vicious cycle of trying to balance the old with the new. However, Chelsea may need a Capello or Deschamps to show an intent that Chelsea wish to compete with the elite of Europe.

With the new signings of Marin, De Bruyne and Romeu it would appear that the future of Chelsea is to match the small, technical players of Barcelona. Yet I question how successful this will be, in this squad I do not see the intimidation of the past players, similar to Arsenal were in 2004, a side which seemed so dominant and powerful, is to be replaced by weaker versions. And it appears Chelsea are becoming the new Arsenal, settling for top four instead of challenging for the league.

If Chelsea do not win in the Munich then the hopes of Roman and his plan to dominate Europe will be distinguished there in the Allianz, this is Chelsea’s final chance to win the trophy he covets so highly. Yet it must be done by the old ways of Jose and not with the fantasy of Barcelona.

You can follow me on Twitter @The_W_Address

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The 20th Premier League Season. An Analysis

8:49 AM | Labels: Arsenal, Champions League, Man City, Man Utd, Premier League

In what has been billed one of the best seasons ever, it is important to reflect that it has been perhaps one of the most entertaining because it has been one of the worst in terms of quality. Defending at times appeared to go out the window, yet it gave us scorelines from years gone by. Many questions were asked of owners and managers, many transfers questioned and new stars were made.

The last day of the season was by far the best finish in Premier League history and for that this 20th season will be remembered fondly. A fifth name on the trophy has been marked and it may be the dawn of a new era in the Premier League. This is my analysis of all the sides this season, what they did, or not and what the future holds for them for next year.

1st, Manchester City

In what was one of the most dramatic endings to a Premier League season for a long time, Man City have put their names on the trophy as only the fifth side in Premier League history to do so. Considering that the title was won in the last minute of the season, it seems odd to say that it was City’s to lose throughout the campaign. Yet they almost did it, and not just yesterday, but in their away from with losses against Sunderland, Everton, Swansea and Arsenal all but seemingly throwing away the league. When 8 points behind United it seemed over, and although there was talk of the “project” not factoring in a title win so soon, it would have been seen as a capitulation and a sign of the mental block that City had been associated with.

As it was, 6 wins to finish the season did the trick, importantly the defeat to United at home. With the money spent it would seem obvious that the title was “won”, however this side has come from nowhere to get in the position it is now. With a very limited history, investment was the only way City would be able to compete. With the acquisition of Aguero this season, City have arguably the best keeper, defender (Kompany), midfielder (Yaya) and forward (Aguero) in the league. What this title win did, and importantly the manner of it, was show City that in those moments when all seems lost, can pull something out like that. If they had won 6-0, the win would not have given them as much belief as what happened Sunday. This is not good for those around them, the hardest one is the first and the coming decade may see a genuine force ignite on world football.

As for Mancini, by his own actions he knew his job depended on that result and the title, at 2-1 it all seemed over, yet he has given himself another season, I say this because his record in the Champions League is scratchy at best and with City’s ambitions, the next step is that tournament. With a relatively poor and naive showing in Europe this year, it is vital that the title was won. Expect players to leave this year, notably Tevez & Balotelli whose suitors could include Champions League qualifiers PSG and Malaga. It may be that Falcao is looked at to come in up top, along with a world class defensive midfielder of the ilk of Gokhan Inler or Arturo Vidal. A key acquisition will be a central defender, losing Jerome Boateng was not as costly as it could have been as City were lucky with injuries compared to their rivals. Yet clearly without Kompany, this side looked vulnerable. Expect one or two new players in defence in order to make it stronger.

Exciting times ahead for City, for many fans there is anger regarding their investment, yet the truth is, if you want the best you spend the best. City are the only side in the league that can be regarded as world class. Their title win is much deserved due to their performances this season.

2^nd Manchester United

So close! As the final whistle went at the Stadium of Light it appeared that Ferguson had somehow pulled off another last gasp snatch of the title. A season where United seemed out of it, only to come back and be 8 points clear, appeared to say everything about this club and their manager. Quite simply, don’t write them off. However, in a very un-United fashion, 5 points dropped to Wigan and Everton in the run in effectively cost United the title. They should never have been waiting on City for their result, yet they should also have never been in that situation anyway. Comparing the two sides, the quality and the investment, would put City very much in front. The fact it came down to goal difference indicates that United did excellently considering the financial might of their neighbours. Before yesterday United had what City didn’t, the knowledge of getting over the line. For 30 minutes it appeared City had choked, and in all honesty they did. However, that goal in the 94^th minute will be a sign to Ferguson that this team and their manager are made of tough stuff and that he has a genuine battle on his hands.

The key now is, what will United do to compete? Since Ronaldo and Tevez left investment has been minimal and the quality of players brought in has been average for a team of United’s calibre. They are one of the greatest sides in the world, yet their squad does not reflect that. The absence of Vidic was a major blow and I wonder how well City would have done if Kompany had been out, I doubt we would be calling them Champions. Yet Ferguson has put his trust in the potential of youth; De Gea, Jones, Smalling, the Da Silva’s and Welbeck have been almost ever presents this season, yet questions still remain for all these players. I am sure they will improve and may be the new generation of United, yet Rooney was right, the quality of this side is not good enough. Rooney, Vidic, Carrick and Valencia are only top quality players in the side now, the team has aged and needs evolving. This summer is vital for United if they wish to stay close to City. The question is, will the Glazers give Ferguson the money and wages to bring in proven talent? Until this happens, I can only see the gap between United and City getting larger.

3^rd Arsenal

If I was told this side would finish third after seven games I would have laughed very hard. However, the fact they have says more about the quality of the sides in the league than Arsenal themselves. The chaos of last summer came into the season, poor decisions, misplaced trust and a lack of any plan meant that Arsenal were quite a shambles. Whereas last season they were in for a chance to win the league, this season they have scraped third and finish 19 points behind the top. Each season they get further behind, it must be worrying for the fans.

A key characteristic of Arsenal is their lack of mental strength and they almost threw away third these past weeks as much as they had done well to earn it. Credit must also go to the capitulation of their neighbours yet Wenger should be both pleased and distressed by this season. Player of the season Robin Van Persie has managed to keep fit and has shown the world he is one of the best forwards in football today. Yet, how likely he will stay at Arsenal is essential for their future. He may have enough love for London and his family to stay, yet for solely footballing reasons, he should go. Arsenal have an average side which needs major investment, the choice of Wenger and the board was to invest in the stadium and hope Wenger can perform miracles to keep Arsenal competitive. He did, and quite a remarkable achievement it has been.

Yet, there is now a top 6/7 which will be all vying for a shot at top four. Wenger is very lucky to have finished in the top four and he has kept the wolves from the door again. Yet if Arsenal don’t improve the squad, in defence, full back, defensive mid and up front then don’t expect to see Arsenal in the top four next season. For me, if Arsenal do want to progress, it may mean Wenger leaving. Defensively they are a shambles still, 49 goals conceded is not title winning, perhaps Bould can improve on Rice’s performance, yet this is a side which is nowhere near winning anything.

4^th Tottenham

The award for greatest capitulation goes to Spurs. Talk of title chasers seemed to have legs and the game at the Etihad could have been a chance for Spurs to get close to the top. However, how moments change seasons and no sooner was Defoe missing a chance on the line, Balotelli was slotting home a 92^nd minute penalty and getting the three points. The following weeks changed their season when Capello left and Redknapp was the “clear” choice of his replacement. To say that affected the team is an understatement and although an impressive 5-0 win over Newcastle appeared to show Spurs were serious, the resulting six points from eighteen, including a monumental 5-2 loss to Arsenal, appeared to show that the rumours had taken it’s effect and a season which seemed title chasing, ended in a fourth place finish, which now rests on the final in Munich to see if Champions League football will take place next season.

As much as the England job may have affected the team, Redknapp still has questions to answer over his incessant use of the same side for the majority of the season, where his large and strong squad is rarely rotated well enough for the rigours of the Premier League. His use of Bale in central areas affected the flow and effectiveness of the player and the team and perhaps his own desire to have Bale be more than a winger was proven wrong. The situation last summer regarding Modric was deemed by many to be a masterstroke by Levy in not accepting a £40 million bid from Chelsea, yet I am sure that money would have been welcomed by Redknapp who would have preferred to have brought in a replacement and a striker who actually wanted to be at White Hart Lane, over a player whose head had clearly being turned. I doubt they will get that offer this summer yet may accept that he wants to go this summer; with United and Chelsea sure to be enquiring.

As for the future of this side, with only £5 million spent last summer Spurs have done very well, yet more is needed this summer to maintain their position. With Defoe talking of leaving and Adebayor unsure of his situation, a striker is a necessity. Could they tempt a Falcao or a Huntelaar or are these targets fantasy instead of reality? Is Loic Remy a good prospect? Ultimately a disappointing season, for most of it Spurs played good football and entertained, yet they fell away when it mattered, however if Bayern come through this weekend, then at least Spurs achieved what they intended to.

5^th Newcastle

For many the team of the year. In my opinion there is another who deserve that accolade, yet Newcastle have been excellent this season. With the animosity that came from the fans when Pardew first arrived in the autumn of 2010, it seemed inconceivable that Newcastle could be challenging for Champions League football this season. However, they have done and although not achieving that Holy Grail, fifth place is a remarkable achievement.

The reason people say team of the year is because for many the expected relegation for the Toon. What a ridiculous statement. This was based on the losses of Barton, Carroll and Nolan and the replacements of Cabaye and Ba. This is what makes me laugh about the English media, they assume that when you lose the “English desire” then you can’t compete. Yet what Newcastle did was bring in a midfielder who played an important role in winning Lille the French league the year before. Surely that’s a step up? Playing alongside Tiote, a title winner for Twente in Holland too would appear to show an improvement, not a regression. And the season has shown that this is correct. Ridding yourself of Barton was the best decision made by Ashley and Newcastle have been a unified team this season.

Pardew deserves much credit for bringing this group together, for improving the performances of Coloccini, Perch and Ben Arfa in particular. Playing Jonas in a def mid position has been a great tactical decision and the scouting network of Newcastle must be commended for the purchases made in the past 18 months. Ashley received much derision from the Newcastle fans and though much of it justified, he has brought them around as the club has improved on the pitch and off it. I cannot see Newcastle suffering a drop next season, although Graham Carr needs to be busy this summer as many players at Newcastle will be on many top sides radar this summer.

6^th Chelsea

Along with Liverpool perhaps the most fascinating of clubs solely based on their disastrous season. Amazingly Chelsea are FA Cup winners and have the chance to win the Champions League this weekend. Quite remarkable considering the turmoil which has surrounded the club. Ancelotti was sacked at the end of last season as he didn’t win a trophy, even though the year before he had won the double. Abramovich’s desire for world domination often forgets to account for periods of transition and stability. It was decided that a young, successful and ambitious man was needed for the role of taking Chelsea from the 00’s to the 10’s and the role was given to the heir apparent to Mourinho, Andre Villa-Boas. A staggering £13 million was spent to pry him away from Porto and many believed that Chelsea were destined for much success.

However, all was not as bright as it seemed for the “Group one” who did all he could to cut a divide between the players and himself. His handling of certain players and his mishandling of the press, meant that he was given a tough time, which if results are going well, can be excused. Yet the “Barcelona” way was not working for Chelsea and Villas-Boas was cut an isolated figure, looking deft of ideas and friends. His talk of the long term project forgot about the need for short term success and as the league became unattainable and the Champions League campaign almost over, he was deemed surplus.

Amazingly, yet not surprisingly, the team started to win, confidence was reborn and Chelsea appeared their old self. Ironically the team was galvanised by the “Old Guard” of Terry, Lampard and Drogba yet notable mentions of the season goes to Ramires and Mata. Di Matteo has done a astounding job in his time as caretaker, the question remains whether he is the right man for the future of the club, yet he has clearly grown into his role as manager and with any job, success instils confidence. Can Chelsea overcome Bayern this weekend and put Di Matteo in the history books? Who knows. Yet if Chelsea do wish to challenge for the title again then Roman needs to understand that money is not everything, stability is as important. Does the side need evolving, yes, yet is the new philosophy of players like De Bruyne and Marin going to be able to emulate the power and strength of the last decade? Drogba may well leave this summer, can Lukaku be his replacement? What is important is that investment is made in the centre of the pitch, where Chelsea used to be so strong, they have lost the force they had. I believe Di Matteo would be ne

7^th Everton

David Moyes spoke of a man who was disappointed with his achievements this season, 7^th place in front of Liverpool had many Evertonians jumping for joy. Yet what they have in this man is a winner, who unfortunately has not won anything in his decade at the club. That being said, he has exceeded expectations relative to the money spent season on season. The outlay of money from Everton is that of a side in the lower regions of the league, so to finish consistently in these places is remarkable. Yet the fans protests are not wrong, if Everton want to keep their manager and want to push on further, then serious investment is needed.

Kenwright has received much derision from the fans this season as in their belief, he is holding the club back. He says he is waiting for the right buyer and when looking at Blackburn, Portsmouth and even Villa, foreign ownership can be dangerous. However, Everton need to address their early season form in order to push on further, too many slow starts contribute to a game of catch up which is not conducive to a successful campaign. The key acquisitions of Jelavic and Peinnar were vital in the second half of the season, both players being key to this 7^th place finish.

As for next season, much was said of young Ross Barkley who has not the influence that Rooney did, yet expect more next season. As for Rodwell, if a bid of £10m+ comes in then Everton should accept it, that money could be used on bringing back Peinnar and investing in the team. They are a good, stable side, and with a full season of Jelavic expect more goals, yet the fans are right, in order to progress more investment is needed.

8^th Liverpool

This has to be the worst performance of any team in the league. With all the hype, the heavy investment and what was actually a decent end to last season, it appeared that Liverpool were about to challenge the big boys again. Oh, how wrong those people were. The signings made last summer were simply wrong, for quality and especially cost. Dalglish and Comolli got it all wrong and one has paid for his job already.

Performances on the pitch have at times being good, yet it is a results game and the results at Liverpool have just not being good enough. Six wins at home all season, fourteen in total, is not showing signs of improvement. The woodwork has been blamed yet what the problem is that the players have not been good enough. The ever changing formations and styles in order to bring about results have produced just confusion and fourteen losses is a long way from Rafa’s two when Liverpool finished second. That season there was Torres, Alonso and Mascherano and a fit Gerrard. The team now is simply not good enough, Gerrard is past his best and his influence on the side should be reduced. Of the one class player in the side in Suarez he has not been used to his best and the way the club handled the Evra affair was utterly shambolic and Ian Cotton has paid the price for the club handled this situation.

It would appear that John Henry is wielding the axe on those deemed responsible for a dreadful season. The main culprit must be Dalglish. He is in charge of ultimately who comes in to the club and is key in what happens on the pitch. His attitude, media handling and clear stress has had a negative impact on the club. He has not brought out the best in any of his players and if Liverpool do wish to progress further and have them challenging for more than the League Cup, then he must go. With a new kit sponsor and more investment to come, Henry needs to bring a man in who can take the club forward and who he can trust to invest his money to make Liverpool better. Don't be surprised to see someone like Maritnez. whose style and impressive performances of late seem to have earned him a chance at a club in the upper echelons of the league. For John Henry though, another year of this cannot be accepted.

9^th Fulham

With the departure of Mark Hughes last summer citing lack of ambition and investment for his reason for leaving, Fulham appeared in a difficult position. The performance of Hodgson had made Fulham into a mid table side and yet Hughes felt he could not take them further. A new man was required, and Al Fayed decided that the old Spurs boss Martin Jol was the answer. It appeared a difficult period at the start for Fulham, 12 points in 13 games had Fulham 15^th and a relegation battle seemed a likely outcome. Exit in the Europa League, of which such drama and joy had come previously was not received well either. Added to this ongoing issues with Zamora and Jol was not looking like the best choice.

However, since the turn of the year Fulham have picked up 32 points and have impressed with their style, the 5-2 defeat of Newcastle was a notably impressive performance. The key to the season has been the performances and goals of Clint Dempsey; 17 goals in the league has been his best return and he clearly enjoys the free role behind the striker that Jol has afforded him. The problem for Fulham will be keeping hold of a player who at 29, would be looking to finish his career with Champions League football. Arsenal would be a great destination for the American and I am sure Fulham will not be able to keep hold of him for next year. This is also the case with Moussa Dembele, whose performances this season have seen him linked to United. Just as Martin Jol has brought the club and players round to his way, it may be that he needs to rebuild this summer, will Al Fayed give him the cash in order to maintain this position?

10^th WBA

When Di Matteo was sacked as manager of West Brom it seemed slightly harsh, although on a bad run, fans argued he deserved his chance to keep Albion in the league. However, in retrospect, the decision worked out for both. Di Matteo is about to manage Chelsea in a Champions League final, and West Brom have finished above Villa for the first time in 33 years. Bringing in Roy Hodgson was a excellent choice as his time at Fulham shown, he is very good at working with average players as he gets them organised and solid. It worked at keeping Albion up and his signing of Shane Long showed ambition from the club. His decision to go to England is understandable, yet one wonders where West Brom will go from here. A side which seemed a serial yo yo club has now the look of a stable Premier League team, yet the next managerial appointment will be vital. Talk of Ranieri seems fantasy, yet Houghton seems possible. Don’t write off the return of Michael Appleton, a very well respected coach at Albion who has learnt his managerial trade at Portsmouth, if he can manage that circus, he can do anything surely?

11^th Swansea

My team of the season unquestionably. When Swansea won the play off final last season the verdict straight away was, doomed for relegation! Understandable based on the finances and history of the club. And also because their brand of football, which delighted fans in the Championship, was surely only going to cause problems in the Premier League? A 4-0 loss to City on the first game of the season appeared to show that the media was right, a lot of nice passing, yet in this league, they would be punished. However, Swansea have been a revelation this season, winning 12 games and accumulating 47 points has been remarkable for a club which trains at a local leisure centre.

The key to the season has been their manager, who is a believer in the Spanish style of playing football and whose desire and ability to instil belief into his players has been a major factor in Swansea’ excellent season. Added to that the signings of Danny Graham from Watford, whose 10 goals has been an excellent return on his £3.5 million move last summer and perhaps most importantly was the acquisition of Michel Vorm, who was purchased for only £1.5 million from Utrecht and who has been magnificent for the Swans this campaign. A goal keeper and a goal scorer are vital components for any side, and in Graham and Vorm Swansea have found players who have aided their survivial push.

The style will not change at Swansea and perhaps towards the end of the season there have been games where Swansea have been found out as such, next season may prove to be trickier as sides adapt well to a new side in the second year. It may also be difficult to keep hold of some of the players and especially their manager, whose stock has risen steeply this season, do not be surprised to see changes occurring this summer at Swansea and relegation may be a possibility next year, yet for this year at least, all credit must go the whole club for their remarkable achievements.

12^th Norwich

On Saturday 8^th August 2009 Norwich had just lost 7-1 to Colchester at home in league 1. If you had told a fan then that Norwich would be in the Premier League in two seasons time you would probably made them laugh all day long. Yet, it goes to show that with the right man in charge, anything is possible. In Paul Lambert Norwich have uncovered a gem of a manager, his drive and desire are often hidden in interviews, yet his players and the results clearly indicate that this man has a special touch of bringing out the best in his players, a trait of all the best managers.

With perhaps a more pragmatic style than Swansea Norwich have been excellent this campaign; led by the surprisingly excellent Grant Holt, who has rightly deserved calls for a England call up, and the impressive performances of Hoolahan and Howson in midfield, this side has proved the doubters wrong and shown that previous league experience is not the most important aspect to survival. Determination, loyalty and desire have contributed to Norwich’s superb campaign. The key now will be what happens when Lambert leaves, with suitors such as Villa keenly interested and talk even of Liverpool, it will be near impossible to keep this man for next season. Can Norwich maintain their form in his absence? It will be interesting and perhaps very difficult; Lee Clark would be a good bet to replace Lambert with his previous work at the club before leaving for Huddersfield. A great season for the fans, unclear times ahead.

13^th Sunderland

It is safe to say that if Sunderland had not acted and removed Steve Bruce last November, then 13^th would not be their final position. Since the end of last season Sunderland were in free fall, losing Bent and Gyan were massive in the downfall of Sunderland yet Bruce had to take much blame and although the signs were clear to see, Bruce was allowed to continue. It did not last long though and his immediate successor was brought in and immediately changed the clubs fortunes. O’Neill is good at that, he goes back the basics, makes things simple and builds up the confidence of his players. It showed in the results, in his first 10 games Sunderland gained 22 points.

However, in the 14 games to finish the season they have only won twice and the worry for Sunderland and their fans must be that the honeymoon period is certainly over. O’Neill will demand heavy investment such as at Villa, and although relative success may occur, it may prove more damaging for Sunderland in the long term as O’Neill pays high wages to distinctly average players. It may also be difficult to keep a player of Sessegnon’s quality who has lit up the Stadium of Light at times this season. Perhaps a lot of money may be spent this summer, yet Sunderland fans should be slightly apprehensiveness about what the future holds. The key though has been that Sunderland have maintained their Premier League status, which under Bruce looked precarious at best.

14^th Stoke City

The fact that people believe Stoke finishing 14^th is disappointing tells you of the impressive job that Tony Pulis has done at Stoke City. A team which is now considered an established Premier League side has perhaps not surpassed last season’s 13^th place finish and FA Cup final, yet it has given the fans Europa League football and has seen sides like Valencia come to the Britannia. Pulis believes it is his sides best season and their form after games in Europe has been the reason for their lower position. With the purchases of Crouch and Palacios the intent of the manager and the board is clear; they want to keep improving and adding more quality to the side. With owner Peter Coates, chairman of Bet365 funding the side, then promising signs are ahead. With Pulis in charge, his pragmatic ways have galvanised the city of Stoke and the fans are some of the most vocal and passionate in the country. In three years Stoke have established themselves remarkably well, this summer will be interesting however, as the side clearly needs to improve, as players like Upson and Woodgate have shown their age and deficiencies throughout. Carlos Cuellar is available, and may fit the bill of tall, imposing defender which Pulis loves. Yet more guile and creative influence in midfield may be needed to push Stoke on.

15^th Wigan

The story of the last 10 games has been Wigan. Written off by every pundit and fan before Christmas, and justifiably when on an eight game losing streak, somehow Martinez has pulled them out of the relegation zone once again. And this time in much more impressive fashion. Wins against Liverpool, United, Arsenal and Newcastle have been quite remarkable, and the fashion in which they have done it is the more impressive. Having a philosophy of playing football is admirable, whereas Stoke are direct, Wigan like to pass it the Spanish way. At the end of the day, what is the most important is results. And earlier on this season, this style was just not working. However, in some Quixotic way Martinez has stuck with his style and has overcome the odds and proved doubters wrong. Losing players like N’zogbia, Valencia, Palacios and Cattermole has apparently been the “reason” Wigan struggle so much in the early part of the season. This is slightly untrue, yet it shows that this current team is completely Martinez’s and that with these impressive performances, players like Moses and Maloney will be interesting other clubs around. Do not be surprised also if Ali Al Habsi departs to a bigger side, as he has really shown his class this season.

All this being said, if Wigan do lose more players, then Martinez may decide that he has done all he can at this club. And I am sure there will be suitors in England and Spain who would have been mightily impressed by how Wigan played against the “top” sides. Expect Liverpool to be sniffing and also Valencia too. Great achievements in staying up, yet the future looks bleaker than many think and hope.

16^th Aston Villa

Villa must be very thankful that the “39^th” game was not part of this season. Because one more game may have been relegation for this side. A painful end to the season, where the animosity of fans reached fever pitch, eventually Villa survived, yet only just. The board, of Lerner and Faulkner have much to answer for the rather ludicrous and obviously catastrophic appointment of Alex McLeish last summer. The fans played a part too though, complaining about every manager linked to the job, most notably Steve McLaren, who said what you like about his England career, has shown he is a very good manager of “good” players (Forest were a problem waiting to happen). Of all the managers to choose though they went for the relegated Birmingham one. Well, they are very lucky that their “gamble” did not lead to relegation and they have acted swiftly in removing McLeish, yet questions must remain about their decision making and knowledge of the club and fans. McLeish can blame injuries to key players, yet the truth is he has not brought out the best in any players and with a decent crop of young players coming through, they will need someone to push them on and play the kind of football they have been doing in the youth and reserve ranks.

Next season will be interesting, with the next appointment needed to be a good one; with names like Lambert and Martinez being bounded around. The fans need inspring, yet rest assured the future is that of austerity for Villa. Do not expect the money spent under O’Neill, where losses of £50m were reported. Lerner burnt his fingers on his quest for Champions League football, he won’t do the same again. Expect mid table mediocrity for the coming seasons. The fans need to expect that but what they want is to be entertained. This has been the worst thing about the season; some of the most negative and dull football in the league was played by Villa, and no wonder many neutrals dislike this side. A new man will need to win the fans over and the players inspired and motivated to play football which gets results and entertains. A tall order for a team under austerity measures?

17^th QPR

In some ways many hoped that QPR would go down. What with Warnock’s constant moaning and clear inability in this League to Barton’s antics throughout, QPR were not an enjoyable side this season. And it seemed relegation was a shoe in when considering their fixtures in the run in. Mark Hughes was the man given the task of keeping them up and he appeared to be struggling severely early on, especially when his big signing Cisse seemed intent on espionage. However, the turning point came against Liverpool, who not totally unsurprisingly threw away a two goal lead and allowed QPR to snatch a 3-2 win. That was the turning point, and wins against Spurs and a late one against Stoke gave the fans real belief that survival was possible. By all accounts it was out of their hands on the last day, yet somehow were winning 2-1 at City in the 89^th min, only to lose 3-2. Yet with Bolton unable to win, they were safe.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer; Fernandes has promised major investment and it may be that Hughes is given a war chest to improve the squad. And it certainly needs improving; too many Championship players are in this side and improvements in all areas is required. Dealing with Joey Barton was the best decision Newcastle made and so QPR must act the same and rid the club of this average and volatile member who like a cancer kills a team from within.

18^th Bolton

Owen Coyle is regarded as an excellent young manager who plays good exciting football. Clearly these people have not seen Bolton play. Many excuses can be made for the failing of Bolton this year; injuries to Holden and Lee Chung-Yong affected the team this season as they were key to Bolton last year. Yet not replacing Sturridge and Elmander was a big failing, N’gog clearly not a suitable replacement and for £4million questions must be asked of Coyle.

Many will blame the Muamba incident yet it may have been a positive, results temporarily improved for Bolton after that, yet if those who think Bolton went down because of it, are much mistaken. In the first 18 games, Bolton won four times and lost fourteen. They conceded 77 goals, the third worst in the league and so no surprise that they were the third worst side. The introduction of Bogdan was clearly a factor and although he looks the part, it is very risky giving a young keeper “experience” when your survival rests on it. Yet the defence in front did not help; Wheater, Knight, Ricketts, Robinson and Ream are not good enough for this league, as individuals they are poor and as a unit they are atrocious.

Bolton are in heavy debt and relegation be a major blow to this side. They believed Coyle would propel them up the league playing great football, yet when training consists of 5 a side with clearly no work on organisation and shape, then expect relegation. Worrying times for this club now, clearly their better players like Mark Davies and Holden will be sought by others and it may be a while to we see them in the “Barclays Premier League” again.

19^th Blackburn

A sad story of the ill’s of foreign ownership, of poor management and of the impact of fans. Blackburn Rovers have been simply embarrassing this season, from the owners to the players. Steve Kean apparently stabbed Allardyce in the back to the get the job, convincing the new owners that he could take the club to the heights of the Champions League. When names like Raul, Beckham and Ronaldinho were being touted you wondered if they were serious about the club or if they had not watched any football for 10 years?! As players like Phil Jones were being sold, Goodwillie and Dann were being brought in. It is safe to say the fans were not impressed. And performances showed as much. Some highlights included the defeats of Arsenal and United, yet generally the fans were not wrong. They knew the truth, that their club was being run by people who did not understand football and was being managed by a man who clearly was out of his depth. I cannot condone the actions of the fans however, their abuse of Kean was at times savage and uncalled for, yet how he managed to continue in the role was rather amazing; the toll it must have took on him psychologically must have been huge.

The thing is though, Blackburn should not have been relegated, they have a good enough side to stay up, and with the right man they could have. Hoillet, Yakubu, Formica, Rochina and N’Zonzi are all good players, yet they lacked guidance and belief this season. Kean was often cut an isolated figure on the side, and it appeared that he was going to be the Captain who went down with the ship, admirable or foolish? Either way, he cannot continue next season surely? The owners, who credit to them have cleared the debts of the club, face a massive task of getting Blackburn back in. With many players to leave, it will need a new man to guide this young squad back, and will take the fans to support them too. With Kean there, this simply won’t happen.

20^th Wolves

They say the table doesn’t lie and in Wolves case it doesn’t. In 25 games Mick McCarthy had accumulate 21 points, Wolves lied in 18^th and there was much negativity coming from the fans about his capability as manager. Many argued that he should have left the summer before, only scraping survival through goal difference. Yet what did the fans realistically expect of this club? Relegation was always going to be a possibility for this club, and so for McCarthy to have kept them in the league for two seasons prior was an achievement to be celebrated, not vilified.

McCarthy perhaps made two big errors in signing Roger Johnson and immediately making him captain, clearly causing issues with the rest of the squad and on his own performances, clearly not a very good defender. Signing Jamie O’Hara was also a mistake, the difference between a player on loan, proving to his “bigger” club that he can do it, and one who is now signed permanently, was clearly seen in how little O’Hara did this season. Yet with the old adage of be careful what you wish for, McCarthy was sacked after losing 5-1 at home to West Brom, which while a terrible performance, showed of being reactive by the board. No replacement was in the wings and two weeks of utter shambles in recruiting the new boss led to much laughter at the constant rejection of managers of the ilk of Curbishley and Bruce.

Things hit rock bottom with the appointment of Terry Conor, McCarthy’s assistant, who although liked by the players, was not really the best man for a side struggling with confidence and needing serious work. The decision was shown to be complete disaster with only four points collected from the 13 remaining games, all draws. Wolves had shot themselves in the foot and what was once a proud side which actually competed, now looked like an empty vessel plummeting to the Championship. The board have a lot do next season, already surprising the fans and players with the appointment of a manger who managed to get Lukas Podolski’s Cologne relegated this season. With players like Jarvis, Fletcher and Doyle clearly showing being capable of performing in the Premier League, then expect tough times ahead for Wolves. The board must be held accountable for terrible decisions this season.

Agree? Disagree? Find me on Twitter @The_W_Address

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Are Madrid too big for Jose?

7:33 AM | Labels: Champions League, Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid

This week Mourinho went out again in the semi final's of the Champions League with Madrid. He will win La Liga this season yet has he done a good job at Madrid?

The big news this week in Spain is of Guardiola stepping down from his role as coach of Barcelona. It seemed inevitable and the media attention it has received, while understandable is a little surprising considering this was going to happen all season. The timing of it has been questioned yet I believe the reason why it was done now is because the Champions League was the only priority, now they are out, it seems focus is all on next season. The timing however could not have suited one man in particular more than Pep’s rival, Jose Mourinho.

The 10th Crown

Ten years ago Real Madrid won the Champions League for the third time in five seasons, a remarkable achievement and an indication that this side was set to dominate world football. Yet it would be their last success in Europe. In the past six years it is in fact their rivals Barcelona who have taken the crown of "Kings of football"; winning the Champions League three times in the past six seasons. An amazing triumph for the Catalans, testament of their excellent youth academy and style of football, yet for Madrid success which has created anger and fury; for those Madridistas they are the King’s of Spain and they should believe it is they who should be regarded as the world’s best.

With Florentino Perez’s return in 2009 he decided that in order to overcome Barcelona the club needed to bring in a new era of the Galactico's; he spent big on Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema and the following year brought in the world’s best coach to make these players a winning team. The “Special One” was an understandable decision based on his successes in the past decade; he had just won the most coveted prize again with a side in Inter who no-one believed could win it and Madrid’s recent managers were not bringing success to the Bernabeu; Schuster, Juande Ramos and Manuel Pelligrini could not overthrow the Blaugrana and so Mourinho’s remit was clear; put Madrid back on top.

This season Mourinho has staked everything on overcoming Barcelona, he convinced Perez to force Jorge Valdano out the club, arguing that it was this man who was holding the club back, whether true or not Mourinho wanted full control over the running of the club and amazingly Perez gave him what he wanted; a clear indication Madrid and their President would do anything to overcome their rivals. The league is almost tied up giving Madrid their first La Liga title since 2008, however does their success correspond with the expecations of the club and how rewarding of a success was it when their rivals concentration was on European football over domestic glory?

Mourinho's incidents

There has been no doubt of the quality of this Madrid side, a lot of money has been spent to assemble this group of players, their manager is the highest paid in world football and thus expectations are justifiably very high. However, they should have considered that this coach had certain methods and ways of behaving that his stewardship of the side would have an enormous effect on a club, especially one of the standing of Real Madrid.

Throughout his time at Madrid Mourinho has caused more problems than in any of his previous jobs; he made a decision before he arrived to antagonise the Barcelona fans and media with his theatrics in the Camp Nou and in his time at Madrid he has made a decision to antagonise the media, the refs and continue his campaign against Barcelona. His actions in the Clasico series last season indicated his belief that intimidation and accusation was the approach to beat this side. This season he caused major issues in the Super Cup when he decided to stick his finger in the eye of Barca assistant, and now future head coach Vilanova and he has made accusations that refs favour Barca and that there is a pro Barca conspiracy due to their relations with Unicef.

His actions have been beyond the normal instances of mind games, they have been callous and more personal than many psychological battles in football. His time as coach or as they say translator at Camp Nou appears to have left a mark on him, his actions are very personal. He defends his actions believing that they allow attention to be deflected off his team. He has done in it in all the other clubs he has managed; seeking to hide his own teams issues, results or flaws by taking the burden off his players. There always seems a reason why he acts certain ways, yet these continuous outbursts and actions clearly show there is something more to his psyche, although the fact has been that quite simply he cannot conquer Barcelona.

Siege mentality

The problem at Madrid has been that his attempt to garner an “us against them” mentality has made the club the antithesis of Barca in people’s eyes, they have not impressed the global audience with their style, tactics and behaviour. It is this behaviour which has taken sourly by many players and fans at this club.

This style has been effective and it has brought success for sure; it worked so well for Porto, overcoming the odds to win the Champions League, for Chelsea he asserted the club at the top of English football with a mix of individual brilliance, collective sprit and undying belief. Inter Milan had been terrible in Europe, they were not regarded capable of winning anything, yet he took them there. His management history resembles his own coaching pathway; overcoming the odds, proving others wrong when all write you off.

However his behaviour has led to issues with his own players, who felt he was hindering the side, not helping them. The biggest issue came in the aftermath of El Clasico in November when he accused Ramos and Casillas of major errors in the loss at home. Before this game there was talk of issues in the camp, that certain players, those who believed very much part of the Madrid family, did not believe in Mourinho’s tactics, styles and behaviour. Those who were part of the Spanish national side particularly found his ways unprofessional and crass.

It led to a clear division in the side where the Portuguese contingent of Ronaldo, Carvalho, Pepe and Coentreo along with Marcelo and Di Maria became his “group”; they played more than anyone else regardless of performance because they bought into his way. Amazingly there were rumours only a few months back that he was thinking of selling the captain, Iker Casillas, their longest serving player with 450 games for Madrid. All because he has had not bought into the ways of his coach. It is fascinating to think that there was so much happening even when results were going well.

The reason why players, particularly the Spanish players and Casillas in particular, have found his behaviour so poor is that he has disrespected the values of this side. Real Madrid regard themselves as the King’s of Spain and believe they should not only be the most successful side but the side who people consider the best footballing side. Previous stars such as Di Stefano, Puskas, Raul and Zidane epitomised their wish to entertain the world with their flair, new signings like Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema were meant to usher in a new era of Galactico’s and a new era of beautiful football to entertain the fans. However the mantel of the world’s best has continually being given to Barcelona. How sickening for Madrid fans.

Negative tactics

It has been very difficult to compete with Barcelona; the problem has been that the gulf between Barca and Madrid was wider than perhaps even Mourinho anticipated and that first Clasico, the 5-0 win, showed Mourinho that in his mind this side could not compete playing the “Madrid way”. The resulting Clasico’s resulted in a change of tactic, one which changed the relationship between players and fans towards the “Special one”. His bully tactics did nothing to change results, instead all it did was reinforce the might of Barcelona and diminish the love of Madrid. A side which once played with such elegance, flair and poise, were now nothing more than bullies, defending for their lives and offering nothing in attack. £250 million worth of talent in Ronaldo, Benzema, Ozil, Kaka, Alonso and Di Maria were merely instructed to drop off, follow orders and defend.

He has put his trust in players like Pepe; a player famed for his aggression and disciplinary record over his talents as a footballer. Mourinho must be questioned for his trust in a man who many times in big games has he let his side down, yet Jose continues to play him. Loyalty is commendable yet when that loyalty becomes blind then the manager must be questioned.

Now obviously I know how well Madrid have played this season, that their goal tally does not indicate a side who play defensively, yet, for many and I am sure for the Madrid fans, if they could not claim to be better than Barcelona, in style, not just results, then they would not be satisfied. It is this problem which Mourinho has struggled with at Madrid compared to in his previous jobs, where success was all that mattered. Yet as Capello found out, there are higher expectations in this job than just success.

The 10^th crown thrown away

The key for this season, even perhaps regardless of the style, was to win the Champions League, a win would be the 10^th of Madrid’s history and would allow the fans to believe they had pushed Barca off the top. However Jose has not been able to do what he has done at Porto and Inter, they could not overcome their rivals last season in the semi-finals and now they have gone out again in the same round, what seemed a possibility has ended and with that appears to be the end of the Special One.

The attention has been on Barcelona this week and so Madrid have been sheltered from questions about their elimination. There many mistakes made by Mourinho in these ties. With Barcelona going out the night before the stage was set for Madrid to get to the final and put this team back at the top of European football. Yet, they failed, and with it goes everything Mourinho promised to Perez. How did they not go through?

Firstly, they were very abject in the first leg yet appeared to have got something from he game at 1-1, however, naive defending from Coentrao meant Bayern took a 2-1 lead to the Bernabeau. For me, Madrid were still in control, the result in the Clasico on the weekend would surely have galvanised belief, yet what was for certain was that the key to Madrid winning was to start fast and attack from the off. And they did, Bayern were all over the place in the first 10 minutes and after 15 minutes the game was 2-0.

Yet Mourinho, as he does too often, became too cautious; the decision after Ronaldo scored the second to drop off was a mistake. At the point the second goal went in, Madrid had the game tied up, Bayern looked shocked by what happened and were there for the taking. Yet instead of going for more Mourinho decided to let them have the ball, allowed them to settle, calm down and build up the play. This was a major tactical error, if Madrid had pushed and pressed more they could have scored again, killing the possibility of extra time and forcing Bayern to come at them.

It was clear that the longer the game went on, the more Madrid would tire because of the game from the weekend when a full strength side was used, against a Bayern side who put everything into this tie, resting players in a league game which had no significance. A game which promised many more goals became more stagnant and it was only in extra time when Madrid believed their only chance to go through was to win that period, and they played like it. That mentality is great if you score, yet if you go into the shootout with the belief that you won’t win it, then you more than probably won’t.

It was fitting that Jose vacated the pitch immediately after the last penalty and his expressions on each penalty seemed to indicate that his players had let him down. The truth was, he had let them down with his defensive mentality, showing a distrust in his players, as so often in the "big" games he preferred the opposition to have the ball over his own side, quite amazing when you think of the quality that Madrid possess and clearly an indication of he views his own team.

Under achieving performance

When Madrid look back on this season will they be happy with what they have achieved? In my opinion no, as good as both sides have been this season, the key for both of Spain’s giants was success in the Champions League. It says a lot about the standard of La Liga when the priority of their top sides is not the domestic league and perhaps it reinforces the argument that a European Superleague is becoming more of a possibility and a necessity. Even though Madrid have scored more goals in the league than ever before, even though they will win this league for the first time since 2008, the season has been a failure. And the man to blame is Jose Mourinho.

With the quality of players Mourinho has in paper he should have been more successful. Yet he has been the cause of his own downfall; his endless disputes, complaints and arguments with the media and his own players have not galvanised a team but divided it. He asked for full control in order to be successful, and although a La Liga title shows progress, he has done more damage to this club than good.

He has shown that he has his limits as a coach, has shown that the pressure of such a high profile job has taken its toll on him; the Madrid job has uncloaked the failings of coach who is very good at being the underdog, very good at bringing together a team no-one likes, yet on this occasion he underestimated what Madrid are, they are not Chelsea or a team in Milan’s shadow, they are the might of Spain, the King’s club and they have a way of doing things. Mourinho has failed the history of the club, failed the fans and the players too.

Barcelona are a side which perhaps may not reach the heights they did in the past few years, a new coach may change their fortunes and so the battle of El Clasico is a mixture of one side improving and one showing signs of decline. Perhaps if he stays he could go and win that 10^th crown for Madrid and cement his place in history, perhaps he could take over Barcelona. However, watching Jose vacate down the steps at the end of the game indicated to me that he failed in his mission this season, that the league, as Capello found is not good enough and that when he was on his knees in that shootout he was praying in order to keep his job alive.

In his press conference after the semi final he said that “If the club want I will stay”, this tells me that he knows his time may be up, he has been given the control he desired yet come up short again, yet most importantly has dragged the white of Madrid through the dirt. He does not have the class or dignity to manage such a big club, where history and honour are key traits which he cares little for. He will leave Madrid this summer without the 10^th crown hanging on his shoulders and with the knowledge that he found the pressures of the job too difficult and quite simply misunderstood who the King’s of Spain really are.

Feedback always welcomed, you can find me on Twitter @The_W_Address

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