Man City vs Man Utd Preview: Fantasy Football

Last night the latest episode of HBO's gripping, wildly successful fantasy series was released. It is a story of political intrigue; the power of words as great as the might of the arm, a scrabble for glory which descends to mad desperation. Blood is shed as heroes rise and fall, loyalty and sanity the loftiest virtues as all around lose their heads. Perhaps we should view tonight's game as the latest installment, albeit with hyperbole, subtext and fanaticism that make it far fetched even alongside a fantasy world of dragons and magic. Manchester City play Manchester United for the title. A Game of Thrones, indeed.

Barcelona vs. Chelsea Review: Stranger than Fiction

Whilst football has never been a sport to stick to the script, at times the second leg of Chelsea vs. Barcelona was beggared belief. The West Londoners secured a 3-2 aggregate win in the semi-final with a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, sealing their progression to the Champions League final. The scoreline does not even begin to tell the full story. Chelsea were the victims of statistical annihilation at the hands of their Catalan opponents – Barcelona shared just 17.5% possession with Chelsea in the second leg, eclipsing even the 70% possession they achieved at Stamford Bridge. Individually, the figures are even more dizzying. Xavi completed 169 passes over the course of 90 minutes – Raul Meireles managed just 22. Barcelona's passing 'carousel' famously left Sir Alex Ferguson's head in a spin after the 2009 Champions League Final, as the genius of Xavi and Iniesta bewitched the Manchester United midfield. On Tuesday, it seems, the spell was broken.

Barcelona vs Chelsea Preview II

One week in football is a long time. Last Wednesday Barcelona were invincible, unplayable and certainties to be the first team in the Champions League era to retain the trophy. All the talk was of Messi set to tear the frail old Chelsea team to shreds with the magnificence he’s been showing all season, and the Chelsea team whos season had had 'more dips than a Doritos factory' would once again fall short in Europe’s elite competition.

However Di Matteo and the Chelsea old guard had other ideas and they pulled off what few believed they could when this fixture was drawn. Much has been made of the tactical ‘masterclass’ Di Matteo employed, making the game as compact as possible allowing no space or time for the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Messi to express themselves. Ramires was rightly lauded for his heroic performance in nullifying the threat of Dani Alves on the right wing, and John Terry had one of his finest games in a Chelsea shirt.

Despite all this, it’s fair to say Barcelona’s finishing was woeful. For a team renowned for being ruthless in front of goal, they lacked any sort of killer instinct and Chelsea were able to ride their luck to give themselves the perfect platform to reach the Champions League Final on the 19^th May in Munich. But the job is only half done and Barcelona are arguably still favourites to progress. So how do Chelsea go about stopping one of the greatest teams in football history in their own back yard?

The Battle for Football's Soul

I’m not a fan of Formula One at the best of times. Supporting the bunch of lower league chancers that I do, it’s simply asking too much of me to sit through more than one mind-numbingly tedious and ultimately dissatisfying sporting event a weekend. Indeed, the uproar accompanying our motor-racing cousins’ refusal to boycott Bahrain while the Arab nation literally slaughters its citizens in the street reminds us of all that is wrong with the ‘sport’; a dead-eyed focus on hard cash at the expense of spectacle, not to mention morality. Yet before we in the footballing family cast the first stone, let us examine what this debacle calls to mind about our own sport. Football is the most popular sport in the world. Its reach into the hearts and minds of billions across the globe make it a frighteningly powerful tool. Its refusal to use this power for good, however, is utterly shameful.

Chelsea vs Barcelona Preview: Right Team, Wrong Time?

They’re at it again. This is it. The big one. The one we’ve all been waiting for. Except that it isn’t really – not by a long shot. Chelsea have had something of an indifferent season, with more dips than a Doritos factory. Just under two months ago the club were unfancied to advance further than the last-16 of the competition, having capitulated to a 3-1 defeat against Napoli in the first leg. Tomorrow, Chelsea take on Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, the first time the clubs have been drawn against each other since the Catalans won the acrimonious meeting between the teams at the same stage in 2009.

The Anfield Siege

Liverpool’s FA cup semi final victory over Everton, although vital for the success of their season is by no means a panacea for Dalglish. Liverpool’s campaign has been riddled with controversy from the Suarez affair to racism in the stands, and this has left the reputation of the historically respected club in tatters.

A View from the Bridge

After seeing the majestic Mark Nicholls put two past a quality Coventry City side in the 97-98 season aged 7, I became smitten with Chelsea. As both Nicholls and myself moved onwards and upwards (a solitary appearance for Partick Thistle and Moulsford School Colts A midfield general respectively) we saw Chelsea consistently flirt with the top three and even lift a Cup Winners’ Cup and an FA Cup. They were exciting times at the Bridge, with the flair of Zola complemented by the ladder-esque qualities of Flo, built on French concrete in the gravelly form of Desailly and Leboeuf. Today, I sit here thinking not lovingly of Ramires’ athletic ability or Mata’s technical mastery as I would have Mario Melchiot’s, but instead pine for a Chelsea of a by-gone era.  

Lear, Mufasa, and now Ledley: the latest tragedy to befall a great King.

Let me start by expressing my familial love for Ledley King. In my lifetime, amidst sulking Bulgarians and downright backstabbing Englishmen, the boy from the academy has been the bedrock of the football team which has seen the investment of far too much of my time and emotion. Recently however, as much as I attempt to suppress such thoughts, I have began to wonder if the King has lost his touch.

Earthquakes, Wizards and Galaxies- The weird but wonderful world of Soccer in America

As a band, singer, actress or writer your greatness is rarely truly accepted around the world until you have had success in America. Success in America could leave you set for life with no pressure of really making an effort on your next record, film or book because there are enough people there who will support you and always keep your career afloat. Many have come and gone and very few have succeeded with Adele most recently being an exception (whats all that about!?!).

The Premiership is in Danger of Falling into European Shadows

Llorente celebrates against Manchester United
Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Since 2005, with the exception of the 2010 season, there has been a Premiership team in the final of the Champions League every year. Disappointingly, out of those six finals an English side has managed to win only twice, and one of those times was against another English team. Chelsea are England’s last dwindling hope of European glory this year, and to be honest unless Fernando Torres scores three hat-tricks, Petr Cech doesn’t flap his arms at any sight of danger and David Luiz doesn’t go back to an amicable working relationship with Sideshow Mel on The Simpsons, they’re going to be absolutely obliterated by the tremendously superior Catalans. 

Lies, Damn Lies and Football Statistics

I have a secret passion. A love that dare not speak its name. A lust so dark, so devious, so downright sickening that I have never til now made it public. After a long day at the office, I run home, up the stairs, close my curtains and double lock my door. My eyes dart around the room as the website loads, my face blushes, the photos of my friends and family on my wall stare out at me with dead-eyed condemnation. Finally, the release comes - I can gorge myself on football statistics until morning comes.

The Other Half: The Unreported World of Women in Football

Sian Massey Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP

You’ve heard of the WAGs. Now meet the WIFs. Last week the BBC aired Sexism in Football, a documentary that put the spotlight firmly on the Women in Football (the WIFs). The organisation was founded five years ago, and yet their existence came as news to many. The WIF shave never actively sought publicity, and have received little attention from the national media since they were established. Up until now. Upfront and often uncomfortable, Sexism in Football showcases a series of interviews with prominent female members of the footballing community.

The Enigma of Mario

Occasionally in football, a player comes along who stands out from those around him. A player whose eccentricity and charismata earns admiration from fans of every football club across the country. A player who has an aura of mystique around them and is remembered long after he retires. Cantona embodied this, as did Gascoigne and of course George Best. But what made these players so special was that they displayed their charisma with a ball at their feet and used their imagination to dazzle on the football pitch.The potential for this sort of player arrived in the premiership in 2010 in the form of Mario Balotelli. There is not a single football fan in Britain who has not been captivated by what the young Italian has brought to the division both on and off the field. But while Best, Cantona and Gascoigne will be remembered foremost for their genius on the football field, Balotelli is in danger of being remembered for his roguery off it.

Play it from the back...

I feel as this is my first contribution to the Trequartistas blog I should just put it out there; I’m a Leeds fan. Quite possibly the zenith of the bittersweet football club, the ultimate marmite team. No matter who has donned the classic white strip from the delightful and legendary Bremner, Gray and Radebe, the likes of Hunter, Smith and Bowyer will plague my beloved club with its ‘Dirty Leeds’ stigma. By the time I realized I was a born ‘White’ Leeds had just been knocked out of the 2001 Champions League semi-final to Valencia, I never knew what I had missed.

A worried Spurs fan

Saturday morning’s game left much to be desired. Many Spurs fans will feel that a point at the stadium of light is nothing to be ashamed of, and i’d be inclined to agree. However, it is not the point that bothers me so much as the manner in which we got it.

De Gea. Was he worth it?

Photo: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

As my first article for this blog I am going to write about my beloved Manchester United. The season is nearly over and after today's displays it looks like Man U will clinch it. It’s been a weird season for Man U supporters; not having a lovely Tuesday or Wednesday 19.45 game to watch, it sadly has been Thursday 18.00 on Channel 5. I’m not a Champions League snob, but I have become accustomed to such a lifestyle. The constant threat from Eastlands has also been a huge worry.

Comedy of Errors

Wolves are down.

Now that we have that out of the way, the path is open to focus on who will be joining them in losing out in one of the most intriguing, infuriating and unpredictable relegation battles in living memory. The oddities at the top of the table have been well documented; the inconsistencies of 3 of the old "Big 4" coupled with the rise and fall of the big spending Manchester City and the incomprehensible continued success of the worst Man U squad of the modern era. Yet at the bottom the tale has been just as interesting. The old adage that only 40 points means safety has been disregarded as 5 staggeringly awful teams have slogged it out and, while it has been far from pretty, the mercurial inconsistencies of all of them have made it impossible not to watch their various implosions from behind the sofa.