That's Just Champion!

Not Very Italian

Perhaps the most exciting last 22 minutes of a football match you're likely to see kicked off the 20th season of the Champions League as Manchester City came within a defensive mistake and 5 minutes of a famous victory away to Real Madrid.

That City came within 5 minutes of winning was incredible testament to their effort although, as Joe Hart said and I suggested in a previous blog post, simply going to the Bernabéu and coming close is not enough for a team of City's current stature. That the 'Blues' lost because of a serious of defensive errors is almost baffling. 

On the way to winning the league last season City conceded just 29 goals, already this season they have seen the opposition score 6 times with Arsenal to come on Sunday. Only two season's ago it was being suggested Roberto Mancini would never lead City to the Premier League title as he was too defensive, last season Mancini was able to combine defencive stability with flair and attacking prowess to win the league. Tonight, in the Champions League City looked terribly poor at the back especially Vincent Kompany, the captain and usually a rock at the back. 



It seems worrying for City that they have looked so oddly weak defensively because it is not one or two mistakes creeping in they look, as a unit, to be poor. Joe Hart has made mistakes, Vincent Kompany too, whilst Joleon Lescott looks less assured than last season- a knock on effect from Kompany's form- and the full backs have never settled under Mancini as he enjoys rotating them.

Fortunately for City their title rivals weaknesses are also prominently defensive, it means that games between the top four may turn out to be just as exciting as last season's 8-2's and 6-1's.

We're Not So Different You and I

I said in my last blog post that I thought AVB just needed time and, though the turnaround is nowhere near complete, my faith does seem a little vindicated already.

It is not just the win that has led me to gleam over AVB this week but also the manner of the football, the ex Porto manager seems to have got his system correct with Sandro and Moussa Dembele creating a fantastic midfield partnership. Villas-Boas also had a good week in the press managing to hit back at his predecessor, the shadow that is Harry Redknapp, after Harry had criticised his style of management. This was also, accidentally, a response to Martin Keown who had suggested on BBC Radio 5 Live that Villas-Boas was 'too tactical' and 'confusing' his players. 

Surely though the most pleasing thing for Spurs fans and, even more so, the manager will be the excellent form of Jermain Defoe who already has 3 league goals this season and 2 for England (which should have been 3 against Ukraine). Defoe's goals have kept Emmanuel Adebayour on the bench and the ex Portsmouth striker looks full of confidence unlikely to stop scoring.

Ironically Defoe's upturn in fortune seems to have come from AVB's man management skills and decision to give the Englishman an extended run in the team meanwhile Harry lost his job after being unable to keep his player's focus once he was convinced he'd get the England job.

Pick Your Words Wisely

Joe Hart was rightly a little mad at the end of his teams match versus Spanish champions Real Madrid. Not only had City seen their 2-1 lead to turn to a 3-2 deficit in only 5 minutes but Hart was also partially at fault for the last goal.

Hart was interviewed after the match and suggested in his answer that the interviewer wanted him to say that the team could go away from the match with their heads held high instead he apologised and then, rightly said, they were annoyed they lost from 2-1 up with 5 minutes to go and lost. He even questioned it "how can you be 2-1 up with 5 minutes to go and lose 3-2?", the answer to winning from 2-1 down is; with the will and determination to win no matter what, but then I guess he should know that after May 13th 2012!

Retain or Regain?

We're in our 20th year of the Champions League, in its current guise, and still no club has managed to defend their title as best team in Europe. On Wednesday night Chelsea begin their challenge to become the first.

Chelsea's group is tricky with Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk to play but they should still qualify for the knockout stages. Roberto Di Matteo's side should arguably be better equipped to win the Champions League this season as their new players have made them into a dangerous attacking outfit, however this new setup will work adversely against the likes of Barcelona and this season they will also have a Premier League title challenge to contend with.

It looks like we'll be waiting till at least the 21st year till we get a defending champion!

Euro Zone in Crisis

There are a few things in life I know something about, one is Jewish Sunday league football. I whittle it down to be that specific because suggesting I know about football opens me up to all sorts of criticism when I get things drastically wrong, although I did say before the season that Spurs wouldn't qualify for the Champions League.

There are also some things in life that I know a little bit about and can fill in the rest with pretence, subterfuge and doublespeak- ask me about politics and I'll be happy to show you.

Finally there are things that I understand so little that I've gone way past the idea of pretending, I won't even nod and smile along to conversations about these topics I'll just shut up. On a personal note the first of these topics is women! Having spent about a decade trying I finally gave up a couple of years ago because it's impossible to actually work them out.

Women have nothing to do with this blog post!

On the other hand a topic I've never attempted to get my head round is money. I realise that is a shocking statement for a Jew to make but you have to appreciate that I've just never cared. With the recent economic crisis hitting the world over the last few years I should have potentially cared, instead I turned my cheek...until now.

England, of course, have always been steadily near the top if unspectacular. Mixing it with the world power houses we'll always have a say but the man in charge is unlikely to ever have the cahunas to take on his opposite numbers in the bigger nations. We may not have invented it but we defined the rules and we should be better at using it.

The French on the other hand will come in talking of revolution. There will be a new leader at almost every turn waiting to show those who are known to be more powerful that they hold the trump cards. There will though be an attached arrogance that will often see them return home after heated discussion with their tail between their legs.

Portugal will be bit part players in this world, there for entertainment purposes and holidays. Having said that there's always the chance that they'll be the first people to collapse.

Greece have never built their reputation on being spectacular, in fact not even on being solid, they've never had that much of a reputation other than for smashing plates. Back in 2004 they shocked everyone with a short burst of excellence in the field, as we all know that never lasted and despite having the ability to make headlines it's likely to be for all the wrong reasons.

The Italians are well known for their corruption. One could never trust anything run by Silvio Berlusconi or indeed involving the man known for his 'Bunga Bunga parties' and yet the country shaped like a boot has surprised the world, never mind just the continent, from a position of disaster and corruption before. It is a sad state of affairs that history is repeating itself with new people in charge and new people involved and one can't help but think this time they may pay the penalty instead of ending up rewarded.

The Swiss of course don't figure. Neutrality is not the only thing they do well, there's money. With their own currency and efficient ways Switzerland haven't been invited to the party this time round, but then they're hardly the most exciting of guests.

One definite party invite are the Spanish. So aesthetically pleasing with everything they do. They may not be well known for their business acumen but they've come far since the days of the Pesos held them back and whenever they looked like they could be world beaters they would fall quite early on. They would never be left to help look after the rest of the Euro zone though as they might destroy it all.

Finally the big boys, Germany. Never the underdogs, never ruled out and always strong. The Germans are led well, never like to be pushed around and can almost always be relied on to react well under pressure. They welcome all challengers and especially love a good fight with the Dutch, French and English. Only a handful of times since the 70's have the Germans not been one of the two top dogs in the European yard. Such is their power and strength they are often seen as big players on the world stage too.

I may not know much about money but I sure can speak with a lot of pretence, subterfuge and doublespeak!