Champions League perfectly poised

The winners of this year's Champions League will be no fluke. 

Just when Europe's top clubs had breathed a sigh of relief after Milan looked to be in cruise control against Barcelona, the inevitable happened. Milan were beaten 4-0 at the Nou Camp and eliminated 4-2 on aggregate, with Barca now favourites to lift the trophy.

But the destiny of the much coveted Champions League title remains very much in the balance. Barcelona's frailties were demonstrated in their 2-0 loss to Milan in the first leg, and in successive defeats against Real Madrid, which left the team looking in a very sorry position. Even they are not invincible.

It is fair to say that the best team in Europe based on form are Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga leaders had been characteristically efficient in dispatching top teams, and, bar the shock defeat to BATE Borisov in the group stages, looked very comfortable in Europe's top competition. They tore apart Arsenal in the first leg of their tie at the Emirates, but not everybody was satisfied, and Bayern's defending of the set-piece from which Arsenal scored was an omen for the second leg. On Wednesday their weaknesses were highlighted again, as they lost 2-0 and looked very much overawed by a second-string Arsenal side including the likes of Fabianski, and without their usual saviour Jack Wilshere. Jupp Heynckes admitted that it had been a poor performance, and this above all demonstrated that the Bundesliga outfit are far from impregnable. On his day goalkeeper Manuel Neuer does indeed, as one German newspaper said, resemble a 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle' in his fluorescent green gloves, but when the side defend as they did yesterday, he is reduced to a mere human. This should be a wake-up call to Bayern.

For Real Madrid, this Champions League campaign represents everything. After winning La Liga in stunning fashion last season, this year has been an entirely different story, except in the Champions League, where business has largely been as usual. Getting through a tricky group consisting of the champions of England, Germany and the Netherlands was quite an achievement in itself, but this was to be expected of a team of Madrid's calibre. Despite only squeezing past the mighty Manchester United with the help of a dubious Nani red card, Real Madrid were briefly bookmaker's favourites. There is also the sense that this is a mission for the collector Mourinho, who is looking to add another Champions League to his CV, and break another record. It is true that the atmosphere in the Bernabeu dressing-room was toxic at one point, but the coveted 'Decima' might just materialise this year after successive wins against Barcelona and the win at Old Trafford restored confidence in the team.

Dortmund and Juventus seem to have points to prove. Whilst last years German champions Borussia Dortmund have trailed to Bayern domestically, they unnervingly clinched top spot in the 'group of death' containing Madrid, Ajax and Manchester City, to set pundits purring at their superb style of play. After their 2-2 draw against Shakthar in the first leg of their tie, Dortmund stayed focussed and took apart the Ukrainians at home 3-0, no easy task and a testament to their efficient style of play which is also easy on the eye.The Germans seem intent on proving themselves in Europe after a poor showing in last year's competition. Juventus, on the other hand, are back after a brief hiatus, and have nothing to lose. Having dominated Serie A bar a few hiccups, the Italian champions have an impressive team and could go all the way. They will be looking forward to fully testing their mettle against a strong Bayern side after strolling past Celtic in the last 16.

At the moment the two weakest teams look like Galatasaray and Malaga. Having said that, Galatasaray have acquired two European heavyweights in Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. And, whilst their best years may be behind them, no team will relish having to come up against the veteran duo. Let's not forget the immense fire-power of Turkish front-man Burak Yilmaz, who has largely been overlooked after the signing of Drogba, but who is very much in his prime and was the main reason why the Turkish side progressed during the group stages. Before the knockout stage, Yilmaz was responsible for 6 out of Galatasaray's 7 goals, and the Turkish side's chances of going further in this competition will hinge on the striker.

Malaga are this year's dark horses. Enjoying Champions League football for the first time in their history, the team from the Costa del Sol have had no end to problems off the pitch, including debts and a future one-year ban from the competition, but Manuel Pellegrini has kept his eye on the ball, and has stirred his team to achieve great things on the field. Malaga owe their success to the Chilean manager and the positive atmosphere he has instilled at the club, as well as star man Isco, who has looked increasingly mature as Malaga's most exciting player. This season seems like 'all-or-nothing' for Malaga in Europe, and who knows how far they could go?

So far this year's edition of Europe's top competition has proved that even the likes of Bayern and Barcelona are not invincible. The supposedly weaker teams, Galatasaray and Malaga, should take heart from this, as anybody is capable of causing an upset. The draw for the quarter-finals has been made, and all the ties look tantalising. The closing stages of the Champions League promise to be mouth-watering.

By Tomas

Has the North London tide finally turned?

Has the tide finally turned? 

At the time of writing, Tottenham are currently 7 points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League (although Arsenal have a game in hand). Although Arsenal are technically still participating in the Champions League, their trip to Allianz Arena looks to be the end of their European season, after a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates. It appears that 2012/13 will be yet another frustrating trophy-less season under Arsene Wenger, after two excruciating cup exits for the Gunners (to Blackburn and Bradford). Meanwhile, at White Hart Lane, there is a positive aura emanating from Arsenal's local rivals. Despite a set-back at Anfield at the weekend, Tottenham are sitting pretty in 3rd place in the league, following a 3-0 triumph over Inter Milan in the Europa League, and a sweet revenge over Arsenal, 2-1. Whilst Tottenham seem a revitalised team on the up under a youthful manager, some may perceive Arsenal to be the opposite. Is this perception really accurate?

Arrivals

TOTTENHAM:

In the past two seasons Tottenham have acquired (amongst others):

Moussa Dembele - £16.75million

Hugo Lloris - £11million

Jan Vertonghen £11million

Gylfi Sigurdsson £8.8 million

Clint Dempsey £6.5 million

Emmanuel Adebayor £5million

Lewis Holtby £1.5million

Scott Parker £5.5 million 

Total: £66.05million

Significant Departures:

Peter Crouch £9million

Wilson Palacios £7million

Roman Pavlyuchenko £7million

Alan Hutton £4million

Robbie Keane £3.3million

Jamie O'Hara £3million

Luka Modric £26million

Rafael van der Vaart £11.4million

Niko Krancjar £6million

Vedran Corluka £6million

Steven Pienaar £5million

Total: £87.7million

Conclusion: Although Tottenham have sold more than they have spent recently, most of the signed players have been impressive, and very astute signings. The stand-out signings are Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, Moussa Dembele and Lewis Holtby (their fees combined are only a couple of million more than the funds raised by the sales of Modric and van der Vaart). Although Modric and van der Vaart could have left a void in the Tottenham starting XI, Tottenham moved quickly to plug any potential gaps. 

ARSENAL:

(In the past two seasons) Ins (amongst others):

Santi Cazorla £16.7million

Lukas Podolski £10.5 million

Olivier Giroud £10.5million

Nacho Monreal £8million

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain £12million

Gervinho £10.5million

Mikel Arteta £10.5million

Per Mertesacker £9.9million

Andre Santos £6million

Park Chu-Young £5.7 million

Total: £100.3million

Significant Departures:

Robin van Persie £27million

Alex Song £16.7million

Carlos Vela £3.3million

Cesc Fabregas £29.9million

Samir Nasri £24million

Gael Clichy £6.8million

Emmanuel Eboue £3million

Total: £110.7million

For every Santi Cazorla, there's a Gervinho. For every Mikel Arteta, there's an Andre Santos. A slightly hit-and-miss record in recent times for Arsenal, as some genuinely world-class players have been sold, only to be replaced by cheaper players who are not quite on the same level in many cases. Like Tottenham, they have sold more than they have spent, which is extremely frustrating given Arsenal's substantial resources and financial health. There remains noticeable gaps in the Arsenal starting XI, which need to be addressed by signings this summer.

The Managers:

Arsene Wenger:

I believe it would be unfair to suggest the majority of Arsenal fans want "#WengerOut", but more and more Gooners seem to be becoming disenchanted with their club, their board, their excessively priced season tickets, and in some cases, Arsene Wenger. It sometimes appears that Wenger is content with moulding young players into fantastic players, then selling them on - this is worrying for Arsenal fans. Although Wenger has undoubtedly done a lot of good for Arsenal as a club, I don't think his position is beyond questioning. Far from it, in fact. However, I don't believe he should be sacked. It is very possible that the lack of spending is the board's fault and not the manager's, and Arsenal (especially if they are not in the Champions League next season), have no idea who they might attract/appoint as their next manager. Not finishing in the top 4 would be a massive blow, however, and perhaps a change might help the team. 8 years without a trophy is a long time, after all.

Andre Villas-Boas:

Roman Abramovich must be kicking himself. After the enigmatic Portuguese had been paid a mouth-watering compensation fee, 'AVB' found the perfect match in the North of London. Before the season, some wondered if Redknapp's departure would have a negative effect, but Villas-Boas moved swiftly and effectively in the transfer market to quell such rumours. Although some Spurs fans had their doubts early on (perhaps justifiably so, after some baffling substitutions), the vast majority of supporters have now given AVB their full-backing, and it seems that Daniel Levy has finally found a young manager he can share a long-term relationship with.

So has the tide turned? In the short term, yes, but only marginally. It is fairly likely that Tottenham will finish above Arsenal this season, but Tottenham themselves have not won a trophy, and the season is far from over yet. This summer hold the key as to whether or not Tottenham will remain superior in the long term. If Villas-Boas can keep hold of his key players, and sign a quality striker, the future looks bright. Arsenal need to spend some money under Wenger (not excessive amounts) on improving a few areas of the first team, to cement their future in the top 4, and hopefully win them some trophies. This, however, remains to be seen. And who knows, maybe both North London clubs will win trophies next year!

By Alex 

Swansea City: proving the critics wrong

Swansea's unity as a team stems from a fan-based ownership.

At the beginning of this season there was some cause for concern around the Liberty stadium. After an impressive debut in the Premier League playing an attractive style of football (newspapers labelled them 'Swansealona' at one point), things were looking drab. Master tactician Brendan Rodgers had left to replace Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, unsung midfield genius Joe Allen following him, and the winger Scott Sinclair, who had matured so much during his time in Wales, sold, to Manchester City of all clubs in the opening few weeks of the season. The vital left-back Neil Taylor was confirmed as out for the rest of the season, and things were looking glum. Not only this but the Swans had missed out on Gylfi Sigurdsson's permanent signature after an impressive loan spell in the second half of last term, and however exciting Michel Laudrup may have been as a new managerial appointment, he wasn't known for staying around for long with his clubs. FourFourTwo predicted a 20th placed finish in their pre-season guide. Critics wondered whether this side who had been so impressive in the 2011-12 season could really do it again with their 'lovely', but perhaps not so 'direct' football. Indeed, legitimate questions were being raised over fellow overachievers Norwich City, but both clubs have been proving their mettle this season.

Laudrup worked quickly in the transfer window. Michu, who Sir Alex Ferguson had apparently once searched for on Google by accident (Sun exclusive: Fergie after Rayo Whatsyoumacallit midfielder!) was a bargain at only £2million. Chico was brought in from Genoa as a welcome addition to an already solid defensive line-up and central midfielder Jonathan De Guzman loaned in from recently relegated Villareal in Spain, as well as diligent South Korean midfielder Ki from Celtic. However, the real marquee signing came on the Transfer Deadline Day, when it emerged that Swansea had snapped up tricky Spanish winger Pablo Hernandez from Valencia. A bewildered Swansea coach on his way to work was cornered by Sky Sports News presenters. 'What can we expect from Pablo Hernandez?' they clamoured. 'Well, he's Spanish, so he's small, good at passing... er...' It was clear that the poor man didn't have a clue. However, the diminutive winger was in fact something of a coup from Valencia.

There was now genuine cause for optimism as the team completed a 5-0 drubbing of their bogey team QPR in their new red away shirt. Looking like a better Wales, the new signings combined perfectly in their first game. The player who really caught everyone's eye was Michu, the lanky Spaniard, netting two debut goals as an unorthodox centre-forward/midfielder. Still, here was evidence of the team moving in exactly the right direction after Rodgers' departure, still playing that lovely passing football, looking unified and arguably even more attractive than last year. The Swansea fans' mouths were watering.

But then Laudrup's team entered something of a blip after a 3-0 win at West Ham. First there was a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, which wasn't too bad, but this was shortly followed by losses to Aston Villa and Everton, as well as Stoke. In this early stage of the season it didn't look awful, but there was a worry that things could backfire. Michel Laudrup already looked uneasy in his dugout.

The turning point may well have been their 2-1 win against last season's good news outfit Newcastle. Since then there has been a well-earned point against Liverpool and an excellent win vs. the in-form West Brom. On Saturday this run continued as the Swans overcame Arsenal with two fine goals from Michu himself. Although all the focus has been on an anaemic gooner display which resulted in the team being booed off the pitch, Michu and Swansea should also be credited for a well-orchestrated win. For now the team from Wales look set to rise up the table, and one can't help thinking that in the Manchester City dugout at the Etihad, Sinclair is kicking himself for swapping the opportunity to play with this magnificent side for a space on the bench at a 'bigger' club. 

The players that make Swansea City tick

Michel Vorm

Michel Vorm has proved himself as a world-class 'keeper since joining from Utrecht.

It was something of a surprise when the highly-rated Dutch goalkeeper, renowned as a penalty-saving king, left FC Utrecht in Holland to join Brendan Rodgers' newly promoted Swansea, but even then his success was unprecedented at only £1.5 million. He was an instant fit for the club, excellent with his feet and distribution but also equally able with his hands, in the typical mould of a Dutch 'keeper. Many fans already recognised his face from Football Manager, and on numerous occasions the Dutchman saved his team from dropping points, pulling off a number of impressive saves during the season, and becoming an instant hit with the supporters. It tells you a lot that many now rate him as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, and that some journalists would even place him in the top three alongside Joe Hart and Petr Cech. There were rumours that the world-class goalkeeper would follow Rodgers to Liverpool this January, but judging by league position at least, and to a lesser extent team spirit, followers of Swansea should not be overly worried about this possibility. He also recently pledged his future to the club, so supporters can feel at ease.

Ashley Williams

The rock at the heart of the Swansea and Welsh National Team's defence, Ashley Williams is the undisputed captain of this alluring outfit. Not only does he command his defence with ease, but he weighed in with a vital header for Swansea last season, against Manchester City. The defender has proved himself at this level, having been previously released by West Brom as a 16-year old. It is no surprise that the solid centre-back is now being closely watched by Newcastle's Alan Pardew. Unfortunately for him, Williams has already signed a long-term deal, like Vorm.

Michu

Michu has made an excellent start, scoring plenty of goals for the Swans.

The gangly midfielder-cum-striker has made a storming start to life at Swansea City since arriving from Rayo Vallecano, where he helped the side stay up almost single-handedly, and can already be considered the bargain of the season at only £2million. Last season in La Liga he had an excellent scoring record from midfield (perhaps slightly exaggerated by the fact that he plays extremely high up the field for a midfielder) and was apparently being monitored by none other than Manchester United. The club won't have too many regrets at the moment sitting in 1st place, but one of them will surely have been missing out on Michu, already having scored 10 goals for Swansea. The hard-working midfielder from Asturias is enjoying life in Wales despite the weather, and the club can expect the utmost loyalty from him- when offered a deal at first-divison Sporting Gijon whilst at Oviedo, the player rejected a chance to enhance his career because of the teams' strong rivalry (so he won't be moving to Cardiff anytime soon Swans fans). 

Nathan Dyer

Brendan Rodgers was the man who brought the best out of the tricky young winger as the manager realised his potential as a more attacking wide player (prior to Swansea's promotion-winning season, he had played a more defensive role). It is easy to see now why the club splashed out on a then-record transfer fee of £400,000 for the diminutive Englishman, who has been even more crucial this season due to the departure of Scott Sinclair, taking the ball past bigger players with ease, and who is now being hailed as a future England call-up. It comes as no surprise that he came off Southampton's conveyor belt of talent, although his career had waned at St. Mary's prior to joining Swansea, being loaned out on several occasions.

Pablo Hernandez 

Another of Swansea's mouth-watering arrivals in the summer, and another of the club's four amigos, including Chico, Rangel, Michu and himself, Hernandez took some time to acclimatise to the Premier League, having joined from Valencia, but grabbed his first goal in a fine draw against Chelsea, and was instrumental in the dismantling of Liverpool in the Capital One Cup. Although he has had to work hard to adapt to Swansea's style of football, he has all the qualities to succeed in the Premier League, and had previously worked with Laudrup at Getafe. Here's hoping that he will make just as much of an impact as his former Mestella team-mate Juan Mata at Chelsea. 

The sense of team spirit in the Swansea City team is evident from the confidence that the Welsh club plays with, and their run of good form doesn't look likely to end anytime soon, especially with so many key players pledging their futures to the club. 

By Tomas

The Futures of Chelsea and Roberto Di Matteo

It was game over for Chelsea and Roberto Di Matteo against Juventus. Just months after miraculously winning the Champions League, the blues are faced with an early exit from the same competition.  

The date is 19th May 2012. Chelsea have finally won the elusive Champions League trophy the club and  infamous owner Roman Abramovich had always craved most of all. All is well.

The date is 21st November 2012. Only six months and 2 days have passed since the Champions League final. But Chelsea are 3rd, look set to be dumped unceremoniously out of the Champions League group stage, and Roberto di Matteo is out of a job. So what's changed? And what does the future hold for the London club?

Having enjoyed mixed successes with Milton Keynes Dons and West Brom in his only previous managerial positions, Roberto di Matteo, aged 41 at the time and ex-Chelsea and Italy international, seemed an odd if not intriguing appointment, even if it was only on an interim basis. Andre Villas-Boas was sacked after a disappointing string of games, and having made the transition between the old and the new at a rapid rate. Di Matteo restored the Old Guard to their previous glory, and Didier Drogba was particularly instrumental in Chelsea's trophy wins (both the FA Cup and Champions League). Under immense pressure from the always-dedicated Chelsea fans, Abramovich was almost forced to offer di Matteo a full-term contract, albeit only for two years - no Mike Ashley 8 year contract nonsense with the Russian oligarch. 

    In a glut of summer signings, Chelsea then brought in Cesar Azpilicueta from Marseille, Brazilian starlet Oscar, Wigan wonder Victor Moses, Belgian superstar Eden Hazard, and Werder Bremen's Marko Marin. The season started brilliantly, as Chelsea's fluid midfield excelled whilst both Manchester clubs faltered slightly. Although not successful, it would be very unfair to suggest the Champions League campaign has been disastrous, as Chelsea emphasised their move away from their 'smash and grab' style in Europe last year. However, a bad run of games, leaving Chelsea lying 3rd in the league table, and likely to fall out of the Champions League, resulted in the sacking of di Matteo, and the appointment of ex Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan boss, Rafael Benitez. 

    The immediate reaction was that of outcry. With Benitez being Chelsea's 9th manager in 8 years, and with di Matteo having only just won the Champions League and FA Cup, and with the season only roughly a third of the way through, this was completely justified. The interim appointment of Benitez was also an unpopular one, but whether or not it will be a successful one remains to be seen.

Meet Rafa Benitez, the man who made Torres so prolific, ran him to the ground and then ruined Inter Milan. Oh, and he's also Chelsea's new manager. Football, eh? 

5 Reasons why Chelsea are struggling at the moment:

1. Fernando Torres - Abramovich's £50 million pound man looks a waste of money at the moment, but at only £15 million more than Andy Carroll, maybe he was good value for money. Eden Hazard did little against Juventus to show he could play the 'false 9' role well, and Chelsea could really do with an in-form striker, entrenched in a bad spell of form. Torres' bad form is even more underlined by the fact that he has Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar playing behind him. Some newspapers have even attributed di Matteo's sacking to his lack of 'getting the best' out of Torres, and the appointment of Benitez could be linked to the Spanish striker.

2. Roman Abramovich - this may seen contradictory because as the Russian is partly responsible for Chelsea's 'failings', he's also completely responsible for their successes. However, his endless firings and ruthless nature, are undoubtedly having a negative effect on the club. From Avram Grant to AVB, Abramovich seems to struggle to find a manager he can settle down with.

3. Pep Guardiola - it is rumoured that Chelsea moved immediately to approach the ex-Barca maestro when di Matteo was sacked, and judging from the short-term contract award to Benitez, it appears that Abramovich will move for his favoured target as soon as Pep's one-year sabbatical is completed (however, the managerial merry go-round which Chelsea seem to ride every year can't appeal to Guardiola's philosophy of continuity too much). 

4. John Terry, Gary Cahill and David Luiz - ie. Chelsea's centre backs- With the Blues possessing two excellent full backs in Branislav Ivanovic (or even Apilicueta) and Ashley Cole, Chelsea's centre backs are a stark contrast. With John Terry remaining slow and constantly embroiled in scandals, Gary Cahill inconsistent and David Luiz just mental, Benitez will need to act quickly to sure-up Chelsea's leaky defence.

5.  John Obi Mikel - with Chelsea possessing so many attacking-minded midfielders the defensive midfield position is integral to any success Chelsea will have. Although some may disagree, in  my mind, Mikel just simply isn't up to the job, and is the weak point in the team. Hopefully for Chelsea, they will sign a top quality holding midfielder in January.

So what will the future bring for Chelsea? Will Benitez be at the club come the 1st September 2013? Probably not. Will Roman Abramovich finally get the love of his ownership-life in Pep Guardiola? Who knows? As for the short-term, Chelsea will have a very tough game this weekend against Manchester City. Di Matteo will certainly have a fantastic addition to his CV, and I'm sure he will not struggle to find a job in the near future. He might not even have to move from London, with Spurs fairly likely to have a new manager come Summer 2013. Or maybe the Italian might want to stay in Blue, and make the move to Manchester to replace a fellow Italian? Just remember, you heard it first at Play From The Back. 

By Alex 

Szczesny and Mannone set to battle it out for the top spot

The 24-year old Mannone is not giving up his place in the team anytime soon.

A few months ago, he found himself at a lower league club trying to find his way as a goalkeeper. Now, he appears to be first choice for Arsenal after a few impressive displays.

Who were you reading about there? Up until a few weeks ago, this would have illustrated Polish goalkeeper Wojchiech Szczesny's rise from Brentford on loan to being first-choice for one of the Premier League's better teams. However, a certain Italian seems to be usurping the Pole after a series of solid performances. 

It was not long ago that he was out at Hull on loan, finding himself below Szczesny and Lukas Fabianski in the pecking order, but ever since Arsenal suffered a double-stroke of bad luck, losing both keepers to injuries, Vito Mannone has been impressing against difficult opposition such as Liverpool (yes, really) and Manchester City. 

And this week Arsene Wenger gave the biggest hint yet that Mannone may even go on to wrangle the top spot from Szczesny. After all, the apparent No.1 didn't do himself any favours against Southampton when he returned for one game from injury, with the only Southampton goal being fully his fault. 

1st choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is also relatively inexperienced, and he didn't cover himself in glory against Southampton.

There has been a lot of criticism surrounding Szczesny, not least because he finished last season with the worst saves-to-shots ratio in the Premier League, prompting some rumour mills to suggest that Arsenal could be in the market for France captain Hugo Lloris. As it turned out, Lloris made his way to another North London team, Spurs, and Szczesny could breath easy. As it happens, the Frenchman is also fighting a battle to replace Brad Friedel as No.1 this season. Szczesny's sending-off against Greece in the Euros for Poland didn't exactly help him either, leading to the Pole missing the rest of Poland's tournament. 

But Vito Mannone is not without his detractors. Let's not forget that both keepers are relatively inexperienced, and the goal that the Italian conceded to Manchester City last week showed a huge amount of naivety from all the Arsenal team concerned, but especially Mannone, who ran out unnecesarily and tried to punch the ball, missing it completely. Indeed, he is one in a long line of Arsenal players who are playing above and beyond their ability in recent weeks, but will surely be found out in some areas of their game in the future, such as Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson, who have matured rapidly.

Whatever the case, Szczesny is still Number 1, and I have rated him for a long time. He may be inconsistent and inexperienced, but moments such as these only highlight his potential. He is one of the most agile goalkeepers in the Premier League, and has an impressive Youtube showreel.  For the moment, he is No.1 but he will have to be on his toes (literally!) next time he is selected to prove that he is better than Vito Mannone. 

By Tomas 

The Battle of the Bundesliga

The club where nobody's position is safe, and anyone can replace anyone, as Mario Gomez will now know after watching Mario Mandzukic (above).

FC Hollywood always win the league. And when they miss out on it one year, they always, win it the following year. Always.

Until recently, the above statement was true. Since 1995/6 when Borussia Dortmund won the title, FC Hollywood (or, as they are more commonly know, Bayern Munich,) have won the Bundesliga 9 times. And in every case when the team formed of superstars have not been dominant in the league, Die Roten have won the league next time round...this was true, until last year that is. Dortmund's youthful team, famed for its skilled, pacey, fluid midfield triumphed, under the guidance of acclaimed Jurgen Klopp, broke the trend of Bayern's dominance. It would be foolish, incorrect even, to say that Bayern are the only team to win the Bundesliga. In the last 10 years alone, 5 different teams have lifted the iconic dish, more teams have won the top division in Germany in that period, than teams in the Premier League, Serie and, of course, Spain. However, none of Werder Bremen, Stuttgart or Wolfsburg ever retained the trophy. Hollywood always bounced back to bite them in the rear. 

And so, it was largely expected that Bayern, now under the guidance of experienced and proven Maestro, Juup Heynckes, would demolish Dortmund in the league. However, such an event did not occur. Dortmund won fairly comfortably in the league, and smashed Bayern in the Pokal final. They even fended off Bayern in the transfer market, securing the signing of Gladbach revelation Marco Reus, despite public interest from Die Bayern, a coup which shocked Bayern to its core, and was previously unheard of. In order to replace this disappointment with optimism, Bayern decided to announce a 'big-money signing' on its Facebook page...it turned out it was a 'twelfth man', a picture of all the faces of Bayern fans...a nice gesture? Or a massive let down, which enraged Bayern fans everywhere? You decide.

By the end of the season, Bayern had been in two finals, and had a crucial title-deciding game against Dortmund in the league. They lost all three. This was, simply, not good enough. So Heynckes and the board moved quickly to strengthen the squad. Exciting prospect Xherdan Shaqiri put pen to paper, and supreme strikers Mario Mandzuckic and Claudio Pizarro were also signed. Tom Starke and Dante, were both useful signings...and, just to tidy things up, Spanish starlet Javi Martinez was secured for a fee in the region 40 million Euros.

So the fans were appeased, and Bayern had shown they were still the major players in the transfer market. The start of the season loomed, but before that was the small matter of the Super Cup...against Dortmund. Bayern came from behind to win 2-1, a win and a trophy, which surely gave a team prone to losing in finals, restored confidence. So, the league? How would Bayern cope? Well, the scores say it all. Furth 0-3 Bayern, Bayern 6-1 Stuttgart, Bayern 3-1 Mainz and Schalke 0-2 Bayern. A decent start, I'm sure you'll agree, with Muller top of the scorer charts, and with Mandzukic and Kroos tied for second. Oh, and they're top of the league too, already five points ahead of Dortmund. 

There is a common theory amongst successful managers, with Jose Mourinho being part of the group, that you should stay at a winning club for two years, by the third year, you will have exhausted your motivation and tactics on the players, and unless new-blood is introduced on a large scale, the team won't succeed. It is what happened at Inter when Jose left, and, to a lesser extent, at Chelsea. Will Dortmund be able to triumph for a third year in a row, whilst also trying to make the mark on the Champions League? The answer, in my opinion: probably not. One thing is for sure though, Bayern will be incredibly difficult to stop.

Mancini missing the mark?

Anxious to get back to a game of Football Manager. 

It's a question often asked of some of the best managers at the best clubs. Would they be able to cut it at clubs with a finite supply of transfer funds and a strict wage budget- clubs such as Wolves and Stoke, as oppose to Real Madrid and Manchester City? Today we examine a prime target for this kind of questioning, the glossy-haired but perhaps underachieving Roberto Mancini of Manchester City. Previously, Mancini has rescued success in the darkest of situations, namely at Fiorentina, where he won the Coppa Italia whilst they were in a dire financial situation, but also Lazio, who are not exactly blessed with funds. Now he finds himself in the unique position of having gone from 'rags to riches' as it were, first with Inter and now with one of the world's richest clubs- Manchester City. Has he traded overachieving for underachieving? 

On the final day of the Premier League season, Aguero slotted home to give Man City the title after a gut-wrenching 90 minutes. The crowd went wild and so too Roberto Mancini, but later when he would come to examine the match video, something would surely be niggling away in the back of his mind. Shouldn't City have won the title more convincingly? There were times when they thought they had thrown it away. The Emirates where Mario Balotelli lost his temper. The hard-fought loss against Swansea. Perhaps too early on, but when Man City lost their first game of the season to... Ji Dong-Won's Sunderland. Indeed, Mancini's tactics have been often criticised.

There were even grumblings the season before, when City finished miraculously third, after a spectacular collapse from Arsenal in the final stages. With the amount of money that the Sheikh had poured into Man City, they should have easily made it into the Champions League by this stage. What many people don't realise, is that those dying moments of the QPR game in which City turned it around saved Mancini's job.

It would have represented an almighty turnaround in fortune if Mancini hadn't won the League, from when City had been crusing to when it looked as if United would win the title. His record in the Champions League is questionable with Italian clubs, and for City their 2012-13 debut in Europe's top competition ended in heartbreak as they threw away a 2-1 lead at the Bernabeu to lose 3-2 in what was a clash of the titans.

But there are, inevitably, some positives to Mancini's reign. Otherwise, why would the Chairman have sacked such an experienced Premier League manager as Mark Hughes and replace him with this stylish Italian? His man-management skills have come in handy often. Tevez's refusal to come off the bench against Bayern Munich is well-documented, but the way that Mancini handled the situation is often understated. Now back firing in goals at the Etihad, supporters are once again singing the Argentine's name. It is overlooked that Mancini was the one that got a whole squad of 'mercenaries' dancing to the same tune just in time to pip United to the post, and nobody can doubt they were deserving winners.

The problems still linger, especially with City not having kept a clean sheet as of yet in the Premier League or Champions League, but for now Man City persist with Roberto Mancini. We can only hope that one day Mancini will switch on his computer and play a game of Football Manager as Stoke City. We'd love to see it happen, Roberto. 

By Tomas