Capello rules on England's captaincy

The decision to remove John Terry from his post as captain of England’s football team may not have required much deliberation, but the manner in which the decision was arrived at, reemphasises Capello’s managerial judgment and authority. Terry’s position had become utterly untenable, not merely because of his latest moral transgression, but due to a series of imprudent actions. As easy as the decision may have been, Capello must be lauded for acting as swiftly as he did and for exerting his control in typically imposing fashion. The value of a captain in international football has been slightly overstated and it would have been a dreadful misjudgement to retain Terry as the skipper, purely for his supposed on-field leadership qualities. The captain of England’s football team is more a face of the team than a leader of men as some may have you believe and Capello’s choice of ridding Terry of the armband comes as no surprise.

Equally unsurprising is Capello’s decision to hand the mantle to Rio Ferdinand, who has matured tremendously, both as a player and as a person since the indiscretions he famously manifested when he missed a drugs test in 2003. Ferdinand who was often criticised in the past for his failure to make most of his precocious talent has improved both the physical and mental aspects of his game and is no longer blighted by the lapses in concentration that disrupted the early phases of his career. Besides ironing out deficiencies in his game, Ferdinand has developed as a fine role-model, particularly through the stellar work that he has performed in relation to anti-racism campaigns. Although Gary Neville has been the club captain for Manchester United over the course of their three successive championships, the influence of Ferdinand, both on and off the field cannot be underemphasised. The only concern is the injuries that have bothered him over the course of the present season, but Capello probably believes that the worst of his troubles are now behind him and that he should be amply fit to lead England out in the World Cup finals.

"He is the king, he is the master"

In displaying the most unique combination of brutality and elegance, Roger Federer dismissed both Britain’s and Andy Murray’s Australian Open hopes by lifting his 16^th grand slam title. The score in many ways is deceptive as Murray was anything, but ordinary. Federer, though at times lifted his game to dizzying heights of brilliance, heights which, perhaps have never been reached by any other player in the history of the game. After having broken Murray early in the opening set, Federer suffered a temporary stutter with Murray breaking back, but with the Scot serving at 3-4, Federer wrestled the initiative back by producing a brand of ruthlessly imperious tennis that we have now almost come to expect from him. He followed a glorious backhand down the line with a sumptuously hammered forehand winner to give himself the edge in the first set, which he consolidated in typically authoritative fashion in the following game to take the set, 6-3. Federer tends to up his game in the biggest of stages and the first set in particular was testament to this outstanding talent that he possesses.

Having zipped ahead, Federer was never going to let go of the initiative and the second set exemplified some of his remarkable qualities that sets him apart from the rest. Serving with venomous efficiency and by producing stupendous angles on his ground strokes, he infused a sense of urgency to his game, which left Murray, literally gasping for breath. I have always felt that Murray uses the geometry of a tennis court to better effect than any other player, but on this day, Federer was quite simply matchless. Murray came into the match with a definite strategic plan of playing more towards Federer’s backhand, but with Federer in such sublime form, Murray’s tactics were rendered insignificant.

The third set finally saw Murray exhibit some of the form that he had produced en route to the final, only to be thwarted both by his own inadequacies in finishing of the big points and the sheer brilliance of Federer. Murray broke Federer’s serve and raced to a 5-2 lead, but the Swiss maestro fought back splendidly and took the set to a tie-break, which he won 13 points to 11, but not before Murray had spurned several wonderful opportunities. An inevitably pessimistic response is sure to follow Murray’s loss, but there were moments in the game, when Murray showed us exactly why he is so highly regarded. He would do well not to be overly disheartened by the loss, as it was more a case of Federer’s genius than his own frailties, which tipped the game convincingly in Federer’s favour. I am sure the world will witness Murray picking up a few grand slam triumphs as he certainly has the game to do it, but as for this final, it merely reconfirms the fact that Federer is perhaps the greatest of all time.

On Clarke, Vieira and the Title Race

There are few better sights in world cricket at the moment than watching Michael Clarke in full flow. The last couple of years have seen Clarke fulfil some of his remarkable potential by combining enterprising stroke play with superb temperament. Without losing any of the exuberance that he possessed as a young cricketer and without curbing any of his natural instincts, Clarke has added tonnes of steel to his batting and has matured into one of the finest batsmen in the world. His century against Pakistan at the Bellerive Oval contained a beautiful blend of pleasing drives and sumptuous cuts and in the process exhibited a form of refined elegance which is rarely seen in today’s T-20 crazy days.

Watchful at the beginning of his innings, Clarke slowly unleashed the full range of his strokes and together with a resurgent Ponting, Pakistan’s attack was put to the sword in typically ruthless fashion. Clarke was particularly splendid against Danish Kaneria, using his nimble feet to dazzling effect, never for one moment allowing the leg spinner to settle into any form of rhythm. In many ways, this innings of Clarke’s, exemplifies his journey as a cricketer, which has seen a brash young talent transformed into one of Australia’s most trusted and responsible batsmen. By adding method to his flair, Clarke has developed into a batsman of supreme international repute and the years to come could see Clarke realise the full value of his outstanding potential and take his place amongst the pantheon of cricketing greats.

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Patrick Vieira’s signing is viewed by many as a gamble, but it’s a gamble worth taking in my opinion. Manchester City are in desperate need of leadership and someone like Vieira is just the kind of commanding presence that City requires to take them up the ladder. Vieira may be past his prime and may be incapable of donning the ‘box to box’ role that he once performed with marvellous vigour for Arsenal, but he still brings with him an abundance of experience and undoubted nous, which are qualities that City are certainly lacking at the moment.

Vieira’s physical prowess often overshadows his composure on the ball and his metronomic passing ability, which are attributes that put him together with Roy Keane at the summit of the best midfielders that the Premier League has witnessed. At the moment, with Carlos Tevez in exceptional form, all looks merry for City, but when the going gets tough, having someone like Vieira in the line-up is likely to do more good than harm. I believe the signing represents a win-win situation for the club, considering that they have only temporarily loaned Vieira and therefore possess the option of releasing him at the end of the season if his performances fail to match up to Mancini’s lofty expectations.

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The title race this season has probably been the most open ever in Premier League history, but its more a product of the increasing mediocrity amongst the bigger clubs than a case of any drastic improvement from the others. Of course the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have shown a definite advancement, but the performance of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have unquestionably dropped. Liverpool’s plight has been well documented and there is little left to be said about the scale of their tremendous decline. With Gerrard, Torres and Benayoun picking up new injuries and with scant funds available for any significant purchases, there may well be no light at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool. Chelsea may be top of the league and may have showcased reasonable consistency, but the evidence of their form over December and the loss of Drogba and Essien to the African Cup of Nations, would suggest that Chelsea’s best form is probably past them and that they are far from the potent force that many believed they are at the start of the season. Manchester United have done little to alleviate the loss of Ronaldo and strangely seem to be incapable of any creative invention on the field. To go with the terrible injury crisis at the back, Ferguson seems to be stuck in some sort of new found conservatism, which has seen the United attack looking woefully blunt and incapable of unlocking even the most pedestrian of defences.

Arsenal are perhaps the only club amongst the so-called big four who have moved up a notch this season and the signing of Thomas Vermaelen, represents a rare success for Wenger as far as signing central defenders is concerned. The likes of Alexandre Song, Aaron Ramsey and Bacari Sagna have all been quietly impressive and with the belief and emphasis that is laid on attacking play, Arsenal have not only been the best side to watch this season, but have also been the strongest. The Gunners haven’t lost any of their fluidity in attack and have solidified significantly at the back, but there is far too much football left this season, to state with any level of confidence that they are best placed to lift the title. The coming months of football are sure to make fascinating viewing, but I only hope there is an improvement in the quality of football to go with the astonishingly open title race.

Thierry ain't no Saint and more

Henry the Cheat

I have seen the incident involving Thierry Henry against the Republic of Ireland last night a few times and the more I see it, the more deliberate an act it looks. It’s quite unbelievable that Henry did what he did, for he has an otherwise untarnished reputation to go with his remarkable footballing qualities. Together with his fellow countryman, Eric Cantona, Henry will undoubtedly go down as the leading player of the Premier League era, but this blatant act of cheating, is sure to send Henry’s reputation down a few notches amongst the fans of the British game.

Joe Cole: Sole English Genius

England have now lost to France, Brazil and Spain under Fabio Capello and in spite of their superb qualifying campaign, doubts persist about England’s ability to rub shoulders against the heavyweights of world football. England’s troubles arise primarily out of a lack of creative influence in the middle of the park, the presence of somebody who can bring a game alive with a bit of magic. Rooney tends to drop into the hole and tries to act as the creative force, but often the movement in front of him is far too unimaginative for his vision to come to the fore. With Lampard and Gerrard tending to rely more on their physical prowess, Capello will have to turn to Joe Cole to provide England with the inventiveness and guile that could be so vital in taking them to the next level. If Cole is fit, Capello has to find some way to fit him in, as he remains the sole English player who is capable of turning a game on its head purely with his ingenious skill and ability.

Ancelotti: Tactically Outstanding

Now that Russia have failed to qualify for the finals of the World Cup, Guus Hiddink is sure to be hot in demand for some of the top managerial posts around Europe. But Chelsea, with whom he had a golden stint last season, will be more than content having Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. Hiddink was astoundingly brilliant during his time at Stamford Bridge, but Ancelotti with his rich European experience and with Chelsea’s transfer ban lifted, albeit temporarily, is likely to have a far more sustained impact. The Italian has brought all his tactical nous with him from Milan and in instilling a diamond in midfield, has ensured that Chelsea play in a set-up that best suits the players at their disposal. With Joe Cole and Deco alternating at the apex of the diamond and Ballack and Lampard acting as the shuttling players and the immense Michael Essien at the base, barring Barcelona, Chelsea inarguably have the strongest midfield in Europe. The system does have its weaknesses though, which were admirably exposed by Manchester United last weekend who were extremely unlucky to come away with nothing from Stamford Bridge. But by and large Chelsea have been in impressive form throughout the season and the fact that Hiddink is not required at Stamford Bridge speaks volumes about the job that Ancelotti has done so far this season.

Federer's Best Chance?

Rafael Nadal’s shocking loss to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open yesterday has left the door ajar for Roger Federer to finally clinch the title at Roland Garros and in the process equal Pete Sampras’ record 14 grand slam victories. Much like Sampras, Federer has been constantly thwarted in the French Open, most notably and most imposingly by Nadal. The Spanish Ace has over the last couple of years become more than a mere clay court bully by triumphing over Federer in the holy grass of SW19 and in the hard courts of Melbourne Park. Nadal has not only wrestled the world number one tag from the Swiss maestro, but has also halted any claims of Federer’s unparalleled greatness. 

Federer, unlike Sampras is a more than competent clay court player and his forays at Roland Garros have been brought to a grinding halt only due to the superiority of Nadal and not due to any perceptible weakness in his own game. The meteoric rise of Nadal, has seen true greatness slip from Federer’s grasp and had Nadal not been the player that he has been over the last few years, Federer would have been sitting comfortably on a lofty perch in terms of grand slam victories and would have perhaps been recognised by one and all as the greatest player of all time.  With Novak Djokovic, who has been the second best player on clay this season also having crashed out, it opens up Federer’s side of the draw and has presented the Swiss with the most glorious chance to succeed at the French Open.

Federer will argue with good reason that he is capable of defeating Nadal at Roland Garros and that he’d ideally like to defeat the world’s best players en route to victory, but the Swiss often seems to suffer from a mental block and perhaps even a tinge of an inferiority complex when playing Nadal and in the eyes of many, Nadal’s ouster provides Federer with his best ever opportunity. I am not for one moment suggesting that Federer is incapable of defeating Nadal at Paris, but merely that the departure of the Spaniard makes Federer’s road to a hitherto unconquered goal that less arduous.  

If Federer succeeds, will victory be as great or as sweet as it could be if Nadal stands in his way? To my mind, this matters little. The nature of a grand slam tournament is such that the last man standing has more than a worthy claim to victory and if Federer succeeds it may not be the most memorable, but would nonetheless qualify as an extraordinary achievement. Had Nadal been injured or missed the grand slam altogether for whatsoever reason, there may well be a case for an argument that the victory is soured by Nadal’s absence, but as it stands, if Federer wins, it will be the largest step that he has taken in a glitteringly illustrious career towards his quest for absolute greatness. 

Guardiola's Oeuvre

Sport has a capacity to throw up the most wonderful stories from time to time and yesterday’s victory for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team was one such story which is sure to have warmed the hearts of not just Barcelona fans but also the lovers of the beautiful game. Rarely does football transcend the division that exists between fans of opposing clubs, but Barcelona’s victory in the Champions League final last night, is one such moment when even ardent fans of Manchester United would have found it hard not to appreciate what was an extraordinary display of footballing supremacy from the Catalan Giants. It was indisputably an unimpressive performance from Manchester United, one that reeked of timidity and excessive respect for the opposition, especially when considering the nature of the occasion, the Champions League final, but that cannot take anything away from Barcelona. There are always going to be question marks over the tactics, when a team gets undone in the manner in which Untied were last night, but the focus for me shouldn’t be on the frailties of Manchester United that were so ingeniously exposed, but on a performance of rare polish and elegance from Barcelona. 

Champions League games often tend to be tense tactical battles and rarely bring out the attacking brilliance in teams, but last night’s performance at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome must surely rank alongside the most impressive of performances in a European Cup final. Pep Guardiola claimed that Barça know to play only in one way and many claimed that this may well prove to be their downfall in trying to conquer a superb Manchester United outfit, but as things panned out, Barcelona well and truly mesmerised a disorganised and weary United. Sir Alex Ferguson pointed out before the game, “I don't think Iniesta and Xavi have ever given the ball away in their lives, they get you on that carousel and they can leave you dizzy.” Iniesta and Xavi certainly got the Man United midfield on that carousel once Barça opened the scoring against the run of play and some of the superbly imaginative passing and movement from the midfield duo left even the audience gasping for breath.

When Iniesta is in the kind of form that he so wonderfully exhibited last night, it leaves me with no doubt that he is the best footballer in the world. Often unheralded and overshadowed, the shy lad from Albacete more than came to the fore in the biggest of occasions producing a performance of magnetic brilliance. Blessed with superlative footballing intelligence, Iniesta as I have opined in the past is certainly one of the most sublime footballers that the world has been privileged to witness in many a year. It was the pint sized magician who provided the first goal, darting past uncommitted tackles in midfield with consummate ease and laying the ball for Eto’o to finish. Lionel Messi was no doubt in magnificent form, scoring from a superbly athletic header and providing a constant threat with his movement, but it was in the midfield that the game was won and lost. Xavi and Iniesta did not let Carrick get anywhere near the ball and created one exquisite pattern after another and kept the Barcelona metronome ticking with minimum of fuss.

Manchester United could quite simply not respond to the supreme levels that Barça surpassed with such elegance and class and were unable to do much with the ball on the rare occasions when they got hold of it. Manchester United have proved their dominance over the last couple of seasons and it takes an exceptional performance to outdo the Reds, let alone embarrass them. Barça though provided not only an exceptional performance in terms of efficiency but also one that was crammed with such splendour and majesty that United were well and truly outclassed on the night. United though mustn’t be overly disheartened, for they have been marvellous over the last three seasons and with a few tweaks here and there, they can be back at the top of Europe. Barcelona on the other hand will be basking in the glory of a superb treble and their manager Pep Guardiola who has had a fantastic debut season will look to stick to the footballing philosophies indoctrinated in him by the great Johan Cruyff that have produced such outstanding results to go with the most gorgeous of football. 

Europe's Best 'Johnny on the Spot'

I have often been unfair on Frank Lampard in the past and I have perhaps gone to the extent of deriding his talents, especially when comparing him with Steven Gerrard, but with Lampard having another cracking year in the middle of Chelsea’s midfield, I must admit I have warmed to the extraordinary skills that Lampard possesses. Over the last few years, Lampard has proven to be one of the most consistent players in Europe with his goals from midfield contributing immensely to Chelsea’s success. His goals may not be quite as spectacular as the ones that Gerrard conjures up, but he certainly has the unique ability to find space in the opposition’s box, which ensures that he enjoys one of the best goals to games ratio in Europe for a midfielder. Lampard has this outstanding ability to arrive late in the box and in the process find just the kind of space that can cause maximum damage. Lampard’s finishing may not be the best, but his undying work rate ensures that he constantly supplies his teams with the goals.  Always barraged by opposition fans, Lampard has managed to go about his football with minimum fuss and with magnanimity unknown to the majority of today’s stars.

I must state that it is no more than mere coincidence that I have managed to eulogise Lampard a few days after Sir Alex Ferguson has waxed lyrical about the Englishman. That apart, I believe it is time to recognise the supreme ability that Frank Lampard contains. A box to box midfielder, Lampard rarely gets into disciplinary trouble and is quietly dignified in his on-field behaviour, something which cannot be said about some of his teammates in the Chelsea line-up. I have always felt that Lampard falls short of Steven Gerrard, in terms of ability and that the two are incompatible with each other meaning that they cannot be picked to play together in the English team. I must admit though that Fabio Capello has proved many of the sceptics such as me wrong by implementing a system that is capable of utilising the talents of both Gerrard and Lampard.

Much of this new found compatibility has come from Lampard’s increased tactical awareness and ability to adapt to different systems of play. I didn’t think Lampard would be able to add an extra dimension of discipline to his midfield play, but over the last year or so, the Londoner has certainly managed to mould himself into one of the most complete midfielders of the world. In a day and age when teams are moving towards striker-less formations, goals from midfield could be more crucial than ever before and there is perhaps nobody better than Lampard at providing that. I opined in one of my earliest posts that Lampard and Gerrard are far too similar to play in the same team, but with Lampard adding a great deal of discipline to go with his terrific dynamism, as Capello has shown, there could well be a way to accommodate the talents of these two extraordinary footballers. Although this accommodation has seen Gerrard pushed to the left for England, come the World Cup, we could well see Rooney occupying the left wing with Gerrard supporting the centre-forward and Lampard holding in the centre along with either one of Carrick or Barry. Playing these magnificent footballers together could cause some of them to give up aspects of their play, but it will at least ensure that their supreme abilities are not put to complete waste.

In spite of Lampard’s absence from the PFA Player’s Player of the Year Award shortlist, I would agree with Lampard’s own assessment that this season has been his best thus far. He has always had the goals in him, but the current campaign has seen him mature into a more tactically aware footballer which is making him contribute to Chelsea in a range of manners. Managers have come and gone at Stamford Bridge, but Lampard continues to remain Chelsea’s metronome. Lampard’s relentless hunger and determination could prove crucial not only in Chelsea’s quest to regain dominance, but also in England’s mission to put up a performance of repute in next year’s World Cup.