The Best of the Lot

Euro 2008 produced some breathtaking football, and in the end proved to be a victory for attacking football with Spain deservedly being crowned champions. But for all the inventive brilliance that we have witnessed over the last month, the standout performance of the tournament belongs to Marcos Senna. The news of Xavi Hernández being voted as the player of the tournament by UEFA’s technical experts is just filtering through, but for my money, Senna was the player of the tournament by a good mile and a half. Whilst, Xavi’s tremendous input cannot be doubted, I feel that Senna’s overall contribution to the La Selección should have helped him pip Xavi to the prestigious honour.

Throughout the tournament, Senna went about his business with the minimum of fuss and acted as a strong shield to a somewhat vulnerable back four. But the finest ingredient in Senna’s game is his ability to play the role of a defensive midfielder with imperious splendor and pleasing panache and without acting merely as a front sweeper like Makelele or Gattusso do. He is more than just the average front sweeper in so far as he possesses an excellent right foot and has the ability to contribute to a team in an attacking sense without compromising on his defensive duties. Right through Euro 2008, his distribution has been immaculate and as hard as I have tried, I can’t remember a single instance where a pass from Senna had gone astray. The relative ineffectiveness of Arshavin in the semifinals and Ballack in the finals can be put down solely to Senna's exceptional marking abilities. He doesn’t possess the biggest of physiques, but the manner in which he has bullied the midfield for Spain has been stupendously admirable. Whilst he is always present to quell the attacking threat of the opposition, he can pass the ball around with equal efficacy and can strike an excellent dead ball when required. There is undoubtedly a lot more to come from the Brazilian born 32 year old. He has already been touted to replace Flamini at Arsenal and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit, if the midfield maestro does make a big money move this summer.

Mercurial Marat!

The word ‘genius’ is often overused when describing sportspersons and in fact some would go to the extent of saying that the word can be used only to describe a persons intellectual ability and hence should never be used in association with sportspersons. However the Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines the word as denoting exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability, which would mean that the word can be used to describe sportspersons, but only a very elite category can fit the bill. Even when used in its most restricted capacity, the tag of ‘genius’, rests with the greatest of ease on the broad shoulders of Marat Safin. On his day, he can beat whoever he wants to, in whatever manner that suits him.

Safin is without a shadow of doubt, the greatest talent that the tennis world has been privileged to witness over the last decade or so. He sent hearts racing when he burst on to the scene in the 1998 French Open by defeating Agassi in the first round and the defending champion Gustavo Keurten in the second round only to succumb in typical fashion to Cedric Pioline in the fourth round. The manner in which he despatched Pete Sampras in the finals of the 2000 U.S. Open to win the first of his two Grand Slams drew adulations from one and all and Sampras labelled him as the “tennis of the future”. But since then, Safin has on most occasions flattered to deceive, only to remind us whenever he deems fit of his unique talent. Yesterday was one such occasion. Novak Djokovic is a player who possesses the required special ability and fortitude to become one of the all time greats of the game, but he was no match for the mercurial talents of Safin. Djokovic was undeniably a tad weary and lethargic, but Safin was in the kind of form that he showcases when he beats the best in the world as though it was just a walk in the park. Of course, the dismal coverage on Star Sports meant that I only got to watch Safin stamp his class on the third and final set of the match, but then again when Safin is playing, even a glimpse of the game is worth beholding.

Some of Safin’s stroke play in the final set was reminiscent of the 2000 US Open final. The ‘jumping backhand’ (See picture) was very much on display as Safin brushed aside Djokovic’s awful attempts of putting up a fight. Djokovic doesn’t seem to move very well on grass, a problem which Safin himself professes to have, although it was anything but apparent last evening. The grass has gotten slower over the years and the bounce seems to be a lot more consistent, which means players like Safin can dominate the play without venturing near the net. On current form, would I back Safin to go all the way? Well, I wouldn't even bet against him losing to Andreas Seppi in the third round.

Russia v. Spain: A Great Tie in Prospect

Whilst I am not entirely looking forward to the first semifinal between Germany and Turkey, the second one between Russia and Spain, on recent evidence is a mouthwatering prospect to say the very least. Russia’s tactically perfect performance against the Dutch, who had played some swashbuckling football in the group stage, was amongst the best witnessed during the last few major international tournaments.

Andrei Arshavin, the architect of Zenit’s victory in the finals of the UEFA Cup was outstanding against the Oranje. He waltzed past defenders with great aplomb and was behind most of Russia’s exceptional play. Arshavin seems destined to move to greener pastures with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea said to be monitoring his situation. Another standout feature of Russia’s victory was the superb tactics employed by the perennial overachiever Guus Hiddink. Hiddink always seems to get the best out of the bunch of players he has at his disposal and once again his strategic planning was right on the mark. Employing Ivan Saenko on the right wing to counter the attacking threat of Wesley Sneijder was a tactical masterpiece by Hiddink, with the close marking of Van Nistelrooy by Kolodin being another prominent aspect of the Russian success. The outstanding link-up play between Arshavin, Zyrianov and Zhirkov, the buccaneering left back meant that the Dutch were on the back foot almost throughout the match.

Having said that, the Russians do seem somewhat vulnerable when defending set pieces, a flaw which Ruud van Nistelrooy exploited in typical fashion when he converted Sneijder’s wonderfully whipped in free-kick late in regulation time. But apart from the goal conceding instance, there were a couple of other occasions when Van der Vaart’s free kicks were narrowly missed by De Jong and van Nistelrooy, when it seemed easier to score. I am sure Hiddink will be hammering instructions into his players’ heads to make them overcome these shortcomings before the semifinal match against Spain.

Spain on the other hand were somewhat pedestrian against the Italians, but then again it is never easy to play against the Azzurri, particularly when they are in the kind of mood that they were in on Sunday. The Italians played for penalties and in the end paid the penalty for having done so. A midfield quartet of De Rossi, Ambrosini, Aquilani and Perrotta hardly inspired any confidence from an attacking point of view and the only purpose it served was what was intended by Roberto Donadoni, which was to negate Spain’s impressive midfield diamond. But in spite of the best efforts of the Azzurri, David Silva shone like a beacon in the night by cutting in from the right wing time and again and showcasing his supreme control over the football which has made him one of the most sought-after talents in Europe.

Donadoni’s tactics throughout the tournament have been woeful and very unlike an Italian coach. Preferring Gattuso to Aquilani in three out of the four games preceding the quarterfinals was a tactical blunder of gargantuan proportions for my money as Aquilani offers a sort of dynamism that most teams would love to have in their arsenal. Gattuso is a one-dimensional midfielder who does not merit a place alongside the likes of Pirlo and De Rossi. I am unable to understand claims by some experts that a team cannot play without one player adopting the ‘Makelele role’. A midfield trio of Aquliani, De Rossi and Pirlo would have offered enough defensive cover and at the same time would have opened up attacking options for the Azzurri. Another element of surprise was Donadoni’s unwillingness to remove the highly unproductive Toni who simply lacked any zest in front of the goal. Considering Toni’s dreadful display against the French, Fabio Quagliarella should have been given a chance against the Spaniards, but somehow Donadoni seemed to lack the nerve to make the big decisions when they mattered most.

A certain level of experience at club level is required before taking up the mantle of coaching a national team and the Donadoni’s and Van Basten’s for all the success they enjoyed during their playing days lack the tactical astuteness of a Hiddink or a Luis Aragones. Aragones’ intelligent use of his resources has without doubt helped mould Spain, the perennial underachievers into a mentally strong unit. The talent that the Spaniards possess is unquestionable but any doubts over their ability to perform under adversity were put to rest when David Villa scored late on against the Swedes to book their place in the quarters with a game to spare.

I for one am really looking forward to the battle between Russia and Spain, two attack minded teams who will no doubt have a go at each other. Xavi and Iniesta have both in my opinion failed to live up to their high expectations and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fabregas and the newcomer Cazorla, who have been terrific every time they have been on the field of play, start in their place. The Spanish backline though is yet to be suitably tested and the centre-halves Puyol and Marchena are both more than capable of dropping the odd clanger, which would certainly interest Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin. Having said that, I still believe the Spaniards are favourites to go through to the finals where they will in all probability face a dogged and boring German outfit.

The Death of the 'Trequartista'

(Also see: http://suhrith.blogspot.com/2010/10/return-of-trequartista_28.html - on the return of the trequartista)

Modern day formations such as the 4-4-2 and the 4-5-1 employed by most Barclays Premier League teams have brought forth the death of the ‘Trequartista’ or the ‘hole’ player as I like to call it. Trequartista, which means ‘three quarters’ in Italian is the position employed by the playmaker of the team, who invariably sports the Number 10 jersey. Most BPL teams tend to utilize a second striker, a position which in my opinion is distinct from that of a trequartista. Although a second striker is a player who attacks from deeper positions as compared to an old fashioned centre forward, his primary role is to score goals for his team, much like Carlos Tevez’s task at Manchester United. A trequartista on the other hand is a player who operates in the ‘hole’ between the defence and the midfield of the opposition and tries to utilize that space to create goal scoring opportunities for his team.

Classic modern day examples of a trequartista are Zinedine Zidane, Pablo Aimar and Manuel Rui Costa who are/were masters at pulling strings from their positions in the hole. Sir Alex Ferguson famously let go of the opportunity to sign Zidane from Bordeaux primarily because he was unsure of what position to play him in. The rigid approach of BPL managers over the years has meant that most line-ups have not had a place for a trequartista, the position that is home to many footballing geniuses. Roberto Baggio is another archetypical example of a trequartista as he very seldom fitted into a team formation, opting instead to move into positions of space offered by the opposition. I am not for one moment doubting the fact that a lot of inside-forwards (a term that is sometimes used to describe the second striker) can alternate as trequartistas (examples include Cantona, Zola and Bergkamp), but invariably these players have played as supporting strikers when playing for their clubs in England.

The Argentineans refer to the trequartista as the “enganche”, a position which was made famous by the great Diego Maradona. The midfield diamond that the Argentinean National Team often employs permits the presence of an enganche who is the creative fulcrum of the team. The enganche acts as the link between the midfield and the front line and has a celebrated place in Argentinean football culture. The breathtaking football that Argentina produced in the 2006 World Cup, with Riquelme playing as the enghance is I am sure permanently etched in most of our minds. The Spaniards have employed a similarly impressive formation in the ongoing European Championships with the brilliant David Silva and the cheeky Anders Iniesta drifting in from wide positions into spaces between the central midfield and defence of the opposition and in the process creating room for the full-backs, Ramos and Capdevilla to make attacking runs on the flanks. Netherlands have also made full use of the phenomenal talents of Wesley Sneijder by playing him as the trequartista. In my opinion, the presence of a trequartista is not a burden on the team as is believed by many managers as it opens up several tactical options to the team as has been seen with both the Spanish and the Dutch set up.

The absence of a place for a trequartista in most BPL line-ups has meant that hugely talented players like ‘Seba’ Veron have been unable to lay their mark in England. Veron much like Riquelme is at his best when employed as an enghance, but the BPL for all the excitement it generates has never quite produced tactics from managers that match with the best from the continent. Ferguson and Wenger, two of the foremost managers of the last decade have both been content to play a flat back four and at most times 2 traditional forwards. Unless variations in the back line are resorted to, it is difficult to play a trequartista without employing a diamond in midfield and in the process sacrificing on the wide players which is rarely seen in the BPL. Whilst there is no doubting the success of the English clubs, a lack of innovation in formations can at times be tedious for the viewers. Even a player like Joe Cole, who with his ingenious abilities can easily fit into the role of an orthodox number 10, is banished to the wings. The injuries to Robin Van Persie this past season had forced Wenger to use the talents of Hleb in the ‘hole’ on a fair few occasions and it certainly brought the best out of him.

The only BPL manager who has tried using a trequartista on a consistent basis has been Rafael Benitez, but sadly for Liverpool, I felt it was Benayoun who should have been deployed there rather than Steven Gerrard, who is much more at home when played as a conventional central midfielder. Maybe Scolari’s appointment at Chelsea will bring forth certain tactical changes and if he does sign Deco as is widely reported in the press, then there will almost certainly have to be adaptations in their team formation to allow Deco to play as the trequartista. The signing of Luka Modric by Jaunde Ramos, the Spurs’ manager, is similarly interesting as Modric is a player born to play in the ‘hole’. But even continental managers seem to get caught up with the rigidity of flat lines across the field the moment they set foot in England. The legendary Fabio Capello himself has been guilty of the offence as has been seen from the tactics used by England in their last few friendlies. Capello as England’s manager has so far failed to replicate the tactical astuteness he showed during his club management days. I would like to see England play in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Rio Ferdinand as the sweeper and either one of Rooney or Joe Cole as the trequartista.

I would equally love to see Ferguson make changes to his favoured formations to permit Rooney to play as the trequartista behind Carlos Tevez and another centre forward whom United would hopefully sign, especially if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Old Trafford this season. I still think Ferguson hasn’t found Rooney’s best position and this is largely in my opinion due to the fact that he prefers playing a front two or a three in central midfield, thereby neglecting the ‘hole’ which would be the position where Rooney could thrive for Manchester United. Unless more innovation is brought forth by managers in England, the Premier League will never get to witness the best form of some of the most brilliant talents of world football.

Bring It On!

I felt I needed a week or so to soak the unadulterated joy that Manchester United has provided me by winning the double, viz. the Barclays Premier League and the UEFA Champions league before trying to write about the magnificence of the squad of players that they possess. There have been occasions in the past where the best team in Europe has failed to win the Champions League. Barcelona was probably the top team on paper over the last few seasons and they triumphed only once. This time though objectively speaking, I feel the finest team in Europe has won the Champions League. Man United have played some dazzling football all season long and unquestionably deserved to lift the trophy at Moscow. Though, for all their spectacular attacking play, I believe it’s their astounding performance at the back that has stood out this season.

The back four comprising of Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra have been quite simply outstanding. Brown has forever been regarded as an unpredictable and error prone defender, but given a consistent run in the team this season, he has ensured that the club captain Gary Neville has been scarcely missed. The partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic has been likened by many to the celebrated Pallister- Bruce pairing. Rio much like Pallister is extremely comfortable on the ball and reads the game as well as any defender in the world. Vidic on the other hand is very much in the Bruce mould. He is a physically imposing defender and many deem the manner in which he attacks the ball, as reminiscent of Bruce during his glory days. Evra at left back has been in glorious form throughout the season and in the final against Chelsea some of his link up play with Ronaldo was breathtaking to say the very least.

Even though the season has only just concluded, I still cannot wait for next season to commence. There are rumours that Ferguson will complete all his transfer dealings over the next two weeks or so and although there isn’t much strengthening required, two or three reinforcements will certainly do the team no harm. With the departure of Luis Saha very much in the offing, I would expect United to sign a centre forward. There is talk that Luis Fabiano, Sevilla’s Brazilian star could well be on his way to Old Trafford for as less as 8 million pounds. With Pique returning to Barcelona, there is probably also a need to sign a central defender as a back-up to the presently existing defenders. United would also do well to sign a full back who can act as a long term successor to Gary Neville. It is imperative though that the core of the present team is retained. The stories of Ronaldo moving to Real Madrid have refused to die down with Madrid adopting their characteristically immoral methods in the transfer market. Having said that, I still believe Ronaldo will remain at Old Trafford for at least another two seasons in which time United would hopefully have surpassed Liverpool on the league titles count and equaled their European Cup triumphs. Wishful thinking some may say, but I believe there is nothing that is beyond this team's abilities.

Clincal Chase by Solid England

England’s victory at Old Trafford in the second test is highly commendable considering the position they found themselves in during the middle of the third day. Although I was unable to witness Monty Panesar’s spell, the nature of the run chase on the fourth day showcased the supreme ability possessed by this English team. Andrew Strauss in particular was magnificent as he demonstrated great powers of concentration and discipline in compiling a neat century to lead England’s pursuit of 294. During the early parts of his knock of 106, apart from a couple of glides to the third man boundary, Strauss was quite content to leave deliveries bowled outside the line of his off stump. Anything on his pads though was severely dealt with as Strauss continued his come back from the terrible loss of form that saw him dropped from the team for most parts of last year. Skipper Vaughan on the back of a century at Lords continued to strike the ball beautifully before departing caught behind on 48 courtesy a lazy drive away from his body. But whilst he was in the middle, he played some of his trademark elegant cuts and drives and shared a marvelous partnership with Strauss which laid the platform for England’s success. Vaughan’s departure saw the arrival of Kevin Pietersen who showed some of his best form before being run-out on 42. The unconfident Collingwood and the classy yet circumspect Ian Bell finished the job for England who have now taken a 1-0 series lead going into the final test at Trent Bridge.

On paper England seems to possess an admirably balanced team which could well challenge the Aussies next summer for the famous Ashes urn. The real test prior to the Ashes though will come against the Proteas who play a four match series in England commencing in July. Michael Vaughan needs to ensure that his team maintains good discipline and are continually committed to excellence. The selectors also have a key role to perform in order to ensure that the nucleus of the team is maintained. Unless a player is capable of adding genuine class to the team such as Andrew Flintoff, the present set up must be retained as far as possible. Mark Ramprakash although 38 now, is another player of supreme talent and ability whose performances for Surrey in the county championships over the last couple of seasons shows that he still has it in him to succeed at the international level. He has been treated harshly by the selectors in the past and I firmly believe he deserves a second chance.

The bowling attack much like the batting line-up wears a solid look to it and Ryan Sidebottom has been nothing short of a revelation since his return to the English set up. James Anderson has been similarly impressive with his ability to produce late swing that caused many batsmen problems during the 2003 World Cup. The stand-out performer though has been Monty Panesar who has raced to 100 wickets in test matches as England finally seems to have unearthed a spinner of international repute. With the imminent return of Matthew Hoggard the bowling attack certainly looks more than formidable on paper. Although there is a long time to go, the look of the present English team suggests that a fantastic contest can be expected when the two arch-rivals meet next summer in a quest to win the Ashes.

Dream ODI Team

For years now, I have been putting down my dream teams for both one day international and test cricket and I feel it is finally time to let the world know of the eleven players who comprise my ODI team. Cricketers whom I haven’t seen play on live television, at least not enough to make a proper judgement unfortunately miss out and that means there is no Sir Vivian Richards, Joel Garner, Imran Khan or even Dean Jones in my eleven. My team is as follows.

1. Sachin Tendulkar: Without question the greatest ODI batsman of all time, the inclusion of Tendulkar does not require any explanation.
2. Mark Waugh: The second opener’s position essentially comes down to a choice between Mark Waugh and Saeed Anwar. Anwar was a fantastic one day batsman and I had the privilege of watching his magnificent 194 at Madras, which remains the highest ever ODI score, from the stands. But Waugh’s additional abilities as a part time off break bowler and the fact that he is in my opinion the greatest all round fielder of his generation means that Anwar has to be left out of the eleven.
3. Brian Lara: Very often only Lara’s great test innings are talked about. But it must be remembered that Lara was an equally good one day cricketer. He scored more than 10000 one day runs at an average above 40 which is no mean feat. Ricky Ponting was the other player in consideration for the number 3 spot, but I guess my admiration for Lara’s genius entails the current Aussie skipper to be overlooked.
4. Inzamam-Ul-Haq: Inzamam is without doubt one of the finest one day batsmen the world has ever seen. The time that he seemed to possess while playing his strokes was quite simply remarkable. I have always felt that purely on talent, Inzamam is right up there with the best.
5. Mohammed Azharuddin: Azhar as I have mentioned in previous posts is a personal favourite of mine. He was all elegance and prettiness and some of the strokes he played are incapable of replication. His ability to rotate the strike and score vital half centuries together with his supreme fielding ability means that he occupies the crucial number 5 spot in my ODI team.
6. Steve Waugh (c): Steve Waugh is not as renowned for his contributions to ODI cricket as he is for his test match abilities. But Waugh in my opinion is one of the most complete ODI cricketers of all time. His grit and determination together with his ability to play the big shots in the slog overs are qualities that are highly admirable. But the aspect, which ensures Waugh’s presence in the eleven, was his superb ability with the ball at the death. They did not call him ‘Iceman’ for nothing.
7. Andy Flower (wk): The selection of the wicketkeeper is one of toughest decisions to make. Most people would probably put Adam Gilchrist in there but I feel that the only way Gilchrist can find his way into my team as a wicketkeeper is if I select him as an opener. However, considering the talents of Tendulkar, Mark Waugh and Saeed Anwar, Gilchrist can quite simply not be accommodated. This means that Andy Flower, one of the best batsmen of his generation would play as the wicketkeeper. Whilst his glove work was more than decent, his batting abilities were fabulous to say the very least. He was capable of astonishing improvisation and is regarded as one of the best players of spin bowling of all time. The presence of Flower also allows greater flexibility in the batting line-up as he can easily bat at the top order in case the team wants to utilize Inzamam or Azhar down the order.
8. Wasim Akram: The ‘Sultan of Swing’ was the first name on my team sheet. Wasim when in full flow was magnificent to watch. The things he could do with the ball made me believe that he possessed supernatural powers. Brian Lara described him as the most outstanding bowler he had ever faced in tests and one day internationals and he faced a fair few.
9. Shane Warne: Warne’s ability to retain his attacking instincts irrespective of the situation has been the most exceptional characteristic of his terrific career. The great variations that Warne at his best possessed would be an asset to any squad and he walks into my team without a hint of competition.
10. Curtly Ambrose: A choice has to be made between Ambrose and McGrath, but it isn’t as difficult a decision as some of the others were. Ambrose invoked genuine fear in the batsman and was unquestionably the most lethal fast bowler of his generation. Ambrose was just as effective with his line and length as McGrath was but he had the ability to move the ball around a fair bit more than McGrath did and was also able to extract steeper bounce considering his immense physique.
11. Waqar Younis: Waqar’s ability to swing the ball late caused most batsmen problems and his toe-crushing yorkers at exceptional pace were amongst the hardest balls to face. His 7/36 against England is the finest spell of fast bowling I have ever seen in ODI cricket. He finds a place in my team purely on the basis of his great wicket taking ability.