David Moyes is back with Real Sociedad, but can he be successful at a top club in Europe?

David Moyes with the club scarf of Real Sociedad during his unveiling as manager

Redemption is one of those mesmerising story arcs that draws viewers into the travails of an embattled protagonist. From being given the cold shoulder and left out to dry in public, left to fend off the relentless stream of admonishment, to making it back to the top and into the warmer confines of a secure job, it is a story that never gets old and one that the masses just love to see. None truer than in sport.

“We were lucky in that a name such as David’s, one that had previously been out of bounds for our club, ended up joining us and I think he has brought some good things with him.”

The ‘David’ in question isn’t the biblical one who ended up slaying the giant Philistine warrior Goliath, but rather David Moyes who got chewed out and left in managerial purgatory by a goliath of a club in Manchester, England after an infamous 10 months at its helm.

The quote above is from Loren, the sporting director of Real Sociedad, Moyes’ new club, in a recent interview with Spanish newspaper Marca.

Here’s more of what Loren had to say: “He has made the team more solid, more consistent, and you can see that with what he has done so far. I think we are seeing a team that is getting better all the time.”

What a difference a year can make. From being subjected to signs of ‘Moyes Out’ at every corner, including the one in the sky in a seven-foot high lettering at the tail of an airplane, ol’ ‘Moyseh’ is currently wallowing in the fresh Basque country air and the praises coming his way for his work since taking over as manager of the club in early November.

David Moyes (centre) celebrates a goal scored by his Sociedad team

The smiles are back for Moyes, back in a job as manager of a football club, in a top European league. Not only is he back in a job, but he’s got back some of what he’d lost in copious amounts through much of the 2013-14 season - respect.

The unmitigated disaster that was Moyes’ time in charge of Manchester United in 2013-14 led to him being shown the door even before the season could conclude, with Ryan Giggs taking over for the four remaining league games.

United finished seventh that season, missing out on the UEFA Champions League and Europa League spots. It was for the first time since 1995 when Manchester United were not participating in the Champions League and had finished outside the top three for the first time ever in the Premier League history.

At Sociedad, since taking over, he’s reeled the club in from a precariously positioned nineteenth to 10 places higher at ninth with wins over Barcelona and Sevilla to show for. This after being consigned much of the blame (deserved or otherwise) for having torn asunder two decades of dominance instituted at Old Trafford.

Now going back about his business in his own silent, subtle way, he is far away from the position where his managerial worthiness would be questioned. He is also away from the glaring lights and blaring voices that surround the biggest of clubs, and instead is in a place he’s been comfortable with throughout his managerial career.

Which brings us to asking whether Moyes is destined for success, but only at a mid-table club?

Solidity, organization, discipline and a siege mentality

David Moyes (right) is congratulated by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi after Sociedad beat them 1-0

It is, of course, not in any way a belittling of his standing as a coach, but purely a theory that Moyes’ abilities best mesh with clubs in certain situations, such as the likes of Everton and Sociedad. Clubs that aren’t small in absolute terms, but from a relative standpoint; clubs that are clearly out of the title picture yet have a job at hand to finish just below the top four with constraints on resources and funds.

When you think of Moyes, a few words automatically run through your head – solid, organized, emphasis on discipline and defence – traits that all his sides, barring United, you could associate with. A David Moyes team is generally set up to be hard to beat; that’s primary.

To draw a parallel to some of the most famous British battles in history, you can just picture Moyes being the duke who oversaw a backs-to-the-wall job in defending an enemy siege against a fortress or the baron, who with a vastly outnumbered army, did a brilliant job of holding off the opposition’s offensive until reinforcements arrived.

Real Sociedad’s record this season pre and post-Moyes

Sociedad’s win against Barcelona (1-0) was done by being compact, stifling Luis Enrique’s side of space and cutting off passing channels. In the meantime, they knocked in a goal and were content to soak up pressure.

It isn’t like Moyes is offensively challenged, but when put in charge of bigger clubs, where the mantra is, more often than not, to take the attack to the opposition from the start and never back down, especially against the lower sides, he is bound to struggle.

That brand of flowing, attacking football hasn’t been something that he’d shown plenty of earlier and that clearly affected his reign in Manchester. Making matters worse was the fact that the man who’d just departed had set in motion a style of attacking play consistent for well over 15 years, and to break out of that mould was just too hard.

A steady, long-term guy

“The coach has said on numerous occasions that he is combining the work he is doing this season with a view to next year”, Loren also said about his manager.

It’s something that Everton chairman Bill Kenwright mentioned time and time again about Moyes; that he was a long-term guy, one who liked to build teams slowly and gradually. At a bigger club like United, the pressure to deliver was so much more immediate, fuelled by the dominant success the club had enjoyed in the English game for much of two decades.

He also had to be so much more active and quicker in his dealings in the transfer market. At the same time, the level of players being scouted was much higher than what he was used to at Everton.

David Moyes’ managerial record at his four clubs

When the quality of players being scouted differs, the parameters that one looks out for while grading these players also need to change. It was here that Moyes failed to make that adjustment and found himself backed into a corner, especially with the United side he inherited needing a few tweaks.

An accompanying aspect with the added attention and pressure of being at a big club is that your methods and ways get dissected, examined, re-examined almost on a daily basis and there’s no shortage of people telling you how to do your job. Just ask Carlo Ancelotti, who can’t buy a break despite having delivered the La Decima last season and a quite brilliant first half of the season.

At Sociedad, a club already in the doldrums when he arrived, he’s had the time required to get his philosophy and ideas going, away from the spotlight and the constant critique.

Where there’s success there are egos

Many of Manchester United’s senior players such as Robin van Persie (far left) and Rio Ferdinand (far right) were said to be at loggerheads with Moyes during his tenure 

The average elite league footballer today has an ego. Players who’ve won silverware have bigger ones. Players who’ve had titles equivalent to the number of years in some players’ careers have egos the size of hot air balloons. Not just do they believe that they’re better than what they actually are, some even believe they’re the best in the world, no matter what – case in point, Joey Barton.

A common sighting in the papers through Moyes’ United reign was on the nature of his relationships with his senior players. Every so often you would read about either Rio Ferdinand or Robin van Persie or Ryan Giggs or _____ (fill blank with any other senior United figure of the time) not seeing eye-to-eye with the manager and reportedly looking to undermine his authority.

While a lot of it was rumour mongering, it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if indeed somebody confirmed it to be true. Star players are like that and Moyes would have experienced a huge difference in the way he needed to manage a player.

Carlos Vela, Xabi Prieto and Inigo Martinez are players more suited to Moyes’ personnel ways, like Tim Cahill, Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka and unlike van Persie, Giggs and Ferdinand.

So can Moyes never succeed at a big club?

For now he would definitely be an odd fit at a big club. For the reasons discussed above and the added pressure that comes with the big job, it would serve to be a mismatch. That said, there’s time for him to grow.

He’s so far been a mid-table manager who’s good, but not great. Unlike say, a Brendan Rodgers, whose teams have showed consistent attacking wherewithal and an ability to cause an upset or two, Moyes’ teams regularly had trouble beating the top sides. Even in their best seasons, Everton inevitably came up short against the big four of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Will Moyes make it to the big league and be successful?

His call-up to Old Trafford came a little too soon for his own good, it was too fast-tracked. As such the sudden change in environment made it unforgiving, hostile even.

A more gradual climb up the ladder with stints at clubs like Sevilla or Villareal in Spain or Tottenham Hotspur in England up front would prepare him better for any future job at the top of the tree as well as provide him time to expand his arsenal in the attacking side of the game.

For now though, Moyes remains the perfect hand-in-glove fit for teams such as Real Sociedad and Everton, teams that are big in absolute terms, but where success year-on-year is measured relatively. 

Why Christmas brings no cheer to players and clubs in the Premier League

Even Jesus Christ can’t seem to get Premier League players and managers a break

The snow’s falling down, kids are enjoying their holidays, offices take an extended break and homes swell with festive cheer and celebration as Europe looks forward to Christmas and the impending New Year. Footballers too get a break, to put their feet up a bit and get some rest and relaxation while also getting time to spend with family and friends. After all, when the rest of the world’s celebrating, why shouldn’t they?

However, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria and the rest of the players in England’s top flight – are not sharing the same sentiments as they find themselves embroiled in the yearly rigmarole that is the ‘bonus’ fixture pile-up that the Premier League is associated with usually at this point in the season.

Unlike during their time in Spain in the last few years, the above quartet is not going to be enjoying a winter break this time around. A cluster of games are the presents that the league throws up to its teams, and their players and managers, who must curse their luck when they look at what their pals in the other leagues are up to.

It’s been a long-running debate on whether the Football Association (FA) should cease with this annual fixture congestion in keeping with what Spain, Germany, Italy and the rest of Europe’s top leagues do in order to aid English teams in the long run.

So far though, it hasn’t cut any slack with the powers to be as profit, viewership and cash, continue to ensure that players will be in their team strips four times in a span of 10 days between December 26 and January 5.

The rest of Europe

In contrast, the winter break is on after this weekend’s round of matches in the other leagues. The La Liga will resume on January 3rd, the Serie A on January 5th and the Ligue 1 on January 7th. That’s 14 days off for those teams at the minimum. The Bundesliga is even better, and reopens only on January 30th, resulting in a month of rest and recuperation for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Of course, Germany has only 18 teams and as a result has 40 matches lesser in its calendar, due to which they can afford a whole month off. But the other three big leagues have the same number of teams as the Premier League and get 14 days off. Ironically, despite that, the La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League all conclude on the weekend of May 23/24; Serie A closes a week later.

So, the situation in England is great for television, great for some sections of fans who do enjoy the added football during the holidays, but how about the players and what effect does it have in the longer run, say for teams in the UEFA Champions League?

English teams in the Champions League knockout rounds

One trend that has been observed on an almost annual basis is that teams from the other leagues seem to almost fare better in the Champions League than those from England. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund seem to be able to find another gear as the competition moves into March and April.

Last year Manchester City, the eventual champions, were eliminated in the first knockout round by Barcelona, Arsenal likewise by Bayern Munich. Chelsea got to the semi-finals before being beaten by Atletico Madrid.

Last year’s Chelsea are in fact a classic case; they were going well in the Premier League and looking likely for a title run until their resources got stretched with a deep run in Europe. Manchester City benefited from having a deeper squad as well as bowing out early, allowing them to fully concentrate on the league.

This explains how they became champions last year despite being top of the table for a mere 14 days. And Liverpool had no distractions from the get go, a challenge they could not cope with this year, not being able to get past the group stage even.

The top three teams in England over the past five seasons (based on how they finished that season)

Looking at how the top English teams (in reference to order of finish that season) have gone in Europe in the last five years, it doesn’t make for good reading.

Of the eventual champions, Manchester United went the furthest in 2010-11 finishing runners-up to Barcelona. No runner-up has gone beyond the quarter-finals and likewise for the third-best team. The top Spanish and German teams are however, constantly making the quarters and the semis in Europe’s premier club competition.

Last year, it was an all-Spanish affair in the final and the year before that, an all-German one. Each of the top three Spanish teams last year made the quarter-finals while two German teams did. Chelsea were England’s only representative.

You might say that those stats merely state the obvious, which is that the Premier League isn’t ‘the best in the world’ as those ‘pundits’ would have you believe and that the players in Spain and Germany are so much better than the ones in England. While that isn’t entirely a faulty line of debate, all players, including the very best ones, need their rest and time to recuperate and when viewed in that context a 14-day period of no competitive action is gold dust.

Chelsea may be amongst the best in Europe this term, but the lack of time off could hurt them when they take on Europe’s big boys.

World Cup exertions

Like those layers of cake that you get around Christmas when you step into feasts, certain footballers this year had to deal with the exertions of playing at the quadrennial showpiece before returning to their clubs.

It wasn’t for no reason that players such as Eden Hazard, Robin van Persie and Pablo Zabaleta took some time to get going this season. Also, players associated with the Brazil team, the World Cup hosts, seem to suffering from a serious dip in form after their underwhelming campaign that ended in a humiliating exit at the hands of eventual winners Germany.

Fernandinho is a prime example of a player whose form has dipped this year over last season, while Oscar and Willian looked to be carrying a hangover for some time as well.
What would really irk the players is that even during such years, there is no exception made by the FA.

Is there any respite?

The fact that the Premier League is an extremely profitable money-spinning offering now probably means that the end to this hectic schedule is nowhere in sight in the near future. When Premier Leagues can charge upto £600 for children to become mascots, you know that its money over anything else.

Also, the fact that as a product it is being lapped up by audiences outside of England who are in fact the main drivers of television revenue probably means that the Christmas festivities for the players will continue to remain on the pitch.

Louis van Gaal is the latest manager to criticize the Christmas scheduling

As Louis van Gaal said recently critiquing this, "I am not happy - but I cannot change it - because I don't think it is good for the players that they play within two days of a (previous) match - two matches in two days.”

"In December it shall be like that. We also have family. I have a wife and kids, and grandchildren, and I cannot see them this Christmas. But I want to work in the Premier League, so I have to adapt, and I shall adapt. But I don't think it is good. It is not good for the players, nor for the family."

Perhaps it’s about time ‘the best league in the world’ lent a caring ear to its primary stakeholders in order to further the interests of its clubs in the long run and not just its coffers.

How the Coca-Cola Cup is helping to identify young football talent in India

The U-15 Coca Cola Cup is an ideal platform to identify young talent in India

The sporting landscape in India has undergone a tremendous change in the last 15 years. Once a predominantly cricket-crazy country, India today has more than one sport that it tunes into. Not only is it a case of a wider range of sports being available for viewing, but also a case of more diversity in sports adopted by youngsters as professions.

But how far along has the country come in creating a health-conscious sports culture? How many youngsters today look to maintain a healthy lifestyle? While that can’t be answered with any measure of certainty at the moment, the number of youngsters who are taking up sports from an early age is certainly rising. And a healthy lifestyle is more often than not just an extension of involvement in sports.

Football is one of the sports that have come up in a big way in terms of both viewership and interest. The Indian Super League in its first incarnation has garnered pretty impressive fan following and attendance numbers. The tournament broadly addresses the top of the food chain and in due course serves to be the ultimate playing field for top quality football in India.

Meanwhile, the hunt to identify the next rung of talent in the sport has been subtly going on for a few years now, with focus on the grassroots and youth levels. Any kind of developmental work has to begin at the bottom of the pyramid, as FIFA’s Secretary-General Jerome Valcke emphasized during his visit to India in October this year.

"What is important is that whenever you do something at the top level, you don't forget about the grassroots programs and to develop football at the level of the kids. The ISL is helping; the Indian league (I-League) is there as well. We must make sure that we're all together with one goal - to develop football in India and help India play in the World Cup sooner!" he was quoted as saying.

Of course, it is common knowledge now that India has won the rights to stage the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, and work is well underway towards that project.

A key partner of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in this mission has been Coca-Cola. India’s leading beverage company has been an active agent of change through its outreach and sustainability programmes.

The Coca-Cola Cup traces its roots back to 2008, when Coca-Cola India first organized their youth level championship across the country. In 2009, Coca-Cola decided to partner with the AIFF to sponsor the erstwhile Sub Junior National Football Championship and turn it into a large-scale national grassroots football tournament. This initiative was directed towards fostering a more vibrant sporting culture in the country, in turn promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

The tournament looks at identifying youngsters with potential and providing them with a solid platform to develop their inherent talent into a full-fledged and meaningful profession. Recognizing the huge potential present in football in India, the mission looks at training young football talent in accordance with international football standards.

The tournament helps to showcase young football talent while also in turn acting as a channel to create a talent pool for the upcoming Under-17 World Cup.

The tournament begins at the district level where inter-school matches are held across more than 70 cities; the best players then make it through to play at the state or zonal level. From the zonal level, 10 teams progress to the national finals, from where the ultimate champions are determined.

Meghalaya are the defending champions, having beaten the boys from Odisha in last year’s final. In that edition, the tournament drew participation from over 41,000 young footballers from 2,610 schools across 86 cities.

Coca-Cola is aiding in the AIFF’s larger mission which is to have more participation at the grassroots level (6-12 years), which in turn will result in more and more children taking up the game. All of that will result in a strong youth football structure taking shape in the country.

Along with the AIFF’s other in-house grassroots programs, such tournaments seek to augment developmental efforts in the country as far as football is concerned, so that when the U-17 World Cup comes around in three years’ time, India can put forward a top quality squad as the host nation.

ISL: Kerala Blasters vs Atletico de Kolkata - Tactical Analysis

Atletico de Kolkata are the first champions of the ISL

The first champion has been anointed in the Indian Super League after over two months of football action and it was Atletico de Kolkata who walked away with the grand prize after beating Kerala Blasters in yesterday’s final in Mumbai. The game itself stayed true to expectation as a grind-fest as has been customary in games involving Kolkata this season. In the end, Kolkata’s late rally sealed the deal for them. Here we attempt to look at how the game went from a tactical point of view.

Line-Ups

Kerala adopted the same shape as they’d done for the second leg of their semi-final against Chennaiyin FC going 4-1-3-2 with Mehtab Hossain in the deep-lying midfield role. Iain Hume and Michael Chopra started up front in keeping with the trend with the most notable change in the side being captain and player/coach David James returning between the posts in place of Sandip Nandy. Kerala had gone with a 4-4-2 in the first leg of the semi-final which they won 3-0, but owing to the stage of the competition decidedly went the cautious route.

Line-ups

Atletico too showed few surprises going in with the tried and test 4-2-3-1 with Ofentse Nato and Borja Fernandez sitting in front of the front four. The duo had been excellent in the lead up to the final having played a key role in their run to the final by protecting the back four and making it tough for opponents to break them down. No Fikru Teferra for the final meant a place for Mohammad Rafi as the lone striker up front. Captain andmarquee player Luis Garcia had to contend with a place on the bench.

Tactics

Kerala generally over the course of the tournament have been a team that don’t necessarily go full throttle on attack. Perhaps the lone exception to that came in their home leg of the semi-finals. Chennai almost pulled off a miraculous comeback, but guess James went in with the same formation knowing that he was going up a defensive-minded team against Kolkata and that his team would probably be doing more of the attacking. 

The two forwards were testament to that as James perhaps hoped to get a goal, maybe two through the industry of Hume and Stephen Pearson and use the presence of Mehtab to defend effectively.

Kolkata coach Antonio Habas has been one of the most tactical coaches in the ISL and he opted to go with a 3-5-2 in the second leg of his team’s semi-final against FC Goa. The move did not work that well as they came under pressure from Goa which forced him to tweak the line-up and the outfit that he arrived at is what he retained for the final. 

He chose to utilitze winger Jakub Podany as a traditional left-back in the back-four with Kingshuk Debnath on the right. A big part of Atletico’s plan, not for the first time, was safety first and make sure that they defend their goal. Borja (who led the league in tackles made) and Nato have been brilliant in ensuring that and that was likely why Garcia too was held back to bring on against tired legs.

Final Play

Kerala started the better after a high-tempo opening from both sides. Kolkata were more than happy to sit back and soak up the pressure and though Kolkata ended up having more possession (51% to 49%), it was Kerala who did much of the attacking. They had more shots and also earned more corners through possession.

Pearson and Hume were the key channels through which Kerala attacked and Apoua Edel Bete was busy once again in goal for Habas’ team. Chopra playing with Hume also enabled Kerala to test that Kolkata defence a bit more and it was those two who had the best chances of the match.

Mohammed Rafique (far left) scored the game winner at the death for Kolkata

Hume’s shot was tipped wide in the 37th minute and Chopra in the second half had a great chance, but he once again found Edel Bete in the way. Kerala dominated for much of the second half too and were the more aggressive.

Borja was given the responsibility of controlling the tempo for Kolkata, as he led the odd foray out every now and then, but for the most part they were willing to buckle in and defend. And they looked comfortable barring the odd chance created by Kerala. Kolkata were content to slow down the pace and rely on set pieces to try and mount some sustained attack. 

Verdict

Overall, the game was a tight, cagey affair as could have been expected from two teams who grinded their way through the campaign and were not exactly teams high on flair. Kerala did most of the running with the ball and created a few good openings, but did not have the beating of the keeper.

Kolkata did what they do best in soaking up the pressure and were comfortable to hold their line and maintain good defensive shape, looking to hit on the counter. And the sucker punch came, cruelly late for Kerala, but that’s football and the tactical plan of Habas to contain and nick it in the end paid off once again. 

Of Michael Carrick and his importance to Manchester United

Michael Carrick’s return has been a huge boost for Manchester United

Manchester United were 10th with 13 points after 10 games in the first week of November, having just lost 1-0 away at champions Manchester City.

The doubts were beginning to creep in about the big-name manager who was appointed in the summer as well as the big-money signings that had joined the squad. Much the same as last year, but with a different manager – that seemed to be the feeling amongst sections of fans.

Today, the Red Devils have climbed back into UEFA Champions League reckoning, sitting in third place having put together a run of six consecutive victories. While they have not been extremely dominant, there has been an efficiency about United that has seen them take the chances offered and make the most of some good fortune along the way.

The manager and the players themselves have been keen to point that out during the run.
But while David de Gea’s saves, Robin van Persie’s return to form and the good showings of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia as wingbacks dominate discussions, the return of another key element of this United side has been overlooked.

“Michael is one of those unassuming, quiet guys, who just goes about his job and never gives the ball away. But his range of passing can win you games. He has great potential and is a real Manchester United player.” – Sir Alex Ferguson

United’s win streak has coincided with Michael Carrick’s return to the starting line-up. The English midfielder made his way into the starting 11 against Crystal Palace at home on November 8 after recovering from injury, and his influence has been subtly stirring if not loudly obvious.

You may not see him running himself into the ground, hit stinging shots on goal or put in crunching tackles that send the pulse racing. But his intelligence and efficient operation in United’s midfield and defence have laid the foundation for the team’s improved showing of late.

You might say that they still look very susceptible to conceding goals every time they take the field. That’s true, they are still very much a work in progress, but Carrick’s return has brought about a measure of control to United’s play and possession, something that Louis van Gaal absolutely needs to get his project off the ground.

In midfield

In both positions that he’s played so far – holding midfielder and central defender – Carrick has excelled and played a key role in delivering results for his side.

His reading of the game is right up there with the best and the way he nips in to intercept the ball has been a feature in United’s play during this winning run. Van Gaal brought in Daley Blind from Ajax to play in that role and while the Dutchman didn’t perform badly, Carrick has one-upped him so far.

Carrick’s stats since his return from injury

Blind would constantly patrol the area in front of the back four looking to protect his defenders, and he did an admirable job. The team, however, would often lose shape every time he vacated his spot to go help his teammates out. Carrick on the other hand is protecting his defenders while keeping the team’s shape intact with his economic movement and expert anticipation.

Moreover, his vastly larger passing range allows him to play with commensurate ease with the ball at his feet even under pressure.

We got glimpses of that this past weekend in United’s win over Liverpool. There were numerous occasions when Carrick was put under pressure by the Liverpool players either while retrieving an under-hit pass or playing it out of defence, yet he managed to make the right decisions and was ice-cool throughout the game.

In defence

The passing, anticipation and interceptions have been vital ingredients to his exemplary performance in the heart of defence as well. Crucially though, Carrick ensures Van Gaal’s side can now play their way out from the back, something that the Dutchman has been keen on since he arrived.

We saw that at the World Cup too with Netherlands; amongst Van Gaal’s back three of Ron Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan De Vrij, Vlaar was the enforcer, while De Vrij and Martins Indi in particular would look for the out-ball. He has Chris Smalling in Vlaar’s role now, a no-nonsense defender, and Carrick does the Martins Indi work.

The sense of calm that Carrick has brought in is something that was missing earlier when United used to almost play in a state of chaos, the stunning 3-5 reversal away at Leicester being a prime example.

The side was overloaded with a whole host of gifted attacking players in Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera who were a little too forward-looking all the time, and their matches often resembled basketball games – up one end then down the other.

Daley Blind was left with too many holes to plug by himself, and that’s the primary reason why United were opened up so easily.

Against Southampton last Monday, Van Gaal decided to take out young Paddy McNair 42 minutes into the match as he was being given a torrid time, and chose to push Carrick into his role instead of bringing in another centre-back. That allowed United to play out from the back with Carrick pinging balls to the midfield and forwards.

With Carrick playing at the back, the defence no longer blindly hacks balls away at the first sign of trouble; there’s a sense of assuredness about them now.

Fluidity in play

To underestimate Carrick’s influence and dismiss his contributions as passé would be the equivalent of dissing Xavi and claiming that he played just an infinitesimal part in the great Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola.

Carrick is a guy who has been showered with praise by two of the best midfielders of the last decade in Xavi and United’s very own Paul Scholes. He is one of those players who is highly spoken of amongst his teammates at Old Trafford, even if the fans consider him nothing but a mediocre spoke in this team.

He creates time for himself on the ball and makes retention of the football a top priority, even if it involves a square pass to the keeper. We all saw how leaky United’s ‘run and gun’ style early on proved.

Efficiency and intelligence are underrated in today’s football. A cerebral player like Carrick going about his work with a sense of languidness may be construed as showing little effort to some, but in truth his composed nature is a result of him having a high football IQ and being able to mentally see a play far ahead of his peers.

He is sure to hold his place down even when Blind returns, as Manchester United are going to need his high-level performances throughout the rest of the season to sustain their campaign for a top-four finish. Carrick is the glue to holding it together for the United side at the moment.

5 positives that will emerge from the unification of the ISL and I-League

It was considered a new dawn for Indian football when the Hero Indian Super League was formulated, with the tournament supposedly carrying the broader vision of improving the standard of football in the country and enabling local footballers to broaden their skill sets.

The tournament has so far attracted a lot of interest from football lovers across the country with good numbers in attendance in the stadiums as well, as hooked to the action on television and other mediums. Now with the ISL popular, what of the elephant in the room that is the I-League, the incumbent football league of the country? 

A merger of the two leagues is the best solution to the problem and here’s five good reasons why this would be best for business:

#1 A single unified league

A country should have only one established league thereby making it a single point of reference as far as football is concerned. There can be different tiers (first division, second division etc.), but there cannot be two competing leagues. The only thing it does is fragment the attention the sport gets between the traditional and new leagues.

We’ve already seen an example of this in India before – the Indian Premier League (IPL) jostled with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in the initial years, hockey also saw the fragmentation with two governing bodies and many different leagues over the years. Moreover, since the ISL has the blessing of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the governing body would do well to lay down the hammer and merge the two competitions to ensure a single, strong, unified league, which is best for the country.

#2 Scattering of talent

Another fallout of competing leagues is the scattering of talent that happens. The rather awkward predicament that it puts a lot of the players in is one that we don’t want to see where a few of them would be stuck in the i-League and others in the ISL. Also, if the ISL continues to attract the better foreign talent, then the I-League will die a slow death thanks to cannibalization.

So, the merger would address a major issue in ensuring that there is a single umbrella under which the Indian players play with no clashing obligations while also making sure that the knock-on effect from the best of foreign talent is infused into one league. It would also allow scouting for the national teams to happen at once. 

#3 Leveraging of resources and infrastructure

There are a few things that are very obvious when you look at the two leagues. The ISL has the money and the pulling power from the stars (the ones that draw eyeballs in India) and crucially it wins the television battleground, with Star Sports heavily involved. No matter how good a product or offering, it is useless if it is not carried to the masses and in this respect, the ISL is well served.

Combine this with the strengths and the constituency that the I-League has built up over the years and the two leagues can draw on each other’s strengths when they combine. Branching out and reaching each corner of the country is something the ISL will have to do, but that job will be much easier with the established credentials of the I-League in tow. 

#4 Building a fanbase

Now that football fans in the country have sampled higher level of football in the ISL, rather than throng in droves to the new I-League season, they would be most unwilling to even look in it’s direction. Its like how once you’ve tasted the fine wine, you don’t go back to the lower grades.

Two leagues would create a situation where the interest in football would be on and off during a year, resulting in crests and troughs. Combining the two will help fan bases to grow, allowing the newer ones to connect with the old loyalists and thus have larger distribution of fan pockets. The increased number of teams and multiple representatives from the same region will help boost the product and help establish a full-fledged football season and avoid a clash of dates.

#5 Knockout/ league to full blown league

Right now, the ISL is designed in a fashion where the top four teams qualify for the semi-finals and then there is a grand final, making it something of an exhibition showpiece. So the team that performs best in the league may not necessarily be the ultimate winner which is harsh in a way.

You might say that the IPL does the same, but the situation is not the same. T20 is but one form of cricket and it is the shortest form and hence it is alright that the tournament lasts for only two months. A football season on the other hand, should stretch throughout the year and be a test of endurance as well as skill where the top team at the end of the total gamut of home and away games is the ultimate winner. 

Diego Costa and Didier Drogba: Birds of the same feather that will not fly together

Diego Costa is the new Didier Drogba

Right through Atletico Madrid’s title-winning season last year in the Spanish La Liga, Diego Costa was front and centre as far as their attacking ambitions went. He scored 36 goals in all competitions including 8 in Europe as Los Colchoneros also made their way to the showpiece final of the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid in Lisbon.

Even before the Spanish season could end, there were murmurings that Chelsea were reportedly lining up a bid for Costa in an attempt to get over their weakness in the striking department (read Fernando Torres and Demba Ba). And he did eventually make his way across the English Channel from Atletico after the Blues met his £32 million release clause.

Considered by many to be the missing piece of Chelsea’s jigsaw in their quest for glory, Costa has been a revelation so far having racked up 10 goals already, all of them in the Premier League. He seems to be a perfect fit for Jose Mourinho and his team in every way and he has the fans plush with excitement at the possibilities this current season holds for them.

So much so that he is already being compared to another striker who plied his trade at Stamford Bridge for many, many years, one of a similar mould, a club legend who guided Chelsea to possibly their greatest night ever two years ago in the summer of 2012.

Didier Drogba spent 9 seasons at Chelsea before signing off on an absolute high as a Champions League winner after that magical night in Munich. In that time he established himself as one of the top true centre-forwards of the decade and made it a habit of manhandling opposition defences. He’s back this year for a second stint, revelling in almost a god-like status amongst the Chelsea faithful who never get tired of chanting his name when he’s on the pitch.

Drogba probably sees a lot of himself in Costa and with good reason. Their styles of play are very identical, both tough, physical players very good in the air and at muscling defenders around. They make sure that the opposition’s centre-backs have their hands full whenever they’re around. Their ability to keep possession under pressure with their backs to goal is another trait that the two share.

So far this season, barring the game at Goodison Park, when Costa’s been on the pitch, Drogba hasn’t and vice-versa. And that looks to be the definitive pattern as far as Chelsea are concerned despite some sections of fans wanting to see the two marauders play in tandem more. The truth is, it just wouldn’t help Chelsea any better if they did, not under Mourinho.

Trademarks of Mourinho teams

Over the years, from Benfica and FC Porto to Chelsea to Inter Milan to Real Madrid and back to Chelsea again, Mourinho’s teams have borne some common trademarks. Almost all of his teams have players who are strong, powerful, organised and disciplined. Amongst other things, all of these teams also had a strong, powerful centre-forward in the mould of Costa and Drogba in their ranks.

The other is defence. Mourinho builds his teams on strong defences, and that’s not necessarily a negative thing as some people may make it out to be. He knows that good defences win championships and he has been consistent with that approach throughout his career. And as he builds his sides up from the back, the midfielders and forwards are an extension of that style in the forward areas of the pitch.

Diego Milito was the lone forward for Jose at Inter Milan

There are certain requirements that Mourinho has of these centre-forwards. He uses them as focal points, and hence the necessity for them to be physically strong and be able to hold their own against opposing centre-backs. As a focal point, the forwards are the target of long diagonals from defence and midfield and that’s where ability in the air comes into play.

The other aspect of their role as a focal point is to help relieve pressure when they are under attack by holding up possession in forward areas, thereby a) helping to keep opposition defences who push up at bay, and b) allowing his teammates time to get back into their positions since his teams traditionally defend deep. Drogba’s excellence at this was one of the reasons that helped Chelsea grind out results in tough situations.

Set pieces is another long-running element. Every time Chelsea win a corner or a free-kick, the opposition is immediately on their heels for they know the danger that they pose with the likes of powerful headers such as John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and, of course Costa, at their disposal. Not only is the centre-forward integral in attacking set pieces, but also in defending them as we’ve seen countless times when Drogba and Costa have headed away the threat.

Five midfielders

Mourinho also prefers attacking by creating width with the use of quick and skilled wide players. Two players playing either side of the forward wide on the flanks is a necessity – Eden Hazard, André Schürrle, Willian and sometimes Oscar play those roles in this new Chelsea linking up with Costa just like how Arjen Robben, Joe Cole and Adrian Mutu used to do with Drogba. That combined with Mourinho’s desire to play with a double pivot in midfield ensures that he has to play five midfielders at the least. Matic and Cesc Fabregas sit in that deeper role today with Oscar playing ahead of them.

Cesc Fabregas (left) and Nemanja Matic play the double-pivot in midfield

When he feels the need for added protection, he brings on John Obi Mikel or Ramires to go alongside Matic, pushing Fabregas further forward while shifting Oscar wide right.

Retaining control of that central zone whether in possession or not is one of the keys to Mourinho’s strategy and that’s why playing the extra forward is not an option save as a desperation move when in need of a goal.

The presence of a physical centre-forward usually means that he will not be as quick as some of the other forward players (unless you’re Cristiano Ronaldo) and that’s another reason Mourinho never plays two such identical players together for then his team’s quickness takes a hit.

‘The Special One’ is a big fan of the counter-attack and it is the quick players who help him make that transition from defence to attack in a flash.

Why get Drogba then?

Drogba was sensational in the fact that most of the time he required the attention of both centre-backs, consequently helping in dragging them out of position so that the others would have space to run into.

Costa’s been doing something similar so far, in continuation from his body of work while with Atletico. With both opposition centre-backs already being engaged by just one player, Mourinho gains a huge tactical advantage, negating the need for another front man.

Which actually brings us to the acquisition of Drogba. While many considered the move to be nothing more than a goodwill placebo, Mourinho actually got in a suitable back-up for Costa, one who knows the system inside out and who comes with a wealth of experience behind him.

The frugal minutes is a given, but then again, it suits a veteran perfectly. Which is why you’re more likely to see Loic Remy being thrown on in support of Costa when Chelsea are gunning for a goal than Drogba. Remy is the supplement, Drogba is back-up.

“Look, if I have a triangle in midfield—Claude Makelele behind and two others just in front—I will always have an advantage against a pure 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are side by side.

 because I will always have an extra man. It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines. If nobody comes to him he can see the whole pitch and has time. If he gets closed down it means one of the two other central midfielders is open.

If they are closed down and the other team’s wingers come inside to help, it means there is space now for us on the flank, either for our own wingers or for our full-backs.

There is nothing a pure 4-4-2 can do to stop things.” – A quote from Mourinho during his first stint as Chelsea manager

In short there’s another term for when you play two such centre-forwards, it’s called 4-4-2 – the system he exploited and annihilated when he first arrived in England.

Fantasies are one thing and while it certainly would be quite a sight to witness Costa and Drogba making life hell for defenders at the same time, the reality is that Mourinho’s machinations will not allow for it. Jose doesn’t do 4-4-2!