Why Messi is Not My Kind of Super Star


Messi may be officially the best footballer in the world, but not to me. Ronaldo?, worse off. Me, an avid fan of Manchester United do not want to put Rooney on the pedestal either.

I never rated Ronaldo, the former United winger, as someone worthy of winning all the accolades he did win. He is too much of a show pony for my liking. He never played his best against top teams, the only better performance coming against Chelsea in the 2008 champions League final.But perhaps the 80 million pounds Real paid for him would not be considered a mammoth sum considering the money the club would generate selling his shirt. But when I look at it from a pure football mind, I often cringe.

After last season's second leg clash of the El Classico, Spanish media ran a headline "Too much Messi for CR9" in their comparison with Messi. Ronaldo was lost on the pitch, he was turned into a roadrunner chasing shadows.

Rooney is the second best footballer for me at the moment. Let me say I have not counted Messi as first. Rooney is a workaholic. He has unbelievable energy. A bull of a player who runs from post to post, tackles fearlessly, and fights like a warrior. He is a genius in the making. Yes, still not there. I think it will take just one more year for him.

Messi is a magician. He certainly, plainly, clearly is a better player than Ronaldo. But why he is not my kind of super star is simply because of his less involvement in the overall play in any given game. He may have scored some unbelievable goals, may have done some weaving solo runs, but that does not impress me much (in the lines of Shania Twain). He goes missing for long periods in the game, then like one possessed spirit, he haunts the opposition goal post, makes a quick-fire goal, and goes missing again. This has added an unpredictability aspect to his play. He may produce a magic, or go lost completely. All the good things Messi has done so far have had its origin in the midfields of Barcelona, where the imperial Xavi Hernandez rules. This can be further illustrated by the fact Messi has not yet showed his true potential in the blue and white strip of Argentina.

I guess by now you should have picked hints to who I think the greatest player on the planet now. Yes, it’s Xavi Hernandez. He is the heart beat of Barcelona, not Messi. One day I set out to count how many times he would lose the ball, but the bloody guy never lost the ball even once. For many, he is already in the same bracket with Zidane. But the only flip side is he is not marketing himself like Ronaldo and Messi does. And this is a sin in today's world.
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Rafael Benítez - a failure as Kop boss

I believe, Liverpool are finally ready to see off Rafael Benítez this summer. He has already booked his tickets, it is rumored. The destination is yet to be finalized. But I think he would fly in the general direction of Italy where Inter Milan (if Jose Mourinho failed to deliver Champions League) and one certain Juventus would be waiting with the net to catch the man if he jumps off the plane in their zone.

Other rumored destination is the blue side of Manchester. Highly unlikely though, yet one cannot completely discount the idea. If Manchester City happened to wrestle the fourth spot away from Tottenham, then Benitez, I reckon will be a good choice if they want to establish themselves in Europe.

Benitez's European pedigree is undoubted. He is regarded as someone who knows a thing or two about how to make inroads in the Champions League.

But if City are also targeting domestic titles, then it is better to look away from Benitez. His record in the English Premier League, so far, has failed to impress anyone.

There are mixed reactions to his failings in transfer dealings. So far in his tenure Liverpool have acquired almost 66 new players, and have sold almost double this figure with a reported loss of over 80 million pounds. It is argued that many players were bought behind his back or without his approval. Whatever it is, I do not want to further talk about this.

But at the end of the day, jokes apart, if he did fly away from Liverpool, I would say it is his failing to develop and improve players that came to his undoing.

None of the local players have made the progression from the Academy to the first team under his management while promising youngsters such as Stephen Warnock, Danny Guthrie and Adam Hammill have been sold to smaller clubs.

No current first team player has improved to a great deal. Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun had made a few heads turn. But given the kind of players they were before, the level of improvement made is minimal or almost nill.

Let us compare the scenario with Manchester United. In the last five years many players have shown tremendous improvement. Ronaldo went on to win World player of the year award. Rooney has become one of the top three players in the world. Vidic and Patrice Evra have been rated as one of the best in their respective positions. Darren Fletcher has had phenomenal improvement. Nani has started to exhibit his abilities. Giggs and Scholes are still firing in their grey.

If this is something to go by, Benitez's time as manager in the Mersey side, should go down largely as a failure than anything else.
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Premier League - The Fallen Angel?

Fall, decline, demise - are some of the words that flashed in the media headlines in their claim that the Premier League has lost its first place among European leagues after the defeat of Arsenal and Manchester United in the Champions League. This leaves CL with no English representation in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003. In my opinion this should only be seen as a momentary blip or a culmination of bad luck.

I do not think the standards of the Premier League have fallen over the last year. It has in fact become stronger overall. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United arguably did not play up to their potential. But this wobble by the 'Big Four' has lot to do with the emergence of teams like Manchester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton. Because of this sudden sprout, the number of 'big games' have drastically increased. For example, a couple of years earlier a Manchester United game against Aston Villa would not have sounded as 'big' as it now.

The strain and tiredness that follows after every big game will have a telling effect in maintaining the fitness of the team. And this is another reason why big teams have lost more games this season than the previous years. I believe the Big Four will be shaken even harder next season.

The premier League is no longer a two horse race or a four horse race. It is race of champions, and this has truly enriched the league. With teams, this summer, planning to add depth and quality in their squad, another round of complete European dominance is not too far away.
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Let's Pat The Dust Off Our Backs, and Move On

Yes. We lost to Bayern. We lost to Chelsea. But let's stop lamenting. Let's clean away the debris and look ahead.

The last 10 days had been difficult. But these games have let us know where we stand. We have been caught out in broad day light. We squirmed like a naked girl in the middle of a crowd trying to cover one area, but inadvertently exposing other parts.

Yes we need cover. We need reinforcement in all areas. The sale of Christiano Ronaldo and Tevez have severely dented our chances - there is no shame in accepting. All these days we were trying hard to prove it the other way, but let’s not pretend any more. If it had not been for the extraordinary season of Wayne Rooney, we would not have survived this far.

The name Owen does not ring fear in anybody anymore. The legs of Ryan Giggs and Scholes have become too week for this level. Anderson is no more a favorite son of Fergie. Gary Neville has lost his sharpness.

Now what happens if Rooney is injured, Rio Ferdinand is off touch, Vedic is being haunted (by the ghost of Torres), and Fletcher is tired? The wall that is United will collapse on its feet. This is what has happened in the last 10 days.

Though, at times, we looked well off with what we have got, we need cover right from striker to goalkeeper.

I predict next season to be tougher than ever. We have one certain cross-city rival wagging their tail. Martin O'Neill is making a big noise. Wenger has promised a stronger Arsenal. The wounded Mersey siders may spring up. Tottenham has started playing football at last...I can hear war cry from all over the country. We need to face them with the stealth, venom and ferocity of a devil.
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Should True Fans be Blind?


Not long ago (just before the 2009 Champions League final) I opened a discussion thread in one of the England-based international magazine's online forum. I asked a question Manchester United or Barcelona, which of them was the best team in Europe. I had mentioned myself as a die-hard Manchester United fan. Some of the comments I received were, "of course, Manchester United", "are you a true united fan?” "What a stupid question is that, Manchester united, for sure" ... I was incensed.

These comments are examples of the fact how mad and blind English fans are. Many of them really do not try to see any sense in anything. Manchester United lost the final to Barcelona by two comfortable goals to nil. I’m sure if I open the same thread again, I will get pretty much the same answers. Mad and Blind.

No wonders why they say English football fans are the 3rd most feared group of people in the known universe (behind the SAS and Scottish football fans).

I believe, if you want to call yourself a true fan of any club, you should learn to appreciate others as well. There is nothing wrong in admitting that your team was not good enough.
Sir Alex Ferguson after the final admitted his side was poor. He was magnanimous in defeat and showered Barcelona with praise. After all, who can be a bigger fan of United than Sir Alex Ferguson?
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The Magic of Number Se7en


From the time of legendary George Best to the golden boy of modern day football Christiano Ronaldo, number seven has always been a token of inspiration and magical touch in the colors of Manchester United.

Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona all these players have donned the magnificent no.7 and taken united to the top.

Best made his Red Devil's debut in 1963, at the age of 17. Dubbed, "the fifth Beattle" for his long hair, Best was a hit both on and off the pitch.

He won one league title and one European Cup with Manchester United before leaving in 1974, at the age of 27. In all, Best recorded 466 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions from 1963 to 1974, and scored 178 goals.

Unlike Best, Bryan Robson did not begin his career with Manchester United. In 1981, Robson went to Old Trafford from West Bromwich Albion for a then British record transfer fee of 1.5 million pounds. When asked why he moved to United, he said: "Money wasn't my main motivation. I simply wanted to be a winner."

And a winner he was. He was soon made captain of United and won his first trophy in 1984, when he scored two goals against Brighton to help United win the FA Cup. In the 1990-1991 season, he became the first United captain to win the FA Cup three times. He also won the FA Premiership twice.

His stay at United was not to last though. Despite being the longest serving captain for United, he moved to Middlesbrough in 1994.

Perhaps the most controversial player to wear the No. 7 jersey was Eric Cantona. He came to United from Leeds in 1992, after they had finished 17th of 22 in the newly formed Premier League.

He played a major talismanic role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing powerhouse and he enjoys iconic status at United and in English football. In 2001, he was voted United’s player of the century, and to this day United fans refer to him as "King Eric".

If Eric was King, David Beckham is the most popular number seven of all. Twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 the world's highest-paid footballer, Beckham was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches. He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004. With such global recognition he has become an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.

During his time in Manchester, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003.

Infact, Beckam was ‘sold’ to Real Madrid. But the man who inherited Beckam’s number seven shirt chose to sign up for Real. Christiano Ronaldo, the flamboyant Portuguese was the costliest youngster in British football when he was signed from Sporting Lisbon. Alex Ferguson paid £12.24 million in 2003 for him and in an attempt to defend this sum, he claimed that Christiano is his best buy ever and the most exciting player to watch.

But his words are to become true in a couple of years, when Christiano became not just the best buy of Sir Alex, but the best player in the world, officially. In 2008, Ronaldo won his first UEFA Champions League title, and was named player of the tournament. He was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to becoming Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or winner in 40 years.

Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Johan Cruyff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."

Now we have another Ballon d'Or winner in Micheal Owen to own the number seven jersey. Once a great player, now in the twilight of his career, can he eclipse the magic of number seven? Sir Alex feels, he can. But he is yet to impress for United in the league.

It is understandable why some United fans could not digest the fact he was given a number seven shirt since Owen was a former Liverpool player. Number seven has been an ornamental part of Manchester United and has carried great significance. It is unique to Manchester United.

With other clubs it never had any significance. Arsenal and Liverpool have no number seven in their current squad, and Chelsea has Shevchenko, but a player who has lost his existence.
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Keane: The Auto Biography


I'm a die-hard United fan and I also like Keane a lot. But I would like to see things as it is. Although the book has managed to display Roy Keane with all his arrogance and his unflappable desire to win games…his views and points across many issues, especially episodes about Irish football, I felt (like many others), it is Eamonn Dunphy who is speaking. It is not a bad idea in the first place to get someone like Eamonn Dunphy who is as explosive and articulate as Keane himself, as his ghost-writer. But a careful reader like me, or someone who is familiar with the views of Dunphy (on Irish Football) can make out the flaws in the joins.

The book has also diplomatically put Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson in the right light, although Keane and the Club management had many disparities time and time again. And eventually one such incident led to his unexpected departure on 18 November 2005. Recent incidents also prove that Keane has greater admiration for Brian Clough than Sir Alex. So the book is not as honest as mentioned by some newspaper review printed in the back cover.

I would have loved to read some more of his personal life with his family especially wife and kids. I think I rarely saw his wife’s name mentioned. It would definitely have added some extra human touch to the character, Keane.

But being said all these, this book is certainly the most captivating and compelling read among all footballers' autobiographies. The book has managed to vividly capture his career chart starting from his boyhood days. His struggle to get into the English Premier League, his first encounter with Brian Clough and his record-breaking transfer to Manchester United have all been wonderfully documented.

The book may have come out a long while ago, but it still holds great appeal. I would like to see an updated edition or a second volume on this.
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