FC Barcelona

Hace unas semanas se dio a conocer que algunos jugadores del Paris Saint-Germain en Francia y el Blackburn Rovers en Inglaterra tenían la Influenza humana, esta vez son miembros de la escuadra del Barcelona los que han contraído la enfermedad.

En esta ocasión los jugadores enfermos son Eric Abidal y Yaya Touré. Aunque se había informado en algunos medios internacionales que el defensor azteca Rafael Márquez también estaba enfermo con este mal debido a que había presentado algunos síntomas, esto fue descartado el día de hoy por los médicos del club catalán tras someterlo a algunos exámenes médicos.

Bad News for Barca fans: Eric Abidal has been hit by the H1N1 virus aka “Swine Flu” and will be out of action for atleast 3 weeks. Toure has come down with similar symptoms and is being monitored while club doctors wait for test results. The clubs Official Website has released a statement: “Eric Abidal and Toure Yaya have viral-like symptoms with fever and general discomfort

“Relevant tests have been carried out on both players.

“In Abidal’s case, these tests confirm he is suffering from swine flu.

“As for Toure, during Friday it could be confirmed whether these symptoms are also a result of swine flu.

“Nevertheless, he is certainly sidelined for Saturday’s match against Athletic Club.

“The medical services are working following the protocols established by the health department isolating the players, carrying out symptomatic treatment and giving appropriate hygienic measures.”

So this means that Abidal, Ibra, Toure and Milito will be unavailable for Saturday’s match against Bilbao. Pep has had to call up dos Santos to make up the 18. After Bilbao, they face Inter midweek for the Champions League and “el clasico” is next weekend (29 November, diarize it now!), so Barca are going to have their work cut out for them, and this is the last thing that Pep would’ve wanted!

Get well soon!

Abidal out for three weeks. Toulalan and Diaby not to play

Heading into the Stade de France on Wednesday, the French National Team will be without defender Eric Abidal. Abidal suffered an injury to this left thigh in Saturday’s match against Ireland. According to Barcelona, Abidal will be out of action for about three weeks, and will more than likely miss the Clasico against Real Madrid on November 29th.

In addition to missing Abidal, Jeremy Toulalan and Abou Diaby, both of whom missed Saturday’s game, will again be missing from the French lineup on Wednesday.

Wenger: Vieira should leave Inter

If Patrick Vieira is to ever get back on the French National Team, he needs to live Inter Milan, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

In an interview with former French international Bixente Lizarazu, who now work for RTL, Wenger said that the Inter midfielder should leave the team. “If he wants to play the World Cup, he should change clubs because he does not play enough. And I will not be surprised if it happens,” said Wenger.  He also said that he would bet on Vieira, who he called an “intelligent” and “extremely useful” player, returning to England to play.

20,000 Irish to Stade de France?

According to L’Equipe, French defender Patrice Evra said that there is expected to be some 25,000 Irish fans as the Stade de France for the second leg of the Ireland-France World Cup playoff.  Evra called this “abnormal” and asked why the FFF allowed so many tickets to be sold to Irish fans. “This is not a friendly, this is a World Cup qualifier. I consider this quite abnormal,” said Evra.

Trappatoni, Keane confident of Irish victory

After the injuries to the French defense, Giovanni Trappatoni said that he is still confident that his team can qualify for the World Cup because of the weakness of the French defense. He also said that he feels that his collection of players are better than the collection that France has.

Striker Robbie Keane also said that he is confident of a victory on Wednesday. “If you look at our side, we have shown that we can win on the road,” Keane said.  Keane also said that many matches come down to luck which, until this point, has gone to the French side.

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

French forward Nicolas Anelka was the difference between the two teams last time they met.

The first leg Croke Park ended with a  French victory with an Anelka deflected 72-minute goal which put France in a commanding position before the return leg in Paris. It will be hard to see how the Irish will manage to come back from their disappointing performance in Dublin. The scene is set for another epic battle in Paris between France and Ireland to battle it out for one of the four spots left in the European zone to qualify for the World Cup.

France are favorites to qualify ahead of the second leg and Coach Raymond Domenech could earn himself another chance to prove himself. Domenech does not need to change much of his tactic nor his starting lineup on Wednesday as they did well against Ireland. The only incident that the French came into tussle was the bust up between Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews and France’s Lassana Diarra after the final whistle. A few words were exchange and it seem like Diarra had made some disrespectful comment over the Irish squad. French full-back Eric Abidal and Jeremy Toulalan will miss Wednesday’s game.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni gave the thumps up for Liam Lawrence on the right side of the midfield in the first leg against France and looks likely to keep it the same for the second leg. Ireland played well but missed a few chances to take the lead in the first leg, they now travel to Paris in search for, at least, a goal to take it to extra time or penalties. A clean sheet and two goal win will put Ireland through to the World Cup. Trapattoni could well in for the same line up that started against France last Saturday. Robbie Keane is rallying the troop and motivating them for the tough task ahead of the second leg.

From Croke Park to Stade de France, this is the Irish’s last chance to qualify for the World Cup. France are sitting comfortably with the 1-0 lead and could settle the tie with another goal in Paris. Ireland will have all to play for and they will attack without thinking the consequences which will make this one of the exciting ties of the night. If anything is to go by from the last match’s bust up in Croke Park, then Stade de France will provide the fireworks.

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Anelka to work with Henry in midfield today, not Govou.

So, I had this whole article written about today’s match. It was getting long. I put a good half hour into it. But after the probable starting eleven was published by L’Equipe, I deleted the entire post. So, here I go again.

First, some news that has come out between the last news we reported and this morning:

Eric Abidal has come out and said that his ideal score for today’s match is 0-0, putting pressure on Ireland to score at the Stade de France.  On the other hand the player trying to get Abidal’s spot, Julien Escude, said that a 0-0 result would be a bad idea.

Yoann Gourcuff, who will be starting for France today, also talked about how France will succeed tonight. “It is more likely we will score if we play well. A good score depends on what you achieved on the ground “said Gourcuff, according to L’Equipe. “Before the Serbia match,which the score was 1-1 , nobody would have thought it was a good result. Given the fact of playing the 9th minute down 0-1 and then going down to ten against eleven, we finally thought the opposite.” So, a tie can work, according to Gourcuff.

Escude also restated that France has really been working on defending Irish set pieces. He also said that France needs to avoid making mistakes on Irish corner kicks as well.

So, onto the lineup.

In the last few days, French players have said that their goal is to “not make any mistakes” against Ireland at  Croke Park. And, as we have discusses on this blog, they have worked hard to do that.

So, L’Equipe has published their probable starting eleven for France, and it looks like this:

Lloris

Sanga - Gallas – Abidal - Evra

A. Diarra - L. Diarra

Anelka - Gourcuff – Henry

Gignac

So, the first bit of news is that Andre-Pierre Gignac will be playing for France. Therefore, their best scorer in the last half of the group stage will be available and playing for Domenech’s side. They also have an interesting attacking midfield, which adds Yoann Gourcuff to the center.

In an interesting move, Nicolas Anelka has been favored over Sidney Govou on the right side of that attacking midfield. I personally have no understanding why this happened, since Govou is such a great player, especially for the national team. Thierry Henry will, again, be on the left side of the midfield.

In the defending position, Jeremy Toulalan is out. Alou and Lassana Diarra will be anchoring the midfield. This move seems to show that Domenech, while still wanting to score goals, has a defensive strategy in mind. The players and staff have told press that they would settle for a draw, and this lineup seems to forecast that scenario.

The back line pretty much stays the same. The only question was if Escude would be starting instead of Abidal. But, again, Abidal got the nod from Domenech. Hugo Lloris will be in goal for France.

With this lineup, it seems like France plans to play a conservative game. But with the players that they have up front, any one of them could just go up and score a goal. So, a 20-shot game for France doesn’t seem to be in the cards. This seems like the perfect 1-0 French victory lineup. Also, if France does happen to go down, they have a bunch of offensive players they can pull off the bench, like Govou, Benzema and Sissoko. Their lineup seems like it can be very fluid and work well.

Even with the player selection, all the talk has been about the management. We hear it everywhere…Trappatoni is great and Domenech sucks. Ok, that might be true, I will give the French nay-sayers that one.

But, Domenech and Trapp aren’t out there kicking the ball around! The players are. And, on paper, France is superior (yes, not just better, but superior) to Ireland.

But most of the talk has been about Trappatoni’s disciplined side versus Domenech’s lack of discipline. Even as a French supporter, I agree with this assessment.

But let me tilt this theory on its head a little.

Because Trappatoni’s team is SO diciplined, it should be easy for France to know what is coming ahead of time. Sometimes being too disiplined also means being too predictable. On the other hand, because France has a more fluid style of play, they might ‘look’ more ‘undisiplined’. But, unlike Ireland, this makes France the more unpredictable side. Advantage…France.

So, when all is said and done, and with the probable lineup being published by L’Equipe, I see a 1-0 victory for the French side at Croke Park.

Is Yoann Gourcuff France's secret weapon against Ireland?

With only hours left until the French National Team takes the pitch against Ireland, the news of what might happen in tomorrow’s match has already started.

Earlier this week, Lyon coach Claude Puel said that if he were to have his team play this weekend, he would not dress Jeremy Toulalan. Yet, Raymond Domenech said that Puel’s words does not affect his decision on whether he starts Toulalan or not.

When asked by RTE News in Ireland if Jeremy Toulalan would miss both legs of the match, Domenech said “No, I have other worries.” He also said Toulalan was recovering from the injury. Still, the conflict between Puel trying to protect his player and Domenech trying to qualify for the World Cup will continue.

With the possible departure of Toulalan from the team, this gives Domenech a chance to open up the scoring if he wishes to do so. Along with Moussa Sissoko, who can be a dangerous scorer in the middle, the French manager will also have Yoann Gourcuff at his disposal. If Domenech plays either one of these players, France will show that they are out for blood in Dublin.

Domenech also said that France will be better prepared for both matchups, as most of his team will be able to practice most of the week because of the Ligue 1 break. Lassana Diarra played for his club team in the past few days, and that is it. On the other hand, many of the Irish players have been busy with their EPL and SPL schedules.

Eric Abidal spoke to the press before departing to Dublin. Abidal said that the French defense has been mostly working on defending Ireland’s set pieces. He also said that the offensive has been working on keeping the ball and that the main focus of the French team is to give Ireland very few opportunities to possess the ball.

“We must play our game, make sure they do not have the ball, go forward,” said Abidal.

There is also no further news on the possibility of Andre-Pierre Gignac missing the match. He will more than likely be a gametime decision, but don’t expect him to play if the news that has been reported about his injury the last two days has been correct.

So, I was down in Miami watching the USL side Miami FC play. It was a great game with The Blues winning 3-1 over Austin.

Still, I was unable to see the French match. And, honestly, I’m glad I didn’t.

With our backs already against the wall, Les Bleus needed a result against Romania in Paris. It should have been an easy three points! Instead, it was another 1-1 result which is leaving many wondering if France will even qualify for the World Cup final.

As of right now, I think we will squeak by!

I have criticized coach Raymond Domenech in the past, and I will continue to do so today. Match after match, he has started a lot of players on the bench who should be in the starting line-up. Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Eric Abidal  were all on the bench. Abidal’s replacement at left back, Julien Escude, deflected a Romanian shot into the goal which proved to be the equalizer. And Ribery and Benzema didn’t come on until the 59th and 73rd minute, respectively.

On top of that, French National Team regular Florent Malouda didn’t make this trip. And French National Team legend Patrick Vieira was totally left off the squad!

So….what is going on?

I think Domenech’s response to yesterday’s draw pretty much paints the picture. In response to his side blowing their lead, he said “I’m not blaming anyone,” and that “Our fate is in our own hands. We can still qualify, no matter how.”

He is wrong, there is someone to blame…Raymond Domenech.

You cannot expect to qualify for the World Cup with your two best young players coming off the bench late in the game. What if England decided to bench Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. That is essentially was France did yesterday.

Another problem that I have noted is that France doesn’t have a real leader on the team. Thierry Henry is a great scorer, a great player and has been a captain in the past, I think he lacks the leadership skills to be a productive motivator. This is a place where I think Patrick Vieira would fit in perfectly.

Even with the setbacks and all the questions, all was not lost. According to the reports that I have heard, Yoann Gourcuff had a productive game. Also (since I am a Toulouse fan), I was glad to see Andre-Pierre Gignac get another cap for Les Bleus.

But, still, Ribery, Benzema and Abidal have to start. They have to be in the starting lineup every match unless they are not match fit, which these players are.

I am just disappointed that a great side like France is going to throw everything away because we have a coach that is making some extremely dumb decisions.

El FC Barcelona ha trasladado oficialmente a la Liga de Fútbol Profesional su petición para adelantar al sábado 12 de septiembre su partido ante el Getafe

La intención del club azulgrana es preparar su debut en la competición europea, en su partido más exigente del grupo, con las mayores garantías posibles.

Sin embargo, jugar el sábado en Getafe podría hacer que algunos de los internacionales de la plantilla del Barcelona lleguen al partido de Liga con muy poco descanso, caso de Leo Messi, que jugará con Argentina en Paraguay, o de Dani Alves, que participará en el Brasil-Chile, ambos el miércoles 9 de septiembre.

Los internacionales españoles jugarán ante Estonia en Mérida, mientras que el sueco Zlatan Ibrahimovic lo hará en Malta y los franceses Eric Abidal y Thierry Henry, en Serbia. Dymtro Chygrynskiy, último fichaje del Barcelona, jugará con la selección ucrania ante Bielorrusia en Minsk.

Los partidos clasificatorios para el Mundial de Sudáfrica dejan el equipo azulgrana sin quince jugadores, entre los trece del primer equipo y los dos de la cantera. Guardiola no recuperará parte de los internacionales hasta el jueves 10 de setiembre.

Como ya es habitual en las últimas temporadas, después de la primera jornada de Liga la competición se interrumpe para dar paso a los partidos de selecciones. Después de estrenarse en la Liga lunes con una victoria , el equipo se queda en cuadro los próximos días y Josep Guardiola sólo podrá contar con Valdés, Pinto, Pedro, y los lesionados Márquez, Iniesta y Maxwell.

Partidos clasificatorios

Hasta quince jugadores del Barça, contando trece de la primera plantilla y dos del filial, se van con sus selecciones, ya que entre este fin de semana y el miércoles 9 de septiembre hay los partidos internacionales de clasificación para el Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010. La selección española es la que más azulgranas ha convocado, un total de cuatro, con Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Piqué y Puyol. España jugará contra Bélgica (5 de septiembre) y Estonia (9 de septiembre). Los dos partidos se disputarán en territorio español.

Pendientes de Bojan

Por su parte, el equipo sub-21 de España ha convocado a tres azulgranas, Bojan, Fontàs y Jeffren, para jugar contra Polonia (4 de septiembre) y Liechtenstein (7 de septiembre) partidos de clasificación para el Europeo. En el caso de Bojan, que se lesionó contra el Sporting, el jugador viaja a la concentración española para ser explorado por los médicos.

Duelo entre Messi y Alves

Uno de los enfrentamientos internacionales más atractivos es lo que habrá la madrugada de sábado a domingo entre la Argentina de Messi y el Brasil de Alves. La selección albiceleste se juega buena parte del ser o no ser en el próximo Mundial. Por eso Messi, con permiso del club, está en su país desde el viernes para preparar el compromiso que se disputará en su ciudad natal, Rosario. El siguiente partido de Alves será el jueves a las 3 de la madrugada contra Chile, mientras que Messi lo hará a la 1 de la madrugada contra Paraguay.

Ibrahimovic y Chygrynskiy

Dos de las nuevas incorporaciones del Barça de este verano tienen también partido con la selección de su país. Ibrahimovic volverá a jugar con Suecia después de no hacerlo a mediados de de agosto por culpa de la lesión en la mano. La selección escandinava juega dante Hungría (5 de septiembre) y Malta (9 de septiembre).

Por su parte, Dmytro Chygrynskiy, después de ver cumplido su fichaje con el Barça , se va a Ucrania, ya que jugará contra Andorra (5 de septiembre) y Bielorrusia (9 de septiembre).

Francia y los africanos

Thierry Henry y Éric Abidal, con Francia, se enfrentarán contra Rumanía (5 de septiembre) y Serbia (9 de septiembre). El ‘14′ del Barça vuelve a estar convocado después de no jugar en agosto a causa de unos problemas en los tendones de Aquiles de las dos piernas.

En relación a los jugadores africanos, tanto Keita como Touré sólo tienen un partido con su selección. La Malí de Keita juega el domingo 6 de septiembre contra Benin, y Touré, con Costa de Marfil, se enfrentará a Burkina Faso (5 de septiembre).

Pocos cambios habrá en el once del Barça respecto al que conquistó la Supercopa de España.

Como ya sucedió frente al Athletic Club en la Supercopa de España, el Barça no piensa hacer concesión alguna al Shakhtar Donetsk esta noche en el Louis II. Josep Guardiola presentará el mejor equipo del que dispone con el objetivo de sumar el segundo trofeo de la campaña, el cuarto del 2009.
Y presentar el mejor once posible, supone mucho cuando uno se refiere al campeón de la Liga de Campeones, aunque Rafa Márquez y Andrés Iniesta todavía no estén a punto.

Quizás una de las pocas novedades en la alineación pueda ser la del regreso de Eric Abidal al lateral izquierdo. Si el titular contra el Athletic Club fue el brasileño Maxwell, ahora el internacional francés podría tener la opción de disputar la final de la Supercopa. Un premio excelente para un jugador que por culpa de las sanciones se perdió las de Copa del Rey y la Champions en la recta final de la carrera por el tricampeonato. Dani Alves por la derecha y Carles Puyol y Gerard Piqué en el eje central completarán la línea defensiva por delante de Víctor Valdés.

En el centro del campo es donde quizás pueda existir alguna incógnita sobre lo que puede decidir Guardiola. En principio, la tripleta Touré-Xavi-Keita rindió a un magnífico nivel el pasado domingo. En la recámara está Sergio Busquets y el joven canterano tiene muchas opciones de entrar en el once si los técnicos quieren repartir esfuerzos entre los jugadores disponibles. Otras opciones en esta posición pasan por Eidur Gudjohnsen, aunque el islandés cuenta poco y en los próximos días puede cerrar su marcha al West Ham.

En la delantera existen pocas dudas pues Messi, Ibrahimovic y Henry, que ha superado las molestias en la rodilla y los tendones, aparecen como indiscutibles a estas alturas. En la recámara, el talento de los jóvenes del plantel Bojan y Pedro.

Se trata de un conjunto de las máximas garantías para enfrentarse a un Shakhtar Donetsk al que ya conocen muy bien pues fueron rivales en la fase de grupos de la pasada Liga de Campeones. Y el campeón de la desaparecida UEFA Cup no fue, ni mucho menos, un rival fácil.

El Barça sufrió para ganar en Ucrania y perdió el intrascendente duelo del Camp Nou. Se trata de un equipo que también apuesta por el buen trato del balón y que llegará a la final sin bajas y con la ambición intacta.

Touré Yaya volverá a Mónaco para jugar la final de la Supercopa de Europa tres años después de haberse marchado del Principado para jugar en Barcelona.

El centrocampista marfileño jugó una sola temporada en el equipo monegasco, la 2006/07, donde actuó a un gran nivel que posteriormente le valió para fichar por el Barça al terminar el curso.

Gran temporada en el Principado

Touré Yaya llegó al Mónaco con 23 años procedente del Olympiakos griego, su primer equipo importante en Europa. Los inicios en Francia fueron complicados, ya que el entonces técnico Lázló Bölöni no contó con él al principio de temporada y le dejó diez partidos en el banquillo. Los malos resultados, sin embargo, obligaron a la directiva a prescindir del entrenador y a colocar en su lugar a Laurent Banide, que dio un rol muy importante al jugador.

Polivalencia

Touré se erigió entonces en pieza clave de un Mónaco que pasó en pocos meses de ocupar la penúltima posición que tenía en octubre a finalizar el campeonato en novena posición. El hoy jugador azulgrana alternó la posición de centrocampista ofensivo con las de interior y medio defensivo y fue la principal figura del equipo.

El marfileño jugó 27 partidos con los del Principado en los cuales marcó cinco goles y se dio a conocer futbolísticamente, hasta que el Barça le incorporó en su plantilla.

Tres jugadores más con pasado monegasco

Rafael Márquez.

Además de Touré Yaya, tres jugadores más de la primera plantilla han jugado en el Mónaco. El mexicano Rafael Márquez también fichó por el Barça procedente del equipo monegasco, donde jugó cuatro temporadas. El defensa llegó al Mónaco procedente del Atlas de Guadalajara de su país el año 1999, con sólo 20 años. En Francia, ganó una Liga (2000), una Supercopa (2000) y una Copa de la Liga (2003), y fue escogido mejor defensa del campeonato al terminar su primera temporada. Después de cuatro años a un gran nivel, Márquez fichó por el Barça en verano de 2003.

Henry y Abidal comienzan en el Mónaco

También los dos franceses del primer equipo saben lo que es jugar en el Louis II como locales, ya que fue allí donde comenzaron su carrera profesional. Thierry Henry debutó profesionalmente a los 17 años con el Mónaco, donde estuvo entre 1994 y 1999 y donde ganó una Liga (1996/97) y una Supercopa (1997), antes de fichar por la Juventus.

Éric Abidal firmó por el Mónaco a los 21 años el julio de 2000 y comenzó allí su carrera como profesional. Disputó dos temporadas en el Principado en las cuales jugó 26 partidos antes de ser cedido al Lille, donde se consagró en la élite del fútbol francés.

In all our preseason matches, we’ve played in a 4-3-3 formation. Most journalists have suggested that this change has been inspired by Barcelona’s conquering team from one year ago. In order to see if this formation could work out, I’ve decided to compare the players from the 08-09 Barcelona starting XI to one we could trot out to emulate their team.

Goalkeeper – Victor Valdes/Manuel Almunia

They are of equal calibre. Neither are extremely consistent. Both are capable of playing above their level and pulling out a string of spectacular saves. Both are also capable of conceding goals that world class goalkeepers just don’t allow. This position is the least pivotal element of copying their side.

Left Back – Eric Abidal/Gael Clichy

Abidal is taller and stronger than Clichy. He is also probably a better attacker than Clichy as well. However, Clichy can defend better, has better recovery pace, and is a better individual defender. Gael had a terrible season last year, but he’s capable of being a better player than Abidal.

Right Back – Dani Alves/Bacary Sagna

Sagna is a better defender than Alves, but Dani is an extremely dangerous attacking player. The right side is deadly for Barcelona as Alves and Messi can overlap runs to cause multiple threats to any team. Sagna is actually a better passer and crosser than people give him credit for, but he’s nowhere near the threat that Alves is.

Centreback – William Gallas/Carles Puyol

William Gallas is better than Puyol in every respect.

Centreback – Thomas Vermaelen/Gerard Pique

I don’t know enough about Vermaelen to comment, but Pique is a solid defender with a high upside. He could end up being a great defender, and he held his own during the CL final. But there are no guarantees. Frankly, defensively, Barcelona are vulnerable. And they know it too.

Defensive Midfielder – Alex Song/Yaya Toure

Toure is a big, muscular presence. Alex Song’s reading of the game has greatly improved though, and his positional sense is similar to Toure’s. Yaya has proven to be an effective attacking force, when it comes to shooting, but Song has a better passing range. Yaya is a better player, but Song is both younger and almost as reliable. He’s coming on strong.

Central Midfielder – Samir Nasri or Denilson/Xavi

Xavi is a disciplined anchor man who can make passes that destroy defenses. I believe that Wenger was training Nasri to be a Xavi-type at the end of the year. Most interpreted it as Wenger trying him out as a holding midfielder, but it seems as though he was really trying to see how Nasri could play mopping up balls and making sharp passes. Denilson could do a similar job. Xavi is a current titan though, and he’s played in a 4-3-3 all his life. It’s a difficult ask for either Nasri or Denilson to become a Xavi overnight.

Central Midfielder – Cesc Fabregas/Andres Iniesta

Iniesta is a nimble player capable of winning matches on his own. He was arguably the most important player in the side apart from Messi. Cesc isn’t as nimble nor does he score goals as frequently as Iniesta seems to. However, Cesc is as strong a passer as Iniesta is. Cesc has never played the same role as Iniesta does for Barca, but that’s why Wenger played him up front for the latter half of last year.

Right Wing – Theo Walcott or Robin van Persie/Thierry Henry

This is the one alteration to the formation. They have Messi on the right wing, and we have Arshavin on the left wing. So, we flipped positions basically. Theo is capable of playing like Henry the winger (Henry the striker, forget about it). So can van Persie. But both lack something that Henry possess as one player. Theo has pace but not enough guile. Van Persie has enough trickery but not enough pace. Either way, both players can cut in and support the way Henry does for Barca.

Support Striker – Andrey Arshavin/Lionel Messi

These two are two of the top five players in the world. Messi though is in the top two bracket and it’s hard to say where Andrey is on the list. Both players are deadly, and I believe the gap isn’t as wide as people think it is. If you watch Messi as frequently as one watches Arsenal, nobody is that brilliant all of the time. Andrey can amaze, just look at his numbers from last year.

Striker – Eduardo or Nicklas Bendtner/Samuel Eto’o

Eto’o is one of the best strikers in the last 25 years. They will miss him dearly. It would be pretentious to say that either Eduardo or Bendtner is as good as Eto’o, but both can be effective men in the box if need be.

Conclusion:

I don’t know if we’ll play 4-3-3 all year. It’s a valid way to accommodate such a huge array of attacking talent on our side, but it’s not a system you just pick up off hand. Barcelona produces players to play in their formation. Wenger has never fielded a 4-3-3 in this form before. It could be brilliant, it could fail.

All I know is, in Andrey Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas, we have two of the best players in the world. That’s crucial to our title hopes this year.

Manchester United and Barcelona will battle Wednesday for the UEFA Champions League trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi seems to be leading the discussion in the build up to Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League Final, but there are so many interesting things to look at with this match up. We’re lucky as fans to see a match between two teams who have just been crowned champions of their domestic leagues and who have enjoyed a season where they’ve both won just about everything on offer.

Please, share your thoughts. Who do you think will win? Will the Ronaldo vs. Messi match up live up to the hype? If not, who or what will decide the game?

What startles me about this match is that I don’t expect it to be an offensive affair, a startling point given both teams’ attacking records. Despite the strength of Manchester United’s and Barcelona’s midfields and front lines, I think this game will be decided at the other end, as the old cliched championship winner, defense, comes into play once again.

Let’s be honest, after all: It’s just about impossible to choose between these two teams offensively. The speed and ball-handling skills of Cristiano Ronaldo is matched perfectly by Lionel Messi; Xavi and Andres Iniesta’s control over the midfield is mirrored by Paul Scholes and whoever partners him; Thierry Henry’s grace and finishing seems a reflection of Dimitar Berbatov’s, just as Wayne Rooney’s brute force and hunger up top is matched by Samuel Eto’o. As I look for an area where one team stands out over the other, the only part of the pitch I can point to is the defensive end.

It’s there that I believe Manchester United hold an edge over Barcelona, and it’s the composure of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand that I think will tip the match to the Red Devils. Barcelona tomorrow will suffer from the absence of three regular defensive starters: Rafael Marquez is injured, and Dani Alves and Eric Abidal are suspended. Pep Guardiola’s defensive depth will be challenged at these spots Wednesday night, as I expect Sylvinho to take over at left back and Martin Caceras to stand in at right back. In the center, I expect Gerard Pique to start once again.

Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, has to choose which defender to leave out. John O’Shea played very well against Arsenal, but he could find himself on the bench if Fergie opts for the pace of the young Rafael. Similarly, Jonathan Evans could capably take the place of Rio Ferdinand should the Englishman lose his race for fitness at the last hurdle.

Here’s a look at how I expect both teams to line up, and what I expect can be gained or lost by the lineup.

Manchester United

Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar
Defense (L-R): Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea
Midfield (L-R): Ji Sung Park, Anderson, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Cristiano Ronaldo
Forward: Wayne Rooney

I don’t expect Ferguson to go for the throat straight away against Barcelona. Last year, they beat them 1-0 over two legs in the Champions League by waiting patiently for their chances to come. I don’t think Ferguson’s side will shell up the way Chelsea did, but I look for them to launch quick counter attacks like they did against Arsenal. Ferguson’s side is clinical, and two or three good scoring chances can easily turn into two or three goals. Just ask Arsenal.

The choice of five midfielders will also help Manchester United limit Barcelona’s passing game. Barca are good at finding picking teams apart, but cluttering the midfield, especially with the combative Carrick, Anderson and Scholes will throw Xavi and Iniesta off their game, and that’s half the battle to shutting down Eto’o and Henry. Cristiano Ronaldo will be a winger on paper only, and I expect he’ll be all over the field as he typically is. This will lead to a lot of overlap down the right side as O’Shea and Carrick come forward to provide crosses into Barca’s penalty area. As for Park, Ferguson knows what to expect from the Korean, and I have no doubt that Park will play his heart out after being left out of last year’s final. Should United find itself behind, this midfield is flexible enough to change formations, as Ronaldo could move up top and Park or Anderson could be exchanged for an attacking player like Nani or a forward like Carlos Tevez or Berbatov.

It’s clear from United’s European approach the past couple seasons that Ferguson believes waiting for his chances is the best approach, and this lineup strongly promotes that ideal. The weakest link in it, I think, is John O’Shea, who could find himself lacking for pace should Messi find himself drifting to Barcelona’s left wing. Still, the contrast between the speed of Evra and the size of O’Shea could make the game very difficult for Barcelona’s pivotal Argentine.

Barcelona

Goalkeeper: Victor Valdes
Defense (L-R): Sylvinho, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Martin Caceras
Midfield (L-R): Seydou Keita, Andres Iniesta, Xavi
Forwards (L-R): Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi

The attack-minded 4-3-3 has been Guardiola’s friend all year long, and his team has scored more than 100 goals in La Liga. Barcelona will need to do better to create shots on goal than they did against Chelsea, when it took 92 minutes to finally get one on target. If Manchester United packs the box on defense as I suspect they will, the burden will again fall on the midfield to hit long-range shots. If Barca can create some space to work in, this lineup has five people who could create a lot of trouble for van der Sar and Man U’s defense. Playing the left-footed Messi on the right and the right-footed Henry on the left could also create some trouble for Manchester United’s defense, as cuts inside put Barcelona’s wingers in prime position to either shoot or pass with their preferred foots.

Still, the most important issue for Barcelona is the makeshift defense’s ability to cope with Manchester United’s counter attacks. Sylvinho will have the unfortunate task of marking Ronaldo. By no means do I mean to imply that Barca’s defense is bad. In fact, it is the best in La Liga this season. Nonetheless, the Catalans will have to be perfect when they’re putting men behind the ball. Keep in mind, Barcelona essentially bunkered down at Stamford Bridge in the semifinals, gave up 13 shots and barely escaped. Pique is the weak link in the back to me, as Barcelona should have paid the price against Chelsea for some of his and Puyol’s poor play. I’m sure he’ll be excited to play against his old team on such a big stage, but I think that could also unsteady him.

Prediction

Despite how closely matched these teams are, I think Manchester United will win this match. To me, the Red Devils can control a match from the back moving forward far more effectively than Barcelona can. They have the ability to hit on quick counters in addition to being able to hold possession for long spells to build an attack. More than anything, though, I think Manchester United have the ability to fight back if it comes to it. If Ferguson’s men score first, I do believe the game will be over, but I can’t say the same for Barcelona. At the final whistle, I expect Barcelona to look back on a few great chances and rue not converting them.

Manchester United 1, Barcelona 0

In their rejection of Darren Fletcher’s red card appeal this week, Uefa has once again confirmed its status as the most intransigent organisation in world sport. Despite conclusive video evidence which absolved the Manchester United midfielder of any wrongdoing in his last-ditch challenge on Cesc Fabregas, Uefa’s Control and Disciplinary body rebuffed United’s protest, justifying its decision in a two-fold explanation on its website.

In the statement, Uefa said United’s protest had not been made within the stipulated 24-hour deadline of a match, and even had they submitted an appeal within the deadline it would have been rejected owing to the fact that they had no grounds on which to contest the original decision of the referee.

Of course, Uefa are right. Their Draconian appeals system means that a club can only appeal the issue of a card in the case of mistaken identity, not mistaken decision. United knew this and specifically made their appeal on ‘compassionate grounds’, in the forlorn hope that Uefa might use some common sense and let Fletcher, who had played in every previous round of the Champions League, take his rightful place in the final. However, asking Uefa to use common sense is like asking Sir Fred Goodwin to waive his pension.

In their response Uefa refused to address the specific nature of United’s plea and instead trotted out the old party line, adding insult to injury with the revelation that United had not met a previously unheard of 24-hour deadline.

However, in fairness, Uefa had a headache were they to let Fletcher play in the final. Following United’s stated intention that they would appeal the Scotsman’s sending-off, FC Barcelona briskly followed suit and lodged two appeals against Eric Abidal’s unjust dismissal and Daniel Alves’s wholly understandable yellow card in the second semi final against Chelsea. Had Uefa let Fletcher off the hook, there would have been huge pressure for parity from FC Barcelona. Easier just to give a blanket refusal to all concerned, right?

Well, no, not really. If Uefa’s Swiss-based Control and Disciplinary body had relaxed their cast iron procedures and laws for one second and examined each case individually, letting Abidal and Fletcher play the final, while throwing out Alves’s flimsy case, then no-one would have complained, not even FC Barcelona if they were honest with themselves. In terms of ‘setting a precedent’, no-one is arguing that all indiscretions should somehow be wiped clean or that the accumulation of bookings or a dismissal should not carry a ban. Of course there needs to be disincentives for foulplay. However there also needs to be incentives for fair competition, without the need to worry that a refereeing mistake will stop you living out your dreams.

The ironic fact is that for all their rallying against foreign ownership and Manchester United’s global domination, Uefa’s actions this week have actually been the only obstacle to a lad from Mayfield Council Estate, south of Dalkeith, Edinburgh taking part in Europe’s biggest game.