A STINKER TONIGHT COULD MEAN CURTAINS FOR JOE HART

Manchester City face AS Roma in a crucial Champions League group match at the Etihad tonight. Having lost to Bayern Munich in their first game and with the side from the Italian capital in impressive form, all eyes will be on the returning Joe Hart who needs a solid performance to remain as City's no. 1 choice between the sticks.

D. Ray Morton, 30th September 2014.

Joe Hart has found himself on the bench for Manchester City of late and must channel any frustration into a positive performance given another chance to prove his ability tonight

I wonder what a man like Manuel Pellegrini thinks of Joe Hart. The Chilean manager, who you cannot imagine to be a believer of English hype, must surely have his reservations about the bleach-headed stopper evidenced by the fact that he has openly dropped him for the second time since taking over as Manchester City's boss. Hart is a media-friendly and hard-working, all-round nice guy. This alone cannot cut the mustard with the expectations City have set themselves. If they want to become a true continental and global power, they need the best as their last line of defence.

When not dancing on nightclub tables or shooting Head & Shoulders ads, Hart is certainly an above average goalkeeper with a good aerial ability and quick reflexes. The weakness in his game is his propensity to do something crazy when City are in command of games. Perhaps he becomes over-eager to prove himself in matches where he has very little to do. He has been dropped for the last two games, Pellegrini favouring Willy Caballero - a goalkeeper he trusts from his time in La Liga. Caballero may not be as imposing a figure as Hart but he has a tendency to pick up a lot of man of the match awards thanks to his ability to pull off impossible-looking saves. It is actually something of a puzzler why he was not selected for Argentina's World Cup squad after having a great season with Málaga before making his move to the Premier League.

Willy Caballero is proving to be the real competition in the City squad which Hart did not really have last season

The match against Roma tonight is absolutely crucial to City's hopes of making an impact in this season's Champions League. Though they are favourites, defeat would mean staring down the barrel of very possible elimination at the group stage, something this team has been familiar with during the Roberto Mancini era. The time for excuses is over. City have one of the most expensively-assembled squads of all-time and stating that they lack experience in the competition would simply be a fallacy now. Were they to lose, there would be no more second chances after that. They would probably need to win their remaining four matches barring an unlikely capitulation from either Roma or Bayern. Keep in mind that Roma have won all of their matches so far this season.

The pressure would hit Pellegrini were they not able to put the Italians away. Even a draw would hurt. With Chelsea looking strong in the league, elimination from Europe's greatest club competition could spell major trouble. A bad performance from Hart tonight, a nervous moment or an error, would surely end any remaining trust of his manager. There would be an escape plan for Hart, possibly offered by Liverpool who are sniffing around as they are not entirely satisfied with Simon Mignolet's performances at Anfield. If Roma give City a game tonight, this could be Joe Hart's D-Day.

FUNDAMENTAL TACTICS BACKFIRE IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS

D. Ray Morton, 1st May 2014.

Mourinho must sense that Chelsea went too defensive last night

Jose Mourinho and Chelsea's recent run of good results playing ultra defensive football had not won over many fans these past few weeks and there were some neutral smiles last night as their approach back-fired sending Atletico Madrid into their first Champions League final in its modern guise. On Tuesday, Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's obsessive possession football was completely dismantled by a ruthless Real Madrid side who ended up conquering the Germans by four goals without reply on their own turf at the Allianz.

Mourinho and Guardiola approached their respective ties as football fundamentalists turned up to eleven as the pressure of late season crunch time reared its asymmetrical head. Bayern continued with what has become a sterile possession game since they won their domestic league weeks ago. Whether it was a loss of focus on the players' part, a deep overall strategic issue or even Real Madrid's finishing efficiency, the Bavarians were left with a substantial amount of egg on their faces. Chelsea's attempt at dealing with Atletico was borderline repressive, the London side setting themselves up so defensively that the visitors must have felt flattered. The supposed underdogs had been made the belle of the ball.

Ronaldo, who tormented Bayern with a brace of goals, signifying to Bale that La Decima is on

Questions over team selection can be made for both matches. Guardiola reverted to playing Philip Lahm in his natural full-back position which allowed Thomas Muller to start behind Mario Mandzukic up front. €37m signing Mario Gotze and €40m Javi Martinez both failed to make the starting eleven. Chelsea's selection was so conservative it could have had a punchline attached to it. Cesar Azpilicueta had been chosen as some sort of additional full-back meant to destroy the play in wide areas by sitting in front of, or alongside, Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic. Who knows?

Whereas Bayern had set themselves up to play and pass Real to death, Chelsea wanted to smother Atleti but handed them far too much of the iniative. Not even thinking about adapting to a brave approach in front of their own fans, Mourinho's side simply allowed Diego Simeone's "big-balled" dark horses to play without any pressure. A bizarre tactical angle, personally crushing as it adds to Mourinho's semi-final hoodoo that has haunted him since his days at Inter.

Simeone praised his players' mothers for giving them "big balls", maybe a pop at Chelsea's feeble defensive set-up

Real and Atletico advance to the Lisbon final, the two teams least overloaded with tactics in the semi-finals. Of the four teams, there wasn't a whole lot to separate them on paper but it appears as if the two teams that simply reacted to fundamentalist approaches triumphed comfortably. Though the defeats ended up being heavy, Bayern and Chelsea fans should probably hold some optimism for next season. Chelsea are one world class striker away from being a far more dangerous machine and Bayern can do a lot better once they resolve how to play "tiki-taka" without a Messi.

PRAGMATIC CHELSEA ADVANCE AND COULD WELL WIN IT

PRAGMATIC CHELSEA ADVANCE AND COULD WELL WIN IT

D. Ray Morton, 9th March 2014.

There was an air of inevitability about Demba Ba's late strike at Stamford Bridge last night, the same inevitability that haunted Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi two seasons ago at the same ground, albeit representing Napoli and not Paris St. Germain. José Mourinho had promised beforehand that Chelsea would progress. He was confident that his side would outscore the Parisians on the night and record the sufficient victory to guide them to the Champions League semi-finals.

They'll be an exceedingly tough nut to crack. With Liverpool and Manchester City pulling away in the Premier League to form their own two-horse, "Champions League-less" Premier League title race, the Portuguese has chosen his words very carefully over the past few months. He had warned Chelsea fans that, this season, it wasn't possible to win the league with the players at his disposal. The Champions League, however, is a very a different kettle of fish. A kettle of fish José knows like the back of his hand.

Barcelona and Manchester United, tonight, travel to Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively hoping to join Chelsea, along with Real Madrid, in that prestigious last four. Of all teams potentially left in the competition, Chelsea should fear no-one over two legs. Bayern were the football purists' darlings throughout the season but a recent slump in performances after winning their domestic league with their eyes closed has left many doubting their ability to complete back-to-back Champions League triumphs, a feat yet done in the competition's modern guise.

In a lot of ways, Chelsea are the perfect team to go on to win this tournament now. Barcelona aren't quite the Barcelona of old and even when they were, the Londoners were always a bogey team of theirs. Mourinho will not be ashamed to batten down the hatches and defend deep against any opponent should he see fit. If anything, last night's game against PSG represented "Big Money, Big Sam" tactics at their finest. A strong defensive unit, capable of dealing with a Zlatan-less side, long balls and long throws becoming their main threat once Eden Hazard was taken off injured. To watch a player like Willian scurry and track like a ball-winning midfielder was an unexpected sight and he performed in this unorthodox role admirably.

Willian was all-action, all energy last night

Indeed, the Brazilian could be vital for Chelsea with only two games between them an appearance in the lucrative final, to be played in Mourinho's native land at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. With Juan Mata sold and Oscar starting to show signs of tiredness due to the insane amount of matches he's appeared in for club and country over the past two years, Willian is starting to look like the freshest of their attacking midfielders, finding his form at the perfect time for what might be a heroic late season surge.

They lack a striker still, obviously, but the way they're set up doesn't require a world class No. 9. Demba Ba is no Marco van Basten but he's certainly capable of troubling defenders and his impact was predictably devastating last night. Chelsea are a team of big, powerful no-nonsense men for the most part. John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic etc. They will bully teams who are not up for it. Teams that are not at 100%. Teams whose game plans aren't at their zenith. And looking across what's left to compete with, they should be quietly confident with whatever comes their way.

CHELSEA HUMBLED IN PARIS AMIDST GAZE OF THE "PREMFACE" BRIGADE

CHELSEA HUMBLED IN PARIS AMIDST GAZE OF THE "PREMFACE" BRIGADE

D. Ray Morton, 3rd April 2014.

Substitute Javier Pastore reels away in celebration after making it 3-1 in late injury time

José Mourinho and Chelsea were dealt a tough night in Paris last evening thanks to goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Pastore and an own goal from David Luiz to cancel out Eden Hazard's penalty for the visitors.

It was a game that lulled at times but this suited Paris St. Germain as a tired-looking Chelsea were not able to play at full intensity. Nemanja Matić was cup-tied after his involvement with Benfica earlier on in this Champions League season, and his calming defensive midfield presence was sorely missed.

The Parisians stunned Mourinho's side early on when Lavezzi was able to pounce on a loose ball in the penalty area and volleyed home beautifully with his left foot. Zlatan Ibrahimović had received all the attention before kick-off but it was his supporting cast of Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani that stole the spotlight on this occasion. The wide attacking duo tormented Chelsea not only with their offensive movement but also by covering back and preventing the visitors from exploiting the flanks.

Ramires diligently covered ground in midfield, pressing Thiago Motta and Marco Verratti with regularity but picked up a yellow card in process which will see him out of the second leg in London next week. PSG have a worry of their own in that Ibrahimović was hauled off with what looked like a hamstring injury. Such strains don't heal that rapidly and there's a good chance he'll miss next week's encounter also. Such as the strength of their squad however, they should be able to cope. Brazilian starlet Lucas Moura came on during the second half and troubled Chelsea with his elusive dribbling skills.

Chelsea's equaliser was somewhat fortuitous. Oscar went down in the penalty area under an awkward challenge from compatriot Thiago Silva. Such was the centre half's positioning that the referee cannot be blamed for awarding the spot-kick although replays seemed to indicate that Silva had at least gotten a bit of the ball. Hazard buried the penalty and that was Chelsea's last shot on target for the evening. After only 28 minutes.

Chelsea had opted for a "strikerless" formation with André Schürrle up front on his own, a tactic only used twice this season, once against Bayern Munich in the European Super Cup and again against Manchester United early on in the campaign where a 0-0 result seemed solid at the time. Here, it worked to an extent. With Schürrle dropping into the midfield, Motta and Verratti found themselves pressured more often than they would in an average Ligue 1 match. It was Mourinho's decision to replace the German with Fernando Torres in the second half where things began to unravel.

Sky Sports' panel came up with the ludicrous conclusion that Chelsea were in complete control by half-time. Perhaps they were, if control means aimlessly pressing to the point of exhaustion and playing into the hands of a highly technical home side with many individuals capable of coming up with a match-winning moment of flair. The lead goal didn't require any flair, however. The ticking defensive time bomb that is David Luiz couldn't get the ball out of his feet from Lavezzi's whipped free-kick and ended up putting it in his own net. It became a calamitous night for Luiz after being one of Chelsea's better players in the first half.

The visitors looked tired but seemed content to take a 2-1 defeat back home. That was until substitute Javier Pastore came up with a bit of magic late on in injury time. Picking the ball up on the right flank, he managed to slip into the Chelsea penalty area near the by-line, skimmed Frank Lampard and smashed home past Petr Čech from a narrow angle. That little bit of magic made it 3-1 and makes next week's proposition much harder for an infuriated Mourinho.

Mourinho described PSG's third goal as "ridiculous"

He dubbed the third goal as "ridiculous" and didn't write off their second leg prospects but described it as "a difficult job, not impossible". Clearly dissatisfied at Fernando Torres' contribution he thought the substitution would give them more depth: "a bit more". The Spanish club record signing is clearly in the doghouse and there's very little chance he'll remain in Mourinho's first-team squad next season.

The Sky trio of Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher and Glenn Hoddle seemed perplexed at what they had just seen. In unison, thinking Chelsea were "in control" at half-time, they didn't offer any real explanation as to how Chelsea had just been outclassed. Hoddle even went as far as suggesting that PSG were weak at the back despite having Brazil's captain and arguably the world's best defender in Thiago Silva. Classic "premface" opinion again on display.

The second leg should remain a decent spectacle and Chelsea are not necessarily out. Lavezzi and Cavani will remember from their time at Napoli that Chelsea are capable of overturning a 3-1 first leg defeat but considering PSG's overall quality, it's a much bigger ask this time.

GUARDIOLA'S SELECTION BLUNDER AND ATLÉTICO'S RESILIENCE

GUARDIOLA'S SELECTION BLUNDER AND ATLÉTICO'S RESILIENCE

D. Ray Morton, 2nd April 2014.

The talk beforehand had been about how much of a mismatch this would be. Struggling Manchester United taking on the cream of Europe in the form of Pep Guardiola's mighty Champions League holders Bayern Munich. And mighty were the Bavarians' possession statistics no doubt but leaving Old Trafford with only a draw and having Bastian Schweinsteiger sent off was never part of the script.

The team selection immediately raised some eyebrows. Mario Mandžukić, a serious tormentor of defences, was left on the bench leaving Thomas Müller up front on his own with the trio of Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben and Toni Kroos in behind. Müller didn't offer a focal point for the visitors' attacks and the United defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić enjoyed a rather pleasant evening as a result.

As the first half wore on and Bayern racked up the passes, it suddenly dawned on those watching that maybe this side just wasn't going to be all that incisive on the night. It was described as "sterile possession" in some quarters, reminiscent of Pep's Barça when Lionel Messi wasn't available for selection.

United grew in confidence, defended with spirit and unrattled the Germans. They took the lead on 58 minutes when Vidić glanced home from a corner kick. The old vulnerability from set pieces remains as a Guardiola trademark, something which wasn't obvious in last season's treble winners lead by Jupp Hynckes.

Though Bayern did equalise on the night and set themselves up to take control of the tie in Munich, the other potential semi-finalists will be pleased that die Roten have had some weaknesses exposed. It was the eventually red-carded Schweinsteiger who got the goal, finishing sweetly from substitute Mandžukić's knock-down header. Surely the big Croat will start in the second leg. The result has hurt Guardiola it seems. His post-match press conference was uneasy as he cut a frustrated figure in front of the English media's bombardment of questions.

In the other clash last night, Atlético Madrid will be delighted to have secured a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou against Barcelona meaning the Catalans have failed to beat Diego Simeone's men in four attempts so far this season. Simeone will point out that the same goes for Atléti failing to beat los culés but Diego Ribas' sensational strike could make a key difference should the second leg be as cagey.

Barça still struggle against defensive-minded teams and though Atléti are well capable of playing attacking football, they change up their game plan when they face "Tata" Martino's side. Neymar managed to get an equaliser late on getting on the end of Andrés Iniesta's sumptuous through pass but surely the side from the capital will be happier with the result. Barça's woes continue today with the news that FIFA has banned them from signing any new players for the next two transfer windows.

Looking ahead to tonight's clashes, a game of huge interest should be Paris St. Germain vs. Chelsea in the French capital. José Mourinho gets reacquainted with Zlatan Ibrahimović in a potential classic between the ambitious Parisians versus the defensive and tactical toughness of the Londoners. Chelsea don't have Nemanja Matić available to them which is a big loss, so PSG will try to inflict as much damage as possible tonight in order to set up the away trip. It's a very hard one to call because as much quality as the French champions have, Mourinho's tactical nous in big European clashes is unmatched.

Mourinho and Zlatan, best of chums at Inter

In the other game, Real Madrid face an off-form Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabéu. Though the Germans triumphed in the same clash last season, injuries have ravaged their squad and the side from the Spanish capital should have enough to kill this one off in the first leg provided the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have their shooting boots on.

EXPECT FAVOURITES TO PREVAIL IN TONIGHT'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DOUBLE HEADER

EXPECT FAVOURITES TO PREVAIL IN TONIGHT'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DOUBLE HEADER

D. Ray Morton, April 1st 2014.

The smart money this evening would be to back Barcelona and Bayern Munich as they face down Atlético Madrid and Manchester United respectively in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final ties. Barca play at home and will be thrilled at the sight of the visitors' star striker Diego Costa hobbling off at the weekend with a reported groin injury. As of now, there's only a 50/50 chance that he'll play and without him, Diego Simeone's team are not nearly as dangerous. The Argentine manager describes Costa as being as important to his side as Lionel Messi is to los culés. Indeed, Messi is back to his best. His form this calendar year has been astonishing after shaking off hamstring problems that interrupted his form throughout most of 2013. Gerardo Martino is likely to pair him alongside Neymar up front again with Cesc Fabregas operating in behind them. If anything, Barca's trademark 4-3-3 has been abandoned in recent weeks. Martino has preferred to stack the midfield in order to dominate possession, something which they hadn't focused on during the first half of the season.

Fabregas plays at the tip of the diamond in behind Messi and Neymar

Their shape now resembles something of a diamond 4-4-2. The high defensive line remains, which could be tested now that Victor Valdés is out for the season leaving José Manuel Pinto in goal, and Sergi Busquets continues his anchor man role. Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Fabregas occupy the midfield positions leaving Messi and Neymar ahead to do as they please up front. Pedro and Alexis Sánchez have been left out for some of their recent big games though many fans of the Catalan club believe that one of the two ought to oust the young Brazilian from the starting line-up. Opinion is divided on how effective Neymar has been although the 22 year-old has been steadily racking up assists, winning penalties and chipping in a steady amount of goals this season.

Neymar's season stats from WhoScored.com

In the other fixture, David Moyes' Manchester United may very well be staring down the abyss. Defeat at home to Bayern Munich would end any realistic hope of advancing to the next round and would render the rest of United's season meaningless considering their poor league position well outside the top four. This is Moyes' last hope. He's likely to gamble on Ryan Giggs in the centre again, something which worked a charm against the considerably weaker Olympiakos but with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos (supposed United target) and Mario Götze all set to start for the visitors, it could be a tough night for the aging legs of the 40 year-old Welshman. Bayern's midfield trio work the ball beautifully and Philip Lahm can just as easily slot in should he be required there.

Whatever about Giggs, the key concern for United fans should be how deputy left-back Alexander
Büttner deals with the mazy dribbling skills of flying Dutchman, Arjen Robben. Robben has been fantastic under Pep Guardiola this season, building on last season's late burst of form and really improving as an all-round team player. He is still, of course, very one-footed and a good defence can make him look predictable cutting in from the right but United's defence has been very shaky this season, especially at home. Whether Büttner can cope will go a long way towards decided this first leg. I would predict Guardiola's side to approach the game more cautiously than the thrashing many people expect to be dealt out. The Spanish manager's record away from home against English opposition in the Champions League isn't actually all that formidable.

So some hope for United but what's important tonight is not so much the result but the performance. Pride needs to be restored at Old Trafford and picking up wins against the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham isn't enough to get people back on Moyes' side. With rumours that the club are willing to give the Scot a £200m war chest to spend in the summer, they have to send out some kind of a signal tonight. Realists don't expect to progress but they can at least exit this one particular tournament with their heads held relatively high provided don't perform footballing self-defecation.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL DRAW REACTION

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL DRAW REACTION

D. Ray Morton, 21st March 2014.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid

 

Not an ideal draw for the Catalan giants considering they have not been able to beat Madrid's second side in three attempts so far this season. Atletico managed to pip Barcelona to the Spanish Super Cup early on in the season by securing a 0-0 stalemate at home and getting a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou for an away goals victory. January's league meeting at the Calderon was a repeat of the earlier 0-0. The two sides square off in the first leg come April with the tie going to Camp Nou first. Barca have to get through rivals' clashes against Real Madrid and Espanyol between then and now, matches which will determine whether they can build on their impressive recent form which includes victory over Manchester City and the 7-0 league thumping of Osasuna. Diego Simeone's Atletico will be hoping to maintain their formidable intensity into the highly anticipated fixture and upset Messi, Iniesta et al. Prediction: Barca to scrape through by the skin of their teeth by exhausting Atletico with their possession game and taking the few chances they'll get.

Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

 

It's very unlikely that we'll see a repeat of last year's clash when Dortmund really upset the apple cart by eliminating Madrid and forcing the first ever all-German final against Bayern Munich. Dortmund have been ravaged by injuries this season and have done well to get this far. Their domestic form has been disappointing with the Bundesliga as good as over already. Real, after starting the season slowly, are now firing on all cylinders and are a terrifying prospect with the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo coming into top form. Prediction: Real to qualify comfortably, likely winning both legs.

Paris St. Germain vs Chelsea

 

This should be a fascinating clash seeing as the sides have never met before in Europe's top competition. Chelsea will bring their usual defensive resilience but one wonders whether they'll set up with their backs to the wall the way they would be expected to play against a Barca or a Bayern. PSG have a squad full of world class individual talents but don't yet play with a distinctive style that dominates teams tactically. They generally play a balanced game and rely on getting the ball to their undoubted star man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Very close to call. Prediction: Chelsea to edge it thanks to Mourinho's experience and craftiness. May require penalties!

Manchester United vs Bayern Munich

 

The draw no United fan wanted, Bayern Munich is surely too great a task for David Moyes' side to handle. Bayern have been incredible this season, stomping on everyone domestically and being mainly outstanding in Europe apart from one poor performance against Man City at the Allianz. That poor performance is all United can base a blueprint from. All they can do is hope for Bayern to have a bad first leg and then build on it in the second. Very few people see that happening, however, as FCB's strength in depth is second to none and Guardiola rarely gets things wrong on those big European nights. Prediction: Bayern to embarrass what is a poor United side, lucky to have made it thus far. 

LA DECIMA ON COURSE WITH CHELSEA LURKING IN THE SHADOWS

LA DECIMA ON COURSE WITH CHELSEA LURKING IN THE SHADOWS

D. Ray Morton, 19th March 2014.

La Decima has been a Real Madrid obsession since 2002 when Zinedine Zidane's inspired strike against Bayer Leverkusen secured the side's record-setting ninth victory of the European Cup/Champions League crown. Despite continuing to spend a fortunate on the world's top stars, "Old Big Ears" has eluded them season after season in the meantime. This year, however, they're as good a bet as anyone to win it outright considering the ease in which they steamrollered German side Schalke last night.

Cristiano Ronaldo slotted home a brace and Alvaro Morata added another to cancel out Tim Hoogland's deflected strike for a 3-1 win. Real didn't need to get out of second gear but at full flow, they seem like a team well capable of competing with the other top dogs in the competition such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and perhaps Jose Mourinho's Chelsea or Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid (or maybe PSG? Very hip).

Chelsea had an easy night of their own at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Samuel Eto'o and Gary Cahill allowed them to cruise past Galatasaray and no-one will want to face them in the next stage. Real, Barca and Bayern each play with their own distinctive attacking style but the defensive resilience and never-say-die attitude of Mourinho's men could stand them in good stead as we reach the business end of the competition. Atletico are something of an unknown quantity as of yet but they will be very hard to beat.

Real, though more of a possession team this season under Carlo Ancelotti, are still devastating on the counter attack with the pace of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Karim Benzema's form has also returned to its best and with the likes of Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso in midfield, they are a side capable of barnstorming anyone if they get things right on a given evening. Barca are still a passing machine with a few long(er) ball tweaks and Bayern are something of an all-round juggernaut such are the tactical and positional options available to them. Atletico's main strength is their aggressive pressing which was what helped last season's inspired Borussia Dortmund to reach the final. Pressing, however, can get exhausting over the course of a long season.

Don't write off Chelsea though. Mourinho, and even Chelsea under other managers, have proven time and time again that they deliver their best European performances with their backs against the wall, looking to pick apart pretty, attacking teams by being forceful in the set-piece and defending like demons.

As all names go into the hat for the quarter-finals with no more seeding in the competition's structure, anything can happen and the real drama begins. The winnners of Borussia Dortmund vs. Zenit St. Petersburg and Manchester United vs. Olympiakos have yet to be decided but the two sides that get through there won't stand much of a chance lest there be a huge surprise in store for us.

MOYES' HEAD ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK TONIGHT

MOYES' HEAD ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK TONIGHT

D. Ray Morton, 19th March 2014.

As Manchester United suffer through their worst campaign of the modern Premier League era, David Moyes' appearance has become more zombie-like by the week. So zombie-like, in fact, that once his head is placed on the chopping block of managerial dismissal, it won't need a very sharp blade to sever it.

Humiliation at Old Trafford at the hands of Liverpool was the latest in series of agonising results but failure to get past Olympiakos in tonight's Champions League clash, in reality, would probably be worse. The league is a write-off at this point for United and with a top four finish out of sight, one wonders whether any of their fans are looking forward to the prospect of playing Europa League football next season. Defeat to Liverpool hurts but ultimately, would it not be better for the likes of Tottenham and Everton to slug through that logistical nightmare of a tournament giving United a clean slate when it comes to doing as well as possible in the league in 2014/15.

Therefore, elimination tonight is worse because it would leave the rest of the season void of meaning. No-one expects United to win the Champions League outright but even competing into the quarter-finals would generate some badly-needed pride with Arsenal and Manchester City having already been knocked out.

Barring a heavy home defeat, Moyes will not be given his marching orders on Thursday morning but yet another poor performance could make up the minds of the men upstairs who could very easily cut the chord in the summer and start afresh with a new manager who can quickly impose his vision on the club.

With Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham likely to spend handsomely in the summer, giving Moyes a few extra months next season to get things right could be seriously detrimental to United's ambitions over the next few seasons. Whatever series of events falls out expect plenty of desperate crosses and aghast expressions from all involved at the Theatre of Dreams.

CITY DUMPED OUT OF EUROPE AND SHOULD HAVE NO COMPLAINTS

CITY DUMPED OUT OF EUROPE AND SHOULD HAVE NO COMPLAINTS

D. Ray Morton, 13th March 2014.

Barcelona have booked their way into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 home win at Camp Nou against Manchester City last night which gave them a 4-1 aggregate victory over the two legs. City now only have the Premier League to play for after being unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by Wigan Athletic last weekend.

Barcelona opted to field a side that would focus on possession and this was seen in the omission of Pedro and Alexis Sanchez from the starting line-up. Neymar, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi was the front line listed on the teamsheet with Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta operating in midfield. This selection was enough to bring about confusion in any opponent as it was hard to determine where Messi and Fabregas would position themselves on the pitch. Was Fabregas set to play in the false 9 role pushing Messi out on the right where he played in his formative years? In the end, it appeared Messi was simply everywhere, given complete tactical freedom and tormenting the visitors.

With Martin Demichelis suspended after his first leg sending off, Manuel Pellegrini opted to play Joleon Lescott at the heart of his defence alongside Vincent Kompany. Sergio Aguero was played as a lone striker, City hoping to catch Barca on the counter attack on the huge Camp Nou surface.

Both sides shared chances in the first half as the Catalans, predictably, kept most of the ball. Messi came close after 12 minutes when his mazy dribble led him into the City penalty area where they were just about able to get enough bodies back to prevent the Argentine from opening the scoring. Neymar also came close six minutes before the break by turning gracefully past Aleksandar Kolarov but shot wide. Samir Nasri had City's best opportunity of the half two minutes later but was only able to fire straight at Victor Valdes. HT 0-0.

Aguero must have been frustrated with his first half supply. As revealed by FourFourTwo he only received five passes during the entire first forty-five minutes. Replaced by Edin Dzeko at half-time stirring fitness worries, City could be without Aguero again for part of their Premier League title run-in. Barcelona's game plan appeared to be working to perfection as City simply racked up foul after foul and couldn't build anything of note.

The second half began with Messi hitting the post on 50 minutes with Dzeko's header forcing a marvelous save from Valdes down the other end only a minute later. Their long-term goalkeeper, who has announced his departure at the end of the season will be sorely missed.

Especially considering their replacement, Borussia MGB's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is capable of this:

"Keeper sweeper" indeed.

On 67 minutes, Barca finally got their breakthrough via, who else, but Lionel Messi. Fed in by Fabregas, who actually played in more of a classic No. 10 role, the little Argentine dinked it over the on-rushing Joe Hart with glee. Hart, to his credit, looked fired up throughout and pulled off some fine saves but to no avail. Alongside the battling Vincent Kompany, he was amongst City's better players on the night.

On 78 minutes, Pablo Zabaleta picked up a second yellow card and was given his marching orders seconds after what looked like a clear-cut City penalty when Gerard Pique took down Dzeko. City were unfortunate in this regard and captain Kompany made his feelings clear about this in his post-match interview but they shouldn't overlook the fact that Lescott clearly fouled Messi inside the penalty area in the first half. Messi, a class act, didn't make a meal of it at the time.

With a minute of normal time remaining, City managed to equalise to make it 1-1 on the night when Kompany managed to turn in after a goalmouth scramble where some bodies had been in offside positions. During the confusion, the big Belgian did stay onside as the replay proved. That consolation goal was undone two minutes later however, as Daniel Alves, like he did in the first leg, stole down the right, receiving Iniesta's pass and getting on the scoresheet to put the final nail in City's coffin.

It was a game charged with emotion for City. The underlying feeling might be that their Premier League assault is slipping away from them, even with their three games in hand to catch up, and that doing well in the Champions League offered something that could console them were they to surrender the title to Chelsea or even Liverpool. Barcelona were by far the better side over the two legs however and much work is needed to turn City's billion dollar project into a legitimate European success story. One would wonder how safe Pellegrini's job is were he not to add to their Capital One Cup win this season.

Player Ratings

Barcelona

Valdes 7.5; Dani Alves 8.0, Pique 7.0, Mascherano 7.0, Jordi Alba 7.0; Busquets 7.0, Xavi 7.0, Iniesta 7.5; Messi* 8.5, Fabregas 8.0, Neymar 7.0 Subs: Alexis Sanchez -, Sergi Roberto -.

Man City

Hart 7.5; Zabaleta 6.5, Kompany 8.0, Lescott 5.5, Kolarov 6.5; Milner 6.0, Nasri 6.0, Fernandinho 6.0, Silva 5.5, Toure 6.5; Aguero 5.5 Subs: Dzeko 6.5, Negredo -.

* = man of the match

MAN UTD WERE ATROCIOUS AND CHELSEA WERE LUCKY

MAN UTD WERE ATROCIOUS AND CHELSEA WERE LUCKY

D. Ray Morton, 27th February 2014.

It's no secret by now that Manchester United are having a nightmare season, unprecedented in this era but their performance against Olympiakos on Tuesday night might have been their most degrading yet. After watching their team get eliminated from two domestic cup competitions by unfancied smaller sides and languishing well outside the top four in the league, United fans were clinging on to the Champions League as their great hope for the rest of the campaign. With their 2-0 away defeat, they now have a lot of work to do to save the tie and many would question whether they are capable of turning it around.

It is difficult to analyse such a weak, disjointed performance. Olympiakos looked hungrier and had a more effective gameplan where they were able to focus on United's weaknesses, capitalising on their poor passes and taking their chances very well. Argentine Alejandro Dominguez gave the home side the lead after 38 minutes with a neat technical finish after some woeful defending in the United penalty area.

The second half got worse as United continued to give the ball away and struggled to deal with the Greeks' pressing game. Costa Rican international (watch out England!) Joel Campbell extended their lead with a sublime strike ten minutes into the restart. As the ball flew into the back of David de Gea's net from distance, you could sense the collective sigh of despair from the red half of Manchester.

To make matters worse, £300,000 a week man, Wayne Rooney had an awful game where he was continuously frustrated by the home side, thoroughly man-marked and given some rough treatment which the referee would not sympathise with in front of such a hostile crowd.

Robin van Persie chipped in on the torturous spectacle with a terrible late miss which, based on his comments to members of the Dutch media, may have been about teammates occupying his preferred positions on the pitch. David Moyes' post-match interview was more of the same worn-out clichés and meek optimism that surely United fans are sick and tired of by now.

Moving on to Chelsea...

They rode their luck somewhat against Galatasaray after starting very positively with Fernando Torres getting on the scoresheet after nine minutes. On paper, a tough place to go, Chelsea will still feel a little disappointed not to have killed the game off and allowing the Turkish side to get back into it with Aurelien Chedjou's 65th minute equaliser. As time ran out, Roberto Mancini's men started to look superior to Jose Mourinho's and Chelsea should be glad they did not concede again during the late onslaught. They are likely to sort out this tie at Stamford Bridge however and are looking like they might be the only English team left in the competition come the quarter-finals.

In the other games, Borussia Dortmund thumped Zenit St. Petersburg 4-2 away on Tuesday in what was somehow an awful game despite its goals. The game was played on a poor surface and the Russian side did not look up for it, paving a way to the next round for the German side who have not been at their best this season. Real Madrid were the heroes of this week however, as they hammered Schalke 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen. Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo all bagged braces in what was a flawless attacking performances and makes Real many peoples' favourites to win the tournament outright.

CALLS FOR CHANGE IN PENALTY/DISMISSAL RULES ARE IDIOTIC

CALLS FOR CHANGE IN PENALTY-DISMISSAL RULES ARE IDIOTIC

D. Ray Morton, 27th February 2014

As two English teams slumped to humbling defeats in the Champions' League last week, bizarre calls have been made for a change in the rules of the game when it comes to professional fouls which lead to red cards and penalties. Whether it was domestic bias (as it probably was considering we haven't heard any continental complaints) or something else that brought about this nonsense, it doesn't make any sense!

Martin Demichelis was rightly red carded for his awfully-timed challenge on Lionel Messi in the Manchester City vs. Barcelona fixture nine days ago and Arsenal's Wojtech Szesney, though one could be more sympathetic in his case, clearly brought down Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben the following night to earn himself a sending off of his own. Demichelis had to go. Messi had skinned him, was baring down on goal and looked guaranteed to score when his lumbering compatriot ruthlessly hacked him down in a very cynical move made to look as if he had been attempting a fair challenge.

Demichelis is no fool and has been round the block long enough to know he had no chance of winning the ball cleanly from Messi at that angle. The foul may have started ever so slightly outside the box but within the letter of the law, it is entirely up to the referee's discretion whether to award a free-kick or a penalty. In this case, however, one would suspect the speed of the action lead to the penalty decision. Messi slotted home the spot-kick and some English viewers blabbed about how the game was "ruined as a contest".

What a stupid notion and what ignorance of the game as a whole. When a team concedes a penalty and has a player sent off, yes they are at a disadvantage but that is the point! You get punished for cynicism or clumsiness as the last line of defence and that's how football should be. Any change in that law would bring about an unworkable system where oafish defenders are somehow rewarded for their own shortcomings. To say that the game gets ruined as a spectacle is to suggest that getting a player sent off is the worst thing in the world. This is not five-a-side where losing a player means losing 20% of your team. A good side can recover from having a man sent off as famously demonstrated by Barcelona against Chelsea in 2009 when Andres Iniesta's last minute heroics trumped the Londoners in the dying minutes after Eric Abidal had been, incorrectly at the time, sent off beforehand. With so many close calls in a match, how can a sending off ruin a contest more than say, a goal being ruled offside when it was not?

As mentioned, one could sympathise with Szesney to some extent, as his foul was more about getting the timing wrong instead of ruthlessly chopping down an opponent. That said, is there a better way to deal with the offence? It was a clear goalscoring opportunity and the officials are there to punish wrongful actions, not judge whether the offender's intentions were honest or not. Referees are already like incapable teachers with too many kids in their class so let's not make it any harder or more confusing for them. Face it City and Arsenal fans, this is a classic case of sour grapes.

MOURINHO MANUFACTURING WARS OF WORDS

Well, he's at it again, isn't he? Jose Mourinho has stirred the Premier League media pot furthermore through his latest engagement with Arsene Wenger. Responding to Wenger's claims that the league title race was "Chelsea's to lose", Mourinho has hit back with a rather acerbic assault on the Arsenal manager's achievements in the past eight years. Trophyless in that time, the Portuguese has branded his rival a "specialist in failure".

Do not for a second think that this is some kind of an outburst that lacks calculation. This is Jose going back to what Jose does best and that's rattling his opponents through the notebooks and dictaphones of journalists. He has done this time after time throughout his career, whether facing down Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in his initial spell at Chelsea, or Pep Guardiola's Barcelona during his time at both Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Wenger is not, of course, the first victim of Mourinho's mind games this season. His recent spat with Manchester City's Manuel Pellegrini is also well documented with both men exhanging swipes over their respective clubs' transfer policies. Though Pellegrini made a fine point of how Chelsea have consistently spent since Roman Abramovich's takeover, Mourinho side-stepped that jab by illustrating very clearly that City's net spending over the past twelve months is considerably higher than that of the west Londoners.

Even when he feigns sympathy or support for another club via media comments, Mourinho has an agenda. Last season, he praised Manchester United after eliminating them from the Champions League - saying the better team had lost. At that point in time, he might have been expecting a job offer from Old Trafford with his tenure at the Bernabeu obviously coming to an end. Even this season, he has repeated that Manchester United are a threat, initially refusing to rule them out of the title race and just last week claiming that they will still make it into the top four to secure that lucrative European spot. Why he should build up a rival team that are struggling makes sense. They're not in the title race and it's easier to fight a two-front war than taking on all challengers at once.

So this weekend we have a repeat of last week's Manchester City vs Chelsea match but in the form of an FA Cup tie. It should be interesting to see whether Mourinho approaches it with a carbon copy tactical setup of the three defensive minded midfielders that stifled a Fernandinho-less City. The Brazilian is still on the injury list but one feels Pellegrini might be a tad naive if he opts to field Martin Demichelis as midfield anchor man again. Regardless of who progresses in the evermore meaningless cup, there should be plenty of more fuel for the media fire.

D. Ray Morton, 14th February 2014.