HAS BARCELONA'S CRISIS PUT MESSI AND SUÁREZ IN THE SHOP WINDOW?

We're only eight days into 2015 and there is already talk of a massive crisis at FC Barcelona. Despite only trailing La Liga leaders Real Madrid by a point, circumstances at the club has caused panic amongst their fans.

D. Ray Morton, 8th January 2015.

Barcelona Director of Football, Andoni Zubizarreta, was given his marching orders this week as the Catalan club go through a period of uncertainty and turmoil

 

Barcelona look like a right mess at the moment. Ignore that they are still within touching distance of their rivals Real Madrid in La Liga and ignore that they topped their Champions League group because there is something much more worrying afoot. The last week has been full of speculation. Director of Football Andoni Zubizarreta has been sacked and Carles Puyol, Assistant Director of Football, has left the club. Zubizarreta has been made a scapegoat for what has been seen as unsatisfactory dealings in the transfer market in his time at Camp Nou. With the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) slapping a two-window transfer ban on the club for the illegal signing of foreign under-age players, last summer was seen as a key period for Barça to strengthen for the coming year of transfer wilderness.

They secured a massive €85m deal for Liverpool's Luis Suárez who has underwhelmed so far in Lionel Messi's shadow. Alexis Sánchez left the club and is now excelling at Arsenal. Cesc Fàbregas also departed and is having a great season at Chelsea. Defenders Jérémy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen came in for around €20m each. Vermaelen has not kicked a ball for the club and Mathieu is performing just as expected for an over-priced 30 year-old. Right-back Douglas came from Brazil and is not looking anything like a Barcelona-standard player. Ivan Rakitic has shown some positives but many wonder whether he will blossom into a truly world-class midfielder. Claudio Bravo has done well in goal, one of the few positives and Alen Halilovic, at 18, will not be ready for the first team for another couple of years. The massive outlay came to about €190m with Bravo and Rakitic being the only two mild positives from that bunch of signings.

Out with Zubi but will it be out with new manager Luis Enrique too? There are some serious murmurings that he has fallen out with star man Leo Messi. He left him on the bench for their recent shock defeat to David Moyes' Real Sociedad and some believe that Messi is simply fed up at Barcelona now. Former assistant manager Henk Ten Cate thinks that Messi would have already left the club had he not promised at the deathbed of Tito Vilanova that he would stay. Chelsea are sniffing about and may find a way to meet his €250m release clause. Former team-mate Fàbregas is doing his best to lure the Argentine to London.

Could Chelsea manager José Mourinho end up managing Lionel Messi at Stamford Bridge? What was once unthinkable now seems more possible than ever

It is not unthinkable that Suárez, too, could be off. The club shelled out a huge amount of money for the Uruguayan and he has only served in a supporting role for the team. Having to play in a front three with Messi and Neymar, he is far less important than he was at Liverpool and the club might consider cutting their losses should they be able to attract a satisfactory bid. Red Liverpudlians might shudder at the thought of Manchester United showing interest with Radamel Falcao facing an uphill battle to secure a permanent move there.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu understands the turmoil at the club and has brought forward the club presidential election to this coming summer rather than waiting until 2016. Former president Joan Laporta intends to run again and has an audacious plan to bring back former manager Pep Guardiola in the vacant Director of Football role should he leave Bayern Munich and decide to leave management for an upstairs role. Such a move would certainly inspire Barça fans who are struggling to identify with the club who have gone from being the clean-cut heroes of "tiki-taka" to being a club that cannot avoid scandal whether it be Neymar's shady transfer, Messi's tax evasion case, the CAS transfer ban and the all-round sense of instability at Camp Nou. Do they run the risk of slipping down that crevasse and becoming a European "sleeping giant" like say, AC Milan? Time will tell and the coming weeks should be very interesting. Tonight, Barcelona play Elche in the Copa del Rey. Do not expect Messi to start, though this hardly means much playing against such meagre opposition at home. Keep an eye on Luis Enrique however, a man very much under pressure.

ADMIRE RONALDO MASTERY BUT IGNORE TALK OF COMPLETENESS

Former Spain international Marcelino is the latest to heap praise on the magnificent Portuguese by calling him "the most complete player in the history of football". Amazing as Ronaldo is, this praise does not offer a true reflection of what he brings to the ballpark.

D. Ray Morton, 6th October 2014.

Cristiano Ronaldo made the amazing seem routine again last night with yet another Liga trifecta, this time against Basque side Athletic

Cristiano Ronaldo was on fire again last night as Real Madrid thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu with their main man netting another hat-trick to make it a remarkable 13 goals in 6 Liga appearances this season so far. Former Newcastle United and Spain centre-half, Marcelino, was the latest to heap admiration on CR7 stating that he is the most complete player in the history of football.

Ronaldo is indeed incredible. As an attacking force, there are few things he does not do perfectly. His athleticism is unquestionable and he has one of the strongest mentalities in the modern game in terms of always seeking perfection and bettering himself. There is, however, a pitfall when you refer to Ronaldo as being "complete" and it actually takes away from realising what he does best.

There is an old tale about Ronaldo's time at Manchester United. Showing off his latest trick to the lads in training, a wily Paul Scholes watched on in amusement. Ronaldo had, perhaps, just demonstrated a flashy step-over or an incredible juggling act to Scholes and co. and the old, red-headed midfield conductor decided to teach the young pup a lesson. Spotting a set of long distance targets at least forty yards away, Scholes proceeded to plant three lofted passes precisely onto each. Ronaldo's jaw dropped in amazement as it was something he could not replicate and probably still could not to this day.

Paul Scholes, a former teammate of Ronaldo's, could dictate the midfield tempo and pick a pass the way the Portuguese can not
 

This is no criticism of Ronaldo as his position on the pitch these days usually does not require such an attribute but it does indicate that there are players who can do things he simply does not and can not do. This is the beauty of football. If you are to argue that a player is complete, should that not mean he can play in every outfield position on the pitch à la ex-Barcelona (now manager) and Spain's Luis Enrique? Should it mean that they have every attribute a footballer needs at an on-average higher level than everyone else? And yes, that does include tackling.

Ronaldo, more accurately, could be described as the most complete attacking player of all-time though there are those who might argue that legendary Dutchman Marco van Basten or Brazil's Ronaldo, El Fenómino, deserve that recognition. There are attackers with better positioning than CR7 and there are definitely players with much higher work-rate, aggression and the ability to sacrifice themselves for their team-mates. A player like Luis Suárez, who joined Liga rivals Barcelona this season, demonstrates that level of ruthless doggishness which Cristiano does not. Can he weave through those tiny spaces like Lionel Messi? Does Ronaldo have the characteristics, for example, to really improve the players around him in the Portuguese national team? Recent World Cup evidence suggests not so much though his overloaded schedule last season is worth considering when making that judgement.

So let us drop these silly remarks about who is the most complete in the history of football because the point does not make a whole lot of sense. Admire this incredible player for what he brings and do not dwell on the idea of "completeness" because as fallible humans, no-one is complete.

HAVE BARCELONA SIGNED A COD IN JÉRÉMY MATHIEU?

Last week, Barcelona confirmed the signature of Valencia's 30 year-old left-back Jérémy Mathieu for the whopping fee of €20m. Now the Frenchman admits he smokes cigarettes when he wants to. What on earth have the Blaugrana got themselves in for?

D. Ray Morton, 2nd August 2014.

You could be forgiven for thinking that this is just another British tourist checking out Camp Nou on their summer break. Alas, he is Barcelona's latest signing: Jérémy Mathieu

Whatever it is about Barcelona, they just do not seem to buy decent defenders. One has to think a good few years back to find one, Daniel Alves perhaps? But he was practically a right-wing back slotted into the right-back position. Éric Abidal would be the next guess and Barça's latest signing has been dubbed as his natural heir in some circles. Whose circles they are does not seem to matter to the majority of Blaugrana fans because the general consensus is that they have just spent €20m on a crock past his sell-by date. Let me introduce you to Jérémy Mathieu.

"I do not smoke much but I do smoke when I want" said the Frenchman who has spent the last five seasons at Valencia. Not the time to be getting existential when the knives are already out without having kicked a single football. Barcelona's "fitness freak" manager and triathlon competitor, Luis Enrique cannot be too impressed with these kinds of statements which raises the question of who actually sanctioned this deal. A massive price-tag for a player entering the final phase of his career. Not exactly a world beater either. He has been France's third or fourth-choice left-back for years now.

The entire deal is sketchy. Mathieu has been signed as a centre-back to give competition to Javier Mascherano and Gerard Piqué with the Alex Song midfielder-to-defender conversion project having been abandoned. Jordi Alba should not have to worry about losing his place at left-back. It needs to be pointed out that Mathieu is not a natural centre-back, however, and has actually only filled in in that role in the last season due to his height. Éric Abidal actually preferred to play in the centre but was so comfortable on the left that he made the position his own.

The World Cup should have proven to Barcelona that they really needed to sign a real centre-back, either an old-fashioned stopper or ball-playing defender who could complement their attacks. Mascherano, in the World Cup, proved that he is a superior defensive midfielder to Sergio Busquets and should play that role again at club level. That is where signing a centre-back would come in but Barça may have blown it by opting for Mathieu. Does anyone remember Dmytro Chygrynskiy? They wasted €25m on him in 2009, barely played him and promptly offloaded him due to his frightening lack of pace. Well, Mathieu does not exactly gobble up the yards either and could stand out like a real sore thumb.

It would be a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong but, right now, this looks like a sure-fire candidate for being one of the worst signings of the summer. The Luis Suárez deal already had a peculiar taste to it considering it meant ditching Alexis Sánchez and having to pay a fortune but this latest signing could be the equivalent of throwing fresh banknotes into the paper shredder.

BARCELONA vs REAL MADRID 2014/2015 SEASON LINE-UPS

Find the starting line-ups for Real Madrid and Barcelona for the 2014/2015 season here. With a host of new star signings on both teams, it will be fascinating to see the two giants of Spanish football competing in this season's La Liga. 

Visualise how the teams look in this Soccer Stash video guide to El Clásico 2014/15

                                           

REAL MADRID

Goalkeeper: Diego Lopez

Date of Birth: 3 November 1981

Nationality: Spanish

Total Club Appearances: 341

Goals: 0

Right Back: Daniel Carvajal

Date of Birth: 11 January 1992

Nationality: Spanish

Total Club Appearances:  149

Goals: 6

Left Back: Marcelo

Date of Birth: 12 May 1988

Nationality: Brazilian

Total Club Appearances: 297

Goals: 25

Center Back: Pepe

Date of Birth: 26 February 1983

Nationality: Brazilian

Total Club Appearances: 402

Goals: 21

Center Back: Sergio Ramos

Date of Birth: 30 March 1986

Nationality: Spannish

Total Club Appearances: 452

Goals: 51

Center Midfield: Toni Kroos

Date of Birth 4 January 1990

Nationality: German

Total Club Appearances: 270

Goals: 40

Center Midfield: Luka Modric

Date of Birth: 9 September 1985

Nationality: German

Total Club Appearances: 431

Goals: 68

Center Midfield: James Rodríguez

Date of Birth: 12 July 1991

Nationality: Columbian

Total Club Appearances: 223

Goals: 61

Midfielder/Forward: Gareth Bale

Date of Birth: 16 July 1989

Nationality: Welsh

Total Club Appearances: 292

Goals: 82

Midfielder/Forward: Ronaldo

Date of Birth: 5 February 1985

Nationality: Portuguese

Total Club Appearances: 569

Goals: 375

Forward: Karim Benzema

Date of Birth: 19 December 1987

Nationality: French

Total Club Appearances: 403

Goals: 192

Surprise exclusion from starting 11? Xabi Alonso

BARCELONA

Goalkeeper: Claudio Bravo
Date of Birth: 13 April 1983
Nationality: Chilean
Total Club Appearances: 370
Goals: 1

Right Back: Dani Alves
Date of Birth: 6 May 1983
Nationality: Brazilian
Total Club Appearances: 568
Goals: 38

Left Back: Jordi Alba
Date if Birth: 21 March 1989
Nationality: Spanish
Total Club Appearances: 216
Goals: 14

Center Back: Javier Mascherano
Date of Birth: 8 June 1984
Nationality: Argentinian
Total Club Appearances: 402
Goals: 3

Center Back: Gerard Piqué
Date of Birth: 2 February 1987
Nationality: Spanish
Total Club Appearances: 317
Goals: 25

Center Midfield: Ivan Rakitic
Date of Birth: 10 March 1988
Nationality: Croatian
Total Club Appearances: 328
Goals: 61

Center Midfielder: Sergio Busquets
Date of Birth: 16 July 1988
Nationality: Spanish
Total Club Appearances: 316
Goals: 12

Center Midfielder: Andrés Iniesta
Date of Birth: 11 May 1984
Nationality: Spanish
Total Club Appearances: 561
Goals: 55

Forward: Neymar
Date of Birth: 5 February 1992
Nationality: Brazilian
Total Club Appearances: 266
Goals: 151

Forward: Luis Suárez
Date of Birth: 24 January 1987
Nationality: Uruguayan
Total Club Appearances: 363
Goals: 220

Forward: Messi
Date of Birth: 24 June 1987
Nationality: Argentinian
Total Club Appearances: 457
Goals: 365

Surprise exclusion from starting 11? Jérémy Mathieu.

SUÁREZ TO BARCELONA REPRESENTS A STRANGE PIECE OF BUSINESS

D. Ray Morton, 11th July 2014.

Will this be club football's dream strike force next season?

Next Wednesday, Barcelona will confirm the signing of Liverpool's controversial Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez. The fee is expected to be near the figure of €94m making Suárez one of the most expensive players of all-time. Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid hit similar numbers though Gareth Bale's move to the same club is thought be somewhere between €91-100m.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have offloaded Chilean attacker Alexis Sánchez to Arsenal for only €38m meaning that there is a €56m gap in value between he and Suárez. With Suárez two years older than the Chilean, canny followers of the transfer market may raise an eyebrow or two in surprise. Is the tempermental Suárez really that much better? Though the Uruguayan has demonstrated great scoring prowess over the past few seasons at Liverpool, at twenty-seven, Suárez is at his peak whilst Sánchez can only get better. Sánchez also comes out of the World Cup with an improved reputation having put in some great performances for Chile. Though Suárez starred against England, his bite at Giorgio Chiellini ended his tournament in disgrace.

Arsenal jumped at the opportunity to sign Alexis Sánchez with Barcelona eager to sell to free up funds for the Suárez deal
 

Liverpool will obviously need a replacement. Recent reports have linked them with Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, a move which may or may not happen depending on whether the Madrid club want to go after Monaco's Colombian pair, Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez. Alternate options are the precocious talent that is Belgian teenager Divock Origi or Benfica's Serbian attacker Lazar Markovic.

Looking at the Suárez deal, it represents a considerable risk for Barcelona. He will have to serve his ban which stretches well into the beginning of the season without even the opportunity to train with his new team-mates. With Neymar out injured with a significant back injury, Barça will have to start the season with only one of their first-choice attackers, Lionel Messi, who will be coming off the back of an entire World Cup's worth of matches. Should the Catalan club start the season sluggishly, there will be higher expectations of Suárez once he becomes available.

The potential front three of Neymar-Messi-Suárez looks great on paper and represents something of a South American dream attack force. Will they click? Messi will want to remain in his central false 9 role and Neymar prefers to play on the left but is the right side of a front three the best position for Suárez to occupy? At Liverpool, he would often play centrally or on the left but it was Raheem Sterling who usually played on the right when the Merseysiders played with a front three. It seems strange to spend so much on a player if he is to be played slightly out of position. Suárez is highly adaptable and will not kick up a fuss but it represents something of a conundrum for new manager Luis Enrique. The outgoing Sánchez's preferred role was that right winger slot that Suárez will be fitted in to.

With this enormous outlay, Barcelona have gone back to challenging Real Madrid directly with their wallet. Expectations are massive and finishing the season without a major title, either La Liga or the Champions League, will represent a failure considering the investment they have made. Suárez is on a five-year deal and the Catalans should expect to win many trophies in that time provided he lives up to the hype. A fascinating season ahead but whether Suárez is the upgrade to make Barcelona the greatest again is up for question.

ROBBEN'S PLAY-ACTING IS AS UNDIGNIFIED AS BITING

D. Ray Morton, 30th June 2014.

Arjen Robben, with nowhere to go, dives his way to last ditch glory for the Dutch

The Netherlands saw off Mexico in yesterday's World Cup last sixteen fixture thanks to a last minute 2-1 victory, the result of a penalty slotted away by substitute striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The penalty, of course, was "won" by none other than the flimsy-footed Arjen Robben. The winger, isolated on the right-hand side of the penalty area, took a heavy touch backwards in an attempt to make space. Despite clearly ceding possession to Diego Reyes, Robben spotted Rafael Marquez's boot and used it to simulate a late challenge. The contact was no more than a rub of boots, not enough to knock over a toddler, let alone a fully-grown man weighing 80 kg. In his trademark fashion, the Bayern Munich attacker feigned a heavy collision, hit the ground and deceived the referee to hand Louis van Gaal's side a quarter-final spot.

Mexico put on a brave performance but Robben's constant diving was the real theme of the game. Throughout the first half, he kept going down in the penalty area. Some claims may have even been legitimate but perhaps his reputation preceded him, filling the officials' minds with doubts. By the time the Dutchman had actually earned his penalty, the referee had come full circle. Seeing Robben go down so many times, he finally assumed one of the incidents must have been a foul. Weak refereeing, as you should never call something you are not certain about, but understandable considering Robben's constant deception.

Another angle on Robben's flop as Marquez looks on in astonishment

The real point here is that play-acting is every bit as unacceptable as the Luis Suárez bite that everyone has been so caught up in. The Suárez incident was downright bizarre but did not alter the result of the match as directly as a dive to win a penalty does. There is no dignity in it and Robben's reputation suffers as a result. Here is a player with all the tools to be legend of the game but rather than actually concentrating on beating defenders one-on-one, he looks for the snakey option of diving. This is something Lionel Messi never does and something that Cristiano Ronaldo has removed from his game realising that with his ability, diving can be ultimately detrimental. That is why Robben will never challenge that pair as the best two players in the world.

The Netherlands captured the people's imagination with their 5-1 triumph in their opening game against a flat-looking Spanish side. They played devastating counter-attacking football and looked like a team that could take this World Cup by storm. Since then, however, they have become an ugly sight. At times, they have played something closer to anti-football, stomach-churning stuff compared to the beautiful Dutch football of old. Their path to the a semi-final against either Brazil or Colombia is a simple one. Costa Rica should not be too much of an obstacle. It would be nice if they got there without any more cheating.

SUÁREZ BITE OVERSHADOWS URUGUAY'S WIN AGAINST ITALY

D. Ray Morton, 25th June 2014.

Luis Suárez readjusts his fangs after taking a bite out of a clearly shocked Giorgio Chiellini

Uruguay eliminated Italy from the World Cup yesterday thanks to a late winner from Diego Godín but the focus of everyone's attention will be on the bizarre biting incident between Luis Suárez and  Giorgio Chiellini. With the clock running down, the game deadlocked at 0-0 with Italy poised to go through, Suárez, during a tangle with the Azzurri centre-half, appeared to bite down on the shoulder of his opponent. Chiellini immediately reacted by trying to elbow the Uruguayan forward off him and went to ground omitting a scream of sheer confused disgust. The referee and his officials somehow missed the incident, Suárez stayed on and Uruguay went on to win. This is the third time Suárez has bitten an opponent in his career, the most recent being his bite on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013. Football's most unusual signature move.

The game itself was defensive, scrappy and full of niggling fouls and attempts to con the referee who had a poor showing throughout failing to stomp his authority on the situation. Mario Balotelli, who had picked up a yellow card ruling him out of any potential second round game, had been taken off by Italy at half-time, Cesare Prandelli fearing he may get sent off. He must have been stunned when Claudio Marchisio was given his marching orders in the second half for a challenge that seemed a little dangerous but hardly worthy of a straight red. That decision notably crushed Italy who had been in control of the game until that point. They were forced to sit very deep but will argue that they would have had a fighting chance had Suárez been correctly disciplined for his bite.

Italy lost, however, and manager Cesare Prandelli announced his resignation immediately afterwards. Prandelli seems to have blamed himself as he was expected to stay on until 2016 regardless of results. There have been questions over squad selection and perhaps he could have given himself a better chance by bringing Giuseppe Rossi as an alternative striking option rather than having to opt for the quite immobile Ciro Immobile or the ageing Antonio Cassano. Balotelli let his manager down badly too. His immaturity, now at age 23, looks like something he will never shake off. Why Arsène Wenger would gamble on him at Arsenal is anyone's guess. This was also Andrea Pirlo's last tournament game for Italy, possibly Gianluigi Buffon's too. A disappointing end to two glorious international careers.

But where does this leave Suárez and Uruguay now? They have an impressive Colombia to face in the second round and FIFA have promised to punish the Liverpool striker. They could very well throw the book at him and give him a lengthy ban. It could also affect a potential move to either of the two La Liga giants, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Suárez's family has hinted that his time at Liverpool will be up and Barcelona have been attempting to engineer a swap-plus-cash move involving Alexis Sánchez. Question is, will Barça do away with the Chilean, one of the players of the tournament, only to switch him with a, doubtlessly talented, but highly volatile replacement?

So praise for Diego Godín, Uruguay's saviour but shame on Balotelli and especially Suárez for making the match one of the ugliest of the competition. Uruguay advance but offer very little against Colombia who should sweep them aside without too much trouble.

ITALIAN POSSESSION SUFFOCATES ENGLAND

D. Ray Morton, 15th June 2014.

"Super Mario" Balotelli powers in Italy's winner from Antonio Candreva's wonderful cross

By the end, it was a tale of two knackered veterans on opposing sides. Andrea Pirlo and Italy triumphant, England's Steven Gerrard throwing himself on the ground for non-existent penalties. Both could barely walk by the conclusion of it but Pirlo could probably pass the ball if he was confined to a wheelchair. England physio, Gary Lewin, somehow ended up on a stretcher. The Azzurri defeated Roy Hodgson's boys in the heat of Manaus by two goals to one with England's only consolation being Uruguay's shock 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica earlier on in the evening. A bad start to their World Cup campaign though not an insurmountable one.

England had a few threatening outlets. Liverpool duo Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge offered pace and energy where others did not. Wayne Rooney included in the under-performers who was stuck out on the left flank. An assist, all things considered, for Sturridge's goal was a bonus considering he was isolated throughout and played completely out of position. England's passing had been that bit longer. Italy managed to take pressure off themselves by controlling the tempo with simple, somewhat "tiki-taka"-like five yarders. The English were a tad mechanical. Less link-up and more panic in an eagerness to impress. They were seemingly allergic to the concept of recycling possession, keeping the ball when a direct route to goal does not instantly materialise. Like a bad five-a-side team with no-one giving instructions.

The whole affair had a touch of winter players versus summer players about it. Controlling possession cleverly in extreme heat is not a feature of the English game where the cold winter weather dictates the tempo we have known to expect in the Premier League. Credit must be given to Gabriel Paletta, who I had personally flagged as a potential weak link for Italy. His dodgy come-over/mullet managed to prove me wrong, however, as the veteran centre half dealt with the occasion splendidly. Mario Balotelli did his job sufficiently. Movement is not a feature of his game and it actually worked very well in his favour last night. When he had to do something, which was not very often, he did it perfectly. His 50th minute goal, which turned out to be the winner, was well taken after a fine assist by Antonio Candreva.

Possession was the theme of the tactical analysis. Italy used the ball much, much better. It was perhaps symbolic of an overall clash of football cultures. It felt like philosophers against savages at times. England were naive to think that the use of pace and pressing would work in such conditions. Italy, whether by chance or not, seemed to be better prepared overall. Pirlo hitting the bar at the end was somewhat poetic. Joe Hart stood by, dumbfounded, as the ball swerved magnificently and thumped the woodwork. It would have been goal of the tournament so far. Lesson: How to play in hot weather. Solution: Unlike England.

But as mentioned, Uruguay lost and looked awful in their respective game. Even ignoring Luis Suárez's exclusion, their defence was in tatters. Diegos Lugano and Forlán looked especially past it. This is a team that conceded 25 goals in qualifying, getting in at the last available spot. Talk of Suárez and Edinson Cavani overshadowed what is fundamentally a poor side, nowhere near as good as say, Chile or Colombia. Speaking of Colombia, they looked quite good in their Group C match. They hammered the supposedly stubborn Greeks 3-0 as Côte d'Ivoire saw off Japan with a 2-1 win. An exciting matchday though the 2am (my local time/GMT) kick-off was a bit of a strain on sleepy eyes.

WORLD CUP TRIUMPH IN MESSI'S HANDS

D. Ray Morton, 11th June 2014.

Lionel Messi will play in his first World Cup with Argentina built around him

The World Cup finally gets under way tomorrow evening (Brazil vs. Croatia K/O 9pm GMT) and speculation mounts as to who will win the competition on the back of many injuries and players who have endured sixty-game seasons. Lionel Messi, having surrendered his Balon d'Or crown to Cristiano Ronaldo last year, is many pundits' tip to be the star individual of the tournament.

There are several reasons as to why people think Messi will dominate at the World Cup. At one point last season, former Barcelona assistant manager, Angel Cappa, accused the Argentine of losing his passion for the game. Indeed, many felt that he had taken his foot off the pedal as his domestic season wound down in order to save himself for Brazil's football carnival. It is harsh to judge a player's professionalism like this and Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid, who pipped Barça to both a Liga BBVA title and a place in the Champions League final, deserve a lot of credit for keeping Messi quiet throughout their series of games. Therefore, La Pulga Atómica has a lot to prove and a lot of pundits to silence. Included in this is the ever-opinionated Zvonimir Boban who recently accused Argentina's No. 10 of "not trying" (whilst also stating Barça teammate Neymar will never become the world's best player).

The reason for Messi optimism is as follows. Fair enough, his performances did dip a little towards the end of last season but it was on the back of a year that involved a serious hamstring injury. Between Barcelona's last game of the campaign and the start of the World Cup, he has been able to rest and is enjoying his time with the Argentina camp. There may be a sense of pressure too, however. Messi has vomited during play on several occasions in recent times and though he maintains it has nothing to do with nerves, it is odd that the medical staff cannot find an explanation for this. Messi believes it merely some undiagnosed, minor illness that just happens to him sometimes. Merely a weak stomach.

Assuming Messi is 100% fit and happy, he finds himself in an Argentina team built around him away from the pressures of Camp Nou. This was not the case in the past. Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín should join him to form a formidable attacking force, arguably the best at the World Cup. Other major stars from top nations are either missing or struggling for fitness too which gives Messi the chance to shine above all others. Germany's Marco Reus, France's Franck Ribéry and Colombia's Radamel Falcao are all ruled out and there are question marks over the condition of Portugal's Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suárez. Five top players who could have each taken the tournament by storm.

Considering Messi turns twenty-seven on 24th June, he should be at his prime in this World Cup. Argentina's potential path to the final is not the worst either and they could be looking at a semi-final against Spain and perhaps Brazil in the decider, the ultimate South American football rivalry. Spain are thought to be a little bit weaker than in their last three international championships and there are still questions over whether this Brazil team are really that good. There will be a lot more pressure on Neymar & co. than on Messi & co. Even playing the World Cup in South America helps. Obviously not against Brazil but against the European teams.

So will Messi cement that World Cup legacy that places Diego Maradona above him in the annals of the Argentine game? The conditions seem to be right for what Argentinians have been waiting for since 1986. With a much better supporting cast to boot.

"CRYSTAL" PULIS MASTERMINDS LIVERPOOL COLLAPSE

D. Ray Morton, 6th May 2014.

 Dwight Gayle reels away in celebration after scoring Crystal Palace's late equaliser

The travelling Liverpool fans belted out "we're going to win the league" around Selhurst Park last night after their side had taken a commanding three goal lead against Crystal Palace. This happened before Tony Pulis' team completed the shock comeback of the season in order to crush any last hope of the Premier League title going to Merseyside. Perhaps the opportunity had already been blown but this 3-3 draw was one of the final nails in the coffin. They can still, mathematically, win the league but Manchester City would have to fail spectacularly with only Aston Villa and West Ham to play, both at the Etihad.

A true fall apart, some have described last night's action as "Istanbul in reverse". Cruising to the point where the foot was mildly off the pedal in terms of finishing, the visiting fans yelled "attack, attack, attack!" in anticipation of another high-scoring, dominant victory. Tony Pulis had other ideas, however. A good manager will still have a game plan when his side are trailing by two goals going into the last twenty minutes but rarely can a boss change things when three behind. Pulis saw a weakness in Liverpool's defence and his impact sub, Dwight Gayle, was deployed to devastating effect. The ex-Arsenal youth player, who had to drop down to non-league football at one stage, ripped The Reds' defence apart with his pace and bagged a superb brace to crush Liverpool's spirit.

Pulis deserves massive credit and should probably be awarded the Manager of the Year prize which had been booked for Brendan Rodgers had he been able to secure a long-awaited but unlikely league title win. With nothing to work with resources-wise, Pulis has turned this Palace side into one of the most stubborn in the Premier League, a complete transformation from the Ian Holloway-led relegation candidates that started out the season.

Long-ball Stoke jokes are out of fashion as Pulis demonstrates his managerial chops at Palace

Luis Suarez had to cover his face after the final whistle as captain Steven Gerrard put his arm around him and shoved cameramen away as he attempted to console the Uruguayan. Only weeks earlier, Gerrard had been kissing cameras, so optimistic was the mood around the club. We can't tell whether Suarez was even crying beneath the veil of his jersey. He could have just as easily been laughing hysterically in irony, incredulous that Liverpool could concede so many after he and strike partner Daniel Sturridge ripped apart opposition defences with their combined 52 league goals this term.

This entire whirlwind of events has left audiences puzzled, neutrals unsure how to take it all in. A month or two ago, Liverpool had become many fans' (Manchester United and Everton followers excluded) second team with their dazzling displays of attacking football. Now their defending has become so farcical that it's hard to respect their almost suicidal insistence on only attempting to outscore their opponents. The positivity has soured and hope went from cockiness to what is currently despair. On the whole, however, Liverpool should still consider this season a success looking at their improvement in league position. They would have happily taken second place when asked at the start of the campaign.

What happens next season is intriguing. Having missed out on the title, Suarez will be more tempted than ever should Real Madrid come knocking. It's a once in a lifetime chance to play at the world's most successful club and it will be very hard to keep him. The received fee could be astronomical and that would allow Brendan Rodgers to invest in some real defenders and a Suarez replacement. Someone like Juventus' Carlos Tevez would be ideal should he become available. The restructuring need not be dramatic but it will need to take place with the possibility of a resurgent Man United competing with and against City, Chelsea and Arsenal next season.

HAVE LIVERPOOL BLOWN THEIR BIG CHANCE?

D. Ray Morton, 27th April 2014.

 Demba Ba scores Chelsea's opener capitalising on Gerrard's mistake

Sunday's Premier League action saw Chelsea defeat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield as Manchester City later put two past Crystal Palace on their travels to add yet another twist to this incredible title race.  City have three remaining matches and barring an unlikely turnaround of their goal difference advantage, a trifecta of victories will hand them the championship crown.

Manchester City's destiny is now in their own hands
 

Liverpool's horror afternoon was largely due to the poor performance of their captain, Steven Gerrard, whose erroneous slip cost them Demba Ba's opener. Chelsea sat very deep with the second string side Jose Mourinho had warned he would field in order to rest players for their second leg Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid in mid-week. The underdog mind game comment worked a treat.

 

 Captain Gerrard's performance was poor at the time they needed him the most

Gerrard's game was panicked and he wasted possession several times with speculative long shots. Reds' talismanic striker Luis Suarez struggled to make an impact and was marshalled effectively by rookie defender Tomas Kalac.  Daniel Sturridge couldn't find spaces and his dismal showing lead to Chelsea's second when substitute Fernando Torres combined with Willian on the counter who walked it into an empty goal.

Willian had all the time in the world after he broke free with Torres during a late counter attack
 

Liverpool will take part in the Champions League next season and it should be interesting to see how they will deal with the busier schedule. Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are used to that situation but Brendan Rodgers' squad will have to be strengthened in the summer. Mourinho's Chelsea will be very strong as soon as they sign a world class striker, most likely Atletico's Diego Costa. City will spend too. Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton will also do their best to improve.
 

The chance of winning a title for Liverpool doesn't come along too often and there is now a sinking feeling about this season and that maybe the talk of it being their year had been too premature.

SOCCERSTASH PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE SEASON

D. Ray Morton, 23rd April 2014.

Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Manchester United)

In what was a disastrous season for the Red Devils, goalkeeper David De Gea stood out amongst David Moyes' underachievers. The Spanish goalkeeper has enjoyed solid form throughout the campaign and has eliminated mistakes from his game that haunted him on occasions last season. Such is Spain's strength in depth in the goalkeeping department, De Gea might not make the World Cup squad despite the long-term injury to Barcelona stopper, Victor Valdés. He will have to compete with Real Madrid duo Iker Casillas, Diego López and Napoli's Pepe Reina for a place.

Right-back: Séamus Coleman (Everton)

Irish international Séamus Coleman has been the stand-out right-back in this season's Premier League. The 25 year-old from Killybegs has helped Roberto Martínez' Everton in their quest to become genuine Champions League qualification contenders with his direct running, endless stamina and constant overlaps down the right side. Coleman might even be good enough to earn a move to one of the bigger clubs though he would probably be wise to stay put seeing as he's excelling in his current role.

Centre-backs

John Terry (Chelsea)

John Terry has enjoyed something of a revival this year after struggling the year before giving many the impression that his best days as a player were behind him. Under José Mourinho, however, Terry has enjoyed a storming campaign forming a mean defensive partnership with England international, Gary Cahill. Retired from international football so he can recover fully come summer, Terry might well have another season or two left in him performing at the very highest level.

Martin Škrtel (Liverpool)

Maybe a surprise selection for some (the aforementioned Cahill or Manchester City's Vincent Kompany would be popular picks), we decided to put Slovakian defender Martin Škrtel in this XI because of his vital contribution to Liverpool's title charge thanks to his seven league goals. 2013/14 wasn't exactly the year of the centre-back with many high-scoring results, so Škrtel's inclusion here is as logical as anyone else's.

Martin Škrtel, our surprise inclusion perhaps

 Left-back: César Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

César Azpilicueta has been a revelation for Chelsea this season. Favoured by José Mourinho at left-back over Ashley Cole throughout the campaign, the 24 year-old Spaniard has done very well to dislodge a player who many considered to be one of the best left-backs of the past decade. Azpilicueta covers ground very well, can defend and doesn't look uncomfortable out on the left despite being naturally right-footed. An honourable mention in this position goes to Southampton's Luke Shaw who may very well steal poor, bearded Ashley's World Cup plane ticket.

Deep-lying midfield playmaker: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

With that subheading, it could only be Steven Gerrard. Brendan Rodgers has totally altered the former attacking midfielder's playing style so that he now takes the role of an American Football-style quarterback, sitting in front of his defence picking out long passes and dictating the tempo from deep. It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who appeared to be falling into decline before Rodgers' arrival on Merseyside. Gerrard has been colossal for Liverpool and may finally get rewarded with that precious first Premier League winners' medal that has eluded his otherwise glittering trophy cabinet.

Advanced midfielders

Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

Though Aaron Ramsey has missed a good chunk of the season with a thigh injury, the statistics for when he does play don't lie. Arsenal have been a far, far better team when the Welshman is available for selection. His goals and assists have been a joy to watch (9 goals and 8 assists in 18 starts) and now he's truly overtaken Jack Wilshere as Arsenal's great home-grown hope. His recent goal against Hull City was simply staggering. Receiving the ball with a Cruyff-like turn, he advances in possession, picks out a team mate and makes a beeline towards the opposition's penalty area where he finds himself in the perfect position to score. A pure footballing goal of the season candidate for sure.

David Silva (Manchester City)

The diminutive Spaniard's inclusion in this season's team of the year might not be everyone's cup of tea. Indeed, many people would opt for his giant marauding team mate, Yaya Touré, but despite Manchester City's late league challenge capitulation, David Silva has been immense. In 24 games, he has 7 goals, 9 assists, a pass completion rate of 88% and 3 man of the match awards to his name. Silva has been subtly awesome and deserves a place in the Spanish starting XI during the World Cup. Unfortunately however, playing outside of Spain's Liga BBVA, he's more likely to find himself warming the bench as a squad member.

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

The Belgian winger has really found his feet this season and has started to look like the world class player Chelsea were supposed to have purchased in the summer of 2012. Hazard's first season was decent, though not awe-inspiring. This year, however, José Mourinho has really gotten the best out of him and in order to do so, he had to do away with one of their key players in Juan Mata who was shipped off to Manchester United in January. Hazard has all the attributes to be a modern great. He has strength, mental composure and the ability to move at pace with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet. If Chelsea's title push hadn't fallen apart (still mathematically possible, I know), Hazard wouldn't just be on this team, he'd probably be named player of the season.

Strikers

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Sturridge gets into this team by default because his Liverpool strike partnership with Luis Suárez has been simply devastating. The 24 year-old England international has scored 20 times in 24 starts and has also chipped in with 7 assists. The fluidity of his dribbling is notable. He often gets the better of defenders when it doesn't look like he has anywhere to go and he must surely be Roy Hodgson's No. 1 choice striker with Wayne Rooney's recent slump in form. Manchester City's Sergio Agüero came very close to taking his spot here but we've opted for Sturridge because he's played that little bit more and is likely to win the title. Statistically, the Argentine has been more lethal but he needs to keep those dodgy hamstrings in check.

Luis Suárez (Liverpool)

The most obvious name on the team sheet. Suárez hasn't just been great this season, he's been a monster! The stats spell it out: 30 games, 30 goals, 12 assists and a mind-blowing 14 man of the match awards. Not only is this the Uruguayan's best ever season, it might be anyone's best ever season in the modern Premier League era. Such scoring feats haven't been seen since the days of Dixie Dean in the pre-war years when football was effectively a different sport. Securing the league title, finishing as EPL top goalscorer and player of the year is more than enough incentive for Suárez to stay and continue building this project despite the flirtatious gaze of Real Madrid.

You can find our Premier League WORST TEAM OF THE SEASON here