Ter Stegen to get the nod against Atletico Madrid

My Column for Marca

BarcelonaIt's all heads on deck ahead of Champions League clash

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will start ahead of Claudio Bravo for Barcelona in their Champions League Clash against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

Luis Enrique has a full squad but in cup games will elect to pick Ter Stegen over the Chilean, as has been the case since both custodians joined the club. 

However, having his best XI available hasn't always been a guarantee of success for the Asturian, as we saw at the weekend against Real Madrid. 

Barca also dropped points against Espanyol and Gary Neville's Valencia with a full selection.

Further, this competition has been a curse at times as far as injuries go for the treble winners.

Neymar, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi have all been struck down in this year's Champions League campaign.

Luckily, their recent record against Diego Simeone's side is super. 

Having failed to beat them in six encounters when the Rojiblancos won the league two seasons ago, they've had the Indian sign over their rivals since and have beaten them in both league games already this term.

The biggest question for the Blaugrana is how they react to the weekend's setback. 

In the greater scheme of things, the result against Real should count for little as far as the league goes, but a much improved performance is needed here after that defeat.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

Birthday boys Celta on top of the world in La Liga

My La Liga round-up for the Irish Examiner

Joseph Sexton

It’s been a trying decade for Celta Vigo who celebrated the 92nd anniversary of their founding yesterday. The club came up in the 1990s to enjoy the most successful spell in their history- the era of Euro-Celta where they knocked out such giants as Liverpool and reaching the Copa del Rey final in 2001. They lost that and still haven’t got a major trophy to their name, but they housed some great players in that epoch and were regularly battling it out at the top of the league.

Celta celebrate against Levante

Of course that spell also coincided with the their bitter rivals Deportivo La Coruña’s golden age too, their neighbours to the north overshadowing them. Celta like to think of themselves as the more established side and they’ve certainly completed more seasons in the top flight than Depor, but as runners-up in 1994 in heartbreaking circumstance the Coruña side claimed the region’s first and only league title in 2000 and ruined Real Madrid’s centenary celebrations by denying them the Copa del Rey in their own back yard. They went on to be big hitters in the Champions League over several years, including a run all the way to the semi-finals before being knocked out by José Mourinho’s FC Porto in 2004. That was before the slow decline set in.

Down the road in Vigo, the decline was much more rapid.

That same season, Celta competed in the Champions League for the first time having finished fourth the season before. They got through the group stages when they then found themselves up against Arsenal’s invincibles side in the last 16. It was a close run affair, before Thierry Henry and company prevailed.

It should have been the highlight of the club’s history, but it turned out to be the beginning of a nightmare.

Celta, quite frankly, weren’t equipped to compete on multiple fronts and, in a season where they also made the cup quarter-finals, their league form suffered. There was always the sense that they could pull themselves away but instead the final third of the season saw a spectacular collapse and they finished 19th, and just like that, their 12 year stay in the top flight was over.

They bounced straight back up, but it was never the same and within two seasons they were down again. This time there was to be no rapid return. They grubbed around the Segunda, brushing with relegation to the third tier during 5 long seasons, before coming back up as runners up to Deportivo - who had also gone into free-fall by now - in 2012.

Since then, they’ve slowly established themselves as a competitive La Liga side once more. They just about missed out on relegation in that first season back- Depor went down instead- but since then the trajectory has been upward.

It started with the appointment of current Barcelona manager Luis Enrique in 2013. A big name, but  the Asturian coach was coming off a nightmare spell in Serie A with Roma where his side underperformed badly despite heavy investment from its new American owners.

They started slow under Luis Enrique. In their second game of the season, they dominated against a dogged Granada side but couldn’t take their chances while leading as the Andalusian side nicked a point at Balaídos. Luis Enrique was upbeat after that game, however. In the press room, he told the assembled journalists he’d been happy with his side’s overall display and attitude. “If we keep playing this way we’ll win more than we lose”.

Their were some groans that day at his side’s patient, passing approach and they took time getting going. They didn’t win a home game until December but signs that his team were getting it right were there a month before when - despite going down 3-0 - they gave the champions Barcelona one hell of a game. After this it all began to click into place and a team tipped for relegation soared up the table to finish 9th.

Despite Luis Enrique taking Rafinha Alcantara with him when he moved to Barcelona, Celta enjoyed another fine season last time round under his Argentine successor Eduardo Berizzo. A Bielsista to the core, Berizzo was wise enough to preserve the best of his predecessor’s work while fine-tuning aspects. They went one better, finishing 8th, beating Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Camp Nou, and playing some of the most attractive football in the division.

This summer they lost two key players in the shape of Michael Krohn-Dehli and the extremely promising Santi Mina. But they also welcomed back a local hero in the shape of Iago Aspas, who endured frustrating times at Liverpool and Sevilla in the last two seasons.

In a weekend where goals were at a premium, they kicked off their late Sunday game against Levante in Valencia last night. Things certainly seemed to be going their way when the hosts’ Simao was sent-off after just five minutes. but despite dominating the match statistically they found it hard going against a Levante side who sat deep to deny them space in the final third.

Much ink has been expended about the contractual situation of the Chilean Fabián Orellana but the schemer was there to give his side the lead in the 41st minute with after an incisive move down the wing. That followed a controversial disallowed goal for the hosts, who drew level against their nervy visitors shortly after the interval when Verza hit a superb free-kick.

As Berizzo would later concede, they lacked a cutting edge to complement their control of the match and it looked as if the game was slipping away from in the final quarter. But then, 13 minutes from time, another rapid move down the right saw the ball land at the feet of - who else -  Aspas in the six yard box and the striker made no mistake. Seven minutes, though it felt like even longer, of injury ensued, before the visitors emerged victorious.

The result - again, coming on the club’s 92nd birthday - means they’re top of the table in La Liga for the first in their history. And while there’s room for improvement, there was more good news for the club today as Orellana - who also assisted the winner - finally committed his future to the club after a summer of humming and hawing. 

Around the grounds

It certainly wasn’t a vintage opening weekend in the league, with the first seven matches yielding a paltry three goals in total. Valencia began sluggishly in drawing 0-0 with Rayo Vallecano while Atlético Madrid, who had been tipped to hockey their newly-promoted opponents could only scrape a 1-0 home victory against UD Las Palmas.

In Sunday’s opening game Barcelona gained a measure of revenge for their Super Cup trashing by edging out Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at San Mamés thanks to a second half Luis Suárez strike in a tense encounter where they never quite convinced. Real faltered at the first hurdle against promoted Sporting Gijón at el Moliñon and while Rafa Benítez’s side were incensed when Cristiano Ronaldo was denied a penalty, they also rode their luck as ex-Barça youth teamer Antonio Sanabria’s header crashed off the woodwork and appeared to cross the line but without the benefit of goal-line technology no goal was given.

If Aspas was the man of the week, then it was also pleasing to see another English flop open his account at the first time of asking. Roberto Soldado endured a nightmare spell at Tottenham following his big money move two summers ago, but he scored for fun in his time and Valencia and gave his new club, Villarreal the lead against real Betis. There was to be no fairytale ending here and Betis - short of new signing Rafeal Van der Vaart - battled back to earn a draw through a Ruben Castro strike three minutes from time.

Results: Málaga 0-0 Sevilla, Deportivo 0-0 Real Sociedad, Espanyol 1-0 Getafe, Atlético Madrid 1-0 Las Palmas, Rayo Vallecano 0-0 Valencia, Athletic Club 0-1 Barcelona, Sporting Gijón 0-0 Real  Madrid, Levante 1-2 Celta Vigo, Real Betis 1-0 Villarreal

Monday: Granada v Eibar

Follow Joseph on Twitter @josephsbcn

Catalan vote to have profound consequences for Barcelona

Column for the UCC Express 14th October 2014

Despite the central government in Madrid’s shrill reaction and court rulings, Catalonia is set to go to the polls to vote on the independence question on the 9th of November. It’s an unprecedented move which could have huge ramifications for the Spanish state. The sporting consequences could be huge too.

Previously Barcelona’s then-president Sandro Rosell claimed that whatever the outcome of the vote, the Catalan giants would continue to play in the Spanish league. In the last week, however the league’s president waded into the debate.

“If Catalonia became independent”, Javier Tebas said “taking into account the Sports Law that would be enforced by the rest of Spain, Barcelona wouldn’t be allowed to play”. 

Neither would their cross-town rivals Espanyol.

Any future Catalan league would be stuffed by minnows and semi-professional teams. Girona, Llagostera and Sabadell all play in Spain’s second flight but none of these sides could feasibly put up any sort of competition to the two Barcelona clubs

The blow would be a heavy one too for the Spanish League. Overseas television rights- which stall lag those of England’s Premier League considerably- draw in large part from the global appeal of the big two. Atlético Madrid may be the current champions but no one would kid themselves that the capital club have the same cache.

Global viewers are drawn by the spectacle and the story and glory of Barcelona and Real Madrid. The clásico is amongst the biggest sporting events in the world with fans from India to Iowa locking their attention to this bitter rivalry.

It’s an outcome neither club would want as so much of their identity is bound with their rivalry. Even Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid’s president, concedes as much when he quipped “If Barcelona didn’t exist we’d have to invent them”. Between the pair, they account for 40% of the league’s current television revenue.

One solution from left field has been mooted. Should Catalonia secede, reports in the Spanish press last week claimed that Barcelona might chance their arm at entering France’s Ligue 1. That Monaco already play there is a precedent, but one imagines any moves to admit the blaugrana would be torpedoed by UEFA.

With so many Catalan players having played a central role in Spain’s recent success it would also be a massive loss to the Spanish national side. But that many- most vocally Gerard Piqué- have  come out in favour of an independent Catalonia says a lot for the mood on the ground in the eastern region.

Power Shift

Joseph Sexton

In the tightest title race that La Liga has seen in 21 seasons, week 25 stood as being a potential game breaker. Barcelona and Atlético had blazed the way since the first week, but recent dropped points and Real’s excellent form since their defeat at the Camp Nou saw them close in on the inside lane until finally we went in to this week with all three locked on 60 points,

It was unlikely that the record total of 100 points- set in each of the last two seasons by Barça and Madrid- would be equalled; the margin of error being a single draw before the end of the season. But never before have we seen three sides on this many points so late in the season.

Real Madrid did what Real Madrid have been doing for the last three months; winning. They did so without their strongest team and they did so professionally, overpowering Elche at the Bernabéu before taking Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Jesé off to give them some extra rest ahead of a gruelling week that sees them face Schalke in the Champions League before visiting Atlético for the derbí madrileño.

Barça tried to do something similar against a Real Sociedad who they coasted through against in the recent Copa Del Rey semis but came a cropper. 3-1 was the final score as the home side cut the Champions to pieces with that formidable counter-attack that served them so well last season. But more on that later.

The task was clear for Atlético ahead of their visit to El Sadar in Pamplona on Sunday night- win and they’d go out on their own at the top; anything else would leave them trailing their neighbours from the posh side of the capital.

But there was a rather large caveat, and that’s precisely why this weekend was singled out; Osasuna. The Navarre club have made something of a habit of raising their game for the big boys.

Real and Barcelona had both already dropped points on this ground this term. It took two moments of utter desperate luck to see Barcelona claw back to win 2-1 here in August last season, a thoroughly unjust result. The year before, they’d lost here 3-2 and the year before that Real again had been held.

El Sadar is one of those La Liga grounds with a lot of personality. It doesn’t quite hold 20,000 but it sure makes a lot of noise. The Indar Gorri, Osasuna’s ultras are a colourful and vocal bunch. Irish tricolours were seen in solidarity. Though over the border from the Basque Country proper there is a strong sense of Basque nationalism in this corner of Navarre.

By the time the match kicked off the ground felt like a boxing ring in a title fight. In almost no time at all, Atlético were on the ropes.

And though they stumbled on to the 12th round, they would never recover from those initial blows. The result was never in any doubt.

After just 6 minutes the shellshocked visitors conceded the first. A booming cross from the left saw Atleti flat-footed. Nobody picked up the run of Álvaro Cejudo who bombed in unmolested to the back post to plant a firm right-footed effort past a helpless Thibaut Courtois.

Before long things would get worse; much worse.

Intercepting a loose pass in front of the defence, Armenteros still had the full Atleti backline ahead of him. There didn’t look to be much danger at all. But having sidestepped a halfhearted challenge from the captain Mario Suárez he unleashed a homing missile from 25 yards. Once again, there was nothing Courtois could have done to prevent the goal.

Atlético were rattled, and badly rattled at that. Nothing was coming off for them, and they were being hustled out of their stride in the manner they’ve hustled so many this season. They simply had no answer for Osasuna’s intensity. 

Diego Costa dived to win a penalty, not for the last time on the night. He skirted a very fine line and was fortunate not to received the booking that would have seen him suspended for the derby. 

Before the break his side would concede again.

Again it came from a left wing cross. And again, the marking was abysmal. Roberto Torres hung back as the central defenders stood off and was left with effectively a free header to beat Courtois all ends up at the back the post.

After the break Atleti improved but rarely threatened. Indeed if any side looked likely to add to the goals it was Osasuna. It was as thorough a 3-0 beating as you’ll ever seen administered to a top side.

Javi Gracia, Osasuna’s coach couldn’t contain his joy after the final whistle. “This is a very special day”.

Diego Simeone accepted the defeat had been complete. “When an opponent is better, as Osasuna were today, I congratulate them”

Gracia continued. “The win had an added bonus. We scored three goals against the best defence in the division. So this victory is all the sweeter. It’s an important step in the fight against relegation”.

“We must continue to grow. This team, despite its limitations always tries to give their all. It’s a long time since I’ve seen the crowd at El Sadar do the [Mexican] wave. It was very nice.”

Simeone admitted his side had been caught cold. “They surprised us in the first 20 minutes with the two chances, we just couldn’t get into the match. Their tactics were spot on they stopped us from playing our game”.

It may have been just a bad day at the office. No week is a bad week when you win away to AC Milan. But there’s a feeling that Atleti couldn’t be going into the derby in worse shape.

Or that Real couldn’t be better. Cristiano Ronaldo will be back, the team has found a sense of balance and as clear an identity as at any time in the last couple of years. They are now unbeaten in 26 in all. Only Leo Beenhakker’s Quinto del Buitre side of the 80s can better that record in Real’s long history.

And now they’re top for the first time since May 2012.

Around the grounds

Heartbreak for Granada at the Mestalla. They succumbed to a 90th minute Ruben Vezo strike having largely held their own against Valencia. For the hosts, the Pizzi project is beginning to take shape. They were industrious and they leapfrog their former manager Unai Emery’s Sevilla to sit in the final Europa League place, having been 10 points off the Andalusian club over the winter.

That defeat sees Granada slip in the relegation fight once more, but as with Osasuna, Celta Vigo are pulling away. There was no win this week- they had to make do with a 1-1 draw to Getafe- but there’s a growing sense that everything they weren’t getting but merited earlier in the season is going their way. 

Luís Enrique is enjoying a fine first season at the helm and already there’s talk of Rafinha coming back from his loan to the Camp Nou in the summer and being a big part of their first team next term.

How Barça could have done with him on Saturday. Tata Martino started with Alex Song- who Marca awarded a four out of ten- with Sergio Busquets ostensibly playing the Xavi role. It didn’t work, and neither did the weakened defence.

There was a lively radio debate on Onda Cero on Sunday night. It got heated at times, but the feeling was that Messi strolled through the game raising further worries about his physical capacity; and, once again, his mindset. As much as La Real deserved their win, there’s a feeling that Barcelona earned what they deserved.

Results: Valladolid 1 Levante 1, Real Madrid 3 Elche 0, Celta Vigo 1 Getafe 1, Real Sociedad 3 Barcelona 1, Almería 0 Málaga 0, Rayo Vallecano 0 Sevilla 1, Real Betis 0 Athletic Bilbao 2, Valencia 2 Granada 1, Osasuna 3 Atlético Madrid 0

Monday: Espanyol v Villarreal (21:00)

Spanish Inquest: Cup runneth over

My column for Eircom SportsHub

Manol de dios- Agirretxe condemns Barça to their first league defeat of the season

In the end, it was almost an after-thought. Attention was firmly trained on the Bernabéu before a ball was kicked in anger on week 21 of the season, just as it remained on Wednesday. Last week's mini-crisis at Real Madrid hogged the headlines as the recriminations grew.

In many ways, the cup was a welcome distraction for Real Madrid who nevertheless went into the game off the back of their best form of the season. The Spanish league calendar restarts with the return on week 20, when the order of games from the first half of the season is repeated.

It's too late to make good on a woeful opening half of this term for Real, but they appear to have taken those early setbacks personally. It all started to go wrong when Iker Casillas and Pepe clashed heads on the opening day at home to Valencia. Real might have been out of sight but instead were fortunate to get away with a 1-1 draw as Roberto Soldado's goal was incorrectly flagged offside.

If the feeling was that this had been aberration, then by week two it was already a full-blown crisis. Expected to dismiss little Getafe without fuss, a second-half showing of staggering stupidity at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez saw them go down 2-1 to the club from the south of the city.

The revenge has been brutal. Either side of being dumped out of the cup by Real, Valencia were ripped apart at the Mestalla last week, conceding five without reply. This week, Getafe's moment of reckoning arrived. Having held out in tense opening period, a ten-minute Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick left them licking their wounds on the short trip home.

Barcelona began their return run by showing a rare glimpse of their own mortality. Having walloped Real Sociedad on the first day, their encounter at the Anoeta was already a far cagier affair even before Gerard Pique's sending-off. They looked to have weathered the storm after a heavy deflection beat Victor Valdés for Chory Castro's equaliser. But 30 seconds into injury time, Manol Agirretxe slid through to deliver their first defeat of the campaign.

That defeat might have come as early as week two. On a balmy Sunday evening in Pamplona, Barca looked uncharacteristically leggy and off-key against Osasuna. With their pressing all over the place, each stray pass brought the home crowd to their feet and, leading since the 17th minute there, really looked no way back for the Catalans/

There was, but it came off the back of a moment of monumental misfortune. The build up to Lionel Messi's equaliser contained the non-award of an offside and then an expert — if entirely unintentional — pass off the heel of referee César Muniz Fernández at its closing stages. In the protests that followed, several cards were flashed; including a red for Francisco Punal. Minutes after all died down, the Argentine popped up again to net the winner.

This time round, luck had nothing to do with it. Despite Robert Loé equalising Messi's opener, the home side were 3-1 up by the break. After it, the world footballer of the year added his third and fourth, taking him to 16 goals from his last nine starts.

The jokers in this king's cup pack are Atlético Madrid. Back in week two a Falcao hat-trick had given a glimpse of things to come as they vanquished last year's Europa League finalists Bilbao 4-0 at the Vicente Calderon. Here, there was no Falcao and instead a 3-0 victory for the struggling Basques.

“Without Falcao, Atleti are a mid-table side” ran the Marca headline on Monday. Perhaps a harsh assessment as undoubtedly this had been the most complete performance seen this time round for Marcelo Bielsa's side by some distance. But there's a grain of truth in it too. Without their attacking fulcrum, they've won just two of their seven league games, and the bad news is that barring a miracle they'll have to make do without him for their midweek cup game.

Which brings us to last team making up the quartet, Sevilla. If you've heard reports of their saleable assets being linked to all and sundry this transfer window, then it's not without foundation. Sevilla's financial issues are the sort that most of the league's sides would warmly welcome. Rather then being mired in debt or in administration, the need to sell has been precipitated by their first annual loss in the last seven.

A fortnight ago they dispensed with their manager, the former Real Madrid midfielder Michel. In truth, probably a better pundit than a football coach, the telegenic Michel was replaced by the former Valencia boss Unai Emery.

It's far too early to offer any objective assessment of his work to date. But given his previous record at Valencia, the club's president José María del Nido will be hoping Emery can elicit a better response from what still remains one of the division's more talented squads and that the momentum gained from their Monday win over Granada will offset the effects of having a day less to prepare for Thursday's semi-final.

Original article here on Eircom SportsHub 

Spanish Inquest: Season to date

My column on Eircom SportsHub

Obafemi Martins' goals have been key to Levante's continued success

We’re almost at the turn of the season in Spain, as as La Liga’s footballers tuck in their festiveturrones during the Christmas break, another exciting year in Spanish football draws to a close.

After 17 games, matters are taking shape. Barcelona have obliterated the previous best start to a season and their coronation seems inevitable. While they speed away into the horizon, at the bottom last season’s Segunda champions Deportivo appear to be headed into oblivion.

Levante continue to defy the odds, and despite all the off the field upheaval and downsizing of their playing budget, Málaga are flying. Their attack is more fluid and mobile while at the back, only Juventus and Bayern have conceded fewer in the four major European leagues.

Mallorca’s excellent start is a distant memory, with their weekend win over Real Betis being their first in over three months. Betis themselves have arguably been the surprise package of the season, but last season’s double cup finalists Athletic Bilbao have struggled to get out of second gear.

Perhaps more so than Betis, the lack of managerial casualties has been this season’s most striking fact. With almost everyone struggling financially, there has been an outbreak of common sense and realism among club hierarchies

Only two coaches have departed their posts; the league’s longest serving incumbent, Mauricio Pochettino left strugglers Espanyol in November, with his compatriot and namesake Pellegrino getting the sack at Valencia, who have paid the price for failing to renew Unai Emery’s contract.

Despite the incredible numbers they’ve posted, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for Barcelona. With April’s clásico ending their title challenge last term, the Super Cup seemed to confirm that Real finally had their number. It’s hard recall a chasing of the order of that they endured in the second leg, where Real’s two goal lead after 20 minutes ought to have been four.

They got out of jail in week two against an Osasuna side who’ve been mired in the relegation spots. Unable to call upon several stalwarts at the back, they leaked goals from set pieces and open play in the Autumn. But if they’ve been strangely vulnerable, going forward they’ve been relentless and it’s made for a thrilling spectacle.

Guilty of tactical tinkering and over-elaboration at times last year, there’s been a subtle change in emphasis. We’ve seen the return of more orthodox wing play, and an urgency meaning they’ve been more direct than at any time since Guardiola’s first season.

They titilated us in nearly letting big leads slip, and produced a stunning comeback from two behind to Sevilla in October Real. That Jordi Alba has slotted in perfectly isn’t a huge surprise, but on the other flank Dani Alves has faced stiff competition from Marc Bartra and Adriano. Cesc Fábregas has been the greatest beneficiary of their stylistic shift, offering an element of verticality and unpredictability to their hypnotic passing rhythms.

And of course, there’s Lionel Messi, for whom there are no superlatives left.

Real by contrast have looked a shadow of themselves, labouring as those long-suspected divisions in the camp have been confirmed. Down in points, down in terms of position, down even in goals from Ronaldo; they’ve lost that manic intensity and teams have learned how to frustrate an increasingly blunt and predictable attack.

At this stage of the season gone by, Ángel Di Maria topped the assist charts with 13. This year, he’s only got one, with Karim Benzema leading the way on five.

It seems fitting that Málaga became the latest to put the hurt on them at the weekend. Not just because Pellegrini was torn to pieces as José Mourinho’s predecessor, but also because of his intelligent adjustment to new financial realities. Incredibly, they’ve looked a far better side this time round and coasted undefeated through their Champions League group- the first debutants to do so.

Whether they’ll be back next season is unclear, but they will contest Friday’s UEFA verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Levante have also taken like a duck to water in their maiden Europa League campaign, and yet they’re still right up there domestically. Once again, they sold their top scorer- and again, they’ve found a replacement, this time Obafemi Martins. All of this with the division’s oldest squad and second smallest budget- at what point does this cease to be an aberration?

History counsels against making such statements, but Atlético look to be the real deal. With a weaker squad on paper, they’ve gotten better and better; much like Radamel Falcao, now indisputably the world’s best number 9.

They might have lost their manager, not to mention Michu, but Rayo Vallecano are far removed from the foot of the table with their swashbuckling style. Newly promoted Valladolid have brought a similar fearlessness to the party.

The other promoted pair, fierce rivals Celta and Depor have fared less well. The latter, the latest Jorge Mendes colony in the league, remain rooted to foot of the table and €98m in debt. Celta are three points better off and look better equipped to survive, though the potential move of their top scorer Iago Aspas to Swansea could hurt them far more than the mooted €12m fee would boost them financially.

But again, the league remains incredibly tight. Nobody is adrift, most side still harbour valid European hopes. Few remain safe either; only 11 points separate 6th from 16th, with 14th placed Sevilla a point ahead of Espanyol in 18th. This is nothing new, and if we’ve learned anything from recent years, it’s that the picture may look dramatically different come the season’s end.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE ON EIRCOM SportsHub

Is David de Gea really targeting a move back to Spain?

Amidst rumours linking the goalkeeper with a move back to Spain, the Manchester United blog Stretty News asked me to sift through the matter to see if there was any truth in it.

Most of you by now will have heard the David de Gea to Real Madrid stories floating around. But with Iker Casillas on the Spanish side’s books, it’s probably safe to say that most of you are also scratching your heads  why they might be after United’s young keeper. You’re not alone.

The story seems to have originated in the dry, somewhat right-of-centre economics and financial daily La Confidencial last Friday. Hardly a prime source for sporting scoops; but equally not an organ given to spreading scurrilous transfer gossip.

The story appears largely founded upon the identity of De Gea’s representative- the super agent Jorge Mendes- who has the great and good from Falcao, Cristiano, and José Mourinho all the way down to Bébé on his books.

That’s hardly enough ground on which to float this story alone, given that the Portuguese has over 50 current players on his books. The reason it’s gotten traction has to do with the current goalkeeping situation at the Spanish champions.

It’s no secret that there’s been some friction between Mourinho and the Spain contingent within his squad, particularly Sergio Ramos and Casillas himself. Mourinho’s modus operandi is to build a strong bond in this squads, but at times he has found this duo frustratingly insubordinate.

Last January, matters came to a head on the training field following a Copa del Rey defeat against Barcelona. As Mourinho admonished Ramos for his set piece defending, he was confronted by the goalkeeper. Somehow, the conversation between all three made it into the public domain verbatim. Many had suspected such tensions existed, and now there appeared clear evidence.

It was said that either Mourinho or Casillas would be gone in the summer. In the end, this wasn’t the case as Real secured their 32nd league title in May.

It’s telling that whenever Mourinho has looked to make an example of his Spanish players, it’s Ramos who has been the fall guy. This was the case in September where the former Sevilla defender was dropped against Manchester City after the side lost to his former club at the weekend.

But Casillas is a different matter. The working class kid from Móstoles has taken the mantle of club icon, the very personification of madridismo from the legendary forward Raúl. When the fans look at San Iker, they see someone they can identify with a personal and emotional level. And at a club like Real Madrid, this matters.

While the 9 times European champions have always augmented their teams with the very best talent from abroad, ever since the 1950s, they’ve also had their ranks swelled by Spaniards, particularly those from the youth ranks. Casillas is the last player from the set up to establish himself in the first team.

This contrasts sharply with the success of Barcelona’s first team production line, and it’s a contrast that jars with the Madrid faithful. It’s not that their youth set up is broken; far from it. It continues to produce talented players, but these- some examples in the recent past include Juan Mata, Roberto Soldado, Samuel Eto’o, Álvaro Negredo and Javi García- tend to flourish elsewhere having had their path to the senior side blocked the club management’s chronic short-termism.

But there’e also the playing side of things. For the first time in a decade, questions were raised about Casillas’ form last spring. Given the frosty nature of that training ground encounter, it was said that Mourinho was looking elsewhere for a number 1.

One of the names mooted at the time was the Portugal keeper, Rui Patricio, of Sporting Clube. Certainly a talented young keeper, but equally not one in the same stratosphere as the Spain captain.

But even if Mourinho is a man not given to suffering challenges to his authority, he’s also pragmatic creature with finely honed political instincts. Having picked his fights at the club and won them- and in the process gaining a higher degree of personal control than any manager in the modern history of the club- he would be acutely aware that in any battle between him and the Casillas, he would come out worse off.

This brings us to another element mentioned in the article. In the summer, Mourinho fought hard to keep Casillas’ deputy Antonio Adán at the club. A talented graduate of the youth system who would hold down a spot at many other clubs, the 25 year old has only started 8 senior games. In the end, the promise of further Copa del Rey minutes convinced him to stay another year. But this is likely to be last for the former Spanish underage international.

So, on the one hand Mourinho needs a deputy. But, the story goes, Mourinho still seethes against Casillas, who he feels has gotten complacent. A little bit of competition would do no harm in keeping him on his toes.

But don’t worry, for this is where the logic of the article collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.

David de Gea, it notes, is unhappy at the current goalkeeping situation at Old Trafford. He’s fed up with having to share the shirt with Anders Lindegaard, and has made it know to Mendes that he would a favour a move to one of Spain’s big two, specifically Real.

De Gea is highly regarded in Spain, and widely expected him to eventually take over from Casillas in the national team. But if the competition with Lindegaard had irked him, why would he risk retarding his development by playing second fiddle to Casillas now at club level? Despite being a fixture in the side for thirteen seasons, Casillas is still only 31.

Manchester United have no incentive to sell, and certainly not for less than they shelled out to Atlético Madrid for his services. Why then next summer, at a time when the squad will most likely need surgery, would Real Madrid commit major funds to a part of the team that isn’t broken?

No matter which way you look at it, it simply doesn’t add up. Rather, it’s a case in point of the Spanish press putting two and two together and coming up five. Real Madrid are unlikely to making any moves for David de Gea, at least not now. There is probably more chance of cash-strapped Atlético finding the funds down the back of the sofa to bring him back to the Vicente Calderon.

It finishes off by focussing on some other options for Real Madrid. Chief amongst these is Roberto Jiménez, who all but single-handedly kept Real Zaragoza in the top flight last season. The murky move which brought there from Benfica for €8.5m was brokered by-wait for it- Jorge Mendes. Given the dire financial situation at the Aragonese club, who it is assumed have only the merest stake in his economic rights, he looks a more viable target.

As for David de Gea himself, those in the know have not reported any murmurings of discontent emanating from his camp about his rivalry with Lindegaard. Quite the opposite. The Spaniard had enjoyed his short time in England, where he feels he’s learned a lot already. The environment at Carrington is one that can only help him improve his game as he continues to progress.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE ON STRETTY NEWS

Bilbao's Bielsa always guarantee entertainment

‘Turmoil’ has been the watchword the summer across La Liga. It’s been in abundance almost everywhere. From Málaga’s Qatari backers turning off the taps, to disputes over television rights almost halting the start of the season for the second time in three years, it’s been there in spades. Organisationally and financially, things are a total mess. Nothing new there, then. Few clubs have escaped the chaos. This week in Bilbao, it struck a heavy blow.

Of course, Athletic’s summer hadn’t been exactly ideal up until then. Having won admirers everywhere last season under the footy hipster’s favourite coach, Marcelo Bielsa, it looked at one point like the Argentine might be stepping down. One of his suitors the summer before had been Sevilla, but when the club refused to accede to demands on remodelling their training ground, he declined their hand.

And this is where it started in July. Renovation works being carried out by a contracting firm close to the club hierarchy drew his ire. Not only were the works running late, but they ran contrary to what he’d agreed. When the club issued a statement to the effect that the problem was ‘nobody’s fault’, he issued a withering statement of his own blasting them. After a tense 24 hours, the club managed to talk him down but he didn’t retract his accusations. 

Then, this past week the bombshell dropped; or to be more precise, two. Lsst Tuesday their talismanic centre forward, Fernando Llorente announced that he wouldn’t be renewing his contract at the end of the season. Then it emerged that Javi Martinez, coveted by but too expensive for Barcelona, was the subject of a substantial bid from Bayern Munich. On Saturday, Bielsa stated that neither would figure in Sunday’s squad. 

The lack of depth in Athletic’s squad was the main reason behind their collapse in the latter stages of last season. Their policy of only buying Basque- however much they might stretch the term to the limits of credibility at times- handicaps their transfer market activity. Every signing is a painstaking effort, but the simple fact is that there are few players in the league matching the profile of the pair; and certainly no ready made Basque prospects.

With Iker Muniain also sidelined, they had to make do without their three best players. This made the initial eleven all the more puzzling. Aritz Aduriz, a more than competent goalscorer, arrived in the summer from Valencia but instead Bielsa opted for Gaizka Toquero. A fan’s favourite he may be, and he’ll run around until his legs seize up, but his goals to games ratio is a poor one.

But it was at the other end where Bilbao were all over the place, and within 7 minutes Rubén Castro drifted through a dozing defence to rifle the visitors into the lead. Bilbao dominated, but it was a domination of a sterile sort lacking purpose and incision. 

On 25 minutes Jorge Molina doubled the pain, with the defence again at sixes and sevens. Five minutes later the ball broke to an unmarked Beñat at the edge of the box. This was turning into a humiliation. The San Mamés crowd, noted for never turning on their team, murmured in discontent.

But if you thought that it was game over, think again.

Aduriz was one of two half-time changes, and instantly his movement between the defenders only reinforced the bafflement as to why he hadn’t started. Suddenly seeds of doubt had been sown in the minds of Betis’ defence. And then Oscar de Marcos cut in from the left to make it 3-1. 

This was a different Bilbao. They couldn't- could they? They could. After battering the visitors for the next 20 minutes, they won a corner on the left. The former Liverpool defender Mikel San José planted a bullet of a header past a helpless Fabricio Ramírez as the grand cathedral erupted.

The equaliser was now inevitable, and when it came it was a carbon copy. This time the corner came from the right, but once more it was San José powering an unstoppable header into the net. Betis were shellshocked. With 15 minutes remaining, only one side was winning this one.  

And that’s how it transpired. Except that it wasn’t to be the hosts. Bilbao, understandably, had grown giddy, drunk on adrenaline. Mikel Susaeta harried after a ball that was going nowhere, falling over. 

Suddenly it was going somewhere. With the defence losing their heads, it fell to the substitute Pozuelo who kept his, stroking it home to shift the momentum decisively back in the Andalusian’s favour. Five more minutes, and with the hosts again in rag order, Molina’s second proved the coup de grace.

The luck of sheer disgust on the faces of fans streaming out of the stands told you all you needed to know. There is never a dull moment with Bielsa teams, whose all energy attacking keeps viewers on the edge of their sets. But with Keystone Kops defending like this, many had decided enough was enough and vacated theirs.

Bielsa is as much a one off off the pitch as he is on it, and his assessment after the game was interesting as he sought to calmly dissect a frenzied 90 minutes which had largely defied analysis. “Absences are not a justification for this defeat,” he quipped.

“Just before kick off, we were clear in our minds and focussed on what we had to do. We lost fair and square, and it’s not correct to say that absences, a lack of focus, or the mood explains why we lost”

“We didn’t show the control needed in defence having come back, we lacked tranquility and had we been a bit less impatient the chances to win would have arrived. It’s difficult to weigh the effects [of the absentees]... But the fact is that we’ve been working for two months to address the issue of playing staff because the main complaint last year was that we had no spare parts.”

One potential spare part remains the Betis goalscorer Beñat. Bilbao were a breath of fresh air last season. It’s unrealistic to assume that they can scale such heights again this term. But it’s entirely fair to assume they’ll remain as fun to watch as ever.

Champions Real Madrid got their campaign off to an underwhelming start, drawing 1-1 at home to a Valencia coached for the first time by their former defender Mauricio Pellegrini. 

Having hit the front through Gonzalo Higuaín, the biggest talking point came as Jonas equalised. An ugly clash between Iker Casillas and Pepe left the pair floored, and it was several minutes before play resumed. 

Even then, Casillas looked absolutely shaken and it was something of a surprised to see him trot out again after the break. No such luck for Pepe however, as the Portuguese defender spent the night in intensive care, and that’s about all that that can be said about his current condition.

The other major talking point was a goal that wasn’t given. As Roberto Soldado skipped past Xabi Alonso, the linesman’s flag shot up before he rounded Casillas to finish. Once the replay became available, suspicions were confirmed. Sergio Ramos had played him on, and it wasn’t even a close call. Valencia veteran David Albelda was the night’s main guest on the show Futboleros, and the uncompromising defender wasn’t in the mood to mince his words. “We have the feeling that something like this will always happen at the Bernabéu.” 

But all said, Valencia can at least take heart from a point well won at a ground where only only three sides came away with anything the year gone by.

Happier events at Camp Nou, where the story was all about the man coming back from serious injury. Sure, we can talk about how Barcelona, roused by a swift Sociedad equaliser, roared into a 4-1 lead by half-time. But we won’t. 

This day was all about David Villa. Almost eight months to the day since the horrific leg break that sidelined him from the European Championship, he sprang from the bench to complete the scoring. Up came his shirt to reveal another emblazoned with the words “Impossible without you!” above a picture of his wife and children. 

Sunday’s late-kick off between Levante and Atlético only reinforced the argument that it was a time to be tucked up in bed and not to be at a football ground. The LFP might claim these ungodly kick-off times offer a respite from the searing heatwave afflicting the country, but nobody’s buying the line. Least of all the fans who have to head home at 1am when they have work in the morning. Perhaps the new key market for the league is the New Zealand Monday morning breakfast market. 

At the Iberostar on Saturday night, the fans voted with their feet and the few who bothered to turn up voiced their disgust at the league and the RFEF. On the field, a Hemed brace earned Joaquín Caparrós’ side a 2-1 win over an Espanyol exhibiting the same old problems. Lots of titilation, but very little action inside the box. 

Wakaso made a goalscoring debut for the visitors, looking lively throughout. Perhaps a little bit too lively as Mauricio Pochettino had to haul him off as a precaution against picking up a second yellow.

And man of the week? That’s a simple one. Although, perhaps not, because the man of the week isn’t quite a man. This honour goes to Málaga striker Fabrice Olinga. With precious few options available up front, Manuel Pellegrini had little choice but to turn to the youth teamer, a prospect picked up from the Samuel Eto’o football foundation in Cameroon. 

As a helter skelter encounter away to newly promoted Celta Vigo looked set for a draw, the youngster struck the winner minutes before the end. At 16 years and 98 days, the forward is the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history.

Results:

Celta 0 Málaga 1

Sevilla 2 Getafe 1

Mallorca 2 Espanyol 1

Athletic Bilbao 3 Betis 5

Real Madrid 1 Valencia 1

Barcelona 5 Real Sociedad 1

Levante 1 Atlético Madrid 1

Tonight:

Deportivo v Osasuna (18:00)

Rayo Vallecano v Granada (20:00)

Zaragoza v Valladolid (22:00)