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  The Football Pubcast 2:38 pm on October 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Champions League, UEFA ( 3 )   

  PVC: Should the Champions League be reserved for champions only? 

  It’s the biggest, richest and most drawn out club competition in the world. The UEFA Champions League is rightly considered the pinnacle of club football, and many believe it’s the pinnacle of all football in terms of sheer quality.

  But should it continue in its current guise?

  Some say the Champions League should return to its roots and be a competition reserved for the champion teams from each European League. After all, it IS called the Champions League.

  Others suggest the competition has benefited hugely from allowing more strong sides from the big European leagues into the competition.

  But where do YOU stand on the argument?

  In this week’s instalment of Pitney v Coxon, our two pubcast sparring partners take opposing sides for the argument that I’ve heard (and had) with mates, cab drivers and workmates alike.

  Should the UEFA Champions League be reserved for champion clubs only?

  Mike Coxon says YES

  The Champions League should be just that…a Champions League.

  I know how great it is to have Barcelona vs. AC Milan, and if that were the case the world (and Clive Tyldesley) wouldn’t have “that night in Barcelona”. But I have two major problems…

  Firstly, the disparity in European footballing nations. Since 2000 only teams from Spain (five times), Italy (three times), England (twice), Germany (once) and Portugal (once) have won the Champions League. And Porto were something of a blip. Compared that to the 90s: Italy (three times), Spain (twice), England, Germany, France, Holland and Yugoslavia all once. And going back, yes teams and nations dominated but there was a greater depth of countries who’s champions had a chance. Will we ever see another Romanian team reach the knock-out stage, let alone win the thing? Or a Scottish team for that matter.

  In fact, can you honestly you can see an Champions League winner coming from outside Spain or England, with Italy and Bayern Munich at a push? All this has one cause – money. And what will keep happening? More money will pile into these leagues. With the possible exception of the Russian teams (keep an eye out for Anzhi, home of Eto’o, Roberto Carlos & Zhirkov), no one will break these barriers.

  And secondly, it’s taken all the prestige from all other competitions. Even the Premier League pales in comparison (just ask Mr. Abramovich and his revolving door of managers). The Europa League is a joke, most teams don’t even want to be in it and the few that do tend to be either resurrecting their season or savouring a rare jaunt to the lesser reaches of Eastern Europe (Stoke will reach the final, that’s my tip). It’s a patronising tournament for losers.

  The solution? Well we’re always hearing about how teams play to many games…so play less. 4 groups, 16 teams after qualifiers, you’d still get a good enough quality. This season you’d be looking at Manchester United, Barcelona, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Porto, Ajax, Zenit St Peterburg, Lille, Olympiakos, Rangers, Copenhagen and Shakhtar Donetsk. Big clubs, big games, and after a few years you would hope a slightly more level playing field with top players wanting to play in the top tournament.

  And then below that you have a reformed Europa League; a genuinely competitive, top class tournament with the best of the rest. Remember when you’d get the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Arsenal in the UEFA Cup final? That could happen again and what’s more you get that bit more prestige for the teams from smaller nations. Would Shamrock Rovers rather face Fulham (no disrespect) or Chelsea? And there’d be an actually competitive Super Cup at the end rather than a glorified friendly.

  Europe should be the pinnacle of club football, but everyone deserves a chance and not just the rich elite. Just don’t bring back the Cup Winners Cup. That was rubbish.

  Simon Pitney says NO

  I want to play a little quiz with you – Can you name me the current champions of Estonia? Of Macedonia? What about the current champions of Iceland? If you know the answers to the above then you really ought to get out more, but should the quiz above leave you scratching your head then don’t worry you are like almost every other current football fan.

  Lets try another quiz – who finished second in Spain last year? Third in the Premiership? What about the runners up in Italy? Feel more comfortable now? Of course you do because you are now talking about some of the largest clubs in the world, who can parade the best players and ultimately play the best football.

  There will never be a “European Super League” but in the current Champions League format we have the closest thing possible. Want to see Barcelona play Milan? Simple just tune in midweek – want to see Barcelona take on Skendija (Answer to quiz question 2)? I would wager not – a)because the gulf in class would be enormous and b) the standard of football wouldn’t be worth tuning into and c)the result would never be in doubt. I don’t pay money to watch one sided events but I would happily pay to see Giants of the game going head to head in the latest of an ongoing battle for supremacy.

  To those who quibble and state the Champions League should only be for Champions – I think your argument is with grammar rather than the current product – keep the teams as they are but rename back to the European Cup – problem solved.

  To illustrate my point I have taken 32 random champions of Europe and conducted a draw (no seedings) – so if you listen to the “Champions League for Champions only” argument – this is what you could have been left with!

  GROUP A
  Rangers
  Basel
  Skonto
  Shaktar Donetsk

  GROUP B
  Boraz Banja Luka
  Skenderbeu
  Porto
  Sturm Graz

  GROUP C
  BATE Borisov
  Flora
  Olympiakos
  Lille

  GROUP D
  Milan
  Zenit
  Zestafeni
  Videoton

  GROUP E
  Wisla Krakow
  UBK
  NK Maribor
  Copenhagen

  GROUP F
  HJK
  Ajax
  Dortmund
  Dinamo Zagreb

  GROUP G
  Litex Lovech
  Viktoria Plzen
  Mogren
  Barcelona

  GROUP H
  Skendija
  Man Utd
  Sloven Bratislava
  Fenerbahce

  The only thing the above has in common with the current tournament is that once again Man Utd got an easy draw! Seriously look at the above and ask yourself it is more palatable than the current offering that gives you Aguero, Sneijder and Ronaldo?

  Whose side are you on? Vote now!

  Which Pubcaster do you agree with? Should England be ranked fourth in the world? Register your vote using the poll below and we’ll announce the results on the next column. Also, feel free to add your thoughts and comments on the issue by using the comments box at the foot of this article.

  LAST TIME ON PVC: Should England be ranked fourth in the world?
  20% said YES
  80% said NO

  Score: Pitney 1-0 Coxon
   

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  The Football Pubcast 12:03 am on February 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Arsenal ( 31 ), Barcelona ( 11 ), Champions League   

  Arsenal v Barca: One for the purists 

  

  The lads from The View From N5 have sent us their preview of the Arsenal v Barcelona clash in the UEFA Champions League.

  Arsenal vs. Barcelona… Arsenal can’t lose…

  …well, obviously they can, and I imagine most people believe they will.

  However, in the context of this Arsenal side’s ongoing development, is it really a bad thing that the draw for the UEFA Champions League has, for the second year running, paired them with FC Barcelona?

  It’s a mouth watering tie. FC Barcelona vs. the team that some refer to as ‘Barcelona-lite’.

  Both teams are capable of wonderful flowing football. However, in the past few years, only one has converted the aesthetics into silverware. This will be an interesting insight into how far away the Gunners are in their mission to emulate ‘the best team in the world’.

  Barcelona are seen as the benchmark for anyone who is interested in ‘The Beautiful Game™’. Their high tempo, possession focused, ‘tiki-taka’ football is a delight to watch and, more importantly, it is sweeping aside all those in front of them. Their dominance in La Liga was on full display earlier this season in the quite terrifying 5-0 demolition of Real Madrid. The control they had in that game was simply outstanding. Madrid barely had the ball – they couldn’t get a kick. Barcelona toyed with their closest rivals and, almost at will, pierced their rearguard with five exquisite goals.

  I watched that game, mesmerised, excited and absolutely convinced Arsenal would have to play Barcelona this season. It was one of life’s little inevitabilities – a Robin Van Persie injury, a Sebastian Squillaci mistake, a pointless transfer window signing by Harry Redknapp…

  But, look – Barcelona have been on a very specific journey to get where they are today.

  You don’t just wake up one morning and find the world’s best team at the training ground. Over the past couple of decades, they’ve invested in youth and hammered home the Barca ethos at every level. Xavi Hernandez testified to this in his quite brilliant interview with the Guardian’s Sid Lowe:

  “Some youth academies worry about winning, we worry about education. You see a kid who lifts his head up, who plays the pass first time, pum, and you think, ‘Yep, he’ll do.’ Bring him in, coach him…. It’s all about rondos [piggy in the middle]. Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It’s the best exercise there is. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball.”

  In my opinion, Arsenal are on a similar journey – they’re just a little behind. This tie will be a reasonable marker of just how far behind they are.

  Towards the beginning of his tenure at the club, Arsené Wenger said that it would take him 10 years to bring through an English player with the required technical qualities to play at the top level. Well here we are.

  In a similar fashion to Barcelona, the Gunners have invested in youth, and Wenger has rigidly stuck to his principles of playing a ‘tiki-taka’ style in a league that traditionally rewards a more direct, physical approach. His greatest trick has been to do this while also financing the construction of a brand new stadium and all the time staying competitive in the Premier League.

  Recently, much has been made of Arsenal’s five years without a trophy. However, it’s worth noting that Barcelona themselves had six barren years between 1999 and 2005. In 2005, the current crop of players ‘clicked’, a league title followed and they never looked back. My hope is that Arsenal are now on the cusp of a similar moment.

  The Arsenal first team is now predominantly made up of maturing players who have grown up together and all completely understand ‘the Arsenal way’. I’m convinced that now, a year down the line, they are in a position to give a more convincing account of themselves than the performances that saw them go out to Barcelona 6-3 on aggregate last season.

  In my opinion the key to Barcelona’s success is their midfield three.

  The combination of ‘Busquets – Xavi – Iniesta’ is absolutely brilliant. The steel and distribution of Busquets, the movement and vision of Xavi along with the quick feet and creativity Iniesta – it makes for a perfectly balanced middle of the park.

  Maybe as an Arsenal fan I’m a little biased, but I think you can make reasonable comparisons with the ‘Song – Fabregas – Wilshere’ combination in terms of balance and roles within the side. Barcelona’s three are obviously more experienced and decorated with top honours, but the Arsenal personnel are extremely talented, younger and still learning. This tie represents a magnificent opportunity for the three to show just how good they can be.

  In the final third Barcelona have Lionel Messi – without a doubt the best player in the world right now – whereas Arsenal now have the increasingly influential Samir Nasri to provide that little bit of magic.

  News that Nasri may be fit for the first leg on Wednesday is heartening. Not just because I’m an Arsenal fan, but also because I feel that ties such as this deserve to have each team playing their strongest 11.

  This wasn’t the case last year, when Arsenal were without Robin Van Persie for either leg, lost Gallas within minutes of the start of the first leg, Arshavin shortly after and then Fabregas and Song for the second leg. Hardly ideal, and I still wonder how things might have turned out if we’d had anywhere near our strongest 11 for the trip to Spain.

  I feel this Arsenal side are well equipped to finally win something this year. They’re already in one cup final, have Leyton Orient to come in the fifth round of the FA Cup and are arguably now the only realistic challengers to Manchester Utd in the league.

  As we get to the business end of the season, the later stages of European competitions can be a real drain due to the intensity of the games and the travelling involved.

  In my view, if Arsenal aren’t going to win the Champions League they will actually be better off going out now and putting everything into the domestic competitions.

  In a way, the most important work this week was done on Saturday when Arsenal beat Wolves to ensure they’re still in the title race. They can now go into the Barcelona game knowing that:

  1) If they win the tie, beating the hot favourites, they should have the belief that they can go all the way in the Champions League having proved themselves against Europe’s best.

  and

  2) If they lose the tie, it’s not the end of the world. The team will have continued their education at the top level and can now put their full concentration into the three remaining domestic competitions.

  I really believe the end of Arsenal’s barren spell is nearing and, having followed a similar developmental path as the ‘best team in the world’ – the future is looking brighter than ever, regardless of what happens on Wednesday.

  Let’s just sit back, and enjoy the battle of the football purists.