Brazil's uninspiring draw leaves Big Phil plenty to think

Goalless draws have been an uncommon result in the World Cup so far and one would not have expected the host Brazil would fail to score. Although one single point ensures they top group A entering the last round of group match, their lacklustre performance leaves the nation wonder whether their dream of lifting the trophy in home soil is still realistic. 

Mexico retained the team which played under pouring rain five days ago. It was only a narrow victory but was more convincing than what the host showed against Croatia in the opening day. With both teams knowing each other quite well, a more cautious approach was adopted. Mexico looked in particular nervous at the start, possibly wary of the threat of Brazil, especially when they lost by two goals in Confederations Cup almost the same day last year.

Nevertheless, Brazil allowed them to settle, and when they have, Rafael Marquez, four-time captain of Mexico in World Cup, rightly coordinated the defence with offside traps, which at time looked risky, but proved to be effective against the immobile Fred.

The secret to break offside traps is penetrating runs from midfield.  Paulinho was being tasked with this role but had largely been disappointing, similar to his debut season in England. Ramires continued his failure to replicate the electric performance in Chelsea and was substituted promptly after half time, with little surprise.

Ochoa was simply faultless

The absence of Hulk meant that both fullbacks were the sole source of width in Brazil's attack, but Dani Alves was far from productive and from time to time became a liability in offence. Brazil's best chance in the first half came from a header from an unlikely source --- Neymar, but Guillermo Ochoa picked up from where he left off to deny Neymar and more crucially, his determination prevented Brazil from taking advantage of a poorly organised offside trap that saw four Brazilians surrounding the goalkeeper following a freekick.  

On the other side, Mexico also could not get their key threats going. Giovani Dos Santos was often outmuscled, so did Oribe Peralta. Although David Luiz still occasionally went eccentric, Thiago Silva was as solid as ever that Mexico could only threaten with long shots. Hector Herrera's attempts had got Julio Cesar sweating and with time went on, confidence within the Mexicans were growing fast.

The introduction of Jo all of a sudden brought Brazil some energy. Neymar thought he broke the deadlock finally, but Ochoa was one again stood between his left foot volley and the back of the net. Late in the game, Ochoa made sure he bagged the man of the match award with a brilliant save to deny the unmarked Thiago Silva.

It is true that you don't necessarily tune your team to be on full gear from the first day of the four weeks tournament, but Brazil looked worryingly relaxed, uninterested and unmotivated. Marcelo would have further disgusted the supporters for not standing strong against a soft challenge and let go of a wonderful opportunity late in the match. Even when Scolari were desperate for more intensity to be displayed, they never delivered.

Will he still get the call?

It is unlikely their journey stops at group stage. To advance further, Scolari might have to re-evaluate his best eleven. With no better option, Fred is still the no.9 but Jo might deserve more playing time. Paulinho has so far been poor, prompting the questions why Fernandinho is still yet to log his first minute of action.

Brazil also needs Oscar to be at his best. When Oscar appears as a potent threat, he forces opponents to divert focus on Neymar and thus brings more life to the attack. Oscar's form has dropped tremendously since February. If Scolari is yet to determine who is his deputy, Willian deserves to be auditioned in the final group game against Cameroon.

Brazil has started the tournament in a way that they could only get better. Whether they can rediscover the form last summer is yet to be seen. 

Van Gaal led Oranje's revenge in style

It's only the second day of the World Cup and surprises are in no short supply. The Japanese referee's decision was surprising; the weather deteriorated surprisingly quickly, and the encore of last final turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided game.

The flying Van Persie

The shock does not only originate from the final score, but also how Louis Van Gaal constructed the victory which, on paper, is near to impossible. None of the starting five defenders were featured in the 2010 World Cup and only Ron Vlaar has major tournament experience. Their three goalkeepers have a combined 27 caps, one-sixth of the caps Iker Casillas solely owns.

Who would have predicted that Netherlands would manage to keep Spain in check, while the experienced Casillas endured an embarrassing night?

Vincent Del Bosque wouldn't be complacent against Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben, but might have thought his side would have no trouble to score against Netherlands. In truth, flaws were exposed among Oranje's three centrebacks, with a true no.9 Diego Costa's presence open up space for David Silva and Andres Iniesta to threaten the final third.

Silva's miss proved to be costly

If Van Persie and Robben are credited for driving the win with some world class quality goals, young goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen also played a key part in the comeback victory. His save had prevented Silva from opening up a two-goal load in first half and kept Netherlands' hope alive.

But how did Netherlands fire five goals past Iker Casillas? On one hand, La Roja had themselves to blame, fielding Casillas and Pique who both finished the season on a low with dipping form. It might be a bit risky to play Napoli duo Raul Albiol and Pepe Reina, but the risk all starts from Del Bosque's unwillingness to experiment prior to the tournament.

On the other hand, Van Gaal had a gameplan and ordered his players to execute it perfectly. Rather than attempting to better the midfield of Spain, diagonal crosses were the main weapon Van Gaal used to unlock the Spain defence. Although looking fruitless and unconvincing at the start, Netherlands began to find the way and was only stopped by some well-timed offside trap. The intelligence of Van Persie and Robben in timing their runs was well-rewarded by accurate passes by Daley Blind, the highly-rated full back which is monitored by Manchester United. There were still a lot to do to put the ball behind Casillas, but the tactics to expose Spain's high line and the enormous room between Pique and Sergio Ramos was the key to success.

catch me if you can!

Daley Blind's exceptional performance meant Cesar Azpilicueta had to focus on defence, which in turn limited the width of Spain's attack, which is highly reliant on flying fullbacks. Fitness of Xavi and Xabi Alonso under the extreme weather was also questionable, as Netherlands did not have to work ultra hard to contain the playmakers, and Spain only got more sluggish as time went on.

The idea of slotting Pedro in was correct, but a controversial goal, also some poor marking, and Casillas' mistake killed off Spain's hope. Del Bosque's refusal to limit the damage granted Robben the room to humiliate Sergio Ramos and Casillas further.

How far can they go?

 Compared to recent tournaments when Netherlands overloaded themselves with attackers, Van Gaal builds the team around Sneijder, Robben and Van Persie, and when the trio understands and enjoys their role, they deliver. Van Gaal's squad selection, judged by players' form and functionality over fame, is well justified so far. Their shortage of experience might be a disadvantage in later stage of tournament, if they advance that far, but this Oranje is so refreshing and promising, which not only reminds the Dutch the Golden Age of Ajax football, also led by Van Gaal, but also sadden the supporters to see the legendary manager leave the post in a month time.    

A little less flair, a higher chance?

Brazilian football is equivalent to extraordinary skills, tricks, attacks and no boring football. It is appealing but does not always translate to trophies, especially when facing the less impromptu and more tactical teams in Europe. Being the host of the World Cup again after 64 years, Brazil is keen to better the runner-up they achieved last time on home soil.

They have the perfect man to lead them. Luiz Felipe Scolari has had a successful career at international level and brought Brazil the last Jules Rimet Trophy in 2002. He is the man who knows how to bring the best out of Brazil.

Trophy, no problem?

They know the weather; they won the Confederation Cup last year by crushing Spain. Nonetheless, Brazil is still not being regarded as the absolute favourite of the tournament. One of the many reasons is the lack of formidable strikers. Pele, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho were once the source of goals that Brazil can confidently rely on their attacking football to conquer the world. This time, it is Fred and Jo to lead the front – both plying their trade in Brazil after unsuccessful periods in Europe –, supported by the talented Neymar who has yet to prove himself on the big stage following a disappointing year at Barcelona. Despite his terrific national goalscoring record, this is not a frightening frontline at all.

Can the midfield compensate for the shortage in creativity? Not if Hulk is in the starting lineup again. He wins the heart of Scolari but is not as brilliant as suggested by his price tag. His left foot is powerful but overall his style is just too predictable (remember Adriano, anyone?). The best source of flair should come from Oscar, although his drop of form late in the season would worry Big Phil. In truth, Oscar has been restless since Olympics 2012 representing both his country and club. This might give Oscar's clubmate Willian a shot at the no. 10 position, who, under Mourinho's nurture, has matured significantly in the last 12 months.  

The Chelsea duo will fight for a starting berth

The front does not look reassuring, so is the back. They have got one of the best defenders in the world, Thiago Silva. Unfortunately, defence is all about teamwork, which could be non-existent when your second best centreback is David Luiz. He makes himself one of the most expensive defender in the world, but he has only ever been a liability at Stamford Bridge. The momentarily brilliance of his freekicks and long shots could not make up for his carelessness and unawareness at defence. With Brazil have always been in favour of playing advancing full backs, featuring La Liga rivals Marcelo and Dani Alves this time, but with his roaming forward with freedom, David Luiz does not give you the confidence of balancing attack and defence at the centreback position as Lucio once displayed.

What Scolari has got, though, is a solid mix of central midfields, which is comparable to the Gilberto Silva - Kleberson partnership in 2002. Having enjoyed a triumphant season with Manchester City, Fernandinho emerges to be Scolari's prime option in midfield, despite not being selected in the Confederation Cup last year. Another serious contender is Ramires, who was also not in the squad last year having fallen out with Scolari for dropping out of a friendly match against Russia earlier in the year. The two Premier League players are both all-rounded and box-to-box which are essential to Brazil, who often plays with an open and attacking game with flying fullbacks.  

Limiting David Luiz's craziness could be the key to success

The starting pair last June, Luiz Gustavo and Paulinho, enriches Big Phil's options in the position, if he is in need of an anchorman or a more advancing midfielder. Having had to settle in their new clubs, they have both gone through an up-and-down season, but still have a part to play in the national team. 29 years old Hernanes is also Scolari's man-to-turn-to if tempo-controlling and possession-retaining is the key priority during the match.

Decided against calling up Kaka, Ronaldinho, Lucas Moura or Robinho, there is less flair and individualism in the team, but shows Scolari's belief that unity and teamwork are the ingredients for World Cup success. Turning this decent team to the best in global this summer will not be straightforward, but could be the most important and notable achievement of Big Phil's managerial career.

A dramatic All-Madrid Champions League final

So close to a grand finale to the fairy-tale season, Diego Simeone's side buckled in the dying minute and witnessed the Los Bloncos never looked back after Sergio Ramos' equaliser. The final scoreline may not truly reflect the match. Real Madrid was unconvincing for most of the regular time, but they kept their belief and persistence to finally overcome Atletico Madrid. It is the result that matters. Carlo Ancelotti would have little complaints on how his third personal Champions League trophy is achieved. 

Simeone had made most of his decisions right. He managed to silent the "BBC" trio and did not let his team expose much to Real Madrid's speedy counter attack. Thibaut Courtois barely needed to glove in the first half. On the other end, a routine cross following clearance from corner caught Iker Casillas' hesitation. A rare mistake from the experienced goalkeeper gifted Diego Godin second goal in last two matches, potentially both title winner.

So close to celebration

There is just too much quality in Real Madrid that to beat them, you have to be almost perfect for more than 90 minutes. Their two best players had vanished among the spiritual defence. When Gareth Bale uncharacteristically squandered two golden chances, somehow they still managed to pull something out of the bag. Ramos' inch-perfect header and Angel Di Maria's superb run in the extra time were pure quality and determination which also defines how extraordinary Real Madrid is. Bale's header is no easy either, with his body balance adjusted so well to meet Courtois' save.

Being no rookie to big occasion both as a player and manager, also managed to get four points out of six in the two Madrid derbies this season, no wonder Sergio Ramos declared themselves as the underdog against Simeone's side. Nevertheless, the Argentine would be backfired with his decision to risk playing Diego Costa, a sentimental but ultimately costly decision.

A debatable decision to play Costa for merely 10 minutes

While Ancelotti also played an unfit Sami Khedira in the starting lineup, Khedira is more of a role player and Real Madrid could afford to have him being unconstructive to the offense. With no surprise, Khedira was Ancelotti's primary target to go to when an more attacking approach was required.

On contrast, Diego Costa is the scoring machine that Atletico Madrid desperately needs him to be fully fit. Knowing that his fitness condition is marginal, Simeone allowed Diego Costa ten minutes on the field with no contribution with the price of one substitution. However insignificant as it sounds, Felipe Luis' fatigue, Juanfran's cramp and Godin's inability to race back in extra time how demanding physically to defend Real Madrid in regular time. Extra pair of fresh legs would do no harm to Atletico. There was no shocking face when Costa was taken off. This seemed to be an understood decision among the squad, but certainly debatable if this was a wise one.

Ancelotti celebrating his third Champions League trophy

Many key players in this epic final will be at their own crossroads to their future. Diego Costa looks destined to move to London, while Courtois may also return to Chelsea. Raul Garcia, Koke and Gabi will all be hot targets in the market. Iker Casillas could be on the way out as his importance at Madrid is fading. The future of Benzema and Morata are also questionable as Ancelotti is keen to pursuit a top-class striker. Over a summer, it could be a completely new look at Madrid, but this night will certainly go into the history book as one of the most dramatic and memorable final ever. 

The new era behind Louis Van Gaal

The Dutch partnership will be at Old Trafford next season

Finally, he has landed at Old Trafford. It might be twelve years late, but the Red Devils supporters do not mind. They simply can't wait for a new manager, a world class one with proven successful history.

At club level, Louis van Gaal has already tasted success in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany with a CV full of major European titles. Apparently, the board recognises the United nowadays may not afford a long term project but rather need instant success. David Moyes is a decent manager, but has yet to build his authority at a bigger club.

One order that United fans is hoping Van Gaal can restore to is Robin Van Persie's invincibility. Being so pivotal in his debut season at Old Trafford, Van Persie was slowed down by injuries (rumour has it that the Dutch striker implied his injuries were down to the vigorous training implemented by the Moyes) and also looked uninspired under in the 13-14 season. Van Gaal's personal connection should help get the best out of the striker – the exquisite volley for example against Ecuador. He has also demonstrated in the past how to best utilise his attacking assets at his previous clubs. The trio of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Van Persie can be a formidable threat and there are high hopes that they will shine behind van Gaal.

Jones (left) and Evans has to fill the void left by Ferdinand and Vidic

Nevertheless, the first agenda in his in-tray must be to repair or more precisely revamp the defence. Over 500 games of experience between Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are gone. Johnny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have respectively showed glimpses of talents, though still short of solidity, consistency and reliability (Roy Keane would agree). With David de Gea having settled, Patrice Evra staying on for another year and a break from European football, it is the perfect circumstance for the three young centrebacks to step up and show that they can live up to the expectation; though a disastrous pre-season form would convince the authoritative manager to keep them out of the team (forever).

What van Gaal can do to nurture them is to allow them settle in their preferred centreback position, which means to put trust on Rafael and Maroune Fellaini. Rafael's development has stalled as he has struggled to find the balance between aggressiveness and recklessness, or he would end up like his twin brother – signing off his United career with a reckless red card. His sophomore blue saw Valencia and Smalling take up more duties at right back. Exclusion from the Brazil World Cup squad is a wake-up call for the young full back and summer work will be essential in order to impress his new boss.

Will any of Muller (left) or Kroos join?

 Rumours are surfacing that Fellaini will be following his former manager at the exit door. His below-par performance should not be blamed solely on himself. His lack of mobility is no secret but had been well complemented at Everton. Pairing him up with Carrick in a 4-4-2 setup was a mistake that left United midfield short of pace and exposed to counter-attack.

same team next year?

Fellaini is still a world-class player who could be a game-changer. His vision, comprehension and physical presence is invaluable to Manchester United and is sorely missed when the blue part of Manchester has Yaya Toure and Fernandinho whereas the Reds only have Cleverley, Fletcher, and forgotten-man Anderson. A box-to-box type or a more penetrating central midfielder would be his ideal partner, in which he can sit deeper as an anchorman to orchestrate the offence, similar to Carrick's current role. While Toni Kroos is not van Gaal's cup of tea, and even if United could not rival Arsenal to sign Cesc Fabregas, the current central midfielders – even Carrick given his age –  would need miracles so stay in the Dutchman’s plans.

There are a lot to fix that even a manager as successful and experienced as van Gaal should not be expected to steer it right straight away. However, securing the service of the Dutch is the correct decision to re-inject the self-belief in the dressing room. Van Gaal has also made his first key decision right by retaining Ryan Giggs, an iconic and influential figure at Old Trafford with an eye to succeed van Gaal after his three-year rebuilding. Can United fans finally cheer in the post-Sir Alex era? We will wait and see. 

Analysing the Three Lions

A month to go and it's World Cup, the favourite time for pundits to comment on the squad and predict the possible starting line-up. It might be the satisfaction of getting it right that makes it fun. The truth is you will never get it all correct.

Roy Hodgson has delivered what he promised --- no surprise selection, but certainly some surprise omission. Who would have guessed Ashley Cole is being left out? It is justifiable given Luke Shaw has had a tremendous season. Also, if Hodgson is determined that Leighton Baines will be his no. 1 choice, bringing Luke Shaw to Brazil is certainly much more beneficial to England's future.

Baines (left) and Barkley first major tournament

Hodgson has bravely named a lot more exciting youngsters in this Three Lions squad compared to that of four years ago. Among those, Raheem Sterling might have the best shot to start in Brazil. With Theo Walcott's absence and Sterling himself finishing the season in strong fashion, the attacking position on the right flank is up for him to grab. Ross Barkley is another serious contender for start XI, although 23 years old Jordan Henderson would be the natural option to partner club teammate Steven Gerrard to offer Hodgson solidity in central midfield.

The squad has mostly been named based on form rather than experience, perhaps apart from whether Gareth Barry deserves a place more than Frank Lampard. Hodgson should also be praised for giving himself a handful of tactical options by naming a group of wide diversity. Getting it right against each opponent would be the next challenge.

The first headache is how to accommodate Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney together. England needs Rooney to start, but is also desperate for some constant presence in the box, which Rooney seldom offers when starting up front alone. His ability of dropping deep in midfield, though, opens up the opportunity for both to start. Nevertheless, goal-scoring could still be a weakness of England, with Rooney's history of struggles in major tournament and questionable finishing touch of Danny Welbeck, Sturridge and Sterling. Sometimes, you only see one chance to score in the entire match and you just could not afford to miss it in a World Cup group match.

While Jack Wilshere should lead the race to stand alongside Gerrard, his fitness issue makes Henderson the favourite. However, it would not be surprising to see all three starting against Italy. Adam Lallana can provide the ever-missing no.10 creativity to England to threaten between lines of defence. Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be the dynamic duo who are more than able to shift the momentum within a match.

There gone the familiar faces --- Terry (left) and A.Cole

However, how the midfield mix shapes out could be hindered by the loopholes at the back. There is no John Terry, Rio Ferdinand nor Ashley Cole. There is no obvious leadership at the back. Gary Cahill has matured and improved playing alongside Terry at some highest level of competition, but his qualifying campaign partner Phil Jagielka has only just returned to fitness. As Phil Jones also struggles with injury, the assurance at the heart of defence is scarce.

To pinpoint the weakest link in England, unfortunately, is again at the back. Glen Johnson is better known as an attacking full back, but what England really needs is the Gary Neville type of right back --- defence-driven and solid. Even they manage to escape from group stage, undoubtedly this will be the area most easily exposed by the likes of Neymar, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Angel Di Maria.

Will the Liverpool formula work?

Many urges England to follow Liverpool's model to search for triumph in Brazil. They might well should, as obviously their strength does not lie in defence in this group with the absence of veterans and a typical defensive midfielder. With perhaps the weakest team in their group, Costa Rica, lined up at the back of the fixture, it is tempting to fall into the trap of playing safe against Italy and Uruguay. Hodgson must resist the temptation and be determined to starting the tournament in a positive fashion. This can not only settle the nerves of the younger batch, but also inject the belief to the players that they could go all the way. Conservatism has already cost England too many tournaments. A team well-known of suffering in penalty stage, England indeed has the edge to kill off opponents in regular time.

Moyes is gone, is Sherwood the next?

So there goes David Moyes, finally. The fact that United could not wait for another month to part way with the Chosen One shows the intolerance of the Board towards Moyes' performance. Opinions are divided between whether he deserves more time. One thing for certain is another man in a similar situation seems destined to depart as well.

Tim Sherwood was picked to inherit Andre Villas-Boas late last year. Although never being envisioned as the long-term solution, he was still given a 18-month contract, having explicitly stated his desire to stay. The deal appeared to pay off initially, with the backing of a revived Emmanuel Adebayor. However, a horrid run of results against top teams have relegated Tottenham back to the race for Europa and have unsettled the dressing room that seems gone out of Sherwood's control.

There are a number of similarities between the two managers. Somehow, they have got the best out of their best strikers. Wayne Rooney has chosen to stay, either because of his admiration towards Moyes or the payroll, while Adebayor was rediscovered among the reserves and U18 squad. Regardless of the reason that he was neglected, his 10 goals has fully repaid the faith of Sherwood towards himself.

Sherwood's affinity with young players have led to the emergence of some promising talents amidst the turbulent season, which is comparable to Moyes' introduction of Adnan Januzaj at Old Trafford. Having not represented the senior team before this season, Nabil Bentaleb has quickly become Sherwood's favourite, with his all-rounded mentality and techniques anchoring him as one of the two central midfielders in Sherwood's 4-4-2 setup. Another youngster Harry Kane also benefits from the departure of Jermain Defoe and sees his confidence growing with more playing time, bagging his first ever Premier League goal for Tottenham.

Bentaleb's breakout season

However, the tactical side of Sherwood has let Tottenham down. He restores the "old school" 4-4-2 formation, which at times enables Spurs to dominate weaker teams with extra man in the box. On the other hand, it makes them vulnerable against stronger sides with a man short in the midfield. Possession game is all modern football is about, but Sherwood has yet to understand this.

Moyes could blame the lack of recruitment of midfielders. For Sherwood, he purely fails to find the a pair that works. He favours all-rounded midfielders thus often pairs up Dembele and Bentaleb.  Sherwood still started Sandro at Stamford Bridge hoping for some solidity. It didn't work well that sees Sandro being relegated to the bench then, but Sherwood never realised fielding two unfit right backs on the right flanks was the main reason why they were demolished.

Will he get one more chance?

Sherwood resumed the partnership of the two left-footers, although they are too similar in style, both prefers ball at feet and more inclined to attack, leaving the defence well exposed. They got away behind Christian Eriksen's brilliance at home against Southampton. A week later, Sherwood even replaced Dembele with attacking playmaker Sigurdsson at Anfield. Was it of any surprise when they got hammered? Not really.

Tim Sherwood did not have a summer to shape his squad, nor have the luxury to spend more in January. With Tottenham still manages at sixth position, one could argue the former Spurs player deserves more time. The truth is Daniel Levy does not have the patience to wait and Sherwood fails to prove himself as the one to bring Champions League to White Hart Lane again. Two more games to go and Tottenham looks ready to welcome another chief in charge.

Arsenal can still finish fourth

When titles have become such a luxury, consecutive seasons of Champions League qualification is the sole moment of glory for Arsene Wenger. Nevertheless, another disastrous performance away from home put their hope for top four, so as Wenger's prospect at the club, in serious doubt.

It was their fourth defeat in their last five away games, which they conceded fifteen goals and only scored two. It was also the sixth out of last seven games that they failed to keep a clean sheet. Down this poor stretch, their only victory was the narrow win at White Hart Lane.

The resilience in defence shown against Manchester City was vanished. Everton's attack, fuelled by the speed of fullbacks Seamus Coleman, Leighton Baines and winger Kevin Mirallas, has torn the Gunners' defence apart. Although Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker remained relatively deep, Romelu Lukaku is a beast who requires more attention than Edin Dzeko. While they managed to keep the slower and more compact attack of Manchester City in check, Everton beat them with width and pace.

With a game in hand, mathematically Roberto Martinez's side has the advantage over Arsenal in the race for fourth. However, Gunners' supporters still have solid reasons to believe it will be their 17th season in a row to qualify for the Champions League.

Both Walcott and Ramsey were out injured

February and March have traditionally been the nightmare months for Arsenal, when injuries and fatigues are their biggest enemies. It is the same old story this year. Three of their best players in 2013 could not bring their forms into 2014. Aaron Ramsey went down in Boxing Day and suffered couple of injury setbacks. Olivier Giroud was simply burnt out as Wenger is short of options on the bench. Mehmet Ozil's impressive Premier League debut gradually fades away amidst the congested fixtures and ultimately is sent to the treatment room. What made the situation worse was Theo Walcott's lengthy absence since early January. 

However, don't forget another Gunners' tradition though --- they have the ability to finish the season on a high. The importance of Champions League football is well-understood in the dressing room and Wenger can inspire his side to recover from the poor run mid-season and hold off the challenge, recently by Tottenham, to secure the fourth spot by one point in the past two seasons. The remaining fixtures are as well quite favourable to Arsenal, with the majority of games at home and against teams with limited relegation threat.

On the other hand, the two Manchester giants are yet to line up at Goodison Park and the trips to Southampton and Sunderland are awaiting for the Toffees. The risk of dropping points is apparently higher than Arsenal.

Arsenal is also a far more superior side against weaker teams than top teams. The talent and creativity of their midfield enables them to disjoint opponents backline with the free-flowing attack. Having been able to dominate possession also eases pressure on their defence, who shows solidity but occasionally looks fragile against speedy strikers.

Lukaku is the key to Everton

Everton is at their best when playing counter-attack football. No wonder their records against top teams have been remarkable. On contrast, they sometimes struggle against teams who are determined to earn a draw, in particular when playing away from home. Points have already been dropped at Norwich, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and West Brom. Having Lukaku back healthy is a huge boost, but not known as a natural-attacking team, bagging three points could be a tougher task than imagined.

Everything appears to be flowing in the opposite direction for Arsenal at the moment. However, the talents and experience within the squad, as well as the favourable schedule ahead, they still have a good chance to come on top of Everton to grab the remaining Champions League spot. 

Munich got the upperhand with a draw at Old Trafford

It is not too bad a result for David Moyes, considering the superiority of Pep Guardiola's side this season. The away goal, though, puts them in the position having to hunt for a goal at the Allianz Arena next week. A couple of points worth noting from the first leg:

(a) Welbeck's shyness in front of goal

His movement was so delightful, yet his finishing was so awful. After half an hour of tough defensive work, Danny Welbeck ruined a golden chance to give his team a significant morale boost. Captain Nemanja Vidic ultimately netted a well-deserved goal, but doubts remain with Welbeck who shows glimpse of talents but have also been consistently wasteful in front of goals. In the highest level of football, there is little margin for missed opportunities. This is also the key how Welbeck is differentiated from world class strikers.

While Manchester United pray his miss will not come back to haunt them, Moyes' continuous isolation of Javier Hernandez is growingly hard to justify. The Mexican's clinical finishing touch has been invaluable to United and makes him too good as a fourth-choice striker. Giving him this bit-part role only keeps him unsettled and unfit that does no benefit to Moyes at all.

The way to stop Schweinsteiger --- suspension

(b) Pep's suspension worries 

One of the talking points of the night would surely be Bastian Schweinsteiger's red card. Obviously, Wayne Rooney tried his best to make the most out of a routine challenge, a minute after fierce complaint to the referee for an unawarded foul, and only shortly after Antonio Valencia reckless tackle. Schweinsteiger was unlucky to be sent off, although he should be more careful after being booked, considering his significance to the team. With Thiago Alcantara out due to injury and Javi Martinez also being suspended following a cynical foul on Chicharito, Guardiola might be forced to field a more attacking midfield trio, featuring both Kroos and Gotze, and supported by Philipp Lahm.

The last time they played a similar formation in European was against Manchester City, which they lost after leading by 2-0. Bayern doesn't play important games without captain Schweinsteiger often. There will surely be loopholes and it will be up to Moyes to exploit them. One positive note for Pep would be Dante's return from suspension, such that he could still field a reliable back four.

(c) Moyes is more comfortable to defend

When it was quite clear that United, as an underdog entering the match, needed to defend, there was neither confusion nor mysterious selections in Moyes' game plan. The experienced pair Rio Ferdinand and Vidic was accompanied by Phil Jones and Alex Buttner who had orders to be less adventurous. Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini were also allowed to drop so deep to contain Toni Kroos in between the lines, with the willingness of the attacking trio to track back. Eventually, Bayern could only threaten the Red Devils with crosses, which gave little problems to Ferdinand and Vidic, who are still relatively comfortable in aerial battles, especially against Thomas Muller.

Vidic's aerobic header

Nevertheless, only one moment of lapse in Rio's concentration gifted substitute Mario Mandzukic the chance to set up the equaliser. Rio's fitness remains a concern whether he could sustain a high level of performance even for just 90 minutes. After all, Moyes might still go with his experience when playing at Germany next week, especially with Rafael, Johnny Evans and Chris Smalling far from fully fit.

Buttner was also forced off due to injury, but United will have Patrice Evra returning from suspension. Anyhow, the Netherland's left back deserved a huge credit for keeping his companion Robben quiet for most of the night and could be the unsung hero if Manchester United manages to go through to the last four.

Flops of England Referees

In the last 50 years, the men 100m world record has quickened by 0.5 seconds. Improved medical treatment and physiology helps athletes to be stronger and faster. Officials are expected to catch-up with the increased pace of the games. When the limit of human beings is being pushed to the boundary, technology is being called upon.

Various sports have already sought the assistance of technology. American sports have reasonable tolerance for in-game delays to allow for review systems. Even fast-flowing sports like tennis adapts Eagle-eye system and grant players opportunities to challenge questionable calls by umpire. Meanwhile, football has only begun to bring in goal-line technology to reduce controversy in close calls for goals, or even "ghost" goals.

Mr Mariner has been having a tough week

After all, as Mr Blatter insists, officiating is driven by human beings. Video replays still have to be reviewed by the referees. Also, there is certain scope of judgement still determined by referees rather than computers.

Officials in Premier League have been under the limelight lately. Unarguably one of the toughest leagues to officiate, the standard of the referees, though, are dipping worryingly. You can see referees giving out penalty although being 50 yards from the action, but also not giving one being obviously within eyesight distance. You can witness a red card being issued after two minutes of self-thinking. There seems to be no standard code of practice for officials, leading to inconsistency in judging level of punishment for cynical fouls and handling chaotic situation in games. Ultimately, players take advantage by trying to make the most out of the varying personal characters of referees.

When you look at Italy and Spain, the consistency of the standard of referees is outstanding. They may still make the wrong calls, remembering that they are not robots. However, the communication and understanding among the officials are excellent. They excel in establishing authority and controlling players' temper. They have clear criteria for physical contacts and more importantly, stone-hearted that they are not moved by the crowds or tempered players easily.

Chris Foy denied a conversation with Mourinho

It is understandable that referees make mistakes. With more cameras in the field, matches being broadcasted all over the world and local media also imposing pressure , modern officials are having tough time. Take Alberto Mallenco, or better known as the referee for El Clasico, as an example. Having got most of the calls right and done a relatively decent job to keep the intense derby flowing, he was widely criticised by Real Madrid for not having the fear-looking face as Pierlugi Collina and more importantly, wrongly sent off Sergio Ramos and awarding the penalty.

Fairly speaking, Neymar was sneaky to earn the foul. Mallenco could have granted Ramos the benefit of doubt. At least, he was logically correct to give the marching order after his determined penalty decision. Madrid had also benefited from Mallenco's excellence in spotting Dani Alves' clipping Ronaldo and earned a penalty, though the foul was marginally outside the box. Majority of the referees may not award the unobvious foul. Ancelotti's side should also count themselves lucky not down to ten men before half time, if Pepe's head-butting was appropriately penalised.

Howard Webb --- most respectable referee in England now

Premier League adopted a system to conduct post-match officiating correction. The effectiveness of it is in doubt. If Andre Marriner failed to identify Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be the ball-handler, should Chamberlain be banned while Kieran Gibbs' suspension is lifted? While Alan Pardew was given a seven match-ban for head-butting David Meyler, Joe Hart was only being booked for the same vigorous reaction towards Chris Boyd, with the latter being banned for three matches, having been seen spitting towards Joe Hart in the post-match review. Although the logic that incidents being dealt with within the match will not be overruled in order to maintain the creditability of referees is valid, to some extent it is contradicting, unless red card appeals are also forbidden.

Mr. Blatter is not wrong after all. Officiating is a human being's job. We have already seen how crucial one single referee's decision can impact the outcome of a match, ultimately the title of a league. While FIFA has little intention to introduce more technology into football in the near future, England needs to improve the standard of referees, as well as reviewing the system to prevent it from faltering. Officials should drive the standard of the league forward, but not dragging it from developing further. 

Some room to breathe, but still long way to go

To revert the humiliating scoreline at home on Sunday and advance to the last eight of Champions League is exactly the pain relief that David Moyes desperately needs. Another loss would almost mean the exit door is open for the "Chosen One".  It has been long since there was something supporters can cheer at Old Trafford. They will make the most out of it before the tough league fixtures in the week ahead.

Ryan the Saviour

On the scoresheet, it was Robin Van Persie who duly delivered the victory for the Red Devils. In truth, Ryan Giggs was deservedly the man of the match. The legs are well gone, but not the wisdom. Being economical with his touch, he kept United's attack flowing and was often the provider of threatening passes. His pinpointed diagonal overhead passes that led to the first two goals had said it all.

Giggs turned back the clock on Wednesday

At 40 years old, Giggs took advantage of the slower pace of the European football and has been far more productive in continental competitions. Being by far the best player on Wednesday evening, on one hand David Moyes cherishes the presence of the veteran, on the other hand fans would wonder who could they turn to in the more physical Premier League.

Can they go all the way?

Despite coming back from two goals down to win the tie, Manchester United was yet to show their invincibility. Being 3-0 up, Moyes again decided to opt for a conservative approach, rather than attempting to seal the deal. A more friendly deflection for Dominguez's freekick or if not of David De Gea's superb double saves, United would have been eliminated on away goal, let alone Olympiakos had been wasteful for the whole night.

Whether it was Moyes' tactics or the team chemistry not working well, in simple terms they appear to be the weakest among the last eight in the competition. While Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are obviously more superior, individual flair of PSG and the pace of Dortmund could easily tear them apart. They might have a shot at Chelsea but Jose Mourinho's European experience gives Chelsea the edge. Atletico Madrid is distracted by local title race, but quality of Diego Costa, as well as the characters shown by the whole team under Diego Simeone has been sensational so far.

Maybe slightly over-optimistic

Weaker teams usually ride on strong spirit to spring a surprise. Nevertheless, inconsistency has often halted United's momentum and fails them to enjoy a long spell of victory throughout the season. The dream to qualify for next season Champions League by crowning the current campaign sounds more unrealistic than it used to be, when Sir Alex was still on the bench.

Europa maybe?

It is almost impossible to think about finishing in top four now, being 14 points away from Arsenal and Liverpool. A Europa berth at least limits the damage done this season.  Manchester City's League Cup title means the Europa place is extended to the sixth position, somewhere United would not have imagined they would finish at, not even outside. At the moment, they are three points behind Everton, who sits at sixth place with a game in hand, and are further five points away from Tottenham, a team who has a far more turbulent season than United does.

Mata: Lost

Moyes still struggles to find his best Eleven in Premier League. He could not get his new recruits going. Placing Juan Mata on the right is a strange move that never gets the best out of the Spanish, whereas Fellaini's mobility is well-exposed. Together with the aging defenders, this team is nowhere near promising.  

 Among the three in the race for Europa, Manchester United faces the toughest fixtures, having yet to be played Manchester City, Newcastle and Everton, with the latter two games away from home. The squad have the winning mentality to inspire a strong run to end the season, but from now they must treat every single match as an elimination tie. Victory in the derby next Wednesday could be the perfect catalyst.  

Can Milan take some positives from this season?

Those were the days

Recent success at San Siro has been painted in blue more often than red. Inter Milan notched up five straight Serie A titles since the infamous match-fixing scandal. AC Milan managed to bag one before Juventus recovered fully from the scandal to dominate Serie A again. During this period, Milan parted away with Carlo Anchelotti, the coach who brought them European triumph twice, and also transited from veteran-based squad to more youth-based.

Although Massimiliano Allegri was still able to engineer a league title during the transition, the board has finally exhausted their patience in this turbulent season and decided to offer club legend Clarence Seedorf his first club to manage. A complete turnaround is close to impossible as they are still six points away from Europa football and ten from Champions League, but could Seedorf and Milan supporters take some positives out of this campaign and hope for a better future?

The future pillars are growing

Undoubtedly Mattia De Sciglio is the most exciting prospect of Milan in recent years. A solid fullback with good sense of positioning and strong with both feet, De Sciglio also shows glimpse of brilliance on the attacking end, gradually drawing comparison to the legendary Paolo Maldini. Conquering injury and the pressure of expectation will lead him to become another star at San Siro.

Another bright points are the two midfield youngster Riccardo Saponara and Bryan Cristante. Their playing opportunity is still relatively limited but has already showed some refreshing sign in their brief appearance. Compared to Cristante, the highly-rated Saponara will face even stiffer competition at attacking midfielder position, but also offer Seedorf the option to field three playmakers to support Mario Balotelli.

Don't forget new recruit Keisuke Honda. He is still yet to hit the ground running but the Japanese's ability is proven in the European stage. Even though Milan might have made a mess in acquiring him, there is a good reason why they are his long term admirer. Honda and Kaka could be a devastating attacking pair in Serie A.  

The belief is there

Clarence Seedorf is a statue of success, having title-winning season in four different countries, including at San Siro, and of course notably the three Champions League trophies with three different teams. His tactical knowledge might not be as wealthy as Allegri, but his team-talk might be more inspiring to a group who has not used to enjoying regular success.  

Seedorf is an inspiring figure to the squad 

Adel Taarabt and Urby Emanuelsson in particular seems to have been encouraged by the arrival of Seedorf and showed a much better display in second half of the season. They might not have seen the results come yet, but the way they played lately demonstrates more self-belief and surely is more enjoyable for the fans to watch.

Challenges ahead

Their defence is no longer as solid as traditionally it was and have let them down numerous time this season. If De Sciglio is projected to be their long-term right back, a strong left-back, at least defensively, than Constant or Emanuelsson is needed. Also, Daniele Bonera certainly has passed the peak , while Philippe Mexes' decline and temperament is worrying. There are many loopholes at the back.

Behind Super Mario, Milan is also short of options in striker position. Even with El Shaarawy returning fit and healthy, it is obvious that they miss a clinical finisher, like Seedorf's old teammate Filippo Inzaghi, to convert the creativity of their midfield to goals.

Honda (facing)  represents the future of Rossoneri

Allegri transformed Milan to play at a higher pace and press opponents fast and furious high up the field. However, this is not a young group and individuals like Robinho, Essien and Kaka often run out of steam before the final whistle. The aging centrebacks are also well-exposed playing a high line defence.

There are holes to be filled. The glorious history and the honour to play at San Siro is still appealing,  but likely without Champions League football, also with Financial Fair Play coming into effect, can they compete with teams like PSG and Manchester City to attract young talents to join Seedorf's revival project? 

From heaven to hell: What was Martino thinking?

In basketball, you have a set number of players (twelve) and it matters little if the starting five does not work, as substitutions are unrestricted. In football, you have only three chances to correct the mistakes in naming your squad. This makes managing a team in multi-competitions campaign a even harder job. On Saturday, Gerardo Martino made a mess against Real Sociedad in rotating his squad and paid a hefty price of gifting Real Madrid the top spot in La Liga. There are three questions that Martino did not get his head around:

(1) Do they need to rotate?

With 38 league matches, about 20 games for cups and European matches, plus some international duties for majority of the players in a season, the answer is yes, they do need to rotate. However, it is not the first time this group has to face congested fixtures. They should be mentally prepared, and although some of the young legs are gone and it was their third game in one week, it was never a tough game against Rayo and they had a man advantage for most of the second half against Manchester City. You would believe the intelligence of the like of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi should enable them to prevent from being physically over-drained, as they have demonstrated in the past few years. The decision to bench both Xavi and Fabregas on the bench undermined their playmaking ability significantly.

Greizmann celebrating his goal that brought the lead

(2) Was this the right moment to rotate?

Real Madrid's victory made Barcelona's game a must-win. especially with Madrid derby lining up next week, it is important that Barca keeps up the pace so that they can have a chance to be in the pole position after the derby.

If this is not a strong enough reason, Real Sociedad's home record should have convinced Martino to field a stronger team. They have been unbeatable at home in all local competitions since their loss to Atletico Madrid in September last year. Ten days earlier, Barca also failed to win in the same ground in Copa del Rey, despite still advancing on aggregate. Despite their inconsistency throughout the season, their form at home is unquestionable.

Finally, ahead of the clash with Manchester City, they have an easy two weeks. facing bottom half teams Almeria and Valladolid. Surely it makes sense to bite the bullet this week which could be as rewarding as putting them on the front foot of the title race? As Atletico stumbled tonight, now it's their rival Real Madrid who has the sole upper hand.

(3) Did it have to be that radical?  

Four days after the victory at Manchester, Martino rested more than half of the team, including three at the back, only one was injury-forced. Introducing Pedro and Neymar back did little harm to the attack, but it was the selection of Alex Song that was the most dubious. The Cameroon is still yet to find his feet in Spain and playing him in a back-three is not the natural formation Barca has been used to. While they still dominated possession, the creativity in midfield was not quite there to support the front three. It is no Song's fault and his own goal was unlucky, but Martino definitely had better options on the bench.

Disappointing night for Alex Song again

Bartra and Montoya have both showed solid performance this season. Still relatively young to highest level of football, playing away against a team sitting fifth in La Liga is tough for both. With Gerard Pique looking sluggish all night and Adriano stronger in attack than defence, Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela had torn their defence apart with ease. Poor communication between the back four was well-exposed in David Zurutuza's goal as the penetrating midfielder was never picked up. Only Martino knows the best if Dani Alves or Mascherano was fit enough to play.