Conundrums of Impatience !!

Mark Hughes getting the sack at Man city is quite a refer to the classic case of  'The Wrong man at the WRONG place'. It had to be with those 200 million stashes of sterling he had an asorted talent at his disposal. Abu Dhabi's investment had to see rich dividends, needles to say the impatient owners pulled the plug over Hughes inability to keep a team who performs inconsistently. The victories over Arsenal and Cheseal might have seen as an indicator that they are here to be with big boys and play in the big leagues. I do wonder on that note had Mark Hughes got them to a top four finish they would have been looking at Champions League nights..what a shame..

Tough luck Sparky! , there is always a job somewhere.. Over to the new man in charge Roberto Mancini... now thats a lot of Italian Infussion in the league.. talk bot senor Capello, Carlo Ancellotti, GioFranco Zola and now Mancini... Well we all love pasta and the Italian way of things..

Barca is the team to beat. They have got a record six titles from their campaign last season and surely this record can be matched, but with sort of football they play it jus amaze me what a formidable team Pep Guardiola has created. Messi is in top form and a tall individual buy from Inter, Zlatan has been regular on the score sheets. watch out for a truly amazing talent in Pedro - he has got the pace, the trickery, balance.

Okay now at the red side Manchester, quite an dismal performance really, slipping up against a mighty Aston villa who played deservedly for their victory and an awful day against the cottagers. Fulham tore open United's shambolic makeshift defence. Sir Alex must be warming up his chequebooks to go and buy a good defender and goal scoring striker. Someone has to put those goals behind and finish games off if they really want to catch up on Chelsea who to safely say will sail through.

Liverpool and Rafa are struggling to get anywhere, i doubt the anfield crowd will go on puckering up to Rafa's "Facts" . I jus gotta feelng Rafa is gonna walk alone now !!!

Loved the CL draw, david beckham back at Old Trafford and Jose Mourinho back at Stamford Bridge, exciting times ahead..Certainly indeed...

Merry X'mas !!

DAREL Luiz

December Crunch Time

It's that time of the year in the EPL season where the championship shapes up, the league table sizes up. Chelsea looks by far the most formidable team with a lead of 5 points from their closest rivals Man Utd. The champions are still not in their top gear and they normally get into their stride during this greasy time of the league. On the other hand Carlo's Chelsea seems almost poignant to win this years premiership title.

I must say Chelsea's bench and overall strength in the quality of internationals they can call upon is remarkable. The fruits to Roman Abromavich millions have finally started to take shape. More importantly despite playing some lackluster football, box to box style of play, they have beaten all their top counterparts especially Arsenal (Gunned down 3-0!!).

Man Utd are traditionally slow starters but they clearly seem to have lack in firepower since the departure of Ronaldo and Tevez this summer.They now depend on their prolific forward Rooney who has been a shining beacon of hope and has seen a rise in the goals department with his anchor role in the striker position. What seems divided in opinion is the silky Bulgarian Berbatov. Last season might not have been the best for him, yet this season begs to differ. I must say his improvement in the area covered on pitch seems to have taken a paradigm shift. The effort is there yet that goal poaching material he possessed while he was with Totenham lacks. The price tage of 31.75 million pounds may be the burden  he is still carrying.

However, what the turn of events will be the glut of matches during the winter period. In addition, with the African Nations cup coming in January things could dramatically change in the table. Chelsea will loose 4 first team players in Drogba, Essien, Obi Mikel, Kalou and how they will cope will purely depend on Man Utd finishing off matches. Drogba and Essien are key to Chelsea's style of play and if Chelsea drops games the table positions will be interesting.

The posers are there in Aston villa, Man city with their millions from Abu Dhabi and a rejuvenated Totenham who is playing decently under Harry Redknapp.One of them will break into a top 4 position at the expense of Liverpool (the scousers need to get their manager Rafa out of their system). The biggest poser will be the blue half of Manchester City. Needless to say their highly popular red half of Mancunia will be best shape to claim a record 4th title with their resilience and squad disposal.

Beaming joy would it be. December is gonna be fun time.. I'm over to the World Cup draws, my odds are 16/1 on England winning the World Cup.Fat Chance!!, Viva Brazil !!

South Africa 2010, A World Cup - Enigma and Ecstacy

Now that the qualifying playoffs are through, the shockers and controversies pave way. The Irish got robbed by a super handball from "Le Theirry Henry" a gobsmacked Irishman said FIFA stands for Finish!! Irish Footbal Activities. Most shockingly I must say the name Henry who is synonymous to respect and integrity in the footballing circles is a cheat. The Irish deserved the game for the might and fortitude of playing against France who have now won a life liner a miracle spot en route to South Africa.

Portugal had rather painful entry into the finals, a string of inconsistent displays and an injured star in C. Ronaldo who wouldhave watched the game from stands had they not scrapped through. I have seen errands as such as Maradona for all his worth hurling abuse in a public statement after managing to qualify and the cost of an impediment and suspension due to his eventual outburst at the critics who really are at no fault. Argentina is playing , yes , but a lot could be questioned on whether they will even come close to the finals.

This is the World Cup and never say never where anything can happen for real/ surreal.

So who is in the finals this World Cup ?

32 teams overall - Here's the list, The teams that have automatically qualified for the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals, South Africa, plus the teams that have secured a place in the Finals after winning their play-off’s:

EUROPE ZONE (13 places available – The four final play-off places now decided):
England,Spain,The Netherlands,Italy,Serbia,Denmark,Slovakia,Switzerland,Germany,Greece *France *Portugal *Slovenia *
(* secured a place in World Cup 2010 South Africa via the play-off's.)

ASIA ZONE (Four automatic places, plus one play-off place):
Australia,DPR Korea,Japan,Korean Republic.
Bahrain beat Saudi Arabia in their intercontinental play-off to face New Zealand, but lost to the Antipodeans, who beat Bahrain 1-0 to earn a place in World Cup South Africa 2010.

AFRICA ZONE (5 automatic places sealed, plus South Africa automatically qualify as the host nation):
South Africa (Hosts),Algeria * (beat Egypt 1-0 in play-off's to qualify for 2010),Cote d’Ivoire,Nigeria,Cameroon,Ghana.

SOUTH AMERICA ZONE (Four automatic places, plus Uruguay, who beat Costa Rica to qualify):
Brazil,Chile,Paraguay,Argentina,Uruguay * (beat Costa Rica in play-off's to secure place in World Cup 2010)

NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN ZONE (Three automatic places, plus one play-off place - Costa Rica, who lost to Uruguay in the play-off's):
Mexico,Honduras,USA.

OCEANIA ZONE (New Zealand beat Asia Zone runners-up Bahrain 1-0 in play-off to qualify):
New Zealand *

So what enthralls you to this worlds largest sporting spectacle? The enigma of watching your team loose or the ecstatic feeling of joy when a team wins or even goes to the full hilt of winning the world cup? Its really got to be the spirit in the name of the game, a world full of emotions and events constantly trying to paddle in a river of maddness suddenly floats and dances to the rythm of football. " The Beautiful Game "

I really cant wait to watch the frenzy of knowing who is gonna be the next big thing or did u watch that wonder goal that killed a nations hope or how dramtically a decision cost the game or the sheer brilliance of a team and the brand of football they represent and it coud even be the oranje or the dance of the samba ...

Here we go Futbal Mundial !!

The Epic Final Beckons in Rome

The dream final everyone wished for is here, UEFA Chief Platini talked about the beautiful football spectacle it will be. The blue side of Stamford bridge had cried Conspiracy in Uefa's need to get the cup back to continental roots. Make no mistake this is indeed a final which will showcase two great sides in Barcelona and Manchester United who possess such am amazing talent at disposal.

The neutrals are talking of a spectacle in Epic Rome the eternal city where the beautiful game will be played. Others talk about footballing supremacy between the technical elegance and beauty of the Spanish game and the passionate, tactical and physical prowess of the English game which has by far dominated the last few years.

The Catalan giants epitomises the beautiful game with an attacking talent that arrays from Messi, Eto', Henry and between the three of them they have romped in a lot of goals this season in the La liga. I dare say any opposition defense will be jelly with the trio in play, Messi is magical in his ball control and is often compared to his dimnunitive Argentine Maradona and the similarity of play. But Barca gets this goal and attack source from two immaculate footballers in Xavi and Iniesta. Their ingenuity and innovation in the midfield is the heart of Barca's carousel as Sir Alex Ferguson said about Barca.

'It ain't Barcelona's for another huge factor also. It isn't, not necessarily anyhow, because the name of the team in the opposite column happens to be Manchester United.' That is the real reason by the final is such a dream one.

Manchester United is now writing themselves into the history books and glory beckons Fergie's young team under the guile and experience of United legends and class of 95 - Giggs, Neville, Scholes. Of course that includes the institution that Sir Alex Ferguson, the fiery Scot has achieved everything possible and his drive for success and the hunger to reach that season after season is the mainstay of United's strength. There has been a lot of talk and comparison about this young team as the best Fergie has assembled. Debatable topic indeed, but let me not take away anything from the big occasion today which is the final.

Man Utd is a team built from the back to the top, they have one of the most mean and tight defence in the game. They let in only a paltry 24 goals this season and this could be the key against a Barca side whose weakest link is their Defence. With the eager eyes and reading of Carrick who will hold the ball well and spray those passes or the bumbling South Korean with an engine who could run at you 90+ Min's, United can close those gaps Iniesta and Xavi utilised so freely against Chelsea. One other factor you would notice is the brilliance and speed of United's attack, Christiano Ronaldo's blistering pace and sublime skills added with Wayne Rooney's tenacity and physical play might just be a Little too much for a makeshift defence in the final third of Barca's side.

If Barca take the game head on to United they will be a handful, but if United sits deep and holds the ball to start counter play the neutrals will watch the Red Devils standing on that podium to receive their medals and celebrate the success of the "Big eared Cup". Its that simple. I'm awed by the showpiece set out, certainly a final that will make history beckoning for either of these clubs.

For those of who thinks Barca deserves or Man Utd deserves to be in the final or should have won them is just another ridiculous claim. There is no one who deserves, its weakness that mainstays deserving. Winning the match in fashionable way on a high scoring encounter or going to the tilt and scoring on penalties. Whatever the result outcomes is, the final is a fitting one the world awaits. Two teams Barcelona the Spanish Champions and Manchester United the English Champions will light up the eternal city with the beautiful game of strength, courage, passion, spirit that is Football !!

May the best team win and may the Gods relinquish the spectacle.

Darel Luiz