Valencia are league champions and in the UEFA Cup final. Real are a distant second in the league and looking more than a little foolish. Coach Carlos Queiroz is likely to become the scapegoat for this disappointing season but much of the blame has to be laid at the door of Perez and his right-hand man Jorge Valdano. It was their decision to discard Queiroz's highly successful predecessor Vicente del Bosque at the end of last season, claiming he was not modern enough in his coaching methods. They chose to replace the club servant who had steered Real to two European Cups and two league titles with the media-friendly former Manchester United assistant. Queiroz was quick to warn that his squad was dangerously unbalanced and the club should look to strengthen its defence. His advice was ignored and instead he found himself without one of the linchpins of the club's recent success, defensive midfielder Claude Makelele, who was allowed to join Chelsea after he asked for a pay rise.

Real's only recruit was Beckham who started the season well enough as he raced around in the centre of midfield and proved there was a fine footballer behind the marketing phenomenon. However, his form began to wane as the season progressed, prompting fellow midfielder Ivan Helguera to say: 'Beckham works very hard and is clearly a good player, but he's not Makelele and can't do the same job for the team that he did.' Helguera was then fined for comments questioning the wisdom of letting players like Makelele and defenders Aitor Karanka and Ivan Campo leave the club. Instead of relying on less-heralded players Perez made much of his policy of 'Zidanes and Pavones' - signing the world's biggest stars and filling the rest of the squad with former youth team players like centre-back Francisco Pavon.

This season has proved that many of the youngsters are not ready to carry the team while the 'galacticos', all of whom are nearing or over 30, cannot cope with the relentless cycle of domestic, European and international matches. Zidane, Beckham, Raul and Roberto Carlos have looked jaded in the run-in, a situation many players privately blame on an exhausting pre-season marketing tour of the Far East.

The hardest thing for many Real fans to swallow has been watching players the club decided to offload wreak havoc on their old team. Former striker Fernando Morientes, who sat on the sidelines last season and was shipped out on loan to Monaco in August, was the architect of the French side's victory over Real in the Champions League quarter-finals. One of the most promising former members of the youth team, Valdo, has had an outstanding season at Osasuna and scored the Navarrans' opener in their 3-0 rout of Real at the Bernabeu. African Player of the Year, Samuel Eto'o, was sold to Mallorca after barely being given a chance to make his mark at Real. He scored two brilliant individual goals as he led the islanders to their 3-2 victory at the weekend.

Real's apparent answer to the failings of this season is to reach for the cheque book again and look for more high-profile reinforcements, with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Francesco Totti being touted as possible new recuits. Many Real fans would be happier if the club looked to strengthen the squad with less glamorous figures at the back.


How to beat Arsenal
Extract from Soccernet.com
Norman Hubbard

They can't go through the season unbeaten, can they? After 27 Premiership games, Arsenal are showing no signs of relenting. They have already been to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool and emerged undefeated. Away games at Tottenham and Newcastle and the visits of Liverpool and Manchester United to Highbury look the main obstacles to a unique achievement. So, how to stop them? That they have reached March without losing indicates it is not easy, but here are a few suggestions. Although, as the other 19 Premiership teams will testify, there's no guarantee they will succeed.

1: Defend tight and narrow
The pace of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp's eye for the final pass make pushing up a dangerous tactic. The offside trap George Graham used so successfully with a previous Arsenal team probably would not stop their successors. If the centre backs are nearer their own penalty area than the halfway line, Henry has less room to accelerate away from them. As Arsenal's wide midfielders Robert Pires and Fredrik Ljungberg are hardly orthodox wingers, defending the width of the penalty box should be the priority for the full backs. Arsenal often favour the left wing, but don't over-compensate and neglect the right: Charlton's left back Hermann Hreidarsson was left isolated at times on Saturday and Arsenal's first goal came from a right-wing cross.

2: Pick a quick right back
Or how to stop Thierry Henry, which is rather easier said than done. Henry is rarely man-marked (who is quick enough?) but, given his tendency to drift out to Arsenal's left wing, pace is as important for the right back as the central defenders. Against Southampton, Manchester City and Middlesbrough, Henry's surges down the left wing have led to Arsenal goals. Even when they don't, if he outpaces the right back, another defender is dragged out of position.

3: Play an anchor midfielder
Besides the left wing, Arsenal's chances often come from the no man's land between the opposition's defence and midfield. Bergkamp, dropping deep into this position, provided the passes for Patrick Vieira and Jose Antonio Reyes to score against Chelsea. Centre-backs are understandably reluctant to follow him, especially as Pires and Ljungberg tend to break from this area into the penalty box. A deep-lying midfielder should at least mark the midfield runners or track Bergkamp. Crowding the area around the edge of the penalty box should restrict long-range shots, too, though Reyes' first goal against a Chelsea team with a defensive midfielder (Claude Makelele) came from 25 yards.

4: Get your tactics right
Conventional wisdom is that matching your opponents' tactics is an effective way of stopping them. Not for Arsenal, however; most other Premiership teams play 4-4-2 and have failed to beat them. Whatever their starting positions, Arsenal usually have a third player - whether, Pires, Ljungberg or Bergkamp - in the centre of midfield. And unless the anchor midfielder is supported by two team-mates, Vieira is more likely to dominate the game. So 4-5-1 it is, the system used by Bolton and Fulham, who have drawn with Arsenal this season. One alternative, though rarely used in the Premiership, is to play with three centre backs to help deal with the threat of Pires and Ljungberg joining the strikers.

5: Start well
No other team has the ability to kill a game off in the first 20 minutes. Even though Charlton almost got a point on Saturday, Arsenal had effectively won at five past three. Manchester City and Middlesbrough seem particularly prone to terrible starts against Arsenal. Defence should be the only objective from the first whistle. Get into the game and then opponents can think about scoring.

6: Frustrate Arsenal
Not, as has been the interpretation at Old Trafford, rattle Arsenal. In their last four games away to Manchester United, Arsene Wenger's team have won twice and drawn once. On each occasion, they were subjected to some overzealous tackles. But Manchester United's one win in that time, in December 2002, owed much to the harrying of Phil Neville. Given Arsenal's experience and expertise in playing with 10 men, getting their players sent off frequently serves little purpose anyway. Instead, close them down in midfield as much as possible.

7: Set-piece expertise
Arsenal are one of the taller teams in the Premiership but, Vieira and Sol Campbell excepted, that isn't reflected in their aerial ability. Though Kolo Toure competes, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires and Kanu, all over six foot tall, don't win as many defensive headers as they should. Celta Vigo scored twice from set-pieces last week and the aerial threat of James Scowcroft created Leicester an equaliser in a game when Wenger admitted corner and free kicks troubled his side. His decision to bring on Pascal Cygan in Arsenal's last two games indicated a weakness against crosses. Set pieces should offer the best opportunity to exploit that - especially if their target is not being marked by Vieira or Campbell.

8: Get behind the full backs
Much of Arsenal's width comes from their attack-minded full backs Lauren and Ashley Cole. But, though the centre backs are invariably well shielded by two defensive midfielders, quick counter attacks can catch Lauren and Cole upfield. Chelsea scored in their last league meeting when Geremi exploited Lauren's absence and a poor piece of control from Vieira to set up Eidur Gudjohnsen. And, for all they offer going forward, Pires and Ljungberg do not always cover (though, when they play wide, Edu and Ray Parlour will more often). Even when they have time to get back the Arsenal full backs can be left with two opponents to deal with.

9: Hope Edu isn't playing
As they often prove in the FA Cup, Arsenal can win without Thierry Henry. They won 5-1 away against Inter Milan when Patrick Vieira was injured. Sol Campbell is perhaps hardest to replace, but Edu's presence seems to coincide with Arsenal wins. Quite apart from his increasingly strong challenge to replace Gilberto Silva as first choice alongside Vieira, the less heralded Brazilian has a habit of scoring important goals. Of his seven this season, five have come against Chelsea, Celta Vigo or Inter Milan. He also scored last year against Manchester United and has only figured in one of their last three Champions League defeats.

10: Be lucky
Arguably the most important of all, given the quality of Arsenal's players and their consistency this season. Their last Premiership defeat - against Leeds last season - came courtesy of a Mark Viduka goal which looked suspiciously offside. Two of their losses this year have involved costly individual errors (Jens Lehmann against Dynamo Kiev and Martin Keown away at Middlesbrough). Mistakes were more prevalent in the collapse of their title challenge last year, especially Toure's own goal at Aston Villa. There have been far fewer this year, but one could cost them their unbeaten record.


Ronaldinho Blasts Keane
Ronaldinho has blasted Roy Keane amid continued acrimony over his decision to join Barcelona ahead of Manchester United. But Ronaldinho told The Sun: "I read what Roy Keane said and I think he has made a big mistake. His comments went too far. United are not the only club in the world. There are a lot of others in the same class and in my opinion one of them is Barcelona. That's why I signed". The 23-year-old striker added: "I chose the Barca option and United have to accept that sportingly. I don't regret it. There will be a lot of samba dancing this season and United will be watching it on TV. If Alex Ferguson is angry with me, that's his problem. He knows these things happen in football". And he's damn right.


Figo: You're Right, Becks
Real Madrid winger Luis Figo has denied any rivalry between him and newcomer David Beckham, suggesting on Monday he was willing to switch to the left flank so the English midfielder can play on the right. During training sessions in Kunming, Figo, considered more versatile than Beckham, has already spent the majority of his time at the left flank. It is a position he played under Queiroz and at Sporting Lisbon.

Real Madrid free kick specialist Roberto Carlos says he will share the dead ball duties with new arrival David Beckham.

"Beckham is going to take the free kicks closer to the goal and I'm going to take them a little bit farther out," the Brazilian defender told reporters at the team's training camp in southwestern China.

The left back is known worldwide for his fierce free kicks and almost as famous for his failure to turn them into goals. However, he recognises that it is a problem Beckham does not suffer from.


Who Needs the 'Head Examining'?
Roy Keane has attacked Ronaldinho's decision to snub a big-money move to Old Trafford this summer and claimed: "Anyone who doesn't want to come to Manchester United needs their head examining."

"I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone but any player who doesn't really want to come to Manchester United needs their head examining," Keane told MUTV.

In my opinion, there are many reasons why Ronaldinho opted for Barcelona and not United. First and foremost, the latter sucks. Ronaldinho can spark that bit of magic that excites the team, but since Manchester, unshaken from the tradition of relying too much on teamwork, provides an un-Europeon playing environment for the array of Ronny's skills. Also, Ronaldinho's decision to move from Paris St Germain to Barcelona was prompted by the Spanish club's rich history of playing host to great players. The likes of Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Brazilians Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo have all triumphed at Barca and Ronaldinho, who was also wanted by Manchester United and Real Madrid, is now anxious to make his own mark. Furthermore, at Barca, Ronaldinho has the chance of playing against Real Madrid at a constant frequency. United just does not have what it takes to accommodate players like Ronaldinho. Maybe, it's those who see nothing other than Manchester that should have their heads examined.


Becks Makes the Switch: United's Battle For Signatures
Beckham has agreed personal terms for a 4-year contract in a £25 M move to Real Madrid. He has to give up 50% of his image rights to Real and fight for free kicks with Roberto Carlos, but he'll be a nice addition to the fantasy team. He would have to strip the number 7 and would not be allowed to wear 77 or 6+1 to keep his 7 association. His arrival would threaten Luis Figo's position on the field and could cause the depature of Jose Maria Guti, who'll probably end up warming the bench the next season. In my opinion, Madrid should have strengthened their defence. Beckham may just be a surplus to Madrid's inpenetrable midfield.

Although he has a better chance of succeeding at Real than he would have had at Barcelona, but still I doubt that he will stand out in Madrid. Which place in the team will he take? On the field, however, Madrid's acquisition of Beckham makes less sense. Their midfield is already saturated with attacking talent. Zidane and Figo are in place to pull the strings and fill the creative role, and while Makelele is second only to Vieira in providing defensive cover for the back line, he really needs a partner to hold the fort. Beckham is not strong defensively, and the other midfield roles are already taken, so where does he fit in? Will he even be able to bench Figo? I doubt it. I regard Luis Figo as a better player, and he cost so much money when Real signed him, that it would be difficult to put him out of the team. We all know that Beckham isn't all that good in a central midfield role, and as such I believe that he will have a very difficult task if he is to break into the Real Madrid side. All in all I think he is making a big mistake. He will only be mediocre compared to the other players Real already have. It feels a bit like he will be the English equivalent to Hidetoshi Nakata, he'll sit on the bench and sell a lot of jerseys in the Asian market.

The reason Becks sat the bench at the end of the season is because Fergie had adopted the attacking style of a group of creative midfielders (Giggs, Solskjaer, Scholes, etc) shaped around a bustling van Nistelrooy. Therefore Becks, who cannot create anything other than a cross, was relegated to the bench. Now at Real, will it be any different? You have the two most creative midfilders in the world (Zidane and Figo) feeding the bustling Raul and the penetrating Ronaldo. Again, where does the swerving cross fit into the mix? On the bench, just like before.

But on the bright side, Beckham could maximize his talents with Real, he will be playing under a modern day coach instead of a over-the-hill Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. He will also be playing along side world class players like Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Raul and Carlos. He was unable to do so while he was at United, where he was stuck with the incompetent Gary Neville and an under-performing Ryan Giggs. Looking forward for him to come back and haunt the Reds. Why must fans of British Football suffer through another generation of automaton, playing joyless football that depends upon team work and physical preparation, over skill? We are so captivated by the skills of the Brazilians, the passion of the Argentinians, the amazing Dutch - but British football is played by teams, not by stars. And there in lies the problem. So David Beckham joins two Brazilians, a Frenchman, a Camaroonian, a Portuguese, a nearly forgotten Englishman, and a couple of skillful Spaniards. Manchester United will continue to win Premierships. But I suspect David Beckham will hoist the European Cup before Sir Alex does. And fans of British football, who see the game in a more global context, will be the poorer for it.

In terms of the transfer fee, it's reasonable. He's not a player of the same magnitude as Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo. Besides that, if you look at the transfer market at the moment there really isn't that much money out there anymore. Besides, who cares? He's overrated and over-exposed. Beckham's transfer fee alone could probably buy the entire bottom two Nationwide leagues. £25 M for somebody that can cross a ball, and that's about it? Ridiculous. Football has lost the plot completely.

Selling Beckham may be a mistake for Manchester United. The current Premiership champions is in the middle of several intense competitions for new signings. United is chasing the signature of winger, Harry Kewell, who is also targeted by Arsenal, to fill the Red Devil's now vacant right flank, in addition the attacking qualities of PSG's Ronaldinho. But the Australian international prefers a move to Highbury since the parents of his wife lives in London. Real Madrid is also joining the fight with United to buy the member of Brazil's R-Force. However, Ronaldinho had tilted the scales in Madrid's favour as he prefers a move to Spain. Real already have Ronaldinho's countrymen Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Flavio Conceicao in their star-studded squad.

Would Manchester be forced to play with the 'diamond midfield' used by England in their last friendly with the absence of a right midfielder? Manchester has always boasted their strong attacking flanks, but it is close to non-existent if they can't find anybody to fill Beckham's boots.


UEFA Champions League Final
Juventus 3 - 2 AC Milan (pens)
What a surprise? The final game brought to penalties. Drawing at 0-0 even after extra time, how ugly can it get? This is one reason I never like watching Italian football. The problem with Italian teams is that they have a rock-solid defence, but crappy attacks. We all saw the first and second leg of the AC vs. Inter semi-final. Inzaghi was caught in Inter's offside trap 7 times in the first half. The only time he got past was still pulled back because of a handball. Just look at the frustration on his face!

AC Milan is undoubtly the best team in Europe and Italy. They beat both Juventus and Inter in Serie A, but lost against weaker opponents which cost them the championship. Their status had been justified now after winning the trophy for the 6th time, trying to etch closer to Real Madrid's record of 9. But I still think Real plays the prettiest football in Europe.

Extract from soccernet.com:
AC Milan's Champions League final victory over Juventus left Europe's media wondering whatever happened to the so-called Italian renaissance.

'What a bore,' moaned Spanish daily Marca on Thursday after 120 minutes of goalless football at Old Trafford the night before finished in a 3-2 win on penalties for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

'Give the Cup back (to Real Madrid),' continued the paper that earlier in the week had predicted a mind-numbing deadlock between two defensive teams.

Marca's told-you-so tone on the morning after was echoed by rival sports daily AS.

'They should prohibit two Italian teams from playing in a European final because, as (Johann) Cruyff has said, the presence of just one Italian team is a tragedy for football,' it crowed.

Both were predictably sour reactions from papers that had attacked Juventus and Inter Milan for 'undeserved' wins over Barcelona and Valencia in the quarter-finals of this season's competition.

Even the Italian press, however, could not help but scratch their head after the final, which they had billed as a crowning moment for the Italian game.

While the result, they admitted, represented a victory for individuals - above all Milan president Silvio Berlusconi and coach Ancelotti - it had failed to dispel Italy's image as the home of dull, defensive football.

'From now on it'll be difficult to argue with the aesthetes of football - those who insist the true European final was last month's showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester United,' commented La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.

'It will also revive our vociferous Spanish critics and sow doubt in England and France, where they had just started to celebrate Italy's footballing style.'


AXA FA Cup Final
Arsenal 1 - 0 Southampton
You don't usually see Arsenal playing this sort of football. They had been somewhat defensive against the Saints which beat them in the FA Cup Final in 1976. I got a friend telling me that having Arsenal winning the Cup is bad news. How can it be bad news? Manchester United won the Premiership. How good is that?

Southampton was thrashed 6-1 by Arsenal's reserves 10 days before the showdown. They could have done it again, but they just have to play save. With key players Patrick Viera and Sol Campbell ruled out of the competition, they just can't take any chances. While Southampton have nothing to lose, the Gunners have everything to lose after surrendering the Premiership title to United. Their victory made them the first team to win 2 consecutive FA Cups. And for your information, Arsenal had played in every FA Cup final since it moved the the Cardiff Millennium Stadium.


UEFA Champions League (Quarter Final, Second Leg)
Manchester United 4 - 3 Real Madrid
(Real advance to semis on 6-5 aggregate)
This match could go into the books well as the match of the decade. Class and style describes both star-studded rivals in a classic match that would talked about for a long time.

United fans may think that their team should advance. "They nearly did it," I heard a few say the day after the match. I think there's no such thing as 'almost' or 'nearly'. Either you win, lose or draw. Either it's a goal, save or miss. That's it. The fact that they lost to Real on aggregate is that. Get over it.

United plays great football. Fast and furious in offence, solid at the back. They had vowed not to subject themselves to their offensive play which led them to be slaughtered on the counter-attacks by Real three years ago. They can launch an all-out attack in the Premiership and in the first few stages in the Champions League, but they can't use that tactic in the knock-out phases, especially not against teams like Juventus and Real Madrid. Also, United have a relatively young squad, compared to more experienced veterans of Real Madrid.

While most teams have a strong right flank, Real Madrid have a stunning left. With Raul up front, central Zidane who loves to drift to the left, and Roberto Carlos providing cover, it is hard to see any team trying to exploit the left wing of Real. Beckham was openly outclassed by Roberto Carlos in the first leg, which might have influenced Fergurson's choice of Veron over Beckham in the second leg. The right side of Real is equally versatile; killer Ronaldo tearing the net apart, Figo on the wing and Salgado in defence. There really is one word to use on Real Madrid. Galactic. Better luck next time, United.