European Football: Iberian Dominance Looms?

This weeks European results have shown a dominance of sides from the Iberian Peninsula. In the 8 matches in the Europa League and the Champions League there were 6 teams involved from Spain and Portugal. In comparison there is only one Italian side left and two English sides.

The results of the matches were also ominous for the rest of Europe. The Champions League results were Real Madrid hammering Spurs 4-0 and Barcelona disposing of Ukrainian champions Shaktar Donestk in a 5-1 demolition.





In the Europa League is where the less heralded but equally one sided dominance of the sides from the Iberian Peninsula can be seen. FC Porto, Benfica and Braga represent Portugal in the last eight with Villarreal being the sole Spanish outfit remaining in the tournament.

Porto smashed a much fancied Spartak Moscow side 5-1 with star striker and former Liverpool target Radamel Falcao getting an impressive hatrick. Rumours are that Inter Milan are looking for a replacement for current manager Leonardo with Porto manager Andre Villas-Boas on the top of their wanted list.  



Porto's rivals Benfica also registered an impressive 4-1 win over Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. This is impressive considering key players such as Ramires, David Luiz and Angel Di Maria have all left the club this season.



The third and final Portuguese side left in the tournament are a less illustrious yet equally dangerous Braga side. They are responsible for Liverpool's exit from the Europa league, ending the Champions League hopes of Sevilla and Celtic before being knocked out at the group stages despite beating Arsenal 2-0. They were up against Manchester City's conquerors Dynamo Kiev and grabbed a credible 1-1 draw in the Ukraine, giving them a good foundation to go through to the last four.



Villarreal are possibly the favourites for the trophy following their impressive defeats of Italian side Napoli and Germans Bayer Leverkusen they defeated FC Twente of Holland 5-1, virtually guaranteeing their place in the semi-finals.



Looking at these results, I wouldn't bet against two Spanish sides making the final four in the Champions League and an all Iberian quartet in the semi-finals of the Europa League. These results clearly show that both trophies are likely to end up in Southern Europe, I'm not sure whether it will last but it's good to see sides playing more expressive and creative football succeeding on Europe's biggest stages.

Who Is The 2010 Team Of The Year?

Its getting towards the end of the year and its time to make the tough decisions. On this occasion its going to be the team of the year... Who's your choice?

Spain

In 2010 Spain became World Champions playing their brand of Tiki Taka football which no-one seems to figure our whether it is entertaining or extremely monotonous. One thing we do know about this side is that with their classy tidy passing they have a grit which allowed them to see of Hollands rather violent challenge in the final...

Barcelona

Well they have won only won La Liga this year but they have made a scintillating start to the 2010-2011 season. This season they have managed to hammer rivals Real Madrid 5-0 in an explosive performance at the Nou Camp. So far this season they've scored 51 goals in 16 games conceding only 9 goals. They are the favorites win La Liga and also the Champions League, with many touting this side as the best ever the world is at the feet of manager Pep Guardiola and his boys...

 
Inter Milan

Well Inter were the most successful club side in 2010 winning the treble (Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia). This team had it tactically spot on under Jose Mourinho who managed to get the underperforming Italian giants out of their European slumber. They won the Champions League the hard way beating both Chelsea and Barcelona in the knock out rounds no easy feat I'm sure you'll agree.

The side was dubbed defensive but I feel with Sneijder, Eto'o and Milito they were one of the most effective counter attacking sides I've seen in a very long time.

Germany

Everyone's second favorite team in the World Cup, they played with a flair and attacking freedom which many deemed not very German. The side was young with the likes for Muller, Ozil and Khedira all impressing. The highlights of this team was its demolition jobs on England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0) both sides who were tipped to challenge for the trophy. Hopefully we will see more of them in Euro 2012.

 Chelsea

The won the Premier League and FA Cup in the same season for the first time. They had the best striker in the league Didier Drogba who managed to get 29 Premier League goals. They also scored a record 103 goal on their way to winning the league with an amazing goal difference of +71 the closest to them was Manchester United with a difference of +58, need I say more?

Decision Time...

Who was the best team of 2010?

• Spain
• Germany
• Barcelona
• Inter
• Chelsea

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Cult Player Profile : Luis "Lucho" Enrique

Time to talk about Luis Enrique Martínez García who i feel is a forgotten man in European football. He was an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal. He was getting goals from midfield at the highest level long before anyone had even heard of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard or Paul Scholes.

He started his career at Sporting Gijon where in his first season where he was on the scoresheet 17 times in 45 appearances. This is an impressive record for any midfielder never mind for a 19 year old who's just broke into the first team.

His rise wasn't overlooked by the leading sides in Spain and Enrique was bought by Real Madrid. He was relatively successful during his time at the Bernabeu winning the Spanish League, the Spanish Cup and Spanish Supercup. In total he played 213 games for Real and scored 18 goals, not the best return rate but this was only the start. He left Madrid under a cloud of controversy he ran down his contract and moved to Madrids bitterest rivals Barcelona managed by Bobby Robson on a free transfer, a bit like Sol Campbell but worse...

After his move to Barcelona Luis Enrique really showed what he could do. He was part of a side that won back to back league titles and back to back Spanish Cups. He also experience success in Europe winning the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and also a UEFA Supercup. Ultimately spent 8 seasons at the Nou Camp before he retire. In those eight seasons he played 300 games in all competitions scoring a 109 goals that's a record of slightly over one every 3 games. His best season was his second at the club when he played 47 matches scoring 25 goals, most strikers would be proud of a season like that. What made him loved by the Barca fans more than anything was the 5 goals he scored against his former club Madrid in "El Classico".



Another thing about Enrique was that he was very versatile he played in ever position during his career except for centre back and goalkeeper. He ended his career at Barcelona and revered as a legend at the club. Now that's the end of his club career time to move onto his international one.

Luis Enrique was capped by Spain 62 times scoring 12 goals. He played 3 World Cups, Euro 96 and won and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1992.

One of his most famous moments was in the 1994 World Cup. Everyone talks about the infamous elbow US player Tab Ramos received from Brazilian Leonardo, but Luis Enrique was on the receiving end of one from Italian defender Mauro Tassotti. The incident led to Enrique losing a pint of blood and Tassotti avoiding a red card, but receiving an eight match ban. In 2008 he was quoted as wanting Spain to "take revenge" against Italy in a fixture between the two countries having not forgiven the Italians for the incident in USA94.

Enrique retired from football in 2004 citing that he could no longer reach the high standards he set himself and went on to participate in marathons in Australia. He has recently returned to Barcelona and is now the coach of the Barcelona B Team much like the current Barca manager Pep Guardiola, so who knows what the future holds for Luis Enrique...

Ronaldo The Greatest Striker Of The Modern Era?

 

 I was recently reading an article about a much maligned and ridiculed Brazilian called Ronaldo. Jokes about his weight and idiotic behaviour were the order of the day. Currently playing for Corinthians in the Brazilian top flight he has been forgotten by European Football. Now this is a lesson for the kids who've grown up with large doses of Cristiano Ronaldo about the "real Ronaldo".

He started his career at Cruziero after the legendary Jairzinho spotted him for the club. He was snapped up by the club only to be sold on to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven who already had previously had a certain Romario on their books. In his time playing in Holland he scored 42 goals in 46 games, just short of an amazing goal a game record. With this kind of form it wasn't long before he was gaining the attention of major clubs from around Europe.

In 1996 Barcelona came calling and Ronaldo gladly accepted the opportunity to strut his stuff in La Liga. He played for one season in Spain scored 34 goals in 37 games on his way to a Uefa Cup Winners Cup medal and winning the prestigious World Player of the Year Award. This was an amazing feat for an 20 year old but his time at Barcelona was only short and a move for Italian club Inter Milan was his next course of action.

When Ronaldo moved to Serie A it was widely acknowledged as the best and toughest league in the world. He only won a solitary Uefa Cup whilst playing for Inter but what I find impressive was the number of personal accolades he received during his time at the club. He became World Player of the Year for a second time, won the Ballon D'or widely recognised as the premier trophy for an individual player, what was stunning about these feats was that they were achieved in the same year...

Following his success with Inter he moved to join the Galacticos of Real Madrid, this is where I feel his fortunes changed for the worse. He won during his time at Madrid, the Pichichi (the La Liga top scorer award) and the La Liga but had no European success. In my mind his hattrick against Manchester United in the Champions League at Old Trafford really sticks out.  During this time at Madrid due to the party culture and lack of discipline at the club he became overweight and injury prone.

Now I've explained his club successes I have move on to his international career.He made his debut in 1994 against rivals Argentina. He was then included in the 1994 World Cup winning squad although he didn't play this was an achievement in itself at 17 years old. He then went on to play in the 1998 World Cup in France in which he scored 4 and provided 3 assists to help Brazil reach the final. On the eve of the final he suffered a fit but still decided to play and ended up on the losing side.

Ronaldo went one better and won the World Cup in 2002 in Korea and Japan finishing top scorer after scoring twice in the final against Germany. This was his peak for his country, he did play in the 2006 in Germany this was important as in this tournament he became top scorer in World Cup history scoring 15 goals beating Gerd Mullers record of 14 goals.

Now I understand that he has declined since those heady days at the top of international and club football but which player hasn't Pele played in the MLS of his day by the end of his career, Cryuff never won a World Cup and Zidane got sent off in the World Cup Final, I feel we should lay off Ronaldo and appreciate how good he actually was, like we do for the three mentioned, instead of making him the butt of our jokes.

 

Pepe : Schuster Is Only Try To Helping Us (On "We Cannot Win Againts Barca" Statement Scandals)

Bernd Schuster might have left Real Madrid but there is still plenty of talk about the German in the Spanish capital today, with different parties taking different sides on the decision to sack him.

It is believed that the final straw for the coach might have been when he declared that Madrid 'could not beat Barcelona' in their upcoming match, but today Pepe revealed that he only said this to help the team.

"People are asking a lot about the statements saying that we cannot win in the Camp Nou, but the ones in the team know what he [Schuster] really wanted to express," he told Antena 1.

"That is not what he told us in training and in the dressing room, he only wanted to remove the pressure that was on us. I do not think it was a good idea to tell that to the press, but he did not think that."

Real Madrid currently sit fifth in the table following defeat to Sevilla last weekend and a loss to arch-rivals Barça this Saturday could see them slip down to seventh. However, Portugal international Pepe does not believe that winning at the Camp Nou is impossible.

"Real Madrid have the capacity to win anywhere that we play, I expect that we will get a good result like last season," he declared.

"Barcelona B" Not Enough Againts Shaktar...

Barcelona came into tonight's game in the best form they have seen for over two years, with many already eulogizing that this side is as good as or even better than the one that obtained a Primera Division-Champions League double in 2006.


However, in what was a dead-rubber game in Group C this evening, an under-strength Blaugrana side were embarrassed by visiting Shakhtar, who themselves had nothing other than pride to play for, too, as they finished third in the group.

A half-empty stadium and a Barca line-up missing eight first-team regulars made for something of a flat atmosphere at the Camp Nou this evening, as Barcelona started comfortably enough and looked confident as they passed the ball around nicely in the cold Catalan evening.

They struggled to find the incisiveness that has characterised their season so far however, and, after an intitial perod of trying to find their way through the well-drilled Ukrainian defence, found themselves the victims of a sucker punch.

Olexandr Gladkiy, ploughing a line furrow for Shakhtar up front, struck to send them into a shock lead. After enjoying a brief spell of pressure, Razvan Rat sent the ball down the Donetsk left for Willian to knock the ball in to the striker's path for him to finish confidently.

The latter part of the first half was a much more even affair as Shakhtar played a more active part in proceedings following their goal. Aliaksandr Helb sparkled in patches for the Catalans, but they remained unable to find an equaliser before the interval.

After the break, Barca once again enjoyed the bulk of the possession but were still struglling to find a way to turn that possesion into meaningful reward. Although Pedro flickered briefly, the Blaugrana struggled for fluidity and shape.

On 56 minutes it began to look as though Guardiola's decision to rest the bulk of his first-choice players might end up looking like an embarrassing mistake. Gladkiy netted again, nodding home a Jadson cross from the left.

Almost immediately though, Barcelona struck back. Just a minute after Gladkiy's second, defender Sylvinho charged forward and slammed a powerful shot inside goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov's near post.

That sparked a renewd spirit amongst the hosts, and Pyatov found himself called into action with increasing frequency, keeping out efforts from Bojn Krkic and Victor Vazquez.

Barca continued to press for an equaliser until the 74th minute when Shakhtar scored again to make the game safe. After a period of soaking up the Catalans' pressure, Donetsk attacked with Razvan Rat prominent again.

The Romanian played a neat ball across the face of the Barca goal and Fernanadinho slid in to score and put the Ukrainians into an unbeatable lead.

Barcelona then struggled to claw their way back into things, but not even the introduction of Eidur Gudjohnsen could help them find a way through as Shakhtar stubbornly clung onto their lead until the 82nd minute.

Gudjohnsen then managed to thread through ball into the path of Sergi Busquets who scored what turned out to be merely a consolation effort for the Blaugrana whose 20 match unbeaten run was brought to an end on the final whistle.

Not an ideal warm-up then for the weekend visit of Real Madrid to the Camp Nou, though the first choice players will undoubtedly return for that.

A historic evening for Shakhtar Donetsk though, who were able to claim a major European scalp, even if it was in a 'dead rubber'.

Johan Cruyff : Madrid Lost Their Philosopy...

Barcelona’s former legendary player and coach Johan Cruyff has not missed the opportunity to have a dig at a wounded Real Madrid side ahead of their sizzling showdown this weekend in El Gran Clasico.

Despite Los Blancos’ crisis on and off the pitch, the Dutch maestro does not believe that victory is already guaranteed for the Blaugrana.

“Barca are playing great at the moment, but we have to be careful of the euphoria,” he was quoted as saying by Sport. “El Clasico is always different from every other game.

“I don’t think that the match will be a title-decider. It’s just another three points. It will be most special for all cules if we win, but there are still another 69 points to play for.”

Cruyff then went on to criticise Madrid’s philosophy when it comes to the cantera as the debate and controversy rages on about the two clubs’ youth system.

The 61-year-old said: “Barca have Guardiola and Madrid have Schuster.

“Pep has not revolutionised anything. He has only given continuity to a philosophy that already exists at the Camp Nou.

“I re-introduced the tradition when I arrived at the club [as coach] in 1988. But it would not have been successful if my successors had not continued my work.

“At Madrid, they do not know how to harness or look for that philosophy ever since the end of the ‘Quinta del Buitre’ era.”

But Cruyff did have some positive words for the Bernabeu club, as he believes they've signed a winner in Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

He added: “(Huntelaar) is a humble boy who has already had a good head-start. I can compare him to (Ruud) van Nistelrooy.”

Madrid Miss Marcelo In El Classico....

Marcelo has admitted that he knew before Real Madrid's defeat by Sevilla that if he was booked then he would be suspended for el Clásico against Barcelona next weekend.


The Brazilian had already received four yellow cards this term and was shown his fifth when he fouled Jesús Navas midway through the first half of Los Merengues' 4-3 home defeat on Sunday evening.

Real Madrid already have defensive problems with injuries and Marcelo is unhappy that he will not be able to be of assistance in Camp Nou for, argubaly, the biggest game of the season so far.

"I knew before the game that I could not afford to be shown another yellow card," he explained. "I will not miss a very important game that everyone wants to play in," he told Marca.

"I am sad, but not only for me, but also because I will not be able to help my team-mates."

Marcelo then looked to blame the referee for Real Madrid's defeat against Sevilla and thinks that the matchday official should have awarded the hosts two spot-kicks.

"The referee did not whistle for two clear penalties that could have been given and, in fact, the three points would have been ours," he explained.

Madrid's reverse against Sevilla meant that they allowed Barça to move nine points clear after the Catalans' win on Saturday and knows that is a substantial gap.

"It is a lot. But we have to think about ourselves and work to improve and not give away any more points," he added.

Drente's Injury Give Madrid Another Shock ...

Real Madrid's preparations for el Clásico were given another blow when Royston Drenthe limped out of training on Monday and club medics confirmed that he could be a doubt for the trip to Camp Nou.


The Dutch international picked up a knock on his right leg during a session that was designed for the players who did not play the entire game against Sevilla to stretch.

While it is not predicted to keep Drenthe out long-term, the injury is bad news for coach Bernd Schuster who already has a crisis at the back with several players out.

Marcelo was booked on Sunday evening and will be suspended while Pepe is not set to make it back in time and Gabriel Heinze and Miguel Torres are also doubts.

Drenthe made a substitute's appearance against Sevilla and could have booked himself a place in the starting line-up against Barça as he looked comfortable down the left.

Only a handful of players were called in for the training session as Javier Saviola, Javi García, Marcelo, Christoph Metzelder, Alberto Bueno, Rafael Van der Vaart and Drenthe took to the field with goalkeepers Codina and Jerzy Dudek.

Wesley Sneijder was also present, but he trained alone as he looks to complete a personal recuperation programme after suffering a muscle injury that was predicted to keep him out for two weeks.

Schuster Pesimist On El Classico ....

Bernd Schuster has stated that he does not think Real Madrid have any chance of beating Barcelona at Camp Nou next week and stated that the defeat against Sevilla was not down to bad luck.


The German coach has written off his team's chances of taking all three points in el Clásico because he believes that the Blaugrana are in such formidable form at home.

Whether he was starting the mind games early is difficult to tell, but it is a gamble to make such statements after the supporters had showed their anger towards president Ramón Calderón following the Sevilla reverse.

"The game against Barcelona worries me less than any other game. It is not possible to win because Barcelona are in devastating form and I believe that this is going to be their year," Schuster said.

"The team that (Barça) have can do well there, but I cannot say any more about that."

Schuster then rejected any talk of leaving Real Madrid because he feels that he has the full support of the players after their spirited come back against Sevilla.

Despite losing 4-3 at home, Los Merengues' second half display was impressive even though the coach was keen to bemoan his team's poor first half showing.

"I am not going to resign because the players are giving everything that they have. We just need a change of fortune and something going for us would be important," he continued.

"It is not a question of bad luck because playing well in the second half is not enough. We should have gone into the game and played better in the first half.

"We made life difficult for ourselves and we had to make a huge efort. At times we do well and at other times not. Games are more than 90 minutes long.

"Today we did some things well and other things we did not and you have to make your own luck. This game was not about being unlucky.

"Sevilla helped us in our comeback because they were passive in the second half and we took advantage of that. We could have done more if Robben had stayed one.

"I thought that we were on the verge of winning the game before he was sent off."

Henry Give Comment After Hattrick Againts Valencia

Thierry Henry has come in for plenty of criticism in his time at the Camp Nou, most of it justified, but his stellar performance against Valencia brought back shades of the man who terrorised defences in his prime.

Needless to say, it filled the Frenchman, who has had a tough week to say the least, with immense pride and joy.

After the match, Henry was asked what the difference was between this Barcelona team and last year's incarnation. His reply was simple: "I do not know, but we want to continue this way because the fans are enjoying it and so are we."

As is becoming the norm amongst the squad, Henry was quick to dampen any talk of titles, saying, "We have not won anything yet. We have to take each game on it's merit, and we must already concentrate on the Shakhthar game, and then Real Madrid. Today, we knew about the Villarreal result beforehand, we wanted to win and we did it well."

The current performances are a far cry from those that saw Barca pick up just one point from their opening two games against Numancia and Racing Santander, and Henry described the change as incredible. "In the first few days there were some problems, but football changes so fast," continued the forward.

Henry was reluctant to speak about his own performance, preferring to concentrate on the team's effort as a whole instead. "We won three points, that is the most important," said Henry. "I am very happy with my goals, because they have helped to win. At times they will come from Messi, at times from Eto'o, at times from somewhere else."

Henry and Lionel Messi were joined up front by Aliaksandr Hleb, despite many expecting Bojan to fill the shoes of the suspended Samuel Eto'o. But the youngster, who provided an assist to Henry's third goal after coming on, was not disappointed, and said, "These decisions are for the coach. I just have to be ready at every time to prove that I can do well."

Finally, the forward offered his opinions on El Clásico, saying, "We want three points, but teams in crisis always play better in such games."

As impressive as their performances against Valencia were, both Henry and Bojan will be hoping for something even better in the greatest game of all next Saturday.

Barcelona vs Valencia 4-0, Guardiola Happy...

Josep Guardiola has always been quick to quell enthusiasm about his side's excellent performances, but even he admitted to being impressed by Barcelona's 4-0 win over Valencia.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Guardiola said, "I am the first to be surprised. But there is still a long way to go."

Before the match, Guardiola had requested the local media to calm their praise of his team, fearing that it might lead to overconfidence. After seeing his side demolish one of their toughest rivals, however, he simply said, "You write whatever you think is correct." In that case, it is fair to say that Barcelona were simply breathtaking.

Pep was quick to return to his usual stance though, stating, "It is only December 7 and there is a long road ahead. Bad times will come and I hope that the fans will support us then, because we play for them, not us."

The result opened up a six-point gap at the top of the table, after Villarreal only managed one point at home to Getafe. Guardiola was pleased that his side managed to exploit the opportunity.

"We scored many goals and they did not have many chances," he said. "Our group has great solidarity and determined players.

"We have now created a slightly greater distance between us and Villarreal."

Understandably, the hat-trick hero, Thierry Henry, was the subject of much discussion, and the Barca coach praised him for the "perfect position" that he played on the pitch.

"He played with great boldness, saying 'Here I am.' I am very pleased," continued Guardiola.

Seeing Lionel Messi being substituted is a rare sight, but the Argentine was taken off with approximately 10 minutes remaining. Guardiola explained the decision, saying, "I am pleased with his performance. I took him off because I didn't want him to get injured.

"He has incredible ambition, and this is why he was disappointed when I took him off, because such players are always upset when they are replaced."

When asked if this was his side's best performance so far, Pep responded by saying that there is "always something you can improve on, although the applause of the fans shows the effort and dedication my players showed".

Inevitably, the questions started to turn towards next weekend's clash with Real Madrid, but all Guardiola would say was, "Our next match is against Shakhthar Donetsk."

That may be so, but it would surprise no-one if the press conference ahead of that encounter contained more questions about Real Madrid than the Ukrainian team.

Claire Merry Leave Thiery Hendry With 10 Millions Euro....

Barcelona forward Thierry Henry has struggled for form since moving from Arsenal to Camp Nou in 2007. One of the major reasons, according to reports, has been the ongoing turmoil over his divorce from his English wife, Claire Merry.


The two met in 2001 while the Frenchman was still making a name for himself at Arsenal, shooting an advertisement for an automobile company, in which she was involved as a model. They tied the knot in 2003 and had a daughter, Tea.

However, things went belly-up and the pair agreed to part company in 2007, with their divorce now being finalised with a payoff thought to be worth in excess of €10 million.

Merry is said to have been after more of Henry's cash, but the player's lawyer argued successfully that he was a success before the union and, therefore, her claim was limited.

The Barca ace can now focus more clearly on football, one would assume, having put the matter to bed.

An insider told The Sun: "It was settled at the end of last week. Claire is delighted.

"Neither her or Thierry wanted to go back to court as they are both now moving on with their lives. She is happy with the conclusion and she said it is close to the £10 million she wanted."

Eric Abidal Back On Barca Squad

Barcelona have received an injury boost after medics gave Éric Abidal the green light to start playing again after more than a month on the sidelines with an injury.



The French international will be available to coach Pep Guardiola for Saturday's encounter with Valencia and his return will be welcome news wih Real Madrid and then Villarreal up next for the Blaugrana.

Abidal suffered a blow to his right knee at the start of November and was originally told that he would be out of action for three weeks, but that timeframe was extended.

Sylvinho, Carles Puyol and Martín Cáceres have all covered at left-back in his absence and rumours even arose that the club were watching Nadir Belhadj, who is on loan at Portsmouth from Lens.

With Abidal back in action, Barça now have just two players left in the treatment room with Andrés Iniesta expected to be back within a fortnight and Gaby Milito, who will not return until the new year at the earlies.

Iniesta has been out for a month after injuring his thigh in the Champions League encounter with Basel, while Milito was operated on both knees in May and told he may not play for nine months.

Henry Didnt Comfort Be a Winger....

The French forward has been forced to play out on the wing again this season for the Blaugrana after the Cameroonian stayed at the club and that has meant he has less chance to shine once again.



After a difficult first season at Camp Nou, Henry has sought to explain that his duty to track back and defend makes it impossible for him to reproduce the form he showed in England.

"I understand that people want to see the goals that I scored for Arsenal, but here it is not the same. At Arsenal I did not run like I do now," he told reporters.

"At time you have to work for the team and not just for yourself. I have to admit that I never thought I would have to defend this much. When all is said and done and forward is recognised by how many goals he scores."

Eto'o was due to leave the club and Guardiola told Henry that he would be the club's main centre forward and that they wanted him to play like he did at Arsenal.

But the former Mallorca goalscorer won his place in the squad back and Henry stated that "the situation changed then" and he had to start the season playing wide on the left once more.

It is out on the flank that Henry feels that he has to work much harder then he ever imagined he would as a youngster with Monaco and that has limited his scoring chances.

"At Arsenal I played left of centre and waited for the ball, feeling fresher, ready to go up the wing and here it is the other way round," he continued.

"On the wing you have to work more to defend and then I reach the opposition area without so much strength."

"At Arsenal, even on days when I scored three, I could still have missed four other chances, having seven in all. Here there are one or two chances.

"But I feel a lot better physically and am happier now. Last year we did not play as much as a team as we are this season."

City's Premiere Target : Kaka And Messi

According to a report in the British broadsheet the Independent, Manchester City's owners are prepared to smash the €56 million deal which took Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001.

Apparently, the Blues' extremely wealthy Arab owners are so eager to land one of the world's best players that they are considering making offers upwards of €81 million.

It is claimed that the Citizens have drawn up a transfer list including the likes of Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona, Fernando Torres of Liverpool, and arch-rivals Manchester United's attacking duo Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, it is thought that City's preferred transfer targets are Milan's Brazilian international Kaka, and Barcelona's Argentine whizzkid Lionel Messi.

Bids could be made as early as January, as the report goes on to explain that both Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus and David Villa of Valencia are transfer targets too, but they will not be approached until next summer.

Yaya Toure Change His Mind : I Will Stay In Barca

Touré Yaya has rejected all talk of leaving Barcelona in the winter transfer window after being linked with a move to Arsenal to join his brother Kolo.



The Ivory Coast midfielder stated that he was enjoying life so much at Camp Nou that he has no intention of moving and instead claimed that he believes the Blaugrana will win a trophy this term.

Arsène Wenger reportedly enquired about Touré in the summer and was told that he was going nowhere and now the player has reiterated that after The Sun claimed the Gunners were going to make a €7 million bid.

"I am here because I like this team and it is a great club," he told reporters on Tuesday. "I will be staying here because I am delighted with the side and because we are playing some great football.

"Every year the club signs players of great quality and for me that is important because when a team wants to win titles and the Champions League that is what you have to do.

"We have a squad with some incredible players in it and I am enjoying myself here, the team is doing well and I think we can win things."

Barcelona have not won a major trophy for two seasons, but Touré believes that this term could see that change and he wants to remain part of th trainer's plans to help the team.

"The team is playing very well because the coach is from within the club. Everything is working very well and I am happy this year and really believe we can win the league," he continued.

"I am here to play. Things are great and the coach has faith in me and for me that is the most important thing.

Touré then reflected on Cristiano Ronaldo's success in the Ballon d'Or and while praising the Manchester United forward, he said that Lionel Messi was his favourite player.

"He is a great player and had a great season in the Premier League and his achievements in the Champions League were incredible," he explained.

"But for me, Messi is the best. He is my team-mate and I hope that next year he will win it."

PSG : We Are Now Rich , More Than Manchester City !

Eyebrows were raised recently when The Guardian reported that Paris Saint-Germain would take on the bulk of William Gallas' wage bill if they could bring the shamed Arsenal stopper to the Parc des Princes.



Those rumours have drizzled down the plughole a bit in recent days, as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger continues to back the defender, despite having stripped him of the captaincy.

Still, it turns out that PSG have some mammoth transfer ambitions after all and that money is no object.

Club president Charles Villeneuve, who swept into power in May and helped to dig the Parisiens out of their hole, has claimed that the club is worth some €200 million.

"PSG are worth more than Manchester City," Villeneuve declared, "Therefore it is worth more than €200 million.

"We want a Paris which is working well and a Paris playing at Champions League level. Believe me, that would be worth a lot."

In order to get there, Villeneuve wants red-hot Chelsea hitman Nicolas Anelka and Barcelona ace Samuel Eto'o on board.

Speaking to L'Equipe, he insisted: "Eto'o loves Paris... Gucci, Gianfranco Ferre, Dolce & Gabbana. Anelka? The doors are always open to him.

"If he returns to PSG one day, I don't think it will be a question of money. Still, he's making it difficult because he's the top goalscorer in England!"

Anelka would be returning to the club for the third time in his career.

Coach Paul Le Guen was able to add the likes of Claude Makélélé to his ranks in the summer.

Johan Cruyff : Barcelona Now Is Undoubtable !

Johan Cruyff believes that Barcelona answered the few remaining doubters left who said that they had not met one of the big teams in the league before going to Sevilla on Saturday.



The three-goal victory in Sánchez Pizjuán was proof that Pep Guardiola's team are capable of defeating the best and can now set their sights on winning a trophy this term, the Dutch legend said.

In his weekly column for El Periódico, Cruyff said that winning things are not done by picking and choosing victories because every team needs to be beaten.

"League titles are not one by only doing the double over the big teams. The championships come when you beat everyone and there are as many smaller opponents as their are big ones," he wrote.

"With one stroke they have ended that rubbish about Barça having played nobody big until now. This is a week that the squad should enjoy because the win in Sevilla will be important for confidence and to the atmosphere.

"You saw winners in Sevilla and you have seen the champions of of everything; the league, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Everything has been going very well, but we shall now see what happens.

"You have to walk and not run in the league and now there are two big home games coming up, against Valencia and Real Madrid, and that could give Barça the advantage."

Sir Bobby Robson : Manchester City Must Buy Lionel Messi

As Manchester City continue to flash their cheque-books about hoping to lure the best players in the world to Eastlands, former England legend Sir Bobby Robson has advised the club to forget about every other player and focus their resources on signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

Robson, who coached Barca during the 1996/97 season, left no doubt as to who he believes is the best player in the world today and what he would do if he had the kind of money City now boast.

“If I were the administrator of Manchester City and had proprietors who are willing to give me money to sign players, I would buy Messi in the January transfer window,” Robson told in The Sun.

“He is the best young player in the world and there aren’t many clubs that can afford to make a signing such as this.

“It’s an opportunity that cannot be missed and if City want to be the best team in the world, then they need the best player in the world.”

With Barcelona unlikely to even bat an eyelid before rejecting any offers for their superstar forward, the only way any team can attempt to lure Messi away from the Camp Nou would be to pay off his €120 million buy-out clause - and, at present, it would appear that Manchester City are the only club who have access to that kind of money.