Manager: Paulo Bento
Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best previous Euros performance
Runners-up 2004
Qualified via
Runners-up of Group H; defeated Bosnia 6-2 on aggregate in play-off
FIFA ranking: 7th
Tournament odds: 18/1

In 1996 Portugal qualified for the Euopean Championships for the first time in nearly 12 years. In the squad they had the likes of Luis Figo, Joao Pinto, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto to name just a few, a ‘golden generation’ if you will. They made it all the way to the quarter finals, beating the likes of Turkey and Croatia in the process. The Czechs though, were just a little too much for them and Portugal were eventually eliminated by a single goal to nil, courtesy of Karel Poborský.

In 2000 the tournament was held in Belgium and the Netherlands and the Portuguese were looking to go at least one better and make it to at least the semi-finals. They did just that, making it to the last four to set up a tie with the French. It was all going according to plan topping the group that had the likes of England, Germany and Romania in it with three wins from three and eliminating Turkey in the quarter finals. There started to be a real buzz in the camp thinking it could just be their year. 1-0 up against France inside 19 minutes thanks to Nuno Gomes, the ship looked settled.

That was until Henry fired the sides level on the hour. Extra time loomed and after a stalemate first fifteen, the tie looked to be headed for penalties, something the Portuguese were very good at. That was until Nuno Gomes received a red card and the French were awarded a penalty kick with just three minutes to go. Up stepped Zinedine Zidane to put the French through; it was heart-break for Portugal and the end of their ‘golden generation’.

Euro 2004 and in their own back yard surely there was no excuse. The winners of that year’s tournament were of course going to be Portugal. Topping the group, throwing both England and Holland out of the tournament in the knock-out matches, only Greece, little old Greece stood in their way.

This time the players who were catching the headlines weren’t those from 96 or 2000. This time it was the young generation, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Carvalho, Hélder Postiga, and a last tournament for the likes of Luis Figo. All they had to do was see their way through 90 more minutes and see off Greece. They couldn’t do it. Up against a stubborn Greek defence the winner came in the 57th minute Angelos Charisteas with the goal that sealed the tournament. Portugal had fallen, again – this time at the final hurdle.

After the successes of the Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Portugal were seen as a major contender to win Euro 2008, but their qualification wasn’t easy. They did indeed top their group as they normally do but it was a tough, brutal group with the likes of Turkey, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. They won two and lost once but still made it through to set up a quarter-final match against Germany, who had fallen prey to Croatia in Group B and could only manage second spot. The game couldn’t have started any worse for the Portugal side that featured the likes of José Bosingwa, Pepe, Petit, Ronaldo, Simao and Deco.

Within twenty-six minutes they were opened up twice and spat back out, 2-0 down and with the pressure the Germans had on them, more or less out. Nuno Gomes managed somehow to grab one back before half time, but just after the restart for the second half the two goal deficit was restored, a late consolation goal from Helder Postiga did nothing. Portugal were again out of the European Championships all too early.

Fast forward four years and they’re at it again. This time scraping through the qualifying group on goal difference to finish second and set up a play-off against Bosnia. To be fair to the Portuguese they swept the Bosnians aside in the second leg winning it 6-2, after a stalemate first game. Through to the finals, they’ve been drawn in Group B along with Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark, a very hard group on paper. One that if they can somehow qualify from, will set them up very nicely for the remaining games. It’s not going to be easy, but it never is for the stars of Portugal, is it?

Portugal is surely a nation that will win a major tournament sooner rather than later. Why not this year?

Likely Starting XI: (4-3-3) Rui Patrício, João Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrão; Miguel Veloso, João Moutinho, Raul Meireles; Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Hélder Postiga

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Spain) Whatever words I write here will do no justice to a player that is just simply brilliant – out of this world, one of the best players we have ever seen grace a football pitch. Told you no matter what I said wouldn’t do him justice. Messi for Argentina never really has a massive impact for his country but can this be the year Ronaldo steps above Messi and wins the Balloon D’or by helping Madrid win the league as well as helping Portugal to win the European Championships?

Player to watch: Nani (Manchester United, England) Nani is a player who had played second fiddle to Ronaldo at Manchester United, and when you see just how good Ronaldo is that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Ever since he left Manchester and joined Real Madrid, Nani has been a shining star on the right-wing of United, sometimes in and out of form, little Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha could maybe just find enough form and focus to really shine this summer.

Guardiola’s side travelled to a freezing cold Pamplona to face the ever-dependable Osasuna. A blend of wonderful opportunism in taking chances, dogged defending and a huge slice of luck saw Osasuna secure a wonderful 3-2 win on the Saturday night. Barcelona were understrength perhaps – Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and Andres Iniesta were warming the bench – but it was in fact the old guard who were suspect rather than the young guns. It was in two B team players who made the difference – the lively Christian Tello and the wonderful Isaac Cuenca gave Barcelona a foothold in the match that they perhaps were unfortunate to lose after 90 minutes, a seemingly impossible thing to consider when it was 3-1 after 70.

It’s typical of the time we live in that a team can be criticised despite being the reigning domestic and European champions and despite having only lost twice all season, but it has to be said that there is something different about the La Liga title race this year. Barca’s main rivals, plucky little Real Madrid, have been ruthless almost in their efficiency, finally adjusting perhaps to Jose Mourinho’s all controlling approach over football matters and turning most games into walkovers. At the time of writing, 10 points is the gap between Spain’s elite clubs (you have to go back another eight points to third place Valencia) but it’s difficult to say that Real are a better side than Barcelona.

Real Madrid versus Barcelona is a game that draws attention from football fans all over the world and we have been spoilt in recent months to have had such plentiful occasions in which to watch the two teams battle. This season’s opening renewal was a league match at the Santiago Bernabeu, a tie that billed Real Madrid as the favourites, for perhaps the first time in Mourinho’s reign. This came after weeks of press in which ‘The Special One’ was lauded as the man to have finally dethrone Barca and that the game in Madrid on a December evening would be a turning point in the most famous rivalry in Spanish football.

Of course it didn’t pan out that way. One thing that can never be doubted about Guardiola’s side is their record in the big games. They’ve lost to Real Madrid just once in Mourinho’s reign – that took extra time – they’ve dispatched all comers in Europe – Inter in 2010 aside – and are the reigning World Club Champions. Guardiola masterminded that 3-1 win in the capital and reminded people why Barcelona are so fawned over as footballing geniuses.

The problem, if you can call it that, for Barca is that not every game is as big as an away tie at Real Madrid or a cup final. When you have a squad packed full of players used to mopping up all silverware available, an away trip to Granada might not get the juices flowing. Whilst hardly awful in many games, Barcelona have certainly not been their fluent selves. Reliant on more direct passing than in previous years, Barcelona also seem to have become slightly lax in their almost regimental hassling and pressing of opponents. This could potentially be down to the reasons mentioned above, but whatever it is, Barcelona’s positional play has been slacking and has put an undue amount of pressure onto their threadbare defence.

That coupled with a touch of bad luck and an abysmal defensive record at set pieces has seen Barcelona drop 16 points on the road this year, often throwing away leads. Barca’s only other defeat came on the road at Getafe this season and it was typical of the issues they have had at times. Sloppy in front of goal and at times wasteful in possession, the Catalans were undone by a simple corner, headed home by Juan Valera just after the hour mark.

It’s not been easy to find fault with Barcelona in recent years, and whilst some will be overjoyed with their potential undoing as Spanish Champions, I’m not one who enjoys their slip-ups. It’s probably too late for them to turnaround this season domestically, but with a Copa Del Rey final to look forward to and a real chance in the Champions League it will still most likely be a silverware full season in Catalonia. You have to fancy Barca in every pressure game they play, but whilst Guardiola and Barcelona may be the best team in the world in finals, the big games have to be earned first.

This, of course, raises the issue of whether the captaincy is that much of an issue that the furore whipped by the media in particular, is necessary especially as the nation are looking to progress ideologically in its football methods. The now former England manager was interviewed on Sunday night by Italian broadcaster RAI over video link and was apparently sitting in front of the Houses of Parliament.

To fill the remainder of his five minute interview, the question cropped up as to what Capello felt about the decision to strip Terry off his beloved strap. Either this was utter genius from the production team at RAI or this was comically accidental. Placing Capello in front of Big Ben made him not only look like some dictator declaring war on Western Samoa but also made England look like an absolute joke. Here’s a nation which obsesses over the coin tosser who has little or no relevance on the outcome or the fortunes of the team. Unlike any other large football nation,England is fixated over the notion that a good captain means great success to the team.

Capello’s chagrin made the back pages immediately with misinterpretations being re-interpreted as an exit strategy. How dare Capello show some dismay at a group of people who have continually lifted their skirt and shown some thigh at Harry Redknapp, a man whose achievements don’t hold a candle to the Italian’s.

In all honesty, Capello fell into the trap in believing the captaincy is an issue worth being involved in. If the dominant nations have anything to teach England, it’s that these small matters aren’t worth pursuing and harm more than gel a group of players together. England’s players already suffer from massively inflated egos and having this placed on top could make the cohort resemble the Dutch when they have their annual falling out over free-kick taking.

Amazingly, this episode has taken the heat off Terry, the player who has twice caused a huge headache for the veteran Italian manager. Initially, the players failed to trust the Chelsea skipper over his alleged nocturnal activities and he was replaced as captain. It was then later given back to Terry, which caused friction again among a few of the players who felt it was a chance for someone else to prove their worth. There’s those egos not being massaged again.

The price of having an armband is apparently worth £1 million in endorsements so it shouldn’t be surprising as to why Terry and perhaps Ferdinand felt as though they should have had the armband, cynically thinking. But then again, it illustrates the bizarre craving to laud over a captain and lavish him with buckets of money because he is the ‘essence’ of the team. Do the ten other players not exist? Where’s their share of the money used to promote McDonalds and other campaigns which ethically and somewhat morally go against the message of healthy and active living?

The face of King of Shaves has been brought to court over alleged racist remarks made to Anton Ferdinand in October. Farcically, a judgement has yet to be made and is set for July, but besides the distraction which may surround Terry from now until the European Championships, should he deserve to be in the squad at all? One of the criticisms labelled at Capello was taking players based on their past and not on merit and on recent form, Terry hasn’t filled himself or Chelsea in any glory.

Clearly with a chequered past (an important asset to be the ‘face’ of England) and sliding form, surely the best option was for Terry to have his international career ended. With defenders like Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Martin Kelly coming through the ranks, now is the perfect opportunity to blood the younger players who have experienced pressure games and have less controversy surrounding them.

Now, the FA are in a situation where they have Stuart Pearce as interim manager. It’s like handing the keys of Buckingham Palace to a wild boar. It shows the incompetency of the FA and how it governs these matters. If stripping John Terry was done over principle, what about handing the reigns to Harry Redknapp who himself had to prove his innocence over an offshore account. A manager who claims to not be able to read his own writing. Hardly the ringing endorsement to future generations wanting to aspire in a respectable field.

Capello’s glittering campaign with success across Europe has, as we know, come to a whimpering and sorry ending. It’s a shame as Capello was the first England manager with a really proven international record, the experience of winning tournaments and dealing with seasoned players. And what could have been added to his marvellous CV has been cut short because of the debacle surrounding John Terry. Maybe he’s not worth the hassle.

Photo courtesy of Blog Gallery.

The never ending drama surrounding the England football team took yet another dramatic twist this week with the news that Fabio Capello had resigned with immediate effect. Following on from John Terry’s loss of the captaincy and Capello’s slightly ill-advised comments in the Italian press the outcome was almost inevitable.

Much of the talk this week has centred on Terry’s replacement this latest development could have a dramatic effect on who takes the armband next. The leading contenders appear to be Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker, who are both elder statesmen in the side and whose England careers have not exactly been overwhelming, or even ‘whelming’. With a new regime set to come in and with hopefully more emphasis placed on the future it seems a perfect time to give the captaincy to the only player currently guaranteed a place in Poland and Ukraine this summer; Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Although Hart is one of the younger members of the squad he is probably the only player who is certain to start at the European Championships. The stopper looks set to have a lengthy international career ahead of him. He is also fortunate to be playing regularly for the most up-and-coming side in the country and is likely to be playing Champions League football for the foreseeable future.

It is always essential to have a captain whose place in the team is beyond doubt and finding an English player matching that criteria is extremely difficult. Perhaps one of the biggest concerns about John Terry’s leadership was that his form over the last year has been generally poor and his place was no longer guaranteed. There is no doubt that Joe Hart is currently England’s number one by quite some way and the extra responsibility could even improve his performances. The Spanish captain Iker Casillas similarly had the responsibility thrust upon him after their ‘golden generation’ retired and that has worked out wonderfully.

After the debacle of the 2010 World Cup, all eyes focused on attempting to emulate the structures of Germany and Spain. These are the two best examples in world football of investing in youth and enabling them to develop and flourish on the biggest stage. The attitude in this country has always been to protect and shield promising young players in case it proves detrimental in their progress.

If Capello had remained in charge for the European Championships, it would have made sense to have an experienced captain as the current regime would have ended after the tournament. However, with the Italian now gone the focus should be on preparing a side for Brazil in 2014. Use Euro 2012 to blood some of the talented young players coming through.

Following on from this Joe Hart being made captain would make a bold statement about a ‘New England’. The so-called ‘golden generation’ have failed time and time again. It is ultimately time to start to build a side that can compete for international honours. Hopefully the new manager will be someone who can come in, overhaul the entire England set up and maybe, just maybe the results will start to improve.

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com.

Dear Mr Bates,

You don’t know me, but let me introduce myself. My name is Dan, and I am a fan of a small town’s football club just a few miles down the road from your office. You may or may not have heard of us, we’re called Barnsley FC.

Although, as I said, you don’t know me, I’m a big fan of the work that you’ve been doing at Leeds United, and felt it necessary to get in touch and commend  you on doing such a sterling job. I mean, it isn’t often that Barnsley take six points from another Championship team, and to allow us to do it in so much style, well, I couldn’t thank you enough.

However, it’s not just Barnsley that I’m here to discuss.

Only this month you outdid yourself in letting that pesky Mr Grayson leave your club. I must admit, I didn’t know if you were going to actually come to your senses on that one. It hasn’t been enjoyable watching the job that Mr Grayson was doing at Leeds United. I know that you have been doing everything that you can to get in his way, but he was managing it anyway. Ninth in the league and two points off the playoffs? Wow. I wasn’t sure that even you had it in you to get rid of a coach in that position.

I presume that you have seen the stats regarding Simon’s time in charge? It must have been difficult to realise that his win percentage as Leeds manager was actually the highest that the club has ever had. I mean, he must have been stealing all of your attention. If you take a step back and look at things, winning 62.7% of matches is extremely impressive, especially when you take into account the fact that the great Don Revie could only manage 62.1%, and David O’Leary didn’t even get close to that, despite the European adventures.

Only recently, I was encouraged to see you sell midfielder maestro Johnny Howson to Aston Villa. He was obviously a key component in the team, and I’m glad that you came to your senses and got rid of him. Of course, that was only part one of the plan… Not replacing him… Now that was a masterstroke.

Actually, you’ve never really had a problem with moving players out of the squad who looked like they could get you back into the hallowed land of the Premier League. Jermaine Beckford, Kasper Schmeichel, Bradley Johnson, Max Gradel and Fabien Delph were all top players for the league that you were competing in, and I can only congratulate you on making sure that they were gone from the club, making Mr Grayson’s job considerably harder at every possible opportunity.

The question is, Mr Bates, what now?

Although you would have to say that appointing Colin W*nker, or Neil Warnock, as some cruel football fans refer to him, would do your promotion prospects no harm at all, it would surely be universally unpopular among Leeds fans. Plus, there is then the problem of what to do if you do go up, as Colin has a history of not doing so well once he reaches the top… Looking at it, it doesn’t look like the best of moves does it? I’ll expect him to be in charge by the weekend…

I mean, there are of course other options, but your track record surely suggests that you will have to go for Warnock. We all know you love a bit of controversy, and what more could you want than brining him to your club?

Well, that’s probably enough from me Mr Bates. I just wanted to get in touch with you, and encourage you to keep up the sterling job that you are doing at the club.

All the best, Mr Bates, and good luck on making a total hash of things in the future. Your previous record leaves me in no doubt that you’ll manage it, in spectacular fashion.

Yours,

Dan

Photo courtesy of DB_Photography.

This was a big weekend in the Bundesliga. The big boys, with the exception of Borussia Dortmund, all dropped valuable points in the race to the league title.

Dortmund’s Friday match-up against Nürnberg allowed them to put pressure on their competitors prior to their respective matches. They were definitely tested by the relegation candidates for good parts of the game but the reigning champs were able to turn the tide and leave Nürnberg with a very important three points.

One of the big things to note was the contributions of Robert Lewandowski and Lucas Barrios. For a majority of the season it was clear that the Polish striker had ousted Barrios from the starting eleven after the Paraguayan picked up a long term injury while representing his country in the Copa America. It came to the point where Barrios was on the verge of a move; having being linked with multiple Premier League clubs in the January window.

Instead, he made the deadline day decision to stay in Dortmund. He cited his reason for staying to the fans who gave him a great reception as he was subbed on against Hoffenheim. It was an all important move for the club’s chances this season. Having two potent strikers puts Dortmund in a very good position in relation to the teams around them.

Bayern Munich, Schalke and Borussia Mönchengladbach all drew their games this weekend. Bayern were shocked by a brilliant volleyed goal in the first half against HSV but managed to pull it back through Ivica Olic late on. Bayern came into the season as strong favourites and still retain that label. It doesn’t help their cause that they have already dropped four points from their first three games of the Rückrunde. More importantly, one of those matches was a loss to fellow contenders, Gladbach.

Player for player the Bavarians do still hold a slight edge on Dortmund but there has been times when both teams have shown signs of mental weakness. Bayern simply cannot afford to drop anymore points for the remainder of the season. And they have shown how unstoppable they can be on their day – recording big wins several times during the season. A lot of it comes down to the fitness of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, both of whom have proven what catalysts they can be. With the duo creating chances for Mario Gomez consistently, there’s little doubt that Bayern will turn this little rough spell around and return to the same form they had before the break.

It is still a bit early to rule out both Schalke and Gladbach though. Schalke’s dropped points this weekend came at home to Mainz and it took quite an exceptional goal from loanee Chinedu Obasi to save the team a single point.

The Gelsenkirchen club have proved doubters wrong this season by getting this far with largely the same squad that disappointed last time around. Schalke’s main weakness however is their reliance on the likes of Raúl and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Despite having a handful of experienced players like the ex-Real Madrid duo, they do have a handful of youngsters who are experiencing the rigours of a title race for the first time in their careers.

As a result, it’s difficult to put Schalke firmly in the race. They will likely drop more points before the season is out but they are far from being out of it completely. They could easily rally for a real push for the title. But whichever way it goes, Schalke can be assured a Champions League spot at the very least.

It is very easy to run out of superlatives for Gladbach; having just about escaped from the jaws of relegation at the end of last season, they are now so, so close to tasting the Champions League. There is no doubt that they have been one of the more entertaining teams this season.

Despite knowing the fate of their main man, Marco Reus, they don’t seem to be phased in the slightest. Reus himself is fully committed to helping the team succeed. Defensively the team is nearly unbreakable and even on a day that pitted them against ultra-defensive teams like Wolfsburg, they know they can get themselves a point at the very least if their high pace counter attacking style doesn’t seem to be working.

Gladbach will definitely struggle to keep up with the leaders but they have a very comfortable buffer zone between themselves and fifth in the table. Their main objective will no doubt be the title, but realistically they should try nipping into an automatic Champions League spot.

Inevitably, the title will come down to Bayern and Dortmund. Schalke and Gladbach could still surprise and keep pace with the ‘big two’ but it will all come down to two major pieces in the puzzle that is football. Form and fitness are two things you simply can’t predict. However, it hard to see past Bayern coming out on top. They remain the most likely of the four to come out on top and reclaim their title as the champions of Germany.

The bitterly cold, blizzard-like conditions which swept parts of Italy was always going to make it difficult for the league to have all their midweek round of games played in full. We’ve already seen one game between Catania and Roma which needs to resume play due to heavy rain so it provides a fixture headache for the Italian football authorities in the coming weeks when it comes to rearranging these games.

Four games have been deferred to a later date and with Milan President Adriano Galliani calling for Sunday’s game against Napoli to be rearranged, the amount of football some of the teams will be playing in such a short space of time could become costly in terms of injuries. What the Italian authorities need to also take into consideration is how they arrange the games for Juventus and Siena, teams who had their games called off against Parma and Catania respectively, as they are also taking part in the semi finals of the Coppa Italia. That could mean any fixture rearrangements may have to be forced later in the season. Thankfully, none of the sides who did have their fixtures postponed are also participating in the latter stages of the European competitions which would be cause for further concern for the players and coaches in terms of rotation and travel logistics.

It has led to both the Italian FA (FIGC) and players association (AIC) debating as to when the games should be taking place in addition to the players’ wellbeing. Demetrio Albertini, vice president of FIGC, acknowledged that the situation can’t be repeated again. “It is the time to change something and we must have the courage to do so. Almost all the stadiums in Italy are old now, unfit to provide decent accommodation for players or the public in adverse weather conditions.”

Undeniably, the renovation of stadia is something which desperately needs to be done and there seems to be a lack of progression from clubs to address this. The state of the economy in Italy makes it difficult to forecast as to when clubs will be able to access capital in order to build or renovate their grounds. Juventus have shown what a great purpose built stadium can do for a team – it could be said that their new surroundings have reinvigorated the team as the fans are closer to the players making it more of a cauldron like atmosphere.

There is a bigger picture aspect to all of this. Having games postponed due to old conditions makes it difficult for the league to become attractive to a global audience. As the Premier League continues to grow in terms of wealth, the Italian league has stagnated since its halcyon days of the late 1980s and 1990s. Stadiums in England were designed knowing the temperamental conditions therefore games could be played without any large hitches and fans could travel without feeling as though they are the last people to be thought of.

A level of logic needs to be added to the structure of fixture listing. The Bundesliga have managed to extend their winter break to five weeks, the longest in Europe, and Italy could follow suit. “Pending their renovation, and it will take years, a viable solution is to start the season in August and possibly expand the winter break, to avoid the coldest period,” Albertini admitted.

Balance needs to be restored as the national side could fall victim because of the fixture pile up. One of the reasons as to why the Germans decided it would be good to extend the break was for the players to recover. As a result, there is less chance of injury to players in the second half of the season. Of course, this is to also allow the German national side to have a better chance of progressing and winning championships as their players will theoretically be in better physical shape. Statistics show that players are more culpable to injury in the winter periods because of the physical stress endured in the first half of the season as well as the colder climate increasing the chances of muscular injury.

In the future, Italy could and should look to play more of their fixtures during the balmier periods of the year in order to avoid such situations occurring in the future, as a short term measure until stadiums are upgraded and restored to the standard of their European contemporaries. Alternatively, an earlier start to the season could work for the league as the games could be more widely dispersed throughout the first half of the season.

It provides a great dilemma for the Italian FA considering the European Championships are in June and Cesare Prandelli will be keen to have his squad as early as possible and his players are not feeling massive physical stress after a pile of games in the final stretch of the domestic season.

Photo courtesy of avivi000.

Fernando Torres has been a shadow of his former self at Chelsea. At Liverpool all people could talk about was how the Spaniard was a fantastic bit of business, a fantastic talent and one who could find the back of the net with his eyes closed.

Fast forward about one year and well the same can’t be said. He’s still not passed double figures in terms of goals for his new club, struggled to string a couple of good performances together and hasn’t set the world alight in terms of assists either. All this for £50 million.

Lucky for Vicente Del Bosque and Spain, who are all set to take part in this summer’s Euro 2012, they don’t have to take this flop with them.

There is only one man who shall fill the void with Torres in terrible form and David Villa out injured. The only Spanish striker I can see making the squad come the summer time has to be Roberto Soldado, with twenty-five goals in thirty-one matches last season accompanied by three assists, and already twenty goals in twenty-seven this season. There is no one firing at the present moment a better goal-to game ratio who could wear the numbers nine shirt for the Spanish side.

There has always been a suggestion claiming Soldado should have been called up before. He is a player who always seems to do a good job at Valencia, arguably Spain’s third biggest side, behind both Real Madrid and Barcelona. The chance for the twenty-six year old has just never came. His only two appearances for the national side came in two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Latvia and Liechtenstein. He didn’t score in either.

I fear the only problem, and probably the biggest one for Soldado, is that boss man Del Bosque doesn’t like changing a winning team, and doesn’t like to include new players if the present ones are doing their jobs. In the last qualifier for Euro 2012 Spain played hosts to Scotland and Del Bosque decided not to go with Torres or Villa, but to in fact place David Silva in the false nine position. The problem with that for Soldado is it worked like a charm. Silva managed to bag himself two goals and set up a third. It’s an avenue Del Bosque may go down if he doesn’t feel like including new players.

Other candidates if you will are the likes of Barcelona’s Pedro Rodriquez, Álvaro Negredo from Sevilla or Fernando Llorente of Athletic Bilbao. Three players who all have at least one thing in common – they have more caps than Roberto Soldado.

Pedro Rodriquez is one who hasn’t been in great form this season, with a mixture or injuries and limited game time it’s hard to build a case for him being ahead of Soldado, other than the sole fact Del Bosque may be used to him and would like to keep him included. He’s a striker-slash-winger who in his last sixty-three games for both club and country has managed thirty-one goals and sixteen assists.

Alvaro Negredo, another who may well be in the Spanish manager’s mind, six goals already this season in his opening sixteen games, and one assist in the league alone. The other bonus for the Sevilla frontman is his performance in one of his last outings for the national side against Bosnia. Scoring two goals and assisting another two in a 5-2 win.

Fernando Llorente is last but by no means least. A completely different kind of option for Del Bosque, the tall Bilbao striker has the most caps for his country out of the other three, and one who Del Bosque seems to favour when Torres or/and Villa are out. The striker is currently in a richer vein of form at the present time than Pedro and Negredo, as he’s managed seventeen goals in twenty-eight matches so far this season. He seems maybe the more favourable choice for Del Bosque.

I will finish with how I started – it’s got to be Roberto Soldado. With only two caps to his name, he’s a player who deserves more, and he’s certainly a player who deserves better from the national team coach. I’ll be very annoyed and rather disappointed if I don’t get to see him in Poland and Ukraine this summer such is the regard he is held in. Will I be surprised if when Soldado isn’t in the squad? Sadly no, that’s just what Del Bosque is like and who can argue against the man who’s won the World Cup.

That said Vicente, at least give him a chance.

Photo courtesy of I POST RANDOM PICTURES.

Jose Mourinho looks set to oversee Real Madrid’s first league title in four seasons; the Portuguese manager’s seventh domestic title in his fourth different country, after his functional Real Madrid side went seven points clear at the top of La Liga ahead of Barcelona. So the garden is rosy and there are smiles aplenty, right? Only at Real Madrid, a truly basket-case of a club could domestic superiority not be considered enough to garner the full favour of the hardest taskmasters Mourinho has ever had the displeasure of coming up against – the Bernabeu crowd.

Rumours have emerged, firstly back home in Mourinho’s native Portugal, and most recently here in England in The Sunday Times, a paper not well known for its spurious claims, that Mourinho is looking to leave the club at the end of the season and is eyeing a return to the Premier League. England remains the one country that’s afforded him a good measure of positive press over the years, ranging from the mythical to the sycophantically self-serving.

Mourinho has been granted a huge amount of power at the club by President Florentino Perez, a man who has staked his personal reputation on Mourinho being a success at the club. Mourinho’s powers grew even further in the summer, when Perez’s trusted lieutenant Jorge Valdano was sacked as the club’s Director General after a long and bitter power-struggle with the former Chelsea boss, only to be replaced by Zinedine Zidane – a yes-man if ever there was one.

Last season’s Copa Del Rey final victory over Barcelona was rightly seen as a step in the right direction, with the club proving a constant thorn in Barcelona’s side throughout the campaign. Domestic dominance and a return to Europe’s top table were thought to be well within the club’s grasp once more.

That much is true today, but there are two crucial differences that have since emerged. The boo boys of the Bernabeu have started to swing, with the Ultras displaying their displeasure at some of the club’s recent fixtures and rumours of disquiet within the playing camp that refuse to go away.

The first factor is borne out of the supporters growing frustrations over their inability to consistently compete in the Classico matches. Despite winning the Copa Del Rey against them last season, which remains as Mourinho’s solitary win against the Catalans since becoming Real Madrid boss, he has a fairly uninspiring record, drawing four and losing a further five, scoring just 11 times and conceding 22 goals in the process.

Madrid have shown in the past that success is not the be-all-and-end-all behind their motives. They bafflingly dispatched with the services of current Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque after he won two Champions League titles and two La Liga titles back in 2003. Juup Heynckes and Fabio Capello were also dismissed after previously successful spells in charge too.

For Real Madrid, the myriad of factors needed to stave off the blood-thirsty crowd and media has often proven too difficult to overcome for most managers. It was thought that Mourinho was too powerful to succumb to the issues that affected his predecessors so much, but for the first time in a long while, he appears somewhat vulnerable to attack and his authority is under question.

Upon Mourinho’s appointment, the club tacitly accepted that they had chosen substance over style, for that was what was required to bridge the gap between them and Barcelona. Now that the substance is delivering consistent results, the fans have chosen to focus their ire on the club’s personal rivalry with Barcelona and the lack of positive displays against them in recent times.

The goalposts have been moved. Mourinho is being booed, and with a degree of justification may I add, because his tactics have been labelled as excessively defensive and defeatist when tasked with beating Barcelona. For a club of Real’s history, it is not befitting of the club’s image to harry and chase their way to victory. The terraces have begun to demand not only success, but success with style now too; two factors that Mourinho has struggled throughout his career to integrate together successfully.

Add into the mix the very public training ground bust-up with Sergio Ramos, and the fact that rumours of Portuguese and Spanish cliques emerging within the playing camp continue to persist. Mourinho is like an under-staffed fireman, constantly fighting fires on several fronts at once, frantically searching which one to best turn his personal resources to next. Even for someone as charismatic as Mourinho, taking on the media, the players, the fans and the club heirarchy in such a short space of time is proving something of a stretch.

Jose certainly has history when it comes to departing a club on a high, and he often leaves the fans wanting more. He left Inter Milan back in 2010 after completing a momentous treble; enduring a similarly bitter relationship with the local Italian media. The feeling persists that Mourinho is growing tired of being constantly besieged with criticism of his style of play and his methods at every turn.

He remains in a strong position, though. The club undoubtedly need him more than he needs them. Should he depart at the end of the season after overhauling the greatest club side in living memory to the title in the process, his near mythical status will not only remain intact, it will grow exponentially.

The rumours planted in the media about his departure may be little more than a trick by the man himself to win back the fans after a tough few weeks. The grass, as Real Madrid fans have found out to their cost in recent years, isn’t always greener.

Barcelona’s wretched away form continues after a 0-0 draw against a struggling Villarreal side, which all but signals the collapse of their La Liga title ambitions for this term. The thought that they are targeting European glory above all else this term, in an attempt to further cement their status in the record books gather momentum.

Should it transpire that Mourinho wins the title against a distracted and injury-ravaged Barcelona, and Barcelona go onto win the Champions League for the third time in four years, then the legacy of Mourinho’s achievement will be passed off as little more than a statistical anomaly.

Jose Mourinho’s Madrid are a side moulded very much in the image of their manager – they are divisive, prone to brilliance, but are continually faced with a seemingly constant need to truly prove themselves.

One suspects that until Mourinho has fully conquered Barcelona in their titanic one-on-one duels, that the mercurial manager won’t depart for pastures new. Otherwise his somewhat assured title victory over Barcelona will forever have the bittersweet taste of a hollow victory.

One thing is for sure though, should Mourinho decide that enough is enough at the Bernabeu come the end of the season, the self-proclaimed Special One will certainly not have a shortage of takers, despite the inevitable baggage that comes with such an enigma.

Photo courtesy of prismatico.

Nikica Jelavic – From Rangers to Everton for £5.5 million

When a team needs a certain player and they get it on the last day of the transfer window for a fantastic price, then they’re in luck. For me the best signing this transfer window has to be Nikica Jelavic. A player who has previously been with Scottish champions Rangers, Rapid Vienna, Zulte Waregem and Hajduk Split – he has managed to find the net in a host of different countries as well as on an international level with Croatia.

It’s been some time since Everton could say they had a strong number nine up the top of the park, someone who could control a ball, hold up play and obviously be relied on for goals. In Jelavic they have their man and for just £5.5 million, plus the possibility of an extra £1 million depending on future appereances. It’s a steal really. One who in the second half of this season, I’d bet on at least getting into double figures. It’s time for Nikica Jelavic to make his name in the league he calls ‘the best in the world’. The time is yours Jelavic; as a Rangers fan, thanks for the memories. [Gary Linton]

David Pizarro – From Roma to Manchester City on loan

The transfer that caught my eye yesterday was that of David Pizarro to Manchester City on loan until the end of this season. The Chilean star made his name playing in Serie A for the last decade and indeed played under Mancini at Inter when they won the Italian treble in 2005/6.

A diminutive midfielder who can play in front of the back four or behind the striker, he could give Manchester City some much needed nous and experience for the run-in. It is clear that they have missed Yaya Toure in recent weeks and the addition of Pizarro will reduce the reliance on the Ivorian powerhouse.

Tuesday night’s game demonstrated that City are good at retaining possession but struggle on occasions to force the issue from central positions. With Pizarro’s excellent range of passing the side should be more creative which will also take some of the pressure away from David Silva. It is a shrewd piece of business from Mancini who has added skill and experience to his side at a time when it is sorely needed. [Andy Hunter]

Gylfi Sigurdsson – From Hoffenheim to Swansea on loan

I’ve not gone for the deadline beating dash of a signing, nor a big fee. Gylfi Sigurdsson, formerly of Reading, completed his loan move to Swansea just two days into the January transfer window and it didn’t raise many eyebrows at the time.

But after he played a key part as a half-time substitute in the Swans wonderful home win over Arsenal, a lot of clubs will have felt that they had missed out. A wonderful play-maker with a beautiful left foot, Sigurdsson is more than capable of filling the gap of being the man who links the midfield and attack. He is the something that has perhaps been missing in Swansea’s play. He also brings a fantastic set piece delivery and a knack of scoring wonder goals. The only difficulty for Swansea could be tying the Icelandic man down. [Jake Miller]

Jonathan Howson – From Leeds to Norwich for £2 million

Norwich’s return to the top flight has been a success, and it has been based largely on a trust in players who have succeeded in the Football League. Steve Morison, Grant Holt, Bradley Johnson and Anthony Pilkington have all handled the step up well under Paul Lambert’s guidance, and Jonny Howson has all the talent to do likewise. Captain of his boyhood club at 23 years old, and with over 200 games already behind him in his career, the time is right for Howson to make the step to the Premier League. He’ll fit perfectly into Lambert’s high-energy, technically sound side.

Amidst all the talk of a lack of value in the winter transfer window, Norwich have quietly snapped up one of the best midfielders outside the top flight without waiting for the scrap that would have ensued when his contract ran out in the summer. Once Howson recovers from his knee injury and is fit to play, he’ll be a big part of Norwich’s Premier League future. [Simon Furnivall]

Papiss Demba Cisse – From Freiburg to Newcastle United for £9 million

Despite the incredible start that Newcastle United have made to the season, the club has remained under intense pressure to make some moves in the transfer market. Their fine run won’t last forever with the small squad Alan Pardew is currently with and in Papiss Cisse, he has made the first move in building the St. James’ Park side.

Cisse is big, strong and scored plenty of goals in a mediocre Bundesliga side. Over the last 18 months, only Mario Gomez scored more goals in the German top flight and he has had Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger to rely on for chances. He is exactly the sort of player that will suit the Newcastle side and with Jonas, Gabirl Obertan and Yohann Cabaye laying on chances for the Senegal international can only end in goals. [Ryan Keaney]

Fabian Delph – From Aston Villa to Leeds on loan

Alex Mcleish’s side have a packed midfield, and the Scot seems insistent on giving Craig Gardner’s younger brother Gary a chance to show what he is capable of. This, combined with the rising reputation of Barry Bannan has allowed Fabian Delph to return to Leeds, the club which Villa handed around £6 million to for his services back in 2009.

Delph is naturally an attacking talent, like that of the man he has replaced Jonny Howson, and he will thrive alongside Robert Snodgrass, Ross McCormack et al. This move brings him back to a comfort zone, gives him minutes in a side challenging for the play-offs and helps Aston Villa improve their links with Leeds (Barry Bannan went on loan to Elland Road last year). Delph should return to Villa Park ready to take on the league and fulfil his full potential. I know it’s not the most glamorous move, but it hasn’t been the most glamorous of windows. [David Chalmers]

Please let us know what you think the deal of the transfer window was…

Photos courtesy of cpozo and Catalan Bola Photo Gallery.