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WhCristiano's reinvention: his stats are worse than ever at Real, but he is for sure one of the greatest ever

Comparisons, as Miguel Cervantes correctly asserted, may well be odious but they are 'Nirvana' to football's statistics and information gatherers currently working overtime as Cristiano Ronaldo hones in on the all time league scoring record. Has he reached 400 goals in the colours of Real Madrid, or is it as many say 399? Can we count his free kick strike in Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad or was it deflected in off Pepe? On such minutiae, friendships founder, families fall out. More importantly, does it matter? As if the experts didn't have enough data to work on with the constant comparisons that sally back and forth between Cristiano and his main rival for football lovers' affection, Leo Messi, now the names of former greats, Gerd Muller and Jimmy Greaves once again enter the spotlight they adorned with such distinction in the dim and distant past. And the problem is of course with facts, figures, stats and records is that very often they depend on the criteria you work with and - depending on who you believe - Cristiano is already the greatest scorer in League football history and not as the stat men would have it, one behind Das Bomber (Gerd Muller) and two short of Jimmy Greaves. The five leagues that qualify as 'top' apparently - and might I add at this point, says who?? - are in Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France and NOT in Portugal where Cristiano scored three goals for Sporting before his move to Manchester United, goals that would already have seen him lauded as the number one scorer in league history. This is one stat that will certainly provoke puzzled disbelief from a league that has, in Porto and Benfica, historically two of soccer's great sides and a country that, lest we forget, currently holds the European Championship. But I digress. What is most important is that in goal scoring terms at least, Cristiano and Messi and Greaves and Muller are/were the best - the very very best - and to make comparisons between one and the other bearing in mind they played in different times, in different conditions, on different surfaces with different equipment and a different approach to the rule book is ultimately to demean their greatness. A while back I incurred the wrath of Ronaldo fans across the world when I said he had declined physically. The reason I said it was simple - he had. A chronic knee injury - and I use the word in it's literal meaning which describes an illness or medical condition characterized by long duration or frequent recurrence - meant that he no longer had the blistering pace that would regularly destroy defences. And he knew it. I never said he would stop scoring and in fact it was the nature of the injury that compelled him to re-invent himself purely as a striker and bring him in from the flanks. He lost his speed, his electric bursts of pace and replaced them with even more of what he already had in abundance namely, a voracious hunger, an unceasing desire to be the best and a competitiveness and dedication to adapting to his new role. As he says himself, "With dedication and hard work things happen naturally", to which I might add that if it was that easy then we'd all do it. In the process he realised that to become the greatest striker in the world - and there is no greater at the moment - he has even strived to change his body shape to make him even more lethal in and around the penalty area. He is now around three kilos lighter, has less muscle development on his top half but has increased his muscle power and strength in his legs in his transformation purely as a striker. He has also for the first time realised that as the sands of time begin to run, then sometimes less is more and so consequently is far more prepared to be rotated and/or occasionaly substituted by Zinadine Zidane who he clearly trusts implicitly. At a time when many players of his age - Ronaldo is 32, and a battered and bruised 32 at that - are looking towards retirement, media work, cameo appearances and perhaps a bit of coaching, he will be hoping to plot the downfall of probably the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonard Bonucci as Real and Juventus makes their almost inevitable journeys to Wales for the Champions League final next month. Real Madrid's third final in four years and one that should they win will make them the first side since the tournament changed into the Champions League format to win the trophy in successive years. Meanwhile, Ronaldo, who has scored 50 goals or more every season at Real, has got the worst stats of this time at Real (35 goals 'only') but he has scored more goals than ever from the quarter finals of the Champions League. Another proof of his re-invention. The hunger and motivation that forced the change comes from a desire and a motivation to be the very best and a psychological toughness that is difficult to fathom but probably has its roots in the tough lonely road both he and Messi trod on their way to the very top. It there are to be comparisons made about the relative greatness of the four players then it is in this psychological department that we should pay most attention. As mere boys both Messi and Cristiano climbed aboard boat, trains and planes in search of their fortune while the likelihood is that players like Greaves and Muller used to go home to their Mums for tea after training with their local clubs. Much against his better judgment Greaves did take the plunge and travelled aboard although, in truth, he never wanted to go and did his level best to get out of the deal. He hated every minute of his stay with AC Milan in Italy. Muller to be fair had more success on the road in the twilight of his career though at a much lower level scoring a goal every two games more or less over three seasons with Fort Lauderdale in the USA Both Greaves and Muller succumbed for whatever reason to the demon drink post-playing and both are now in poor health. Greaves suffered a severe stroke in 2015 and is now looked after at home by those who love him now as they have always done, for better or worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. In 2015 Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heniz Rummenigge confirmed that Muller had been diagnosed with Alzeimer's disease adding by way of tribute that: “Gerd Müller is one of the all-time greats of world football. Without his goals, Bayern Munich and German football would not be what it is today." “He was a fantastic team-mate and is a friend. Gerd will always enjoy a place in the Bayern family. And when the cheering, the success and the adulation stopped, the drink and depression kicked in. Thankfully both despite poor health, gained redemption. We live in a different world today. Players have more therapists, counsellors, advisors, assistants, coaches, trainers and general Svengali's than you could shake a stick at. But even accounting for that, the impression that the likes of Crisitiano and Messi spend their life cushioned and protected from the outside world is illusory. The fact is they are probably mentally, and certainly financially, better prepared to deal with the pressures that will come with facing the end of the road than perhaps Gerd and Jimmy were but only time will tell us how they will cope with retirement when it comes along. But ignoring comparisons, tinder dry statistics, and boring facts that never really tell it like it is or was, I'm reminded by what I once heard the brilliant radio and television presenter and football nut, Danny Baker say which, for me, kind of sums it all up. "The thing about great players is that what makes them great is that when you watch them play, they make you gasp," he said. And when we are pulling mere numbers, sterile figures, impersonal stats out of the air to justify our arguments this is what we should remember above everything else. When Cristiano and Messi play, as when Greaves and Muller played we all gasped as they showed us, week in week out, just why we love - and occasionally hate - this magnificently flawed game so much.

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El Clásico. Another chapter in the extraordinary career of Messi

Last weekend's heart-stopping Clasico shows us many things and, for the umpteenth time, just why, with all its faults and imperfections, we love this game so much. It also shows just why, on occasions, we can get it so wrong. The signs looked ominous for Barcelona before the game. No Neymar, talk and speculation about the end of a cycle, a new era at the Camp Nou, and all eyes focused on a Real Madrid side that seemed to have adopted a mantra that somehow prevented them losing. On paper it looked a stone cold certainty that Real Madrid would secure the win that would put them six points ahead, with a game in hand and a better head to head and ever closer to their first title for five years. Leo Messi would probably agree but would also add that, lest we forget, football, as the old saying has it, is not played on paper but on grass and on the right day, given the right conditions and circumstances, whoever you are, wherever and however you play, he has the power in his locker to destroy you. Sunday's Clasico was one such occasion. I have worked with Leo many times in the past on commercial assignments and know that he is by nature a reserved man who is as meticulous in preparing answers to questions asked him as he is instinctive in dealing with problems he often encounters in the cut and thrust of the game. Yet sometimes when asked a question like what is more important in football, individual brilliance or top class organisation he will, maybe somewhat surprisiingly, cite the latter. In truth ultimately what earned Barcelona this unexpected victory against Real was a combination of both and what gave Messi the chance to show his passion on the pitch to go along with the order and organisation to dispel, at least for the time being, thoughts that this was a Barcelona side at the end of the road. Lately we have been seeing more and more examples of gestures from Messi that suggest he is now happy to show his real passion on the pitch. Santiago Garces' undoubtedly soon to become historic and iconic picture of Messi jumping into crowd after Sergio Roberto's winner against PSG was a case in point. On Sunday night in front of a stunned Bernabeu crowd he re-ignited the title race with his last gasp winner which just happened to be his 500th goal for Barcelona and scored against their most deadly rivals in the last minute and in their own back yard. The reaction that followed was that of a man that had endured being elbowed by Marcelo, stamped on by Casemiro, and the subject of a two footed lunge that saw saw Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos dismissed and then hit back in precisely the way that great players do. His almost sotto-voce display of his shirt following his goal seem to announce to the crowd and opposition, "You've done your worst and I'm still here and have achieved this in the most iconic of places." And yet somehow this was Messi showing his greatest rivals, the greatest of respect because both he and the other true great, Cristiano Ronaldo will know better than anyone that to be adjudged the best then it only really counts if you can prove it against the very best. He will have loved it not least because It will have taken him back to those days in Rosario, to the 'canchas', those potholed, glass-strewn, dog-messed, dustbowls that Leo used to spend every waking hour on honing his talents, while other youngsters, twice as big and a tenth as talented used to try to stop him by any means, fair or foul How great Real Madrid have been in the past is shown that despite his prolific scoring record, amazingly he had only scored four goals in the previous 11 clasicos and when asked why that was I have to say I was stumped for an answer because within that period we had a good, a bad and an indifferent Barcelona. That he should have achieved this magnificent milestone in the veritable 'Jerusalem' of football will not be lost on him. But back to the matter of individual brilliance versus organisation because Messi's magic would have been for nothing without Jose Enrique's tactical plan. Barcelona still track back badly in defence, do not defend set pieces well, and also look vulnerable unless they defend high. What Luis Enrique soon realised was that Real Madrid's weakness centred around Casemiro. Despite being highlighted as one of the highspots of the Madrid season he is also one of their main weaknesses largely because of his tendency to rush into positions leaving spaces that are not covered and handing Messi the chance to exploit the extra space granted to him through the middle. That is precisely why the 3:4:3 system used by Luis Enrique in the past doesn't work. It creates a funnel and kills the space for him to work with and what we saw here was a liberated Messi given the chance to do what he does best. And following on from - or perhaps as a direct consequence of - Messi's display we saw a performance from Ivan Rakitic culminating in a stunning strike that gave Barcelona a 2-1 lead and a reminder once again that while form is temporary, class is permanent. We also saw displays from Barcelona's much maligned full backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba who proved how much better they can perform in this system and who both played a significant part in Leo Messi's history making winner and we also saw world class displays from ter Stegen and Keylor Navas who showed on the biggest of stages they are truly two of the best goalkeepers playing today. These days it seems impossible to praise Messi without simultaneously slating Ronaldo - and vice versa. Stuff and nonsense. Criticism of Cristiano on this occasion is totally unjustified and those seeking to praise the achievements of one alongside a commensurate deprecation of the other are missing the point. Cristiano has re-invented himself as a centre forward and a striker and as such is there to try to finish what is created for him. With a view to becoming the perfect striker he has lost three kilos in weight and muscle volume from the top part of his body while lookingto re-inforce the muscle in legs to help him to become the perfect striker. Sunday night was not his day but mark my words, the day will come for him, probably sooner rather than later just as it did for Leo at the Bernabeu. I have said it before and I will go on saying it. One day our descendants will marvel at the fact that we were lucky enough to see the two greatest ever players playing against each at the same time. Let's enjoy while we can.

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The best Clasico XI (based on form right now)

Not for the first time, nor almost certainly the last, Sunday's clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu will very probably decide the destination of the 2016-17 La Liga season trophy.  Victory for Real Madrid will put 'Los Blancos' into a six point lead, with a game in hand and a better head to head while a Barcelona win will put them level on points, give them the better head to head and announce to the 400 million plus people watching the game around the world that with five games left to play, rumours of their demise have been well and truly exaggerated and that the title race is still very much on. But if La Liga is, as many believe it to be, the best league in the world and Real Madrid and Barcelona its two best sides what I wonder is the best possible 11 that can be picked based on their form. Here's my choice, why I've picked up them and why I have left certain players out. This is far from the first time that I, or many pundits, have carried out this exercise, but rather worryingly for Barcelona, I can't recall any time in recent years when it has been easier to pick a top eleven. Many - myself included - believe this to be a Barcelona in transition, a side facing the end of an era, and making one v one choices in the selection of a top 11 line serves as stark confirmation of the fact. This season, not surprisingly, much has been made of the life saving qualities of the Barcelona front three (more of them later) but in truth if Barcelona do manage to sneak in just ahead of their Castillan rivals then they will owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Marc-Andre ter Stegen who has been immense for the Catalans this season and is almost certainly one the major reasons why Real Madrid are not already home and hosed. Non stop chatter about the future of Keylor Navas will not exactly have filled Madrid's very capable Costa Rican goalkeeper with confidence and it is very likely that his days at the Bernabeu are numbered. Much of Barcelona's problems this season have emanated from the full back positions. Dani Alves showed in a Juventus shirt against his former club just what they had let slip through their fingers, and while Aleix Vidal looked like he might just grow into the task as his replacement, a broken leg put an end to that plan.  The attempted conversion of Sergi Roberto from midfielder to right full back has not always worked either, and like it or not, Barcelona are now going to have to go shopping for a right back, and quickly. Jordi Alba is unquestionably Luis Enrique's best option at left back although his reluctance to play him regularly would suggest that their isn't exactly the greatest of chemistry between the two and Alba's body language as he frequently warms the bench is palpable.  The inclusion therefore of Dani Carvajal and Marcelo in the full back berths is a no-brainer. Marcelo may on occasions lack something in his defensive duties but more than compensates for that by frequently being one of his side's best alternative attacking options as he showed in extra time in this week's Champions League semi final against Bayern Munich. Likewise, Carvajal who is strong, uncompromising and efficent at the back is also a constant danger in attack down the right flank. In the centre of defence Gerard Piqué's performances at the back have been one of Barcelona's saving graces this season as he continues to defy those critics who would love to see him fail for reasons that have nothing to do with football whileSergio Ramos seems to have been with us for ever and now frequently adds to his CV the role of match winning striker to that of one of the greatest defenders ever to pull on a Real Madrid and Spain shirt.  In a straight fight for holding midfielder the evergreen Sergi Busquets gets the nod over Casemiro simply because of his importance to the team. Without Busquets, whose form has been up and down, Barcelona are not the same side and Luis Enrique's idea to bring Andre Gomes in as his long term replacement has been a comprehensive failure. It is in the midfield where the battles between heart and head take place. Andres Iniesta has been one of the true greats - arguably THE greatest - in Spanish football and is without doubt a big match player. But the sands of time run for him as they do everyone and his performances very often this season have been a perfect demonstration of how this Barcelona side is coming to the end of a cycle. If teams were picked with the heart and not the head, then there isn't a line-up that Andres would fail to make. My head tells me however that Luka Modric - also perhaps approaching the crossroads of his career - is the better option despite some lacklustre performances of late. Ivan Rakitic on top form should play along side him. Unfortunately - and this is certainly not all his fault - top form is not what he has displayed for much of the season and therefore Germany's Toni Kroos who after a slow opening to his Real Madrid career is getting better and better is my pick to accompany the Croatian. In attack, both sides possess an abundance of riches and Madrid especially in their replacements. Zidane was even able to permit himself the luxury of leaving the BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano) trident out of the squad completely for their recent match against Sporting Gijon.  In came the likes of Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio and Alvaro Morata, players craved  by clubs all over the world, yet used at Real Madrid merely as extremely capable fill-ins. All of them stepped up to the plate. In truth however while anyone of the three would walk into just about any Premier League side, on current form, barring injury or pragamatic rotation, they are never going to get the nod ahead of any member of the BBC. Leading the line of my combined XI is Cristiano Ronaldo, unquestionably in my opinion on current form the greatest striker in the world and potentially the greatest goalscorer of all time. And the reason he has become is because he, better than anyone else, realised that he no longer had that burning pace within him that could torture the best defences in the world.  No one works harder, trains longer, fears failure more, than Ronaldo who knew that if he was to remain at the very top of his trade then he was going to have to re-invent himself. He is a fighter, and like all great fighters knows the last thing to go is their punch and no one - absolutely no one - can in footballing terms lay you out for the count more effectively than Cristiano Ronaldo. The inclusion of Ronaldo means there is no place in my XI for Luis Suarez although there is no way I can not include his two two team mates, Leo Messi and Neymar even though it means that Karim Benzema has to make way, while Gareth Bale's injuries have stopped him progressing. If there is anyone that matches Ronaldo in the dedication stakes it is the mercurial Messi, so often the saviour of this Barcelona side now careering towards transition. Along side him,  Neymar, the man predicted by many to be his natural heir at the Camp Nou. That there still remains the remotest of chances that Barcelona still might creep over the line ahead of Real Madrid is due almost entirely to the deadly triumverate that despite all the club's current woes, continue to thrill the Camp Nou and the watching world. So who's going to win? Real Madrid probably, but who knows. Just enjoy.

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Exclusive. First interview with Leo Ulloa since his disagreements with his club about Leicester, Ranieri and Atletico

In his first interview since his very public fall out with Leicester City, Leonardo Ulloa talks exclusively to Guillem Balagué about life with the Foxes, Claudio Ranieri and the club's upcoming Champions league quarter final against Atletico Madrid. GB: Do you believe that at Leicester City you had your best moments? LU: Yes certainly. Especially in first year when I was playing a lot more and I felt full of confidence. Unquestionably the best thing that has ever occurred in my career. The two most important years of my life and both of them as important as each other. GB: And when you look back about the season where you avoided relegation and then the title win, how do you see it? As a great achievement or perhaps evevn a small miracle? LU: No I consider them to be the two most important years of my footballing life. When you look back at two seasons ago the truth is that just about everyone had us already relegated. We of course knew that it was going to be difficult. Cambiasso who must take a lot of the credit for what happened that led to us not going down. He started to analyse what the situation was, who our main rivals were, not just the bottom three but six or seven clubs that could all become involved. He started to work out what we needed in terms of points. It gave us a focus, it created a change of mentality, we knew what we needed to do. We worked out that to survive we would probably need to win about six games and draw one. this was Cabiasso's plan. We knew that if we did what we set out to do then it would depend on the other sides doing what they had to. The coach used Cambiasso's plan without saying where it can from. From that moment we almost subconsciously realised that actually we didn't have anything to lose and we just set lout sight on our objective. The first game we won and from that moment we believed it was possible. The day we went to West Bromwich Albion and won with a Vardy goal in the last minute was when we got that magic click that told us we could not go down. Had we lost that game I think we could well have gone down. In the end we won eight, drew one and lost just once aganst Chelsea. It was actually that period that created the springboard of what occurred the following season. GB: Effectively what you got was the feeling that could actually win any game? LU: You sensed it with our last game of the season where we beat QPR 5-1 even though we weren't playing for anythng on the day and then during pre-season you sensed there was a chemistry that was building up among the side. Of course, Kante came and that added a huge extra. GB: What players do you think were fundamental to the Leicester success story? LU: It's actually a combination of factors. Obviously the three players that set such a hugh standard were in order, Kante, Vardy and Mahrez. Kasper didn't start particularly well in goal and then became fundamental to the side. Cristian Fuchs and Simpson were amazing in defence. We didn't concede many goals not even from dead ball movements where I think we gave away 3 or 4 goals all season. Things were going well and with every win there was a build up of even more confidence. From my point of view I think a lot of it had to do with the way we had finished the season before. GB: And what about for you personally? How were things for you both on and off the pitch? LU: Whenever someone new comes along you start from square one. Claudio decided he wanted to play a certain way and of course for me it was hard for to accept not playing as many games. But that's how it is. All I could do is stay, continue working and wait for my opportunity whenever it came. I didn't react by not training well, or moping around the place, I looked to be positive with my team mates and to help the team as much as I could. I fully understood that if a team is winning and winning all the time you don't start to change it around but in truth my personal feelings were that I wanted to play. Claudio used my situation to make a point of everybody being valuable. That helped GB: When did it actually dawn of you that you were a Premier League champion? LU: I'm not really sure it has yet. I think with the passing of the years when we realise that this wasn't easy and it is going to be enormously difficult for a side similar to Leicester to achieve what we did. Or for a side usually near the bottom to beat those sides consistently in the top five of the table. The truth is that I loved it. As I have said I did not play as much as I would have liked but the dynamic, the dressing room, the positivity, the feeling was tremendous. GB: Do you believe that when a side that is not accustomed to winning does win, they find it harder to cope in the future with the success that this brings and struggle to make the right decisions? LU: Yes I think so. This is very much a club of the people and with the type of players who identified with the club, who weren't great superstars and this humble club and everyone in it becomes famous all over the world. Having won the title it became difficult to handle certain situations simply because, in truth, what they set out to do was the very best they could but not ever thinking that they would eventually emerge as champions. GB: The rumours now of course are twofold: firstly that the players are only interested in the Champions League and nothing else, and that Claudio Ranieri was betrayed by the players. How do you see it? LU: That the players are merely interested in the Champions League simply isn't true. Of course we have loved taking part in a competition that many of us have never played in before, but we all know that the Premier League is the most important thing for us. Let's not forget that if the year before we had been relegated there would be no Premier, no Champions League, no anything. Also when people empathize with the coach and then there are problems that arise, logically fans blame the players. But what I can tell you is that just as I have said that two years ago the dynamic and the atmosphere was good, this season we started with an dynamic that was very bad and it was very hard to change it it. We did try; we spoke among each other, and with Claudio and said that we couldn't allow ourselves to be in this situation when we were fighting in the Champions league and also against relegation. We, the players, were the first ones that had most to benefit from moving forward. The truth is that dynamic was bad and in the end the club bosses were forced to take a really painful decision which was to fire the coach that had won the title the previous season in order to change things. It was not that the players did not like Claudio, because if they hadn't liked him then the previous year they would not have been champions. GB: There is another school of thought that if anyone had betrayed anyone it was Claudio, as maybe some of his players who had won the tile felt that with the signing of new players they were being told that, despite having won the title, they were not good enough. This, they say, hurt some of the footballers and affected the dynamic of the group. Do you agree? LU: There were new players and when you bring new, expensive players into a side that have just finished as champions and put them in places filled by some of the previous players it will create the occasional conflict. But that didn't determine that any one group of players should decide that a coach should not continue. That's how I see it. What is clear is that many think, Claudio has gone and now they have started winning. That is not the logic I see in the side. The situation became complicated, the coach left, people's heads and minds were cleared and refreshed, we went back to the old system and the dynamic changed. GB: Isn't the line between harmony and disequilibrium a fine one? LU: Absolutely, because if you think about it very little changed under Claudio this season. Small little details changed when we went back a bit to the way we played the previous year and things began to flow again. We change a few things and beat Liverpool and suddenly you see things differently; players with more confidence, morale goes up in the dressing room, players start to train differently, you beat Hull and then things begin to change. GB: And then you had the Sevilla game, with one dynamic in the away leg and a different one for the home match? LU: Exactly. But if you were to ask me who I think, hand on heart, deserved to go through in to the next round I would tell you Sevilla. But then football isn't logical and it's all about the dynamics of the situation. GB: I assume that the analysis is that you have going to have to play much better if you are to beat Atletico Madrid? LU: Of course and even a good dynamic isn't enough to go through. We know that Atletico Madrid are a great side with a lot of very fine, quality players and it is going to be a very difficult match. We know we are not favourites but we also know what we can do and what we are capable of. The last few games have been refreshing for us with a few wins and there is a greater confidence about playing. But just imagine if we had been coming into this game with the dynamic that we had previous to the Liverpool game it would have been more difficult for everyone. Now we are more relaxed, confident, calm. GB: And finally. How are you because you went through a complicated time? LU: In truth I feel frustrated. We have gone back to the old system but the personnel hasn't changed. I get on the bench but I don't get minutes of the pitch, and is frustrating. I will still continue training so when my chance comes I can make the most of it. I want to play, feel part of the team and I am always ready to play and I never lose hope that I will play. Then at the end of next season we will see how things are and see what we will do.

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The Isco Issue: the Spanish midfielder considering staying at Real

Forget for a minute signing the best; sometimes football's wheeling and dealing these days is just as concerned with winning the race for the signature of a player, not so much because you want him but primarily because your main rivals do. Which brings me to rather neatly to the case of Francisco Roman Alarcon Suarez - Isco to me and you - who when he signed as a 21-year-old for Real Madrid from Malaga in 2013 for something in the region of €30 million was considered to be very much the future of Spanish football. At Malaga he was a superstar playing behind the main striker and he almost made it to the semi finals of the Champions League before they were controversially beaten by Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund. Isco opted for Real Madrid in preference to joining his former manager, Manuel Pellegrini who wanted to bring him to the Premier League with Manchester City so much that it almost hurt. His career at the Bernabeu always blew rather hot and cold and never reached the heights predicted for him, and under the rule of Zinadine Zidane - a man who knows more than plenty about the art of attacking midfield football - he has made just 14 La Liga starts this season. Now here's the rub. Just how much Real Madrid and Zidane REALLY want Isco is something only they know. What they also know more than anything else is that they are not about to let him leave Real Madrid to join arch-rivals Barcelona and even more specifically to join them for free when his contract expires in 2018 and he will be able to leave as a free agent. Barcelona have already made inquiries and asked him if he would have any problems kicking his heels unti such time as he became available and he has replied in the affirmative. As they say, what goes around, comes around, and Isco after not an altogether happy period in the capital, can now for the first time sense that he is sat in the €500 seats, that he truly is master of his own destiny...but only up to a point. To assume, as it has been reported, that Florentino Perez and the men in suits at Madrid are going to allow Isco to spend all this year and part of the next playing keepy-uppy with the ball in training and making the odd appearance before waving a fond-ish farewell and swapping the Bernabeu for Barcelona, is to fail to get any kind of handle on the thought processes of those in charge of the largest sporting organisation on the planet. Barcelona, like some other clubs, may well feel that Isco, still only a couple weeks shy of his 25th birthday, desperate to play and fresh as the proverbial daisy may well have not been used by Real Madrid to his full potential. They may also be of the opinion that with the sands of time beginning to run down on the magnificent career of Andres Iniesta, the timing of his arrival to Catalonia would be absolutely perfect. But that doesn't mean that Madrid are about to let him leave the capital of the country to play for the club representing the capital of Catalonia at any price, never mind for free. Manchester City are no longer interested in signing him and nor are Tottenham Hotspur who certainly made inquiries last season before being put off with the level of wages on offer at Real Madrid that they were never going to be able to match. In fact despite some people who would have you believe that Isco is 'hotter' than his native Benalmadena in August, my understanding is that the Premier League clubs aren't exactly tumbling over each other to try to get him. The truth is what Isco wants above anything else is to play, and play regularly, and hopefully if he can manage to do that establish himself as a mainstay in the Spanish national side. Whether or not he will be able to do that at Real Madrid, I'm not so sure. What I am fairly confident about is that they will tell him how vital he is to their future plans, how he will feature much more in games and then offer him a very tempting contract to continue at the club. And while it certainly isn't just about the money, expect a 'golden handcuff' contract that will probably tie him to the club for the next four or five years and will see his wages rise from around €3 million net a year to around €8 million net a year. And then he will probably sign and Madrid may, or may not, keep to their word. There's absolutely no doubt that the club want to sign Eden Hazard. History tells us that, generally speaking, what Real Madrid want, Real Madrid normally get. But I don't see it being an easy transfer, in fact, it seems one very unlikely one at this point in time. Not least because Chelsea are going to want record breaking amounts of money before even contemplating the sale of one of their crown jewels. If he does come his wages will be huge and he isn't about to move from England to Spain to warm the Bernabeu bench. So what will happen with Benzema and Bale both of who have no plans to leave? Not my problem, Snr Perez will be saying, that will be for Zidane to sort out, and as for Isco, what happens to his starting XI aspirations then. But that's for tomorrow and in the meantime Barcelona will have to look elsewhere while James Rodriguez's people will have to start looking for an alternative destination for their Colombian star whose days at the Bernabeu are surely numbered.

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Manchester City and Pep. Some reasons for the Champions League exit

Goals, thrills and heartbreak apart, Manchester City's, Champions League elimination by Monaco will ultimately be remembered as the moment Pep Guardiola discovered beyond all doubt those players that are with him in his future plans for the club, and those that aren't. But I am pretty sure he knew already he needs a new defence, wingers, a striker... Pep has known from early on in his tenure at the Etihad that this has been the end of an era and that major surgery was going to be required. Wednesday night showed him precisely where he is going to have to place his scalpel. He was always on a hiding to nothing when he took over at a Manchester City club determined to establish itself from the bottom upwards as one of football's leading brands, but seeking to do it initially with its 'blue riband' side comprising too many ageing superstars past their best before date. He was met by press and football followers many of whom were eager to see him fall flat on his tush, not least so they could claim - erroneously - that having won just about everything in Spain and Germany, failure to do so in England was proof positive that the Premier League was far and away the toughest league in the world. In the process of course they conveniently forget a number of things that hindered their reasoning like the fact that of the 40 teams that have contested the Champions League quarter finals over the past 5 years only four have been English while Spain has had 15, Germany nine and even France, six. He inherited a side that last season finished fourth on the same number of points as Van Gaal's Manchester United and 15 behind Leicester City the eventual extraordinary winners of the Premier League. No matter thought the press and many of the public, the chatter was that this Pep Guardiola is not all he was cracked up to be and the only way he would prove otherwise would be by matching his achievements in other countries. The truth of course was that despite an exellent start Pep always knew the limitations that he faced in his new job. Whereas at Bayern all that was required was a few tweaks, it soon became clear to him that what was need here was a root and branch clear out of the first team. He would not use it as an excuse because he is more than aware how much a part of football they actually are, but injuries to two of the key players that he bought in, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus, certainly didn't help, and the irregular season of Sane and specially John Stones, and the inadequacies of Claudio Bravo, meant he had to use what was there last season. Only two starters in Monaco were new signings. Claudio Bravo never really stepped up to the plate as Pep would have hoped and of the only other two major additions, Sané is steadily improving while John Stones is still demonstrating that he has an awful lot to learn. Both are a long way from being the finished article; both are in different ways, works in progress. It is not uncommon to go from hero to zero in this most precarious of professions. It is however unusual to do so over the course of a two legged match. Manchester City's heart-stopping 5-3 win was one of the highlights of what has been an extraordinary Champions League competition for which Pep received any number of plaudits for dragging his team back from a 2-3 deficit to a memorable victory. With a display of selective amnesia that night of triumph then becomes a stick with which to beat Guardiola, when following this 3-1 defeat, claims are made that actually the damage had already been done in the first leg. In truth it is not the defeat per se that will have really wounded Guardiola but rather the manner by which it occurred. Guardiola will accept defeat, and accept it graciously. I am sure what he struggles with is when one of his teams doesn't do what he demands of them, not because they are unable to, but merely because they don't bring to the table the ideal attitude. The notion suggested by some commentators that having reduced the arrears to 2-1, instead of shutting up shop, City went all out for a second goal and therefore conceded the killer goal is ill-informed nonsense One of the major traits of Pep's side is a defensive high line. The last time I looked at the rule book there was nothing I could find that said the only place you could defend was in around your own penalty area. Pep did not ask his team to attack but rather to defend in a different area, high up the pitch. The plus side of this high pressure game is that you're not likely to be beaten by a strike when your backs are against the wall in your own area or by one of the 'pinball' goals that often occur at the most inconvenient of moments. The down side of it however is that as a tactic it is totally knackering and requires an application and commitment from everyone including those who usually prefer to place themselves in the limelight rather than put in a shift at the coal face. And when that happens - or perhaps more accurately doesn't happen - you leave yourself particularly open to the counter attack and especially vulnerable. That is the reason for Pep's anger, not the defeat. At half time there were strong words from the manager that had to do little with tactics and lots with passion and commitment. I feel there is a bunch of players that are happy to be brave and give a step forward and others that think twice about doing exactly that, which is what Pep wants. By the time they take decisions it is too late. Add to that the fact that individual mistakes counted for four goals conceded against Monaco (a side that is rightly praised now but who scored and conceded exactly the same goals as City) and you would have an idea of the problems faced by Pep. In England we always look to the person in charge for the reasons all the good and bad in a team. But reasons for things that happen are always more complex. For instance, Manchester City reached the semifinals of the Champions League last season, but till then, since their first appearance in 2011, he had never been beyond the last sixteen. I always said this would prove to be the hardest job taken by Pep. Nothing to do with how special the Premier League is, but more with the fact he had managed two sides who needed some touches but could still becoming a winning side, and City is one at the end of an era. Total rebuilding is needed. And time too. Mark my words, this will be a different Manchester City next season.

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Did Sampaoli damaged his credentials in the eyes of the Barcelona directors? You bet! The latest on the search of a new manager

While Luis Enrique's successor at Barcelona is far from decided, one of the favourites - Sevilla's, Jorge Sampaoli - did himself no favours whatsoever either before or during his side's Champions League elimination against Leicester City. His decision to start with Ben Yedder up front in preference to Jovetic was strange and will have been noted by the 'suits' in Barcelona, as will his unfair sending off (for protesting the poor decision making of his own players!) in this ultimately flawed European campaign. Despite the two missed penalties, the two times Sevilla hit the post, more varied football proposed by his team and ultimately Samir Nasri's display of pathetic 'handbags' with Jamie Vardy who probably couldn't believe his luck, and that left his side reduced to ten men, the buck could well stop at Sampaoli's door in the post game analysis and it will almost certainly eliminate any slim hopes he might have harboured of taking over in the Catalan capital. Barcelona, I have always said, have a profile, a template, of who they would like to see in the Camp Nou hot seat and even before Tuesday night's embarrassment at the King Power stadium, Sampaoli wasn't it fully (he does not know the club from inside, as the directors demand). So who is then? Well if it's continuity that Barcelona want, someone who understands the club better than any of the other possible applicants and who also has the backing of the outgoing coach, then look no further than Luis Enrique's current assistant, Juan Carlos Unzué. There is the obvious precedent that saw Tito Vilanova take over from Pep Guardiola when he decided to call time on Barcelona and he is someone who is known and respected by the players. It would also create minimum disruption to the technical staff currently in place (something also demanded by Barcelona directors) and it is also worth mentioning that Unzué has been here before. He was goalkeeping coach under both Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola before becoming assistant manager under Luis Enrique who he had previously worked with in a similar role at Celta Vigo. This would not be his first step into the hot seat at a club although his previous efforts as a 'number one' have not exactly been meteorically successful having previously been in charge of Second Division, Numancia. He was one of five managers hired and fired by Racing Santander in 2012 which can hardly be held against him bearing in mind that this is a club that has made make no fewer that 30 managerial changes this century as it has spiralled inexorably into anonymity. Unzué's real problem however could be that despite enjoying the support of Luis Enrique, the 49-year-old former goalkeeper who made just just five first team appearances for Barcelona and had his best moments at Sevilla for who he played 222 times, might just not be high profile enough for the movers and shakers at the Camp Nou. That said, he has been at Barcelona for many years, left on no fewer than three times - once as a player, twice as a coach, something unheard of - and such is the regard he is held in has been welcomed back with open arms on every occasion. While neither Unzué nor Barcelona are in too much of an indecent haste to sort matters out one way or another, things are a little more pressing perhaps for the other man on the Barcelona radar, Ernesto Valverde, currently at Athletic Bilbao. My understanding is that Valverde normally decides his future around about March, or latest, April before the end of the season. If he is to make the move he will need to make his decision sooner rather than later, but when he will not do is get his agent ring Barcelona. If they do want him, they will have to get him. What is highly likely, however, is that his time at Bilbao where he has enjoyed limited resources bearing in mind the club's Basque only player policy is coming to an end. Bilbao have never finished lower than seventh in his second spell with the club and he has taken them into Europe every season he has been there. In truth therefore, it seems unlikely, whether Barcelona decide to offer him the job or look elsewhere, that he will be out of a job for long should he decide the time is right for him to call it a day at the San Mames. Neither will he be jumping at the first job offer that might come his way should Barcelona decide he is not the man for them and maybe after just one year out of football management in the last 17 he may well decide the time is right to 'do a Pep' and take a well earned rest to recharge his batteries. Unless a top English side come for him. Valverde certainly does fit the Barcelona profile, although his playing career at the Camp Nou is nothing like as prolific as some might think with only 22 apearances and eight goals over two seasons for the 'blaugrana' although that did include a UEFA Cup Winners Cup and Copa del Rey medal. What counts in his favour, but also on Unzue's, is that both of them have played under Johan Cruyff -two years in both cases. In fact Valverde played more games and scored more goals for the club's city rivals, Espanyol who he also managed and took to a UEFA Cup final where they only lost out to Sevilla on penalties in the 2007. And maybe, just maybe, as Barcelona have a certain amount of time to play with, they might just wait a bit longer before coming to a final decision. Could be interesting. Watch this space.

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Barcelona-PSG. An artistic and surreal display of football

Phew!!! There are games, there are great games and then there's the like of what was served up at the Camp Nou this week that serves to remind us just why we love this magnificently flawed sport so much. And now the dust has settled it's time to analyse just what happened, although perhaps cold , post match analysis can never really do justice to one of the truly great - perhaps the greatest- sporting spectacles of the 21st century so far. The simple fact is that the pulling back of a four goal deficit had never happened before in the Champions league or its predecessor, the European Cup. Barcelona didn't even have the tiny sliver of consolation of an away goal in the first leg to work with. But to create the scene to have the slimmest of chances of it happening you need a variety of things. First you need an atmosphere where fans and players are as one singularly convinced that anything is possible. And the message that rang out loud and clear from the moment Barcelona slunk off the pitch in Paris four goals in arrears, was that if anyone could pull it back, then Barcelona could. Believe; have faith. Even blind faith It also helps if you've got the resources at your disposal, except that when you have a front three like Messi, Neymar, and Suarez to dig you out of the do-do, you tend to forget how just good all the rest of what you have available - until a moment like this. On this occasion of course everyone knew what they had to do; S**t or bust; back to basics. Number one , work really hard when you haven't got the ball and then when you get it be patient. A lot was very definitely unplanned and off-script. What we saw was a lesson in how to do defend in the rival's half and this united intensity of pressure was something I don't recall seeing at the Camp Nou from a Barcelona side for a long time. Even better, everyone applied themselves to it, no one hid in the corner. Luis Enriques's instructions were very clear, always forward, even when you lose the ball, never take a step back. That takes courage and a lot of application. When they did get the ball however, especially in the first half, they were far to impatient with it, far too direct. A goal to the good after just four minutes probably meant that a slightly more measured approach to their first onslaught mught have been the order of the day. With the second goal came the belief and just what Luis Enrique had asked for. A third goal minutes into the second half was just what the doctor ordered for Barcelona and a severe blow to PSG who had decided to defend higher up the pitch after looking totally intimidated by the atmosphere in the first period Normal service seemed to be resumed and Unai Emery's tactics to have paid off when Piqué ran into a cul de sac and a free kick resulted. Placed on the back foot, a stray clearance by Rakitic fell to Cavani who crashed the ball home, silencing the crowd, changed the dynamic of the whole tie. and looked to have sealed Barcelona's fate. The appearance of Sergio Roberto who applied himself with a similar positivity made a huge difference which truly is redemption for the young player who endured a torrid match in Paris for the reverse fixture The fourth goal told Barcelona just what they could do. Poor defending, an own goal,a penalty and a careless free kick conceded outside the box had opened the door to this rampant Barcelona attack that now smelt blood. What's more this was a Barcelona fighting for their European lives not just with their magnificent attacking trident but as a pack, a family, and what's most important, a hunger from every one of the players. The games moment of real controversy occurred with the adjudged penalty committed on Luis Suarerz. Was it a penalty? No, almost cetainly not, although I am quietly confident that Luis Suarez would agree with the sentiments English fans have been known to express when talking about England's third goal in the 1966 World Cup, namely that "on the day it was a goal." Certainly on the day, it was given as a penalty. English soccer and its fans especially enjoy focusing on the incident rather than on what occurred collectively before the incident took place, namely that this was a Paris St Germain that were unable to beat a Bartcelona side despite going into the match four goals to the good, a side that,not to put to fine a point on it and to use the vernacular loved by so many, bottled it. In the words of L'Equipe, this was a result for PSG that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. English fans and media tend to look to controversy to explain, justify results in football unless of course the boot happens to be on the other foot. Was Steven Gerrard fouled as Liverpool reduced the arrears from the penalty spot - eventually - in one of the European comebacks of all time against AC Milan in Istanbul? Not according to Gattuso the Milan midfielder who added that actually it didn't really matter anyway because it didn't take anything away from Liverpool's collective effort that more than deserved the result; just one more incident in a heart-stopping game. To pick one incident and assume it should stand alone as the whys and wherefores of the sort of match we saw at the Camp Nou is to diminish it. What we saw in Catalonia, the land that knows more about the surreal world with famous sons like Dali, Gaudi and Miro was a supremely artistic, almost surreal, diplay of football. Continuing the arts theme, PSG wil not be cheered by the realisation that their inability to defend a four goal lead and defend haplessly, brings to mind one of its favourite sons - Georges Feydeau - a Frenchman famous for his farces.

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Luis Enrique. The story of his departure and why Valverde fits the club profile (and Sampaoli the style)

While the timing of the announcement that Luis Enrique will not be in the hot seat at Barcelona next season may well have come as a surprise, the news of his departure did not. Luis Enrique has always been someone that likes to make an impact on the side. Make his mark, impose his style. His main way of achieving this has always been done by rotating the side and surprising his rivals. Eventually it bore fruit but it was something the side found hard to accept as first and it came perilously close to foundering on the rocks practically before it had even started Messi and Neymar returned late from the winter break - with the permission of the club - at the start of 2015. Luis Enrique took the decision to leave both of the players on the bench for the first game after the restart, which was a tough test against Real Sociedad. Barcelona lost 1-0 and the players, Messi in particular, were not amused. Had they known that their late return would see them put on the bench, then they would have returned earlier. Messi response was to miss the next training session. Despite his proclamations that he was the coach and he picked the team, Luis Enrique was taken to one side by the club and was informed in no uncertain terms that this was not the way forward. From that moment on he effectively left the front three to do what they did best which was destroy defences and help themselves to an abundance of goals which over the next two years earned a treble and a double for Luis Enrique and the club. In truth however, damage - though hardly terminal - had been done and despite all the success there was never the empathy between the coach and the players that there had been say, with Pep Guardiola or Tito Vilanova. Comparisons may well be odious but in truth Luis Enrique never had the emotional acumen that some of his predecessors had to deal with the stars in his charge. It is not Luis Enrique's forte. it simply isn't in his DNA and he believes that his job is to prepare his side perfectly for matches, but no much more. At the beginning of this season he did intimate to the club that this would probably be his last campaign and the club responded by telling him that would ultimately be his decision, although it has to be said they didn't exactly move heaven and earth in an effort to persuade him to stay. Nor in fact did they show the same interest that Luis Enrique did, in ensuring that if he went then his logical successor should be his current assistant, Juan Carlos Unzue. What is certain is that the time is now right for Luis Enrique to draw a line under his stay at the club. There isn't the same intensity in the play nor the same attention to the minor details that made Barcelona the force they were and that sugests that what we are approaching is the end of an era. His obsession to change things, to leave his fingerprints over a performance have taken away the natural essence of what is the Barcelona side. In attacking mode he has looked to play a 4:3:3 line up which is fine except that teams realised that the best way to nullify that was by stopping Busquets from playing and pressuring high and effectively preventing them from buildng from the back. His desire to confuse the opposition by constant tinkering with the midfield has had a negative effect on his own team. So far he has tried no fewer than 17 different midfield combinations in the league alone. Fluidity has been affected, Iniesta is touching the ball less and less and once again it has fallen to the front three to dig the side out of a hole. A crushing defeat against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League exposed the plan as well past its use by date and then Leganes despite losing out to a late penalty confirmed everything that we already knew. Normally after a game Luis Enrique retreats with his entourage to his own area before going to face the media. After the Sporting game he went straight into the dressing room to inform the players of his decision before announcing it to the waiting journalists. So who's next? From a purely playing and man management point of view, Jorge Sampaoli of Sevilla certainly fits the bill. He is however perhaps a little to 'left of centre' and controversial and not quite the profile off the pitch that will resonate with the 'men in suits' that will eventually make the decision. Maurcio Pochettino of Spurs ticks the same boxes but both men are more than currently occupied with their present clubs and in truth Barcelona would much rather look to either a free agent or at least someone who is coming to the end of their contract. Ronald Koeman, another former player and now in the hot seat at Everton, has also been suggested as of course has Unzue, the current assistant manager. My money however would go on Ernesto Valverde, a former Barcelona player, and currently in charge at Bilbao, although coming to the end of his contract. The constraints put on him at Bilbao where the Basque only signing policy is always going to be a major stumbling to any manager have probably meant that we haven't seen just what he is capable of and he would surely welcome the chance to show what he could do at one of the truly huge clubs where he would not face any such limitations. He is also a great man-manager, emotionally intelligent, popular, and above all, someone who knows the club from top to bottom. Most significantly perhaps, he also produces good football and is also someone who has previously been on Barcelona's radar. Time will tell.

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Ranieri had to go. The way he was sacked was wrong, but not the reasons. This is why

Leicester are back, and back with a vengeance. Their 3-1 demolition of Klopp's luck-lustre Liverpool side divided opinion, as it was always going to do. This match was always going to be a much more complicated matter than merely a game of two sides, two halves. This was, as football so often is, about heroes and villains. Wearing the white hat and represented in the crowd by an assortment of banners and people wearing his cut out mask over their faces was the saintly Claudio Ranieri. The reaction of the crowd was understandable because, putting aside for a moment the rights and wrongs of Claudio's dismissal, what is beyond doubt is the fact that it was handled absolutely appallingly, to the point where it is difficult to imagine how it could have been handled worse. Bearing in mind the coach masterminded the single biggest shock in the history of the Premier League, and probably in the whole of elite football anywhere in the world, there must surely have been something more that Leicester City could have done to soften the blow, something they could have offered, either symbolic or tangible, or both, if they felt the time had come to part company with the Italian. Not surprisingly therefore, the sacking of Leicester's very own 'San Claudio' was greeted by a combination of disbelief, sadness and indignation. "I think they should be building statues to him, not sacking him," said Gary Lineker, a man who knows better than most what it is to feel the love of the Leicester fans. In the other corner sat those perceived by many as the villains of the piece; the players, the bad guys in the black hats; the ingrates, football's 'Oliver Twists', taken from rags to riches by a benevolent, bespectacled, benefactor, before referring to type and biting the hand that had fed them so royally. Probably for the first time in their lives, this was a Liverpool side cast merely as extras in the cliff-hanging episode of a compulsive soap opera. Their role was to administer the ritual spanking to Leicester City's bad boys and send them further towards the abyss, while football's self-satisfied, smug voyeurs watched the denouement before finally proclaiming at the end that, 'justice had been done' and that 'what goes around, comes around'. But as we now know, Leicester's players hadn't read the script. What they did know, however, is that no matter what the result, this was always going to be a no win situation for them. Had they lost 5-0, there would have been a chorus of 'serves you right' from just about everyone including their own fans. Play as they did and win comprehensively, the immediate accusations would be of a bunch of overpaid, spoilt brats who manipulated the situation to get rid of their leader, for whatever reason, before going back to playing the way everyone knew they could all along. It's a wonderful notion apart from one small detail. IT'S WRONG!! There is one golden rule that applies to just about everything, including football, and that is the old adage that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Against Liverpool what we saw was a Leicester that reverted to the style and - with the exception of Onyine Ndidi in for the now departed Kante - the line up that made them such a force last season. All behind the ball and always ready to launch a sharp counter attack. Perhaps, most significantly, Leonardo Ulloa who had claimed that he had been betrayed by Ranieri and would never play for the Foxes again found himself back in the squad. On the back of their success, Leicester City spent more than £70 million on four major signings and, Ndidi apart, Slimani was the only one of the major additions to make it into the squad, albeit as an unused replacement. In order to accommodate the new players brought in by Ranieri what was needed was a change of style, a different approach to the old, behind the ball and then up and at 'em on the counter when the opportunity presented itself. This left Jamie Vardy, so lethal on the counter last season, a mere shadow of the player he was but also failed to make the most of the runs into the area from deep of Shinji Okazaki plus the pace and skill of the previous season's Premier League player of the year, Riyad Mahrez. To accommodate new players changes were made to a winning system. Players felt marginalised, undervalued following their monumental achievements and in that moment the die was cast; the dressing room, if not totally lost, was, at the very least, severely split. The purchase of Islam Slimani represented a huge investment for Leicester City and far and away the clubs record signing. He was never going to come to Leicester merely as a squad player with a role to play and Ranieri was never, not going to play him. Unfortunately the cost to the team of playing their most expensive new asset would prove disastrous. He has managed to score just five goals in 16 appearances with the club, not to mention the division - none of which is personal - that has been caused by his arrival. The inclusion of Slimani up front with Jamie Vardy provided Leicester with two front men but more importantly, left them one light in the middle of the pitch. It was never a system that would work with a Leicester side that previously gave two hoots about possession (they have on occasions won matches with as little as 30% possession) as long as they had the wherewithal to undress sides with their counter attacks which exploited Vardy's red hot pace up front. Ndidi apart, the eleven that started for Leicester against Liverpool were the same side that competed for Nigel Pearson prior to the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. Effectively what we witnessed was a return to where it had all began. Much has been made of the loss of Kante to Chelsea and certainly his performances this season with the London club show just how much of a factor he was in Leicester success. But he is certainly not the only reason for the drop in perfomances seen at the King Power stadium this time around. With new players now in the equation, and the obligation that he felt to play them, Ranieri's fatal error was to live up to his nickname of the 'tinkerman', eventually tinkering his way out of a job. Leicester's success brought with it what seemed almost like an obligation to go out and spend big money to maintain success. While a replacement for Kante certainly had to be found - and time will show whether Ndidi is the player to fill that role - the reality is that the other players brought in at huge cost have had a negative effect on the club. The double whammy is that not only have the new signings not improved things on the pitch they have actually contrived to make them worse. More importantly, players who had fought so hard to achieve what Leicester managed last season, that had put in a shift albeit as squad players, had effectively played their part in re-writing the pages of Premier League history, suddenly felt disrespected and marginalised by the club's new approach which seemed to be telling them, that despite past successes, they were not good enough. Had some of the players felt that those coming in to replace them were in fact better than they were - and players generally know whether or not that is the case - then they may not have liked it, but they certainly would have accepted it. The problem is that they were genuinely not of that opinion. In truth, no one really comes out of the whole saga smelling completely of roses although Leicester's stunning win against Liverpool tells us a number of things. Firstly that this is a Leicester side that really is too good to go down; secondly that maybe the players, whoever they were, had a point when they expressed their dissatisfaction, and thirdly that, in football as in life, it is never, ever, as simple a matter of right or wrong or black or white.

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Where do we stand with Ultras and Spanish football?

The saying has it that for evil to prevail all that is needed is that the good should do nothing. This is as true in football as it is in every part of life and why wouldn't it be so; football is no more, no less than a microcosm, a reflection, of life itself. When a group of 50 masked ultra fans armed with clubs and metal bars attacked a group of Barcelona fans before the start of their recent league much in Vitoria it proved that any notion that the Ultras have been eliminated from the world of Spanish football is fanciful. It remains to be seen what action, if any, is taken by the Spanish FA or the Spanish League, but suffice to say if previous incidents and actions from fans are anything to go by, I will not be holding my breath. The death of Francisco Javier Romero Taboada following clashes between Deportivo and Atletico fans led to three people being charged and more than 80 people implicated in the assault. More than two years later no one has yet been found guilty of it. The match at Vitoria was a dress rehearsal for the Copa del Rey final that the two sides will compete for on May 27 at the Calderón after Florentino Perez said thanks, but no thanks. Real say they are having work done on their ground around those dates. Convenient. Perez has said privately that he will never host a game where Barcelona can win a title. Talk about sporting behaviour. No one comes out of the latest incidents and the rise of Ultras in La Liga clubs with any credit, sometimes for what they have done, but more often than not for what they haven't done. Historically it has suited clubs to have Ultras in their ranks. They served a purpose for Florentino Perez at Real Madrid only to be swiftly jettisoned when they turned against the President. Juan Laporta got rid of them when he took over as president at Barcelona and spent a long time receiving death threats and in need of protection as a result. It is only recently that the Sevilla Ultras, the Biris, and the club authorities have parted company. But possibly the most recently shameful example of how the Ultras can affect matters, and how the authorities can re-inforce their actions with a shrug of the shoulders and a reaction bordering on the catatonic, can be seen with the story of Ukranian footballer, Roman Zozulya. In July last year, Zozulya left Dnipro and signed a three year deal with Real Betis. At the end of January Betis decided to loan him to Rayo Vallecano until the end of the season. At this point it's worth pointing out that Zozulya is a proud Ukranian, a country who happens to be at war with Russia at the moment. He is the founder of a civil volunteer movement helping Ukranian forces in the war especially in regards to providing food, clothing and technical equipment for the Ukranian army and their families. He has also received a special commendation for Ukraine's Ministry of Defence for his support of the army. Many might come to the conclusion that this made him a patriot trying to help his country, but not it seems the Bucaneros, a left wing Ultra group aligned to Rayo Vallecano. In the background of that there is also a battle between the president of Rayo, Raul Martin Presa, and the ultras, who don't like the president. They along with sections of the Spanish media put two and two together and made five, as they denounced Zozulya as a Fascist and someone linked to neo-Nazi groups, which he patently is not. The journalist who reported that the played had landed in Sevilla with a Nazi t-shirt admitted later that it was a mistake and even the outlet that published the story apologised as it was only a Ukranian badge what he was wearing. No matter. As far as the Rayo Ultras were concerned if you were fighting against the extreme left, then obviously you were of the extreme right and after just one training session they made it more than plain that they did not want Zozulya as part of their club. So what did Rayo do? Did they back the player against the Ultras? Did they announce that we, not you, run this club? Did they hell!! They decided to cancel his contract; they rolled over, effectively sacked him, and did so on the basis of rumour and not one single concrete piece of evidence. The problem for poor Roman is that as the rules stand his season is now over. He had to go back to Betis having been signed in the summer from Dnipro. As he has registered for three teams, he cannot join any other this season. And what about the Spanish FA? You might have thought that at some point they would have gathered together and said that an injustice had been committed here and for all the wrong reasons and propaged by all the wrong people and that, perhaps an exception could be made for the player. No chance; rules are rules, one of those things, collateral damage, sorry mate! The league want to take to court ten Rayo fans and that is the only action that Spanish football has taken about this terrible incident. Once again Spanish football from the owners, directors, media, adminstrators and small selection of bigoted, prejudiced 'fans' should all meet together in a quiet room somewhere and collectively admit we still have got lots to learn.

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Neymar. Do we clap him or censure him?

Neymar de Silva Santos Junior? Where do you stand on him? Freewheeling, showboating, crowd-pleasing, genius or mickey-talking, disrespectful, under-achieving, clown? Let's talk about it. There is nothing new in players like Neymar, the latest in a long line of football Mavericks that just don't seem to want to be seen singing from the same song sheet as everyone else, only following the collective line. But should Neymar reduce his show boating, extra curriculur demonstrations on the pitch or are they all part and parcel of what makes him the player that he is? Where you - and by 'you' I mean the fans, the press and the clubs - happen to stand will undoubtedly be determined by who you support, Real Madrid or Barcelona. If like so many Spanish football supporters you happen to support three clubs, namely your own, plus whoever Real Madrid and Barcelona happen to be playing on any given day, in any competition, you will also probably be in the anti-Neymar lobby, although you probably won't have any more - or less - antipathy for him that you would, say, Cristiano Ronaldo. Also be aware that if you are a Real Madrid supporter your negative feelings towards Neymar would perform a volte-face had he opted to join your club - as he so nearly did - instead of Barcelona when he left Santos. Conversely if another player from Real Madrid attempted such 'liberties' with the likes of someone Carles Puyol, for instance, quite what would happen to them doesn't really bear thinking about. Nonetheless it was always acceptable - in Puyol's case...only just - with your own people like Neymar and also previously, Ronaldinho. In my experience the way most pros deal with the game is by effectively considering that what they do is, in fact, no more or less than a job. It is what they do. Suddenly when someone turns up to 'work' with an almost 'lamb-like' spring in their heels and an unbridled joie de vivre exuding from their outrageously talented bodies the immediate reaction is one of utmost suspicion, but does that mean we should be looking to remove that aspect of the game from them? Whatever your feelings are on the way Neymar behaves on the pitch the simple fact is that what we are seeing here is a raw natural side to his game practised and honed to perfection not on the training grounds of Barcelona but in the streets of Mogi das Cruzes near Sao Paolo where he was born. Take that away from his game and you tinker with the footballing DNA that has made him the player that he is. Personally I do think we would be seeing the same player, although there are certain aspects of his approach to football that he would do well to address, especially when his side are winning, and a little more respect for the opponent would not go amiss. But as I say, whether you believe that he is more sinner than sinned against, will depend fundamentally on whether or not you are a 'blaugrana' or a 'blanco', especially in terms of the media. Even coach Luis Enrique has suddenly seen fit to stick above the parapet in defence of his player launcing a swingeing attack, predominantly on members of the Madrid media. When asked why he thought he had come under such attack from certain sections of the press he snapped,"I don't know what they are saying about him, but the person that does not value the ability that Neymar has is blind." "What he does is spectacular in every sense of the word." He added that he hoped he would continue to bring to us his skills and help us to enjoy ourselves before warning sectors of the press to give him some space following their attempt to film Neymar's private birthday party 48 hours before the game. The implication of course was what was he doing partying so close to a game and Luis Enrique was having none of it. "I do not make public dressing room rules because it doesn't suit us to do so. But there are people who cross the line and the attitude of some of the members of the media is pathetic. If you keep pulling at the string it snaps." The footballing preparation of Neymar he said was the responsibility of the coach before sending a message to the club fans that they should "be calm because all the players are in the proper condition to compete and put on an enjoyable show for their fans." It was just what the Catalan media wanted to hear and immediately they came storming to the defence of the Brazilian player. "Everyone against Neymar, the new sports fashion" claimed the Catalan paper, Sport. They go on to describe him as 'public enemy number one' with fuel frequently being added to the fire in instances like an interview recently given by Pepe when he claimed that "the people can think what they like, but Neymar has had more yellow cards that I have." Journalist Francesc Gimeno doesn't hold back claiming that Neymar is used by certain sections of the press as a virtual 'punching-bag' who has suffered from 'bullying' on the pitch and great deal of harrassment off it since his arrival in 2013. They don't like his personality or his cheek and he has become the central target of some of the biggest hypocrites in the Spanish football league, he adds. Whoa Tiger!!! Say what you mean, why don't you?? A little bit of an over reaction perhaps but of one thing there is no doubt; there is no player in La Liga that has been fouled more often than Neymar this season. I don't believe that this is based on anything personal but rather on the way he plays which is by its very nature confrontational. He is indeed an entertainer but even setting that aside for a moment he has the same right to be protected as any of the other super stars. He could well find himself getting more protection if he perhaps decided to cut out some of the more provocative stuff guaranteed to irritate his opponents. And finally, for any of you that might be labouring under the false notion that this is a new phenomenon, I will remind you of great quote from one great footballer about another: "Ever the showman, he always preferred to applause for some daft trick rathert than scoring a straight-forward goal." The great Jackie Milburn said that about Len Shackleton, the man known as the Clown Prince of Soccer. A man who on one occasion collected the ball on the halfway line and ran towards goal. Ten yards short of his destination he span in a circle, flicked the ball up and caught it in his shorts, then ran past the keeper before dropping the ball out and slotting it home into the net. The date was October 5 1946.

[guillembalague-blog]

Bojan in search of the club that will help him reach the next level

Bojan Krkic has been around so long it's difficult to believe that the Serbian/Spaniard, once talked about in similar glowing terms as his former Barcelona team mate, Leo Messi is just 26 years old and, injury permitting still has much to offer the world of football. Next stop for him now is Mainz and the Bundesliga, the fifth national league he will have played in since he made his first team debut for Barcelona back on the 16th September 2007 against Osasuna, aged just 17 years and 19 days. which made him the youngest player ever to play a La La Liga match for Barcelona, a record previously held by Messi. But a combination of bad luck and injuries have not always helped his cause and at Stoke a new approach with the use of Peter Crouch and Joe Allen playing just behind him as a second striker has led him to think that maybe the time has come to try his fortunes elsewhere if he wants to play regular football. In truth he was affected by a change in style. When Arnautovic, Shaquiri and himself were used almost in a kind of Messi, Suarez and Neymar or Bale, Benzema and Cristiano formation is suited his style of play much more. The change of direction taken by Mark Hughes clearly showed him that for the time being he would be be better off plying his trade elsewhere He will now be able to add the Bundesliga to La Liga, Serie A, the Eredivisie and the Premier League to the list. Bojan will relish the opportunity of showing his skills on a new stage and in truth Mark HUghes, despite his reluctance to use him regularly this season will also be relieved that there will be no chance of him coming back to haunt him with another Premier League club. The fact is that there wasn't exactly a lack of suitors forming an orderly queue by his door as they tried to coax his signature out of him. Aitor Karanka would have loved to persuade him to come to Middlesbrough as in fact would Watford. Celtic's, Brendan Rodgers is also a keen fan of the player, while in Spain Celta, Las Palmas, and Malaga all made serious inquiries before being frightened off by the wage structure that was way ahead of anything they could afford. In truth Bojan's main motivation is the same that it is for so many players which is not money but the chance to once again do what he loves doing, which is play regularly. Much will depend on whether or not he can remain injury free and if he can show once again just how good a player he is he may well have unfinished business with the Premier League at some time in the future. Not that he has any hard feelings towards anyone at Stoke. In a letter to the fans he says, "Today sees a very special chapter in my life come to a close as another really exciting one opens." "I came to England looking to once again enjoy my football, and the passion surrounding the game, to the full. Being out on the pitch is what makes me happy and it's now time for me to carry on along my journey as I continue to enjoy this great sport." He adds, "For the time being this isn't a goodbye to Stoke City, it's just a 'see you soon' but I didn't want to pass up on this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in ensuring that I hold great memories of my time at this club." There is a very good chance that English football hasn't seen the end of Bojan Krkic on these shores. Until then, I wish him well.

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Messi, Bravo, Ryan Mason and luck and confidence in football

Football, as I have said so often, while the most beautiful of games can be the cruellest of sports. This morning as he lies in a bed in the neuro-surgery unit of St Mary's Hospital in London no one will know that better than poor Ryan Mason, the Hull midfielder, who suffered a fractured skull following an accidental clash of heads with Chelsea defender, Gary Cahill. The thoughts, prayers and hopes for a speedy recovery will reach him from all the corners of the world and from players from the very, very top to the bottom, though no less, admirable, rung of football's ladder. They will know just how huge a part kismet or luck, fate or chance - call it what you will - play in defining their careers and therefore their lives. Ryan is a fairly extreme example of that lottery or Russian roulette that ultimately shapes everyones' lives, including those of footballers. Football is one of those situations where, as the old saying has it, the devil is very much in the detail, sometimes to the player's benefit, other times to his or her detriment. The minor Tourettes Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) suffered by former Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard, has been well documented. It did not stop him from making an excellent career for himself both for the clubs and country(USA) that he represented with such distinction. He is now a leading light in the campaign to increase awareness surrounding the conditions and battle people's prejudices about them. He would understand about that because it came perilously close to costing him his own career. Tim, had just enjoyed an excellent season and was at the very peak of his form when a new goalkeeping coach arrived at Everton with new ideas and methods that he was looking to instil into the club's goalkeepers. The results were disastrous. It was not a case of attitude, nor approach; in training no one had a better and more concentrated focus than Tim Howard. Neither was it the stubborn notion that things SHOULDN'T be done like that, but rather that, in Tim's world, things simply COULDN'T be done like that. It was not about making choices, there were no choices, there was no other way of doing his job than the way he had been doing it all his career. What followed was a goalkeeper that started making stupid, nonsensical, inexplicable errors and fortunately the penny dropped with the club. If they were to get the best from their goalkeeper then he needed to train EXACTLY as he had been doing for the previous 10 years otherwise he was, quite simply, not fit for purpose. Tim got lucky, the club understood and it was the coach that had to change his methodology and immediately Tim's form returned. A less reasoned approach would have seen the curtain come down on what had been an excellent career. Everton's foresight and the coach's flexibility saved the day. Which brings me to the case of the differing fortunes of two former teamates at Barcelona, Leo Messi and Claudio Bravo, now at Manchester City. Against Eibar, Messi was once again a quantum leap above anyone else on the pitch; so complete a player putting on so dominant a performance that the words of Chapi Ferrer that we will only really appreciate what we are seeing here and now when he stops playing, ring loud and clear. In the words of Joni Mitchell, " Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone.” When Busquets was injured he helped more in the build up to the plays, was seen more in the centre than on the wings and his own goal was a master class in just about evey aspect of attacking playing from creating the space, starting the move, timing the run and administering the coup de grace. It was the cherry, the creme de la creme nestled on the top of a sumptuous cake mixed, baked, iced and dished up by the very best footballer there has ever been. But we need to ask ourselves one question. Why is he so good? There are many reasons from natural ability to an insatiable desire and work ethic that can help him to be - and remain - the very best. And just as importantly he has been at just the one club and, metaphorically speaking, has his feet well and truly under the table. He is understood by those around him who now how to deal with him and he how knows what is required of him. But still we hear the cry; could he do in the Premier League? Trite nonsense; of course he could, and in fact does on a fairly regular basis in the Champions League against clubs from all over Europe, including the PL. Now of course after a slight hiccup, Barcelona are now in a situation where they know they are going to have to put an offer on the table to guaranteee he stays in Catalonia. More importantly, Barcelona now come to that table in a weaker position following the crass proclamations from Oscar Grau that Barcelona needed to keep 'a cool head' in negotiating with Messi and Pere Gratacos that Messi wouldn't be as good as he was, were it not for the players that he had around him. Barcelona are in a corner; they know it, so do the players, coaches and fans and needless to say, so do Messi and his team who must currently feel they have just bought a lottery ticket containing six winning numbers and a bonus ball. A team that could not have orchestrated the score better and who you sense have only one question that they need to answer when negotiations open, namely "How much do you want." As good as things are for Leo, over in Manchester it's a different story for his former team mate the unfortunate Claudio Bravo where the footballing vagaries of fate seem to be dealing him a far dodgier hand. The worst of the situation in my opinion is not Bravo's form per se, although heaven knows it is worrying, but rather the press and public's perception of it. "Claudio Bravo is crap," I hear on a fairly regular basis, many times from people who should know better; an unhelpful, inaccurate, ignorant four word analysis on a professional footballer who won the league in Chile before he became a legend at Real Sociedad, won two league titles, two Spanish Cups and a Champions league with Barcelona, the Zamora award for best goalkeeper in La Liga in 2014-15 as well as the Copa America with Chile for the past two years where he was voted goalkeeper of the tournament on both occasions. Claudio Bravo may not be in a good place at the moment, he may be very close to losing his place in the City first team, he is almost certainly very low on confidence and what he needs more than anything else is help to re-build that confidence and return as the goalkeeper that he has shown throught the years that he undoubtedly is. Claudio Bravo is undoubtedly many things; what he is not is 'crap' and to describe him as such is as outrageous as it is disrespectful and counter productive. What is inescapable, however, is that out of the last 23 shots on target against Manchester City 14 have registered on the scoreboard. The truth is that he is not stopping as many efforts on his goal as perhaps he should. Caballero will play the next game because it is an FA Cup match and then after that it might be time to take stock, give him one or two more games and if he fails to come out of the trough he is in for whatever reason plan a course of action which may well mean he has to give way to Caballero. Claudio would argue that he hasn't exactly been helped either by an extremely generous Manchester City defence or by being in a side that really needs to be stronger in both boxes to be realistic title challengers. Deep down though, the bottom line is that he should be stopping more of what is coming in his direction and this will be affecting his confidence. As with Tim Howard at Everton, and let me point out here that David de Gea was also deemed as 'crap' by many fans when he first came to Manchester United, what Claudio needs is the help of everyone at the club to re-build his confidence, go back to basics. Confidence, and the lack of it, is not so much a two way street as a racetrack. Messi goes into new contract negotiations with his cup running over with it while poor Claudio will feel there is a hole in his side where it is draining out of him. Sport, keen as it is to look at any complicated situation and describe it in as few words as possible, defines this as 'choking', effectively losing because of one's failure to adequately perform the most basic tasks that up to now have brought success. Duties, normally carried out instinctively, (catching a cross, hitting a tennis ball over the net, sinking a three foot putt, slotting over a conversion in front of the posts etc) begin to suffer what the experts refer to as 'analysis paralysis'. Effectively a return to that early part of your life when you were learning how to do what you have been doing on auto pilot seemingly for ever and a day - until now. This is where sports psychologists earn their corn. It is their function to make everyone feel at home, in their comfort zone, to regain the instinctive qualities that took them to the top. No player is immune from the random devil that is choking or from the lottery that can turn everything on its head in a heartbeat - ask Ryan Mason.

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Pep and Messi. What they both think of each other

Within the next ten days or so it seems likely that the Barcelona board will finally put a renewal offer on the table for Leo Messi. Barcelona would be wise not to leave it too much longer, because there is a small but extremely select group of clubs, and people, more than keen to turn Snr Messi's head, not least Manchester City who are led by Pep Guardiola the man that helped shape the player that many believe is greatest ever to lace up a pair of football boots. Pep thinks he will stay at Barcelona but the City bosses will explore any possibility of bringing the Flea to Manchester if there was any at all. And whether or not he decides to pledge his future with Barcelona, which, incidentally I believe he will, there is no doubt there is no one in football that either knows or admires Messi more than his former boss at the Camp Nou. And the respect is mutual, as is the desire to be the very best. As recently as 2013 in an interview with TyC Sports that I cite in my biography of the player he says, "..the man from whom I learned the most was Guardiola. Not only because he knew so much, but because he took me under his wing during a stage when I was developing, the stage at which I grew and learned the most." And in an interview with El Pais in 2012 he said, "Pep showed us the way and we are still going. He made us play with initiative, to always go for goal. He gave us the right attitude, the conviction that we were going to win, He was spectacular , beyond what he knows as a coach." "The way he analysed matches, how he prepared for them...I don't think there will ever be another coach like him" During my research for my book I travelled to meet Pep in Munich; a man notoriously uncomfortable about giving one to one interviews and a person will only ever make himself available for the media commitments he is contractually obliged to give. He was, however, more than willing to spend hours just talking about the player who he feels is not just the greatest player in the world but also the greatest in the history of the game. "Sometimes we forget he carries the weight of being the best player in the world, of all time, that he has a whole country behind him and a club that hopes he can win them games," he told me. "And this on a daily basis. I always think that he is the best in history for that reason, for the continuity of things that he has done." He added, "Bear in mind that this bloke has the ability in this day and age to score 50, 60 goals and appear in every game, every day. It's very difficult for a youngster to be able to do this over such a long period of time." More than just the titles he has won, no one will change my opinion of him, whether he wins a World Cup or not." Fundamental to the success of their partnership was Guardiola's understanding of the complexities of the outrageously talented Leo. The nub of his reasoning was simple: understand his moods and his silences because he will come around in his own time , never, ever substitute him, give him the ball and he will do the rest. Will they ever renew the partnership that brought so much success to the Camp Nou? Who knows? But perhaps despite all the praise, all the plaudits from probably the greatest players in the history of the game, perhaps the most important things Pep has ever said about Messi and that encapsulate his thoughts on the mercurial genius from Rosarios in just 12 words are as follows: "Don't write about him, don't try to describe him. Just watch him."

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Where are we with Messi's future?

Up to now Barcelona Chief Executive, Oscar Grau will always be remembered as one of the club's handball playing legends. But could his latest proclamations on Leo Messi's contract negotiations consign his name to a far more infamous chapter in the history of Barcelona FC - the potential departure of the player who many believe is the greatest of all time? When questioned recently about what the state of play regarding new contracts Snr Grau proclaimed: "Of course we want to retain the best player in history - and more so because he's one of those who was 'made' at FC Barcelona . "But we have to analyse everything, keep a clear head and stick to common sense. "We want to have the best players in our team but we have to prioritize" First of all it is difficult to imagine a greater 'priority' than that of securing the services of the one player that has made the difference for Barcelona for years and has continued to do so time and time again this season. Secondly - and Barcelona will know this - Messi is in no rush whatsoever because as the end of his contract grows inexoraby closer the more bargaining power he will have and the more Barcelona will have to fight to keep him. It's that time again; the Mexican stand off. On the one hand Barcelona keep saying they are keen to keep him, while simultaneously putting precisely nothing on the table. Meanwhile Pere Gratacos, a former coach of Messi and one of the director of La Masia, decides to stick his oar in when he announced that without Pique, Iniesta and Neymar then Messi wouldn't be anything like the player that he is. This is a fairly daft statement for just about anyone to make but coming from one of Messi's former coaches it defies all logic (in fact, Barcelona decided to sack him today as a club representative in international institutions). Unless of course what it is, is an opening salvo across Messi's bows, a directive or a nudge, nudge, wink, wink instruction from the club's hierarchy to imply that Messi isn't as important to the club as everyone might be led to believe. Then, of course, they can add that actually the club doesn't have the sort of money available to pay Messi what he actually wants. Let's be absolutely clear about thing here. Messi does not want to leave Barcelona. He has made that more than plain on many occasions but that's a long way from saying that, if push came to shove, he wouldn't. What the club really need to take on board is that these are precisely the sort of scenarios that would probably be the ONLY reason why Messi would not renew with Barcelona. A CEO trying to play down negotiations, a coach saying well you're not THAT good and Messi might -just might - start flirting with the small but incredibly selective queue that will by now have set up camp outside his door. I don't see it happening although what is certain is that Grau's comments have gone down like the proverbial lead balloon with the whole of the Barcelona dressing room. When it relates to Messi, what's common-sense got to do with anything has been the immediate reaction from team mate, Luis Suarez. But here's the rub. Messi's first reaction will not necessarily be "why can't they pay me more money" but rather "if they can't pay me more money, then how are they going to afford to spend more money on bringing in the type of player that will guarantee that Barcelona maintain their place at the top of the football tree." This is a side that needs constantly to re-examine itself and that involves the spending of a great deal of money not just on who you have but also on who you want It is impossible not to look at Barcelona in general, and a physically and mentally tired Luis Enrique in particular, and not come to the inescapable conclusion that his project is coming to an end. And what is anyone doing about it? Nothing. Luis Enrique should be brave enough to admit that his time has come and the club should have enough courage to grasp the nettle and plan for the future, more than likely with Jorge Sampaoli in the hot seat. But they aren't and the unrest is palpable which explains why performances are becoming irregular and the input of the coach seems to be diminishing by the day. And if indeed this is all a strategy by Oscar Grau to reduce Messi's expectations then it could backfire on the club bigtime. If this is the case then Messi could well be considering his position because if there is no project to keep on winning, no project to keep on playing the type of football that Barcelona are known for, what on earth is the point of him staying there, irrespective of money. I fear for Barcelona because the power of the dressing room seems to be growing daily in direct corrolation to the weak language seeping out of the board room, something made clear by Gereard Piqué's recent pronouncements on referees. And when a group of players decide the time is right to challenge the CEO it means that the players have too much authority. Put simply they feel no fear and consequently the balance of power is not correct. Oscar Grau says he has spoken to Pique and told him that the players should not be speaking about refs. Of course they shouldn't but maybe the players feel that there is no one speaking on their behalf. If there isn't money for Messi and, at the time of writing, the renewal for Iniesta is also in doubt in terms of the financial terms he wants and deserves, the question has to be asked. What kind of project are we actually about here at Barcelona? The next few months will be pivotal in determining just what direction one the most popular football club in the world will be taking. It could well define the club's future for years to come. Messi will probably stay but it is far, far from a done deal and it isn't just about the size of his pay packet.

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Valencia. Can anybody stop them getting relegated?

It is not without irony that Valencia gets its name from the Roman word 'Valentia' meaning valour or courage and that during the Muslim rule in Spain the city was nicknamed Medina bu-Tarab ("City of Joy"). These days the words 'joy' and 'valour' do not spring immediately to mind when talking about Spain's third city's once great football club that currently finds itself spiralling inexorably closer to the relegation trap door for the first time in more than 30 years. These truly are the bad times. In the words of Marlon Brando's Godfather, "How did things ever get so far." There have been many other bad times and in truth even the good times have frequently been overshadowed by political intrigue and in-fighting. Rafa Benitez brought the La Liga title to the Mestalla for the first time in more than 30 years, not once but twice in 2002 and 2004 but still left under a cloud saying of those at the club, "If I asked them for a sofa, they would get me a new lamp." If Spain is a family - albeit a frequently dysfuncional one - then Valencia has always been the the rather lippy, aggressive, younger brother of its two older siblings Madrid and Barcelona. Always getting into scrapes, challenging authority, railing against injustices, real or imaginary. Success for Valencia FC has always been joined at the hip with the hopes and aspirations of Valencia the city and the whole of the Comunidad Valenciana. Lack of success has inevitably been blamed on conspiracies masterminded by the movers and shakers of La Liga be they officials, administrators or perhaps, most crucially, referees perceived to be biased in favour of the two bigger, older brothers. The truth is that "things got so far" because Singapore billionaire, Peter Lim - to borrow another Brando sound bite - made Valencia an offer they thought couldn't refuse. Hindsight shows us here that this is precisely what Valencia should have done and that "offers you can't refuse" are, almost invariably, precisely those you should immediately reject. Where to begin? Mario Kempes is a legend at Valencia and not exactly backwards in coming forward when asked to comment on the current debacle, in fact scathing doesn't even begin to describe it. "I wouldn't wish what's going on at Valencia at the moment on my worst enemy, " he said recently "His plan (Peter Lim's) was to bring young players in , to develop them, then sell them on, but his plan backfired on him." "He signed players that didn't know where they coming to, youngsters that had never found themselves in such a crisis situation and that got worse simply because they didn't realise how heavy the Valencia shirt can weigh on you." . "And those that were up to the task like Alcácer and Andre Gomes they sold, practically making orphans of those that were left behind." "And then to try to avoid the fans turning on the board and directors they obliged Paco Alcácer to announce that he wanted to leave the club." Had Lim's plans been based on a similar idea to that which saw the likes of Ayala and Rufete sign players like Otamendi and Mustafi for reasonable money and then sell them for fortunes it might have been understandable. Former President Jaime Orti explained: "The crisis was created when Amadeo Salvo handed the sporting side of the club to Layhoon Chan, the President who represents the interest of the owner Peter Lim, who had decided to appoint the coach Nuno." Unfortunately, he went on, Nuno felt marginalised by the power of Ayala and Rufete and felt he should play a more active part in deciding the transfer policy. A locking of horns was inevitable and when Salvo announced that if Rufete and Ayala went, then so would he, Nuno is alleged to have said, "If they go, so what, Peter has confidence in me to do the job." The die was cast. Out went Rufete, Ayala and Salvo, in came Jorge Mendes, a close friend of Lim, and off they went shopping in search of players; young and not so young - Enzo was just one month shy of his 29th birthday - but always very expensive talent like Rodrigo (€30m), the afore mentioned Enzo (€25m) and Santi Mina (€10m), none of who on current form would even begin to recoup that sort of money. But that doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. Lim's reign in Spain has seen no fewer than six different managers attempt to bring some kind of order to the chaos including present incumbent Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro' currently on his fourth spell as caretaker manager at the club, but, at the club say, at the end of the season. Voro is the guy that gets tickets for concerts for players, gets them deals for cars, sorts them out when they have come out the line, their fixer... and now, do you really think they will respect him as their head coach? The irony was not lost on Mario Kempes who tweeted, "And now gentlemen after the inevitable departure of Prandelli we will once again see the appearance of the good guy Voro to put out the fire lit by Lim and Mendez." Prandelli must have known his time was up when in a scene I imagine to be similar to that of a businessman called to the state of the art modern headquarters of a Bond villain he was summoned to Singapore to 'discuss matters' with Mr Lim where he was doubtlessly told that all the family silver that had been sold was not about to be replaced. He probably didn't say it, but at that moment the thought must have gone through his head that at least Benitez got himself a lamp. In truth, however, Prandelli already sealed his own fate by them following a memorable press conference after a training session in the second week of December. "I'm going to speak slowly, so I hope you can understand me," he said. He needn't have worried. They understood him alright and as so often happens in situations like this if you're going to go for the knock out blow, you better make sure that the recipient of your wrath doesn't get up. In a tirade lasting less than two minutes he announced that any player in the dressing room not perpared to give everything needed in terms of attitude, professionalism and seriousness would be 'fuori' (Italian), 'fuera' (Spanish) 'out' (English). The press loved it. "Ave Cesare, we're with you" run the headlines in Superdeporte the following day. As he left the ground he apparently told waiting members of the media that he felt sure they would now return to winning ways. In fact, all that theatre was his way to force his departure. He did not want to stay there anymore. In any case he probably should have selected the media in his next line up because his call to arms did not have a similar rallying effect on the very people it was supposed to have had - the players. Valencia lost their next game 3-2 at Real Sociedad, a scoreline that flattered them thanks to an unexpected penalty and a last minute goal that gave it the look, if not the feel, of respectability. Prandelli made all the right noises about the showing of fighting spirit etc but he had lost the dressing room and he knew it. He resigned just before the end of the year and back in came Valencia's own Red Adair in the shape of Voro. Except of course this time he has not hit the floor running starting off his fourth spell at the club with a humiliating 1-4 defeat to Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey before scraping a draw and conceding three goals in the process to an Osasuna side rapidly becoming the whipping boys of this year's La Liga campaign. The only crumb of consolation was probably the fact that Real Madrid's participation in the Club World Cup match meant Los Blancos visit to the Mestalla was postponed and Valencia were very likely spared the potential humiliation that would have probably come with the visit of Zidane's unbeaten side. The real tragedy of course is that as bad as the situation is, the general consensus is that it has it in its locker to get much, much worse. Valencia is a great, proud - and rightly so - city and it deserves better. It deserves a top flight La Liga side and the chances are unless something is done, and done quickly, then a cursory look at the league tables will tell you that the City's representation next season could well come in the shape of Levante who currently sit seven points clear at the top the Segunda A and who are themselves no strangers to crisis and financial hardships. Now that really is an irony.