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The majority of the populace that sits down to watch the English Premier League every weekend watches it with a dash of his team’s colors. Needless to say, you would find a Manchester United red scarf, a blue jersey bearing the fading number 8 for Lampard, or a gushing lad wearing a Rooney, Ronaldo and the likes. This of course highlights the ever-present trend of big clubs. Clubs who have made their names playing season in and season out for decades, clubs who have had a long list of laurels and equally long list of illustrious players that have adorned the locker room cabinets, clubs who have made winning trophies a habit. Be it Manchester United, Liverpool in England or Real Madrid,Barcelona in Spain. Not to forget clubs like Juventus,Milan, Inter, Bayern Munich, Ajax etc. It has been seen in footballing history that it is these teams that have managed to win the titles numerous times. Be it the domestic leagues, or the elite club championship – The European Cup. EPL has the “big four”,Spain has “El Clasico”- it’s been a big teams’ playing ground till now. But there has been a wave of change in the current scenario. The so called “minions” are now taking centre stage. The clubs who have not been in the league as consistently as the big clubs are now raring to go. The lesser clubs, who have been biding their time till now are now responding to the beckons of footballing laurels. And speaking more as man who waits impatiently for the weekend action than as a Man United fanatic, I’m loving it!
It has been seen more and more that teams that neither have a bevy of superstars in their starting eleven, or a oil baron financing them have taken the football world by storm. Teams like Lazio, Udinese, Real Betis, Levante, Tottenham Hotspur have shown real grit and ambition in their challenge to more successful football clubs. For example let’s take the Liga BBVA, more popularly called La Liga. A couple of months ago real Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Levante C.F. Agonizing for Madrid fans but a delightful game for the neutrals to see Los Galacticos slumping to their lesser counterparts. And to think that Levante barely managed to keep themselves in the First Division! To add woes to the piling misery for Real Madrid, German holding midfielder Sami Khedira was sent off. Levante fans ecstatic and the world took a sadistic pleasure in seeing the million dollar club slump to a modest outfit. Giving hopes that the hitherto ‘tag-you’re-it’ game that was being played between Madrid and Barcelona might just come to an end!
Enough about the Madridistas, because I can hear the sardonic smiles and sniggers of the Catalunyans. Though the Barcelona outfit has not yet slumped to a league defeat they came very close to one in San Mames, home to Athletic Club de Bilbao. 78 minutes had gone and it looked like Barcelona might just get a taste of defeat, they have yet managed to avoid. If it had not been for the talents of a Lionel Messi, Bilbao would have erupted in joy. Let me take a moment here and indulge those who are not really Barcelona fans by saying that personally,Barcelona have eluded defeat so far by liaisons with Lady Luck! We all have seen Barcelona come from behind in a lot of recent matches, most recently the Bilbao affair. Before that the Supercopa match at Bernabeu, and then at Sociedad where they notoriously squandered a two goal lead. The old Barcelona must be rolling in its grave. More recently they failed to take three points when they were held to a goal less draw at Camp Nou against a humbler Sevilla.
Focusing my attention to Italy, particularly to the unusual slump of former Serie A champions Inter Milan, it is appalling how their position as title challengers has lost its sheen after the departure of Jose Mourinho. Three managerial changes later they still have not found their golden touch. Hard to believe this is the same side that won the UEFA Champions League a couple of seasons ago. Losing out to Palermo, Trabzonspor, Novara and then to Napoli, this downward spiral does not seem to end for Inter. Their intercity rivals AC Milan have had a better season though not a very impressive one. They have notoriously squandered leads and conceded goals rapidly. But their comebacks have been pretty famous like when the Boateng show at Lecce, when they came back from 3-0 down to a 4-3 lead. The Rossoneri are coming around as they found their lost form with an excellent 4-0 thrashing of Catania. But the real crux of this article would be the impressive forms of hitherto unknown teams like Udinese. The impressive Antonio Di Natale has utilized his veteran experiences and has captained his side to a flying start and is now basking in the top of the table glory. A mention of the effervescent Miroslav Klose who has found his lost form with the now second placed Lazio after bidding adieu to former German champions Bayern. Juventus, finally living up to their glorious history are now fourth in the league table. After acquiring Andrea Pirlo from Milan the formidable partnership of Matri, Krasic, Pirlo and Vucinic just seems unbeatable. And of course the legendary Del Piero, though having his best playing days behind him, brings to the team his experience and panache that has been a major factor in the Juventus re’juve’nation!
Coming finally to the English Premier League, the current scenario comes somewhat as a surprise to the pundits who had cast their predictions in the starting weeks of the season. No matter how loyal a Man City fan, no matter how huge a Man United hater, no one I am sure must have predicted the 6- 1 humiliation at Old Trafford. Similarly no one would have predicted the 8-2 thrashing of The Gunners at the same venue. Karma surely is a fickle thing. The irony that brings a weary painful smile to any Man United supporter is that the hugest goal differences of this season happened involving us and, luck changed hands both times! Arsenal, having recovered from the 8-2 embarrassment has now beaten Chelsea 5-3 at Stamford Bridge breaking the latter’s 100% home record this season. Newly promoted Queens Park Rangers,Swansea, and Norwich, though not yet completely established are sure giving the ‘Big Four’ a run for their money.
Liverpool are relying on the talismanic Suarez, who has been fantastic in the season so far. Newcastle’s dream run in the top flight surprised some and made some nod in satisfaction. Chelsea, having lost their goal poacher Drogba for a while, are a little unsteady. Coming at last to the oil rich Manchester City. The million dollar investments in the diminutive playmaker Silva, the eccentric man-boy Balotelli (Why-always-me?), and the goal hungry Edin Dzeko has paid off. The noisy neighbors have finally started to sing and how! A star studded bench and a team worth a huge fortune playing on the pitch is bound to make any manager giggle in glee. So how does it matter if one of your star players refuses to come on the pitch as a defensive substitute? And of course why bother if he suddenly packs his bags and decides, one fine morning, to go off holidaying without prior notice? None I suppose! This Mancini-Tevez drama has eclipsed the real gist. The fact that man city are here to stay! A formidable team surely, but not unbeatable. Not every team, you see, my friend, is Barcelona.
