A moral dilemma...

Over the two legs, even the most ardent Liverpool detractor, would struggle to argue that the team from Merseyside didn’t do enough to warrant a place in Friday’s draw for the quarter finals of the Champions league. But as deserved as the win was; was Liverpool’s victory not merely a win for tactical organisation over the more creative and subtle skills of the Catalan giants?

When Liverpool lifted the Champion’s league after defeating Milan on penalties in two thousand and five, Benitez was hailed as a tactical genius. We, the football loving public, were told that no other coach in Europe could have forged a team capable of not only challenging for, but winning the champions league with the squad at Rafa’s disposal, but rest assured, with the funds and kudos acquired after such an incredible win, Benitez would be in a position to mould a team much more in keeping with the beautiful game.

Fast forward almost two years to Anfield and last night’s game against Barcelona, and to a display from the home side that while effective, was not what could be described as a joy to watch. It was in fairness, a ninety minute display of one of the most organised and tactically astute performances I have ever witnessed. The way the likes of Alonso and Sissoko performed was to be admired, particularly in the case of the former, who time after time has sacrificed his own style of play for the performance of the team.

While it could be argued that the performance last night was formed out of necessity, that type of display put in by Liverpool last night will win them few fans; it would be churlish to suggest that Liverpool should have adopted a more fool hardy approach for entertainment’s sake, but it got me thinking.

A few years ago Liverpool led by Gerrard Houllier, went to the Nou camp for a UEFA cup semi final first leg match. What unfolded over the next ninety minutes was nothing sort of abysmal. Content with a nil, nil draw, Liverpool made no attempt to even force a corner, never mind actually score a goal. On their return, a goal less draw successfully strangled from the game, Houllier on his arrival back on Merseyside, was quite rightfully castigated by the media, supporters and former players, who argued, a Liverpool team should be better than playing for a draw, no matter who the opposition. Houllier countered, that the result was more important than the display.

A throw away comment that got lost in the archives after Liverpool managed to defeat Barcelona in the return at Anfield. Houllier it seems had been right. Sadly however, this type of thinking has now slowly found its way into ninety five percent of the game, particularly in the Premiership, with only Manchester United and Arsenal the real exception to the rule and the two who refuse to change their principles regardless of the opponent. Currently our domestic league is the most successful and given the lack of competition, is also the best league in the world to watch. But given only one of four teams can win the league, the remaining sixteen are merely fighting for survival.

Neil Warnock said recently that teams like his own, Premier league new boys Sheffield United; don’t have their season shaped by results at places like Anfield and Old Trafford. This is true, but the lure of playing at these venues season in season out, out weighs the need to entertain. Warnock, who is not alone in this way of thinking; seems more than happy to weigh off four annual trips to the precipice of English football, against thirty odd results ground out of teams by what ever means necessary to ensure his teams Premier league status.

With added cash incentive from television rights to consider from next year, the price paid for failure will be even higher and fewer and fewer teams will be prepared to take the risk of playing entertaining football. Next year the big four will be involved in one hundred and fifty two league games. They will not be involved in a further six hundred and eight. On that basis alone, entertainment will be at a premium.

The Premier league is in real danger of out valuing itself. In simple terms if the public can’t get their entertainment from football, they will look else where. Since the creation of the Premier league nearly two decades ago, the image of the game has been successfully rejuvenated; stadium are the best in Europe and they are full, week in, week out. But not only are they full, the season ticket holders are a true reflection of society. Men, women and children of all ages and all creeds flock to Premier league grounds, often twice weekly. But they are a fickle lot, and they want enjoyment for their thousand pound a throw seat. Bore them stiff on their arrival and Saturday afternoon football will be replaced by the latest fad or craze sweeping the nation.

Once they’ve left, they won’t be seen again. No longer will the season tickets be sold; Sky will lose their subscribers and the days of the billion pound television rights deal will be a distant memory. In its place empty stadiums, premier league sides in financial disarray, the return of the hooligan as the game is handed back to the working classes who had been priced out of the market. In short, we’d be left with Italian league football as it is today.

A worrying thought. I’m sure you’d agree.

Player of the year? Not for the first time

If watching Chelsea stroll to a second Premier league title in as many years wasn’t bad enough, am I now going to be forced to listen to claims by Manchester United ‘supporters’, that victory for the world’s most loathed club in this years Premier league title race, is going to be a victory for the underdog? Am I seriously supposed to believe this will be some kind of triumph for the knights of Old Trafford over the irrepressible forces of darkness from Stamford Bridge?

Almost as hard to take is claims form certain areas of the media and from that most horrid of creatures, the United ‘fan’, that the manager has discovered a new, unsung hero from nowhere; a small but powerful midfield general; a player with the guile and skill of Zidane, combined with the tackle and determination of Roy Keane. And so for the name of this unknown diamond in the rough; ladies and gentlemen, I give you Paul Scholes, an underrated and little known ginger fella with an eye for goal, rest assured, this lad has a big future in front of him.

Now is it just me, or has Paul Scholes played a bit before? Didn’t he have a few good games in a white shirt with three lions on it, eventually proving himself to be one of the finest goal scoring midfielders of his generation? I seem to remember he didn’t too badly in a season when the new underdogs of the modern era won the treble at the brink of the last centaury either.

There is little doubt that regardless of the resting place of this year’s Premier league crown, Scholes will still collect the PFA award for player of the season and deservedly so. But lets not be fooled, we’ve all seen it before; the one touch pass, the driving runs, the rifled shot, the clumsy tackle and who could forget that Beckham, Scholes corner routine? I for one would love a second chance to watch all of this again with Scholes in an England shirt once more.

Unquestionably the little ginger one is having a good season, but aside from one season when he was pushed from pillar to post by both his club and national manager, when has he not? Despite the removal of many a high class professionals from Old Trafford, not once has Scholes threatened to be amongst those casualties. Even now toward the twilight of his career, he is still United’s biggest asset, even above Rooney and Ronaldo.

If the title does indeed find its way back to Old Trafford, as painful on the eye as that is, maybe, just maybe it might be better than the alternative. The special one lording himself over the national game for a third successive season, pretending he has actually managed to achieve something of significance, rather than barely accomplishing the minimum, is even harder to take than the gloatings of the Essex branch of the United supporters club.