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Saturday, June 14, 2014

The End of Tikki-Taaka football



In all the civilization and in all the form of life there is a cycle, you start something, it grows, it spreads and finally after reaching it maturity, it starts to decline. Decline continues till it reaches its lowest point and something new is started from that point. This is what happening to Barcelona and Spain Tikka-Tikka style of play. It was introduced by Dutch, but mastered by the Barcelona of Pep. It was perfect football team, a team who keep the ball for so long that team feel irritated for not seeing ball, a team who chase the ball in packs once the loose the ball, with ball they pass it like a pure football team. They dominate the football for 3 years, there influence can be seen the Spain team of 2008 euro, 2010 World cup and now just 2012 euro. But as the team started to find out more about them, started by Chelsea fc that you can let them keep position, it doesn’t matter anymore. Just wait for you movement and hurt them at that time. 

Before the last season, the semi final of Bayer Munich and Barcelona was the decline of the Tikka-Takka football, they now only showed how to defeat them but also how to do in style. After that still people talk about style of football, but look at the Spain league also them team who won La Liga Ath. Madrid is not the best team in football, but they are the most effective team of football. Even Real Madrid has been more of a team which is effective and best on counter attack; they heavily rely of Ronaldo to bail them out. As we saw loss of Spain from the hand of Dutch, people might say this is one off, I think Spain has to choose more of Madrid approach rather than of Barcelona approach. 

The team which have beaten them have allowed them to have position in there half, but once they enter into their half they press them. They break them at pace, which allows them extra time to make sure they stay ahead, which is why team with pace like Dutch has caused problem to them. They can run at people and create the mistake which other can’t. 

Even with Spain in next match we will a new approach, I hope so otherwise it can be difficult for them. For Barcelona also they have to take the touch decision, like Pep did once he arrived at Barcelona, he sold Ronadihino and Deco both, so It might be time for few people to move on, and let the other create other their own destiny. 

Next season most successful team will sure not play a tikka-takka football, it will be more close to Bayer Munich or say Chelase fc effective team. 

Few years back when Barcelona was at there peak, they hold the ball for such a long period of times in a match that you know, it will not give the chance to other team to play the football. As each of the style has a cycle in which they grow, reach at maturity and then they come to end, I think Barcelona style Tikki-Takka football is coming to end.

The arrival of Fabregas and Impact in Chelsea fc

Last season when Jose Mourinho arrived in Chelsea fc he knew what he was getting into. He knew this is not the team who can win the championship in its first year, so he tried his best to make sure every one listen to his theory of Little horse. He and some of fan in Chelsea fc where really surprised the way our team was fighting for the BPL and Champions league. Even after having Hazard, Oscar and some other creative player why what was the missing link in the team.

Let's look at the last few team Mourinho has build on, Porto was the first team he build, it was really a marvelous team to watch, as underdog they perform outstandingly well. His team was build around the Play maker and orchestra of Deco, he was at his best in Porto, creating and scoring important goals for the team. When he moved to Chelsea fc, he didn't have any creative player in midfield. In chelsea he found something Unique, Frankly Lampard ( He is just a rare player to find), He might not have a creative genius like deco, but he was better goal scorer then his forward player. then when he moved to Inter Milan, he has Weshle Snider one of the best player in world at that time. he created, scored and played main role in Jose team. The common thing he found in all of his team is a creative midfield player who can control the game and be a game changer at any time. In RM also, he might have made the Ronaldo beast of goal scorer, but his main player as always Xabi Alonso. he controlled the game.

Last year in Chelsea fc, he found that lampard has lost the speed ( he is still top player) and needed someone who can control the game for him. His current player if you look, Obi mikel he still not the creative player that he need, Ramirez can be best runner but at time his touch and pass make you wonder about his creativity. What Oscar and Hazard need is someone who can make a quick pass to them to unlock the defense, and look what he has Got Fabregas.

He is the perfect replacement for the outgoing Lampard, if you wonder why then look at his statics. Right now Chelsea fc don't need any goal scorer from Midfield, they need someone who can connect between defense and attack. Fabregas has got that, he might not score the 15 goal a season, but he will increase the goal scoring opportunity of Oscar, hazard and the striker Jose choose to play. He will be hungry to prove all the doubters wrong about him, and also to Wenger who passed the chance to re sign him. Chelsea fc has done a great bit of business by signing him early, now they can wait for the other thing to shape up.

In my opinion this was the missing link in Jose master plan, when last year he said about his long term approach, few of us believe it. But this year now as transfer market is going, I am thinking he has already a grand master plan in place, he know they way his team will play this year and how he want to evolve the team. That is why i love jose, he never say a word, without some hidden meaning in it.

This year you might see the best of Chelsea fc with Jose at his Happy one mode on.


Friday, June 6, 2014

Fifa football world cup is ONNNNNN

Only a week more to go for the biggest carnival on the earth. 32 teams will fight it out to be crowned as the champions of Football. Brazil, a country famous for its samba skills and silky moves in football will host the 31 country. I have high hopes from this world cup, this is going to be one of the most exciting world cup in the real Memory. In each world from the day I have follow up it up from 1998, it has always thrown up some new stars with the exciting ones. Be it Ronaldo in 1998 and emergence of Zidan, then in 2002 re birth of Ronaldo and emergence of Ronadiniho, In 2006 the re emergence of Zidan and arrival of Cristiano Ronalao and the famous head butt of Zidan. Then in last world cup the Spain domination and the dutch emergence and failure of Messi.


This world cup is some how little different in some sense, in each world cup past one team have always been clear favorite, I could not find any clear cut favorite. Yes, there is Brazil, Spain, Germany ahead of other but there are teams like Belgium ( My pic from outside to go to semifinal), Urugave and Nigeria. they all have a very talented side with lots of experience. They can defeat any team on the given day with ease. Brazil playing on home soil will face the huge pressure of expectation, and with Scolari in charge I think they can cope with it. To my pic my favorite in this year championship, it would be German. They have a very well oiled team, it would be really dangerous if there team is on song in the world cup. The most surprise package team would be Belgium, they have Hazard, lukaku, Kompany, and Courtious. They have one of the best team in the world, If they play to the perfection and then it could reach in the semi final very easily.

I have seen few player in the EPL, La liga, German, French and Seria A. Most of the team have very talented player, but I would pic two player to watch in the world cup. One is Naymar and one is Hazard, they both are the best attacking player in the world right now. Neymar in Confederation cup has proved him self and carry the burden of the nation expectation, Where as hazard is new to the international level, he has yet to prove himself in the level of Ronaldo, Messi. He can do that if he is the focal point of the team in the championship.

As In India most of match will play in the prime time, you will see this year rating of the world cup will be higher.

P.S.: Watch out of Klose of Germany, he can break the record of the Ronaldo goal record in the world cup. I hope he don't do it.    

What difference a week make to you

Last week this same day, I was sitting on my desk and thinking about starting something new in blog. I done some research and selected a blog platform called sett.com for my new blog. Everything was done and even first new 2 blog was published. Then after 2 days, all my friends just started asking me about it. Why did you leave you old blog?

To be frank, I never thought any of my friend would read my blog ( due to my bad grammar and broken English), But actually they did. Even though most of them never told me about it. So again in my mind I was in doubt, should I continue with this blog or I should choose the new one. I give a deep thought for few days, and finally my emotions attached with this blog won. I ditched the new blog and decided to continue writing on this blog. Even tough I am not sure what I would write, but some how I could find a new will in myself that I would be back to my normal 2 or 3 post in a week.

In this week what I did most important was to talk with my old friends. The difference I found in all the people I have talked, there where few people who don't know what to talk with me or don't know what to talk with him ( A gap I can feel which was build by the time), and there where others who talked with me like we only met yesterday. Maybe it depend on nature of people or maybe I am over thinking about things these day. Whatever it is, I really need to get these things off my head.


Quality pages in Novels please

I have been really frustrated by India publisher for last 6 month; I don’t why they do it. But somehow I have started to believe that they don’t value there reader highly enough. When people say, readership of paper book reader is coming down I think the reason are not reader but the problem is with author and more so with Publisher. In last 6 month this is my 5th bad experience with an India publisher, earlier I ignored it but they are now doing it with good authors as well who are know in Indian writing circle.

Each month I order 3 books to read, this month I choose 3, first was of John green “fault in our stars”, second one was of Preeti Shenoy “The one you can’t have” and third one is in pre order of Smriti bansal again a life story of 20 people from small town who did achieve big things. I ordered on flipkart and there delivery time was excellent, they have done good job in that part. But after that I can see a contrast difference in the books of publisher.  I have two books with me one from Penguine and Preeti one from Westland.

My problem starts here; there was one big difference in both books which I couldn’t ignore this time. I could not understand how there can be so difference in the page quality of both book. Penguine book page quality was excellent, but Westland book page quality, I can’t comment on it. My preference to read book was of Preeti one but due to page quality I was put off. I don’t know why it has been done, because I can see price of book it was well priced as compared to other Indian Author, but paper quality used in book was like of a a new author book who has force publisher to print it. I am really disappointed by it, even though I am kind of good experience with preeti books, but this once has really given me a bad taste in starting, maybe I will not complain after reading the book. But after paying for book I think as a consumer I need some good experience as well. If these kind of thing is happening with Preeti Shenoy book than god knows what will happen to less know India Author books. Maybe that is why lots of reader is keeping themselves away from Indian Authors books these days. Paper quality of their book has become a major issue in last few months for me.

I don’t know how publisher will solve this, but for me here an Author has to take some responsibility towards the reader. We as a reader has hardly choose any book on the basis of publisher; we choose books on the basis of author, so they have to do justice not only with their writing, but also the end product we are getting in form of page quality and other things. The change will only come when we as consumer will complain, that we don’t need bad quality. For me Preeti Shenoy latest book price in a way that they can provide a not an international paper quality but good at least. For god sake doesn’t blame this only to the publisher because she is already written few novels to she must know how it works.

After reading the book, I will write a small latter to Preeti Shenoy regarding this, maybe she will take note of it, But yes as a reader I am really feeling bad about it. L