All posts by h79snht.top

Well 2012 has been an eventful year for Coventry City Football Club both on and off the field.

On the field the Skyblues have been relegated from the Championship, have changed their manager and had a high number of players both depart and arrive at the club.

Off the field the delicate relationship between Coventry’s owners Sisu and the fans hit melting point with weeks of protests taking place against Sisu’s running of the club. Sisu’s other relationships fared no better with discussions over the Ricoh breaking down resulting in unpaid rent and a row which is going to stretch into the new year.

Looking at the facts and 2012 looks like a very bad year in Coventry City’s history. I however am beginning to think that it could in fact be the year that started the revival of the club.

The clubs form on the field over the last couple of months has been second to none and we have been steadily climbing the table to finish the year in 9th a mere 2 points off of the playoff positions. In my eyes it is the beginning of a new era at Coventry City. Now I never thought I would say that with Sisu still having ownership of the club but they look like they are genuinely beginning to turn things around.

Yes people can point to the Ricoh row as a sign that this isn’t the case and Sisu are in fact as inept as they have ever been. I believe they are turning the corner and have genuinely learnt from previous mistakes. I also still firmly believe a deal will be struck which will allow Coventry to continue playing at the Ricoh Arena and doing so for a drastically reduced price which everyone must agree is in the clear interests of the club going forward.

The pivotal moment now is January. For me January will be what defines our season as a whole. Bailey’s initial loan spell has come to an end but thankfully the club have wasted no time in snapping him back up on loan until the end of the season along with Moussa. This is a big step towards a successful end to the season and the next step is to keep players like McGoldrick and Adams. These players have brought so much to this team and the club needs to do everything in its power to keep them here for as long as possible be it on loan or permanently.

We are perfectly poised to mount a serious promotion challenge and Saturday’s victory over the Mk Dons showed we are ready for it. Mk Dons are one of the outstanding sides in League One and are certain of a top six finish. They have quality throughout their side which is complemented by a manager who clearly knows what he is doing. Everything is in place for that club to be a huge success and I can only see good things in their future.

We however went to their place full of confidence with five away wins on the bounce and nine games unbeaten. These were records that you could clearly see the players wanted to extend. It was a game blessed by two of the best sides in League One and this was clear for everyone to see with some real quality football on show.

Coventry fell behind relatively early on and for the first time ever since I have been a Coventry City fan I actually wasn’t worried. I had complete belief that we would get back into it and even go on to win it. My new found confidence was rightly placed as the Skyblues fought back and ended up winning the game 3-2 thanks to 2 goals from Stephen Elliot along with a brilliant goal from Frank Moussa. There were plenty of nervy moments but to go to a team like Mk Dons and come away with the 3 points is a fantastic achievement and I think truly showed how far Mark Robins has brought us in such a short space of time.

We now look like a side who is hungry for success and is no longer content to under achieve. Long may this continue and it was clear on Saturday that the fans are responding. 4,988 was the official figure for away fans and that is a truly incredible following. I would just like to say a huge thanks to everyone who travelled down and made it a match to remember. That sort of support could carry us all the way, the fans being a 12th man is a disputed notion but it is one that I have full belief in. If we can get a few more down at the Ricoh for the home games and make it a noisier and more intimidating place to come then we are definitely onto a winning combination.

I for one cannot wait for 2013 and what it might bring for Coventry City fc. The prospect of going to Wembley not once but twice is enough to make any football fans mouth water. It is now a distinct possibility and the time is now to start believing. We are good enough to do it that I am sure of but what I am not sure of is whether Coventry’s usual bad luck has gone or if it is lurking just round the corner waiting to pounce and destroy our dreams once more.

Bad luck was the story on new year day as we fell to a 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury. It wasn’t a bad performance by any means but it wasn’t at the level we have been at. This is going to happen from time to time but the positive was that we still created a lot of chances which we should have at least taken one of. It was just one of those days and one which we should be able to move on from quite quickly. Bring on Spurs!

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PUSB!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Follow @benleach2

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Florian Thauvin had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes, but there was already a sense that he could offer life to Marseille’s innocuous attack.

The newly-signed winger carved out the French side’s two best opportunities, seeing Nacho Monreal clear his shot off the line, and forcing an excellent save from Wojciech Szczesny in a congested penalty area.

There is normally a feeling of trepidation when an inexperienced youngster steps into the fold. That wasn’t really the case when Szczesny made his Premier League debut for Arsenal against Manchester United in 2010. The other two options, Manuel Almunia and Lukas Fabianski, were so calamitous that by default Szczesny became the saviour before anyone really had a clear understanding of what he was capable of.

Those early stages of his career in the Arsenal first team were fuelled by a clear drive to prove his worth. Age and the chasm separating him from the experienced names in the Premier League went out the window. Arsenal had their goal in safe hands; the player to hold that position for the next ten years, as it’s so often described.

The halt in Szczesny’s development that eventually followed was a concern. He looked lazy, disinterested and incapable of dragging himself out of the depression he’d fallen into.

Szczesny’s first save against Thauvin, however, was a reminder of the turnaround in his game. For the majority of the game against Marseille, Arsenal were dominant, allowing a clear a path for that lethargic state to re-enter Szczesny’s mind. But once again, as it has been for much of this season, that wasn’t to be. Even the very best defences allow for small streams to burst through their fortifications. Yet unlike in the past, this Arsenal goalkeeper is saving his team points, rather than losing them.

Arsene Wenger has played the biggest part. You wonder how much was said to the Polish international, if anything at all. Perhaps it was all mental. Perhaps all that was needed for Szczesny to get back on track was a set of scare tactics to prove that no matter how dire things were in the past, this current Arsenal team are not in the business of accepting mediocrity.

Fabianski did his part last summer. So much has been said about Arsenal beating Bayern Munich last season – still the only blemish on the Bavarians’ home record this calendar year – and yet it can sometimes be overlooked that Szczesny wasn’t in goal on the day. Fabianski helped Arsenal grab that final Champions League spot, but his short contributions could have a significantly longer affects.

Emiliano Viviano, the goalkeeper on loan at Fiorentina last season, was brought in this summer as further warning to Szczesny that his talent was not to be so carelessly discarded. If there is any eye-opening evidence as to how important those warning shots have been from Wenger, Arsenal have only conceded once this month, with clean sheets against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. That one goal came against Manchester United, when Robin van Persie’s shoulder took advantage of a last-minute change in Arsenal’s backline.

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Szczesny’s form is representing of the overall picture at Arsenal. There’s a newly-found urgency at the club, stemming from the manager. There’s no more time for half efforts or hollow promises of tomorrow. A good goalkeeper is a vital piece of a team challenging for silverware. But instead of rectifying the problem via the market – at least through an expensive purchase – Wenger has rightly chosen to work on the talent he has in house.

As is usually the case with Wenger, persistence and patience is bringing vastly deserved rewards.

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The one thing that was frustrating for West Ham with Mohamed Diame was that his potential wasn’t lived up to in his last two seasons at Upton Park.

They had seen what he was capable off after his free transfer from Wigan in 2012 when he was putting in some great displays playing behind the striker, down the middle of the park-scoring and creating goals just for fun.

When on top of his game, the Senegal international is unplayable. He has a great ability to take on defenders when on the ball, and create a shooting opportunity for himself out of nowhere. He scored some very important goals for the Hammers during his two year spell at Upton park and most of them were in the “spectacular” category.

The problem he faced was inconsistency in his performance. A lot of fuss has been made at the fact he would often be played out of position for West Ham – Sam Allardyce often him on the left side of the midfield rather than in the centre where the player said himself that he was most comfortable. A big reason for this, which Sam Allardyce would later go on to confirm, was that Diame was too much of a liability in the centre, often giving away the ball in dangerous areas of the pitch and gifting the opposition goalscoring chances when the team could ill afford to concede a goal.

He was often sloppy in possession, choosing to keep the ball at times where a pass to open up a chance for his team mates would have been the better option.

His fitness was also a worrying issue with him usually looking quite tired by the 70th minute of a game and having to be substituted, which made him a more effective player coming on as a substitute rather than starting the game. It was frustrating for the Hammers faithful and the manager himself to see the player not live up to his full potential – there is no denying the fact that when he fancied putting in the effort he was arguably West Ham’s finest player on the day.

This summer’s transfer window linked the midfielder with a move away from West Ham, with Everton being mentioned in the gossip columns seemingly on a daily basis at one point. It was like a game of ping-pong with reports coming out that he was leaving and the club answering them with the usual hands-off statement and quashing the rumours, denying any approach had in fact been made. Despite the player having already made his unhappiness at the club rather public, saying that Allardyce was holding him back from fulfilling his potential as a player. Diame also famously, and quite bizarrely claimed that he should be playing for a top six team which, even to his most loyal of supporters, found quite laughable.

Then transfer deadline day worked its magic and he was eventually sold to Hull City. Not a top six team but instead, with all due respect to Hull, another mid-table/bottom half team with similar ambitions. It seems like the move has done the player a world of good as he has come into his element since signing for the Tigers, scoring two goals in his first two games for them; one of which came against West Ham on his debut in a thrilling 2-2 encounter.

He is being played down the middle and showing off his ability and skill as he wanted to all along for West Ham. But West Ham will not miss him. He already started to show some signs for his new club that he is still unable to play past 70 minutes without getting knackered and having to come off. He is already showing signs that he is too greedy on the ball at times and tends to give it away a lot, despite two goals in two games.

West Ham are currently flourishing with their own summer signings and playing some ‘sexy football’ which has seem them look a real force going forward. They are creating a lot of chances – putting even the Liverpool defence under a lot of pressure and making them look second class. The Hammers do not need Diame, they have enough quality remaining, and even Stuart Downing has found himself playing well in a similar role to the one Diame was playing for the hammers.

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The player is quite simply a liability who will from time to time play really well. If Hull find themselves in a relegation scrap this season, they could do with Diame changing his attitude and sloppiness, otherwise he will prove to be more of a problem than a solution for the Tigers.

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Alan Hutton has thanked Real Mallorca for giving the Scotsman a new lease of life, reports The Sun.

Hutton claims that he was “wasting away” during his spell at Villa Park and that he was frozen out by current manager Paul Lambert when he took over as manager in the summer.

The defender saw his Villa hell end as he secured a deal away from the struggling Midlands club in January, after they agreed to loan the former Tottenham player to Spanish club Real Mallorca.

” I can savour these times more because of the frustrations I’ve been through. I was training with the kids at Villa and thought ‘What am I doing here?’ said Hutton.

” To go from doing nothing at Villa, feeling as if I was wasting away, to be playing Real Madrid the next minute, makes it more special.” he added.

The Scottish defender faces Gareth Bale at Hampden tonight and admits that his run of first team games has saved his International career.

“When I was joining up with the Scotland squad I knew it was getting to the stage in the season where, if I wasn’t playing for my club, I couldn’t expect to turn up and play for my country, so I knew I had to do something,” said Hutton.

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Hutton will be hoping to fare better than he did against Ronaldo and co last weekend as his Real Mallorca side went down 5-2 away at Real Madrid.

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Monday morning could have been the most bitter and unbearable ‘morning after’ in a long time for Arsenal fans had Newcastle found a way to equalise at St James’ Park. Actually it would have seemed quite appropriate for Arsenal to hit that self-destruct button in the manner in which they had done so many times over the years. In contrast, celebrations were befitting, not just because it’s the Champions League – Arsenal supporters understand there is a long way to go before the team can genuinely challenge the best in Europe for that trophy. But the importance of finishing fourth this season is that it holds significance over the long term and short term for Arsenal. This summer should be seen as the marker for change.

I get it, from the outside it’s very easy to mock Arsenal for the way they celebrated. But who wouldn’t have done the same? Tottenham certainly. Everton. Manchester City celebrated their first trip into the Champions League because they knew it would be an important step. Moreover, for Arsenal it just went to showcase how big this rivalry with Tottenham has become in recent seasons.

That’s a part of the problem. Tottenham have put together their best points total in a Premier League season and have fallen just one point behind Arsenal; credit to them for making up the ground. But then what about Arsenal? Yes, the club have regressed. It would have been easy to comment on Tottenham’s best points total still being too short to overcome Arsenal, but this is a place and a situation Arsenal fans surely don’t want to be in again. For the second season a row, the call was far too close.

Forget for a moment what the immediate future may bring off the back of another top four finish, the fact of the matter is that Arsenal and Spurs were not competing for a title; Arsenal have been reduced to fighting for a qualifying position in the Champions League. To reiterate, Arsenal don’t want to be in that position again.

It will act as a wakeup call for Arsenal. The experience of Champions League football is engrained in this club, so too is the mentality of winning trophies; although it would be fair to say that aspect has been a little lost on the club’s hierarchy in recent years. The club need to move on from selling their best players every summer. Sure, Tottenham do the same, but it has played a vital role in closing the gap between both clubs.

For Arsenal, the winning mentality over their local rivals has also been lost, or at least chipped away from what it used to be. The 4-4 draw at the Emirates in 2008 can arguably be seen as the turning point. From then on, Tottenham have beaten Arsenal at the Emirates, have regularly taken all three points at White Hart Lane and even offered a scare when a man light during this past season’s 5-2 result. It draws necessary and valid comparisons with the rivalry between Atletico and Real Madrid. It’s a set a fixtures that used to be fairly routine for the traditionally bigger club. For the Premier League rivals, Arsenal have allowed themselves to fall down from the heights of title challengers to those in the race for the top four. It doesn’t matter that Spurs have won a trophy, been to two finals, finished in the top four (twice, technically), and risen up the standings in the market in order to compete for some of the best names available. Likewise in Spain, it shouldn’t matter that since 2010 Atletico have won more trophies than Real. The difference here is that Real will be mindful of keeping their distance. There may be a one-off title race involving both sides from Madrid, but it won’t last.

Arsenal have come out on top on yet another occasion in which they opted to play with fire. Tottenham won’t sit back this summer because they can’t really afford to. Arsenal, however, have a history on being quite content with what they have – and that is what has brought about a new dimension to this rivalry. It’s about being a football club first. There might be criticisms for the way in which Tottenham conduct their business in the market, but you still look to them as a club who want to progress for football reasons and not those which are deemed secondary.

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Maybe you can put together a valid argument that Arsenal had to endure these past few seasons because of the move to the Emirates. The important factor here, and the reason why Arsenal celebrated in such a manner is that many view this as the end of a difficult cycle.

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Everton forward Kevin Mirallas has played down hopes of the club challenging for a Champions league place this season, claiming ‘there is still a long way to go’, reports Sky Sports.

David Moyes’ side continued their fantastic start to the season with a 3-1 victory over Southampton at Goodison Park, which saw them climb to second place in the Premier League table, just three points behind leaders Chelsea.

And summer signing Mirallas has started to make a significant impact on the team’s form, scoring his first goal for the club in the previous weeks 3-0 win at Swansea, before providing two assists against the Saints.

The Belgian international is loving life on Merseyside so far, but is keen to play down the expectation his new side could be in the same position come May.

“Before I signed, I was looking at the Europa League being a more realistic ambition,” he told the Liverpool Daily Post.

“But certainly now as the season has got underway, we have got a good crop of players here and are playing some really nice football.

“It’s fantastic that we are second and our ambition now has to be to stay up there and put pressure on those around us. It’s a long season though and there’s a long way to go, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Mirallas has also admitted to being surprised at how quickly he has settled at Goodison Park.

“It’s going a lot better than I could have hoped for. The settling in period has been a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be.

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“That’s because of various reasons. My team-mates are really cool with me, they have been great with me. They talk to me a lot and support me a lot. The other big factor is that I’ve spent a lot more time on the field and played in more games than I thought I might have done at first.

“I’m still not quite there physically. I still need a good run of games to be 100 per cent fit. I had a chat with the manager when I first came here and he was fully aware that I hadn’t a full pre-season because I’d had a problem with my knee. I’m trying to catch up on that by playing games,” he added.

Exploring new tactical concepts is becoming something of the norm amongst modern football managers. The days of teams being set out in the same old humdrum formations are long gone, the agenda now revolving on opponents having to second guess their own plan of action in order to gain the upper hand on field. Evolution has all but consigned the popular 4-4-2 to the history books in favour of the contemporary 4-3-3 ushered in during the early part of the millennium.

In the last two or three years the methodology surrounding tactics has altered significantly with managers now beginning to take a more in-depth, analytical approach. Manchester City, in particular, have benefitted from Roberto Mancini’s willingness to experiment with new strategies, the Italian introducing a functional model that has transformed the clubs fortunes during his two-year spell at the Etihad Stadium.

Of course many will contend the level of success during Mancini’s short reign is derived from the deep pockets of the clubs owners and, while that has indisputably played a part, overhauling a tactical framework that was in disarray during predecessor Mark Hughes’ reign proved just as crucial. The system he implemented was a relatively straight forward but vastly effective 4-2-3-1 that works on a double pivot of two disciplined holding midfielders, giving the players in advanced positions the freedom to attack in swarms and out number the opposition all the while retaining a sense of defensive stability.

So prevalent has this setup become that even England, famed for their persistence with the bog standard 4-4-2, started to adopt it prior to and during Euro 2012. The beauty of the system is that it allowed City to quickly transform into two banks of four when possession was surrendered thus preventing teams from hitting them on a counter attack. The ability to fluidly adapt their shape to changing circumstances throughout a game ultimately proved to be a fundamental component of their Premier League title success. 93 goals scored and only 29 conceded in 38 games. That tells its own story.

With that in mind Mancini’s decision to all but trash 4-4-2 as his secondary formation and utilise an unfamiliar 3-5-2, voguish in his native Italy, seems rather ill-considered. Dragging the players from the comfort zone of their current modus operandi has the potential to disrupt the flow of City’s play as has been the case on a number of occasions this season, namely the games against Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Both highlighted the flaws that come with using the 3-5-2 as City were left horribly exposed both out wide and at the back. The latter, in particular, saw Mancini’s plan to utilise the wing back system backfire spectacularly. Gael Clichy and Maicon, two players comfortable working as a defensive unit, proved incapable of managing an unfamiliar advanced role, offering up too much space to Madrid’s attacking wingers subsequently stretching the three man defence, pulling them out of position and causing a fatal imbalance in the defensive structure. Two of the goals conceded came down the right and were consequence of poor positioning.

Similarly against Liverpool the congestion in midfield stifled City’s creative players, while the central striker remained isolated in the final third allowing the opposition to easily steal possession and launch a counter attack when the ball is played forward or crossed into the penalty area. Still, despite the adverse results of his early season experiment, Mancini harbours aspirations of making the 3-5-2 work. It doesn’t bear thinking about the ramifications should he press the formation into service against Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United.

Converting mid-game has the potential to cause a high level of confusion across the field as the players attempt to make the transition between formations and put City on the back foot, especially if Mancini wants to use it to see out a game. Against an attacking 4-2-3-1, as we’ve seen against Liverpool and Madrid when they conceded in the latter stages, they will struggle to negate the threat of an advanced wide midfield if they don’t have a wingback capable of fulfilling both his defensive and attacking duties, further enhancing the chances of the opposition snatching a late goal and changing the complexion of a game in their favour.

City have already dropped four points from winning positions this season, drew three of their five games and failed to keep a clean sheet giving a clear indication that Mancini’s continuous use of the 3-5-2 to snuff out the opposition threat clearly isn’t having the desired effect. That is in large part down to his team selection and the personnel available to him, primarily in defence.

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As mentioned before Maicon does not have the stamina, mobility or positional awareness to carry out the dual role of a wing-back, while Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov aren’t fully acquainted with the fundamentals of the position. Centrally Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott is a more than capable partnership on its own accord but throwing a third body in, for instance Matija Nastasic or Pablo Zabaleta, destabilises the status quo and causes a breakdown in communication.

Furthermore, when the three central defenders are yanked out wide to cover both the holding midfielders are forced to drop back and fill in, consequently leaving bigger gaps in the middle of the park for the opposition to exploit. It also proves why Mancini tried to fervently to sign Daniele De Rossi from Roma in the summer given his expertise in the role.

All that being said, managers should be commended for endeavouring to introduce new tactics and ideas as the game continues its evolution but picking their moments when do to do is crucial. At the current time Mancini’s obsession with teams second guessing his intentions is causing him to deploy his new pet formation at the wrong times and it has cost City in the opening weeks of the campaign. Their ultimate goal for the new term is to successfully defend their Premier League crown and keep rivals United under their jurisdiction. To do that he needs to abide by the formula that brought the clubs first top-flight crown since 1968 and pick the right moments to integrate his new system. Otherwise, aspirations of a second title winning season in succession will have to be put on ice.

Manchester United are set to reap the rewards of mammoth sponsorship deals when they collectively combine for the 2014/15 season. And with Tottenham also having dipped into the idea of two separate sponsorship deals, it would benefit Premier League clubs to explore this avenue of increased revenue.

We shouldn’t be too surprised that United are the first team to really use their status to exploit this market. Their partnership with DHL sees the club bring in £10million-a-year over a four-year period for their training kit alone, while their most recent big move will see them pair up with American car giant Chevrolet in 2014. But United aren’t the party that’s necessarily asking around all the major companies for partnerships: the global brands are falling over themselves to sponsor the club.

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Manchester United have consistently been at the top of Forbes’ most valuable sports clubs, while their current value is in the £2billion mark. United are a footballing product that sweeps well beyond the boundaries of just English football. They’ve seen evidence of their popularity in places such as South Africa and East Asia while on summer tours, and the club are rightly taking advantage of a colossal stream of income that is readily available.

But the biggest clubs in the Premier League have a significant advantage over those from La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. While those leagues on the continent have their merits, none can claim to be the powerhouse of a sports product that the Premier League is. There’s no value in companies pairing themselves with clubs like Valencia or Sevilla when their successes seem insignificant in comparison to Barcelona or Real Madrid. But the Premier League’s biggest clubs can boast notable and high-profile success. Following Chelsea’s Champions League and FA Cup double last season, shouldn’t they look to explore opportunities for greater income?

The dual sponsorship also plays a hand in clubs who don’t have the capability to move into a new stadium in the immediate future, for whatever reason. When Financial Fair Play eventually does kick in, maximising natural streams of income should of course be one of the priorities for clubs. Arsenal and Manchester United may be safe in their modern, moneymaking stadiums, but even the North London club’s revenue streams pale in comparison to that of United.

Obviously, there are notable issues that need to be circumvented with certain clubs. For example, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was dropped from Nike for his involvement in a dog fighting circuit. He spent time in prison and was naturally a player that Nike wanted to alienate themselves from. With the non-football related stories that continue to arise in English football, many clubs are doing themselves no favours when there is an opportunity for further natural growth.

Tottenham’s idea to split sponsors from Premier League matches to cup matches is an idea that many others should bring in, especially those without the backing of big stadiums. But why are there only a small group of clubs who are taking advantage of this?

In Tottenham’s case, there’s always the fear from the sponsors point of view that the club may not advance very far in cup competitions. But Manchester United’s deal with DHL has caught plenty of attention and is looking to be a success for the club.

Liverpool’s partnership with Warrior highlights the vast amount of possibilities Premier League clubs have, even regardless of where they’re placed in the league table. It was a move that saw them join United in one of the league’s most lucrative kit sponsorship deals, yet the Manchester club are the ones who continue to impress right across the board. Due to their American owners, United are rightly looking to set up camp on the American east coast in order to further maximise their potential from a country where football’s profile continues to grow. The commercial team in place at United is noticeably taking full advantage of the club’s global appeal.

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The next move for Manchester United is their negotiations with Nike in February, as the club look to approach a deal worth £1billion from the kit manufacturer, a sizable increase from their current £303million deal.

They have the brand power to command such deals, but surely there are many more in the Premier League who can take similar advantage—albeit on a smaller scale—of their position in European football.

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All four of the Spanish entrants of this season’s Champions League have made it through to the knockout round. All three of the German participants have advanced (as well as all of the Bundesliga’s representatives in the Europa League). Yet England are only two from four.

The Premier League title race is said to be over following Manchester United’s 2-0 over Everton on the weekend. A 12-point gap and as good as done. In February. Whichever way you want to paint it, that’s devastating for the top flight of English football. It’s exactly the same state La Liga are in at the moment, with Atletico 12-points off Barcelona, who were once again impressive in their 6-1 win over Getafe on Sunday.

The problem here is that Manchester United are coasting, rather than destroying. They’ll win the league title this year, provided something miraculous doesn’t happen, but not necessarily because they’re the conquerors of a league in its prime. The quality of Premier League football has taken a massive nosedive in recent seasons. Ahead of their Champions League group tie against Real Madrid, Manchester United haven’t been able to face a team of the quality of the Spanish champions.

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And let’s not get too bogged down with how poor Real Madrid have been this season. They were pathetic in their 1-0 loss away to Granada last week, a loss which came via a Cristiano Ronaldo own goal and where Madrid only registered their first shot on target just after the hour-mark. In contrast, Ronaldo was at his very best this past Saturday night, scoring three goals, the first of which was sensational, inside 60 minutes as Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1.

Xabi Alonso was out of the line-up, so was Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil. Kaka came in and did a very professional job amid talk that he would likely be one of the first names out the door in the summer. And yet you feel that games such as that and the wins over Valencia and Getafe in recent weeks have been showcases of the tension inside the Bernabeu rising towards this two-legged tie against Manchester United.

Real Madrid have already outplayed Barcelona this year. They’ve had to battle against opposition like Borussia Dortmund, who beat Madrid in Germany earlier in the season, and managed to emerge from a Champions League group which could have been much trickier than it actually was.

Manchester United, you feel, haven’t been hardened in the same way Madrid have this season. This is very much a title-winning squad at Old Trafford this season, but they haven’t had to do much. They advanced out of their Champions League group without much hassle, despite being troubled on occasion by teams like Galatasaray and Braga. The Premier League, however, hasn’t been a test for them. United haven’t had to deal with at least two teams who are equal or better in quality than they are. Sure, teams like Newcastle and Norwich have given them games this season, but you feel United only really looked weak in the opening weekend against Everton, who have now dropped off since the start of the campaign.

It’s not that Manchester United may not be good enough to overcome Real Madrid, it’s that you wonder how prepared they are mentally. Not only that, Madrid have nothing else to play for this year, other than the Copa del Rey. All the focus is on this competition for the La Liga champions. The Bernabeu will become a fortress, the best players in the squad have played to their optimum since the turn of the year, Mourinho wants to go out on a high, and after 10 years of failure in Europe, Madrid are hungry for the holy grail of their tenth European cup.

It gives a greater insight as to the state of the Premier League now than what it was four or five years ago. And that’s not to say English football is in a bad way, but it’s that the Premier League is not as strong as it once was. Yes, clubs like Bayern, Barcelona and obviously Real Madrid under Mourinho have either risen up or dominated UEFA’s elite competition, but it’s the sense that English clubs have dropped off, rather than remained at the zenith and welcomed those from the continent who have been able to raise their game that little bit further.

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Alex Ferguson wanted to get the job done this past weekend against Everton when the opportunity was there. United won and have now probably sealed the title, however it didn’t seem like a game where silverware was on the line. Of course, there are many more games left and the cushion of an almighty points gap at the top. But if United remain in cruise control going into the glamour tie of this round of Champions League games, their perceived strength will be washed away without mercy. Nothing yet this season has prepared them for Real Madrid at their very best.

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It was announced yesterday afternoon that Hearts have been issued with a winding-up order over an unpaid tax bill of £450,000, but in total The Jambos have generated a debt of over £2 million.

The Scottish club have a week to pay or face being closed down and will be the second team in the SPL in a matter of months to file for bankruptcy following the financial demise of Glasgow Rangers, who were officially liquidated in June.

The board have released a statement urging fans to contribute what they can in order to ensure the club’s survival. One of the initiatives suggested is for investment from supporters into a recently launched share-issue or to buy tickets in advance for future games such as the clash with champions Celtic at Tynecastle on November 27th.

The club’s official website reads: “Without your help now, we could be entering the final days of the club’s existence. There are limited options for the Board of Directors to take to avoid the catastrophic consequences that a funding shortfall would mean for the club.

“The power is still in the hands of every Hearts supporter and for that reason we want to be as honest and transparent with you in the hope that you, too, believe that this club is worth saving.

“Now please make every effort you can to take any or all of the four steps outlined above and help this great sporting institution survive.”

The club will also be hit with a 17 point deduction should they be forced to file for bankruptcy, which would further damage Hearts’ chances of survival.

A journalist for Scottish Newspaper the Daily Record, told talkSPORT this afternoon: “We are in a very, very serious situation with Hearts.

“Hearts have a week to pay the best part of £500,000.

“They don’t have the money to pay, and unless the fans come up with the money the club will close down.

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“They have no money to pay for it, it must come from supporters

“It is catastrophic for Scottish football” he added.

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