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from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Time for UEFA to revert to goal difference in Champions League
My head is hurting after all the mathematics that has been needed to work out qualification chances in the Champions League.
It is all because UEFA believes head-to-heads rather than goal difference in all group games should be the first deciding factor.
Many don't see the logic of this. Using goal difference as the first determining factor, like many domestic leagues, encourages attacking play for a start which is surely a laudable aim. Head-to-heads don't especially.
The reason head-to-heads is preferred seems to be because one team could have scored many more goals against the group whipping boys than their rivals and this is deemed an unfair advantage. Why?
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Why Chelsea should keep Andre Villas-Boas
Three Premier League defeats in four games and Champions League last 16 qualification compromised. The last few weeks have been very tough for Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas.
Previous managers Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Avram Grant and Carlo Ancelotti were dismissed seemingly for less by ruthless owner Roman Abramovich.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
United get rude awakening
The plain sailing Manchester United would have expected in the group stage of their Champions League campaign has turned into a rough ride after Tuesday’s 3-3 home draw with Swiss side Basel, who were unlucky not to have come away from Old Trafford with the three points.
Two draws in their last two games, away to Stoke City in the Premier League and the late escape against Basel, will have rooted out any complacency that might have crept into Alex Ferguson’s men after their flying start to the season which included an 8-2 drubbing of Arsenal.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Treble? Manchester United’s season could still collapse
Strong belief in emulating the 1999 treble must surely be gripping Old Trafford after Manchester United’s somewhat fortuitous 1-0 win at Chelsea in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, but Alex Ferguson and his troops will also be aware they are still a long way from crossing the finish line first in any competition.
With Wayne Rooney losing his appeal to have a two-game ban reduced and the ever-present threat of injuries crippling a squad well short of the talent of the 1999 crop, United will once again have to dig deep into their resources as the strength-sapping season reaches its climax.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Arsenal can do it this time says Nasri
Confident talk from Arsenal playmaker Samir Nasri in a piece by Mike Collett today, looking ahead to the second leg of the Gunners Champions League clash with Barcelona in the Nou Camp:
"We approached the game differently this year. Last year we were a little scared of Barcelona because they are fantastic and play amazing football and we were surprised how good they were.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Van Persie to miss Barca clash…Arsenal’s chances gone?
Arsenal hitman Robin van Persie injured himself while scoring against Birmingham City in the League Cup final on Sunday and will now miss his team's last 16 second leg clash against Barcelona on March 8. Not good news for the Gunners.
However, beat Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Wednesday to set up a quarter-final with Manchester United, and keep the pressure up on their great rivals in the Premier League who have just lost to Chelsea, and there are still honours to be won.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Should the cup-tied rule be abolished in the Champions League?
How AC Milan were crying out for the guile of Antonio Cassano or the tough tackling of Mark Van Bommel (who could have replaced Gennaro Gattuso before he lost his head) in Tuesday's 1-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League last 16 first leg.
Both were ineligible having played in the competition for Sampdoria and Bayern Munich earlier in the season.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
A sense of deja-vu for Man City
A sense of deja-vu is sweeping Eastlands after Manchester City's lame surrender against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday re-opened the cracks in the club's glittering facade.
Manager Roberto Mancini has unrivalled spending power in English football but, just like Mark Hughes who he replaced nearly a year ago, is realising that there is one vital ingredient money cannot buy -- team harmony.
Best of Britain: Watch me
Whether they’re eager for an audience like climate change activists near an oil refinery, or just captive observers like football players watching a goal go in, this week’s Best of Britain theme is all about watching or being watched.
Included are photos of rows of televisions showing Chancellor Osborne during a speech on future budget cuts, a model with an unusual hair style during the Alternative Hair Show, as well as the shadows of workers as they cross the road in Whitehall.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Inter 4-3 Spurs. The loopiest game I’ve ever seen
I've seen quite a lot of soccer in my time but never have I attended a match as crazy as Inter Milan v Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Wednesday.
For those who missed it, here's a very quick rundown of the main incidents.
1. Spurs fans were so happy to be playing at the holders in the famous San Siro on their Champions League debut. They made more noise on the Milan metro going to the game than any other set of fans I can recall.
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The Wall
