What Type of Player is Steven Gerrard?

When a player is 31 years old and has made over 600 appearances for club and country it seems slightly strange to write an article discussing what sort of player he is. The fact that this article relates to Steven Gerrard, one of the most iconic and influential players of the Premier League era is even more unusual. However there is certainly an argument to be made that despite being "central" to Liverpool for over a decade now, Gerrard has never entirely made one position his own. Over the course of his career for club and country he has been used as a central midfielder in a two man midfield, a number 10, a right sided midfielder and as the advanced player in a three man midfield. Not to mention his stint at right back in that memorable night in Istanbul.

So where is Gerrard's best position? Most people would instantly reply "central midfield, right in the thick of it" and yet despite this being the popular view for many, it is a position that Gerrard has played with only fleeting regularity in the past few seasons. It was Rafael Benitez who first began to truly experiment and utilise Gerrard's versatility and for a time it seemed that he had found his nice, playing of Fernando Torres. Yet once Torres' decline in form and fitness began it showed that the partnership which nearly took Liverpool to an improbable title was reliant on one another's unique skill set and without one the other did not look entirely comfortable.

 Its too easy to say that Torres made Gerrard look good or vice versa, but the brilliance of Torres' movement off the ball was tailor made for Gerrard to find him. Equally Torres' ability to occupy both centre halves all on his own was perfect for Gerrard to run in behind the Spaniard. Whilst Gerrard still plays this role from time to time under Dalglish, it seems more a defensive tactic than an attacking one, in that it provides the option of congesting the midfield if needed.

Maybe the best place to start looking for answers is through a process of deduction. With many of his best attributes suited to playing central midfield in a 4-4-2 which Liverpool use, albeit with slight variations, from time to time. However whichever reasons one chooses to put forward, the fact remains that since Rafael Benitez took over at Liverpool, Gerrard has rarely been played in a two man midfield for club or country. One of the theories often posited is that Gerrard is positionally poor and tactically undisciplined. Jonathan Wilson has argued as such citing the argument that some of Gerrard's most memorable and influential performances have come when "the situation was so desperate that he could be released from responsibility and told simply to swash buckles and storm barns all over the pitch" and uses examples such as Olympiakos, Milan and West Ham to illustrate this point. His point that follows on from the one above, is that in terms of control and organisation the 0-0 draw away to Juventus in 2005 was by far and away Liverpool's best performance in their run to the final and that the midfield that night consisted of Xabi Alonso, Igor Biscan and Antonio Nunez. Coincidence? Maybe, no one knows for sure.

This point could be expanded to other teams and players, for example in the year that Arsenal, ravaged by injuries, reached the Champions League final, whilst setting a tournament record for the longest time without conceding, would often line up with a midfield three of Gilberto Silva, Alex Hleb and Cesc Fabregas. The fact that this team went such a long time without conceding against teams like Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal indicates a defensive strength and high level of concentration that Arsenal have consistently been accused of lacking under Arsene Wenger. One potential argument, using Wilson's theory on Gerrard, is that at this time Fabregas was not yet the dominant star of the team and as such was far more rigid in his positional play. Whilst as his career progressed Wenger was keen to have Fabregas and later on Samir Nasri operate in fairly fluid roles, free to go as they wished, and Arsenal have never looked quite as secure since.


Another comparison that can be drawn between Liverpool and Arsenal is how a dominant player has the potential to intimidate those around him. Many Arsenal players spoke in the wake of Henry's departure that they felt a weight had been lifted and they no longer felt compelled to constantly look for the great man. Similar phenomenons have occurred with Samuel Eto'o in the Cameroon national team and pretty much any side containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Certain statistics could be used to intimate that such an effect is felt by those who play alongside Gerrard. All six of Charlie Adam's assists and both his goals came when Gerrard had not started. Jordan Henderson's tackle success rate drops from 92.59% to only 63.64%, probably a result of being shifted out wide when Gerrard comes into the team. This idea is not a criticism of Gerrard far from it, more that he may well be inhibiting some of Liverpool's younger prospects.

Gerrard's second most prolific season in terms of goals remains the 2005/2006 season (although the figure is slightly artificial in that Liverpool played teams such as TNS and FBK Kaunas) where he played the majority of the season playing from the right hand side, as Benitez preferred the pairing of Alonso and Mohamad Sissoko. Although nominally positioned on the right, Gerrard did have a certain freedom to roam infield to try and influence play which again corroborates Wilson's idea that he is at his best when not overly burdened with tactical and positional responsibility. Bearing this in mind, his best goal scoring season was the 08/09 campaign where, as discussed earlier, he spent much of the season playing as a "false 10" behind Fernando Torres and again had the security of two far more disciplined and tactical aware players in Javier Mascherano and Alonso.

What conclusions can we draw about the Liverpool captain then? In terms of goal scoring his two most prolific seasons have come when he has been let of the leash and been free to go and influence the game. An important issue is how Gerrard will adapt as age continues to take its toll, whether he will be able to adapt the way that Paul Scholes has. Although he certainly has the passing range to play farther away from goal as a deep lying midfielder, the acquisition of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson plus the return of Lucas would seem to indicate that Dalglish does not envisage him playing such a role.

I'm sure that some will read this article as a criticism of Steven Gerrard which is not its intention whatsoever. Whilst I agree with Jonathan Wilson, and many others, when he writes that Gerrard's "tactical indiscipline is well known", I also believe that Gerrard is one of the most influential players in Premier League history. The main emphasis is more that throughout his career Gerrard has played multiple positions yet arguably his two most productive seasons in terms of goal scoring and Liverpool's overall success in the campaign, came when he played within a fairly loose positional framework. Therefore, those who have consistently argued that for England Gerrard has been denied playing central midfield by players such as Frank Lampard, should perhaps bear in mind that Gerrard's "best" position, is not and may never have been central midfield.


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A Few Thoughts

Chelsea could learn from Liverpool

With Roberto Di Matteo guiding the blues to a Champions League final that a few months ago did not seem possible, calls for the Italian to become manager on a permanent basis have naturally been heard far and wide. However whilst the prospect of leading Chelsea to an FA cup/Champions League double and then being shown the door seems incomprehensibly harsh, in Liverpool their opponents next month at wembley, Chelsea can see both the benefits and potential risks of appointing Di Matteo.

Like Di Matteo, Kenny Dalglish took over midway through a season with Liverpool in turmoil and engineered an impressive recovery, managing to lead the club to a respectable sixth placed finish. However it would be fair to say that he has not found his subsequent time at Anfield quite such smooth sailing and many of the issues that Dalglish has encountered are similar to the ones that the new Chelsea boss, whoever it may be, will face.

It seems likely that there will be more established players leaving Stamford Bridge this summer to join Nicolas Anelka and Alex who departed in January. Didier Drogba seems certain to leave given his desire for greater financial gain and others may follow. Given this, new players will need to be brought in and quickly integrated if they aim to challenge the two Manchester clubs for the Premier League next season. Whether Di Matteo is  truly the man to bring this about is still up for debate and were he appointed he will face the same challenge which did for AVB in that the "old guard" of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard still need to be eased out of their current mindset that they are still the "untouchables" they once were.

Massive question marks remain over Dalglish in regards to both the signings he has made and Liverpool's poor league performance and some question whether the Fenway Sports Group truly wanted to appoint Dalglish and were in some sense were railroaded into appointing the kop icon by the fans who idolised him. Roman Abramovich is unlikely to be swayed as easily as Henry and Werner may have been, but were Di Matteo to win one of, let alone both of the finals they are in, it would take an exceptionally brave man to turn Di Matteo away. But a word of caution, there is a world of difference in taking over a team in crisis and fans increasingly disillusioned with the previous coach (AVB/Benitez) to being responsible for the rebuilding and progression of a club in the medium to long term as many on Merseyside would tell you.

Manchester City's Transfer Plans

Although he arrived with minimal fanfare and was described by Dave 'Arry' Bassett as a "Dennis Wise type player" in one of the most idiotic comments ever heard on Sky Sports, David Pizarro remains a tremendously gifted individual and with more playing time he could well have aided the club in the title race, specifically breaking down teams away from home as he is unique in that he provides real creativity and penetration from deep which is something they have lacked all season. It seems probable that Pizarro will leave Eastlands this summer and so the question is whether Roberto Mancini will target a replacement 'regista' in the summer transfer market.

There are no obvious names that stand out, Danielle De Rossi has long been looked at and even a list such as this one contains no deep lying playmaker. The argument against players like Pizarro and formerly Juan Roman Riquelme is that they require the team to be based around them and this is never likely to be the case at a club where David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure reside. However as Michael Cox illustrates City have almost every "type" of player at their club with one notable omission and whether the club looks to rectify this will be one of the more interesting aspect of the increasingly tiresome transfer market.

Long Term Doesn't Work for Everyone

The standard thinking in football is that for a manager and club to enjoy success, time is an absolute necessity, a long term plan is essential and any manager can only achieve tangible results at the highest level over a prolonged period. Yet there are certain clubs where this formula simply doesn't seem to apply.

The example I have in mind is Bayern Munich, who in their first season under Jupp Heynckes have reached both the Champions League and German cup final, although they faded in the face of  Borussia Dortmund's unstoppable march to the league. If you look back through the history of the club since 1963 the average length of time a coach of the club is in charge for is just over 2 years. Yet this is by far and away the most successful club in Germany. Obviously in every situation there are going to be vastly differing circumstances and one can point to the huge financial power of the club and the fact that they are always going to attract the best players so the influence of a manger is lessened slightly but my general thinking was that if this can work at Bayern why could it not work in a similar way at Chelsea lets say?

Despite both teams operating a fairly fast moving managerial cycle there are huge structural differences at both clubs. Whilst the football side of Bayern is effectively run by Uli Hoenes and Karl-Heinze Rumminigge, two legends of the club, so much so that Raphael Honigstein has intimated that they more or less take it in turns to appoint managers, the situation at Chelsea is strikingly different. Whereas Hoenes and Rumminigge genuinely have the best interests of the club at heart despite the petty squabbling they often indulge in, whilst at Chelsea directors such as Michael Emenalo, Bruce Buck and Eugene Tenenbaum are quintessentially powerless to Abramovich's whims and caprices.

Bayern's scouting network, commercial activity and playing philosophy have all been honed over years of continuous leadership whilst Chelsea's seems to chop and change on a regular basis.

The overall point is that all those who argue that Chelsea must appoint a manager and stick with him for a considerable period of time, whilst not exactly wrong, are perhaps slightly misguided. Whilst Chelsea and Abramovich should not be so quick to dispose of coaches as they have been in the past, just as critical is creating a better structure at the top of the club. Whether this is possible with Abramovich at the club is another matter entirely.


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A Review of "Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World" by Graham Hunter

One of the most talked about sports books of the year, Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World chronicles how FC Barcelona have emerged as one of the greatest club sides in the history of the game and potentially the best ever. Written by Graham Hunter a widely respected journalist and pundit, who Sky Sports viewers will be familiar with, Barca looks at how Josep Guardiola, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and a host of other hugely gifted individuals have all come together to lead Barcelona into the most successful period of the clubs illustrious history.

Hunter's book is truly deserving of the praise it has received around the footballing community, the book's major focus is on the two key protagonists in Barcelona's rise to dominance; Pep Guardiola and Leo Messi. Hunter looks in detail at how Barcelona first became aware of a minute but talented Argentine making his name in Rosario, Argentina. Hunter chronicles every step that Messi has taken which has led him to the very pinnacle of the world game. From his arrival in Barcelona into an all conquering youth team containing Gerard Pique and Francesc Fabregas both of whom thought the diminutive Argentine was a mute, so shy was Messi when he first arrived, right up to his match winning strike in the Champions League final last May.

The real charm of the book is in some of the unique anecdotes that Hunter has unearthed through countless discussion on and off the record with people connected to the club, such as the fact that the first contractual agreement between Leo Messi and FC Barcelona was drawn up on a napkin that happened to be lying around, and had that contract not been scribbled down, we could well be talking about Messi as a Real Madrid galactico. Another quirky tale is how close both Messi and an emerging talent named Andres Iniesta came to spending a season on loan at Rangers under Alex McLeish.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the "Messi story" is how the club identified the dangerous path that was being laid out in front of the young star by Ronaldinho and Deco, who after leading the club to a Champions League and successive Liga titles, were rapidly spiraling out of control and risked taking an infatuated Messi with them. Ronaldinho had fallen rapidly from grace and the endless partying that was the catalyst for his decline was causing him to lack focus and intensity on the pitch as well as gaining weight at an alarming rate. The club were concerned that Messi, who adored both Ronaldinho and Deco, would follow his idols down the same path and that a once in a generation talent would be lost. Once this conclusion was reached the judgement was swift and ruthless. Ronaldinho and Deco, two men who had been at the heart of the clubs accomplishments were ejected from Catalonia without hesitation, Messi was given Ronaldinho's iconic number 10 shirt and the club never looked back.

This was not the only issue with Messi though, a series of serious injuries, specifically muscle tears continued to curtail his progress and every time the Argentine began to build up a head of steam for the climax of the season another injury would strike him down.

Again the action of the directors; Txiki Begiristain, director of football and two vice presidents Marc Ingla and Ferran Soriano was decisive. Messi's traditionally Argentine diet of red meat and carbohydrates was out and instead fish and vegetables were the in. A physio, Juanjo Brau who remains with Messi to this day, was appointed with the task of accompanying Messi everywhere he went whether it was for Barcelona or Argentina and the emphasis changed from injury recovery to injury prevention. The fitness record of the Argentine since then is remarkable; Messi has played over 50 games for Barcelona in every season since Guardiola took charge and the idea of resting or even substituting the Argentine goes down so badly with him that for the most part Guardiola simply doesn't bother.

Leading on from the prior discussion over the fall of Ronaldinho and Deco, an interesting aspect of Hunter's work is that he recounts how Samuel Eto'o who was regarded as expendable, along with Ronaldinho and Deco, fought to prove Guardiola wrong and proved himself worthy of a place in the team, scoring 36 goals in the season including the opening goal in the 2009 Champions League final. Despite this though, Guardiola, who had told Eto'o that one strike would be his cue to leave the club, saw a lack of intensity in his stretching before a match and that from then on, Pep had decided the Cameroonian had to go.

If the story of Messi is one critical element of Hunter's reasoning for Barcelona's success, then the other equally important individual is Pep Guardiola. Hunter talks us through how the great Johan Cryuff kick started Guardiola's Barcelona career and how this once great player then came to be the coach of the team he adores. Hunter speaks to a wide range of people including Guardiola himself about what it is that makes him such a special coach and one who has had such unprecedented success so early in his career.

Hunter emphasises the sheer amount of work that Guardiola and his staff put in to prepare for matches, which in itself is a perfect illustration of the point that no matter the talent of a squad and a coach, dedication and professionalism is a constant necessity. Guardiola happily admits that he often stays awake to the small hours of the morning watching footage of Barca and their opponents until he encounters that "eureka moment" when he identifies a chink in the opposition armour which he then has complete faith in his phenomenal team to exploit.

One aspect of Hunter's excellent book that did disappoint slightly, although this is not so much a criticism as it is a greed for more, is the lack of discussion over how Barcelona have gone about their transfer business under Guardiola. An interesting aspect would have been discussing what it was that the club looks for in their marquee signings. Some characteristics such as excellent technique and work rate etc go without saying but it would be fascinating from an outsiders perspective to see the recruitment process that occurs at one of the worlds top club. Did they foresee Dani Alves being able to dominate one side of the pitch on his own in the manner he does? Did they identify Javier Mascherano as a truly viable option as a centre half? Were they truly confident that Seydou Keita, who physically is quite different to the majority of their midfielders, was going to ease so effortlessly into the side.

As well as chronicling the paths taken by Messi and Guardiola, Hunter looks at other components in Barcelona's success. A centre back pairing that in the past three years has led their club to three La Liga titles, two champions leagues and their country to a world cup that came together and how Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, of radically different backgrounds and personalities compliment each other perfectly.

Or how young men such as Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez, who both looked unlikely to ever break through into the first team at the Camp Nou, are now integral parts of the side. In a generation where many aspects of football contribute to a growing sense of weariness and cynicism, Barca focuses on what football fans wish to see, hear and read. A close bond between a team, many of whom have grown up together, and a fun loving and joyful dynamic which is still present despite the immense pressures of the modern game. Similarly personal traits and relationships which were first noticed on the training ground at La Masia that continue to exist.

Next time Iniesta is subject to a poor challenge, don't be surprised to see Victor Valdes, the first person Iniesta met when he moved to Barcelona as a 13 year old boy, rushing to his defence. Equally whenever Leo Messi is hacked down, expect to see Pique and Fabregas, the two guys who looked after Messi when he first moved to Spain, standing up for their long time friend.

Ultimately if your at all interested in the achievements and dynamics of Barcelona under Guardiola and the methods employed to enjoy such a period of success then Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World is surely now the seminal work in such a field. As you can infer from the title the book does not dwell overtly on the faults and flaws of Barcelona and its players and incidents such as last seasons semi final against Madrid, when both teams contrived to produce a pretty unpleasant match that was only partly saved by two brilliant goals from Messi, are quickly dealt with.

All the major figures in Barcelona's recent history are covered, the fall from grace the team suffered under Frank Rijkaard, the 60m Euro purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the rapid deterioration of the Swede's position at the club, its all here and is explored in clear and consistent manner, interspersed with 5 key matches that helped make Barcelona the team they are today.


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Crunch Time

With the Champions League semi-finalists in place, there is the prospect of three outstanding match ups with Real Madrid facing Bayern Munich and Barcelona and Chelsea going head to head once again with the winners set to do battle in Munich on the 19th of May. Here is a preview to this seasons semi finals.


Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
1st leg: Allianz Arena 17.04
2nd leg: Bernabeu 25.04

With 13 European cups between them, this really is a clash of the European titans and there are numerous sub plots to this tie with Arjen Robben and Jupp Heynckes returning to Madrid and Franck Ribery facing the team he came so close to joining. The bookies make Real slight favorites which is justified by both their excellent form this season but also by the fact that the second leg takes place in Madrid. However a quick look at the teams Real have faced so far this season tells you that Bayern are by far and away the toughest team Madrid have faced this season in Europe. Games against Apoel Nicosia, CSKA Moscow have been negotiated with minimum difficulty.

The match promises to be an entertaining affair with both teams basing their games around their talented attacking players and as a result both sides have been free scoring throughout this campaign. Formation wise both sides would be expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape although it would not be a massive surprise if one or both coaches sacrificed a forward to provide an extra man in midfield. An interesting facet of this match up is the number of similarities between both teams. Both often play with two "inverted" wingers, for Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria see Robben and Ribery, both like to pair one "destroyer" with one "passer" in midfield i.e. Xabi Alonso/ Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger/Luis Gustavo and both have one full back who is significantly weaker than the other (Alaba and Arbeloa being far more vulnerable than Philip Lahm and Marcelo).

One aspect that makes this match up such a fascinating prospect is that whilst both teams usually enjoy the lion share of possession in games, both are such strong counter attacking outfits that even if their opponents do dominate possession they will still feel confident about creating scoring opportunities. There are few teams who can match Ronaldo and Co for pace on the counter but in Robben and Ribbery or "Robbery" as many dub them, Real may well have met their match.

Much depends on Bastian Schweinsteiger, only recently returned to the team after a long lay off with an ankle problem, gaining sufficient match time as Bayern are a far poorer side without him. The area of most concern for Bayern is their centre backs, Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng; both are  very comfortable on the ball and positionally sound but they are coming up against the most free scoring team in Europe with Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema having already plundered over 100 goals between them this season. The feeling persists that the young centre halves will not have enough to keep Madrid from scoring in the 1st leg thus making the already difficult task potentially insurmountable.

One area that Bayern will look to target is Arbeloa who has struggled this season and is certainly not at the same level either physically or technically to the rest of his team mates. With Arjen Robben in full flight at the moment you feel that if they can isolate Arbeloa it could be a fruitful route to goal.

Despite what many say, Bayern do not have to win the tie in the first leg, they are more than capable of scoring in Madrid and as has already been stated they have the players to counter a Real side who will be expected to force the issue at home more than they will in Bavaria. Having said all this, throughout this season there has been a sense that Europe was heading inexorably towards a Champions League final El Clasico and it is my belief that Bayern will join Milan, Chelsea and the rest who succumbed to this crushing inevitability.

Key Men

Bayern Munich, Mario Gomez:

When you find yourself sandwiched between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts you know your doing something right and Gomez has been unstoppable this season. Whilst not as exciting or gifted as his fellow top scorers, Gomez is one of the top centre forwards in the world and with Madrid expected to enjoy the majority of possession and chances over the two legs Bayern will need Gomez to convert what few chances come his way and they could have no one better on which to rely.

Real Madrid, Mesut Ozil:

In a team of megastars, Ozil is simply a star, leading the way in La Liga this season with 14 assists, the German is a wonderfully gifted player and can produce a moment of magic at anytime to turn a game. He Rarely finishes games, and if Mourinho does chose to reinforce his midfield could well be the man to miss out but this does not alter the fact that without him Madrid miss his craft and ability to pick holes in opposing defences. It seems to be no coincidence that Madrid's best performance against Barcelona in years came when Ozil had his most impressive game against the Catalan's in the 2-2 draw in the Copa Del Rey.

Probable Line Ups:
Bayern: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba, Schweinsteiger, Luis Gustavo, Robben, Kroos, Ribery, Gomez

Real: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Alonso, Khedira, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema


Chelsea vs Barcelona
1st leg: Stamford Bridge 18.04
2nd leg: Camp Nou 24.04

Two of the most consistent Champions League teams of recent years meet yet again. When these clubs last met in 2009 it could certainly be viewed as a watershed moment for both teams. Barcelona, seconds from going out before Andres Iniesta's stunning goal would go on to lift the Champions League and have barely looked back since, winning trophy after trophy.

On the other hand Chelsea, despite a league and cup double the following season have regressed and our currently going through a transitional phase with a number of players who are not of the same standard as those who played in 2009. Players such as Michael Ballack, Alex and Nicholas Anelka have departed whilst individuals such as Michael Essien, Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba and many others are no longer able to reach the levels of previous years.

Chelsea were able to restrict and contain Barcelona in those semi finals by parking the bus in the first leg at the Camp Nou (and by Barca having a blatant penalty turned down not that anyone remembers it) and then by playing an incredibly fast paced and physically direct game in the return leg. However one wonders whether those two options are still available to them. They are nowhere as defensively solid and well drilled to be confident in "parking the bus" and they do not possess the midfielders and forwards to implement the physical harrying and pressing that Gus Hiddink implemented in the second leg. Whilst Didier Drogba is still able to roll back the clock from time to time and be the physical presence he was, he cannot be relied on in the same way as he used to be.

In contrast Barcelona have continued to improve since they progressed to the final in Rome and under Pep Guardiola you can count on one hand the number of crucial games that they have failed to win. Whilst some of his star players have appeared a little jaded at times this season, particularly away from home, after five years of constant football, they have still been able to lift themselves for their biggest challenges.

From a tactical aspect, it is hard to predict exactly how Barcelona will line up. Guardiola has rotated his team regularly around his core players. It seems likely that Chelsea will want to narrow the game as much as possible by playing the 4-5-1 that Roberto Di Matteo has favored with Ramires shifted out to the wings. In contrast Barcelona have always looked at their most dangerous when provided with true width. Whilst Dani Alves can be relied on to provide an outlet on the right, Barca have looked slightly unbalanced lately so expect to see either Pedro, who has struggled for form and fitness this year, or the exciting La Masia prospects of Isaac Cuenca or Christian Tello.

In regards to how best to deal with Messi, there are traditionally two clear methods to adopt; either one of the centre backs will follow Messi when he drops off the defenders or alternatively allow the Argentine to drop off and expect one of the central midfielders to close him. An interesting aspect is that whichever approach Chelsea adopt it may not be the worst approach to leave John Terry out even if he is fit. Otherwise Terry's lack of pace will be exposed either by following Messi deep or by being isolated whilst David Luiz follows Messi into midfield.

Key Men

Barcelona, Sergio Busquets

In an attempt to be slightly original and avoid highlighting Messi, Xavi etc I have plumped for Sergio Busquets. Despite winning two European cups and a world cup Busquets is still shockinglyunderrated in some quarters, perhapsdue to his sometimes questionable pain threshold, but he is an essential part of the European champions. Able to drop into the back line when gaps appear and distribute the ball with a metronomic precision to his more gifted colleagues, Busquets is the fulcrum of Barca's midfield. Additionally Chelsea will certainly fancy themselves to test Barcelona at set pieces and Busquets height and strength will be vital.

Chelsea, Juan Mata

Coming to the end of his first season, Mata must go down as an unqualified success and Chelsea will need him to be at his best to hurt the Spanish champions. Mata will line up on the wings but will look to drift inside. With Barca far more threatening down the right with Dani Alves it would not be surprising if Di Matteo asked Ramires to play on the left as he did against Napoli in an attempt to neutralise Alves. Mata has played a lot of football this season and with Chelsea facing a hugely challenging fixture list, Mata will need to be rested at some point to allow him the best chance of performing against Barcelona in which Chelsea will be starved of possession for long periods.

Probable Line Ups:

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Mata, Lampard, Meireles, Essien, Ramires, Torres

Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Keita, Iniesta, Sanchez, Messi


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