Spain - the greatest international team of all time?

Spanish dynasty continues with third successive major tournament win

(c) braveheartsports, Flickr

Spain peaked at the perfect time during Euro 2012 to sweep aside Italy with a 4-0 final win in Kiev; a win which left very few doubting who the world's best footballing nation is.  Having become the first team to retain the European Championship – and doing this either side of victory at World Cup 2010– the question is now being asked as to whether this Spanish side is the greatest international team of all time.  Vicente Del Bosque's men certainly deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the Brazilian side of 1970 and the West German side of 1990, as they are currently in a class of their own.  But it is worth stepping back and taking a look at the strengths of this Spanish side as they were crowned European Champions – again.

Injuries ruled David Villa and Carlos Puyol out of the tournament.  Had Villa been fit, it is unlikely that Del Bosque would have adopted a 4-5-1/4-6-0 formation with Cesc Fabregas as the most forward player.  This begs the question as to whether Fabregas, who performed strongly throughout Euro 2012, would have been a regular starter in the side, despite a fine debut season with Barcelona.  The former Arsenal midfielder was influential in this tournament, scoring two goals and setting up several more.  But had Villa been available, his opportunities may have been limited.

Puyol's absence was also intriguing.  The centre back pairing of Puyol and Gerard Pique has become an increasingly successful force both at both club and international level, but injury to the 34-year old forced Del Bosque to make a change.  Sergio Ramos, who plays more predominantly as a full back for Real Madrid, stepped in at centre back and was solid throughout the tournament both in defence and attack – despite playing (arguably) out of position.  Had Puyol been available, Ramos would almost certainly have been utilised as a full back, and Spain's defence may not have been as watertight (La Furia Roja conceded just one goal in six games).

Ten of Spain's starting eleven for the final against Italy were named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.  The teams with the second highest number of representatives were Germany and Italy, with four players respectively.  Andrés Iniesta was named UEFA Player of the Tournament, and Fernando Torres won the Golden Boot, despite only playing the equivalent of slightly more than two games worth of football at Euro 2012 (the Chelsea striker was on the field for just 188 minutes plus added time).  And until the final, Spain rarely seemed to get out of second gear.  Each individual Spanish player could be singled out for high praise for their performance at Euro 2012, but it would take forever, and much of it goes without saying.

Questions will be asked as to how long this Spanish dynasty will continue.  Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol and Xabi Alonso will be huge losses when their international playing days are over (all three are aged 30 or over), but with the likes of Jordi Alba and Javi Martínez coming through the ranks, there is no reason why Spain cannot continue to dominate with Del Bosque at the helm.  Many already consider them to the best international side of all time; however, the sign of true dominance would certainly be to win the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, and thus become the first non-South American side to win a World Cup on South American soil.  Another tournament win would also make it three from three for Del Bosque, and Spain are surely already the favourites to lift the trophy two years from now.  

Euro 2012: Quarter-Final Preview

Heavyweights look set to lead the way into the last four

With the group stages of Euro 2012 now over, two of my three dark horses (Croatia and Russia) have been eliminated. Underdogs Greece escaped from Group A, while the Netherlands fell far short of expectation by failing to register a single point in Group C. With only two teams surprising in making the last eight, it is difficult to see where there will be an upset.  Here's a look at all four quarter-final matches.

Neither Poland nor Ukraine were able the most of home advantage at Euro 2012

© Cyril Attias, Flickr

  

Czech Republic v. Portugal

It is arguable that either of these two teams making the knockout stages is a surprise.  The Czech Republic finished top of arguably the weakest group, but had to overcome a 4-1 thrashing in their first game at the hands of Russia – who were favourites to qualify.  Similarly, Portugal needed to win their final two games in the 'group of death' after defeat to Germany – but Paulo Bento's side still looked as though they could be a contender despite losing their opening match. They proved that with back-to-back wins over Denmark and the Netherlands and Portugal should advance to the semi-finals at the expense of the Czechs.  Cristiano Ronaldo needs to perform to the same level as he did against the Netherlands.

Prediction: Czech Republic 0 Portugal 2

Germany v. Greece

Germany were certainly the favourites in Group C and certainly did not disappoint, even despite a sluggish performance in their 1-0 win over Portugal.  They were the only side in the group stages to win all three games, and look good value to at least make the semi-finals.  Most people wrote Greece off before the tournament began, but a surprise win over Russia in their final group game saw them edge into the knockout stages.  Defeating Germany at this stage would certainly give Fernando Santos the belief that his side could set up a Euro 2004 final rematch against Portugal. But Greece scored the lowest number of goals among qualifying teams (tied with France), while Germany conceded the least (tied with Italy).  Germany's powerful front four of Mario Gomes, Lukas Poldolski, Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil should be too much for Greece to handle.

Prediction: Germany 2 Greece 0

Spain v. France

France finished as runners-up to England in Group D after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to already-eliminated Sweden.  That result could come back to haunt them as they now face world champions Spain who, despite having been inconsistent in their first three games, have the depth in squad to cause teams problems all over the pitch.  They almost came undone against a determined Croatia side, but came up with the decisive goal when they needed it.  They were also the only team to keep two clean sheets in the group stages.  France looked impressive against England and Ukraine in qualifying and they will need to perform to the same level in order to stand any chance in the quarter-finals.  Yohan Cabaye has impressed for Les Blues so far, and the battle will be won and lost in midfield. Definitely an interesting match to keep an eye on.

Prediction: Spain 2 France 1

England v. Italy

This is the most interesting of the four quarter-final match-ups, because neither of these two sides had a comfortable route out of their respective groups.  Using that argument, either of these two sides advancing to the last four would be an upset.  England have already done what Roy Hodgson asked of them (reach the quarter-finals), and he now has a full strength squad with Wayne Rooney's two game ban now over. Rooney, who scored the winning goal against Ukraine, looked a little rusty, and Italy's defensive options are likely to frustrate England. It could take another inspired substitution to break them down.  Manchester City team-mates Joleon Lescott and Mario Balotelli will be an interesting match-up to watch.  I wouldn't expect many goals in this game, and I think it will be decided in extra-time.

Prediction: England 1 Italy 0 (a.e.t)

Euro 2012 - Dark Horses

Three teams to watch at Euro 2012

(c) Anosmia, Flickr

It is difficult to look beyond the usual suspects for Euro 2012 in terms of picking an overall winner.  Germany, Spain and the Netherlands look to be among the favourites, while France and Portugal also have a tendency to thrive in this tournament.  But in recent history, the Euros have provided a dark horse that advances further into the knockout stages than many would have predicted (Russia – 2008, Greece – 2004), and there is no reason to believe that the same cannot occur this year. Here are three teams who could follow in the footsteps of former European underdogs.

Russia

It could be argued that any two of the four teams in Group A could advance to the quarter-final stages, to the point where many have already focused purely on the other three groups in which the heavyweights lie, and those teams effectively getting a bye to the semi-finals.  However, with a FIFA ranking of eleventh and a recent history of performing well against their European counterparts (they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008), Russia have the potential to inflict damage on their group rivals and build up momentum on their way to the knockout stages, where they are likely to face either Germany, or a quarter-final rematch against the Netherlands (who they upset with a 3-1 victory four years ago).  Dick Advocaat's side also won their qualifying group and are undefeated this year in friendlies (including a 3-0 away win over Italy).

Croatia

Group B has been labelled 'the group of death' in this tournament, as one of either Germany, Portugal or the Netherlands not advance to the quarter-finals.  But ousting either Italy or reigning world champions Spain is no easy task either.  That being said, Croatia are a talented side who are ranked seventh in the FIFA world rankings, and with this being Slavan Bilic's last tournament before taking the helm at Lokomotiv Moscow, they could cause a disturbance in Group C against Italy, who have struggled in recent friendlies, and a Spanish national side without their all-time leading goalscorer David Villa.  Croatia were seconds away from the semi-finals in Euro 2008, and would have set up a rematch with Germany (who they defeated in the group stages that year) were it not for an extra-time injury time equaliser from Turkey's Semih Sentűrk.  Nikica Jelavic is also coming off a fantastic half-season for Everton, and it will be a challenge for opposing defenders to contain him.

England

It is important to remember that England are not considered to be a favourite to win Euro 2012, and injuries and suspensions to key players have thwarted their chances to impose themselves as a genuine threat amongst the stronger teams in this tournament.  But two clean sheets later in friendlies against Norway and Belgium, England look as though they might be a difficult side to break down defensively.  A lack of national expectation could world in England's favour, and Roy Hodgson also has the opportunity to grant youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Carroll more playing time which could prove to be fruitful in the long run (Germany coach Joachim Löw favoured youth over experience at the 2010 World Cup – a decision which led his side to the semi-final stages). It is difficult to see where England's goals will come from (Ashley Young will be heavily relied upon to create scoring opportunities), and they will also need to top Group D in order to avoid Spain in the quarter-finals. 

Third and Long

Can Nigel Pearson guide Leicester City to the Premier League?

© Ben Sutherland, Flickr

Nigel Pearson will hope to bounce back in August after a disappointing Championship campaign

Leicester's City's third consecutive season in the Championship ended on a high note last weekend with a 2-1 victory away at Leeds, as it did last season with a resounding home win over Ipswich.  However, even the most ardent fan will say that the club fell well short of what was expected, and, more importantly, what it was capable of achieving, both this year and last.  Leicester finished ninth in the league during another season in which players, fans, and the media considered them to be Premier League-bound, along with West Ham United (whose points total would have been enough to secure automatic promotion during four of the last five Championship campaigns).  The homecoming of Nigel Pearson was a bold move by the owners, and one that gave supporters reason to believe that their season could be saved.  But inconsistency plagued the Foxes all season, resulting in back-to-back league wins only twice, which inevitably left them falling well-short of the play-offs. 

A number of sobering home performances defined Leicester's season: home defeats to Barnsley and Bristol City (who eventually finished in the bottom six of the Championship), a 3-0 home loss to Millwall, and arguably the worst of all, an uninspiring and unenthusiastic goalless draw with Burnley, when the Foxes were mathematically still in contention of reaching the play-offs.  But the long and short of it is that many players did not regularly perform to the level which they were capable of this season, and that, as a club, Leicester were not good enough, and when they were, they were not consistent enough.

 

So, how does Nigel Pearson establish Leicester as a genuine promotion contender as he did two seasons ago?  The owners showed faith in Pearson by hiring him, despite still being contracted to Hull City at the time (who eventually finished two points above Leicester this season).  Another managerial change would indicate that his hiring (and firing) was a knee-jerk reaction.  It is important that the club maintains a strong core - one that goes further than just the players.  Pearson must be given the summer, with the backing of the club, to do what he can to give Leicester the best possible chance of becoming a real threat in the Championship.  This does not necessarily mean spending vast amounts of money – although there are likely to be comings and goings at the King Power Stadium before August.  But there are already some incredibly talented players at the club, and a very promising set of youngsters (Ben Marshall, Jeff Schlupp, Liam Moore and Tom Hopper, to name a few) - all worthy of playing in blue and white next season.  Ultimately, every supporter will have their own view, but very rarely has a club been able to buy their way into the Premier League. 

© Ben Sutherland, Flickr

Will players like Jermaine Beckford and Matt Mills feature in Nigel Pearson's starting XI next season?

It is unlikely that Nigel Pearson will make drastic changes ahead of the new season in terms of showing some players the door, but he will not be afraid to do so if that is what he believes will benefit the club.  Reading are a fine example: Brian McDermott sold two of Reading's best players last summer (Shane Long and Matt Mills) before eventually going on to win the Championship and establishing them as the best team in the division.  The Foxes were outplayed and outclassed by the Royals on both meetings last year, despite Leicester having, on paper, the stronger side.  A good manager and a stable, consistent team are the foundations on which to build a promotion challenge to the Premier League. 

So can Nigel Pearson restore that sense of cohesion and unity which seems to have become lost in the last couple of seasons?  Judging on his record of taking Leicester to the brink of the Premier League in 2010 with roughly the same League One side he inherited (and subsequently built upon), he certainly has the ability to.  Whether Foxes fans are having this discussion a year from now will indicate his success.

#ibelieve?

Consistency the key for Championship success

A lack of consistency has been Leicester's downfall this season

Another defeat to a lower league side emphasises Leicester City's biggest problem this season: winning against struggling sides.  The Foxes have been beaten by five of the bottom eight teams in the Championship (including losing both home and away against Barnsley, Bristol City and Millwall), a record which is completely baffling, considering that Leicester have beaten five of the eight teams above them (including home and away wins against automatic promotion contenders Southampton).   Had Leicester drawn those five games lost against lower league opposition (or simply won two of those five), they would still be firmly in contention to make the play-offs.

The old cliché rings true here – the table does not lie.  When at their best, Leicester have played some truly wonderful football this season.  But they have also been outclassed by other teams in the Championship.  Regular changes to the team have failed to yield a consistently strong line-up.  There are areas of concern in several places, and even if Nigel Pearson somehow pulls off a miracle in the last three games of the season, he will surely spend most of the summer rebuilding in order to create the consistency similar to that he during his first spell in charge.

Clubs cannot buy success at Championship level.  One only needs to look at the teams in promotion contention this season.  Reading sold two of their key players in the summer (Matt Mills and Shane Long) and the Royals are now top of the league, looking the favourites to be crowned champions in three weeks' time.  Nigel Atkins has stuck with roughly the same Southampton team crowned champions of League One, and look likely to secure back-to-back promotions (as Norwich City did last year).  Birmingham, Blackpool and West Ham were all relegated from the Premier League last season, and so, if anything, have had to consolidate having lost key players, but still maintained a strong core to rebuild from.  Leicester City, on the other hand, spent millions this summer, and their team, looks completely different from last season and look destined to finish outside the play-off places as they did in 2011.  It is difficult for the team to be consistent on the pitch when the club is not consistent off the pitch.

Whatever happens during the final three games this season, Nigel Pearson is still a fan favourite.  He enjoyed two very successful seasons with Leicester, and the club not parted ways with the manager, they would more than likely be in a better position than they are now.  But it is very important that the owners give Pearson another season to bring the belief back to the King Power Stadium.  This team is capable of reaching the Premier League, but it must become stable before it achieves real success.

(La la la la la la) Ben Marshall

Why Leicester City's newest prospect is something for Foxes fans to get excited about

Ben Marshall has already become an integral part of this Leicester City side

© Ben Sutherland, Flickr

Five games remaining.  Five points outside the Championship play-off places.  Following what can only be described as an inconsistent season, Leicester City somehow still find themselves with the slimmest chance of making the play-offs for the second time in three years.  However, even the most optimistic Foxes fans will struggle to persuade others that promotion is still a possibility, bearing in mind that Leicester's fate this season is no longer in their own hands.  Realistically, they must win all of their remaining games, and rely on other play-off contenders slipping up.  The latter is possible, as all the teams currently occupying third to eighth in the Championship have struggled for recent form, winning four out of their last ten games at best (Leicester have won five of their last ten).  The former is the problem.  Nigel Pearson's side have only put up back-to-back wins once this season – something which has harnessed Leicester's success during this campaign. 

But regardless of how Leicester's season pans out in terms of league position and play-off possibilities, there is a reason to be optimistic next year – and that's the signing of Ben Marshall.

Marshall's move to the East Midlands was a real accomplishment for Nigel Pearson.  Several teams were supposedly interested in signing the Stoke forward in January, although many Leicester fans will probably hold their hands up and admit that they did not know much about Ben Marshall before his transfer.  Although previously a Stoke player from 2009, he never started a competitive game for the Potters and spent the last three years on loan at various lower league clubs.  After suffering a broken leg in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final in 2010 while on loan at Carlisle United, Marshall impressed at Sheffield Wednesday at the beginning of this season, scoring five goals in 22 appearances, and Gary Megson's inability to keep the 21-year-old at Hillsborough allegedly contributed to the former Foxes manager parting ways with Wednesday earlier this year.

Since penning a three-and-a-half year deal with Leicester City in January, the youngster has already made a real name for himself at the King Power Stadium.  In just nine appearances for Nigel Pearson's side, Marshall has scored three superb goals (most notably in the Foxes 5-2 FA Cup quarter-final loss against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge), and also has been credited with three assists.  His style of play is incredibly positive, and, although signed predominantly as a winger, has experienced considerable success playing just behind Jermaine Beckford in the middle of the pitch.  Marshall's confidence is also sky high, having proven to Nigel Pearson that he is worthy of a spot in Leicester's starting eleven. 

What's positive is that Ben Marshall is a Nigel Pearson signing.  Due to the timing of Pearson's return to Leicester City, his opportunities to make changes have been limited.  In theory, he inherited a squad that wasn't his – with the exception of a few players signed during his first spell with the club, namely Lloyd Dyer, Richie Wellens, Andy King and Steve Howard.  That's not to say that Pearson is necessarily unhappy with his squad, but he clearly felt the need to make some alterations in the January transfer window.   The addition of Wes Morgan indicated that it was thought that more depth was required in defence.  The addition of Danny Drinkwater indicated that a spark was needed in midfield.  Both have impressed since signing, and Ben Marshall is no exception to that small group of new signings.  

Regardless of what division the Foxes are in next season, there is little doubt that Nigel Pearson has found a player to incorporate into his side, and possibly develop a team around.  Players are likely to come and go in the summer to help solidify some consistency at Leicester City, and if Pearson continues to find more hidden treasures like Ben Marshall, next season promises to be one for the Blue Army look forward to.   But in the meantime, he could be the catalyst needed over the next five games to spark a dramatic finale to Leicester's Championship campaign.

Leicester City 4 Doncaster Rovers 0 - 7th April 2012

Foxes boost playoff hopes with resounding victory

Leicester have won eleven times at home in the Championship this season

Leicester City maintained their slim playoff hopes with a comfortable 4-0 win over relegation-threatened Doncaster United at the King Power Stadium.

Danny Drinkwater netted in the first-half following David Nugent's clever knock down, before Lee Peltier doubled the Foxes advantage after the break when his low cross somehow crept underneath Doncaster goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

Ben Marshall put the game out of sight with a sublime curling strike from twenty yards, before substitute Paul Gallagher added a fourth with just minutes remaining.

It was a resounding victory for Leicester who are now unbeaten at the King Power Stadium since January, and one that closed the gap on sixth-placed Cardiff to just five points with as many games remaining in this Championship campaign.

Leicester came out swinging from the kick-off with David Nugent testing Carl Ikeme with a fierce strike from 30 yards, before Wes Morgan's clever header back across goal from a corner kick was almost turned in by Jermaine Beckford.

Beckford – who was showing no signs of any apparent fallout with Foxes manager Nigel Pearson after last weekend's 1-0 loss to Peterborough United – might have opened the scoring after five minutes after collecting Lee Peltier's ball into the Doncaster penalty area, but his shot lacked power and was easily cleared by the visitors.

At the other end, James Coppinger's shot from just outside the penalty area flew inches wide of Kasper Schmeichel's far post, while Giles Barnes came close for the away side moments later after a mix-up in defence between Sol Bamba and Wes Morgan.

Ben Marshall fired over the bar after initial good work out wide from Lloyd Dyer, before another defensive mistake gave Chris Brown the chance to give Doncaster an early advantage, but his shot failed to trouble Kasper Schmeichel.

Midway through the first-half, former Rovers captain Richie Wellens rose to meet Ben Marshall's out-swinging free-kick, but his header flew inches over the crossbar. 

The deadlock was eventually broken with just over ten minutes remaining in the first-half when David Nugent cleverly headed down Wes Morgan's long ball into the path of Danny Drinkwater, whose half-volley beat Carl Ikeme and clipped the inside of the post on its way in.

It was a cleverly worked goal from the Foxes, and Drinkwater's first since joining Leicester at the beginning of the year.

Doncaster looked good value for adding an equaliser before the break but Kasper Schmeichel did well to save James Coppinger's well-hit effort from outside the penalty area.

Leicester doubled their advantage two minutes into the second-half when Lee Peltier fired a low near post cross into the six yard box which initially appeared to have been comfortably dealt with by Carl Ikeme, only for the ball to squeeze underneath his body and across the goal line.

It was an agonising goal for Dean Saunders' side to concede but just the stroke of luck which some Foxes fans would argue their side has not received so far this season.

With the Foxes now in control, Paul Konchesky and Lloyd Dyer both had chances to extend the lead, but Ikeme this time was equal to both efforts.

At the other end, Chris Brown inexplicably headed over from six yards when it seemed easier to hit the target – a moment which summed up the visiting side's day.

With ten minutes remaining in the game, Ben Marshall added a third to Leicester's tally when he picked the ball up on the left-hand side of the pitch before cutting inside and firing a stunning twenty yard curling strike past the helpless Ikeme.

It was Ben Marshall's third goal for the Foxes and one which added to his collection of outstanding strikes as the youngster continues to make a real name for himself at the King Power Stadium.

With Doncaster on the ropes, Marshall and substitute Paul Gallagher came close to furthering the Foxes' lead with successive efforts on goal, before Marshall struck the crossbar with a looping shot which had Ikeme well-beaten.

Gallagher added a fourth for Leicester in the dying moments of the match, latching on to a dissecting pass from Andy King and firing into the bottom corner of the goal from eighteen yards.

It was the Scotsman's tenth goal of the season and a good confident boost for the out-of-favour forward who has seen his chances limited in recent weeks due to injury.

The final whistle put Doncaster out of their misery as they slip further into relegation trouble, while a comfortable home win for Nigel Pearson's side reignites their playoff hopes for this season.

Man of the match – Ben Marshall