Barcelona vs Real Madrid - Copa Del Rey

Real outclass Barcelona, but cule-ish referee squares it up for the Catalans!

By Shivashankar

Predictions of a ‘whooping’ went awry as Jose Mourinho’s men made heads turn with a splendid display of football to scare the hell out of the Cules at the Camp Nou. Perhaps the game will be a preview of the things to come in the future classico’s.

Jose Mourinho has had his worst week in Spain since he became Real’s man-in-charge. Criticism from the press, boo’s from the crowd and the rumours surfaced (from the catalan dailies) on a rift between the players and the coach. Mou, like all wise men, remained silent and let his men do the talking, on the field, and boy they did!

The First Half

Real travelled to Barcelona with the first leg scoreline as 2-1, and very heavily against the odds to come out victorious. The game started out in similar fashion, as in previous Classio’s, with Real playing an aggressive brand of Mou-Football and pressing hard for spaces. And they nearly scored in the opening minute, with higuain flooring an excellent opportunity. He wasted a couple of more easy chances, before Messi punished Real, for their lackluster shooting abilities, by sending pedro through , to score the opener.

Ball winning or Bullying midfielder?!

Ozil, at the other end, was at the heart of Real’s every attack and nearly scored from a stunning strike, 30 yards out, a ferocious drive which rattled the post and stopped the hearts of all at the Camp. It would have been a much deserved goal for the midfield maestro who had a splendid game.

Just when the play was looking good for Real, Dani Alves scored from a long range effort that made the scoreline look one sided.

Dani Alves scores,...oops, not a goal, but tries some grapple moves on Coentrao

The Second Half

This has happened repeatedly in the past. Sevilla, Mallorca, being the most recent teams to witness a comeback by Real after being a goal down. Mou, after his team talk at the half time, unleashed his players onto Barcelona, which left the cules petrified. After missing half a dozen clean scoring opportunities, Ozil yet again, with a gem of a pass, found CR in space, and the striker finished it off neatly for Real to claw back into the game.

Pep promised an attacking game, well, did he mean attack Ozil in the game?!

Benzema replaced Higuain, and turned out to be a super sub. He was a fox in the box and made Puyol grunt like a 45 year old CB! He timed a wonderful run inside the box, after fooling Puyol with a nice touch and scored the equalizer. Real made a wonderful comeback, being 0-2 down at one of the most hostile stadiums across Europe.

Benz scores, so long alcantara!

The Referee

When Real scored a goal, it was disallowed.

When Real attacked, genuine penalty claims were rebuffed.

When Real defended, players were sent off.

Watch closely - Spot the foot of Callejon's and Puyol's, er, with respect to the ball?!

The last time these two sides met in the UCL Semi finals, Mou alleged that Barcelona, due to their Unicef links, had favours from the match officials. And this statement held true, as the referee appeared to be a Barcelona player, camouflaged in a Ref’s costume.

Combined with Barcelona’s trademark play acting and theatricals (probably groomed as such at La Masia), it was absurd to see a clear goal by Sergio Ramos ruled out, probably even insane was his sending off.

Flight of the Cule

Sergio Ramos, symbolized the club and its values in the excellent fight with a strong display and got a briefing from Mourinho after he was sent off. (Incidently, Ramos’s overhead kick was deflected by Abidal’s hand, penalty? Ref ate that too!)

Meanwhile, Puyol, who was struggling to mark Benzema, used his Ric Flair esque skills, to knock Benz from behind on more than one occasion (which should have been a penalty). He ended up, without even getting a warning!

Ric Flair esque tackle 

The Mourinho Effect

After some unjust criticism from the media trash, Mou’s men replied in kind. The ‘Silver Haired- Silver Winning Alchemist’ reminded that he is the real master tactician. Tikki Takka?

Have a look at this!

Tikki Takka?!! or Counter - defensive football? LOL!

Barcelona will be thanking their gods for escaping off with a draw and progress to the Semi finals, but this Real performance and Mou, will, continue to haunt them, if they meet Real ever again!

Jose Mourinho had his 49^th birthday on the 26^th. Happy Birthday Mou, for your wonderful contributions to the game.

No doubt, he won’t be celebrating it now, but ultimately, when he clinches La Decima and the Liga with Real in a few months time, celebrations will galore, from him, me and the footballing world.

Bow down to you, The Special One - Happy B'day!

I Believe in Mou! J

FA Cup - The Manchester Derby

FA Cup Spells MAGIC !!

by

Sahil

City went into this titanic encounter as clear favourites having not lost at home in over 30
games, their last defeat dating back over a year with a 1-0 loss to Everton.

City were without Baloteli and the Toure brothers who have left for the African Nations Cup.
United on the other hand were without Vidic, Young, Cleverly & Evans, all out through injury.
Lindegaard was given the nod ahead of De Gea despite the horror showing at Newcastle.
However, the United faithful were in for a pleasant surprise upon hearing the name of Paul
Scholes, yes, the Ginger Prince had inked a short team deal till the end of the season to bail his
beloved side out of an injury crisis.

What unfolded over the 90 minutes will go down as yet another FA Cup Classic. A tale of two
very distinct halves with umpteen talking points in each.

The line ups -
Manchester City : Hart, Micah, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong, Barry, Johnson, Nasri, Silva,
Aguero
Manchester United : Lindegaard, Jones, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Giggs, Carrick,
Nani, Rooney, Welbeck

City started on the front foot as expected but really didn’t test the United No.1. However,
against the run of play, in their first attack on the counter United proved to be lethal. Valencia
was set free on the wing & he delivered a precise cross which was met by a brilliant long range
header by the recently much maligned United No.10 who according to the tabloids was subject
to a possible 60m£ bid by none other than City. The relief was evident on Rooney’s face after
the goal and he planted a long, hearty kiss on the Red Devil’s Logo on his jersey.

What followed next proved to be a possible game changing incident. A ball played to Nani was
a bit too heavy for the Portuguese winger and the City captain “stepped” in to win the ball.
Nani got up without a complaint & began chasing the ball. However Rooney, Giggs & Carrick
had seen something that didn’t please them one bit & circled Chris Foy protesting of a two
footed lunge by Kompany. The referee showed no hesitation in dishing out a direct Red which
was surprisingly taken without too much complaint by the City Skipper. The replay’s however
showed that Komapny had won the ball cleanly & hardly made any contact with Nani. In the
days of yore that tackle would have been applauded at. In more recent times it probably would
have just been a foul or if the referee was a weak hearted man then it would’ve earned the
player a yellow card much to his dismay. But modern days footballers are such a protected
species and the rules so vague that episodes like these happen time & again.

United made their advantage count & how. Welbeck was first to react to a loose ball in the
City D-box & volleyed in a Ba-esque fashion. Things would only get worse when Welbeck was
clumsily brought down in the box by Kolarov. Rooney stepped up to take the spot kick. It was
smartly saved by the City shot stopper but Rooney was offered acres of space and no pressure
to nod home the rebound into an empty net. 3-0 to United and there looked no coming back
into it for City. Valencia’s cross on the stroke of half time was met by a diving Welbeck and
went just inches past the City post. The half time whistle blew to the jeers and boos of the City
fans.

What we witnessed in the 2nd half was beyond anyones wildest imagination. Mancini took off
Silva & Johnson at half time & brought on Zabaleta & Milner. Just few minutes into the 2nd half,
Kolarov planted a delightful free kick between lindegaard’s posts. Then we witnessed wave
after wave of City attack with United looking quite rattled. It was tough to say which team was
playing with a man down. Nani was subbed in the 59th minute & on came Paul Scholes to a
rapturous ovation. He looked a bit rusty & a careless give away by Scholes resulted in City’s 2nd
goal which Aguero slotted in on the 2nd attempt. The City faithful were anticipating a historic
comeback from their side & Mancini put Micah up front. United had good spells of possession
but City’s 3-4-2 formation had them nervous throughout. There were some frantic moments
towards the end in the United D-box with Savic getting his face bloodied in the cause. United
finally held on for the win but Mancini will have been mighty proud of the heart shown by his
boys. Things might well have turned out differently if Narsi had been pulled off instead of Silva.

Several cracks in the United team were exposed yet again and United need to address these
sooner than later. A reliable right back – Jones was shaky yet again; a genuine defensive mid to
mop things up – no wonder Fergie is desperately behind Tiote; a creative mid, no, not a 37yr
old Scholesy :p . A long term replacement for Evra who seems to be way past his glory days.
The most important person at Manchester United in not Malcolm Glazer, neither is it Wayne
Rooney nor Sir Alex Ferguson as is common thought but Nemanja Vidic, the cornerstone behind
United’s success over the past half decade. After tonight’s game how Sir Alex would’ve wished
that his big Serbian centre back hadn’t succumbed to that tackle that fateful night in Basel. His
men soldier on though, but for how long is any ones guess with a daunting trip to Anfield in the
next round.

Football Quiz- 1

-By ARun


Guess the footballer:

Born in one country, to parents from a second, he has represented a third in youth football. Now plying his trade in a fourth, on loan from one of the most prestigious clubs in the continent, also from the fourth country. As many as four countries (three of which belong to the aforementioned four, and a fifth country !) want him to represent their National team. Many people mistakenly think that he has an easy entry route into politics once his playing career is over, but the truth is, he doesn't. Who is this globe-trotting athlete?

Hint: It is not as difficult as it sounds....

La Liga Team of the Year 2011

La Liga Team of the Year 2011

By Shivashankar

HeaderFooter wishes its readers a wonderful and hay New Year.

On the first day of the New Year, our Spanish editorial head presents you with the La liga team of the year 2011.

Goal keeper

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)

It’s pretty simple to imagine how awkward Real Madrid would have fared if not for ‘Saint’ Iker. The pillar of Real Madrid has proved time and again that he is second best to none. Iker created another record by becoming the most capped Spanish goalkeeper, breaking Andoni Zubizarreta's record.

Other contender(s): Victor Valdes(Barcelona)

Defenders:

Daniel Alves (Barcelona)

Alves has made the right side of the defense (or is it midfield?!) his own. No doubts in this regard and he has been a key figure in Pep’s dynamic formation changes between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3. No other serious challenger for the RB position.

Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Jose Mourinho always gets the best out of his players. He has virtually made stars out of Lampard, Terry, Cole and co. At Real, Sergio Ramos is one of his finest examples of wonderful talent management. Ramos, as a RB, was good, not great. Mou shifted him to the center of the defense in the absence of Carvalho, and has made Ramos one of the most efficient ball winning center halves ever!

Other contenders: Gerrad Pique (Barcelona)

Alvaro Dominguez (Atletico Madrid)

Bemused that this guy has been chosen in this list??!

Dominguez may not be one of the most imposing figures inside the box, like Puyol or Pepe. But what this guy has is his gifted anticipation and timing. He enjoyed a pretty decent year at the Vicente Calderon in the early 2011 and also in the 2011-12 season.

Other contenders: Ballesteros (Levante)/ Inigio Martinez (Sociedad)

Marcelo (Real Madrid)

One of the marauding wing backs in the La Liga. Marcelo rediscovered himself in Mou’s v1.0, and he has upgraded himself to a whole new level in Mou’s v2.0. His performance is quite evident to showcase him as Roberto Carlos’s worthy heir.

Other Contenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona)

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)

This guy has been involved in most of Real’s attacks as well as defense. The most consistent player for Real, for a long time now. Those accurate long balls, his trademark sliding tackles and his cool dead ball scenario’s has been improvised heavily under Mou.

Xabi has also been given an added responsibility of giving out on field instruction to team mates (especially Cristiano!). No other real contenders for the defensive midfield position.

Di Maria (Real Madrid)

Maria has made a scintillating impact since his move to Real (not with his dives, but with his play!). He was heavily criticized following a sending off against Levante, but came back very strongly, and has amassed 12 assists and 4 goals to end 2011 as the leading assist provider.

He was also a key part of Real in the early 2011, courtesy his rampaging runs through the flanks and excellent through balls.

Other contenders: Navas (Sevilla)/ Cazorla(Malaga)

Xavi (Barcelona)

Nearing the twilight of his career, Xavi produced yet another masterclass year. Xavi is one of the 3 nominees for the FIFA Golden Ball, this sums as to how wonderful his year was.

Other Contenders: Juanlu (Levante)

Francesc Fabregas (Barcelona)

One of the best transfers of the season. Pep has deployed Cesc as a false 9 and this has paid rich dividends as he has scored 8 and assisted 3. This has been a revelation year for Cesc and definitely a move forward from his Arsenal days.

Other contenders: Iniesta (Barcelona)

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Yet another trophy laden season. Probably he will win the Golden Ball as well. Messi has been in excellent form throughout and has also had an amazing consistency. But, will definitely be remembered across Andalusia (especially!) and other parts for his missed penalty versus Sevilla!

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

CR broke the Spanish pichichi record, plundered goals during the entire year of 2011. Currently tops the Liga scoring charts. Hugely remembered for his disastrous flop show in the El Classico. No other top contenders for the forward line of Messi and CR.

Barclays Premier League Year End Roundup

By Raghavan,

With 4 rounds of BPL matches packed one after another both sides of Christmas, for convenience, this edition of the BPL roundup reviews the state and situation of the BPL teams and what they all accomplished or failed to over the 4 rounds. The best way is to roundup the teams by the table and here it shall be done from bottom to top. Here goes:


20. Bolton Wanderers: At the turn of the year things indeed look bleak for Owen Coyle and his men. At the bottom at the end of the year all the odds are against them in the battle for survival with history never favoring the team at the bottom during Christmas. They went into the festive season smarting from a 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage before a glimmer of hope rose at Ewood Park where they defeated fellow relegation survivalists Blackburn 2-1 but after Christmas despair continued as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Newcastle. Their latest venture against Wolves earned them a vital point in a 1 all draw, but it wasn't enough to lift them off the bottom. Also a concern that top scorer Ivan Klasnic did not score during this 4 game period. Nothing short of a new year miracle can save Bolton Wanderers. Wish them luck because they need as much of it as they can get.


19. Blackburn Rovers: They just seem to be doing enough to stay off the very bottom. They are a club in absolute turmoil, with manager Steve Kean the biggest target for criticism in BPL today with the Blackburn fans also offering no support to their embattled manager. That they are not at the very bottom goes down to one man- Aiyegbeni Yakubu, their top scorer and 5th top scorer in the league enjoying the company of the likes of RvP, Aguero, Rooney and Demba Ba. Yakubu added three to the tally of 9 goals he had going into this period of matches. Blackburn started of the series of matches with two home losses, both 1-2, against West Brom and then Bolton. But then things started to brighten after Xmas with one result appearing better than the next. They managed with the late heroics of keeper Mark Bunn to hold Liverpool 1-1 at Anfield before shocking the world by beating Manchester United 3-2 at Old  Trafford, Yakubu scoring 2 of the 3. An excellent way to end the year, but they must keep doing whatever they have been afterXmas and somehow hold on to Junior Hoilett who is a sure shot transfer commodity in the January window.


18. Wigan Athletic: Wigan lead the pack of the strugglers going into the new year and thus have the highest chance of escaping relegation. Yet Again! They did themselves good when they managed to hold Chelsea to a 1 all draw at the DW. Jordi Gomez who had found a scoring streak recently was the one who got the honours that day though he hasn't added since. And then it was the Al-Habsi show against Liverpool, holding them to a goalless affair ensuring 2 draws against two big teams. After Xmas Al-Habsi was a no show against ManU as they Wigan thrashed 5-0 at Old Trafford. On the last day of the year, Wigan held Stoke City  to a 2 all draw at the Brittannia. So 3 points in 4 difficult fixtures. Not much point-wise, but it goes to show that Wigan have what it takes to fight their way out of the drop zone. And they are desperate to.


17. Queens Park Rangers: Just one place above the drop zone for the  promoted team that were given the best chance of surviving by experts. It's the humpty-dumpty part of the table. A few bad games will see them fall in the red. Defeated 2-0 by ManU at Loftus Road, an expected result that, but they shot themselves in the foot losing at Loftus Road 2-3 to a not so good Sunderland. They then failed to regain ground when they drew 1 all at Swansea but they can take solace from the fact that Swansea have been excellent at home. They ended the year with a 1-0 loss against RvP at the Emirates Stadium. Collecting just one point from the 4 games places QPR on a very sticky wicket. Neil Warnock has his work cut out for the new year if they value their bid for survival in the top flight.


16. Wolverhampton Wanderers: They are a place above QPR, ut level on points. So whatever applies to QPR w.r.t relegation battle applies to them too. A 1-2 loss at the Molineux to Stoke Cityand a 2-2 draw there against Norwich City were two bad results going into Xmas given that they needed to collect as many points as they can at home against these two middleweight teams. After Xmas they had something to smile about as they frustrated Arsenal 1 all at the emirates before drawing by the same score at the Reebok. Steven Fletcher scored two in the last two games of the year. But Mick McCarthy's men really need to push now because level on points with 17th is too uncomfortable.

15. Sunderland: The Black Cats saw change of manager with former Aston Villa tactician Martin O'Neill taking over. His first assignment was a tough nut which they failed to crack: A 1-0 loss at White Hart Lane. However they won away against QPR 3-2 which gave them a much needed lift for the reign of O'Neill. The match after Xmas saw them hold Everton to a 1 all draw at home. Sunderland are yet to play their New Year weekend match as their match is on January 1st where they have a formidable task of hosting leaders Manchester City at home. Sebastian Larsson did not add to his tally in these three matches.

14. Swansea City: 14th is a place which newly promoted Swansea will be satisfied with at the year end. Their defensive solidity continued at Sports Direct Arena against Newcastle where they got a point away from home in a goalless affair.They were however beaten by Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park before Xmas. After Xmas Swansea would have been slightly disappointed to not win at home against another promoted side-QPR, drawing 1-1, despite the latter being behind the Swans in the table. However the year end saw Swansea earn a comeback draw against high flying Tottenham. Swansea will be disappointed not to register a win in the 4 games. 

13. Fulham: Martin Jol's side have had a reasonably good time through the 4 games which puts them very close to the mid-table finish position at 13th. Fulham finished off a poor Bolton 2-0 at Craven Cottage before suffering a nightmare 0-5 defeat at home at the hands of ManU leading into Xmas. Post Xmas, Fulham came on top in the West London Derby where they frustrated Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, Clint Dempsey continuing his fine form with the crucial goal there. They also managed to get a good point from a 1-1 draw at Norwich on Dec 31st. Fulham can be optimistic with their position and aim to perform better in the new year with some reinforcements in January.

12. Everton: Everton have managed to occupy mid table quite quietly, doing their business and devoid of any dramatic results. They may not have been too happy when they drew at home 1-1 against Norwich. But a 1-0 win at home against Swansea and 1-1 draw away at the stadium of light bode well for David Moyes' boys. Leon Osman scored both against Norwich and Swansea. Everton are yet to play their New Year fixture but they will be satisfied collecting 5 out of 9 points.

11. West Bromwich Albion: What a good position for the underdogs! Just outside the top half, 11th should give them the confidence to break in. And they probably could if they win their New Year fixture which is at the Hawthornes. They started off winning 2-1 against Blackburn at Ewood park, and then registering another remarkable away (3-2) victory against Newcastle. And then the 'WOW' result as they held leaders Manchester city goalless to a draw at the Hawthornes. 7 out of 9 points, 6 of those away from home. Well done indeed to WBA!! Peter Odemwingie was the main man over the three fixtures scoring two goals and creating as many.

10. Norwich City: At 10th, the newly promoted canaries are at a position which would tempt the club owners to give Paul Lambert a big hug. They ended both their pre Xmas fixtures as draws, both away, to Everton (1-1) and Wolves (2-2). After Xmas they had a difficult time hosting Tottenham which they lost 0-2 and then could only draw at home 1-1 against Fulham. Simeon Jackson hit form scoring against Fulham and Wolves. They would probably feel they should have had some wins in their 4 matches, but being at 10th they will eagerly look forward to 2012.

9. Aston Villa: Villa are 9th but they had only 4 wins prior to yesterday i.e lesser wins than 10, 11 and 12 and had scored only 1 goal in 3 matches prior to yesterday. They were beaten 0-2 at home without much effort by Liverpool before losing 1-2 at home against Arsenal. Agreed that both are tough teams, but Villa appeared very slow and unattractive in the two fixtures. Post Xmas, Villa went up a notch holding Stoke City goalless at the Brittannia before achieving the big prize at Stamford Bridge beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. Probably Alex McLeish could capitalise on the confidence gained from it and push for more.

 

8. Stoke City: At 8th Stoke City are showing the BPL world why they are the better among the mid table teams. After a temporary dip a month ago, Stoke seemed to be back to their tough ways when they defeated Wolves at the Molineux 2-1. However they traveled to the Etihad next where they were beaten 3-0 proper. Stoke then slightly disappointed  themselves with 2 draws at home (0-0 vs Villa and 2-2 vs Wigan). But at 8th Tony Pulis' men can approach the new year with an aim to make it bigger.

7. Newcastle United: 7th isn't as sweet as 4th, which they once held on to for a good while, but Alan Pardew's men will be happy to end 2011 at 7th even after a visible dip in their water tightness following Steven Taylor's injury. They held Swansea to a 0-0 draw at home in a fixture they'd have wanted to win, but the real setback came when they lost at home to WBA 2-3. They managed a win at struggling Bolton 2-0 before falling to another loss at Liverpool by 1-3. Demba Ba continued scoring with both goals against WBA and one against Bolton as he moved to be the 2nd top scorer in BPL with 14.

6. Liverpool: At 6th Liverpool are where they and almost everyone expect themselves to be considering the quality of the top 6. However the period was dominated by news of the 8 match ban on Luis Suarez for racially abusing Patrice Evra of ManU. Before the ban was announced Liverpool rallied to a 2-0 win at Villa Park before being frustrated by Wigan at the DW (0-0) and Blackburn at home (1-1). They however sprung back with 3-1 win at home over Newcastle. Craig Bellamy scored three, one against Villa and two against Newcastle. With 4th and 5th appearing less than formidable, Kenny Dalglish can hope his team hit fury and somehow grab that elusive Champions League spot.

5. Chelsea: If a team has ended 2011 on the worst note, it's Chelsea. For all their money and quality, they have fallen out of the top 4 and their return to the Champions League next season hangs in jeopardy. their record over these 4 games is comparable to the bottom placed teams: 1-1 draws at Wigan, at White Hart Lane (though they will take that as a good result) and at home against rivals Fulham, before backing it all with a humiliating 1-3 defeat at home by a not-good-by-any-means Aston Villa. 3 points from 4 games does not belong in the top half of the table. Chelsea's best XI is not yet set it appears with Andre Villas-Boas still tinkering between Frank Lampard and Raul Mereiles, David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic while Fernando Torres' struggles continue and long forgotten right-back Paolo Ferreira is suddenly in the mix. The clock is surely ticking for AvB, if his fate has not already been sealed, unless he can somehow get back to the top 4 and hold on to it. Though that might not itself be enough.Stamford Bridge has completely fallen in 2011 while Daniel Sturridge, who scored against Wigan and Spurs remains their only sparkle amidst the gloom.

4. Arsenal: They celebrated their 125th anniversary in this period during which talisman striker Thierry Henry who's statue was unveiled looks set to return to Arsenal. They end 2011 gleefully after all the despair at season start after finally and officially moving into the top 4. They started their string of fixtures at the Etihad, where despite playing really well, succumbed to the stubbornness of the leaders to a 0-1 defeat. Then on Anniversary day, they won 2-1 at Villa park in a match witnessed by Thierry Henry. After Xmas they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Wolves before springboarding to 4th on New Year's eve with a 1-0 win over QPR at home. And of course their start player during the holidays was ROBIN van PERSIE..!!

3. Tottenham Hotspur: They are really now the new boys in town. And they have every right to boast of being the best team in London now. They won 1-0 against Sunderland at home, drew 1-1 against Chelsea at home, won 2-0 away at Norwich, before a frustrating draw at Swansea on New Year's eve. Spurs haveasserted themselves at 3rd with a 3 point lead heading into 2011 over Arsenal and Harry Redknapp will be delighted with where he is now positioned. They are exhibiting a profound exuberance that is hard to miss and both Gareth Bale (2 goals and the assist vs Chelsea) and Emmanuel Adebayor (scored vs Chelsea) in addition to the likes of Scott Parker, Benoit Assou-Ekkotto and Kyle Walker are all on top of their games. With Rafael van der Vaart also returning from injury Spurs need to be taken seriously. in 2012 the Spurs jokes end...!!

2. Manchester United: Criticized for their CL exit and a string of uninspiring 1-0 wins, Sir Alex Ferguson's men hit top gear with some heavy, REALLY HEAVY, wins. They won 2-0 at Loftus road where Chelsea lost and Man City sweat for a win. then came 10 goals in 2 games as they thrashed Fulham 5-0 at Craven Cottage and Wigan 5-0 at Old Trafford. However New Year's eve was a bit of a shock as they fell to a 2-3 defeat at Blackburn's hands. But the signs are ominous. Man United are back in top gear and the critics are silenced again. Luis Nani, Wayne Rooney are back amongst the goals with 2 each while forgotten striker Dimitar Berbatov marked his return with 5 goals in 2 games, including a hat trick vs Wigan. Whatever most critics contemplated, Man Utd proved them all wrong and are now level on points with leaders Man City and in 2012 they could very well be expected to make life uneasy for the leaders.

1. Manchester City: They end the year on top. Full marks for that. Now history is on their side as in the last 7 seasons the team leading on New Year has lifted the title in May. However they will have to play well to make history repeat. And play well they did, when they saw off Arsenal at the Etihad to a 1-0 win, where they might have rued missed chances but luckily didn't thanks to Joe Hart. They did the job vs Stoke City at home by winning 3-0 thanks to a Sergio Aguero brace. But their post Xmas match sunk hearts a little as they failed to score at WBA and came out with only a single point. But that seems to have been offset by ManU's loss against Blackburn yesterday, and if City can win their match in hand at Sunderland, they can regain their 3 point lead over United and approach 2012 with both eyes on the title. And all eyes on Roberto Mancini and Manchester City. And of course, Mario Balotelli...

And a Happy New Year 2012 to all Barclays Premier League fans...

: