Who Is The 2010 Team Of The Year?

Its getting towards the end of the year and its time to make the tough decisions. On this occasion its going to be the team of the year... Who's your choice?

Spain

In 2010 Spain became World Champions playing their brand of Tiki Taka football which no-one seems to figure our whether it is entertaining or extremely monotonous. One thing we do know about this side is that with their classy tidy passing they have a grit which allowed them to see of Hollands rather violent challenge in the final...

Barcelona

Well they have won only won La Liga this year but they have made a scintillating start to the 2010-2011 season. This season they have managed to hammer rivals Real Madrid 5-0 in an explosive performance at the Nou Camp. So far this season they've scored 51 goals in 16 games conceding only 9 goals. They are the favorites win La Liga and also the Champions League, with many touting this side as the best ever the world is at the feet of manager Pep Guardiola and his boys...

 
Inter Milan

Well Inter were the most successful club side in 2010 winning the treble (Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia). This team had it tactically spot on under Jose Mourinho who managed to get the underperforming Italian giants out of their European slumber. They won the Champions League the hard way beating both Chelsea and Barcelona in the knock out rounds no easy feat I'm sure you'll agree.

The side was dubbed defensive but I feel with Sneijder, Eto'o and Milito they were one of the most effective counter attacking sides I've seen in a very long time.

Germany

Everyone's second favorite team in the World Cup, they played with a flair and attacking freedom which many deemed not very German. The side was young with the likes for Muller, Ozil and Khedira all impressing. The highlights of this team was its demolition jobs on England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0) both sides who were tipped to challenge for the trophy. Hopefully we will see more of them in Euro 2012.

 Chelsea

The won the Premier League and FA Cup in the same season for the first time. They had the best striker in the league Didier Drogba who managed to get 29 Premier League goals. They also scored a record 103 goal on their way to winning the league with an amazing goal difference of +71 the closest to them was Manchester United with a difference of +58, need I say more?

Decision Time...

Who was the best team of 2010?

• Spain
• Germany
• Barcelona
• Inter
• Chelsea

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The Rise and Rise of Chelsea Football Club... Is it all About the Money?

In the last ten years foreign investors have been eyeballing English clubs like Homer Simpson does a donut. Manchester City, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Chelsea all have had financial investment towards transfers, wages and stadiums from from rich owners. But only Chelsea have paid their investor back with success, so how did this happen? I hope I will be able to answer that question.  

Pre-Abramovic Chelsea were  decent club owned by businessman Ken Bates. Chelsea won a few cups here and there, made a few high profile signings but at the end of their careers more notably Gianluca Vialli, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. But they didn't come close to winning the Premier League or Champions League.

Then came the day that shook the world of English football, a Russian Oil Oligarch came in and bought Chelsea FC for £140m from owner Ken Bates. At this point their were quotes like... "I think it's disgraceful because I always thought that Ken Bates was Mr Chelsea." being bandied about in the English press.

Once Abramovic moved in, all the fans who doubted his clout were silenced, in his first season as owner a whopping £153,350,000 net amount was spent on transfers... This was more than he paid to buy the club. That season they finished 2nd in the league this was their highest finish in the top flight for over 45 years further to this they got to the Semi-Finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history. But ultimately they didn't win anything.

Following his first season Abramovic sacked coach Claudio Ranieri and brought in European Cup winning coach Jose Mourinho and net spent £138,250,000 in two seasons which is less than what was spent in one season when Ranieri was manager. But Chelsea went on to win the Premier League two years in a row. This was their first major success in 50 years. Mourinho's tenure lasted for 3 years in which he won 6 trophies. But the clubs spending would become more restricted as the hierarchy looked for ways for the club to break even, this then coincided with Mourinho's leaving of the club.


Once Mourinho left the trophies dried up, the next two managers after him were Avram Grant and Luis Felipe Scolari. Their reigns coincided with turbulence in the board and dressing rooms and zero trophies.

But recently Chelsea have bought in Carlo Ancelloti an experienced and respected manager although they haven't spent as much money they have won the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season at the club. Currently they are top of the Premier League and playing arguably the best and most effective football in the league.

Champions 2009-2010 Cech, Cole, Terry (not signed but made Club Captain my Mourinho), Obi Mikel, Essien, Lampard (not signed but Mourinho but during Mourinho's first season he scored 13 goals and provided 16 assists as he was made the main play-maker of his Chelsea side), Malouda, Drogba were all key Mourinho players.

Mourinho had the biggest impact on the club from all the managers Abramovic hired, so much so that the team the season he was was sacked was practically the same as it is now under Ancelloti bar a few signings. This stability on the field has been key to the recent success of the club.


They have also hired Frank Arnesen as their talent scout in a drive to find young talent from around the world. This led to the signings of Gael Kakuta, Patrick Van Aanholt and Fabio Borini who are all in the first team squad this season. This really shows that the club are thinking about building the future with younger players rather than expensive ready made superstars. 


What this story says Manchester City fans... is it isn't all about the money. Chelsea have been at their best when they have had stability but not necessary larger financial backing in comparison to their rivals. Yes I accept that the money gave Chelsea the stepping stone, but I think it might get you close but that extra step can only be made with a top manager at the helm like Mourinho or Ancelloti.

Chelsea's overall model of spending early to clear debts and set up a foundation, aiming to break even and having managerial stability seems to be working. I think the Sheikh and the board room at Manchester City could learn a few things from Chelski. 

Not A Bad Round For English Clubs... Champions League+Highlights

Well, well, Spurs have put in the performance of the round against Inter at White Hart Lane. Beating Rafa Benitez's side 3-1 with Gareth Bale putting in a man of the match performance, I'm sure Douglas Maicon is glad they won't play again in the near future. With Spurs winning 1-0 at half time after Rafael Van Der Vaarts cool finish the game was still in the balance, but an explosive second half perfomance from winger Bale who chipped in with two assists left Inter reeling.

In the other game in the group Dutch side FC Twente put in a shock performance to overturn German side Werder Bremen 2-0. But the talk of this group is a very impressive result from Tottenham, who look set to qualify from their group.
 

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Tottenham	4	2	0	0	7	2	4	7
2	Inter	4	2	0	0	8	3	3	7
3	Twente	4	0	2	0	3	3	-1	5
4	Bremen	4	0	1	1	2	4	-6	2

Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Inter Milan  (highlights)

Van Der Vaart 1            Eto'o 1

Crouch 1

Pavlyuchenko 1

Manchester United put in a professional performance against Turkish side with Darren Fletcherbreaking the deadlock before half time. In the second half surprise signing Bebe and Frenchman Gabrielle Obertan both scoring to kill the game off. No surprises in this group United looking like they've already qualified and Valencia not too far behind them
.

P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Man Utd 4 1 1 0 1 0 5 10 2 Valencia 4 1 0 1 3 1 6 7 3 Rangers 4 1 1 0 2 1 -2 5 4 Bursaspor 4 0 0 2 0 7 -9 0

Bursaspor 0- 3 Manchester United (highlights)
                        Fletcher 1    
                        Obertan 1

                        Bebe 1


Chelsea who I feel are the best equipped of the English sides to win the tournament, smashed Russian side Spartak Moscow with Nicolas Anelka looking particularly deadly and the talismanic Didier Drogba returning from suspension. Games at Stamford Bridge are looking like mere formalities these days and this one was no different when Anelka opened the scoring with a classy finish from the a tight angle. Two goals from defender Branislav Ivanovic and a penalty from Drogba finished off last seasons Russian Premier League second placed side.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	4	2	0	0	6	1	10	12
2	Spartak Moscow	4	1	0	1	3	2	-1	6
3	Marseille	4	1	0	1	1	1	5	6
4	MSK Zilina	4	0	0	2	1	11	-14	0

Chelsea 4 - 1 Spartak Moscow (highlights)
Anelka 1        Bazenhov 1
Drogba 1
Ivanovic 2

Finally the only English defeat of the night, Arsenal lost away to Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Theo Walcott put the Gunners ahead after a wonderful pass from Jack Wilshere put him through on goal with only the Keeper to beat. But and own goal from Craig Eastmond and and well timed finish from Arsenal old boy Eduardo meant Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season in Europe. Still favourites to go through but this performance was a stark reminder of the threat the teams in their group pose.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Arsenal	4	2	0	0	11	1	11	9
2	Shakhtar Donetsk	4	2	0	0	3	1	1	9
3	Braga	4	1	0	1	2	3	-6	6
4	Partizan Belgrade	4	0	0	2	1	4	-6	0

Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - 1 Arsenal (highlights)
Eastmond (OG)            Walcott (1)
Eduardo (1)

Well overall a relatively good week for English sides with 3 our of four notching up wins. All still look like they will go through. I feel this weeks player of the week from the sides has been Gareth Bale (i would also have a look at Benfica left back Coentrao who put in a spectacular performance against Lyon), I wrote an earlier article on him concluding he has more to do to prove his class at the highest level and he looks like he may be on his way to doing that. Team of the week has to be Tottenham after defeating the current champions Inter I feel they may be starting to find their feet in Europe's premier club competition.