Euro woes just a blip
There’s been an awful lot of soul-searching in the days since the demise of Arsenal and, in particular, Manchester United – but, honestly, I’m not in that camp. Of course, I wanted both to go through but there are times when you have to shrug off any parochialism and think of what might be good overall for football.
Wasn’t it getting just a little bit boring? Weren’t we thinking, at the start of each campaign, which English team would reach the final if not which two? Wasn’t it, in contrast, healthy that six different countries were represented in the quarter-finals?
Call me disloyal if you want to but I remember leaving the Emirates the other week thinking how unjust the scoreline was and how ridiculous it would be if Barcelona didn’t go further.
And they have. Twice, they comprehensively outplayed Arsenal. First, because of a fantastic team display: second, largely because of a supreme individual performance (see panel).
Arsenal are a very, very good side. Had Diaby, at 0-1, picked out Walcott free on the right, things might have turned out very differently but I doubt it. And, just think, now we get to see ‘Messi versus Mourinho’.
Manchester United lost a wonderful position because Michael Carrick got himself in a twist and allowed Olic to score a critical goal before half time: and because Rafael was naive in the extreme. Don’t blame the Germans. Ask what alternative the referee had.
The questions posed since are valid, at least some of them. Is this a blip or evidence of a serious demise? I think it’s the former. I don’t believe, for example, that Bayern Munich are better than Manchester United. It just ‘went wrong’.
We could be sitting here thinking what a stroke of genius it was by Ferguson to play a half-fit Rooney, a tactic that plainly took Bayern by surprise and unsettled them. Instead, in defeat, it looks foolish.
It does emphasise though that, contrary to what the manager seems to think, his team may need re-shaping in the summer.
For example, what future can Berbatov have if he’s largely ignored in such circumstances until it’s too late?
But is all this the first sign that the money-rich Premier League has hit the buffers and that their economic situation will worsen because of tax changes and the pound’s weakness in relation to the euro? No, I think those fears are wildly exaggerated. Spending a fortune is no guarantee of success: ask Real Madrid.
Next season will provide evidence of whether I’m right or wrong. In the meantime, there are related side issues to consider.
Chelsea, undoubtedly, would give anything to still be involved in the Champions League but their season could end with them winning the ‘Double’. They must be favourites to win the Premier League even if I have a lingering suspicion that Arsenal could surprise everyone. However, I think with Portsmouth’s romantic success yesterday at Wembley, it’ll make Chelsea’s ultimate FA Cup success all the more straight-forward.
And, remember, England still has teams playing in Europe. It may be ‘only’ the Europa League but Fulham’s achievement is staggering and I think Liverpool knocked out an excellent team in Benfica. What odds an all-English final in Hamburg?
* Alan Green is chief football commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live
