Brazil - Whats next for the five time champions of the world?

Football may have been invented in England, but it was given a soul on the sunny shores of Brazil. The Brazilian people changed the way everyone on the planet looks at the beautiful game, and it developed into the most successful national side in the world. 1958, 1962,1970,1994 and 2002, these dates are the five times Canarinho 'the little canary' have been crowned world champions, more then any other side in history. From Pele to Ronaldo, from Zico to Ronaldinho, from Garincha to Rivaldo, from Carlos Alberto to Cafu, the five time world champions have always produced some of the very best the world of football can offer, which has lead to the unmatched success the Brazilians have had over the years. The team from 1970, lead by the genius Pele, is seen as perhaps the best football team in history, club or national side, considering the time period and how much the game has developed since those years, the fact the side is still seen in the same light today only begins to explain how far ahead of their time the national team was. The selecao is also the most successful national team in the FIFA confederations cup, with four titles, 1997, 2005, 2009 and 2013. They are also the holders of the current title. Brazil have won a total of 62 official international titles from professional to grassroots level, which is an unparalleled world record. 

However, since their last title in 2002, the worlds most successful side seems to have struggled on the world stage, which includes being humbled on their own turf by Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, losing 7-1, the biggest defeat in Brazil's history.
So the question is... what's next for the five time champions of the world? Will we see a Brazilian resurrection, or will the most successful side on the planet plummet into almost insignificance on the big stage.


Heading into last summers World Cup, the hosts Brazil where strong favorites to end their drought on home soil. And despite mainly average performances, they topped their group and overcame Chile in the second round on penalties. The home side then took on another fellow South American side in Columbia, a team many had backed to be the dark horses for the tournament, and with the eventual golden boot winner James Rodriguez, it was possible Columbia could surprise Brazil. However for the first time in the tournament we appeared to be seeing the side many backed to win a sixth world title, with goal from David Luiz and Thiago Silva, the hosts overcame Columbia. However this performance did not come without its prices. Thiago Silva earned a suspension, meaning Brazil would be without their captain for the semi-finals. And even worse, the star of the show, Neymar was stretchered off late on and would miss the rest of the tournament. These absences played a big part in the Brazilians collapse in the semi-final, without their captain or top scorer, they looked out of sync at the back and no threat in attack, eventually being turned over with an incredible 7-1 score line! The aftermath of the crushing at the hands of the eventual champions Germany shows that the five time champions rely far to heavily on a select group of players, and no longer have to depth of class like we're use to seeing come from the country. A loss of just two players had an evidently massive effect on the side, and the Brazilian players did not look capable of competing with the Germans. This correlation continued into the third place play off, still without top scorer Neymar, the hosts had no creativity and no threat, eventually falling out 3-0 losers, ending their tournament by conceding 10 goals in two games, and ending the competition with the worst defensive record out of all 32 nations that competed.

The famous Brazilian teams of old make this newest crop of players seem mediocre, and despite a few stand out stars, such as Neymar and Thiago Silva, it is getting much more evident that this side needs a drastic change if it is to return to where it should be, at the summit of world football.

However it isn't all doom and gloom for the natives of the most successful side in world football history.One player in particular looks set to become one of the most iconic players in Brazilian football history, and perhaps one of the best in the world. This is the man currently holding the famous Brazil number 10, their current highest goal scorer, and a player who has the chance to become the national sides all time leading goal scorer. he may just be 23, but he's been turning heads for years and he could be the player they need to help push the five time champions back to the very top. I'm talking of course about Barcelona striker Neymar! The Barcelona star has really showed the world what he can do, but he has been a prospect on the shores of Brazil for years! Between 2009 - 2013, while playing for Santos in the Liga do Brazil, Neymar scorer 54 goals in 103 games, averaging 0.52 goals a game, an incredible record for someone who started at the age of 16. Neymar also had brilliant success at youth level, especially for the national side. Working his way from the under 17's side to the first team in the space of a year! And his success internationally hasn't stopped in the first team, the current number 10 has scored 46 goals in 67 games which is 0.67 goals a game, another incredible record especially on the national stage. This record makes Neymar the fifth all time goal scorer in the countries history, and gives him the fourth best goal to game ratio, an incredible feat considering the Barcelona front man could have up to 10 years left representing the national side. Neymar is also currently setting the world alight for Barcelona, with 34 goals in 64 games, a amazing record considering he plays out wide, mainly providing for Lionel Messi. There is no doubt that Neymar is a world beater, a future Brazilian footballing legend, and the man to help save the national side.

For the last decade, the Brazilian national side have mainly been relying on the same group of players who, despite their class, have ages and became unable to perform at the level needed for the South American's to compete with the world's elite at the level they should be. However recently the new manager, former player Dunga, has started to integrate a handful of new players into the squad, players who have the potential to help grow the national side and possibly see the Brazilian squad get back to the  pool of exceptional talent we have became accustom to in the last 70 years. Liverpool midfielder Philipe Coutinho is a player who has really gained a lot of attention in the football world recently. With a combination of incredible goals, amazing assists, jaw dropping pieces of skill and an exceptional show of passion, the Liverpool number 10 has earned the majority of his 13 international caps in the last couple of seasons, and the increase in attention has even earned him a nomination for the European golden boy award (eventually won by Paul Pogba). Throughout his career, Coutinho has earned much acclaim from top figures in Brazilian football and has been spotlighted as a future world beater, and at the young age of 23 the Liverpool play maker looks set to represent his country for many years and perhaps help get Brazil back to the glory days in a big way!

One thing Brazil have always had is a ball playing defender, you can go as far back as world cup winning captain Carlos Alberto, scoring one of the best goals in world cup history in 1970 to show how Brazilian defenders play a big part in the sides offence! The most recent member of the squad to adapt this role is David Luiz, but although the PSG defender is loved in his homeland, to fans who aren't natives of Brazil can see he really doesn't fit the bill. One up and coming defender who could fill those shoes is another PSG man, Marquinhos. The former Roma centre back was the most expensive teenager in the world until this summer just gone, and it is easy to see why. He looks incredibly comfortable on the ball, and is able to put in a very strong challenge and fill certain old fashioned defender responsibilities. Marquinhos is a player with tons of potential, and former Brazil captain Thiago captain has taken him under his wing, saying he may be the national teams future captain. This young defender could go a long way to helping the current Brazil side get back to the top.

Recent history makes mostly grim reading for fans of Brazilian football. With their sides consistently struggling to compete with the worlds elite it looked like Brazil could be right in the middle of a baron period for the five time champions. But signs of improvement have started to show recently, Barcelona star Neymar is improving every day and is looking like a possible future Balon D'or is on the cards. The squad is finally getting an injection of life that its needed for years, with players such as Philipe Coutinho leading the new look national team. And the famous ball playing Brazilian centre back looks to have finally returned in younger Marquinhos. Now no one can tell for sure if we will see the same sort of side that Pele lead to immortality in the 1950's,60's and 70's ever again, but one thing we do know is the potential is certainly there. The five time world champions are on their way back to the top table of world football!

Messi or Ronaldo? - The most common question in football

"I was the last winner of the Ballon D'or to be born on earth." - Kaka. When the Brazilian won the world player of the year award in 2007, no one could imagine what would happen next. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would take over the world of football. Lets put it into perspective for anyone who doesn't understand the Ballon D'or, the winner is officially the best player in the world, up until Kaka's win in 2007 no one had dominated the award since the days of Michel Platini, winning three Ballon D'ors back in 1983, 84 and 85. No one would imagine this award of footballing excellence would be dominated in that fashion ever again. Here is how the Ballon D'or has gone since 2008. Cristiano Ronaldo - 2008, Lionel Messi - 2009, Lionel Messi - 2010, Lionel Messi - 2011, Lionel Messi - 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo - 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo 2014. The dominance by these two men is one we have never seen before, in the last seven seasons these two players have broken every record in the history of the Ballon D'r, with Messi becoming the only player ever to win four in a row which evidently lead to him becoming the player with the most awards in history. Cristiano Ronaldo joined a very elite group when he won his third Ballon D'or, and in doing so he answered a lot of critics, many people though he would never win the famous golden trophy again after Messi retained it for four straight years but he did win it again, and he went one better the next year, and retained it! So as 2015 draws to a close the question will once again be asked. Messi or Ronaldo? Will Ronaldo draw level with Messi? or will the Argentine pull away from the pack? I will compare both players 2015, both individual and team success, before i make my judgement on who should win the 2015 Ballon D'or.

I suppose it would only be right to start with the holder, Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo. The man who is currently in possession on three Ballon D'or awards is looking to equal Lionel Messi for the most wins in history, and this is something Ronaldo has been doing a lot in previous years, standing toe to toe with the Argentine. Since his first win in 2008, Cristiano has had to continue to grow his game and improve year after year to try and stay at the top, and after four years without a win, it appeared he may no longer be good enough to win the big one. However, in the wake of form he said was the 'best of his life' Cristiano ended his baron run and won the 2013 Ballon D'or, beating Lionel Messi and Frank Ribery, and for the first time in years, Ronaldo was seen in the same light as Lionel Messi. Ronaldo recently scored his 500th career goal, an incredible achievement for any player, and even more impressive when you realise he has scored the goals in a fraction of the games that any other who have reached the tally had done. The Portuguese international has came a long way since his days back in Portugal at Sporting Lisbon, where he was labled as 'too lightweight', now at Real Madrid he is seen as one of the most all round players in the game. 'The perfect blueprint' is a way Ronaldo has been described over the years, as he has continued to improve his game, and with a combination of pace, strength, technical ability, incredible dribbling, finishing of a world class striker as well as impressive endurance and cardio, Ronaldo is capable of player at full capacity, in almost any role, 100% of the time. Over the years perhaps the main criticism of the Real Madrid record goal scorer is that he is not very likable, seen as being very cocky and arrogant, as well as having a history of diving (especially at his time at Manchester United.) However since moving to the Spanish capital, Ronaldo seems to have really matured as a player and it seems to have had a positive effect on his form, finally now allowing him to be judged purely on his footballing ability.

Looking at the Portugal skipper's 2015, in terms of goal scoring Ronaldo just seems to keep improving! After a relatively slow start to the calendar year, he recovered his form very quickly and has carried it in to this season, with currently ten goals in nine games, including five goals in one game against Espanyol. Madrid's failure to compete with rivals Barcelona in terms of silverware could have a big effect on Cristiano's chance of winning his first Ballon D'or, but his incredible goal tally, hitting his 500th career goal and all round very impressive year means he is going into the ceremony with a big chance of retaining his title.

Now to look at the Ballon D'or record holder, the man with more victories then any other. Lionel Messi. The Argentine has shot to stardom over the last decade and is considered by many as the best player ever to play the game. His record with the World Player of the Year award indicates that well, with four silver awards, and of course four gold awards. Lionel Messi has spend particularly the last six years of his career breaking almost every record put in front of him. The Barcelona front man is currently the La Liga all time leading goal scorer, Barcelona's all time leading goal scorer, his tally of 91 goals in 2012 is the most by any player in history in a calendar year, Only player to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league, Only player to both score and assist in all 6 club competitions in a calendar year, most assists in La Liga history, top goal scorer in El Clasico history, the list goes on and on, with Messi holding a total of 76 FIFA recognised official records to his name, an unprecedented total which will likely never be matched. You'd think with the career he has had that Lionel's greatness was guaranteed from a young age, however, despite his talent being evident from the earliest footage of the Barcelona number 10, Messi was born with a serious medical condition, stunting his growth, an illness which if left untreated, would have made it almost impossible for Lionel to grow to a healthy height. However, the Argentine's obvious gift saved him, while representing the youth side for Neville's Old Boys, Messi was spotted by Barcelona, who agreed to pay for his treatment, as long as he moved to Spain and continued his development in the famous Barcelona youth set up of La Masia. throughout his time in the youth set up, the first teams big stars all noticed the obvious talent of Lionel, and it showed when, at the young age of 16, he made his first team debut which was quickly followed by his first team official debut at 17. Messi also became the clubs youngest all time goal scorer later in the season, scoring a sublime lob against Albacete from an assist by the then number 10, Ronaldinho. From that day on, Messi was a star in Catalonia and he has more then lived up to expectation.

2015 has been a historic year for Barcelona, which will increase and strengthen Messi's case to win back the Ballon D'or. Mainly down to perhaps the best attacking trio we have seen in world football, Neymar, Suarez and of course Messi. With 58 goals from Messi, the trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football. Towards the end of the campaign, Messi scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title. Among his 43 league goals that season was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, the fastest of his senior career; it was his thirty-second hat-trick overall for Barcelona, allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra as the player with the most hat-tricks ever in Spanish football. Additionally, as the season's top assist provider with 18 assists, he surpassed Luís Figo as the player with the most assists in La Liga,  he had made his record 106th assist in a fixture against Levante on 15 February, in which he also scored a hat-trick. Messi then scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the Copa del Rey final on 30 May, achieving the sixth double in their history. His opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest in his career; he collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before feinting the goalkeeper to score in a tight space by the near post. Lionel and Barcelona dominated continentally as well as domestically during the 2015 Champions League season, winning their 5th title, allowing them to keep the famous trophy. On the way to their title Barcelona made light work of Bayern Munich, winning 3-0 in the first leg, with Messi scoring twice and assisted the other. His sublime performances led to him winning the best player in Europe award after winning the European super cup against Sevilla. A historic treble, with the added baggage of a super cup victory and with the World club cup in japan still to come, Messi has had one of the best calendar years in his career in terms of silverware.

While Cristiano Ronaldo's real Madrid will end 2015 trophy less, Lionel Messi's Barcelona will end the calendar year with  four, maybe five trophies, which is going to go a big way to deciding the winner of the 2015 Ballon D'or. So far in 2015, Lionel Messi has scored three more goals and provided thirteen more assists then Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country, with the added bonus of the amount of silverware he has won in this calendar year, I personally this the Argentine deserves to win his fifth Ballon D'or this year. However with Ronaldo having a better start to the new season, and with Messi set to spend a period out injured, the race is certainly not over yet.

The new boys - How the newest members of the Premier League are coping.

As the 2015/2016 Premier League season pushes towards the busy Christmas period, now seems like an appropriate time to see how the newly promoted sides are competing in the top flight of English football. Many newly promoted teams over the past decade have struggled in their first season, and have in some cases suffered relegation back down to the championship at the first time of asking. With the bottom of the Premier League famously being very tight, with many sides struggling to push into the top half, teams coming up from the championship now have as good a shot as any side to stay in the division. The tight competition, along side the apparent decline in quality from many lower Premier League outfits means that newly promoted sides are no longer the targets for the big guns as they used to be. With Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich City the newest sides to join the top tier of English football, I will compare each of their starts to the season, and give my prediction on whether or not they will stay up.

Many followers of English football describe the Championship as the hardest league to get out of in Europe. And with the title race, more often then not, going to the final day, and the battle for the play offs captivating the nation season after season, this claim is one which holds particular merit. So to win the championship is an incredibly difficult task, and one which requires a side to stand above the rest. AFC Bournemouth's performances throughout the season drew many compliments as they where being noted as the best footballing side in the league, and this led to them winning the title. When you consider that Bournemouth where the smallest side in the division and have a capacity of only just 12,000 in their home ground of Dean Court, winning the championship becomes even more impressive. For a side of this size, you have to wonder whether they could handle the Premier League, against some of the biggest and richest sides in the world and prior to the kick off of the 2015-2016 season, this factor had many people picking Bournemouth as their faviourites for relegation.

However, the performances from the cherries caught a lot of fans by surprise, despite defeats in their opening two games, the bravery shown in the performances, particularly away at Anfield showed the fans that they could fight to stay up! The following week AFC recorded their first win, a 4-3 victory over West Ham, with Callum Wilson firing in a hat-trick and instantly pushing him into stardom in the league. A steady run of results following the win looked to be showing signs of improvement for Bournemouth, however an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury has ruled out top goalscorer Wilson for the remainder of the season, which will have many fans of the side worried. In the last two game weeks the winners of the 2014/2015 Championship title where reminded of the quality of the Premier League elite, losing two back to back games 5-1 to Manchester City and Spurs respectively. After 10 games the Cherries sit just outside of the relegation places, a position anyone involved with the club would surely accept right now. The question is, without their star man Callum Wilson can Bournemouth survive in the Premier League?

The play offs are always entertaining to watch and perhaps throw up the best action in the championship season. The winners of this mini-tournament earn promotion to the premier league, and the teams placed 3rd-6th get the chance to fight for a place in the final at Wembley, with the winner being the third and final side to join England's elite that season. Norwich City are the side who claimed this sort after spot in the 2014/2015 season and earned their place in the top tier of English football. Out of the three promoted sides, Norwich are the team with the most recent premier league experience, after only being relegated to the championship at the end of the 2013/2014 season. This could possibly give an advantage to the canaries ahead of this season as they know what it is like in the premier league, unlike the other to promoted sides who boast very little experience between them.

Norwich where perhaps the faviourites out of the newly promoted sides to stay up at the start of the season, with a combination of top flight experience and having perhaps the strongest squad out of the three, Norwich looked in a good position to survive. In their first four games, Norwich managed only one victory, but the performances where there and improving, as it looked like the players where getting used to the standard of the Premier League. City then went unbeaten through September, with two wins and two draws in the league, as the team appeared to be jelling and picking up very important early points. However, the key to survival in the Premier League is consistency, and despite a very good September, Norwich have failed to pick up a single point in the month of October this season and with their last fixture of the month away at Manchester City, it appears like that trend will continue. Norwich are currently sat in 16th position, and will almost certainly have to improve their consistency if they will to survive in the top flight.

The final sides out of the newly promoted that I will take a look at is Watford. Quique Flores's side finished just one point behind Bournemouth in the championship and earned the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship. Watford spent a single season in the Premier League in the 2006/2007 season and despite playing entertaining football where relegated straight back to the Championship. Since then the Hornets have flirted with the possibility of promotion, with many play-off appearances, but they have always fell just short. Having finally secured promotion last term, Quique Flores has brought in a few big names to help strengthen his team and to increase the chance of survival. Perhaps the biggest being former Spurs midfielder Etienne Capoue, the Frenchman had produced solid performances for Spurs, which earned his much acclaim throughout England. This addition, a long side a few others, had left Watford in a strong state to start the season.

Despite taking longer then any other promoted side to register their first win, Watford where also the only promoted side not to lose their opening league game, not being defeated until 29th August away at Man City. After that result, the Hornets went on the collect back to back victories, and the points started to come in on a consistent basis. One win, One draw and One defeat in the month of October is a steady run of form for a newly promoted team, which sees them currently sat in 13th position, the highest of any newly promoted team. This early position will impress anyone involved with the club, and it is a sign of content for the side early in the season.

10 games into the season, the new boys in the Premier League have all shown relatively good accounts of themselves. With all three sides turning in some strong performances, they all have a chance to stay up if they can get a consistent run of results together between not and May. My Prediction: Bournemouth - Relegated (sadly) Norwich - Safe (but only just!) Watford - Safe (The top performers of the new sides in the league).

Premier League vs La Liga - Which is the best?

For years, the English premier league as been the undisputed king of football. Producing the best teams, the best drama, and the best competition. However over recent years the quality of football coming from our shores pales in comparison compared to that of the likes of Spain's La Liga.

In the 2007 - 2008 season the English premier league had all four representatives in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, and three of the four teams in the semi finals where also from the premier league, the exact same scenario took place in the following season. However in the 2014 - 2015 season not a single English team made it past the first knockout round. However in the 2013 - 2014 season, the final of the champions league included two Spanish teams, Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid. and in the 2014 - 2015 season Real Madrid and Barcelona both progressed to the semi final of the competition, with the Catalan giants eventually winning the competition.


The English top flight boasts to have the best competition out of Europe's elite, poking fun at leagues such as the Bundesliga & La Liga for constantly having one or two front runners year after year. However in recent years this theory can perhaps be proven otherwise. The premier league may claim to provide the best competition, but the title race in England has only really seen the addition of Manchester City in this century, with the 'big four'(Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool) dominating England, even with Liverpool dropping down the table in the last few seasons. Well if it was a battle of those said teams season after season England may still have a case for the best competition, as a five way title race is very rare in football. However it isn't as straight forward as that. Since the introduction of the premier league we have seen five different teams walk out champions, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. Now, if you remove the pre mentioned sides, only two other teams have featured in the top two of the Premier League (Newcastle United and Aston Villa), but like Blackburn Rovers these two sides have since dropped off massively, and are no where near the title picture.

Season after season the Premier league, which claims to be the most competitive of Europe's top leagues, is dominated by the same big names, however if you look deeper, the competition again takes a hit. Two of the 'giants' of English football have failed to win a league title in a long period of time, Arsenal have not been champions on England since 2004, and Liverpool have failed to win a title in the premier league era! This reduces the competition levels even more, meaning since 2005 only Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have been crowned champions of England. However, although Manchester United have won the most league titles since that year, in the last couple of seasons we have seen a decrease in success for the red devils, which has lead to Chelsea and Manchester City dominating the division. These two teams have won one Champions league title between them (Chelsea 2012), how can the Premier league claim to be the best league in the world if out of their two front runners, they have only one champions league title between them? When the Champions League is seen as the elite competition of European football. So not only do the English top flight sides pale in comparison in Europe's elite competition compared to other European league competitors in recent years, but it also fails to produce the 'competition' that had made it famous.

The main reason other European Leagues have, particularly La Liga, have struggled the stake a claim for the best league in the world is the lack of competition, between 2003 and 2013 Only Barcelona & Real Madrid won the league title in Spain, and this is perhaps the main reason for an argument against the Spanish top tier being the best in world football. Since 2009, La Liga has also had, without a doubt, the two best players in the world, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two men who have won the last seven Ballon D'ors between them. However many people have said that due to the poor quality of sides these two players where playing on a weekly basis, because of this, although those two players where playing of Spain's shores, it does not contribute to La Liga's argument to be the best.

However, just like the performances in the champions league can argue against the Premier League for being the best, it helps argue La Liga's case. In the last seven years, four of the seven champions league winners have been Spanish clubs, including the winners of the competition for the last two years (2013-14 Real Madrid & 2014-15 Barcelona). Being the top competition in European football, the success in the champions league by Spanish clubs really helps argue the leagues case for being the best.

Despite Continental success, until 2014 the argument still stood against La Liga that the competition level was far to low to be considered the best, that is until Athletico Madrid won the league title, at the home of the Catalan giants Barcelona, in the same season Athletico also reached the champions league final (losing after extra time to Real Madrid). In their attempts to retain their title in the 2014-15 season Athletico pushed city rivals Real Madrid all the way in the battle for second place, showing that Diego Simeone's side have the capabilities to compete with the best in Spain, showing that the competition levels in the domestic league in Spain is increasing. Also players such as Neymar, Luis Suarez, Garath Bale, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and many other big signings have helped increase the quality of players playing week in, week out in Spain. The increasing competition, dominance on the Continental stage, and outstanding class of players really makes it hard to argue against La Liga being one of, if not the best the best league in Europe.

Other leagues such as Germany's Bundesliga & Italy's Seria 'A' both also could have claim to the spot as Europe's number one league, but both perhaps are missing either the competition in the League, for example, Bayern Munich's dominance on the Bundesliga. Or the competition on the bigger stage, such as Seria 'A' , the Italian top tier only have had one finalist in the competition since 2010 (Juventus 2015).

In my opinion, the La Liga has recently became the out right best league in the world, personally i believe the dominance on the Continental stage by Spanish sides is to big to ignore, and the lack of success for English teams in recent years is the reason for them being knocked off of the podium. Will the Premier League ever get back to the top of world football? only time will tell and with Lionel Messi's Barcelona currently dominating world football, and Cristiano Ronaldo's goals leading to success for Real Madrid, La Liga looks like it could be on top for a long time.

 

The resurection of Seria 'A' - the Italian job

In the middle to late 1990's Italy's top flight was seen as the pinnacle of club football, with players such as Zinadine Zidane, Ronaldo, Alessandro Del Piero, Herman Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta, Seria 'A' was seen as the hot bed for footballing talent. However, despite relatively high levels of success between 2000-2010, the top flight of Italian football was in decline, both in its domestic competition and continental success. Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan won a historic treble in 2010 however, an aging side meant that the Italian giants could no longer produce against the other European sides such as Barcelona and Manchester United, the two sides that reached the next seasons Champions League final. With other front runners AC Milan stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva jumping ship to the French champions PSG, and Juventus still feeling the backlash of the 2006 controversy which saw the old lady relegated to Seria 'B', the Italian top flight looked set to sink into insignificants on the European stage.


However last season, for the first time in five years, the Champions League final included a Italian side. Juventus. And despite the defeat to Barcelona, the old lady's performance in the competition shows that the Italian league is still showing signs of light! heading into the 2015/2016 season, Italian sides have been very active in the summer transfer window, and it looks very much like Seria 'A' is getting back to where it was. Today I will be looking at the front runners of Italian football and trying to see if those sides look like spear heading an Italian resurrection in European football.

We'll start with the champions, the old lady, the most successful domestic side in Italy, Juventus. Juventus have won the Seria 'A' title in each of the last four seasons, and have really taken advantage of the decline of the Milan giants AC and Inter. The old lady became the first Italian side in five years to reach a champions league final in 2015, eventually falling just short to Barcelona in the final, however, knocking out holders Real Madrid in the semi-finals really showed how far the club have came since one of the darkest periods in the clubs history. Following a match fixing scandal in 2006, Juventus where stripped of their 2004/2005 2005/2006 Seria 'A' titles and relegated to Seria 'B'. With the Italian giants having some of the worlds top stars signed at that point, playing in the second tier of Italian football was just not good enough, and certain top players including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fabio Cannovaro, Patrick Viera and Lilian Thuram all left to find success elsewhere.




 Despite claiming the Seria 'B' title at the first attempt and achieving immediate promotion back to the top flight, Juventus would feel the backlash of their relegation for many years, struggling to attract top European names to join. This lead to the berlin based side having to promote from within, which in many ways turned out to be a blessing, with current first team players such as Claudio Marchisio getting their chance to shine. Italian striker Giovinco (now playing in the MLS) also forced his way into the team and was a solid starter for Juventus for a number of seasons. Giorgio Chiellini, who now is one of the outstanding centre backs in world football also found a new role in the side during the season Juventus spend in Seria 'B'. Many factors have lead to Juventus being able to recover their once great form since the 2006 incident. The continued brilliance of Italian number one Gianluigi Buffon, and the addition of world class players such as Paul Pogba and Sami Khedira have show that Juventus are once again a force to be reckoned with in Europe and despite starting this season weaker then expected domestically, a win away at English league leaders Manchester city on match day 1 of the champions league has shown that last seasons runners up have the possibility of going one better this time round.


Now lets look at last seasons runners up, A.S Roma. Roma have spent much of the last decade as a side that wasn't quite good enough, the side from Rome had to settle for Europa League (formally the UEFA cup) as a successful season. With many top players leaving Roma over the years, it made it very difficult for them to mount a serious and consistent title challenge. With first team players such as Eric Lamela, Alberto Aquillani, Jeremy Menez and Philipe Mexes constantly leaving the club, Roma had one constant, their club captain Francesco Totti. The Italian is a club legend, and is one of the most loyal players in world football, he has stayed at Roma throughout his entire career, despite many offers from much bigger clubs, offering much more money. Totti has been putting in fantastic performances throughout his career, despite his age, he is still the outstanding player in many of Roma's matches and is at large, a big factor in their resurgence of recent seasons.


At the start of the 2013-2014 season, Roma had a major over hall of their squad, with an incredible 31 players moving in and out of the Stadio Olimpico in that summer. And it appeared to have a major effect, with Roma finishing second in Seria 'A' and spent most of the season leading the way, only for Juventus to walk out champions towards the end of the season. The same fate awaited them in the following season, after making a brilliant start to the season, a poor run of form at the turn of 2015, saw Juventus again take over the side from the capital, and Roma failed to capture the title they looked like winning for a lot of the season.


A strong squad, combining the experience of legends such as de Rossi and Totti, potential of players such as Juan Iturbe, Kevin Strootmen and Radja Nainnggolan, has seen Roma recapture the quality of football which had been missing from Rome for a while. Rome right now look like the strongest challengers for Juventus's recent dominance of Seria 'A' and they have started this season showing the same sort of form they have been for a couple of seasons. A draw with last seasons treble winners Barcelona on match day one of the champions league has shown that they have the quality to really be a force in Europe, and help boost the quality of the Seria 'A' back to where it has been in recent years.


The final side I'm going to look at is the last Italian team to win the champions league, the 2010 treble winners Inter Milan. The reason I'm choosing to look at Inter instead of city rivals AC is because Inter are my tip to end Juventus's recent dominance. As I previously mentioned, Inter won a famous treble in 2010, becoming the first Italian side to achieve the feat and knocked Barcelona off of the top of European football by beating them in the semi-finals. Since the end of the 2009-2010 season, Inter have struggled to reproduce the form shown by Jose Mourinho's side. A combination of an aging squad, a lack of stability in the managers position and failing to hold onto star players has seen the side that had been dominating Italian football fail to qualify for the Champions League in any of the previous 4 seasons.


An 8th place finish at the end of last season saw Inter Milan reach a new low, failing to qualify for any European competition for the 2015/2016 season. This caused a drastic change for the Milan club, with many new stars being brought to the San Siro, as well as a large proportion of the squad leaving the club. With 39 players moving in and out of the San Siro in the previous summer, the squad that had failed drastically in the previous campaign, saw few survivors for the upcoming season, and it appears the changes have worked!


The additions of players such as Kondogbia, Miranda, Felipe Melo and Steven Jovetic has seen Inter win each of their opening four Seria 'A' games, leading to them leading the title at this early stage of the season. Without the distraction of Europe, Inter can spend all of their attention trying to regain domestic success and reclaim the Seria 'A' title.


Overall all of the sides mentioned today appear to be rejuvenating the Italian top flight and maybe soon we could see another Italian side leading the way in world football.

El Ca$hico - The Premier League battle of riches

Since the turn of the century the English Premier League has become over run with teams trying to buy their way to success. Without a doubt the two teams with the most success are Manchester City and Chelsea, these two sides have been the most consistent sides at challenging for the title in the last four or five seasons due to the amount of money they have spent in creating the strongest squads in the league.


Coming into the 2015/2016 Premier League season, Chelsea and Manchester City have won one each out of the last two titles, and have been named as the two favourites for this campaign. El Ca$hico as the fixture has been came to be known was first the first big clash of the season, with the Manchester club running out comfortable 3-0 winners, confirming their challenge for the title. Early on in this season the holders Chelsea have struggled to put in the performances which made winning last seasons title so visibly easy, the question is can they get back on track to retain their title, or will Manchester City keep up their early season dominance and win the Premier League title. Today I will compare these two sides and state which side I feel will win the 2015/2016 Premier League title.


Starting with the title holders Chelsea, Jose Mourinho turned heads with his signings at the start of last season, bringing in the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, these two player topped the league in goals and assists and played a massive part in their title winning campaign. However at the start of this season, unlike all their title rivals who have spent big to improve their sides, Chelsea had failed to add to the team that won last years title, with the exception of Manchester United misfit Radamel Falcao. Until late on in the transfer window, Chelsea completed the signing of Spanish winger Pedro, who put in a man of the match performance on his debut, scoring the opening goal in the 3-2 win over West Brom. However, this transfer period can without a doubt be declared as a failure for Jose Mourinho's side, as they failed to secure Everton defender John Stones, a man they chased throughout the duration of the summer. The reason this failed signing is having such an impact on Chelsea's season is the drop in form of former England captain John Terry. The Chelsea skipper has been a first team regular since the early 2000's in the Chelsea back for, but at the age of 34, many suggest that he may be past his best days. Many individual mistakes, as well as his first red card in five years is a big factor in why the champions are left with only four points after their first four games, the second worst tally at this point of the season for defending champions in premier League history.


In the 2014/2015 season one thing that was pretty much assured when Chelsea played was that the Belgium winger Eden Hazard would put in a solid performance for the blue, and more often then not, would play a big hand in a Chelsea win. However at the start of this season, the PFA player of the year has struggled to carry on the form from last season as this has had a sizable impact of Chelsea's performances so far this time round. The Chelsea number 10 looks much more similar to the Hazard we saw when he first arrived in England, unfit and unable to deal with the physical demands of the Premier League. Now I'm in no doubt that the playmaker will return to his previous form sooner or later, but the question is whether he can have as much of an impact on Chelsea's results as he did last season. If Chelsea hope to retain their title, they may have to hope their star man returns to his previous great form as soon as possible.


Now onto the worlds richest club, Manchester City. Sheikh Mansour's side have won two out of the last four premier league titles, their first since 1968, finishing second in the other two seasons, they have also secured one FA Cup and one Capital One Cup. They have done this by being the highest spending side in the league year after year, spending over £1,000,000,000 since Shaikh bought the club in 2008, it makes City the second highest spending side in premier league history (behind Chelsea), and they have done this in much shorter time then their closest rivals. After spending much of the previous two decades jumping between the first and second tier of English football, its a welcomed change of pace for the City fans to see their side at the peak of English football. Manchester City have also recently broke the premier league transfer record, signing Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg for an estimated £55,000,000, the addition of the Belgium international took City's spending for this summer to £153,000,000. Its spending like this that has made City one of the must successful sides in the Premier League over recent years, and its spending like this which has made them one of the top contenders for this years title.


Manchester City have started the 2015/2016 season at top pace, winning all four of their opening four games, including a dominant victory over champions Chelsea. With consistency being the main reason City failed to defend their title last season, this start to the campaign will put smiles on many City fans faces. The addition of 2015 golden boy winner Raheem Sterling, along side the returning Sergio Aguero, the Spaniard David Silva in some of the best form of his career, and the return to form of Yaya Toure has seen Manchester City play some of the best football we've seen in the premier League in recent years, and they look like the out right favourites for the title early on. Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany came under plenty of criticism throughout last season for failing to live up to the high standards he had set for himself through the years. However at the start of this season the Belgium international seems to have returned to the great form which has played a big part in City's previous two title winning seasons. Alongside new boy Nicolás Otamendi, City's defence looks as strong as ever. Another knock to City's campaign last time out was the inconsistency  of number one goal keeper Joe Hart. The England number one spent periods of the season on the bench due to his inconsistency, and this had a major effect on results for the Manchester side. However Hart has started this season with four clean sheets out of four, and looks back to his best. These are all factors as to why City look to be the favourites this season.


Due to a combination of transfer window success, and early form I believe Manchester City will win the 2015/2016 Premier League title, and in crushing style too. I am going to  make a prediction that the title will be secured before the 1st of May! However nothing is certain in football, particularly in England, we will never know for sure until the final whistle for this season is blown.

Euro 2016 - Can anyone stop the Germans?

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil showed the entire football world a lot of things. James Rodriguez is destined for greatness, Neymar can produce on the big stage, England are not as good as we all think they are, Spain's age of dominance is over, and that Gary Linekar was right. "Football is a simple game, 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win."

Germany showed the world the quality they possessed by almost effortlessly at times, walking past some of the worlds elite, including crushing hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi finals breaking many World Cup records in the process, before beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final to secure their fourth World Cup title. Portugal, France, Brazil and Argentina are all teams that had high hopes for a successful tournament, and Germany beat all of them clinically and efficiently, typical German football. With the next major tournament being Euro 2016 in France the question is... Who can stop them? That is the question I will be trying to answer today.


The current world champions have consistently been one of the dominant forces in world football throughout the history of the game. Four world titles and Three European championships just starts to describe the impact they've had on the world game. Throughout the years, Germany have produced some of the worlds greatest stars, players that would set the benchmark for other to aspire to, however perhaps a major point in Germany's success over the years is the abundance of talent they have to call upon at any time. Two of the best players ever to represent the German national side where Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer, these two great players featured in the same great german national side which went on to win the 1974 FIFA World Cup, defeating Johan Cryuff's 'total football' giants Neatherlands, with Muller scoring the winner and captain Beckenbauer lifting the famous trophy at full time. This is just one example of German national sides having many world stars in their side at one, even looking at the most recent German side from the 2014 World Cup win, the side included the highest goal scorer in World Cup history in Miroslav Klose who is also Germany's all time leading goal scorer. Lukas Podolski, who is the national sides third all time leading goal scorer and appearance maker, making him one of the most consistent and successful players to represent the country. Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Per Mertasaker who all, like Podolski, have made more then 100 appearances for the national team. Also you have to mention the man who went on the win the bronze award at that years Ballon D'or, Manuel Neuer, the goal keeper who is known as the best in the world. Other world stars such as Thomas Muller, the man who won the golden boot at the previous World Cup (2010 South Africa), Toni Kroos, the playmaker who had just signed for Spanish giants Real Madrid and has made an incredible 60 appearances at the age of only 25! And of course the Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze, the man who scored the winning goal in the final!


Now although a number of first team regulars have retired since last summers World Cup, the German pool of talent has just promoted many future world beaters to take their place. Liverpool defender Emre Can is tipped to be a future world class player, he has recently been called up to the first team in preparation for next years European championships. Marco Reus missed the world cup triumph with injury, but the Dortmund winger is one of the worlds fastest growing player, and he is a tip to star at the tournament. Finally Julian Draxler,the creative midfielder has been tipped for greatest through his entire career, he has already made 15 appearances and scored his first goal for the national side at the young age of 22, the Wolfburg star looks all but certain to be a first teamer for the German's for many years. So... who will stop them?


France. The French are hosting next years tournament and the hosts of major tournaments always seem to have an instant advantage, home field advantage. Despite poor performances at international level since reaching the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, France have a history of winning when it matters at home, with their only World Cup title (1998) being won when they hosted the tournament. A new influx of young talent is making the football world stand up and take note again, after a few years in the wilderness due to not being able to replace their stars who had led to such success in the late 90's early 2000's. The inability to replace Zinadine Zidane, Thiery Henry, Patrick Viera,  Robert Pires, David Trezeguet and many other lead to failures in major tournaments from 2008 all the way through last summers World Cup. However recently the French has been promoting a much younger side, a team including players who are tipped to be future stars and could revive French football.


Juventus youngster Paul Pogba is the winner of the 2014 Golden Boy award, an award with the goal of picking out the next big stars in the world of football. Pogba has been turning heads over the last few seasons with incredible goals and eye catching performances despite still only being 22. Pogba was also awarded with the 2014 young player of the tournament at the World Cup despite only progressing to the Quarter Finals. Pogba looks like he really could be one of the next big things in football, and after receiving many comparisons to French legend Patrick Viera, we could be looking at a future French captain in Pogba. Anthony Marital is now the most expensive teenage footballer of all time, the 19 year old has recently signed for Manchester United for an initial £36,000,000 and despite having critics over the price, the Frenchmen had started the season brilliantly, with four goals in four games, including the final goal on his debut against rivals Liverpool, a goal which earned him comparisons to the great Thierry Henry. Now it is much to early in his career to compare Marital to Henry, but the signs all look promising, and after appearing in both of the recent international fixtures, his first two appearances for the national side, Marital looks set for greatness and could be a star for France in next years championships. Another French youngster to watch for at next years tournament is Chelsea centre back Kurt Zouma. In his first full season with the club he helped them to a domestic double, earning early praise from fellow professionals for his mature performances despite his young age. Zouma has just turned 20 and appears to be improving with every performance, with this season the Frenchman looks like a first team regular for the English champions. A commanding centre back is something France has drastically missed in recent years, and Zouma could be the answer to their prayers.


Could this newly formed side of young talent bring about a change in the footballing world? Could the French be the next side to dominate international football? Only time will tell.


Holland. The Dutch national side is perhaps the biggest under achieving side in history. Considering the 'Total football' style of play revolutionising football and basically inventing the 4-3-3 formation, despite producing some of the best teams and the best players in history, The Netherlands have only ever won one major competition (European championships 1988). To put it into perspective, Holland have lost three world cup finals, the most of any national side to never win the competition, an incredible statistic which just shows how Holland struggle when the pressure is really on. However, their performance at the recent 2014 World Cup could suggest otherwise. Throughout much of the tournament, many people backed the Dutch to be Germany's closest rivals for the title, only eventually losing to Argentina in the semi-finals on penalties when perhaps they deserved to go through. On that basis the Dutch should be able to mount a strong challenge in France... If they get there. Despite being an early front runner, The Netherlands have struggled in their qualifying group as far. Now although they have struggled so far, you'd have to back them to qualify and if they do, the new look Dutch side could mount a real Challenge on the Germans.


The new Manchester United signing Memphis Depay could be a real catalyst of change in Holland, as he is one of the hottest prospects to come out of the country in years. The fee to United is a reported £25,000,000 and he has shown glimmers of the class which made the former Dutch manager Van Gaal spend that kind of money on him. Depay's style of football is one the resembles current Dutch captain Arjen Robben, one of the Dutch's best players over the last decade. If Depay continues with his development and grows up to meet those expectations, he could really help to push Holland to the top of world football. Holland have always been a side with class in abundance, particularly in its midfield, and the current side is no different. With veteran Wesley Sneijder still pulling the strings in the heart of the side, the young future stars of Holland's midfield have one of the very best to learn from. Davy Klassen is a player with a lot of hype surrounding him in the new look side. The Ajax attacking midfielder has had perhaps one of the biggest compliments you can have in Dutch football. Comparisons to Johan Cryuff. Now its far to early in the Holland career of Klassen to be saying he will be as good as the legendary number 14, but hearing those kind of things can only increase the confidence of the people of Holland, that perhaps a new era could be drawing close. One thing you cant do when talking about the Dutch national side is forget to talk about their captain. Arjen Robben. Some love him, some hate him but what no one can deny is that he has been Hollands best player for years, and despite getting older, is still producing the goods for his country every time he pulls on the famous orange shirt. Alongside Robben The Netherlands have a rich collection of veterans still producing for the side. Robin Van Persie, Klass Jan Hunterlaar, Wesley Sneijder and Nigel De Jong are all big names in Dutch football who are acting as teaching for the future of their national team, and keeping these names around for as long as they have mean that the young stars coming through are going to learn about the national side from the best.


Total football. An idea that changed football, but never gained to success it deserved, well maybe the new look Dutch side can finally bring their country the glory it has missed out on over the years.

The final side I will be looking at as a potential team to end the German reign of dominance is a side many teams backed as dark horses for last summers world cup but didn't live up to the hype. Belgium. A team with bags of potential, with a wide selection of stars of the footballing world and players who look like being future world beaters. Belgium have struggled on the world stage throughout most of the history of the game, with their best performance in a major tournament being finishing second in the 1980 European championships. Six years later they where knocked out in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in the most successful period in the countries football history but the team they have put together now has a possibility of challenging that period.

The 'red devil's' side boasts a strong combination of experienced veterans and young players with potential to be great. We'll start with the captain, Vincent Kompany. The Manchester City captain has lifted two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one Capital One cup in the last five years so he is more then use to success and brings the winning mentality the side will need. At 29 years old, despite being one of the oldest players in the current team, the skipper is certainly going to be leading his side out in France next year and that could be essential to their success. Kompany received plenty of criticism last season with poor performances, however at the start of this term we're seeing the best of the big Belgian again and it couldn't have come at a better time with Euro 2016 right around the corner. Now onto the man I cant see ending his career without a Ballon D'or to his name, Eden Hazard. The winger has came on massively since his move to Chelsea in 2012, and he is highly regarded as one of the best players in the world. The current PFA Player of the year is without a doubt the Belgium national sides biggest threat, and threat which could see them turn over even the traditional big guns in European football. Despite a slow start to this domestic season, the Chelsea number 10 is without a doubt of of the outstanding players in the world, and on top of that, possess the potential to grow into one of the best in the generation. Hazard could be a catalyst of change for his national side, and lead them to their first major title next year in France. Belgium boast some of the highest potential stars in the world right now, and Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most raved about members of the current side. Despite a unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, De Bruyne has continued to grow, and after regrouping at Wolfsburg, he returned to the Premier League for a record fee of £55,000,000. While watching the midfielder it is obvious why Manchester City spent that money, his play style has earned him comparisons to some of the greatest play makers in football, his game as a whole is a joy to watch and one that looks set to keep improving. De Bruyne proved he can handle himself on the big stage at last summers world cup, scoring the winning goal in extra time again the United States, which is one of seven international goals in his thirty appearances. The Premier Leagues most expensive player could play a pivotal role in Belgium's future success.

With a squad made up of experienced veterans and high potential youngsters, the dark horses of last years world cup could pose a real challenge in next years UEFA European Championships.

If the German dominance is to come to a stop any time soon, these three sides may have the best chance of doing it. One nation under a rebirth, one nation trying to fix their underachieving history, and another trying to get a permanent invited to the top table of world football. At Euro 2016 i personally believe Germany's dominance will continue, however they will be pushed all the way by the hosts, France. France are my pick to end the German dominance over the next few years.

Battle for bronze - Who is the third best in the world?

Football is very much an opinion based sport. Who is the best manager? The best team? The best League? The best national side? These questions and many more in the world of football are up for debate, but one thing is without any doubt, and that is who are the two best players in the world. In the last seven years these two players have won a clean sweep of Ballon D'ors, Lionel Messi (4) and Cristiano Ronaldo (3), these men are by far the two outstanding players on the planet right now, and perhaps two of the greatest of all time. Every year, these two players split opinions on who is the best in the world, both breaking incredible amount of records, and both producing stats that in any other era would be seen as unheard of, yet these two men produce them on a yearly basis.

With Messi and Ronaldo being so far ahead of the rest of the field, the right to be called the third best player in the world has become shrouded in mystery, as no one man has made a claim for that title to be 100% theirs. That is the question I will try to answer today.

 There are many players who can stake a claim to be the third best in the world, players such as Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, James Rodriguez and Andres Iniesta are all players who are right up there, however I will be focusing on the three players I believe are the top contenders for the third place crown. Luis Suarez, Neymar and Manuel Neuer. I will be looking at both team and individual success for these three world stars and try to decide who deserves to be standing next to Messi and Ronaldo at this year’s Ballon D'or ceremony.

 Lets start with the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, Manuel Neuer. In the 2014 Ballon D'or (won by Cristiano Ronaldo) Neuer placed third, which officially makes him the third best player of 2014, but with those awards being nine months ago, you have to wonder if the Bayern Munich goalkeeper can still claim to be the world’s third best player. When voting for the Ballon D'or, the voters and judges take a few things into consideration, club & country success as well as personal performances. During 2014 Manuel Neuer was a big part of the Bayern Munich side which walked to the Bundesliga title, winning it in record time. His side also reached the Champions League semi-finals (falling out the Real Madrid, the eventual winners) and they finished runners up in the DFB - Pokal (German domestic cup), so on a club level the goalkeeper had a relatively high level of success. But the main contributing factors towards Neuer’s third place finish in the 2014 Ballon D'or was his international success. He was named in the team of the tournament in the 2014, and was also one of the stars of the show in Germany's winning campaign; he also won the golden glove for the tournament. During 2014, and in the couple of seasons before, Manual Neuer has been revolutionizing what it means to be a goalkeeper at the very highest level, playing very much a 'sweeper keeper' role. The unwritten rule over the years is that a goal keeper can never be the best player in the world, but after Neuer's 2014 he was very much within a shout of winning the Ballon D'or thanks to a combination of club & country success and the way he revolutionized his role.

 The next candidate I'm going to take a look at is Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan striker has massively improved his game in the last few years, leading to masses of individual success, and success at a club & international level. At the end of the 2015 Champions League, Suarez was placed second in the UEFA best player awards (losing to Lionel Messi), beating Cristiano Ronaldo who came in at third. Over the past few seasons individual awards have been plentiful for the Barcelona striker, in the 2013/2014 season, while at Liverpool, Suarez picked up the PFA Player of the year award, football writers player of the year award,  as well as finishing joint first in the UEFA Golden boot, with 31 goals. Suarez's Premier league tally of 31 is a joint record, and he did it without taking a single penalty all season, and missing a few games at the start of the season with suspension. But that brings me on to Suarez's weakness, his reputation. Over the years Luis Suarez has been involved in a lot of controversial situations many believe has hindered his individual success in the Ballon D'or, where despite his success in 2014, he wasn't even nominated for the title of the worlds best player. Suarez has been caught biting an opposition player three times, once while at Ajax which lead to an 8 game ban, once while at Liverpool which lead to a 10 game ban, and most controversially in the World Cup game between Italy and Uruguay, which lead to a ban from all domestic football until October, as well as a 9 game international ban. Originally Suarez was not able to attend training due to his ban, as well as being unable to attend charity events, clue projects; he also received a stadium ban, meaning... he wasn't even aloud to be in the club photo! While those extreme simulations where overturned, it remains one of the most extreme bans in football history. Not long after receiving the ban, Suarez was signed by Barcelona for a reported £75,000,000, although the number tends to vary. The season following his transfer saw Suarez play a key role in a historic treble for the Catalan giants Barcelona, and at the start of the 2015/16 season, he has already helped Barcelona secure the UEFA super cup title, taking his tally at Barcelona to four trophies in under a year! At an international level Suarez has also had levels of success, guiding Uruguay to the Copa America title in 2011, in which he won the player of the tournament.  Despite his controversial career, Suarez's levels of success individually and at a club & international level over the past few years, gives him a very strong case for the title of third best player in the world.

 And finally, the third world star I will be looking at today with a claim to the title of the world’s third best player is a player who many believe is one of the most gifted players of his generation, the Brazilian star Neymar. A player who has been hyped for greatness since a very early age, Neymar is very much in with a claim for the title of the worlds third best footballer. Now while Neymar is considerably younger then the two candidates I have looked at so far, he has used his time well and is one of the fastest growing stars in football. Neymar moved from Brazilian side Santos to Barcelona at the start of the 2013/2014 season, for a transfer fee that to this day is still debated, the fee released by Barcelona was 51,100,000 euros, however reports claim that the deal was in fact a world record transfer fee of 130,200,000 euros, however whether this will be proven is a completely different question. At a club level since Barcelona, Neymar has scored 54 goals in 92 games, a very impressive strike rate for a player who spends most of his time on the wings. Like the previous candidate Luis Suarez, Neymar played a very large part in Barcelona's largely successful 2014/2015 season, scoring in the Champions League final and the Copa Del Rey (Spanish domestic cup) final, proving that he has the quality to perform in the big games, a question commonly asked to young players at the biggest stage. As well as success at a club level, Neymar's international success is perhaps the reason he is seen as one of the world’s stars. At just the age of 23, Neymar has played 65 games for his country, scoring 44 goals, placing him fifth on the all-time record of Brazilian goal scorers. Neymar has provided goals for his country at every level, as has proven he can live up to the hype on the biggest stage of them all, the FIFA world cup. In the 2014 World Cup, Neymar won the bronze boot after finishing third top goal scorer with four goals, however Neymar was injured in the quarter final victory vs Columbia, meaning he was unable to complete the competition. Neymar collected four assists in the competition as well and was named in the team of the tournament. Neymar also lead Brazil to the 2013 Confederations Cup title, winning the golden ball as player of the tournament, and winning the bronze boot. Neymar's success at both club and international level shows he is without any shadow of doubt, a world star and at such a young age, he looks set to just get better and better!

 All three of these players have a very strong argument for being the third best in the world. Manuel Neuer's incredible 2014, and the way he has revolutionized the way we look at goalkeepers means it’s impossible to leave him out of this list. Luis Suarez's genius on the ball has lead his club and country to incredible amounts of success, as well as his goal scoring and all round play leading him to the most individual success on this least. And finally the Brazilian wonder kid Neymar, a player without a doubt who was born with a gift, his international record at such a young age is unheard of and he is almost certain to just keep getting better.

 After going over all of the arguments I personally believe that Luis Suarez has the biggest claim to the third best player in the world title, I believe his incredible success at every level over the last few seasons is just too hard to ignore.

Welcome:

My name is Harry Palfreyman, I am a massive football fan with the future goal of being a sports journalist, to give me the opportunity to travel the country and the world following the beautiful game. I am a life long Liverpool supporter and patriotic Englishman, who will always follow the three lions through thick and thin. I have a massive interest in all parts of footballs, from the players on the pitch, to the fans in the crowd, back to the chairmen and the chief executives. I have created this blog to inform readers about the goings on all around the world of football, from Manchester to Milan, from Southampton to Santos, from Newcastle to New York. I will also hopefully give myself experience in writing for an audience about the sport I love, to help me in future life. No copyright is intended on anything I use on this blog, I hope you enjoy reading my work. Thank you.