Arsenal's 'Invincibles' - Why they weren't as great as you remember.

During the 20 seasons of Premier League awards back in 2012, Arsenal’s famous 2003/2004 side, more commonly known as the ‘Invincibles’, were voted as the best Premier League side in history.

It’s easy to see why, with top scorer Thierry Henry at the peak of his powers, Sol Campbell bossing proceedings from the back, and the pairing of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva dominating midfield, the spine of the team was unparalleled. Frenchman Robert Pires and maverick Freddie Ljungberg tormenting full backs across the country, no one could stop the Gunners.

This is how they are remembered by the vast masses, but not quite how they should be remembered.

Arsenal ended their 2003/2004 campaign with 90 points, which is no doubt a very impressive points haul for the season. Just 12 months later, however, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side finished their title-winning season with 95 points – five more than the Gunners.

So, if just 12 months after Wenger’s side finished with 90 points, Chelsea racked up more points then Arsenal, over the same amount of games, playing a lot of the same sides, Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ side were not as good as the champions that followed them.

In fact, Arsenal’s total of 90 points during their famous season is only the sixth-highest points total in Premier League history. With Chelsea ending the league season with more the 90 points on three separate occasions, and Manchester United doing it twice.

Now, moving away from points and onto goals, to be precise, how few goals Arsenal scored during the season. During the 2003/2004 season the North London club had, at their disposal, one of the greatest striking partnerships in the league’s history: Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Henry finished the season as Golden Boot winner with 30 league goals, and with the Frenchman leading the line Arsenal ended the campaign with 73 goals which, when put into context, is incredibly low for a title-winning side. In fact, in the 13 seasons that have followed the ‘Invincibles’, only on four occasions have the champions failed to score less then 73 league goals, and only twice in the last decade.

With such attacking power how did Arsenal only manage 73 goals?

Wenger and his side played out the end of the season to avoid defeat. Now, throughout most of the season, Arsenal went out to play and they went out to win. But it was later on in the season where this point comes into play.

Four draws from their last six games shows two things: going unbeaten was firmly on the minds of the players, the coaching staff, everyone who was involved with the club – going unbeaten was the priority. It also shows that playing entertaining football and sending the fans home happy was not at the forefront of the thinking for the men in charge.

In fact, in the last six games of the campaign Arsenal, with Thierry Henry leading the line, only managed six goals. That’s an average of one goal-per-game; to put that into context only one side in the ENTIRE division had an average of one goal-per-game that season. That side was Wolverhampton Wanderers and they finished bottom.

Invincible means, too powerful to be defeated or overcome. Despite playing our their league season unbeaten, in all competitions Arsenal found themselves on the losing side in some of their biggest games.

During the course of the campaign, Arsenal actually lost to three Premier League sides. Starting with defeats home and away to Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup semi-finals – Arsenal came into the game with their eyes on the first piece of silverware of the domestic season.

The opportunity was there for Arsenal to send out a message to the other top sides in England; that the Gunners meant business. It was clear that Arsenal were looking past Steve McClaren’s side, and the underdogs walked away 3-1 victors on aggregate.

FA Cup semi final vs Manchester United, another massive game for Arsenal. But unlike in their league fixtures, the game had to have an outright winner. Arsenal really went for broke during this encounter with their old rivals. But without frontman Thierry Henry the red half of North London lacked that cutting edge. That same cutting edge their opponents had in abundance and Paul Scholes scored the only goal of the game to send United to the final.

What was to follow was Arsenal’s biggest game of the season; a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. After a 1-1 draw at the Bridge, Arsenal welcomed Chelsea to Highbury – firmly in the driver’s seat with an away goal to their name.

Wenger’s men faced their biggest task of the campaign on the biggest stage, and only days after falling out of the FA Cup to Manchester United the chance was there for Arsenal to really show their class. And a victory against Chelsea would have given them a huge opportunity to capture their first ever European Cup.

On the night, however, everything that had come before in the league meant nothing. Wayne Bridge scored the winner for Chelsea as Arsenal exited their second competition in the space of a week; when push came to shove, Arsenal lacked something.

Arsenal did manage to go the entire league season without suffering defeat, an incredibly accomplishment; this was achieved with some rather dubious methods. Portsmouth travelled to Highbury in September 2003, and took an early lead against the Gunners.

While driving into the box, Robert Pires dived to win a penalty, which Henry slotted away to equalise. In the years that followed the manager himself openly admitted to Pires’ dive, whereas after the game the man involved came out and denied the dive. The French wide man said it was:

“…not the way he played and that he was not a cheat.”

Because they did not lose a game, the Arsenal Invincibles are seen as the greatest Premier League side in history. They went unbeaten, that fact is not debatable – but do the maths for one moment. You could go an entire season unbeaten, and still go down, finishing on 38 points – two off the magic 40-point target sides battling the drop aim for. Football is about winning, not avoiding defeat and the 2003/2004 Arsenal side played to avoid defeat throughout much of the key stages of their season.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger simply took advantage of what was a poor season in terms of standard of football to achieve what they did. Much like Leicester City in 2016, they won the title without being a truly remarkable team.

It’s unlikely that another side will ever go an entire Premier League season unbeaten. This is not because no side could ever do it, but because the very best sides don’t need to go unbeaten to be seen as the very best.

The next generation - Which teenage stars will set the world alight.

Lionel Messi replaced Ronaldinho. Cristiano Ronaldo replaced Luis Figo. Garath Bale replaced Ryan Giggs. Neymar replaced Ronaldo. Paul Pogba replaced Patrick Viera. Manuel Neuer replaced Oliver Kahn. Over the last decade we have seen some of the world best players hang up their boots, and standing in wait was the next batch of players ready to set the world of football alight! Whether the batch of talent showed promise from a young age, or worked harder then everyone in the club day in day out, the current crop of world beaters could compete with any that has graced a football pitch. No one thought Barcelona could follow Ronaldinho's success, and then a young Argentine forward came and revolutionized modern football. No one though Portugal would ever produce a better player the Figo, and the Cristiano Ronaldo followed in his footsteps and because one of the greatest players of this generation, surpassing Figo and inheriting the captains armband and the iconic number seven shirt. Ryan Giggs looked to be a once in a lifetime player produced on the British Isles, then Garath Bale showed the world what he could do before a world record transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu. When a top player passes their prime there is always a young talent itching to call themselves the best, but the question is. Who's next?

One of the most talked about talents in world football now is Martin Ødegaard, so it only seems fitting to start with him. In January of 2015 the Norwegian international signed for Real Madrid, less than a month after his SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY! Yes, this wonder kid is 17, turning 17 on the 17th December last year. At the age of 15 Ødegaard made his international debut, becoming the youngest player to play for Norway at senior level, at 15 years and 253 days. This is just one of the incredible records the youngster set before his move to Madrid. Martin became both the youngest player ever to feature in the Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top tier, and then just over a month later became the youngest goal scorer in the leagues history. These remarkable accomplishments have lead to the young midfielder attracting the interest of some of Europe's top teams, which lead to Ødegaard training with Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and the Norwegian also visited Arsenal, this was all before he eventually signed with Los Blancos. Upon arrival the 16 year old was moved into the second team, managed by Zinadine Zidane, to continue his development by gaining more game time. However Ødegaard trained with the first team, and top stars such as Ronaldo and Bale have commented on how impressed they are with the youngster! On 23 May, in the final fixture of the first teams season, he made his debut for Real Madrid, coming-on as a 58th-minute substitute for hat-trick scorer Cristiano Ronaldo in an eventual 7–3 home win over Getafe CF. He became the youngest debutant in the history of the club at 16 years and 157 days old. Martin Ødegaard has showed during his time at Madrid that he has what it takes to be a big star in the future, if he continue to sky rocket to the top at the speed he has so far, it’s almost inevitable that he will be seen as one of the best in the world in the coming years. 

The second player I back to be a future world beater is one who has came in and out of popular media in the last few years, due to some of the incredible goals he scored during youth teams games for AC Milan and Italy. Hachim Mastour. Much less is known about the 17 year old compared to Martin Ødegaard, but this could be a good thing, as it could avoid over confidence and arrogance developing which tends to be common in young super stars. Mastour signed for AC Milan for £400,000 at the young age of 14 after showing incredible potential. Hachim appeared for Italy under 16's 6 times, scoring one goal, making his debut in 2013 at the age of 15. He has since decided to play his full international football with Morrocco after being eligable for both nations. He made his full international debut in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group F match against Libya at the Stade Adrar in Agadir, replacing Nordin Amrabat for the final two minutes of the 1–0 victory. In doing so, he became Morocco's youngest ever senior international player, aged 16 years old and 363 days. Mastour has appeared for AC Milan's first team only in friendly matches, and is currently on loan to Spanish side Malaga, where he made his first team professional debut on the 7th November 2015 against Real Betis. Hachim's style of play has earned him early comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, which is big praise for such a raw talent. Unlike Martin Ødegaard, not much is known of Mastour, which makes him a much more interesting prospect for the future. One thing that is certain is that Mastour has bags of potential and if handled correctly, we could be witnesses of the development of a future star in the making. 


The third and final player I will be looking at as the future of world football has caused a lot of debate recently, a player with obvious talent and potential, but the question is if he can handle it. Im talking about the Belgian, Adnan Januzaj. Adnan is the eldest out of the three players I have looked at today, after turning 20 last year, however the young winger has been performing to a very high standard in the Premier League since the age of 18. Januzaj made his competitive debut for Manchester United against Wigan Athletic on 11 August 2013 in the Community Shield, he then made his Premier League debut a month later, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute in a 2–0 home win over Crystal Palace on 14 September. On 5 October 2013, in what was his first start for the club, Januzaj scored twice as United came from behind to claim a 2–1 victory away to Sunderland. Despite showing signs of class in every performance up into this point, Adnan's brace against Sunderland really did shot the young Belgian into the spot light, particularly the technique shown in the volley he scored for his second. Januzaj continued to show class throughout the season but also started to receive some criticism regarding simulation, and he picked up several yellow cards throughout the rest of the campaign which hindered the growth he made that season in the eyes of the media and the footballing world. As well as diving, Adnan Januzaj has had his personal life questioned, with suggestions that he has been letting his success get to his head, something which has stopped the growth of so many top young players. In the following season at United the winger struggled under Van Gaal and despite several top performances, has been loaded out the German giants Borissia Dortmund where he has struggled for starts behind German star Marco Reus. Unlike Mastour and Odergaard, Januzaj has showed his class on the big stage and now has to prove to the world that he has the ability to get to the top and stay there! 

The currently generation of footballing giants will be a tough one to top, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ruling the football world you have to wonder if the newest bacth of young stars can ever reach those levels. Odergaard, Mastour and Januzaj may be the best chance football has to continue to level of quality at the top, and despite all three players having their weaknesses, they all have the potential to do it. 

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.

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.