Finding the Perfect Balance

After watching the first legs of the Champions League semifinals, I have concluded that this year's semifinalists represent a very broad tactical spectrum. What I mean by this is that the teams range in style from very stiff upper-lip, no-nonsense, defensive minded football on the one hand, to a very free-flowing, more attacking game on the other.

On the ultra-conservative side, we have Chelsea, whose display yesterday was more Mourinho-esque than any game I ever saw them play during the Special One's reign at Stamford Bridge. As both a football purist and a promoter of the EPL as the best league in the world, I was almost embarrased to watch them at times. For those of you who were fortunate enough to miss the game, here is a quick recap: Chelsea sat back for 90 minutes often with 10 men behind the ball, watching Barca's magicians strike the ball around the pitch with such ease that they seemed at times to be going through a training drill. On the rare occasion when Chelsea did end up with possession, they immediately launched it up to Didier Drogba, who was much too isolated to pose any sort of threat. Chelsea's play was in stark contrast to their smooth, attacking football on display under Luis Filipe Scolari earlier in the season. The aesthetically tempting creativity of Deco and Joe Cole has been replaced by Gus Hiddink's utterly boring and defensive-minded philosophy. It is possible that Hiddink's tactics may actually work out in the end and we will all hail him as a tactical genius, but on the evidence of yesterday's display, Chelsea will never get out of their own half, much less defeat a far superior Barcelona team during the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

On the opposite end of my tactical spectrum is Arsenal. Guilty of even overplaying at times, the Gunners have produced some stunning football this year. The midterm arrival of Andrei Arshavin has more than compensated for the loss of the equally stylish Cesc Fabregas to injury earlier in the season. Even as a Man Utd supporter, I  lament the fact that Arshavin is cup-tied and therefore cannot play for Arsenal in the CL; he is truly a pleasure to watch. For all their attractive play, Arsenal have many problems of their own. They have a complete lack of discipline at the back, and they really lack a Michael Essien or Jon Obi Mikel type machine to safeguard their often shaky back four. On top of this, many people have commented on their lack of experience. Their average age is very, very young and they are captained by a 21-year-old whose big game experience is very limited. On the whole, Arsenal have been lovely to watch but are largely ineffective.

So what then is the perfect balance? I believe both Manchester United and Barcelona represent the perfect balance in football, and I expect both teams to advance to the finals in Rome because of it. Let's start with Barcelona. Their attacking flair is unquestionable, as they have netted an astounding 94 times in the Spanish Primera, and boast the world's best player in Lionel Messi. What differentiates Barca from say, Arsenal is that they maintain a solid, experienced back four to compliment their attacking style. This lethal combination of attacking style and defensive stability make Barcelona perhaps the best team in the world. Current World Champions Manchester United play with similar balance. More so this season than in past seasons, their balance has been rooted in an absolutely rock solid defense, epitomized by super-Serb Nemanja Vidic. United's attack has clearly fallen off from the poetic interplay of last season, but they still have a dizzying array of offensive weapons. Cristiano Ronaldo has been dissapointing after the heights he reached last year, but the supporting cast of Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov, and especially Michael Carrick have helped carry the load. If anything I would say United's attack is more evenly spread this season, and with an often impenetrable defense to match, I would say Man U, much like Barcelona, represent the perfect balance in footballing style.

For me, Arsenal and Chelsea are both far too incomplete to be crowned European Champions. I really do hope that both United and Barca progress to the final in May—for the good of the game.