The World Stops For El Clasico

by Mohamed Haniff

Traditionally anyone who decides to write on matters such as football are taught to cast aside any biases they may have; in favour of a more objective and scientific approach to the game.  However the goal of this article is not to provide you with a tactical breakdown of how I think both managers will line up or highlight the key players in this battle; there are several  articles online that can give you all of that information, should you decide you absolutely need it.  What makes a game like Real Madrid vs Barcelona so special are the emotions which come flooding out during these moments; these games have given me so much joy and pain – though lately it has mostly been pain- that I'd like to  share some of these with you.

From the first moment I decided to support Real Madrid I knew I had to hate Barcelona noone ever told me why and to this day I don't know why, but the hate is still there; even if now it is accompanied by grudging respect and a tinge of jealousy.  Though as I've said I've hated them for a very long time, the first time I ever saw really saw this hatred between clubs manifested, was the Figo incident at the Camp Nou.  I was maybe 12 years old at the time and I had never seen anything like it, my 12 year old self was enraged and fed off of the tension in the stadium that night; in my head the supporters in the crowd that night were animals.  As I grew older I understood why the cules hated Figo so much, and the chants of “Figo pesetero” made sense to me; in a way I learned to forgive them.  This was however the first time I felt that hatred that I feel for about 4 hours a season; unless there is a special coincidence much like last season's unfortunate clasico marathon. 

I remember the first time I felt sheer elation in a clasico; it was the Champions League semi final and Zinedine Zidane had just lifted the ball over the onrushing Barcelona goalkeeper and it had nestled into the back of the net.  I didn't see a single replay, I was too busy bursting through my door and taking off full speed to my neighbour's house to see if he had just witnessed the same thing I had.  The game had ended 2-0 and I knew we had one foot in the door of the final, I could hardly sleep that night.  I have only felt that kind of joy three times in my over 10 year relationship with el Clasico; that evening in 2002 when Zidane essentially put us in the final; the pasillo (guard of honour) which Barcelona were forced to perform after we were crowned league champions before our encounter in the Bernabeu in 2008; and finally Cristiano Ronaldo's thumping header which gave us the Copa del Rey.  Each of these times I've felt like I was invincible, the kind of happiness I am sure could not be duplicated by any other football match in the world; in fact had Spain not won the World Cup I doubt I would ever have experienced even half of this joy in football outside of the Clasico. 

One thing I would come to learn about the Clasicos that 12 year old me was surely not equipped to handle; is that every year is not your year, in fact had I told 12 year old me that he was about to face more humiliation than joy in a 10-12 year span of supporting Real Madrid; he may have picked up a nice small club with no expectations and no Clasicos, Real Sociedad or Celta Vigo perhaps. However the unwarned and underprepared Mohamed Haniff wandered into the rest of these Clasicos full of hope.  Just as I have three moments of unbridled Clasico joy, I have three moments of not only sheer disappointment but utter humiliation; unfortunately for every ying there is a yang. 

Towering header from Real Madrid's star boy Cristiano Ronaldo

The first such moment came when Ronaldinho took us apart in the Bernabeu on November 19, 2005. 
I was 16 years old possibly  the worst age to be when this happens; something many of you may or may not know is that 16 year old boys are not exactly  beacons of maturity.  I endured arguably the worst taunts I have ever had to face in my life, somehow I survived; but I was scarred.  I comforted myself by saying, “well it was fluke one off”, something that happens every 100 years or so; again had I had access to a time machine I may have told my 16 year old self, the worst is yet to come, maybe you should just get out now, you shouldn't have to put up with this.  By now you may have guessed I wasn't visited by the ghost of Clasicos future, so I meandered into the wilderness; hopeful, naïve and stupid.

Then in 2009 Barcelona once again strode onto the Bernabeu turf and humiliated us, truth be told we weren't expecting too much from the match but even though by this time I was older and wiser, I still had that classic fan optimism, it was shattered that day.  We lost 6-2 with Gerard Pique my constant figure of hate getting on the score sheet, I probably would have died that day were I not at this time still away at school in Canada, surrounded by people who didn't understand how much the Clasico means.  Their consolation of “that sucks buddy” helped, but more than that they showed me that life still went on after humiliation, it wasn't constantly blowing up in your face once you learned to avoid the obvious websites and most importantly Facebook.  All I know is that without them that 6-2 would've traumatized me a lot more than it probably did.   I picked myself up and moved on, we had been beaten by a better team and this kind of result probably wouldn't happen again for another 50 years...how wrong I would be.

There's a thin line between pain and ecstacy

On November 29^th 2010, I found myself living with a Barcelona fan in an apartment in the capital city of Canada.  We both rushed home from school to watch the game in separate quarters too nervous to be around each other, then it happened.  Goal after goal flew past Iker Casillas, at 4-0 my stream froze and I heard my roommate just say the words “sorry, Jeffren scored.” It was officially a manita, to his credit he didn't rub it in my face but it still stung like hell, mostly due to that blind optimism I had carried into the match on the back of the allure of the special one.  It still hurts a little but more like the reopening of a wound as opposed to someone actually driving a knife into my heart.

This brings me to Saturday December 10^th 2011,  the truth is the Clasico has scarred me more than it has brought me joy in my time as a Real Madrid fan, by now I should be numb to its effects, but this still has been the longest week of my life.  I still hold out some kind of faint hope that we can pull out a win in the Bernabeu despite the prior humiliation.  We come into the game as favourites but Barcelona will always lift their game for a Clasico and in my mind Pep Guardiola is one of the true geniuses of football, so I am truthfully not expecting much; more like desperately hoping.  This could just be another bout of youthful ignorance, but I think we can actually do it on Saturday and finally beat Barcelona under Guardiola in the league. Perhaps my 32 year old self will be writing an article about how clueless he had been at 22; only time will tell.

All I know is that despite being invited to an all day 80^th birthday party being hosted by a dear friend of my family; by the time that ball kicks off at the Santiago Bernabeu I will be firmly planted in front of a television.  You won't get a prediction out of me but if my experience in the Clasico has taught me anything, hope for the best, but expect the worst , as the cliché goes. 

If I could go back to my 12 year old self, stop him in the street after that Zidane goal and warn him of all that was to come, I'd still tell him to stick with it because the victory is so much sweeter when you go through the humiliation, the insults and the bruises.  When you kick it all off and you get to relive that feeling you felt when you were 12 years old, you remind yourself that without the lows there can be no highs.  I know what rock bottom looks like and now I'm just waiting to see heaven again, whether it be this weekend or when I'm 64.

           

Analysis Of Barcelona’s 3-4-3 Formation Against Villarreal: Poetry In Motion

Youtuber allasFB2 has created a wonderful analytic video on the tactics employed in Barcelona's 3-4-3 formation.  This was Barca's first game of the 2011-2012 season against a rather poor Villareal side.

The video makes it even more abundantly clear as to why Barcelona are considered the best team in the world, as it shows their understanding of the player roles, movement and chemistry they have forged under Pep Guardiola.

Barca went on to a well deserved 5-0 win.



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The Future of England lies on their 5 lucky stars

For a very long time the England national team had attached to them a grubby reputation for being tournament chokers, and rightly so.  They never seem to fulfill the high expectations, and they never display the high pedigree we have been accustomed to see weekly in their respective Premier League games.



For the last decade, England have relied on the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and David Beckham. All of these players have had tremendous careers in regards to the many medals, silverware and personal achievements they have individually collected over the course of their sparkling careers, however, on the international stage they have always failed to deliver the goods.

This has led to ultimate frustration for many fans, including myself, and it has reached the point where it is time for the England set up implement a plan to introduce the young talent into the senior squad for the betterment of England's footballing future.

Introducing the following five fledgling players, while keeping the grit and experience of certain players can establish England as a young vibrant team that will be sure to offer more energy on the pitch whilst delivering a more attractive overall style of play.

Starting from the back:

Phil Jones in stride

Phil Jones - In this 19 year old, England can potentially have a world beater in their defence for the next 5-10 years, presuming of course he stays fit and maintains the high standards he has displayed so far in his budding. This season, he has been a revelation for Manchester United fans, with a string of dynamite, swashbuckling performances. He looks like he has been a United player for years.

Thus far Jones has displayed the ability to tackle strong; he possesses good pace, an excellent leap for heading, a keen eye to read the game and he is built like an ox to deal with the many types of players he will come across in his exciting future. His confidence is high, his boldness and natural leadership on the pitch is innate and England should address their problems from the back coming forward and starting here.

Smalling training with the England Under 21 squad

Chris Smalling - With this 21 year old lad, England have the perfect complement for Phil Jones. Smalling is surely the silk to Jones's steel.  He is a fantastic athlete with great pace and equal strength, but also possesses a good touch for a defender. Chris Smalling would prove a great asset to England and could be the future to Rio Ferdinand's Jersey for club and country.

Wilshere's future for England may not look this glum..

Jack Wilshere - Wilshere is the future of England's midfield and the odds are high for him to inevitably develop into a true star of world football. There is no doubt of his limitless talent, and that was only proven again in his terrestrial performances against, unarguably the best team in Europe and perhaps the world, Barcelona.

In the showdown, he was Arsenal's best player by a league, being the ventriloquist in midfield, pulling the strings and dictating the play like a sure veteran. Wilshere's sharp vision for a player his age  is a phenomenon quite rare.  Couple this with his ability to weight the perfect pass, and we know that he surely has a glittering  career in the sport. He is the ideal candidate for England's engine room as their terribly ineffective long ball style of play is destined to be changed.

Cool, calm and collected.

Tom Cleverley - With Tom Cleverley, England has a dynamic and versatile midfielder that can comfortably appear across anywhere in midfield. Despite his attacking passing ability not being in the same class as his England counterpart Jack Wilshere, he still exhibits great patience and confidence in his talent. He is a simple yet extremely effective footballer.

He received rave reviews for his prior two loan spells and has continued his first season in the Old Trafford starting squad  in the same fashion. For England, he would bring a simple pass and move tempo that would assist them in building a much needed passing game. He has a pretty good engine and usually finds himself in both boxes which, of course could only be a bonus.

Welbeck may well be England's golden boy in the coming years

Danny Welbeck - For years England have waited for a partner for Wayne Rooney. Too often Rooney had to lead the attacking line on his own as his plethora of partners which were experimented with by Capello, were never very effective. However, in Danny Welbeck, England are certain of what they are getting. A strong, fast lad with a deft touch who is more sparing on the ball and doesn't need it at his feet constantly. He can play great off the ball which is exactly what Rooney needs in a partner, take Javier Hernandez as an example. Offering a good physical presence in England's attack, his muscular, sweaty body can surely wriggle itself onto the end of a set piece.

All in all, the England national team has been a huge disappointment for decades, however with this emerging new crop all hope isn't lost, with the right management, the Three Lions have a pretty strong future.