The Weekly Take, Issue 121: End-of-Season Special: Top 10 Moments of the Season

To say that this has been a truly remarkable season full of twists and turns would be an understatement. So much has happened during the 2019-20 European club football season that it is almost impossible to choose just 10 moments which stood out.

However, I have proceeded to do so. As you can probably imagine, so bizarre has this season been (both on the field and away from it) that some of the moments selected have never been seen before and will probably never happen again.

Antoine Griezmann signs for Barcelona (July 12, 2019)

Barcelona made a clear statement of intent during the transfer window by signing Griezmann for €120 million from Atlético Madrid. It was a transfer which at the time made Barça the favourites to win the Champions League for the sixth time.

Griezmann's debut season at Camp Nou, however, did not go according to plan. His nine league goals were his fewest in eight years and his form throughout the season was inconsistent. His Barcelona team also ended the season without any titles for the first time since 2008.

The impending departures of Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi, however, will make Griezmann the leader of Barça's attack next season; a role in which he thrived at Atlético. It remains to be seen if he can return to the form in which he struck dread into the hearts of opposing defenders all over Spain and beyond.

Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 Bayern Munich (November 2, 2019)

Bayern Munich started the season in abysmal form. They dropped points in Bundesliga matches against teams they were expected to beat handily such as Hertha Berlin, Hoffenheim, and Augsburg.

It all came to a head when Bayern were destroyed by Eintracht Frankfurt to cap off a run in which they picked up just four points in four matches and conceded 10 goals while scoring six.

However, as it turned out, this crushing defeat might very well have been the best thing that could have happened to Bayern because it led to the firing of head coach Niko Kovač. After Kovač was replaced by Hans-Dieter Flick, Bayern's season took off and they never looked back thereafter.

Ernesto Valverde fired as Barcelona head coach (January 13, 2020)

Barça made a somewhat surprising decision when they chose to fire Valverde. While he had not always delivered at the level which many had expected, he had up to that point done well enough that most assumed his job was safe.

However, a slump which saw Barça win just one match in five saw Valverde lose his job. This was seen as something of a risk, given the fact that despite the slump, they were still top of La Liga and in contention for the Champions League title.

Valverde would be replaced by Quique Setién - a move which would go on to have disastrous effects on Barça's season. Setién was neither able to properly utilize his players nor connect with them; this led to Barça's finishing the season with no trophies and Setién's own firing.

Serie A suspended (March 9, 2020)

Just like all other areas of life all over the planet, the football world was not spared from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italy was the first European country to suffer a mass Covid-19 outbreak. Thus, it came as no surprise when the Italian government suspended the league as well as all other professional sports leagues across the country.

As the virus spread across Europe, all other major leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League would soon follow suit. The season had now truly entered uncharted waters.

Liverpool 2-3 Atlético Madrid (March 12, 2020)

This match was notable for two different reasons. The first was that it marked one of the most impressive upset victories of the season as Atlético stunned a Liverpool team in pursuit of back-to-back Champions League titles, knocking them out in the round of 16.

However, this match also served as a major catalyst for the eventual suspension of the tournament. It would eventually be discovered that the match was the cause of 41 Covid-19 deaths while also accelerating the spread of the virus in the UK.

Not surprisingly, the tournament would be suspended shortly after and not return until August.

Bundesliga resumes (May 16, 2020)

Germany was one of the European countries in which the Covid-19 outbreak subsided earliest. Thus, the Bundesliga was the first of the four major European football leagues to resume play.

With every match held in an empty stadium and with appropriate social distancing protocols in place, great care was taken to prevent a resurgence of the virus which may have been caused by unsafe holding of matches. It would not be long before other leagues would follow suit.

Bayern Munich would win all their league matches after the restart and won the league title by a large margin; a remarkable turnaround after their slow start to the season.

Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City (June 26, 2020)

This match will be remembered not for what happened on the field, but instead for what happened to a team not playing in it because of the implications of the result.

A penalty scored by Willian ensured that City would not be able to catch Liverpool at the summit of the Premier League. It was Liverpool's first league title in 30 years.

Such had been the magnitude of their drought that most Liverpool fans had longed for a league title far more than a Champions League title in spite of the fact that it is the less prestigious of the two honours.

Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich (August 14, 2020)

By this point, Bayern had clearly established themselves as the dominant force of the club football world, while Barça were in complete disarray after having tamely surrendered their La Liga title to Real Madrid. However, no one could have anticipated what was about to ensue.

In this Champions League quarterfinal, Bayern produced a performance for the ages as the Bavarian club made Lionel Messi and company look like complete amateurs. It was Barça's heaviest loss since 1951.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, this result also led to the firing of Setién from his position. It also set the stage for one other moment to be mentioned shortly.

Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich (August 23, 2020)

Bayern completed their dominant treble-winning season by beating PSG in front of an empty Estádio da Luz. Just to rub it in for the Paris club, ex-PSG player Kingsley Coman scored the only goal.

The victory completed Bayern's second treble after having won it in 2013 under Jupp Heynckes. Regardless of what he does next at Bayern, Flick has forever etched his name into club lore.

Bayern unquestionably enter the 2020-21 season as the team to beat, especially given the fact that they are the only team in the modern era to have won every single match of a Champions League campaign.

Lionel Messi announces departure from Barcelona (August 25, 2020)

The season's final turn of events was not completely unexpected; however, it was perhaps the most noteworthy and game-changing of them all.

After much speculation, Messi finally confirmed that he planned to depart the club at which he had become perhaps the greatest player of all time. Messi had played for Barça since 2004, scoring over 600 goals and winning four Champions League titles.

Manchester City, PSG, and Inter Milan are the teams which are reportedly leading the chase for the Argentine. At the moment, it appears that City are the most likely to land him and thus reunite him with former coach Pep Guardiola.

The Weekly Take, Issue 120: Millions Well Spent?

When any team makes a major big-money signing, it is done with the idea that the new player will have a significant impact on the team and make them better almost immediately. Perhaps no signing exemplified this idea more than Paris Saint-Germain's acquisition of Neymar for a record-shattering €222 million from Barcelona in 2017.

Over three years later, it cannot be doubted that Neymar's time in the French capital has been nothing short of disappointing. The latest occasion in which the Brazilian and his club again failed to live up to the hype came under the brightest lights of all: in the Champions League final.

PSG missed their opportunity to win the Champions League for the first time in the club's history after losing to Bayern Munich 1-0. Kingsley Coman, a former PSG player, scored the goal which gave Bayern their sixth continental title and first since 2013.

Neymar, on the other hand, was a long way off his usual standards. He struggled against Bayern's defense throughout the match and missed a goalscoring chance which he had been expected to put into the back of the net.

This is not the first time that this has happened to Neymar. In fact, when assessing his career as a whole, the biggest criticism of him is this: he does not make his team better.

Consider the fact that when he was at Barcelona, he did not need to do any of that; Leo Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and others made sure of that. However, after leaving Barça to join PSG, the role of being the main option was thrust upon his shoulders. Since then, it has been evident that Neymar does not elevate his team; he has come up short on the biggest occasions time and again. A team like PSG in a league like Ligue 1 has to be judged on the strength of its Champions League performances rather than its domestic league ones; thus, not a lot of stock can be put into PSG's three league titles since Neymar's arrival. All the evidence since his his debut in Paris points to Neymar being unable to lift his team to new heights.

This is arguably even more true of Neymar at international level. I would even say that when Brazil won the Copa América last year, they did so because of Neymar's absence rather than in spite of it. This was in stark contrast to the Seleção's performances in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, when everything seemed to run through Neymar. They seemed to have no plan other than "get Neymar the ball and let him do the work" without actually considering what Neymar could do to most benefit the team.

There is no doubt that Neymar is an all-world talent; however, his playstyle and his fit with teammates, whether for club or country, tend to be mismatched. It's perfectly understandable that not every player is able to not only carry, but also elevate a team. However, when the player in question is signed for a record-breaking transfer fee which might not be eclipsed for another 20 to 30 years, you expect more than just "being a great player".

I'm not saying that Neymar has been a failure at PSG by any means. His goalscoring record cannot be questioned. If not for the fact that he is injury-prone, he would be a consistent 25- to 30-goal scorer every season. He has clearly established himself as one of the world's best strikers and has caused untold trouble for countless defenders in France and beyond.

However, as I mentioned, given the context of Neymar's acquisition as well as the fact that PSG would later bring in Kylian Mbappé for €180 million to partner him, you have to think that more would have been expected of him. Club owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi might very well be regretting shelling out such an extravagant amount of money to sign Neymar.

Some players are meant to be the alpha, while others may be remarkable talents but no more than that. As much as Neymar seems to believe he can be the alpha for PSG, the evidence to date clearly indicates otherwise. He is firmly in the latter group; while there's nothing wrong with that, it also means that unless PSG start building around someone else (perhaps Mbappé?), they are unlikely to ever win the Champions League.

The Weekly Take, Issue 119: Rock Bottom? Maybe Not Even That

 

It surely can't get any worse for Barcelona, can it?

The Catalan side were completely and utterly taken apart in an 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Bundesliga champions tore the Blaugrana to shreds in what has to go down as one of the most one-sided matches in Champions League history.

It has been a dismal season for Barça by their usual standards. This is the first time that they have finished the season without a trophy since 2014. They recorded their lowest points tally in La Liga since 2008. The last time that they didn't win the league while also failing to make both the Copa del Rey and Champions League semifinals? That was in 2004 (they weren't even in the Champions League that year, for that matter).

There can be little doubt that the bulk of the blame for Barça's failures this season should fall on the shoulders of club president Josep Bartomeu and his board. They have utterly mismanaged a team which had been the favourite to win he Champions League heading into the season. The club spent an enormous sum of money to bring in Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid, expecting the French winger to be the final piece which would take them over the top in their quest to clinch their sixth Champions League title.

Another major error was the hiring of Quique Setién to replace Ernesto Valverde as head coach. Valverde had endured a difficult season at the helm at Camp Nou and was understandably fired in January. However, his replacement turned out to be even worse. Setién showed a complete lack of understanding about the team's strategies and how Barça's players were to be best utilized. Setién was also never able to truly win the trust and respect of the players, and this in turn translated to the results on the pitch. Barcelona were nowhere near their usual level of play all season, but especially so after Setién took over.

Barça's struggles have even caused the likely departure of Leo Messi from the club. Such has been the ineptitude displayed by Barcelona's front office that they might very well have driven away arguably the greatest player of all time and the greatest asset that the club has.

On a related note, this Barcelona team is not one which is well-constructed, either. It is set up in such a way so as to be over-dependent on Messi. As great as Messi is, he isn't going to be in absolute peak form in every match. Thus, when he isn't firing on all cylinders, it's a likely loss for Barça. After Messi does leave Barcelona, this is the main problem which the club must address.

As things are right now, there does not appear to be much to be hopeful about in Barcelona's future. Unless Bartomeu steps down from his position, it is unlikely that the club's fortunes will begin to change for the better.

The fact that their crushing Champions League loss came at the hands of Bayern Munich is also interesting because the two clubs could not be more different at the moment. Bayern have been a well-oiled machine run in an exemplary manner for decades. Barça, on the other hand, have been mismanaged for much of the last 20 years. If a once-in-a-century generation including Messi had not emerged out of La Masia just when it did, Barça would not have even come close to achieving the level of success which they have in recent times. They have been carried by their academy; however, all have either left, retired, or reached the twilight years of their incredible careers.

Unfortunately, the reality for Barcelona is that there seems to be no end to their travails in sight. The club seems to have absolutely no plan for the future, and this time, there is no super-generation expected to come out of La Masia to save them. Do not be surprised if it takes several decades for Barça to reclaim the most prestigious honour in European club football.

Is it possible that Barça will find a way out of this sooner than expected? Perhaps, but do not count on it.

The Weekly Take, Issue 118: A Tribute to a Goalkeeping God

Goalkeepers are perhaps the most underappreciated players on a football pitch. It is they who often receive much blame after a loss, but seldom much credit after a victory. This is unfortunate because on many an occasion, it is the goalkeeper whose contribution often makes the difference in a match.

This week, perhaps the greatest of them all called time on his storied career.

After an unforgettable 21 years, 16 of which were spent with hometown club Real Madrid, and over 1,000 matches, Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced his retirement at the age of 39 via a statement posted on Twitter. The Spaniard had not played since April 2019 after suffering a heart attack during a training session. The announcement deservedly brought the football world to a standstill as former teammates and rivals alike as well as fans from all over the world flocked to social media to pay tribute to "San Iker".

Casillas' list of achievements speaks for itself. Three Champions Leagues. Five La Liga titles. Two Copa del Rey titles. Two European Championships. And of course, the 2010 World Cup.

Casillas is also the proud owner of many individual achievements and records. He has played in more matches and registered more clean sheets in the Champions League than has anyone else. He is the only goalkeeper to have ever made the FIFPro World XI five times. He won the Golden Glove at the 2010 World Cup after conceding a joint-record low of two goals over the seven matches of Spain's victorious campaign. He is the only player to have played in 20 consecutive Champions League campaigns. He is the only goalkeeper to have registered 100 clean sheets in international play.

When Iker Casillas first stepped between the posts in 1998, few could have foreseen that the kid manning the goal that day would go on to become one of the all-time greats. Almost two years later, Casillas would take his first step on his path to greatness when in his first season at Real, he was the starting goalkeeper as Real beat Valencia to win the 2000 Champions League title.

In the 2002 Champions League final, Casillas proved that he was as clutch as they come when he broke a recent slump by making numerous key saves to preserve Real's lead against Bayer Leverkusen to clinch the title for Los Merengues. It soon became evident that Casillas possessed a combination of physical attributes and mental intangibles which had seldom been seen in any goalkeeper.

From 2008 to 2012, Casillas was the starting goalkeeper as Spain won two European Championship titles and a World Cup. At this point, he had firmly established himself as not only the best goalkeeper in the world, but arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever. This recognition came in spite of the fact that his Furia Roja teammates such as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, and Sergio Busquets often received more credit for the tournament victories than did Casillas.

Casillas' greatest save took place in 2009 when playing in a La Liga match for Real against Sevilla after Sevilla's Diego Perotti took a close-range shot from an Álvaro Negredo pass. It looked like a certain goal, but Casillas not only somehow kept it out, but in play as well to even deny Sevilla a corner kick.

One underrated element of Casillas' game was his leadership. Casillas first captained Spain in 2006 and Real Madrid in 2010. His analytical and organized approach to matches was a steadying influence on his teammates. Casillas exemplified a true captain in deeds rather than in words.

Even after leaving for Porto in 2015, Casillas' love for Real never dimmed. Indeed, just a few weeks before officially announcing his retirement, Casillas had agreed to return to the Santiago Bernabéu, this time in an advisory role. Madrid's beloved son had finally come full circle.

Such has been Casillas' impact that ever since he hit his prime, every Spanish goalkeeper who has shown even the slightest bit of promise has been in his shadow. Almost any up-and-coming goalkeeper to come out of Spain will also inevitably draw comparisons to the iconic shot-stopper.

When discussing who is the greatest goalkeeper ever, there are only three who could be possible correct answers. The first is Lev Yashin, the second is Gianluigi Buffon, and the third is none other than Iker Casillas Fernández.

The Weekly Take, Issue 117: Maybe He Isn't the Guy

The latest edition of the FA Cup final saw London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea squaring off. In the end, two goals scored by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang led the Gunners to a 2-1 victory and their record-extending 14th FA Cup title. It also put them into next season's Europa League even though they had initially failed to qualify after a dismal Premier League season in which they finished just eighth.

As for Chelsea, there are several reasons why the match did not go as planned. However, in my opinion, the person who is primarily culpable for the Blues' loss is head coach Frank Lampard.

It is true that Lampard has definitely improved as a coach as the season has gone on. After a shaky start, the former Chelsea legend began to grow into his new role on the other side of the touchline. He clearly increased his level of understanding about how this Chelsea team should be set up while also getting the players to fully trust him and buy into his tactics and ideas; these points are notable because many Chelsea coaches during the Roman Abramovich era have struggled in these areas.

One glaring error which was made by Lampard was the omission of N'Golo Kanté from the starting 11. Although there had been doubts over his condition heading into the match after having recently recovered from an injury, he should nevertheless have started. If a team's best player is fit enough to be on the bench, that player should start. Kanté is too good to be benched for a vital match such as this one. The Frenchman's omission was made even more obvious after Chelsea's central midfield duo of Jorginho and Mateo Kovačić were completely dominated by their opposing numbers Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka. Kovačić was also sent off after a second yellow card following an unnecessary foul on Xhaka with Chelsea already trailing. It is highly unlikely that Kanté would have committed the same error, and it is also possible that Chelsea might have equalized if the match had remained 11 against 11.

Lampard's substitutions were also somewhat questionable. It should not have taken him until the 78th minute to switch out the underperforming Mason Mount and Antonio Rüdiger, who had both been struggling throughout the match. Substitutes Tammy Abraham and Ross Barkley showed more ability, heart, and desire in their short stints on the pitch than the two who were replaced by them. Lampard's decision to replace captain César Azpilicueta with Andreas Christensen after Azpilicueta suffered an injury also backfired. Christensen's defensive error was the catalyst that ultimately led to Aubameyang scoring the winning goal. Furthermore, given Arsenal's typical style of play as well as the flow of the match at the time, Fikayo Tomori would have been a much more suitable selection to come off the bench.

Lampard also showed a relative lack of tactical nous during the match. Arsenal are a team known for their heavy use of long through-balls. However, the Chelsea coach failed to adapt his team's strategy to counter this and went on to pay the price when such a through-ball resulted in Arsenal's winning goal.

It is definitely worrying that in the most important match of his coaching career thus far, Lampard produced an extremely poor performance which likely cost his team an FA Cup. Although this is Lampard's first season coaching at this level, it must be kept in mind that Chelsea next season will be a vastly improved team when compared to the Chelsea of this season. Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech will be welcomed to Stamford Bridge; Bayer Leverkusen striker Kai Havertz will probably follow in their footsteps. This will be a team expected to challenge for Premier League and even Champions League titles, but they will win neither if Lampard's coaching does not improve further.

I would not say that Frank Lampard will never be a good coach. He has shown signs of progress throughout the season and has not only learned a great deal but also put what he has learned into practice. Certainly, he is today a far better coach than he was a year ago. However, judging by his display in the final, one might wonder if he is indeed the coach who might lead a rebuilt Chelsea to a Champions League title.