Top billings - 31 Jan - 1 Feb, 2012

The top billing of the week - Valencia vs Barcelona

Former Valencia player David Villa (R) of Barcelona greets his old teammate Pablo Hernandez of Valencia during the la Liga match between Valencia and Barcelona at Estadio Mestalla on March 2, 2011 in Valencia, Spain.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images Europe)

The first leg of the Copa del Ray semifinal clash between the Spanish heavyweights. An increasing gap at the top in the La Liga and ultra competitiveness in the Champions League mean that this Cup offers the only real chance for the Catalans to get a trophy this season to Camp Nou!
Fixture: 8pm GMT, 1st Feb

The top Billing of the Premier League - Everton vs Manchester City
With FA Cup action over the past weekend, the EPL resumes in the midweek.
Fixture: 8pm GMT, 31st Jan
Other good Fixtures: Manchester United vs Stoke City

The top Billing of the Serie A - Lazio vs AC Milan!
Milan are one point adrift from the top spot in the table and would look to keep the pressure at the top.
Fixture: 7.45pm GMT, 1st Feb


Another interesting midweek!!!

Rooney - Chicharito Partnership, The Magic for United

The United team this season has seemed to lack a play maker and many have speculated the addition of a big name to fill in a vital gap in the Red Devils' ranks.
Look back into the season thus far and there are a few important cues that come out coherently. Sir Alex has constantly claimed that he does not need to make any major additions to team. But most pundits (many self proclaimed) call this decision into question time and again. A deeper look into the team and its games over this season would show why Sir Alex cannot be wrong when it comes to the trade of football!

Consider this:
The Magic called Wazza and Chicha! - Sir Alex has played Ronney in many positions this season. That exercise has gone further than understanding whether Wazza can create a better play from the different positions tried. It has proved to be a yardstick to measure his effectiveness and bring out his best! Chicharito is known to terrorize defenses, a primary reason why he could cement his place on and dislodge Berba from the first team berth. The games this season have proven that Wazza can be the chief creator, but then without a dangerous striker, his efforts would all go in vain. The dangerous partnership that Wazza and Chicha have developed thrives on this very tenet. Rooney need not operate as a striker upfront. His role in the hole behind Hernandez becomes a lethal weapon that most opponents would find difficult to shield. A Messi or a Rooney or an RVP can be marked alone throughout the game, but a killer pair would become difficult to stop for even the best of the teams in the trade.
Wazza's creating and Chicha's ghosting are more than enough!



Nani's Brilliance! - One might think, what if Chicha is blocked just as other lethal strikers are in the modern game? That may be a valid question. But there is more to United than the lethal pair upfront. A creative Nani is another weapon in Sir Alex's armory and when unleashed to full potential can change the course of a game single handed. But that is not to say that Nani should alone shoulder the burden in a more telling game. If and when the Magical partnership doesn't click, a change in tactic to employ Wazza as front man and Nani as a creator would keep any opponent gasping! (Whom all will the ooponents mark - Chicha, Rooney or Nani??)



Valencia's super crosses and Jones' marauding runs cannot be undermined too. On the whole, there are plenty of channels and tactical measures under United's belt.

In Sir Alex's favourite formation of 4-4-2 United do not need to add any new creator. Relying on Rooney to sit in the hole, Hernandez to terrorize defenses, Nani to revel in creativity and the collective brilliance of the likes of Valenica, Jones, De Gea and in fact the Whole Team can help United reach the pinnacle and put behind it the Ghost of Champions League elimination!





Tags: Manchester United, Barclays Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd, Bayern Munich, Bavarians, Red Devils, Blues, Reds, Gunners, Rossoneri, Milan, Barca, Madridistas, Galacticos, Spurs, Champions League Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Nani, Antonio Valencia, Phill Jones, David De Gea, Sir Alex Ferguson, SAF