If there’s one thing English football has all the time proven, it’s that cash doesn’t buy happiness. The Best League In The World got knocked down a peg or two after 4 out of six clubs were knocked out within the Champions League this week, and an aggregate rating of 30-18 in favour of sides from the continent may have had fans asking: ‘Are we the farmers now?’
So… are we the farmers now?
Expectations were high. After the group stage the financial power and all-round strength of English sides was clear to see, our beautiful league head, shoulders and wallets above the remaining.
Nevertheless, in hindsight it’s easy to make a case that this was the most certainly final result.
Arsenal and Liverpool had the simplest ties and got through as expected. Chelsea have been in a dip recently and needed to face last yr’s winners PSG. Manchester City are more flawed than ever and were up against Champions League whisperers Real Madrid. Newcastle were removed from favourites against Barcelona and Tottenham, well they were just joyful to have a break from the league.
But hindsight is a simple thing and it’s the way wherein each team seemingly collapsed that’s notable.
Pep Guardiola complicates things again
Much has been made from Pep Guardiola’s tendency to overthink big games, especially big knockout games.
City have won the Champions League once in the last decade since Guardiola joined the club. They’ve been the very best side on the earth for many of that decade and may count themselves unlucky to not have more, but questions might be asked of the manager’s approach to the competition.
They were favourites to win against Chelsea within the 2020/21 final but left Rodri and Sergio Aguero on the bench for the primary hour. Monaco, Lyon and Tottenham have all beaten City over two legs amid some strange decisions by Guardiola – and his selection to change formation ahead of the primary leg loss to Madrid this yr looks bizarre in hindsight.
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Most young coaches look as much as Guardiola as an inspiration, so for Liam Rosenior to be knocked out after complicating things too is a fitting tribute.
Rosenior has been at pains since joining the Blues to take ownership over any mistakes his players make. After goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was at fault for 2 Arsenal goals within the Carabao Cup final, Rosenior said: ‘I made this really clear, when my players make mistakes, I’m accountable. That’s on me.’
But his goalkeepers keep making mistakes. Chelsea were well within the tie against PSG at 2-2 in the primary leg, before Filip Jorgensen handed a goal to Vitinha, and the remaining is history.
If Rosenior could have his time back, he might look to employ a rather easier variety of play.
Why did English teams get knocked out of the Champions League?
It’s easy to complicate things but you’ll have heard all the reasons by now: English teams play too many games, the Premier League is just too competitive, the variety of play in England isn’t suited to European football anymore.
The list goes on, but in knockout football having great attacking individuals (and a few luck) stays the very best solution to win.
In each tie, the team that went through relied on one or two stars that may conjure up a little bit of magic.
Newcastle and Tottenham lack that talent, while the likes of Cole Palmer and Erling Haaland were unable to make much of a mark. On the flipside, Real Madrid will all the time be a threat as a consequence of the power of Vinicius Junior, Barcelona can call on Lamine Yamal and PSG have a complete host of the fastest and most fun dribblers on the earth.
To channel this author’s inner Roy Keane, at the top of the day the teams that finished first and second in last yr’s Premier League are through after beating a team from Turkiye and a struggling German side, while people who finished third, fourth, fifth and seventeenth will not be after facing teams which might be just higher, each on paper and on the pitch.
Possibly the cream all the time rises to the highest in any case.
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