So the Premier League is set to kick off and after possibly the most boring pre-season for years its that time of year when Leisure Leagues – the home of 6 a side football - makes its predictions as to the winners and losers come May.

In a summer where Managers have largely been cagey with the cash, Manchester City have been the big spenders in the title race and a lot of people are backing them to break into the top four this term. They might do that, but the question is: will that be enough for the billionaire owners.

Liverpool have got rid of Benitez, replaced him with Hodgson and made perhaps the shrewdest signing of the summer in Joe Cole. But if they are to mount a challenge they will need Torres to stay fit and – perhaps even more crucial – Steven Gerrard to recapture some of the form that deserted him for large parts of the last year. Liverpool should be tagged as dark horses, though and might just claim their first Premier League win.

In truth, though, it is hard to look past Chelsea – although they need to replace Cole, Carvalho and Ballack fast – and Manchester United for the silverware. Arsenal might, if they are in the mood, be the best team to watch, and keeping their talismanic captain is clearly a boost, but they are too reliant on Fabregas and Robin Van Persie for goals, so it looks as though a top four might be the best they can hope to achieve again.

Spurs surprised many last term when they sneaked fourth spot – and whilst they will certainly be up there again, it’s difficult to see their squad standing up to the rigours of a inaugural Champions League campaign and a Premier League challenge.

Which brings us to the others: Everton and Villa might be the best of the rest, but Martin O’Neil deciding five days before the season started was the best time to resign has rather plunged that part of Birmingham into crisis (especially as Mark Hughes surely the perfect man for the job, has just gone to Fulham) while The Toffeemen will again come up short.

The aforementioned Fulham will be ok, without being spectacular, while the same could be said of teams such as Blackburn, Bolton, Stoke, Birmingham and Sunderland. West Ham fall into that bracket too, as, with Avram Grant at the helm they will stay up – although hopefully this time around the owners will learn their lesson and let the players get on with it.

With no Pompey-esque disaster club and without Hull and Burnley, the relegation places are harder to call this season, but the three promoted sides are all set for a struggle. As much as we all want to see Blackpool and Ian Holloway survive, they are surely going to be lucky to beat Derby’s points total. WBA always are either relegated or just hanging on by the skin of their teeth and Newcastle will need their better players to fire if they are to avoid more Geordie tears.

Wolves too, are far from out of the woods, but having stayed up last time and spent £7m on Steven Fletcher – about the only impressive Burnley player last term - they will be hoping for a period of consolidation.

Wigan are a good outside bet to get sucked into the relegation battle next year (although really, any side outside the top six can struggle if things start badly and they get hit by injuries) but Roberto Martinez’s men weren’t great last time around, and they might lack firepower and experience this time.

All of this is probably going to be wrong, of course, but then, isn’t that really the point of a previews?!

The second tier of English football is a league that has a habit of making a mockery out of pre-season predictions, who would have the audacity to say Blackpool would gain promotion last term?

Having said that, there are often sides, normally those who have suffered relegation the year before, who are deemed stronger than their new found rivals, and are expected to bounce back at the first ask – teams who drop a division at your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side football Leisure Leagues, regularly have the edge.

Newcastle United are a prime example of how this should be achieved, by keeping hold of the squad core, outclassing and outplaying opponents, subsequently easing to the Championship title. Credit must go to owner Mike Ashley for resisting any temptation to sell in January, and reaping the rewards for doing so.

West Bromwich Albion were also deemed strong candidates, and will perhaps forever be a yo-yo club, too strong for the second tier, but not capable of staying afloat in the Premier League.

Regardless, this year’s Championship is seemingly less clear cut than ever, with two of the relegated three making no secret of their financial troubles, notably Portsmouth, who are in dire straits, and could be implicated with another ten point deficit if a resolution isn’t reached in the high courts today.

Hull City are also making no secret of their desire to off load the top earners, Jimmy Bullard being paraded like cattle at the market, being publically criticised for refuting a move north of the border because of a significant drop in wages.

Will Strachan point Boro in the right direction?

Middlesbrough, perhaps, are emerging as slight favourites to gain promotion, and, given the funds made available by chairmen Steve Gibson, the presumption that they should be up there would be deemed a correct one.

Gordon Strachan was installed as Gareth Southgate’s replacement with one objective, and that was to return Middlesbrough to the top flight, something which wasn’t achieved at the first attempt. It is now time for the Scotsman to deliver.

Gibson has a reputation as a patient individual, a model chairmen who gave his managers ample opportunity to produce results, and there was an element of surprise, even considering Southgate’s dismal record, that he was disposed of, despite the club sitting in fourth place.

Strachan’s was appointed at the helm in October 2009, but failed to make a significant impact at The Riverside, with club eventually ending up in 8th place.

The former Manchester United midfielder has now been given the opportunity to assemble his own squad, adding to his acquisitions from January, and clearly has faith in the Scottish contingent which have been brought south of the border.

Kris Boyd, Kevin Thompson and Stephen McManus have all been lured from their respective Old Firm clubs, added to Nicky Bailey, who was snapped up from Charlton Athletic, Strachan has amassed over £6million in spending this summer – significantly more than any of their Championship rivals.

All of this spells one thing at Middlesbrough – promotion is now imperative. To be able to strengthen a side in such key areas, adding to players who were brought in during the January transfer window should only result in success.

Strachan has the managerial pedigree to take Boro forward, having enjoyed great success at Celtic, winning three successive title, demonstrating his ability to handle pressure, and is guaranteed to be firmly in the firing line if Middlesbrough do not commence the fast approaching campaign in a positive manner.

The heat has been turned up a notch in the North East, and it would be worth a punt on Strachan taking Middlesbrough up – as Champions.

Alex Z

As Europe's largest provider of 5-a-side soccer and 6-a-side football, Leisure Leagues have now set up a facebook page, which is accessible by clicking on the below link:

We will be updating the site daily, and could well feature your league. Please click the like button to get involved. We will be announcing new seasons/leagues, and releasing information on the next National Tournament nearer the time. Match reports which appear in local publications will be linked to the site, so you can see your teams name up in lights in the press.

It's a great chance to do some scouting on potential opponents that you may face in the 6-a-side National Tournament, and find out more information on what we have to offer.

So why wait, follow Leisure Leagues as the number one provider of 5-a-side and 6-a-side football ventures into the world of Facebook.

 

 

Celebrations have been part and parcel of football for many decades, but it is only recently they have developed into more eccentric outbursts, the majority of which are clearly premeditated.

Perhaps it was the early to mid 90’s when they became more predominant and practised in the game. Think, ‘rocking the baby’ which was orchestrated by Brazil’s Bebeto during the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Fabrizo Ravanelli started a craze on his arrival in England, lifting his shirt above his head, and prior to that there was that Jurgen Klinsmann who dived belly first, arms outstretched to the ground, being replicated, somewhat painfully, in playgrounds throughout the country.

Certain players even became as equally associated for their celebration as their style of play, Alan Shearer for example, one hand triumphantly raised, Tim Cahill’s shadow boxing with the corner flag, and, taking into consideration the lesser household names, Robert Earnshaw’s machine gun type thing, and more impressively Shefki Kuqi face dive.

Alan Shearer's one armed salute - not in that way, thankfully. That was more Mark Bosnich's style

Even Emile Heskey, on the rare occasion that he finds the back of the net, adopted the DJ spinning records, but perhaps more famously for England fans anyhow, had a putt on the golf green following his strike against Germany in the 5-1 humbling in Munich.

Gone are the days of a traditional handshake between teammates, the decorum, perhaps showing a more dignified, respectful approach to your opponents who have suffered by conceding a goal.

The majority are all for an outpouring of emotion when a vital, goal is scored, but there is no denying that some have been rehearsed in the knowledge that they will be put to use in front of a wider audience.

However, there is one side in Iceland who have seemingly stepped up the ball game, stretched the boundaries to a whole new level with their post goal antics. Stajrnan’s Halldor Orri Bjornsson slots home a very deft penalty against rivals Fylkir, and wheels away to celebrate with teammates.

Rather than the odd hand clap and pat on the back, Bjonrnsson simulates throwing a fishing rod into the lake whilst defender Johann Laxdal gets hooked on the imaginary rod and flaps towards the gathering players. See it for yourself by clicking on the below link.

Click on the picture to see that celebration

Obviously goals tend to be a more frequent occurrence in 5-a-side soccer and 6-a-side football, so it would be ill advised to prepare a routine for every ball that rustles the back of the net, as amongst other issues, it might irritate the opposition. However, if you slot home a last gap winner which lands you the honor of being crowned Leisure Leagues 6-a-side champions, then be a little creative, get your thinking caps on, and it may just dazzle the onlookers.

Alex Z

Roberto Mancini has cited that Manchester City’s Premier League rivals have a tinge of jealousy at the resources available to the club, but could perhaps prove to be a major thorn in the Italian’s side.

With a seeming unlimited windfall at his disposal, and being linked with copious amounts of players, signing quite a few of them, the pressure which will accompany these big name captures will only intensify.

Indeed, Mancini has become one of the bookies favourites to feel the axe come down on his neck, with a positive start to the campaign imperative.

Although the Abu Dhabi consortium have got their man having off loaded Mark Hughes, it is likely near instant results will be expected, increasingly so giving the money that has, and will continue to be spent before the start of the campaign, and the evident desire for Champions League football at Eastlands.

Patience is not often a word associated with football at any level, whether it be 5-a-side or 6-a-side soccer, but the top clubs, the elite, a group that Manchester City are fast becoming part of, have the temperature turned up quite a few notches.

Mancini has a big task ahead of him this season

Mancini is making all the right noises, stating that the clubs target should be nothing less than the top flight title: “Last year we fought for fourth place until the penultimate game against Tottenham and the aim this year is to try to win the Premier League. That must be our target.”

It is remains to be seen how likely it is that these aspirations are to be fulfilled, but nothing less should be targeted. Money doesn’t buy instant success, take a look at Real Madrid’s fortunes last campaign for example, who flexed their financial power only to fall short in both domestic and European competitions, with Manuel Pellegrini subsequently losing his job.

Claudio Ranieri was the first Chelsea manager to fell the benefits of a cash windfall at Chelsea following Roman Abramovich’s purchasing of the club, but also suffered the backlash of not bringing overnight success, being replaced by Jose Mourinho.

Thus far, City have seen the arrival of four major signings, combing a total £80million, with Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boetang and Aleksander Kolarov all coming through the doors, with a number of other individuals on the radar.

Reports today suggest that City are now eyeing Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, in what would be an audacious move for both the club and the player if it were to came off, underlining the power that financial wealth brings.

Regardless of how wealthy the club is, and the size of the war chest that Mancini has at his beck and call, it is evident that Manchester City don’t want to be forced into paying over the odds for individuals simply due to their fully justified reputation, as the Italian explains: "Torres is one of the best strikers in Europe and is already playing in the Premier League for three years and knows it very well. When Manchester City enquire about a £10m player, the club asks for £20m. That is not good for us.”

However, luring Torres away from Liverpool will cost big bucks, and the £70million quoted may go some way to restoring the Reds fans faith in the board, especially if the transfer fee is re-invested into the squad.

If Mancini were to splash out what is quite clearly silly money on one player, there aren’t many individuals out there with such raw talent as the Liverpool number nine, and would certainly send out a message that Manchester City are determined to stop at nothing for success.

The opening month or two don’t provide the most comfortable of starts for the newly assembled squad, and it is vital that there is a certain degree of harmony amongst the big star names – maybe it would be best to get a quick sale on the disruptive influences who are unsettled and dissatisfied with Mancini’s hard line routines.

Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea all lie in wait in what should be an intriguing opening few months to the fast approaching season.

Alex Z

Joe Cole has made perhaps the most high profile switch of the summer thus far, and should be commended for making all the right noises which are bound to warm him to the Kop before a ball has even been kicked.

Stating that Liverpool are top cats in English football will be greeted in the red half of the city as if the former Chelsea man walked into a pub in Toxteth and told the barman to put everything on his tab. Well almost. These comments will be derided in Manchester, but then Cole probably does give an iota: “When I knew Liverpool were interested, it was a no brainer because they are the biggest club in the country. Everyone knows it is a massive club – but until you sign you don’t realise quite how big.”

Strong, and uplifting words which will no doubt encourage the following Liverpool contingent, who are accustomed to a degree of doom and gloom about the club. It is an argument which frequently rages between those who back the Anfield side and bitter rivals Manchester United. “Five European cups, 18 league titles” use to be the boast, but now United have of course equalled the latter. The deliberation could even be related to the success of your 6-a-side Leisure League team, in terms of what has been won.

Joe Cole signs for England's 'biggest' club

But what actually constitutes a ‘big club’? It is a debate which is often raged between friends who have elegancies to different teams. I for one, constantly find myself on the defence of Coventry City, and had to do so significantly more whilst residing in Liverpool.

Ok, so there is no realistic comparison between Joe Cole’s new employers and the Sky Blues, apart from that the Reds use to supply Coventry with at least three points a season in the Premiership glory years, but, whilst studying in Merseyside, a friend and I devised a number of key factors which would go some way to settling the argument.

These were some of the key indicators of how to define which club is the ‘biggest’:

• The size of a clubs ground
• Their average attendances for the past few seasons, possibly five
• The clubs honours, eg, League Titles, European Honours, Domestic Cups
• A clubs significance in history, for example, founder members of the Football League
• Away support (demonstrates how hardcore following is)

The above are the bread and butter, the basics to an argument when fighting your corner. Another one I always threw into the ring, as the individual I constructed the loose list with is a Derby County supporter, thus coming out on top of most, if not all of the above, was, surprisingly, the consistency of a club in the top flight.

Whilst the majority of the clubs in the Football League have experienced a number of promotions and relegations, yo yoing through the divisions, Coventry have been admirably, to a certain extent, consistent. Recent times have been somewhat of a bore, stuck in the doldrums, with the club entering its 10th successive campaign in the Championship, without even so much as a play off adventure.

However, before relegation in 2000-01, a relatively un-fancied outfit, unless you are Eddie Jordan or Brian McFadden from Westlife, enjoyed an uninterrupted 34 year stay amongst England’s elite. During that time, to name but a few, Highfield Road became the first all seater stadium in the country, Robbie Keane became the most expensive teenager, and not forgetting, the Sky Blues triumphed in what is often regarded as one of the greatest F.A Cup Final of all time.

Anyway, if someone attempts to put down your club after your game at your 5-a-side or 6-a-side football, give a few of the above pointers a run out. If none of these work, if all else fails, ask whoever you are debating with where they are from. If, by using an entirely random example, they say Watford or Chester, and hold a season ticket at Manchester United, not only is the argument now void, but you also hold a complete, untainted, moral high ground.

Support your local team – it means a lot, lot more when, or if, they actually get some success and recognition.

Alex Z

The vacancy at Fulham is perhaps seen as a desirable one, but there is no doubting that there are some very big shoes that require filling.

Roy Hodgson became a wanted man after guiding the Londoners to the Europa League final and mid table security in only his second full campaign with the club, on what could be regarded in Premier League terms as a shoestring budget.

Gone are the days that Mohammed Al Fayed is prepared to try and compete with the big spenders at the very top end of the market, indeed, Damien Duff was the only paid for import last summer at £5million.

So the lure of Liverpool proved too much for the Manager Of The Year for last campaign, an individual, baring his spell with Blackburn Rovers, has been largely overlooked in his home country. There will be very few who will begrudge Hodgson a crack at the ‘big time’, with Liverpool, the opportunity to resurrect the fortunes of a crestfallen club.

Would you resent perhaps your best player upping sticks form your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side football Leisure Leagues to take up an opportunity of a life time?

Perhaps Tom Hicks, George Gillett and co, thought they were going for a safe option, someone to steady the ship, and it is likely they will get that with their selected appointment. It would be difficult for Hodgson to fair much worse than his predecessor’s reign ended in, with Liverpool having to enter the qualifying stages of the Europa League, a competition which has become increasingly familiar with the former Inter Milan boss.

The forthcoming campaign will be one of transition for the Anfield club, and patience will be required, a virtue which may well be wearing thin with supporters who are so desperate to return to the glory years of the 1970’s and 80’s.

This is a maybe, but what does the future hold for the poached? Fulham had a gem in Hodgson, who worked miracles to keep the club afloat following Lawrie Sanchez’s desperate tenure at the helm. Perhaps survival will be seen as an achievement, but, whoever does take up the job, will always be judged upon Hodgson’s record – which will be difficult to better.

Reports have emerged suggesting that Ajax manager Martin Jol has all but signed up at Craven Cottage, and if these claims are valid, it could be a very shrewd appointment by Al Fayed.

There can be a number of comparisons drawn between Jol and Hodgson. Both have managerial success abroad, both have a promising record on a European stage, Jol most notably with Hamburg when they were unfortunate to fall at the Semi Final hurdle against fellow Germans Werder Bremen.

Martin Jol is all set to take on the Fulham job

Fulham owner Al Fayed was encouraged to spend big in the summer months by Hodgson, and perhaps this was an underlying factor for his departure, although it would be unfair to read anything into this before it is determined how much the new manager will have at his disposal.

The appointment of Jol could well be seen as somewhat of a coup for Fulham, luring him away from a club with the magnitude and history possessed by Ajax. The Dutchman has Premier League experience of course, where he did considerably well at Tottenham Hotspur, before a shocking start to the 2007-08 season lead to his departure and appointment of Juande Ramos.

If Jol is given a transfer kitty, then it could well set him up for a successful spell at Craven Cottage, and after somewhat harshly being disposed of at White Hart Lane, the Ajax manager may well feel justified in having another bite at the Premier League cherry. He could well prove to be the man who shakes Fulham supporters out of those post Hodgson blues.

Alex Z

It wasn’t so long ago that David Beckham was portrayed as a loose cannon, not the sharpest knife in the draw, a figure who was vilified by football fans in stadia across England.

Many laid the blame for England’s exit from France 98 solely at the Manchester United stars feet, or foot, after he rashly and petulantly kicked out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, the latter of whom writhed around as if he’d been struck by a sledgehammer.

However, nobody seemed to recognise that the South American had indeed attributed greatly to his dismissal, and instead, Beckham became a national figure of hate.

Fast forward 12 years, and the contrasts couldn’t be greater. Far from being seen as something of a clown, not the sharpest knife in the draw so to speak, the LA Galaxy star is being quizzed about a potential future in management, and has even had to talk himself out of one day becoming England manager.

Beckam's infamous tangle with Simeone

How the times have changed – and great credit to Beckham, he hasn’t mumbled out the mundane standard response that seems to have come from every other quarter of the Three Lions camp following the disastrous ‘campaign’ in South Africa.

“The players are to blame. When the players step on that field is up to them to perform. Speaking to the lads, and knowing them as well as I do, they know they didn't play and perform well enough. That is why we didn't go any further in the competition.”

Couldn’t have put it any better. Ok, so it could be argued that the pressure to keep some kind of omerta that is seemingly present between the players, isn’t directly on Beckham, but it is refreshing to hear an individual who was directly involved in the set up not mincing his words.

Maybe Beckham has a sense of loyalty towards Fabio Capello having won his only La Liga title under the Italian, but it was widely publicised at the time that the pair clashed, resulting in Capello declaring that his number 23 no longer had a future at the club, and wouldn’t feature for the remainder of the campaign.

Of course the hostilities subsided, and Beckham played a pivotal role in securing the title for Real Madrid.

Beckham could still have a lot to offer at International level

Despite ridiculously rising a place in the FIFA World Rankings, England find themselves at perhaps their lowest ebb since the debacle of Kevin Keegan’s reign, and require something drastic to overhaul the grim outlook, at least from a supporters perspective anyhow.

Capello is indeed the man to take England forward, and will undoubtedly ensure qualification for Euro 2012, most likely in the manner that the last was achieved.
Beckham doesn’t feel that an overhaul is required to achieve this, and has made himself available for selection once he has fully recovered from the injury sustained at AC Milan which cruelly ruled him out of the squad in South Africa, and who knows, Capello may well consider him an asset.

Perhaps Capello would be foolish to overlook such an experienced individual, one who could still have so much to offer. There are very few players in the footballing world who are so deadly from set pieces, and not many who can pick a 40 yard plus ball with such accuracy. Age is just a number. From experience at your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side football Leisure Leagues, you may be aware of older players who are still a vital asset, and what they lack in the engine room is more than made up by sheer talent and ability.

The Italian is at least safe in the knowledge that Beckham doesn’t appear a disruptive influence, unlike a number of other experienced players, whose outbursts played a major part in de-railing any potential World Cup aspirations.

Maybe David Beckham isn’t cut out for management, but there is no denying that he can still play an integral part in restoring some pride in a depleted and disillusioned nation.

Alex Z

Sepp Blatter could well afford the wry smile plastered across his face when handing Iker Casillas with the biggest prize in football.

The decision to award Africa with its first ever World Cup has been a resounding success, in a commercial sense anyhow, but the football on display seem to prove somewhat lacklustre.

Fatigue has been cited on a number of accounts, with suggestions that a number of the underperforming ‘world class’ individuals simply could not maintain the high standards, after a long hard slog in their domestic season - which is understandable.

Apart from helping to raise the awareness of South Africa as a whole, the World Cup is generally supposed to promote the game of football, and it is questionable as to whether this was really achieved. Out of the all the copious amounts of football played, how many could be considered entertaining games? Six, seven, possibly eight? Maybe this is quite a harsh judgement, but the way in which the World Cup was hyped up, both in a media frenzy, and by the players themselves, there is an overwhelming feeling of disappointment.

Try and rattle five off the top of your head that you really enjoyed. It’s quite difficult, and when the tournament is meant to be one of the greatest sporting spectacles on the planet, the actual result proved to be a slightly dour outcome.

Klose played a big part in Germany's progress

It says it all, when arguably the most positive and attacking of affairs came in the Third Place Play Off between Germany and Uruguay, two of the more enjoyable side to watch.

The pressure was off and both teams went at it hammer and tongue for victory, a feature which was glaringly absent in the majority of other ties. The argument that some of the world’s greatest livewire’s were simply stifled by negative sides has some real substance, but this happens on a domestic level week in week out, something which, Wayne Rooney for example, has no qualms in overcoming.

How many times will you experience this at an amateur level, be it your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side football league? Teams, deploy tactics where they sit back and defend, but if you are good enough, you find ways round it.

 

Ronaldo was one of a number of players to underperform in South Africa

Perhaps Argentina’s situation adds support to a cautious approach. Rather than bore their way to victory, Diego Maradona’s side attempted to play to their strengths in the Quarter Finals, and were ultimately punished. Germany caught the South Americans with four sucker punches, and by deploying a counter attacking system, ensured a semi-final spot, while one of the tournaments most watchable sides were sent packing.

However, disregarding Lionel Messi, who showed glimpses of quality, a number of the World’s ‘entertainers’, simply didn’t turn up.

Wayne Rooney, Nicholas Anelka, Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, all of these could put their hands up to having a below par tournament.

If, as Fifa and Uefa like to publicise, the World Cup is a showcase of the greatest football talent on earth, then maybe something should be done to ensure that the top players are in peak condition. Forget a winter break that Fabio Capello continuously harps on about, that would disrupt the proper football calendar.

How about giving the players some respite before the tournament begins, say commence in mid to late June, rather than at the very start of the month? Another two or three weeks recuperation could seriously allow the players who may well be suffering fatigue the chance to rest and come back stronger.

Just a thought, but after all of the hype and frenzy in the build up to the tournament, once the dust has settled following Spain’s triumph, their will be a tinge of disappointment in the air from football fans across the globe.

Alex Z

Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of the South Africa World Cup has been the tendency of sides to focus on not conceding rather than attacking.

The risk of going that goal down and having to chase the game, subsequently opening up gaps at the back, is seemingly not worth taking, and, in truth, has resulted in some incredibly dull affairs.

After ten minutes of the Paraguay and Japan clash, it became evident that the game was likely to surpass the 90 mark, and that the trend of sitting back wasn’t going to be isolated solely to the group stages. Eventually, the game was of course settled by a penalty shootout, but even that lacked any excitement, with neither goalkeeping producing a save, the unfortunate Yuichi Komano sending Japan home after crashing his spot kick against the bar.

However, one side who have been refreshingly contrary to this rule are Argentina, and with the striking prowess that they have at their disposal, it would be a shock to see any manager deploy negative tactics – even Diego Maradona.

Diego's managerial credentials will be given a real test against Germany

Maradona’s men have progressed to the last eight with relative ease, but the run in they now face, should they reach the final in Johannesburg , will provide a real test to the substance that has taken them thus far.

The South American’s front line is unquestionably frightening for opponents. Imagine turning up at your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side Leisure Leagues and being faced with three outstanding individuals, who happen to compliment each other rather well as a unit.

Maradona has consistently deployed a front three, baring the final group encounter against Greece where he ringed the changes, of Gonzalo Higuain, flanked by Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez. Not bad. Plus Diego Milito, who happened to bag a brace in the Champions League Final waiting in the wings, oh, and not forgetting Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero.

Previous opposition have been content to try and suffocate the Argentine attack, and it has ultimately backfired. Hitting four past South Korea, three against Mexico, and Greece two, it was Nigeria who seemingly copped best with the South Americans, but Super Eagles shot stopper Vincent Enyeama had to be in outstanding form to keep the score-line respectable.

Now the real test commences. Germany are renown for priding themselves, and not in a stereotypical sense, on their efficiency, building from the back and demonstrating a real desire to work as a unit, something which England discovered to their cost.

Tevez has been tenecious thus far for Argentina

In essence, Germany should provide Argentina with their sternest test thus far, and the former will be going into Saturday’s tie believing that victory is entirely plausible.
The contrasting styles between the two sides is glaringly obvious, which is why there is potential for a gripping contest.

Attack is Argentina’s best form of defence, and in fairness, their European counterparts don’t lack goals themselves, but are likely to try and absorb the early pressure and rely on the counter attack. Joachim Lowe has a tried and tested system, and would be foolish to even envisage a new approach against such a formidable front line.

What promises to be intriguing is how Maradona sees the situation. Does he stick with the free flowing offensive set up that has guided the South Americans into the Quarter Finals which such ease, or adopt a more cautious approach and asses the Germans?

Of course, the neutral would love to see Maradona persist with the attacking flair, and if he does, it could well prove greatly advantageous, not only for his side, but for the tournament as a whole.

Yes it is a risk, especially considering how little their back line has been tested thus far. But when a side possess so much talent, including the world’s greatest striker, it would be a crime against the game of football if the Argentina boss were to attempt anything other than an attacking approach.

An unpredictable persona yes, but Maradona’s playing style and management guise having thus far showed striking similarities, and that striker’s nature will continue to reflect in his line up against Germany.

Everyone has marvelled at the youngster’s professionalism in the German ranks, and as impressive as it may have been, Argentina will prove far too strong for an, albeit well organised, but highly overrated team.

Alex Z