English clubs can reign with Spanish and Italian giants in a state of flux
Premier League will be dominant force in elite competition as City go in search of top prize
It is time for the Premier League clubs to dominate the Champions League, which begins again in earnest this evening once the version of Zadok the Priest dies down and the first adidas Finale 19 ball is kicked. After all, the English composer Tony Britten adapted Handel’s anthem to create the Champions League theme.
It is time for the English clubs to repeat last season’s achievement of producing both finalists. It is time for them to attempt to replicate the late Noughties when, between 2006-09, there were at least three English semi-finalists each season and between 2004-12 when the Premier League had a Champions League finalist in seven out of the eight campaigns, winning it in 2005 (Liverpool) and 2008 (Manchester United).
If the 1990s belonged to Serie A then the 2000s was the Premier League’s era, while La Liga trumped them both with a stranglehold over the past decade: Real Madrid won it four times, Barcelona three and Atletico Madrid reached two finals. Matching that should be the Premier League’s aim because, finally, the stars have aligned or, to be more blunt, clubs have got their acts together and stopped wasting the billions that have poured into the league over the years. They have hired the best coaches, and recruited and developed players far more intelligently.
For the first time in 10 years there are more Premier League players on the shortlist for the Fifa Fifpro Men’s World 11 than any other world league – with 21 of the 55 nominees playing in England – as voted for by more than 23,000 professional footballers worldwide.
Even more tellingly the shortlist for the Fifa coach of the year reads: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) and Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur). Chelsea are also in the Champions League and begin their campaign under new coach Frank Lampard at home to Valencia. It might be harder for them even to get out of a group that also contains last season’s semi-finalists Ajax and
Lille, well-coached under Christophe Galtier, although they were the English outsider in winning it against the odds in 2012.
The spike, which needs to be a trend, in Premier League performance can be traced to the arrival of first Klopp and then, even more influentially, Guardiola to this country. Klopp has led the way in Europe and would anyone really bet against the Champions League winners making it to a third successive final, back in Istanbul, on May 30? The perceived wisdom is that Liverpool’s main priority is to finally win the Premier League – although it does not really work like that – but the focus has to shift to whether Guardiola can provide City with the major prize they lack and prove that he can coach a team to the trophy with the big ears without having Lionel Messi (Guardiola last won it in 2011 with Barcelona, having also triumphed in 2009). Losing in the last eight last season, albeit in dramatic circumstances to Tottenham, followed on from losing to Liverpool at the same stage and, before that a last-16 defeat by
Clubs have got their acts together and stopped wasting the billions that have poured in
Monaco. In three seasons under Guardiola, City have only actually won Champions League knockout ties against Basel and Schalke. At Bayern Munich his record was semi-final, semi-final, semi-final.
“I know we will be judged at the end on whether we win the Champions League. I know unless we do that it will not be enough. This comes with me. I know that,” Guardiola said during City’s trophy parade last May. This campaign is also sharpened by the possibility of a Uefa ban, which would take them out of the competition next season, for Financial Fair Play transgressions (even if the expectation is that they will not face that sanction).
It is not now or never for City under Guardiola but it feels like they have to lead the way after Liverpool and Spurs’ exploits and given the strength of squad and coach they have. There is a school of thought that Guardiola’s precise football lends itself more to a league format, and 38 games, rather than the short, sharp two-legged knockout tie.
Europe will balk at suggestions of English dominance but there is a fear that the Premier League has finally realised its potential at a time when the super clubs across the continent are in a state of flux. It is difficult to predict how Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane struggling, will fare, or Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid are rebuilding post-antoine Griezmann. In France, Paris St-germain are still pondering on how to manage Neymar and integrate Mauro Icardi. In Germany, Bayern Munich have overhauled their squad and have their work cut out in fending off an impressive Borussia Dortmund – who could be Champions League contenders – while in Italy, Juventus have ushered in change under Maurizio Sarri and Inter Milan are relaunching themselves with Antonio Conte. There is uncertainty everywhere apart from England, which means: there is no excuse for the Premier League not to seize the Champions League.
What kind of coach is Unai Emery? What is his philosophy, his belief, his identity? The Spaniard is known as hard-working, organised, diligent and pragmatic. But what does he want his team to look like? A criticism of Emery at Paris St-germain was that he subjected the players to hours of analysis, pouring over every detail of the opposition. It was felt he was reactive, not proactive.
It looks similar at Arsenal. No one doubts Emery’s work ethic but it is hard to bracket him, right now, with Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp or Mauricio Pochettino or even a novice like Frank Lampard, all coaches with a clear idea of the way they want their teams to play. It might not work, but there is an identifiable idea.
There is no Emery-ball as there was with Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, and while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not be particularly impressing at Manchester United he has a template of what he is attempting. Watching Arsenal against Watford, it was hard to come to the same conclusion with Emery.