With Euro 2012 about to take centre stage, it is the perfect time to look back and pick out some of the players that have impressed me during the past year.

This is not necessarily the best eleven of the season, just certain players that have caught my eye for various reasons.

Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would make just about everyone’s dream team. Instead, I have decided to omit both and give others a chance to shine in the best-of spotlight.

Petr Cech, Chelsea

He was a hero of Chelsea’s Champions League triumph, but even before then the Blues veteran was catching my eye this season. While I admire instinctive shot-stoppers, I am a big fan of goalkeepers who really think about their position, study their opponents and involve themselves in the build-up. Cech’s analysis of the Bayern players’ penalties over the past four years before the final was a demonstration of the Czech’s attention to detail. His positioning is close to perfect and when your goalkeeper says, “I always study our opponents’ strikers, but Messi’s goals took me much more time. In the very last 100th of a second he is able to pick an ideal solution”, the defence can afford to make a mistake, even against the world’s best.

David Alaba, Bayern Munich

The left-back has had a magnificent season for Bayern Munich in what has been a break out year for the 19-year-old. With the Chelsea defence such a tough nut to crack in the Champions League final, Bayern could have done with one of Alaba’s incisive runs that can so often open up the opponent. But it’s not just in attack where the Austrian can be decisive. He is also defensively responsible and this will improve with age.

Javi Martinez, Athletic Bilbao

Martinez came through the Athletic Bilbao youth system as a defensive midfielder, but Bilbao boss Marcelo Bielsa moved him to centre-back this season and the 23-year-old flourished. His defensive positioning and presence are matched by his ability on the ball. In the modern game with defences so well organised, it is crucial to have a central defender who is comfortable playing out from the back. Martinez has all that and more, which is why Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are reportedly about to embark on a bidding war over the Spaniard.

Thiago Silva, AC Milan

During the last two decades, Brazilian football has focused on producing central defenders with height and power. While Silva lacks neither of these qualities, he possesses excellent technique and football intelligence. Another of the new breed of central defenders who have the ability of midfielder, he has been learning his defensive craft in a league and a club where correct positioning without the ball is a virtue. Barcelona sees him as the perfect fit for its system.

Matthieu Debuchy, Lille

The French Ligue 1 this season was dominated by teams who preferred to sit deep and exploit their opponent on the counter attack. This suited athletic full-backs with a great burst of speed. But Lille was different and to fit that system it needed a right-back who could overlap, dribble and deliver a pinpoint cross. Debuchy suited Rudi Garcia’s side perfectly and his aggressiveness off the ball was also important to Lille’s high intensity pressing.

Sergio Busquets, Barcelona

In this superb demonstration of the Spaniard's all-round ability, both Vicente del Bosque and Josep Guardiola say that if they could be re-incarnated as a player they would want to return as Sergio Busquets. After watching him so often this season, I understand why. The video mentions many of the reasons he is so special, but to put it simply, he is the most intelligent footballer in the world today. Busquets is always reading the game and knows exactly what to do long before anyone else has starting thinking. His gamesmanship can be annoying but putting that aside, he is the footballer still playing most similar to my favourite player of all time, Paulo Sousa.

Andrea Pirlo, Juventus

Juventus went unbeaten in the Serie A this season to claim its first Scudetto since 2003 (depending on who you ask) and one player instrumental to that triumph was Pirlo. His incredible range of accurate passes have the ability to exploit even the slightest lapse in the opposing defence – this season he ended up with 14 assists. Pirlo’s silky first touch, no matter how bad the pass, is always played away from pressure, which gives him the ideal amount of time to pick next move. The veteran is still one of the world’s best midfielders.

Andres Iniesta, Barcelona

Injuries prevented him from appearing more this season but when the little Barcelona maestro did play, he was magnificent. A Barca academy graduate whose football intelligence is up there with the very best, what I really love about Iniesta is his dribbling. There’s no pre-conceived tricks or bursts of speed, just mathematics, positioning and ball control. The man dubbed ‘El Ilusionista’ can escape from his soon-to-be embarrassed opponent with only the slightest flick of the boot or none at all. Despite his diminutive stature, it is almost impossible to take the ball off him – an inspiration to those of us lacking verticality.

Dries Mertens, PSV Eindhoven

At 25-years-old, little Belgian Mertens needed to have a big season if he was to one day play at the very top level of European football. Fortunately for PSV Eindhoven, he delivered in the most extraordinary way. The pint-sized attacker scored 27 goals in all competitions as well as providing 25 assists. They weren’t just Inzaghi-type tap-ins either, they were strikes of the highest order. Mertens’s greatest quality is his dribbling ability. His low centre of gravity, electric pace and superb technique make him difficult to stop, but his coolness in front of goal is what really set him apart this campaign.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal

Earlier this season, I criticised Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for paying so much money for an unproven teenager. I got it completely wrong. Arsenal has scored a bargain. I first saw Oxlade-Chamberlain up close when he came on against Manchester United at the Emirates. He only had to touch the ball once to grab my attention. His control was majestic, and his speed of thought and decision-making was at a remarkably high level for one so young. I was surprised Wenger didn’t use him more often, but next season could be his making.

Robin van Persie, Arsenal

When Arsenal was struggling for points early in the season, it was its inspirational captain who pulled them out of the mire with important goals. What really impresses me about Van Persie is that he’s the complete striker, not just a penalty box predator. He can dribble, he can pass and his ability to drop deep and involve himself in the build-up unsettles opposing defenders, who don’t know whether to go or stay. This season, Van Persie added a goal scoring touch that saw him finish as the Premier League’s top scorer.

BAYERN MUNICH

Home ground advantage will make Bayern Munich favourite for the Fußball Arena München clash.

But its recent German Cup defeat, suspensions to key players and the pressure of a home final are all cause for concern for coach Juup Heynckes.

Line-up

Two of Bayern's first choice defenders are out suspended. Holger Badstuber's role in the centre of defence will most likely be filled by the experienced Belgian Daniel van Buyten, but his lack of mobility was cruelly exploited by Inter Milan's Diego Milito in the 2010 final and is something Chelsea's attacking players have the ability to repeat.

Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is another option to replace Badstuber and while better on the ball, the Ukrainian also suffers from a lack of pace, as well as being about 15cm shorter than Van Buyten.

David Alaba has been one of the break-out players for Bayern this season, yet there are numerous options on how to fill the void left by the Austrian's ban.

Twenty-two year old left-back Diego Contento would be the direct replacement but questions remain whether Heynckes is prepared to go with the relatively inexperienced defender.

Another solution would be the using Rafinha at right-back with skipper Philipp Lahm being shifted to the left, a position he's often played for Germany.

Central midfielder Luis Gustavo is the other player out through suspension for the Bavarian club.

While Heynckes could opt for Daniel Pranjic or even Tymosuchk, the more likely option appears to be pulling Toni Kroos back alongside Bastien Schweinsteiger, allowing Thomas Muller a starting role behind Mario Gomez.

Bayern's possible 4-2-3-1 formation

Tactics

Bayern typically begins with a high-tempo, direct, attacking philosophy. It prefers to attack down the flanks, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery very strong one-on-one, be it cutting inside or going down the line and crossing.

Robben and Ribery's shooting from distance may also play an important role, particularly if Chelsea sits as deep as it did against Barcelona.

But just like Barca, Bayern is also susceptible to quick incisive counter attacks. A makeshift defence, including a less mobile centre-back, will put greater importance on its defensive transition.

Bayern can also struggle to play out from defence when put under pressure (as Borussia Dortmund demonstrated in the German Cup final) yet it's unlikely it will encounter this against the deep defending Chelsea.

CHELSEA

Chelsea is the underdog despite having a tremendously experienced squad. Form some of those players this could well be their last chance to lift European football's most coveted trophy.

The Blues' strong defensive organisation and incisive counter-attacks have already got the better of Benfica and Barcelona, but Bayern on home soil will be a different proposition.

Line-up

Chelsea's elimination of Barcelona came at a price, with four key players suspended for the final.

Roberto Di Matteo is currently sweating on the fitness of David Luiz and Gary Cahill who are recovering from injury. The two have trained and are likely to be fit.

If they are ready, Luiz and Cahill will be direct replacements for the suspended captain John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic.

If not, that poses a number of permutations for Di Matteo to consider.

One option would be to push Jose Bosingwa inside and pull John Obi Mikel back into the centre of defence. Paulo Ferreira would then start at right-back with Ashley Cole on the left.

In this scenario, it would likely be Michael Essien alongside Frank Lampard in the centre of midfield.

The absence of midfielder Ramires may yet be Chelsea's biggest blow. The man nicknamed 'the Kenyan' has been vital with his intelligent defensive positioning and his ability to break forward at pace and create overloads on the counter-attack.

There's no other Chelsea player with these characteristics; Florent Malouda may be the best option, provided he's fit.

Daniel Sturridge or even Fernando Torres could also be considered, but they may be too offensively minded.

Chelsea's possible 4-2-3-1

Tactics

Since the arrival of Di Matteo, Chelsea has preferred to sit deep and rely on quick transitions to break teams down. It's more than likely that it will again employ this strategy against Bayern Munich.

When Chelsea breaks forward, the ball is generally played direct to Dider Drogba as the wide players and Frank Lampard move forward quickly to support the attack.

Juan Mata has the ability to provide a killer pass or dribble past opponents and has the freedom to always look for space in between the lines.

Defensively Chelsea is a very well organised and compact unit, with little space conceded vertically and laterally.

It will, however, have little room for error against Bayern's individual match winners and high tempo football.

CONCLUSION

As is the case with many finals, the first goal will be crucial. Bayern's typically strong start may prove difficult for Chelsea to contain but if the Blues can withstand the storm and score on the break, as it did in the semi-final against Barca, a first UEFA Champions League triumph is a great possibility.

After forty minutes of play, the Guardian's minute-by-minute report summed it up best: 41 min: Possession stats thus far: Stoke 10%, Wolves 22%, Uninhabited Areas of Grass 28%, The Sky 40%

Han Berger's immortal words were again ringing in my ear: "This is not football!"

Now, the reason that this wasn't football isn't because it bored the Britannia Stadium (aka Lionel Messi's kryptonite) into silence.

It is because the hit-and-hope football that both teams had settled for does not bring success over the course of a season.

Some like to say that there are many ways to skin a cat. I'm certainly not condoning cruelty to animals but the gist of this saying, that there are many different ways to approach football is true, history suggests that some methods bring more success than others.

"The table doesn’t lie" is another well-worn football cliche, but for me the current Premier League table tells nothing but the truth, particularly down the bottom.

Few could argue that Wolves, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa have played some of the worst football in England this season.

The long-held wisdom was that the only way to ensure Premier League survival was to employ the kick and chase.

But with Wolves and Blackburn already preparing for the Championship next season, while Wigan and Swansea are looking forward to another year in the top flight, perhaps that way of thinking is changing.

Despite inferior resources compared to the top end of the Premier League, Sporting Intelligence's list of the world’s highest paying sporting teams reveals that even the lower end of the English top flight pay their players more than many clubs in Spain, Italy and even Germany.

For the bosses of the lower tier EPL clubs, there can be no excuse for such an archaic approach to football when teams like Athletic Bilbao produce far more with similar resources.

But a closer look at this list reveals an even more frightening tale.

Last season, Aston Villa was number 41 in the world's highest payers, more than Tottenham Hotspur, Valencia and AS Roma.

While some big name departures last year may have dragged down that wage bill, it would still be in the top half of the Premier League at least.

Yet this team that should by all rights be challenging for European places struggled for top flight survival.

An insight into why Aston Villa is arguably the most under-achieving club in football was revealed by Alexander Hleb, who had the misfortune of playing under Alex Mcleish at Birmingham City last season.

"The day before a game he would come onto the pitch and show us what to do: 'You stand here, the goalkeeper will give you the ball here, kick it as far as you can and don't pass to anyone nearby. And we all run'."

Sitting deep with a well-organised defence and playing the ball into space can be effective in a one-off game, particularly against extremely offensive opponents, as Birmingham demonstrated in the League Cup final last season.

But what its relegation also demonstrated was that this type of football will not bring success over a sustained period, even at the bottom of the ladder.

It is incredible that McLeish, one of the highest paid coaches in world football, according to football finance, saw it fit to continue this hit-and-hope philosophy (I think anyone who's watched Villa would agree his tactics haven't changed) at a club with vastly superior resources and larger ambitions.

This is not about aesthetics. It is about what works and what doesn't.

In football today, sitting deep, knocking it long and hoping for the best doesn't work in any top league, let alone the Premier League.

Even Stoke City, which is regarded as the success story of such a philosophy, has been unable to break into the top half, despite spending over $30 million last off-season.

From what newly promoted Southampton and Reading have shown in Championship they too will adopt a more considered approach, than the kick and run.

The days of 40% possession for the sky in a Premier League match may soon be over.

But unlike Costanza, Guardiola’s parting words were sincere and there is no doubt that after four years at the helm of the Spanish giants, the 41 year-old is burnt out.

He exits the Camp Nou for a much-deserved sabbatical, leaving as the most successful coach Barcelona has ever had.

Yet it’s not the 13 trophies that the club won under his guidance that will be Guardiola’s lasting legacy.

It won’t even be that he made cardigans and baldness fashionable (cheers for that one, Pep).

What this coaching genius will be remembered for are the tactical and strategic innovations that have the potential to change football.

Every so often a coach comes along who thinks about football differently.

There was Herbert Chapman who initiated the W-M system. Mario Zagallo was a pioneer of the attacking full-back; Helenio Herrera is regarded as the father of catenaccio. Rinus Michels invented total football, while Arrigo Sacchi’s uncompromising pressing turned a conservative era into a progressive one.

When football historians study the past decade, they may well look at Guardiola’s innovations in a similar light.

For a large part of the last decade, common wisdom held that football was becoming more athletic and that to win titles you needed powerful athletes.

Tim Vickery has written about Brazil’s move from a focus on the technical to the physical in recent years.

As teams became supremely organised defensively, space was at a premium and games would usually be decided by individual brilliance, transitions or from set pieces.

Under Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona – whose philosophy was never about the physical – began to challenge this thinking, as his side began to dominate with organised attacks.

But failure to build on their 2006 Champions League triumph emboldened critics, who believed their unconditional pro-active philosophy would not bring about sustained success.

That changed when Guardiola was named the Dutchman’s successor in 2008. He brought with him an education in the Barcelona way, but a spell in Italy with Brescia coupled with an inquisitive mind and a desire for perfection allowed him to refine Barca’s system.

As Simon Kuper points out, one of Guardiola’s great innovations was to alter Barcelona’s defensive pressing.

This is perhaps the greatest difference between his and Rijkaard’s side. When Barcelona lose the ball now, the transition into defence is immediate and the pressure so intense, few teams can keep the ball for any meaningful amount of time.

No doubt Pep was inspired by Marcelo Bielsa’s pressing philosophy, but the brilliance of the Barca boss was to convince Messi that it started with him – if Messi had to do it, than there could be no argument from anyone else.

Many point to defence as Barca’s great weakness, but under Pep it has always had the best defensive record in Spain – even this season it has conceded four less goals than Real Madrid.

What helps Pep’s side win the ‘second balls’ so easily is that there are never gaping spaces between the players, even when they attack. As Cruyff reportedly told Steve McLaren: "Do you know how Barcelona win the ball back so quickly? It's because they don't have to run back more than 10 metres as they never pass the ball more than 10 metres."

Barcelona is able to keep possession in such tight areas because its players have excellent technique, but also because they have football intelligence.

Each player’s first touch is always away from pressure and they position themselves perfectly to keep the ball moving forward. Gerard Pique once said that Guardiola not only tells them where to run, but also why.

The Barcelona boss has implemented other innovations too, like moving Lionel Messi from the right into a ‘false nine’ position, using wingers like Dani Alves as defenders and deploying midfielders like Javier Mascherano as centre-backs.

Pep’s insistence that technical ability and intelligence is the key to success has been so effective that small, gifted players are once again in vogue – even Chelsea, who so often relied on heavyweights, have recently signed featherweight attackers Juan Mata and Marko Marin.

Barcelona’s success under Guardiola has also inspired others to follow suit.

Coaches like Jurgen Klopp, Andre Villas-Boas and Brendan Rodgers may not be direct disciples of Guardiola, but their insistence on possession and pressing is becoming more favourable to club bosses who want to replicate the ‘Barca’ or the ‘Guardiola’ way.

The question that remains is can Pep replicate this success at another club?

No matter what happens at his next job, Guardiola’s legacy to football will outlast any championship celebration.

Comiat Pep, el futbol li dóna les gràcies (Goodbye Joe, football thanks you).

When Borussia Dortmund retained the Bundesliga title by defeating Borussia Monchengladbach in another superb attacking display, it again showed just what an extraordinary team it is, and considering the average age of the squad is just over 25 years-old the best may yet be to come.

But incredibly Dortmund's success has come about more by necessity than design.

When the Rhur club won its first Champions League in 1997 (just four years before Bayern Munich was last crowned European champion) it seemed the men in yellow and black were set to challenge the Bavarian side's dominance of Germany.

The Westfalenstadion is the biggest in Bundesliga and Dortmund's committed fans sell it out almost every week.

Yet despite a league title in 2002 as well as UEFA Cup final appearance, the awaited football superpower never eventuated.

Failure to regularly qualify for the UCL and financial mismanagement led to the club almost going bust in 2005, as the team on the park diced with relegation to the second tier.

Dortmund, who could compete with Bayern in attracting the country’' best talent was now forced to sell its most prized assets, like Tomas Rosicky and later Mladen Petric.

Without money for big names the club, led by sporting director Michael Zorc, focussed what little it could spend on the youth academy and sharp scouts who could find promising talent without breaking the bank – spotting Shinji Kagawa's potential would be one of its great triumphs.

Steadily Dortmund began climbing back up the Bundesliga ladder and the final piece of the puzzle came in 2008 when Zorc put his faith in the up-and-coming coach who had done wonders with Mainz, Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund's youthful squad adapted quickly to Klopp's progressive, high pressing, attacking philosophy.

In his first season in charge the Ruhr giant went from flirting with relegation to battling for Europe.

In 2009-2010 Dortmund did qualify for European competition, but last season the side took everyone by surprise by usurping Louis Van Gaal's Bayern to become German champion.

Yet this season's campaign is even more remarkable.

Klopp had to contend with the departure of one of the 2010 campaign's key components, playmaker Nuri Sahin.

Despite the financial windfall of Champions League football, the club spent less than what it earned from transfers when acquiring Ivan Perisic and Ilkay Gundogan – who effectively replaced Sahin.

A squad that had to contend with the rigours of both the UCL and the Bundesliga was put together with a salary budget of $58 million – about the same as a mid-level Premier League team.

While coping with the rigours of both competitions proved problematic for Dortmund to begin with, it continued to play the type of football that has not only entertained the fans but brought the kind of success that was expected post 1997.

For Klopp to mastermind another Bundesliga title over a Bayern Munich side that has proven to be one of the best in Europe is one of this season's great achievements.

There is also still a German Cup final to go for Dortmund in what would be a maiden league and cup double for the club.

The exciting German international Marco Reus is set to add even more dynamism to what already is a well-oiled attacking machine next season.

If Dortmund can manage to hold on to Klopp as well, the financial disaster may now lead to continental success.

It came as a surprise for various reasons, among them the timing - just before an FA Cup semi-final - but also because Liverpool’s American owners are fans of the ‘Moneyball’ theory, something shared by Commolli.

He wasn’t the only staff member dismissed. Head of the medical department, Australian Peter Bruckner, was also shown the door. This was even stranger, considering that he was brought in to improve Liverpool’s worrying injury rates, which this season have improved and is among the best in the Premier League.

At present, the owners have backed Kenny Dalglish to remain as manager and indications are that the other Australian staff members, Head of Fitness and Conditioning, Darren Burgess, and Head of Physical Therapies, Phil Coles, are also safe.

Commolli’s dismissal did bring to light the role of the football director in the English media. Many asked why does a club need one at all?

It’s one of the great differences between British football clubs and those on the continent.

In Britain, the manager role is all-encompassing, taking in the football director’s role alongside coaching responsibilities.

At these clubs, it’s up to the manager’s assistant coaches, often referred to as coaches, to conduct the day-to-day training.

Perhaps the coaching role is seen as less important because British football’s focus is always on the players.

Usually the discussion in England revolves around them rather than tactics.

One of the country's most respected analysts, Gary Neville, summed up that attitude when he said tactics play a role, but football is generally about the players.

In most other European countries, the coach deals just with the senior team, arranging the tactics, picking and organising his team as well as taking the training sessions.

There are obviously positives and negatives to each system.

For a club like Manchester United, the managerial system, without a football director, works extremely well.

Much of that has to do with Alex Ferguson’s qualities and aptitude.

He prefers to keep his distance on the training ground so he can make the difficult decisions when he has to.

At United, Ferguson’s philosophy filters all the way through the club and his ability to pick potential stars and refine them, has been integral in its success over the past 20 years.

But the problem for Manchester United is what happens when Ferguson decides to retire?

If it can find another Ferguson then the cycle should continue, but in football there are no carbon copies and a different philosophy means changes from top to bottom.

This is a club that has had the same man in charge for 25 years. What about clubs that have seen managers leave after a year or two?

Take Queens Park Rangers for example. That squad was put together by Neil Warnock to play a style of football he wanted.

He was sacked mid-way through the season. Mark Hughes came in and had to change everything to suit him. That costs money and time and if he fails, everything starts again.

This is where having a football director is advantageous. The more successful continental European clubs usually have a philosophy that comes from the very top and filters all the way down to the junior players. Barcelona and Ajax are superb examples of this.

The football director is then hired to implement the philosophy at the club.

It also means that coaches can come and go without too much disruption to the playing group or the club.

Since Antero Henrique became FC Porto Football Director in 2005, the dragons have had four coaches but still won six Portuguese titles and a Europa League trophy.

But the football director system isn’t without issues.

The right coach has to be appointed, someone who shares the club’s philosophy while also possessing the methodology to implement it.

He also has to work closely and in unison with the football director, it’s one of the reasons Barcelona have been so successful under Josep Guardiola, although it must be said that Guardiola's methodical thinking has improved the Barca model.

But not every top coach is prepared to secede power.

Jose Mourinho is the prime example. Where he goes he demands complete control, but when he leaves, the post-Mourinho vacuum often leads to disaster. Porto, Chelsea and Inter all suffered in his wake.

The most important aspect in either of these ideals is a long-term vision and the conviction to follow it through. Yes, I’m looking at you Chelsea.

The Liverpool owners now sit at a crossroads and need to now choose between a manager and a Football Director.

I think the Football Director option is a more secure path to sustained success and with Barcelona’s former Director Txiki Begiristain available, the Reds have the perfect replacement for Commolli.

Instead of focusing on the players, coaches or even fans, the media spotlight was on English referees, who had a weekend they would rather forget.

In a country that has the upmost of respect for those in authority, it is quite surprising to see the officials so heavily criticised.

It wasn’t without justification either. Liverpool, Wigan and Queens Park Rangers have every right to feel aggrieved with the decisions that went against them during the Easter weekend.

The focus on officials is something all too common for football fans in the above-mentioned nations. Perhaps it’s a history of corruption that has led these populations to distrust the man with the whistle so vehemently.

But when England, one of the last sanctuaries of the football referee, comes under such an intense spotlight, it’s an even greater cause for concern.

In Portugal, poor officiating is often used as a convenient excuse by coaches as they look to deflect attention for their side’s own inept performances.

One of the great examples of this came in late January when after a 3-1 loss to Gil Vicente, FC Porto coach Vitor Pereira said that while his team was poor, the referees were a disgrace.

The sad truth for the Dragons was that even the world’s greatest official couldn’t save them from defeat on that night.

But for the next week, the Portuguese media was fixated with what the referee missed, rather than how Porto got it so wrong.

I now believe that there is a way to stop the blame game - the use of video replays to help the officials.

I’ve never been in favour of it, but if it can stop the painful focus of referees in countries like Portugal, then I’m all for it.

The biggest concern I’ve had with officials using video technology is that it will interrupt the flow of the game.

Football can’t fall into the rugby league trap, where everyone sits and waits for what feels like an eternity while the video ref watches replay after replay.

But perhaps there is a way it can be used in football without destroying the game’s flow.

Technology now allows an editor to review incidents almost instantly from a variety of angles and even in 3D.

If there is a time limit placed on an official to re-view the footage, say 20 seconds, maybe the disruption to the game would be at an acceptable level.

Bringing in video refs would also have the added affect of discouraging bad tackles and diving.

A player would be far less willing to go to ground if he/she knew it would be seen close up by the officials instantly, while it’s far less likely tackles like Mario Balotelli’s against Arsenal's Alex Song would go unpunished.

As is the case in tennis, some have suggested giving each team a number of challenges throughout the game.

But the danger with this method is that coaches could end up using it for tactical reasons, like time-outs in American sports.

If a side is leading with a few minutes left to play, a coach will inevitably use his remaining challenges like he currently does substitutions to interrupt the flow of the game.

Furthermore, there is the chance that a team that has challenges left has a decision go against it.

The hope is that FIFA will realise that no matter how many eyes it has on the pitch, the only way to ensure officials across leagues will remain out of the spotlight, is to give them time to review their decisions.

The technology is there, football just has to figure out the best way to use it.

Before the discussion of the book began, we were serenaded by an unplugged version of Zaroma’s, Forza Juve Ale.

Even for someone whose allegiance has been stolen by AS Roma, you can’t help but be moved by the anthem to Italy’s best-supported club.

I can only understand bits and pieces of what’s being said when the book’s author Gianluca Iovine recounts why he thought Scirea's was an important story to write.

Some might describe Iovine as a hipster. He couples a sports coat and tie with casual pants and sneakers. His dark curly hair and 80’s style moustache wouldn’t be out of place at a trendy cafe or an ‘Occupy’ protest.

In Italy, however, the discussion of politics is no different from the discussion of football.

It’s when I look around the room to see the others listening attentively before engaging in philosophical debate about Scirea, Juventus and the era with which the Italian World Cup winner grew up and played, that I realise just how seriously this country takes football.

I always knew the world’s favourite game was a passion in Italy, but even when compared to England, Germany and Portugal, the Italians take it to a whole new level.

But I shouldn’t have been surprised given how Italians approach their other great passions like food, coffee, literature and art.

These are not mere hobbies or interests but ways of life, something to be pondered, analysed and discussed with the same passion with which they are consumed.

In a distinct approach for a sporting biography, Iovine tells the story of Scirea using a fictional character, a kind of antithesis to the Juventus legend’s humble nature.

Later, my Roman friend Max Civili tells me that this characterisation is a novel way of capturing the attention of Italian audiences, who have little time for trivialising football.

It’s not just the social aspects of the beautiful game that Italians approach with such gusto. There is no stone left unturned in the technical and tactical analyses either.

After a splendid day in Rome spent eating fine pasta, sipping superb coffee and taking in a solid display from the Giallorossi at the Olimpico, I sit back to watch the Italian version of Match of the Day.

Every European nation has its late weekend highlights show, in which they wrap-up the action and analyse the events that took place across countless pitches.

I’ve seen this type of show in England, Spain, France and Portugal, but none of them are as intense as the Italian version.

The biggest game of last weekend was Juventus v Napoli. La Domenica Sportiva devoted almost half its two-hour show to dissecting every aspect of the game.

With a striking female host surrounded by former players, coaches and journalists, they discuss everything from the tactical set-up, substitutions, movements, to referee’s decisions and their consequences.

There’s a direct feed to the stadium where players and coaches are subjected to thorough questioning.

Coaches Antonio Conte and Walter Mazzari were both grilled by the panellists about almost every decision they made, and this is even after they’ve done their flash and press conference interviews.

Then there’s the analysis of each player. A reporter in a RAI edit booth gives key player ratings out of 10 and offers his reasons for them.

The focus then returns to the studio, where debate immediately ensues about the ratings as the analysts argue over whether a certain player should have received 7 rather than 6.

In some areas of the world this panel show format might be viewed as boring and pointless but in Italy, this is not only great entertainment; it is a vital component to living and breathing the beautiful game.

Jose Mourinho once said that the title that gave him most satisfaction was the Serie A championship with Inter, because a coach’s work in Italy is scrutinised more than anywhere else.

I now understand what he means.

There’s little doubt that he is the world’s greatest football player. But arguments on whether he is the best ever can last well into the night as football tragics compare him to the greats of the past: Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Di Stefano, etc.

I’m only old enough to recall Maradona’s playing days, but I have watched plenty of old matches featuring other contenders for football’s greatest throne. To me, there is no debate - Messi is king.

I do believe that all these great footballers are geniuses. The circuits in their brains connect far quicker than that of mere mortals, which is why they can anticipate and react before anyone else has had time to calculate just what happened.

As Simon Kuper points out for Mio Stadium, “the little man (Messi) has such quick reflexes that he sometimes wins a tackle a split-second after losing one”.

But this gift alone is not enough to reach the pinnacle of the beautiful game. In fact, scientific studies have shown it takes 10,000 hours of practice for a genius to realise his or her potential.

This is what sets Messi apart from those that have come before. The Argentine genius honed his skill at the best football school in the world – La Masia.

The then-teenager’s move to Barcelona almost didn’t happen, but Charly Rexach’s now famous napkin changed history.

While there was no doubting Messi’s technical and mental abilities, his lack of stature and susceptibility to injury were a concern to the club.

In fact, a different youth system may have given up on the world’s greatest player altogether.

But Barca was the perfect club for this type of player and the Catalans had learnt from mistakes they made with another Argentine genius.

Diego Maradona made an expensive move to the Nou Camp in 1982, but he never fulfilled his potential in Spain.

Off field issues, as well as injuries, hindered the then 22-year-old’s development.

It was only after his unforgettable performances for Napoli and Argentina that Barcelona perhaps realised that like all of us, footballers will only reach their potential if they are healthy and happy.

Today Messi is both. He’s surrounded by friends and family from his hometown of Rosario. A few years ago when he was struck down by injury, the club was patient and understood he needed a rest.

Now it is reaping the rewards as Messi continues to break records and sets the football world alight with consistently outstanding performances.

Some suggest that Barcelona’s record scorer has an advantage because there is now more television exposure than when the other “greatest” contenders were playing.

But I see this as another reason why Messi is in fact the greatest.

Football today is quicker, more physically demanding with teams more tactically savvy than ever before.

There is less space and time for players to manoeuvre with the ball. So for someone to produce what Messi does week in-week out is a sign that they are doing things nobody has ever achieved.

A popular argument as to why the throne cannot be handed to the Argentine wizard – is Argentina's record at recent World Cups.

So often we hear that “unless Messi wins the World Cup” he cannot be considered the greatest.

I don’t buy it for a moment.

The reason football fans used to wait to see how a player performed at a World Cup before judging his greatness, was because that used to be the pinnacle of world football.

It is not the case today.

The World Cup in South Africa demonstrated that the highest level of football nowadays is played in the UEFA Champions League. In that competition, few can deny that Messi has excelled beyond all other players.

So for me, this latest football genius is the greatest of all. But that doesn’t mean that the next genius won’t be better.

In fact, it’s logical to conclude that footballers will continue to evolve. Just like the 100 metres sprint record continues to be broken.

In the end, the debates will continue and I for one enjoy reminiscing as we discuss each players’ merits.

But the most important thing we can do now is to just watch and enjoy football’s latest genius at work.

It is no longer just the European elite that splash out for talent. For the past few years, the football world has seen clubs from the United States, Russia and Brazil spend vast sums to entice players.

Now, China is amongst the big spenders too, such as the $15.77 million forked out by Guangzhou Evergrande for Argentina’s Dario Conca (number 18 on the rich list).

It’s another sign that the balance of financial power in football (as in geopolitics) is shifting away from the old world and towards the new.

One of the unfortunate side effects of this trend is that credible football investors that once saw Britain as a pot of gold are looking to different pastures to pour the money.

As British clubs desperately try to keep up, they have sometimes resorted to less credentialed investors. This has lead to disaster for some, the latest victim being Rangers.

This is a side with such a proud history and tradition that, perhaps, nobody believed it could go into administration. The sad truth is that financial mismanagement means Rangers have been left vulnerable and the worst may be yet to come for the Scottish giant.

It’s not good news for arch-rival Celtic either, as one of the main sources of television revenue is the Old Firm derby. Without it, there’s going to be less money for the green half of Glasgow too.

But history suggests there is a silver lining for Glaswegian football.

Napoli and Fiorentina are both clubs of sizeable support that fell into economic hardship.

They both dug themselves out of the lower divisions and into the UEFA Champions League, showing that it is possible for a fallen giant to build up and once again challenge for the highest honours, as long as there is planning and patience.

As troubling as the Rangers situation is, even more concerning are the economic difficulties facing Portsmouth, Port Vale and Darlington. They are just the latest in a growing list of British clubs struggling with their finances.

But it is not surprising that clubs in areas where the general economy is spluttering are struggling to keep up with payments.

The reason that Brazilian and Chinese clubs can now afford some of the highest wages in the world is because their economies are booming.

It’s only logical to assume that as Europe’s economy suffers hard times, so too will its football clubs.

England has managed to keep four professional leagues running since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, but time may be catching up with this ideal.

There is no other country in Europe that can sustain that many professional teams. Even in Spain and Germany the major clubs have second teams that play in the lower divisions.

Unless a club has a large population base from which to harness support and space for a big stadium, there will be no great return on major investment.

With most of these opportunities in Britain already snapped up business-minded football investors are turning their gaze elsewhere.

One of the things I admire most about English football is the great support there is for local clubs.

Despite a proud 100 year-old history, my team Vitoria de Setubal can barely muster a few thousand people to a Portuguese top-flight game.

Part of the reason is that Lisbon giants Sporting and Benfica are just half an hour’s drive away. Furthermore, it is cheaper to watch football at home on TV.

The worry for smaller English clubs is that is becoming the case too.

In west London, Chelsea, Fulham and Queen’s Park Rangers are in the top tier and easily accessible, but at about $75 for the cheapest tickets not everyone can afford to go.

Brentford is a more affordable option close by, but $30 for the cheapest ticket to a third tier match does seem rather steep.

In fact, with tickets for about $15 a Bundesliga match is more affordable than an afternoon at Brentford.

Yet the most affordable way to enjoy football in these tough economic times is to stay home and watch it on TV.

In the UK, aside from 3-5:30PM on a Saturday afternoon, there is football on all weekend for the cost of a one Premier League match a month.

While that may be great for some, it spells danger for those who aren’t receiving television revenue – namely the smaller clubs.

Without serious revenue or investment, Britain is going to find it more and more difficult to sustain so many professional teams.

While I agree with Phil Micallef that English clubs have underachieved in Europe this season, I am not convinced that it is the result of a wider downward trend, not at the top level anyway.

I still think Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are in re-building phases and may soon again be challenging for Europe’s most coveted trophy.

What more accurately reflects the recent trend of the Champions League is Deloitte’s Football Money League top 20 list.

Since 2004, only clubs from the top 10 of this list have made it to the Champions League final. Instead of one country dominating European football, it will be clubs with the highest revenue chasing continental titles.

Even with this season’s early demise of big hitters like Manchester United, Arsenal and Inter, only two teams in the quarter-finals are from outside the top 20 list – Benfica and APOEL.

UEFA’s financial fair play regulations will ensure this status quo is cemented, because unless a club can drastically increase its revenue (which is almost impossible without winning titles), it cannot compete with the budgets of the rich list.

There is no success in football without money, but that doesn’t mean money guarantees success.

I’ve been fortunate to watch a lot of the major European leagues this season and I must say the level of football in the Premier League has disappointed me.

From my observations, Spain leads the way in a technical and tactical sense, with Germany, England and Italy all at a similar level.

Considering the financial resources available to Premier League clubs, in comparison with the other top European leagues, questions need to be asked.

One thing that the book Moneyball taught sporting administrators, above all else, is to question long-standing views on valuation in sport.

In baseball, they found that certain players were over-valued because decisions were being made on instinct rather than analysis.

The Oakland Athletics took advantage of that and with one of the league’s lowest budgets came close to winning the World Series.

It’s time that the Premier League clubs start to analyse their spending more closely.

One of the most exciting teams to watch this season has been Swansea. This is a club that has spent about 15 million pounds over the last five years, yet last week was able to dominate a side that had spent over 500 million in the same period.

That’s not to say that Swansea has a better squad than Manchester City, just like it’s not fair to say that Oakland had a better squad than the New York Yankees.

But has Swansea squeezed greater value for money in squad and staff? Absolutely.

The Welsh side has picked players that are technically strong and have what their manager Brendan Rodgers calls, “football intelligence”. That’s not something your average scout can easily assess.

One of the Swansea standouts has been goalkeeper Michel Vorm, who was bought for 1.5 million pounds from Utrecht. One of the reasons Rodgers said he bought the Dutch shot stopper was because he was comfortable on the ball – not a major consideration for most managers when choosing a goalkeeper.

Newcastle United is another example at how English clubs might be under-valuing certain types of players.

The Magpies have drastically reduced their transfer and wage budget over the last two years, but helped by the likes of Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye (who cost Newcastle a combined total of less than 5 million pounds), Alan Pardew’s side is producing better results than when it had one of the EPL’s highest budgets.

It’s not just the value of players that Premier League clubs should be questioning either. Coaches must also be looked at.

Picking the right coach is one of the hardest tasks in football administration. Unless the administrator has a deep knowledge of the game, how do they know who is good and who is bad?

One would think that a CV with lots of titles would be a reasonable way to value one coach over another.

Recently, the Brazilian website Futebol Finance released a study of the 30 highest-paid coaches in world football.

It’s no surprise to see Jose Mourinho, Josep Guardiola and Guus Hiddink in the top three. They’ve all won numerous titles including the Champions League/European Cup.

Out of the top 20 highest-paid coaches in world football, nine are at Premier League clubs.

Only two of those coaches have won major continental trophies. No prizes for guessing who.

One of the most staggering statistics on the list is that Queen’s Park Rangers manager Mark Hughes – who has never won a significant trophy as a manager - is the 13th-highest paid coach in the world, costing the club as much as Palmeiras pays for World Cup winner Luis Felipe Scolari.

I’m not suggesting that a coach is better than another just because he’s won things, but if most English football administrators are not coaching aficionados, what are they basing their valuations on?

The financial power of Premier League clubs means they will continue to attract some of the best players and coaches from around the world, but the question is are they gettingTHE best?

Andre Villas-Boas became the latest victim of football coaching’s most famous poisoned chalice, Chelsea.

It seems to many here in England that there is only one man with the strength, intelligence, presence and the ‘specialness’ to take the Blues forward - Jose Mourinho. That’s exactly what he wants them to think.

The former Chelsea manager was in London recently, reportedly looking for houses, something he didn’t try to hide as Sid Lowe points out.

There were even reports in Spain that Mourinho did it deliberately to undermine Villas-Boas. The story goes that the two fell out after AVB said he was a big fan of Josep Guardiola.

Neither of those reports can be confirmed, but for Mourinho’s purposes, it doesn’t matter if the stories are true or are false. All that matters is that the attention is on him.

The ‘Special One’ is favourite to return to Stamford Bridge, though some can’t fathom why he would want to leave the Bernabeu. I don’t see why he would want to stay.

Real Madrid is almost certain to claim the La Liga title. Whatever happens in the other competitions, Mourinho has performed another masterstroke by getting the better of the best Barcelona ever, perhaps the best team ever.

If he is to stay, the most he could do is repeat that feat and possibly win the UEFA Champions League, but if he goes at the end of the season, the myth of the ‘Special One’ continues untarnished.

It’s this myth-making that has made Mourinho the most sought after coach (along with Guardiola) in the world, and also why he commands great respect amongst the players.

Part of it stems from the fact that he never played the game professionally. The psychological master realised that he needed to convince his players that he is a football genius.

This also means that whoever comes in after Mourinho is doomed to failure.

After he left FC Porto, a group of players that believed the only way was Jose’s, weren’t going to stand for Luigi Delneri’s pre-season training regime and the Italian coach was sacked before the campaign even kicked off.

Porto went through three coaches that year, and had a squad clear-out in mid season to climb out of the Mourinho’s wake turbulence.

Eventually the Portuguese club realised it had to set up a club philosophy so that coaches could come and go without destabilising everything.

Inter didn’t learn that lesson and while Rafael Benitez lasted longer than Delneri, not even the intellectual Spaniard could survive in the Portuguese coach’s slipstream.

It could be argued that five years after his departure, Chelsea is still struggling to fill the ‘Special One’s void.

There’s recently been on a documentary on UK television titled Jose Mourinho – the best coach in the world.

It was produced by Portuguese television in 2010 and in it players, including Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba speak in awe of their former coach’s 'specialness'.

Terry even saw Nostradamus in the ex-Chelsea boss, “it’s like he knew the future, he’s incredible”, the defender said.

But Jose isn’t feeling the love in Spain.

At Barcelona he is still seen as “the translator” and while Mourinho has changed this image with propaganda Julius Caesar would be proud of, he hasn’t convinced everyone at the Bernabeu, most notably the Spanish players who were unhappy with his tactics against Barca.

That attitude is upsetting the 'legend' Mourinho has worked so hard to cultivate. He was livid with Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas after they criticised him to the Spanish press.

When Ramos said that his coach wouldn’t understand what it’s like to mark at a set piece because he never played, the Madrid boss’s heart must have sunk.

But as long as he keeps winning at clubs that are starved of success, then the legend of the ‘Special One’ will survive. That’s why his next move may well be London.

Now that AVB has begun the difficult process of regime change at Chelsea, it will be much easier for Mourinho to complete the transition and bring success back to Stamford Bridge.

The likely departure of Harry Redknapp to England also makes Tottenham an exciting prospect for myth-making.

Spurs are a club on the up and if the ‘Special One’ can deliver a first title in more than 40 years, White Hart Lane will be chanting “Jose Mourinho” just like they do at the Bridge and the San Siro.

This concept of myth-making isn't a slight on Mourinho's coaching ability. He is one of football’s great minds, up there with Chapman, Meisl, Michels, Lobanovski, Sacchi, Cruyff and Guardiola.

But after so long in the game, what the ‘Special One’ realises is that perception is everything.

Borussia Monchengladbach was once a consistent Bundesliga winner and European contender, but since the 1980s, the club has flirted more with relegation then continental success.

Nearly a year after ‘Die Fohlen’ looked certain to drop out of the Bundesliga, ‘Gladbach is flying high in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues.

The club has a knack for producing gifted attacking players like Stefan Effenberg and Marko Marin, but this season the likes of Marco Reus (who is off to Dortmund next season) are excelling in the nursery.

As ‘Gladbach legend Effenberg stated, the meteoric rise can be attributed to its coach Lucien Favre.

Many may be surprised that the Swiss tactician, who was sacked by Hertha Berlin in 2009, has taken the five-time Bundesliga winner into Champions League contention. These days it’s not often that a coach in his mid-fifties gets a second chance to prove himself, despite showing potential in Berlin.

What this demonstrates is that coaches, like players, are constantly evolving. Just because a coach hasn’t achieved success in his 40’s doesn’t meant he won’t in his career, and vice versa.

Take Sven-Göran Eriksson for example. In the 1980s, he was at the forefront of modern football thinking as he impressed in charge of Benfica, Roma and Sampdoria before his crowning glory of a Serie A title with Lazio.

In those days, few could cope with the high pressing, direct football his teams played.

But the game evolved and Eriksson, for whatever reason, failed to evolve with it.

In the past five years the game has changed at a rapid rate, and it will be the coaches that adapt to modern methods that will achieve sustained success.

The easy availability of the latest football thinking, coupled with ever-improving football science and player development, means the game can now be played with the type of intensity unthinkable 20 years ago.

These days, most professional coaches in any part of the world can organise their team in a highly efficient, structured way.

What that means is it is no longer good enough for a coach to simply tell his team something like, “pass and move” or rely on the individual talents of his players to bring about success.

Today, a top-level coach must teach his team where to pass, where to run, where to press.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said one of the great things about coach Josep Guardiola is that, “he tells us where to run and why”.

It’s the coaches that are able to get their teams to play in organised attacking movements, rather than rely on transitions, that will be the successful bosses of the future.

There are some in Europe that are already showing such promise; here are a few of them:

Jurgen Klopp – Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund plays some of the most exciting football on the continent.

Klopp has lead Dortmund to Bundesliga glory by consistently working on attacking movements in training as well as helping players reach their potential. The German champion is a massive club in it own right, but the big two in Manchester and the Spanish giant will be keeping watch on the 44-year-old.

Lucien Favre –Borussia Monchengladbach

Much like his Ruhr counterpart, Favre has achieved success by tirelessly working in the training ground on organised attacks, as well as strengthening the defence by teaching his team to work as a compact, pressing unit. Franz Beckenbauer believes the 54-year-old would make a good Bayern Munich coach.

Rudi Garcia - Lille

In a league where defensive positioning is the first thought of most coaches, Lille has broken the mould and proven that dynamic proactive football can be successful in France.

Much of the credit for Lille’s exciting style of playcan be attributed to Garcia who has spent much of his bourgeoning career studying the intricacies of the beautiful game.

Mauricio Pochettino - Espanyol

In these difficult financial times Espanyol would be more than happy with avoiding relegation, but for the past two seasons Pochettino has turned Barcelona’s second club into one of Spain’s most feared teams. Despite the limited resources at his disposal, the 39-year-old has brought excitement to the Cornella-El Prat, while making life extremely difficult for its cross-town rival in the derby. There’s talk that Pochettino could be a future Real Madrid coach, but he’ll need to demonstrate his abilities at a bigger club first.

Pedro Martins - Maritimo

Portugal has become an excellent nursery for up-and-coming coaches of late, but Pedro Martins is the pick of the current bunch. A student of modern methodology, Martins’ Maritimo (along with Benfica) is playing the most spectacular football in the league this season. The islanders are even pushing Sporting and Braga for the third UCL spot, while rumours persist that the 41-year-old will join FC Porto next season. No prizes for guessing what success at the Dragao can lead to.

Brendan Rodgers – Swansea

In previous blogs, I’ve stated why I think Brendan Rodgers is one of the most promising coaches to come out of Britain in recent times. Despite having a modest budget, Swansea continues to play eye-catching football, while recording impressive results. Other Premier League clubs must be wondering how he would fare with even greater resources.

If he takes the advice of the majority of English media, then Andre Villas-Boas’s tenure as Chelsea manager should come to a tragic, Shakespearean-like conclusion.

It’s taken a few months but I’ve finally seen just how vicious the English tabloids can be.

The Sun has seemingly made it a mission to have the young Portuguese manager sacked.

The tabloid publication has cited almost everything from tactical inflexibility (despite The Sun's reporting, AVB did change to 4-2-3-1 for the Napoli match) to playing Bosingwa at left-back (something Guus Hiddink did rather effectively against Barcleona).

Unfortunately they all seem to be missing the main point. While it’s obvious Abrahmovich wants to win, simply winning is not enough for the Russian billionaire.

He wants to win like Barcelona does and he’s realised that takes a certain type of coach.

Villas-Boas fitted the bill almost perfectly. His FC Porto side played a ‘Barca’ type of football. He says exactly want you want to hear from a coach who wants to play possession-based, high-pressing football. An added bonus was he knew the club from his time under Jose Mourinho.

But as the season unfolds, Abrahmovich is finding out that while AVB was ready for that type of football, Chelsea wasn’t.

The Sun reported that Ashley Cole told his manager: “I came here to win medals and trophies but I’m never going to do that with your tactics”.

Despite the support of his owner, Villas-Boas has failed categorically in selling his philosophy to the players.

Just like tactics and team selection, this is a fundamental part of any coach’s job and AVB’s inability to get his team to believe in his philosophy has already cost Chelsea dearly.

Jose Mourinho came to Stamford Bridge under similar cicumstances to Villas-Boas. He served a long apprenticeship as opposition scout and assistant coach before achieving success with FC Porto.

But Mourinho has no philosophy. He’s a coach who adapts to the circumstances of the players, the club and the country. He is also a master psychologist who convinces the players they will succeed with whatever tactics he chooses.

While Villas-Boas is different it doesn’t mean he isn’t an excellent coach.

Last season FC Porto won a treble playing superb, attacking football. It was more exciting and successful then Mourinho’s first full season at the club.

Despite only one major departure (Radamel Falcao) this campaign the Dragons sit second in Liga Sagres, have been dumped out of the Portuguese Cup and Europa League and often playing football that can best be described as uninspiring.

While the current coach Vitor Perreira is competent, he does not posses the tactical acumen to take Porto to last season’s level.

So why was AVB so successful at the Dragao but not at Cheslea?

One of the reasons is that Porto has an in-built philosophy in the club. In keeping with the club ethos, the Dragons squad was put together to play a high intensity 4-3-3. The same can’t be said of Chelsea.

A few months ago, I wrote that Abrahmovich needed to back AVB in the face of a player revolt.

While I still believe the Chelsea owner should not sack his coach simply because some players in the squad don’t like him, there does need to be close scrutiny of AVB’s performance.

The main issue is that there are few signs Chelsea is evolving. The team is not able to keep the ball for long periods, it is unable break down opposing defences with ease and the team’s defensive pressing has not improved since August.

It may suggest that while Villas-Boas is an excellent choice as coach for a team well suited to the Barca type 4-3-3 system (which is why he’s on Marca’s shortlist to replace Josep Guardiola should he leave), he may not be the ideal candidate to make the transition to such a system.

In that respect it’s no surprise Marcelo Bielsa – a man credited as a guru of the Barca way – has been linked with a move to Chelsea.

But perhaps given enough time, AVB can implement his philosophy successfully at Chelsea. The question is whether Abrahmovich is willing to sacrifice enough for that to happen.

England’s favourite coach was now in the clear and a step further towards taking the country’s most prized job, England manager.

But in the early evening, an even bigger story broke.

‘Capello resigns’ was the headline plastered on news websites and tickers across television screens all over Britain. Newspapers were, understandably, quite furious with the timing.

A series of events, sparked by the complaint of a Queen’s Park Rangers fan to police about John Terry’s alleged racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand, had led to the resignation of the England manager.

While the timing came as a shock, it wasn’t a complete surprise to anyone that Capello was gone before Euro 2012.

There had been mutterings that the English Football Association had been considering replacing the Italian soon after the Three Lions qualified for the tournament.

Capello would be on his way after Poland/Ukraine and the FA was worried that the constant media scrutiny and uncertainty over his successor would be a fatal distraction.

That’s not to say that the FA conceived the whole John Terry captaincy saga to deliberately undermine its coach. There’s no doubt that it thoroughly believed it was the right thing to strip him of the armband.

But Capello is someone who above all else, demands support from his employers. He felt betrayed by the decision.

A national team coach doesn’t appear on a live television interview and criticise his employers without knowing the repercussions of his actions.

Capello was fully aware the FA would have to act after his interview on Italian TV, where he criticised the Terry decision.

It was near enough to a ‘back me or sack me’ ultimatum and the FA’s comment that it went into Tuesday’s meeting with “an open mind”, suggests it wasn’t about to back him.

The Italian tendered his resignation after open conversations with the FA and as soon as the news hit, all eyes turned the man whose path had just been cleared to take over.

From journalists, to office workers, to street vendors, it seems everyone southeast of Hadrian’s Wall wants Harry Redknapp to become the next England manager.

There is a great connection between ‘Arry and English football fans. They seem to see a little bit of themselves in the working class football hero.

But most importantly, they want him because he is the highest-rated English manager around.

England’s less-than-inspiring performances since Capello took over from Steve McLaren reignited fervour that the manager of England has to be English, or at the very least British.

The mood was captured perfectly by Peterborough’s Director of Football, Barry Fry on Sky Sports News.

If everything isn’t done to try and persuade Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to let Redknapp take England to Euro 2012, there will be Barry Fry-style outrage all over the country.

While fellow English coach Alan Pardew completely ruled out any intention of going for the job, the media savvy Redknapp told the cameras he "is just concentrating on Tottenham”. This is media speak for, “I’d like to, but you need to ask my boss”.

The FA seems happy to wait until after the completion of the Premier League season to appoint its man.

Chairman David Bernstein said in the press conference that while it wants to act quickly, it also wants to get it right.

England has just one friendly until that time and the administrators believe that everything a manager can do until the squad gathers for its pre-Euro camp in May, has already been done.

But is Redknapp really the right man for the job?

The Tottenham boss is not the kind of coach who needs a lot of time to implement his style of play on a team.

His focus is on finding good, technical players, organising a basic structure and giving the players confidence and freedom to do as they wish.

In the short-term it should work well for England, particularly after the regimented Capello approach, where it was felt that the squad lacked confidence.

But if the goal is to play like Spain in two or four years’ time, then Redknapp is not the kind of coach who can achieve that kind of football.

For that they will need a Josep Guardiola or even a Brendan Rodgers – coaches who have shown they can develop a possession-based style of play over a long period of time.

A Sky Sports News poll showed just how unlikely such an appointment is, with Guardiola receiving one per cent of the vote on who should be the next manager.

Quite astonishing, considering he has won more major trophies than any other coach in the past few years and his team has been labelled one of the best ever.

So it seems there is only one man destined to be England’s next manager, and it’s not Mike Bassett.

A year is a very long time in football and Paciencia’s smile has now been replaced by frustration as the promising coach struggles at Portuguese football’s poisoned chalice, Sporting Clube de Portugal.

At the turn of the century it appeared that the ‘Lions’ would finally be consistent competitors to Benfica and FC Porto for the league title.

Two championships (2000 and 2002) in three years as well as a UEFA Cup final appearance in 2005 seemed to confirm those beliefs.

By that time Sporting was starting to reap the benefits of the large investment it placed in the club’s academy.

Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani all prospered in the first team before being sold for handsome profits.

Under current national team boss Paulo Bento there were a few second place finishes and even a couple of League Cup trophies.

But with the cantera drying up, the 2009-2010 season proved an utter disaster as the whimpering Lions finished fourth, 28 points behind champion Benfica.

Bento left half way through that campaign but it failed to improve Sporting’s results the following season.

Early in 2011 the members went to the polls in one of the most pivotal presidential elections in living memory.

Godinho Lopes, a long time servant in the Sporting administration was the favourite, but there was a dark horse who was shaking up the establishment.

The youthful Bruno de Carvalho claimed he had Russian investors and promised to spend 50 million euros in the transfer market, as well as sign Marco van Basten as coach.

He resonated with the club’s younger supporters.

Election night turned into a drama to rival the USA’s 2001 presdential vote.

In a CNN moment, De Carvalho was declared the winner by a member of the administration. There were celebrations outside the stadium but confusion reigned.

Soon after, the electoral committee dismissed that declaration and Lopes was pronounced president.

There were demonstrations outside the Estadio de Alvalade as joy turned to anger with members voicing their disapproval of the electoral system, but legal threats from the vanquished never materialised.

Lopes took charge and decided to bring back the two men that were credited as the brains behind Sporting’s 2000 title triumph (its first in 18 years).

Luis Duque may have put on a few kilos and Carlos Freitas a few more wrinkles, but the CEO and Football Director approached the 2011-20112 season with a tried and tested method; spend money on talented players.

A decade ago, before every street corner had a specialised scout, putting together a talented squad capable of competing for the Portuguese title could be achieved with a relatively reasonable budget, but today top euro needs to be spent.

So for one European summer at least, the cantera was overlooked as Sporting shelled out $35 million euros to bring in talents like Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Diego Capel and the most expensive player in the club’s history, Elias.

The man charged with moulding these pricey purchases into a formidable outfit was Domingos Paciencia.

The former FC Porto striker had already cut his coaching teeth at Uniao de Leiria and Academica before taking Sporting Braga to second place in the league and a Europa League final appearance.

But many rising Portuguese coaches had been consumed by the Lion’s den before, as Jose Peseiro, Paulo Bento, Carlos Carvalhal and Paulo Sergio will lay testament to.

Still, it felt as if there was a new dawn at the Alvalade this season.

As with all revolutions, it was a slow start, but round four appeared to be a watershed as Sporting came from two goals down to defeat Pacos de Ferreira 3-2.

The Lions roared and went on a run of seven straight victories in the league. The Paciencia effect was taking hold.

But a derby loss to Benfica in November, and an injury to vitally important ‘number 6’ Rinaudo, halted the juggernaut and cracks appeared.

Sporting has won just twice since the derby as patience with Paciencia begins to wear thin for the Alvalade faithful.

A 1-0 loss to Gil Vicente in the League Cup (a week after the club from Barcelos upset Porto) fuelled rumours Domingos was on the way out.

So far the club's powerbrokers are dismissing such talk but Sporting is five points behind Braga in the race for the UEFA Champions League play-off place.

After such a large investment in the squad, if Paciencia fails to deliver the UCL, Portuguese football’s poisoned chalice may claim another victim.

Five months after the last transfer deadline day, Sky Sports News and arguably Harry Redknapp's favourite day of the year was back.

Unfortunately for the Tottenham manager (and Sky Sports News) Redknapp had more pressing issues this time so the day went on without him.

In August they told me anything and everything can happen on deadline day. Midway through the extravaganza it appeared that was the case, as the overworked Queens Park Rangers reporter gave live updates of a fire in Shepherd’s Bush.

Fortunately there were no injuries and all the ex-pat Australians breathed a sigh of relief with the nearby Walkabout Pub unaffected.

While QPR was a major player, all eyes were on Manchester and specifically the blue half of the City’s star-turned-nuisance Carlos Tevez.

“It wouldn’t be transfer deadline day without mentioning Carlos Tevez,” the Sky Sports News presenters chirped. Well I wouldn’t quite compare the Argentine with Christmas turkey or crackers just yet, but appears as though the saga will continue. Tevez’s minders reminded everyone that the window is still open in Russia and South America.

This deadline day also fell on a Premier League matchday, so how could the managers of the various clubs possibly keep their minds on the game on this special day?

Quite easily they responded, there’s plenty of staff that deal with these things. That’s where Football Manager falls down in its realism!

UEFA’s financial fair play and economic realities meant there was far less spent in this window than in January 2011, and unlike Football Manager there’s no way to ‘adjust budget’ with special sliders in the real world.

But with half an hour left on the clock, just when everyone thought this was more of a dudline day, up stepped the star of the show, Harry Redknapp.

Not even a court case could keep him away, and he detailed to Sky Sports News all the possible deals Spurs were working on, even if he couldn’t remember which Russian club Roman Pavyluchenko had signed for. “Simon’s telling me Lokomotiv”, ‘Arry said.

In the end Tottenham made two late signings, brining in Louis Saha up front and Ryan Nelson in defence, while Vedran Corluka and Sebestian Bassong went to Bayer Leverkusen and Wolverhampton respectively. It wasn’t Redknapp’s greatest deadline day, but at least he got to do some wheeling and dealing.

Chelsea was the biggest spender in England and the acquisition of Gary Cahill was of prime importance to Andre Villas-Boas. AVB had one eye on the future with the purchase of highly-rated Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, who’ll be hoping the club is in the Champions League when he arrives next season.

QPR wase the other big spender in the window and with the side perilously close to the drop zone it’s understandable why. Mark Hughes inherited a side struggling for goals, so the acquisitions of Djbril Cisse and Bobby Zamora are logical. The defence has also been shored up with the signings of Nedum Onuoha and Taye Taiwo. It should be more than enough to keep the west London outfit up.

The departure of Zamora meant Fulham needed to bolster its attack. In came Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak and in an exciting move for Australian fans, 18-year-old Perth-born winger Ryan Williams also moved to the London club for about $740,000.

New Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill also plugged some gaps with Sotirios Kyrgiakos (obviously sick of the ‘laufen’ at Wolfsburg) and Wayne Bridge. The ‘Black Cats’ were already improving under O’Neill and these two should help it climb the ladder, for a side that was drastically underachieving.

Everton’s troubles in front of goal this season meant David Moyes was ready to go shopping for a striker. The Scotsman is a shrewd operator in the transfer market and he pulled off another coup with the proven goalscorer Nikica Jelavic and the loan signing of Landon Donavon. Also strengthening the midfield is the return of Steven Pienaar and Darren Gibson. It all means the Toffees should start moving up the table and maybe even launch a late raid for the European places.

Perhaps one of the most astute Premier League signings of this transfer window came at the beginning of January. Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has already proved he has an eye for talent and former Freiburg striker Pappis Cisse is the latest name to join the Magpies. The Senegalese striker had already scored nine goals in the Bundesliga this season, while he was only second to Mario Gomez in the goal scoring charts last campaign.

The two Manchester clubs were relatively quiet this window. Manchester City boosted its bulging squad with experienced midfielder David Pizarro, while Manchester United also added experience with the return of Paul Scholes.

Arsene Wenger wasn’t swayed by cries of, “spend some money” from the Emriates faithful. He stuck to his tried and tested method of bringing in a rising star; this time 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Eisfeld.

At the bottom of the table Blackburn Rovers would have been happy just holding on to Chris Samba, but Steve Kean did also managed a couple of acquisitions. Bradley Orr came in from Queen’s Park Rangers, while Marcus Olsson’s twin brother Martin was also brought in. Kean said it’s because, surprisingly enough, he’s just like his brother. Watch out Nevilles, here come the Olssons.

Unfortunately for fans of Wigan, Wolverhampton and Bolton, there were no Knights in shining armour to help pull them out of the relegation fight.

But history has showed, spending big on deadline day doesn’t always guarantee success.

Some in the English press have speculated that it may even be the last meeting between the two great foes, Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson, with either Wenger moving on, or Ferguson deciding to retire (not impossible, but unlikely at this stage).

It was a wonderful atmosphere inside the ground and a very entertaining game, particularly in the second-half as the spaces opened up.

The one disappointing aspect of the night was that the football played by these two great teams wasn’t quite at the level when both were at their peak.

While it has been one of the most competitive title races in recent memory, the level of football at the top of Premier League has dropped this season.

That’s not to say the EPL is on a downward trend. It’s more to do with a number of teams being in re-building phases, like Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and, to an extent, Manchester United.

There has, however, been a shining light further down the table this campaign, and perhaps from the unlikeliest of sources.

Over a week ago, Swansea proved it is the true entertainer of the Premier League by passing Arsenal off the park in one of the greatest performances in the Welsh club’s history.

Wenger and Ferguson changed English football over 15 years ago but now Brendan Rodgers's success at Swansea has the potential to change English football again, but this time further down the hierarchy.

Credit must first go to the Swansea administrators who instituted a philosophy of possession based attacking football, and then brought in coaches that fitted that philosophy.

It started with Roberto Martinez in 2007. When he moved on to Wigan, former Portuguese international Paulo Sousa continued what Martinez had started.

Sousa left after one season, but Rodgers has built on and even improved the good work of his predecessors as he led Swansea to the Premier League in just his first season in charge.

A knee injury at the age 20 forced Rodgers to retire from a playing career, so he devoted his time to studying the game.

When Jose Mourinho took over at Chelsea in 2004, he brought the then-Reading academy director to coach the blues youth team.

The Northern Irishman learnt much working under the ‘special one’ but he also continued his study of the intricacies of the game in Spain and Netherlands.

In a superb piece in the Sunday Telegraph, Duncan White wrote that for Rodgers, “the goal has always been constant, ever since he found himself fruitlessly chasing the ball against continental opposition as a Northern Ireland youth player: bring British football up to date”.

While the outstanding passing displays of Swansea are thrilling the crowds at the Liberty Stadium and making the rest of Europe take notice (the Welsh club sits sixth on the continent for pass accuracy), it is results that will be the Rodgers's greatest long term contribution to English football.

Ever since Wenger and Ferguson showed that taking the initiative would bring sustained success at the top, managers at the less resourced clubs have blamed a lack of finances for playing conservative, one dimensional football.

What Rodgers and Swansea are showing is that even on a relatively small budget, a team can have success with a possession based attacking philosophy.

As I have mentioned before, the technical standard amongst English players is quite high. What they lack is tactical positioning and decision-making.

Rodgers has taught his team these two fundamentals and that’s because not only does he have the philosophy to suit, but also the methodology to put this into practice.

He’s proved to everyone in Britain that management is not just about buying and selling players, and that small clubs can match it with the best without spending ludicrous amounts of money.

It is the centre of the country’s tiling industry, and the company that produces the glue for these ceramics, Mapei, is the owner of the local football team, U.S. Sassuolo Calcio.

It’s not one of Italy’s best-supported sides, but the fans that follow the team in green and black stripes are a loyal lot.

In the café next to the Stadio Alberto Braglia (which disappointingly doesn’t meet Serie B requirements), there are posters draped across the walls from Sassuolo’s history, including the Serie C triumph that saw current AC Milan boss Massimo Allegri lead the club to promotion.

A small group of dedicated fans also travel to the club’s training base outside the city to watch coach Fulvio Pea take the team through its paces.

They look on intently and argue whether the side could do with a new striker – only Torino has scored less goals in the top seven of the Serie B.

It’s not the first place many would think of when discussing a revolution in Italian football, but this small club is showing the big boys of calico a thing or two about administration.

Australian midfielder Carl Valeri joined the club two seasons ago from Grosseto, where the chairman could best be described as erratic.

But at Sassuolo, Valeri has found the kind of professionalism and working conditions any person needs to flourish in his or her employment.

Unlike many clubs in the lower tiers of Italian football and even some in Serie A, Sassuolo pays its players on time.

The club is also an advocate of scientific analysis and each player has an individual training regime to follow before every session.

When injuries flare up or fatigue sets in, which is inevitable in Serie B’s marathon 42-game season, the coaching staff call for a rest rather than an injection.

Valeri was full of praise for his employer after he was he allowed to rest and recuperate from a slight knee problem, rather than be forced to play through it.

Instead of having a player struggling through the season, Sassuolo has a happy and fully fit international footballer in its squad.

The club has been reaping the rewards of its professional management since 2006, when it won promotion to Serie C for the first time in its history.

Last season was the club’s first difficult period since that time, as it went from promotion contender to relegation battler.

But there was no panic from the owners. Instead they learned from those mistakes and even though it sits second, two points behind Torino, no one is getting ahead of themselves.

There’s an air of tranquillity at the training base as the players joke around with each other before the weekly tactical analysis of the opposition.

It’s a far cry from the shocking scenes experienced at the Artemio Franchi in Florence last weekend.

After a 1-0 home loss to Lecce, about 600 Fiorentina ultras tried to break into the changing rooms to see the players, who they accused of not trying hard enough.

Understandably the players locked themselves in the change rooms until the supporters’ rage had subsided.

But rather than inspire the team, such actions are bound to have a devastating effect on Fiorentina, as players become even more nervous of making mistakes.

Along with financial mismanagement and poor facilities, the role of the ultras is Italian football’s most hindering problem. Sassuolo is fortunate that its fans are patient enough to allow the players the freedom to make mistakes.

If the small club from Emilia-Romagna can rise from the regional leagues to the Serie A in just six years, perhaps other Italian clubs and their supporters will realise that patience, and a good working environment are essential for success.

Francesco Totti – whose statue would not be out of place next to those of Caesar and Augustus in the city centre – breathes out as he prepares to take a penalty. This would also be his first goal for the 2011-2012 season.

It is a special moment for my Australian-Italian Romanista friend, Sam Eastwood. On his previous two visits to the Stadio Olimpico, he hasn’t seen Totti play. Now, he is on the edge of his seat watching alongside the fans as Totti starts his run up.

Rome’s golden boy dispatches the spot kick into the top corner. Mayhem ensues as the fans in the Curva Sud form their very own tifosi mosh pit. Seats become impromptu drum kits and flags wave proudly in unison. Several giallo and rosso flares light up around the stadium. The men, women and children in the adjacent stand are overcome with joy as Totti’s song “C'è solo un capitano” is sung around the Olimpico.

This is football passion in its most pure form.

Some of my earliest football memories are of sitting around the table with my father and brother watching Serie A on a Sunday morning.

Italian football has changed dramatically since those times, and not always for the better. But when Sam asked me to join him at the Olimpico, there was no way I could have said no.

On match day there is no escaping the verve that embraces the city as fans draped in giallorossi stretch from the Colosseum to the Pantheon, crowding onto the buses and trams that will take them across the Tiber.

Italian football’s recent troubles mean that getting into the ground requires a fair bit of patience as security checks are carried out. Fans queue in typically Romanista style, which basically means there is no queue at all.

Sam could barely hide his excitement as he jostled for space closer to the turnstiles. He’d been here before; he knew what was coming once he reached the stadium.

Once the formalities of flashing your passport at various entry points are over, the chanting from the Curva Sud dominates the stadium.

But the most surprising discovery upon reaching the stairs that lead to the stands is the intoxicating smell of freshly brewed coffee that emanates from inside.

Most stadiums in the world have built-in bars flowing with beer, and while the Olimpico is no exception, what sets it apart are its built-in cafés with espresso machines and trained baristas.

I can say that the coffee was of very good quality and if the occasion doesn’t get your pulse racing, the espresso certainly well.

The Olimpico is an old fashioned, grand bowl-like stadium, but unlike some others surrounded by a running track, the view is quite good even from the behind the corner flag.

As we sat down in our seats, a giant bang echoed around the ground. After the initial shock, memories of those Sundays watching Serie A on SBS came flooding back.

While the players warmed up, the Curva Sud put on a show, singing, jumping and waving giallorossi flags whilst letting off the occasional firecracker.

As the players came out for kick-off, everyone lifted their scarves over their heads as half the Olimpico turned red and yellow.

“Roma, Roma, Roma” is belted out by all.

I stand next to Sam, who knows the words by heart and is singing along.

I can honestly say that it is as moving as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at Anfield.

The Roma fans are as passionate as any I’ve come across and in that wonderfully Italian way.

When a refereeing decision goes against them, they rise as one, waving their arms vigorously at the official. Everyone remonstrates from afar, from grandparents to grandchildren, before sitting back down to tell their neighbours why that decision was wrong.

A goal is met with as much enthusiasm, and when Totti scores his first Serie A goal in over three months, you know it’s going to be a special day in the Italian capital.

I was just as impressed with the spectacle on the pitch as I was off it.

While there is still some way to go for Roma, Luis Enrique’s ‘Barcaroma’ philosophy is starting to take shape as the giallorossi dominated Chievo with some sparkling football.

A second for Totti capped off a wonderful afternoon of football, a day in which I rediscovered my love for Serie A, and reaffirmed Sam’s devotion to it and Roma.

As the players made their way off the pitch, the fans sang “Grazie Roma”, scarves and flags once again aloft in the waning Roman sun.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Grazie Roma.