Simeone: End Justifies Means

2 SATURDAY VISION, May 7, 2016 GOOAL! YOUR COLUMNISTS Simeone: End A DEFIANT justifies means iego Simeone is in another Champion’s League final and Dhow he went about getting himself there is definitely LEICESTERmust be the ‘miracle man’ who has turned rived in England at a time when the not for the faint-hearted. water into wine. In the modern football dynamics have changed so much, so that It’s obvious that his brand world where success in the top European it’s better to acclimatise first before setting of football is literally not leagues has become the reserve of filthy clear targets. Van Gaal’s decision to pur- everyone’s cup of tea but rich clubs, it defies logic that one of the sue the youthful policy, albeit expensively, his use of the ‘four-four- poorest clubs in the most lucrative league was misunderstood but he appears to two’ has been his sav- in the world has won the championship have acknowledged that success in the ing grace. His simplistic with two games left. Premiership can no longer be guaranteed approach to football is FAITH KIAI Besides having the best two players of by acquisition of world class players. the reason why his team sits joint top of La Liga nity by having a ball boy the season, Riyad Mahrez (pictured) and The overtones from his adversaries are throw an extra ball onto Jamie Vardy costing a combined fee of not that he has failed and Mourinho should with Barcelona only los- the pitch which meant play more than £1.6m, Ranieri has consistently replace him. However, with Arsene ing out on their head to had to be stopped and the played the same line up, using fewer play- Wenger, Manuel Pellegrini, Guus Hid- head record. As long as chance at the goal was lost ers than any club. An inexpensive squad, dink, Klopp and Mourinho himself — all Barcelona keeps winning to the opposing team. without depth or quality in depth and with world class coaches — having looked on it will only attest to the Although Simeone rubs an average salary scale 13 times less than helplessly as the previously scorned Rani- fact that they did good but a lot of people the wrong what Manchester City pays their world eri runs away with the coveted prize, calls never good enough. What way and as a consequence class outfit. To sit 13 points above City and for Mourinho appear to be sentimental. they can draw joy from is it may leave a bad taste in 29 points above Chelsea at the time of be- Wenger has had four years to transit from the fact that they are in the the mouth. ing declared champions is ‘obscene’. the mediocrity Arsenal had sunk into but champion’s league final Watching the Argentine Before Leicester, the previous three titles the task now, seems even harder. and they have a chance to maestro on the touchline is had been won by three different teams – The arrival of Santi Cazorla, Per Merte- win the trophy. also a football match of its Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester sacker, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Defensive ability is a class own, he has hand gestures United. The temptation would be to argue Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Joel Camp- act Atletico Madrid for one that put to shame any that Leicester’s victory is the latest testi- bell was meant to transform Arsenal into on a defensive level are conductor in an orchestra. mony to the high level of competitiveness a championship winning side again. With second to none in Europe At the Vicente Calderon he of the Premiership. To an extent, probably. their pedigree and Wenger’s experience, it because of this they have is the puppeteer and the But this is the season when City has lost was believable that their primary objective given up on possession fans are puppets. They mo- 10 games, Chelsea 11, Liverpool 10, Man- could be met. It’s Leicester instead — never football and are sticking ment he starts flailing his chester United 9, Arsenal 7 at the time of thought of as part of the equation before to counter attacking. I hands they know it’s their Leicester’s declaration. The champions — who have succeeded. can’t tell you the number cue to raise the noise levels CHIEF FOOTBALL COLUMNIST have only lost three. City haven’t changed much from the of times this team has accordingly. The loss statistics involving the tradition- team that won the league two seasons ago. scored goals against the run of play because it has His doggie manners aside he media called him ‘tinker al big clubs are unprecedented in Premier If anything, they brought in more players. become almost second we all know without him man,’ analysts called him League history. Other lesser teams – not Fernandinho, Fabien Delph, Raheem nature to them it’s more this team would never be ‘nearly man.’ His successor at least Tottenham Hotspur who are second Sterling, Wilfried Bony, Kevin De Bryune. like an art form now. Any the well oiled machine that Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, was and seven points behind Leicester – have Rather than strengthen, they weakened other team would have they are now. His passion more brutal. He called Claudio Ranieri also had their share of contribution to instead. The same manager who had won T suffered with such tactics is unrivalled and it seems a ‘loser’ who is ‘too old to change this new trend. West Ham, South- the trophy a season before, couldn’t get but, lucky for them Torres his players are more at- mentality.’ He even volunteered a bit ampton, Watford and the right mix of tactics and team, to win it and Greizmann are more tuned to his passion for the of Chelsea history and told the Inter Stoke City have again. than capable of scoring and game. Milan website that his former club been a pain all Arguments will be made about how so they don’t really miss On Tuesday night Atletico wanted to win badly but it was never season to the Leicester played as a team and how their Jackson Martinez at all. It’s did what they are good at going to happen with Ranieri. That big boys. siege mentality helped them, at a time due to this fact that you doing and because of this, was in 2010 when the Italian was when everyone doubted whether they very rarely see Atletico look Guardiola’s Bayern stint coach at Roma. Mourinho was coach Exaggerated could see through this fairytale adven- panicked with or without will be labelled a failure. criticism ture to the end. We can’t even start at Inter Milan. Domestically he delivered It therefore talking about a winning model because goals because for them it In May 2016, during the year of Mour- every trophy imaginable makes the sharp they never started the season out to win will only take one magical inho’s second sacking at Chelsea, Ranieri is but the Champions League criticism of Luis the championship. moment from their front the Premier League champion; 29 points was supposed to be the Van Gaal and Jurgen In football, a champion is always two to score. and eight places above them with two games icing on his cake. Simeone left. Last season, Chelsea were champions Klopp, particularly worthy. Leicester Adept at the dark arts for one has another crack at with 47 points above Leicester who finished exaggerated. The deserve all Against Malaga Simeone’s a trophy that was snatched 13 places below them in 14th position. A two coaches the acco- darker side reared its ugly from him at the death and year later, Mourinho is jobless and Ranieri is have ar- lades. head when he broke up a hopefully he will be on the ‘King Claudio.’ counter attacking opportu- touchline during the final. If Mourinho was the ‘Special One,’ Ranieri .

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