The False 9

This week Christiano Ronaldo was announced player of the year at the Ballon d’or and boy did he deserve it. This guy seriously carries his team on his back whether it’s for country or club. The World cup playoff match against Sweden could have been an absolute disaster for Ronaldo. Imagine no Ronaldo at arguably sporting biggest event? That would have been one of the biggest body blows to the event and even more so to his legacy that he will one day leave behind in the beautiful game. Instead he did what he has done for years. Single handily he destroyed the Swedes scoring all 4 goals across the tie and without doubt, out-duelled Zlatan Ibrahimovich in their much publicised ‘battle of the gods’. The pressure he was under was immense and he calmly put it all behind him and put on a super human display. This to me showed all the characteristics of a legend.

Players have the odd game like Ronaldo throughout their career, but the definition of the very best is someone who can do it when the chips are down and everyone is watching. He does that week in and week out. Seriously the guys a freak and anyone who says he doesn’t deserve it can just look at his amazing record from throughout the year. Whether it is in the Champions League for Madrid or in the spotlight of carrying his national team on his back, this guy has some serious ticker. These days in sports we are quick to forget great feats that athletes have put on show at any one time in their career, however we are even quicker to remind athletes on a regular basis if they have ‘chocked’ or have had a couple of bad performances. Salute the man. He has just won one of the most prestigious awards in world sport. We must celebrate the successes of these individuals regardless of past misdemeanours. He will sleep peacefully knowing no one can take the the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’or award away from him.

Chelsea vs Manchester United

After beating Hull convincingly last week and no midweek fixtures to disrupt their preparation, Chelsea head in to this grudge match full of confidence.5 wins in their last 6 games has them pushing Arsenal for top of the league amid their constant fight for EPL glory. Chelsea have managed this run of winning games on the back of a much more disciplined defence shown by 4 clean sheets recently in the league. Although there have been some changes in their defensive line up, the stalwart pairing of Gray Cahill and John Terry are the experienced duo keeping the team together. They may not be the fastest defenders but they make up for it in their positioning, and at times in their aerial threats from corners. The Blues definitely throw their bodies around the most out of any team and are not surprisingly leading the lead in blocks. They will once again need to be committed to the cause, as young guns Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj will be trying their best to make the old legs of the Chelsea defence do some long yards. If they can keep a clean sheet you can be sure that the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar will have more than fair share of chances to give Chelsea the 3 points.

Manchester United finally shook off their losing run by beating Swansea at the Theatre of Dreams. This would have taken a hell of a lot of pressure off both David Moyes and the team, who have been copping it over the last month.This will be a stern test for the Red army though as they haven’t beaten the Blues since back in 2012, which was a fair while ago! In saying that it could be what United need. A game where they are not expected to win and thus all the pressure will be off the away side and put on the shoulders of the in form home team. The midfield battle will be crucial for United, so the likes of Tom Cleverly and Darren Fletcher will have to be on song in tracking the midfield runners that love to get forward for the Blues. I would love to see Shinji Kagawa stay in the number 10 role as I still believe he has a lot to offer, even though he has shown little in the way of form so far this season. His ability to pick a pass going forwards is crucial for their attack to flow and it all can’t be put on young Januzaj’s 18 year old shoulders.

The Deciding Factor

Can the young strike force of the Red army brake down the old guard of the Blue brigade? Whoever wins that battle will take out the match in my opinion.

Prediction

At Stamford Bridge I can’t see Chelsea giving up anything cheap in this match and we all know Chelsea love to get the goods over United. Chelsea 2-0.

Further Predictions

Sunderland vs Southampton –Draw
Arsenal vs Fulham – Arsenal
Crystal Palace vs Stoke City – Draw
Man City vs Cardiff City – Man City
Norwich vs Hull City – Norwich
West Ham vs Newcastle – Newcastle
Livepool vs Aston Villa – Liverpool
Swansea vs Tottenham – Draw
West Brom vs Everton – West Brom