Are they - "The Best of All Time" ??

Since the Chinese invented Cuju - "Kick Ball" in 206 BC, I'v come across so many great teams, that have possessed great character, spirit, skill, determination technical ability, immense winning mentality, But and a big BUT!!! There is something about this present Barca team that scares the living day lights out of me.  You know It really dose not matter if Inter Milan are the current Champion League Holders Knocking the mighty Barca out on the way to the trophy because as any true football analyst would know it's not always the best that triumph! The FC Barcelona of today which comprises of soccer geniuses like Xavi Hernandez (arguably the best central midfielder of all time), Lionel Messi (simply put the best player on the planet at the moment), Andres Iniesta(One of the most if not the most intelligent and technically gifted footballers on the planet), David Villa ( Goal scorer extraordinaire), Daniel Alves ( Best attacking right back in the world), Carlos Puyol (The lion heart), Gerard Pique (one of the best ball playing defenders in the world) Sergei Busquets( The perfect team player), Pedro (an extremely efficient assassin who is statistics in front of goal and general game play is astounding). This Barcelona squad is eons ahead of every one else! But before we can bestow any team with  the honour of "Best of all Time" Let's take a look at the other contenders. Now I'm basing this selection on longevity, laurels, caliber of players and team game play and efficiency.  

1. 1970 Giants of Brazil.

Now this was a phenomenal team and most definitely the No 1 contender to the throne, led by arguably the greatest of all time the golden boy himself - Edson Arantes Do Nascimento - Pele. This Brazilian squad was comprised of the true Gods of soccer - Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Tostao, Rivelino, Gerson, Clodoaldo. They one the 1970 world cup emphatically 

2. Real Madrid of 1960

This was a fierce team that obliterated Europe winning five European cups from 1956 till 1960. they were awesome comprising of star players like Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano, Francisco Gento, Zarraga and Del Sol.  This was truly, a great squad and will take a lot to out do.

3. Liverpool 1984

This team boasted star players like Rush, Dalglish, Souness, Neal, Whelan, Kennedy and Grobbelaar and didn't they win it all,  the 1984 season they won the league which was a third straight, the league cup which was a fourth straight, and the European cup their fourth European cup! Simply immense this was all conquering team and in this era nobody came close. 

There are alot of teams that deserve a notable mentions like -

1. Manchester United team of 1999 - Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Yorke, Cole

2. Arsenal "Invicibles" 2004- Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Ljungberg, Gilberto Silva, Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry

3. A.C Milan 1989 - Galli, Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini, Ancelotti, Rijkaard, Colombo, Donadoni, Gullit, Van Basten.

4. Brazil 1984 - Valdir Peres, Leandro, Oscar, Luizinho, Toninho Cerezo, Júnior, Paulo Isidoro, Sócrates, Serginho, Zico, Éder, Paulo Sérgio, Edevaldo, Juninho, Falcão, Edinho, Pedrinho, Batista, Renato, Roberto Dinamite, Dirceu, Carlos

5.Holland 1974 - Jongbloed, Krol, Rijsbergen, Suurbier, Haan, Van Hanegem, Jansen, Neeskens, Cruyff, Rensenbrink, Rep

Conclusion and Verdict:

Honestly it's a tough call, but the Majestic swagger with which the giants of Brazil won that 1970 Fifa world cup and the sheer authoritative dominance of both 1960 Real Madrid  and  1984 Liverpool teams over such periods of time, are characteristics that Barcelona team is displaying and for me if they continue at this pace, they will go down in history as the "The Best of All Time".

Louis "Truson" Ikediashi

PELE VS. MARADONA

Before I started this article, I was sure I knew the answer to this one. With ease, Maradona most definitely the best player I had ever watched touch the round leather ball. But that’s just it, being in my thirties I am only old enough to have watched him play and watched recordings and highlights of Pele.

My excuse was always Pele played in great teams and Maradona had to carry his, but the more I think about it, Pele’s more than a thousand goals and 3 world cups is no mean feat. Who else can boast of this, plus there is way more video coverage of maradona than Pele. Honestly, to say that Pele was inadequate because Brazil fielded a great team already discredits the greatness of other players such as Ronaldinho, Messi, Zidane, Christiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo.

Let’s face it, the poll taken on the internet showed Maradona as the clear favourite but the internet generation are in their 20s and 30s, so Maradona is better etched in their memories and none of us (or a really minute number) has any memories of watching Pele live.

This article brings up a lot of questions. Would Brazil have been able to win the 1958 world cup without Pele? 

I seriously doubt this even if the team included Maradona. I am not sure Maradona's greatness would have shown in Brazil’s 1970 squad because its strength was team work and Maradona wasn’t the greatest team player, he was a one man army. I also doubt Argentina would have been able to win the world cup in 1986 with a squad that included Pele and excluded Maradona. I could almost place a wager that Pele wouldn’t have carried Napoli to two Serie A titles.

Pele played in a time where soccer was much more relaxed, I think in Diego's time it was much tougher, not meaning the violence of the play (which was at its top, check out games from England 66 and Chile 62) but the attention and perseverance of the marking. Pele played in a time where the formations were ridiculous by today standards (3-3-4, even earlier 2-3-5), where offensive soccer was played

What is greatness measured by? Pele turned a good team to a legendary one, while In 1986 Maradona turned an average team with the likes of Valdano, Enrique, Burruchaga, etc. who weren't huge stars into world cup championship squad. A 17-year-old by helping Brazil win their first World Cup in 1958, who went on to help them defend their trophy in 1962 and then, in 1970, led the greatest team of all time to victory in Mexico to win the tournament for an unequalled third time or a 25-year-old Argentine who won the World Cup almost single-handedly, scoring some of the greatest and most memorable goals in football history.

Another argument is Pele never played in the “Big leagues”, but the reason for this is after the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United tried to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pele an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.

I could go on and on about both their accolades but I think I have come to one conclusion, they were both the greatest players of all time and should never be compared. It’s like asking what the best colour in the rainbow is. All the colours make the rainbow beautiful just as Pele and Maradona have made the spectacle of football the beautiful game it is today.

Chidi "Chidynho" Molokwu

Almighty Defence Of Brazil

According to About.com the top ten players in each category before the world cup are:

Top ten strikers: Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, David Villa , Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto, Diego Forlan, robin Van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Luis Fabiano, Miroslav Klose

Top ten midfielders: Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Wesley Sneijder, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, Arjen Robben, Kaka, Franck Ribery

Top ten defenders : Maicon, Gerard pique, Daniel Alves, Ashley Cole, Giorgio Chiellini, Nemanja Vidic, Lucio, Patrice Evra, John Terry, Philip Lahm.

Though I don’t totally agree with these top ranking lists, we must all admit that they are pretty accurate. What looks odd about these rankings? Yes you must have figured, the Brazilian players are not where they should be. Brazil, renowned for its silky, attack minded, samba style of football, currently has as it's best players as defenders. 

This is why I have a problem with the football pundits who tagged Dunga “too defensive”. It wasn’t as if he had much of a choice, the best Brazilian players in Europe right now (which of course has the best leagues) are defenders.

Look at the list again, amongst the strikers and midfielders you can only find 2 Brazilians; Kaka and Fabiano. Kaka no doubt is a great player, but was playing through an injury most of last year and we must all agree Fabiano is no Ronaldo de Lima. So how did we expect Dunga to play them? You play your team according to their strengths. Samba would have brought worse consequences during the world cup.

We have got to admit Brazil of now and maybe tomorrow, judging from the crop of talent coming up (Ramires, Rafael) might just be the new Italy.

Chidi "Chidynho" Molokwu

Spot Light: It All Started With Eric!!

Take it or leave it Eric Cantona, single handedly made the English Premiership what it is today!! He has the exclusive preserve of being the first foreign Super Star to blow up the English Premiership. and then the rush came - David Ginola, Faustino Asprilla, Thierry Henry, Juninho, Ravenelli, Casiraghi, Gianfranco Zola, Gian Luca Vialli, Ruud Gullit, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Patrick Viera, Robert Pires, Roberto Di Mateo, Eyal Berkovic , Frank Overmars, etc the list is endless. Eric Cantona took the premiership to the next level The Bad Boy of English Football who was blessed with unbeliveable Skill, Vision, Flair and a self confidence that scared the wits out of opponents. For me Cantona Is the greatest ever Manchester United Player! There are so many  contenders to the crown the most notable being Sir Bobby Charlton, and then we have George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Dennis law,  Ryan Giggs.

What do you Think?

Louis "Truson" Ikediashi

Chidynho's Philosophy

Shut your eyes. Take a deep breath. Now picture the roar of 100 000 fans, booming in your ears. Imagine the flashing lights and the cool, green grass. Picture the net in front of you and the elation you feel as you slot the ball past the goal keeper’s flailing arms into the back of the net. This is my game, Football! Put all this together and tell me why soccer isn’t the best sport in the world.

My name is Chidi “Chidynho” Molokwu (Vice- President Topstrike Football Network Ltd) and Football is my religion. This beautiful sport has been a part of my life ever since I could remember and will be till the day that I die. Imagine a game that gradually unfolds as we learn what we are up against. But the action can take place in a breathless rush where art, science, physics and magic all collide in a phenomenal spectacle. The game is incredibly simple, kick the ball back and forth, but like the best composition or the finest art, the simplicity combines into unbounded intricacy. No two games are ever exactly alike.

A game where every player has a specific role yet no one is restricted. Forwards clear balls of their goal line, defenders, even keepers, score goals, wing players move into the middle, central players move outside and all these happen in the heat of the moment. Teams map out strategies, but they quickly need adjustment to meet forever shifting or baffling formations. The players are all equal in responsibility and bring different strengths and weaknesses to the game, without limitations on their role.

A game where perfection is never a comfort or certainty of a positive result. We can all remember Roberto Baggio in the USA 94 world cup, arguably Italy’s best player who missed the penalty kick that determined whether they'd win the world cup or not.

Yes, from my manner of speech it’s obvious I am an Arsenal fanatic, we always appreciate the beauty of the game and I’m of the ‘Total’ football philosophy even though we haven’t won zilch in 6 years but you all must admit our play is easy on the eye.

I’ve come to believe that the club you support determines the kind of personality you possess. A few examples, 90 percent of Man United fans I know are arrogant, they probably are unconsciously but they are, Arsenal fans are always hopeful and take disappointment quite well(trust me after all our near misses), Chelsea fans always irrational (how can a bunch of nearly retirees reconcile an 7 point deficit from the top and win the premier league) and of course Liverpool the pretenders (they were pretending to be a top four team).  

In conclusion if you are expect objective criticism from my words, I’m really sorry, I’ve got to be biased I am arsenal supporter for crying out loud.

Louis "Truson" Ikediashi Brief Bio!!!

Ok Ok It begins my name is Louis "Truson" Ikediashi President Top Strike Football Network Ltd! I'm staunch Man Utd fan and have been one since 1993, I have affection for clubs like Tottenham(where i grew up), Juventus, and Barcelona. Some of my favourite players are

Attackers - 
Eric Cantona, Allesandro Delpiero, Farias Romario,  Roberto Baggio, Kanu Nwankwo, Abedi Pele, Ronaldo De Lima, Johan Kruyff, Jurgen Klinsman, Diego Maradonna, Ronaldinho, Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, George Weah

Midfielders-
Ryan giggs, Franz Beckenbauer, Jay Jay okocha, Frank Rijkard, Michael Essien, Stefan Effenberg, Zinedine Zidane, Finidi George, Lothar Mathaius, xavi Hernandez, Georghe Hagi,

Defenders-

Allesandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro(although he didnt retire at the right time a made a fool of himself in the latter stages), Baresi, Carlos Puyol, Mathaius Sammer, Andy Brehme, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Oscar Ruggeri,

Goal Keepers-
Peter Schmeichel, Iker Casillas, Andreas Kopke, Dino Zoff

My Football Philosphy is simple - Complete Football!!! It's one of the reasons I'm a Man Utd Fan, you should have everything, meaning you defend as well as you attack, you should have flair as well as having Physical presence, and an astute technical ability to introduce Intelligent football sense on the field of play,  That's why the likes Michael Owen!!!!!, Theo Wallcott, Daniel Sturridge etc and Yes I'm calling names "The kick and follow bunch" !! Will never go down well in my books! Now I'l come straight with you I'm 90% unbiased in my analysis and 10% biased cos come on man, I love Man Utd  HA!HA!Ha! And if you intend to step to me on any topics we introduce please for your own good come correct! I wouldn't want you to be stretchered OFF at half time LMAO!!!!! And Yes I'm arrogant!! Eat your heart out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr in your face! Right here! So to be fore warned is to fore armed! Ha! Anywayz  this blog is basically for we soccer fanatics! Yes we! Cos everywhere I go to watch  football one smart as* always thinks he knows better so here it is. "The Pitch" Enjoy!

"The Pitch" where talking a good game is just as important as playing one.

 Chidi "Chiddynho" Molokwu

 Finally the arena is set where strictly football fanatics can lift their clubs' mantles and do battle with words. The aim of The Pitch is to make the twelveth man (you) count. You no longer have to sit on the sidelines blurting oohs and aahs but be a key player and wear the badge of your club proudly.

Welcome To the Pitch!!!!

 Louis "Truson" Ikediashi

The Pitch is the zone where Super Strikes, Flying tackles, Great saves, Embarrassing Nutmegs, Sweet step overs, Audacious Lobs, Neat Passing and all round Technical Flair is done with your Fingertips. Ladies and Gentlemen Welcome to the Pitch!!!!