Wrap up your Stars: The Lull after the storm

When the front pages are being taken up by news of Rio Ferdinand for England, Hodgson considering Shelvey and Jenkinson for the Three Lions, and Messi talking up his captain-ship credentials for Argentina, it is unmistakably the time for football fans to have their heads in hands and wait for their club’s stars to return from yet another round of international matches.

But, as the world of football passes into the dullness of another international break, the common man was treated to an almost apologetic diversity of top class football.

Matchups between Spanish top dogs Barca and Madrid have long been declared as the biggest games in the world, and every clash is titled as the fight for the title of Best Player in the world between Messrs Messi and Ronaldo. If any Clasico in the past 3 seasons can be termed as a show run by the above mentioned demigods, then this was it.

Elsewhere, in the up and rising land of France, under the rule of King Zlatan, Marseille hosted The Le Classique against PSG. A fixture that Ancelloti’s men were supposed to steam-roll past with their riches, was tamely decided by 4 first half goals. In the buildup, Ibra came with another one of his “I don’t know who he is” against OM’s star defender N’Koulou.

Amongst all this action from across Europe, the English Premier League purred on in its gears. Newcastle against Manchester united was talked up as the game to watch, but the occurrence of mid-week European clashes was clearly visible on both the sides. With Fergie’s front three relatively fresh, United were able to dominate the first half, but even the Red Devils fell off the pace in the second. Alan Pardew’s men were nowhere near the qualities that the Magpies have come to show these days, and Pardew’s 8 year bumper deal might just be viewed skeptically by some.

Arsene Wenger got some more reasons to revert back to his monotone of “character, grit and mental strength” that his team showed. To be fair to the Gunners, these are the sort of away games that they normally drop points in. But the undeniable flair and vision of Cazorla and the energy of the now unleashed Giroud pushed Arsenal over the line. The role of Kevin Nolan in missing clear cut opportunities and losing out to Giroud en-route the first goal doesn’t fit an Upton Park hero.

Brendan Rodgers will be gushing with fury with every passing moment of the season. When Wenger started his project Youth in 2005-06, the Frenchman subtly mixed the flair of youth with the experience of players like Gallas, Clichy and Van Persie. The youthful squad was built by cautious spending and nurturing on academy talents over the seasons. But the situation at Liverpool seems nowhere the same, as people at Merseyside are showcasing it to be.

Rodgers, within months of joining the club has changed almost the entire look of the squad by introducing youngsters like Wisdom, Suso, Sterling and Assaidi. They have replaced the likes of Adam, Henderson, Downing and Maxi from last season. This sudden introduction into the first team and playing under a completely new system of a new manager will most definitely be a handful for these 17-18 year olds. Even though the debut show was a 5 goal thriller against depressingly poor Norwich, the teenagers were shown the harsh physicality of the Premier League by Stoke.

And further still, the performances of one Andy Carroll at Upton Park have done nothing to smoothen tempers at Anfield. With Luis Suarez falling right, left and centre the world seems divided on the morality of the Uruguayan. Brendan Rodgers just has too many issues to deal with at the moment.

Not many in the world are waiting with bated breath for matchups like England vs San Marino or Holland vs Andorra, but surely every single one will be following just to confirm that RVP doesn’t tweak his ankle or Ronaldo doesn’t damage a shoulder or Suarez doesn’t break a leg diving all around; although the latter might just earn him a foul after all.