Andres Iniesta

Everyone likes to talk about the best player in the world.  But very often, people like to look at the one guy who is scoring a lot of goals.  This often leads people to look at players like Messi or Ronaldo, or even Falcao.  But for me Andres Iniesta is undoubtedly the best player on the planet.  Iniesta plays a bigger role for Barcelona than Messi does.  Sure Messi scores the goals, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better playmaker than Iniesta.  The way he moves with the ball is just fantastic.  He is able to dribble like a Brazilian and still has the close control and passing ability that has become synonymous with the Spanish game.  Every time Iniesta is on the field, his team is instantly in a better position to win the game.  It is unfortunate that he has not won the Ballon D’or, which says a lot about how dubious these awards are.  Those who vote for the awards essentially vote for the popular players and the players they like, rather than vote for the players that are at the top of their game.  It is rather tragic that Iniesta has not gotten the accolades that his famous teammate has gotten.  Watching Iniesta play is a true delight.  He makes the game tick like no other, and is a true example to young players all over the world that you do not have to be the strongest or tallest player in the world to be a great player.  How a World Cup and European Cup winner is not viewed as the best player, but a Portuguese diva and an Argentine who can’t replicate club form for country are the ones lauded for their endeavors is beyond me.  But I think true fans of the game will appreciate Iniesta much more than the people with the voting power.



Neymar's New Chapter

Neymar's eminent move to Barcelona is undoubtedly the story of the summer. The long drawn out saga of the Brazilian's move to Europe has come to an end despite the fact that Neymar said he would remain with Santos until after the 2014 World Cup.  Now that the move has been confirmed, it is time for Neymar to prove to the world that he can stand on his own on the same stage as the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is time for him to show the world that Brazil still produces the best players around.

But while fans of the Catalan side can be excited by the prospect of having Neymar in their side, they must also wonder about how he is going to gel with Lionel Messi.  The oft lauded Argentine is without doubt the star of the Barcelona side.  Neymar must learn to coexist with a player of Messi's stature. He is about to join a team of established players who have been playing together for years.  He is traveling on a road taken by other Brazilian stars before him. The difference between them being that those who came before him were the definite stars of the teams they played in. Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, and Romario were all the main players in the Barcelona teams they played in.

I'm convinced that Neymar is going to be a success for Barcelona. He will add an extra dimension to their play, but he has to learn to deal with the fact that every play is not going to go through him.  He has to deal with the fact that he will not always get the ball.  If Neymar can accept being second fiddle to Messi, then he just might last at Barcelona unlike Ibrahimovic.

William Gallas, Shut Your Trap

The captain of a team has one duty: to lead the team. William Gallas is an idiot. As the leader of the team, you don't go to the media to bitch and whine about players in your team. You make sure that you do all you can do to clean the house up and make sure that everyone on the team is on the same page. It's a good thing that he did not name the player he referred to in his statement to the press, but even going out and talking about it does nothing to help the matter. He has no doubt alienated the player that is the supposed cause for the rift in this film.

Since his move from Chelsea, Gallas hasn't shown any of the leadership skills and tenacity of a John Terry or Patrick Viera. Gallas' mouth puts in more effort than the player himself. If things are to be fixed in the arsenal camp, Gallas needs to close his mouth and talk face to face with his teammates. He needs to address the issues in the team and make sure that disgruntled teammates know that he will be there to solve problems with them and not fuel them by making unnecessary comments to the media. He needs to step up as a leader or be replaced by Mr. Wenger. I wonder how Fabregas would do as a captain, or Toure? And i'm still pissed that he wears the number ten shirt.

That Boy Is Something Special: Frazier Campbell

Who would have thought a player who shined in the championship would be a hit in the premiership. The English leagues are littered with players who showed promise at one point, only to falter at the moment of truth. Francis Jeffers came on the scene and departed with a snap. Remember Kevin Phillips? When he was knocking in goals for Southampton it was believed that he was going to challenge Michael Owen for a place in the England national team. Both of those players are decent in the Championship, but neither one has cracked the egg in the Premier League.

Frazier Campbell is a special type of player. He, like Villa’s Agbonlahor, is not afraid of blazing past his opponents. In a recent game against Liverpool in the Carling Cup, Tottenham’s new golden boy made the rounds past the aging Pool centre back and centered for his strike partner to score. The Tottenham fans were full of cheer and kind words for the young lad, but deep down it must be said that they know he is not theirs. Campbell belongs to Manchester United. He is one of the very few youngsters that have popped out of the United Academy with a die hard attitude. He’s got talent, pace, and above all, the work ethic that will push him pass the likes of Rooney in the next few years. Just watch that game against Liverpool again to catch a glimpse of this young boy’s ferocity.