In consecutive seasons of the UEFA Champions League, the favourites will not be in the finals! Like last year, the draws from the semi-finals pointed to the possibility of Real Madrid squaring up to Barcelona to enact the much loved ‘el Classico’ at the topmost level of European club football. However, Chelsea and Bayern Munich ‘connived to deny us that dream.

This season up till about nine days ago looked promising again for the ‘dream’ finals at Wembley. The wheels came unstuck for Barcelona first at the Allianz Arena in Munich when they uncharacteristically shipped four goals against a dominating and well drilled Bavarian side. As if that was not tough enough to take, Bayern completed the rout at Camp Nou by putting the Messi less Catalans to the sword.

A night before, Real Madrid who were soundly beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the first leg by four goals to one had the stars and a wasteful Lewandoski to thank for being in the game till the latter stages when they mounted an eventual failed attempt to reach the finals.  They scored two late goals but it would have been a great lucky break had they qualified by scoring the third. Dortmund were far better over the two legs and I must commend Jurgen Klopp for churning out such classy young players all the time.

Instead of the ‘dream final’, we are all now salivating at the prospect of what could turn out to be the best CL finals ever at Wembley come May 25, 2013. I have taken a critical look at the two teams that qualified for this epic finals and I must confess that I do not see any favourite. Rather, I see two teams who are strong in every department of the game. I even fancy Dortmund goalkeeper, Roman Weindefeller more than Manuel Neuer of Bayern.

Having said that, I am looking forward to a thoroughly entertaining finals and I know that we would not be disappointed bearing in mind the patterns of the two teams. Jurgen Klopp had always put out a team that indeed ‘play’ football. And we know all about Bayern Munich with their attacking gems of Ribery, Robben, Muller and Gomes.

In conclusion, it is never, I repeat, never easy to predict this game. When the draws for the semi-finals were made, everyone believed that Real Madrid would at least be too strong for Borussia Dortmund. The reverse happened to be the case. I wasn’t too sure that Barcelona would beat Bayern Munich over the two legs but I did say (foolishly so) that ‘there is no way Mourinho would miss the opportunity to go to the finals this time around’.  I was very wrong!

Unlike most Arsenal fans, I was not agitated or angry over Robin Van Persie’s exit from the Emirates in the summer of 2012. What engaged my mind was the fact that a major rival had gained a supreme attacking firepower with Arsenal being the loser in the real sense of it. And tonight, with three goals in the match that clinched the 20^th league title for the Red Devils, RVP justified the huge confidence Sir Alex Ferguson had in him to have parted with such a big transfer for a 30 year-old.

Looking at the second goal he scored from the long racking ball from Wayne Rooney, one couldn’t but marvel at the quality of the Dutch striker. He took the ball one-time with his famous left foot and it nestled in the top left corner. That second goal will surely count among the best goals of this season.

Come Sunday April 28, 2013, RVP would return to the Emirates as a champion. He has achieved in just a season what he longed for in a lifetime at Arsenal. Surely this type of feat is gradually becoming a past time for Wenger’s ex-men.

Samir Nasir left for Manchester City two years ago and he won the league in his first season. Fabregas has won many trophies since joining Barcelona and he is at the verge of winning his first La Liga title. Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Mathew Flamini and Alexander Hleb left Arsenal and won trophies. Most of these guys would have stayed had they seen the determination and commitment required for a team to win again at Arsenal.

With Wenger wielding such high level of influence at the Emirates and enjoying the unflinching support of the board, it has become quite clear that it is time to change at least the competitive nature of the team. Adding top draw players across board is the only way to do this!

Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t waste time in going for the finished product to achieve the objective of the club. Even RVP testified to the incredible winning mentality present at Old Trafford. Isn’t it time Wenger do a copycat and jettison his much touted (but failed) conservative transfer policy?

Having all round ‘winners’ in a team will only hurt the oppositions and not the coach. Arsene Wenger should not forget the good old days when he had the likes of David Seaman, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera, Dennis Bergkamp, Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Thiery Henry etc as the backbone of title winning Arsenal teams. They were all strong, irrepressible characters. The same cannot be said of the present collection of Arsenal players. At best, one could only point to a maximum of six top guys in the first team line-up at the Emirates.

The exploits of the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the last Africa Nations Cup are still fresh in our memories. Like many outstanding teams of the past, they must now focus their attention on the new challenge ahead of them. Getting soaked in or carried away by past successes had been the albatross of potential greatness in some of our past teams.

I could recall the euphoria that followed our triumph at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the United States of America after the ‘Dream Team’ won the gold medal of the men’s football event. It was as if Nigeria had won the FIFA World Cup. Being the first African country to achieve that feat didn’t help matters as we were celebrated by all and sundry.

The next major football event after that great outing in Atlanta was the FIFA 1998 World Cup in France. We qualified from the group by sensationally defeating one of the tournament’s favourites (Spain) with a Sunday Oliseh’s ‘howitzer’ in the first group match. We however went to sleep thinking that Denmark would be easy hurdle to cross in the round of 16. I read some commentaries then that Nigeria was already ‘destined’ to play Brazil in the quarter-finals.

We however faced a determined, organized, strong and tactical Danish team that ripped Nigeria to pieces and sent us packing from that tournament.  We were counting on our past achievements, gloating over yesterday victories and could not seize the moment to create a fresh history.

It is true and incontestable that the Super Eagles are the champions of Africa. Also true is the fact that we are yet to qualify for the next big one which is the 2014 Mundial in Brazil.  The ‘Big Boss’, Stephen Keshi and his boys must realize that qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year is a task that must be accomplished. He has (by the grace of God and hard work) made history with the collection of the players he took to South Africa. He must be determined to do even greater exploits for Nigeria in the days ahead.

Looking at the list of invitees for the encounter against Kenya this Saturday and his explanations regarding the non-invitation of some players from the triumphant Super Eagles showed someone who is determined to do well again. I have always written about the need to make the Super Eagles a highly competitive team. When players know that only the best would feature on any given day; it drives them to excel.

Gone (and forever so) should be the days when people stroll into camp and pick up first team shirts due to past reputation or influence.  Let the Super Eagles be the sign post of how things should be run in our country. Irrespective of tribe, religion or whatever; only the best should feature for our national teams!

As they prepare to face the Kenyans on Saturday in Calabar, one thing must be clear in the minds of the team and its handlers: Victory is always possible for the prepared. The team also has the assurance of the full backing of all Nigerians unlike the recent past when only few people gave them any chance to go all the way at the Nations Cup. They should therefore not disappoint and must do all necessary to beat the Kenyans.

My last post on this blog was about Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.  Since then, they lost the CL match at home to Bayern Munich, struggled to beat Aston Villa and conceded two ‘silly goals’ in three minutes to red hot Tottenham at White Hat Lane to drop off the pace for Champions League qualification. It is not that loss that’s annoying but the manner of it. For 30 minutes or so, Arsenal stood strong against the powerful strike force of Bale, Adebayor and Lennon but without any clear-cut offensive play.

In over half an hour of play, Arsenal could not muster any solid shot at goal against an average Spurs defense. If this does not cut a pathetic picture, I wonder what would. Tottenham were organized in the middle of the pack and very, very quick in counter attack. With Bale and Lennon running riot both centrally and on the wings, Arsenal had no answer to the quick fire counter attacks that resulted in the two goals that downed them within a space of three minutes.

As at today, it’s looking less likely that Arsenal would qualify for the CL except Chelsea and Tottenham both implode at the same time. While some people are talking about the ‘easy’ oppositions lined up ahead of Arsenal and the fact that they would eventually have only the Premiership to concentrate on baring any ‘miracle’ in Munich, the truth of the matter is that no one can categorically back this team against these so called easy foes.

Like I have said many times in the past, Arsenal, under Wenger’s watch has gradually been turned into ‘also ran’ in major competitions. Is it any marvel therefore that the likes of Swansea would come to the Emirates and take away three points? How do you remain competitive when you get rid of your best players year –in, year-out?

Having the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Carl Jekinson playing in the first eleven of an ambitious club like Arsenal is quite revealing of Arsene Wenger’s personal ambition or better still, lack of it. Arsene quickly shunted Alex Song to Barcelona after a whiff of money while at the same time hoping that permanently crocked Abou Diaby would step in to fill the gap.

We are all witnesses to the fact that Diaby at best remains an average and inconsistent player who is also highly prone to niggling injuries. For me, he has been on holidays at the Emirates and the earlier Wenger lets him go the better. Similarly, Aaron Ramsey is not fit to start for Arsenal except in Wenger’s team. The time is ripe for serious changes at this club before things go completely out of control and Arsenal becomes another Liverpool.

The Summer should be a period of serious activities in the transfer market where two world class center halves, a clinical finisher, one left back, one right back and a top draw goalkeeper are all brought in to drag this team back up where it belongs. It is one thing to wish, it is another to act. Arsenal, as represented by Wenger and his supporters on the board must act in such a way to ensure that this team does not lose any more grounds.

The saying that the only constant thing in life is change is quite apt when viewed from the background of Arsenal particularly with the most recent in their series of debacles.  With all likely routes to silverware almost closed (except a miracle happens and Arsenal wins the European Cup), Wenger and his team face the toughest challenge of explaining away what happened on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger is obviously a very determined man. His determination could be seen from the level of his commitment to his ideas and visions. To him, the new standard to measure success at the top level, at least in the Premiership is qualification for the Champions League. And he has always managed to achieve this for the past 14 seasons.

My question to Monsieur Wenger is: Are you going to resign if you fail to win your specially designated ‘trophy’ of Champions League qualification?

If the truth be told, Wenger has consistently and alarmingly devalued Arsenal as a football club. Come to think of it, with all the acclaimed financial expertise at the Emirates, Arsenal is still not the richest football club in the world. Compared to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, they still have a long way to go.

These club sides have passionate followers who are committed to pushing these brands. Similarly their yearly revenue reflects the confidence that the biggest sponsors have in them. Their fans also get the dividends: trophies to celebrate and brag about.

The fact also remains that these great teams didn’t qualify for the tags of being richest clubs in the world by being miserly and faint hearted in acquiring the best talents in the game. They are also Winners; something Arsene and Arsenal have not managed to do for almost eight years.

With the loss against Blackburn making it the fourth time at home this season, it is certainly the most disgraceful and demeaning. Under normal circumstances, Arsenal shouldn’t be struggling to defeat teams like Fulham, Sunderland, Stoke City, and Swansea etc at home. But that is now the lot at the Emirates. Wenger has no answer and neither does the team any clue.

The only ‘big’ teams that Arsenal has beaten in the EPL this year are Liverpool and Tottenham. They have lost at home both home and away to Chelsea. They were totally outplayed by Manchester City at the Emirates that it was almost a disgrace to watch. Champions are defined by consistency. Arsenal does not have that ingredient and it is all due to Wenger’s fault and that of his supporters on the Board.

As they attempt to lift themselves tonight against a formidable opponent in Bayern Munich, Wenger and his boys must realize that beyond qualifying for the next round lies the test of their characters. Whichever way the tie turns, things must change at the Emirates.