“I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier.”

So the lyrics of The Killers “All These Things That I’ve Done” rang out around the Nou Camp (after a rather hollow rendition of “El Cant del Barça).

Appropriate they were too after the most courageous of performances from Chelsea as the Blues completed victory in the Champions League Semi Final over Barcelona.

How it was done is implausible. Not many have survived that sort of onslaught from Barça. What’s more, this was a team just over a month ago devoid of composure, badly needing discipline and yet on the greatest of stages, in one of the biggest arenas in World Football, they followed up their fantastic performance at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday with another heroic effort. It wasn’t without event either.

Ten minutes before half time, Chelsea were a goal down as Sergio Busquets tapped in. With Barça pressure building, John Terry’s decision to knee Alexis Sanchez in the back looked a stupid and costly one as he was red carded. When Iniesta scored shortly after, it was hard to see any comeback materializing.

Yet seconds before half time, hope came. Like in the first leg, Chelsea took advantage of one of the few scraps they were given as Ramires impudently chipped the ball over Valdes thanks to an accurate reverse pass from Frank Lampard.

Game on going into the second half, or so it seemed as Barcelona were given a chance to regain the initiative. Fabregas was brought down by Didier Drogba in the penalty area. Lionel Messi was going to end his goal drought against the Londoners. The Argentinian obviously didn’t anticipate the crossbar denying him as Chelsea were further galvanised.

Still, wave after wave of attack came from the home side. Like a relentless tide, Barcelona kept coming but Chelsea refused to budge. Messi hit the woodwork a second time late on with a low drive but then came the moment of elation in second half injury time.

Fernando Torres has been much maligned during his fifteen months at Chelsea as his scoring touch has all but vanished. When it mattered most, the Spaniard rediscovered it as he latched onto Ashley Cole’s clearance on the half way line. Through on goal, he didn’t pass up the opportunity, rounding Valdes and finishing.

His previous profligacy in front of goal suddenly forgiven as Chelsea knew they would now advance to the final. They’ll be in Munich missing key players like Captain John Terry due to suspension, a thought which won’t be at the forefront of Roberto Di Matteo’s mind, unless he’s sitting next to Geoff Shreeves on the flight back from Barcelona.

Meanwhile in Catalunya, even the philosophical Pep Guardiola might struggle to understand how his Barcelona side have endured such a miserable week. This defeat will only compound the emotion felt after their loss to José Mourinho’s Real Madrid on Saturday, concurrently handing a large advantage to them in the La Liga title race.

Chelsea fans are unlikely to care. They will feel justice has been done with the demons of 2009, when Andres Iniesta netted a late winner at Stamford Bridge, eroded. Most importantly, in Munich they’ll have the chance to rid the ones of 2008 too although either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid will provide stern opposition.

Whilst they’ll be without the soldiers of John Terry, Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea proved in Barcelona that they certainly have the soul required to the lift the Champions.

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Read more of Archie’s work at Gone with the Rhind

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With the Premier League season ticking to its close, it’s good to look back across the season at those players who have impressed for their various clubs. While established stars such as Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney garner much of the praise, a few under-rated men have been, arguably, just as impressive.

Whether they are chasing the title, stuck in mid-table obscurity, or aiding their club in the battle against the rip-tide of relegation, many unfashionable players have been putting in performances of high quality on a consistent basis. Come ‘award season’ it’s likely that they will get very little in the way of recognition, but just ask fans of their numerous teams, and you will hear glowing references of their contribution across the year.

This XI, plus seven substitutes, are in my opinion some of the finest players to have defied expectation this term, and become star performers in the Premier League:

Click on Clint Dempsey to unveil the unexpected XI of the season

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What are your thoughts? Find me on Twitter @Alex_Hams and have your say

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Tottenham have failed to move into third place in the Premier League, but kept their top four hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday.Ciaran Clark opened the scoring in the first half for the hosts, before things went from bad to worse when Danny Rose was sent off for the visitors at the start of the second 45.However Emmanuel Adebayor equalised from the penalty spot and Spurs dominated the remainder of the game without scoring a winner.Harry Redknapp was happy to fight back after going 1-0 down, and feels that his side were unlucky not to leave Villa Park with all three points.”I mean today, we needed to win today and it would have guaranteed fourth place going into next week’s game knowing that if we won, we’d have finished third,” he told Sky Sports.”But, it was a tough game. Villa showed that they’re scrapping for that extra point to keep them in the division and they got it.”Then, second half, getting Danny (Rose) sent off, you know, we’re down to 10 men and one-nil down five minutes into the second half you’re in trouble, but we responded unbelievable and for the following 40 minutes we camped in their half.“There was only going to be one winner. We got a goal back and then just couldn’t get the second one,” he confessed.Spurs are still in fourth, a point behind Arsenal but a point ahead of Newcastle going into the last weekend.

By Gareth McKnight

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Former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson has backed Roy Hodgson’s decision to leave Rio Ferdinand out of his squad for Euro 2012.

With the Manchester United man overlooked on two separate occasions many believe it is down to Hodgson picking John Terry over Ferdinand due to their feud over the supposed racial attack of the absent man’s brother Anton.

However, the Swedish manager has stated that Hodgson should be back over his decision-making process.

“Choosing Martin Kelly over Ferdinand seems to have caught him in the crossfire and, having selected six Liverpool players, Roy is the target of a smear campaign,” Eriksson stated to Mirror Football.

“Personally, I just find the whole thing to be quite silly.

“First of all, they’re all good footballers. But secondly, Roy has rock-solid knowledge when it comes to the players’ current form.

“I do understand Rio’s disappointment. He was an incredibly important player for me in three tournaments, but we mustn’t forget the injuries he has suffered this season.

“Roy has his reasons, otherwise he would not have rejected Rio – twice.

“Many people are trying to connect the dots between the race allegations against John Terry and Roy leaving Ferdinand out of the squad.

“I know there is no truth to these claims.

“How? You’re just going to have to trust me.

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“But with less than a week to go, Roy wanted any player joining the squad to be match fit, someone who had carried on with his training after the end of the league season.

“It has been an entirely football-based decision. That’s all there is to it,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

This week saw Neil Warnock complete a deal for another piece of his Leeds united jigsaw in the shape of Paddy Kenny.

Kenny immediately took to Twitter to tell the fans exactly what they could expect from him, declaring – ‘’New chapter now and I can’t wait I promise you all you will get 110% from me every week, and get this massive club back to the prem’’ Which is more-or-less exactly what you want to hear from a new signing.

Warnock is clearly building a team of hard workers, a team that he knows he can rely on week after week. Some of these signings have failed to really get the fans juices flowing, but we have to look at the bigger picture. The man knows what type of player to look for, so any signings he makes should be looked at with positivity, as they are all part of Neil Warnocks promotion master plan.

For once, the week has brought about more player rumours than takeover rumours. The latest player related news is that Leeds have made a bid of around £200,000 to SK Brann for Rodolph Austin.

The Jamaican international is refusing to extend his contract, which expires in December, and would be somewhat of a bargain at the amount reported. Originally, we were told that the bid was rejected, but when questioned, SK Brann would only confirm that a bid had been made, not that it had been rejected.

I must admit, I hadn’t heard of Austin prior to this, though a quick check on Youtube made me feel an almost instantaneous like for the man.

In one particular video, he chases down a winger, makes an inch perfect tackle which also wipes the winger out, before Austin gets to his feet and picks the other player, looking dazed and a little confused, back up on to his feet before carrying on his business. Compare this to Adam Clayton and you start to see things the Warnock way.

In other news, Andy Gray is training with us, though it was at Gray’s request, not Warnock’s. The 34 year old was believed to be close to signing for Bradford, though it could be that he fancies his chances of impressing at Leeds.

Another player training with us is Martin Crainie, who left Coventry at the end of the season after rejecting new terms. The ex England U21 defender is also keen on a move to Elland Road.

With our first pre season game getting closer by the day (funny how that works) I thought it’d be interesting to have a quick look at what our potential first 11 could be. With it only being a hypothetical team I’ve included one or two players that we’re known to be close to completing deals for.

Goalkeeper – Paddy Kenny

Right back – Lee Peltier

Centre back – Tom Lees

Centre back – Jason Pearce

Left back – Adam Drury

Right wing – Robbie Rogers

Central midfield – Paul Green

Central midfield – Michael Brown/Rodolph Austin

Left wing – Aidan White/Luke Varney

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Attacking midfield – Robert Snodgrass

Striker – Luciano Becchio

The defence looks strong and you know what to expect from Becchio and Snodgrass, but it will be interesting to see how the midfield do. Robbie Rogers has had little chance to impress, Michael Brown will probably be sent off at some point and there is nothing to say that Aidan White will still be a Leeds player by the time the game comes around, showing an alarming lack of depth in midfield.

So that’s the potential team, but I’m interested in who you think Neil Warnock should target to improve each area. Three players that you think would be the key to promotion.

Leave a comment below with one defender, one midfielder and one striker from any league, but try and keep it realistic!..

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Luka Modric’s long-winded move to Real Madrid is under threat, after Tottenham turned down an offer of £38 million for the midfielder, The Daily Mail report.

The Croatia international has made his intent to leave White Hart Lane known after the north London club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive season, with the Spanish champions the playmaker’s main suitors.

After negotiations that have lasted the entire summer transfer window to date, the Santiago Bernabeu club have tabled a massive offer of £38 million, which was thought to be enough to convince Spurs to sell.

However, it is believed that Daniel Levy has rejected the bid, which has angered Jose Mourinho, who is considering walking away from a deal for Modric.

Spurs have set an asking price of £40 million for Modric and are thought to be unwilling to accept anything less.

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By Gareth McKnight

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One of the benefits for a young player in South America is that they are given much greater responsibility at a younger age, than in England. The progression of youth into the first team at many of the Premier League’s top clubs is disappointing. Yet across the Atlantic Ocean they are quickly seen as stars of the side, as was the case with Oscar at Internacional. The amount of playing time was key to his development but he may not be guaranteed to feature as much at Chelsea. Could his move to London be detrimental to his career?

While at Internacional, Oscar played regular first team football in an ever-improving Brazilian national league. Despite only being 20-years-old, he had become an integral part of the Porto Alegre side who are considered among the best in the country. He has also competed at high level and in a high pressure environment in the Copa Libertadores, which will have aided his development no end.

But now Oscar is joining a team which includes the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Marko Marin. All are established European players and play in a similar position to him, therefore making chances of a starting berth limited. The youngster will need to hit the ground running if he is to feature from the off. However, one advantage he does have is that he will have the support of the Chelsea fans who have been keen to watch him in action for Brazil during the Olympic Games.

Furthermore, Oscar has turned up with the right attitude. His recent comments to the press indicate that he is determined and motivated to ensure that his development is not hindered by the move to Chelsea. He said:

“I am ready to do whatever the manager wants me to do. For Internacional I played in several different positions, so I have no problem adapting. I’m joining Chelsea hopefully to win more titles. The project is very exciting, especially with the young players that they are signing. The offer was very good for me and I didn’t have to think twice about signing.”

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Despite being of slight build, Oscar is surprisingly tenacious. Willing to chase the ball down and put in a tackle, it would make him more suited than his competitors to a deeper role. But of course, this is not where he will want to play, or be best utilised. Until recently Menezes had dropped Ramires from the Brazil squad as he had been playing wide on the right for Chelsea. Menezes may have recalled him for the forthcoming friendly against Sweden, but after wresting the No.10 shirt and position from Ganso, operating in a different area at the pitch at club level could cost Oscar the role in the national team that he has worked so hard for.

The way in which Europe can serve to limit the potential of a player can be portrayed with a comparison to another youngster who competed in the Under-20 World Cup final last summer: Portugal and Benfica’s Nelson Oliveira. The Portuguese striker scored four goals during the tournament and impressed greatly, yet the following season he appeared just 12 times for Benfica, only two of which were starts. Though Oliveira may have made the national team for Euro 2012, this was largely due to a shortage of centre-forwards in Portugal. A similar case could also be shown for Romelu Lukaku, who despite being the highest scoring player in the Belgium top tier at 16years of age, his progression has been stunted due to marginalisation at Chelsea.

With just two years to go until the World Cup, a move to Chelsea is a very brave choice for Oscar. If he succeeds, and he has the capacity to, the thought of how much he will improve from playing regular Premier League football as well as European competition is exciting. But it is up to the Blues to make this happen by ensuring he is playing enough in the first team.

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If Chelsea make the most of the immense talent they have on their hands and trust in him despite his youthfulness, they could well have a potential world beater in the coming years. But if they fail to offer him enough time in the senior squad then he may not reach those heights whilst at Stamford Bridge.

Are you worried that Oscar could be hindered by his transfer to Chelsea? Or do you believe that it will be the perfect platform for him to develop as a footballer? Let me know on Twitter @thwebber

The topic has been brought up in the past and subsequently quickly dashed. But in modern football, or any sport, there is no place for regular season games to be played on foreign pitches.

It’s becoming the norm for domestic league Super Cup games to be competed abroad. It was also frightening to hear about the proposal for a 39th Premier League game, which would also take place abroad. Sometimes there can be good vibes from such an event and perhaps nothing but positive ambition for the game. But on the whole, it just looks like a money-spinning idea that really should never have been entertained.

What are fans paying for? Supporters hand over their cash for a season ticket, or even the opportunity to witness the first game of the season. And although there are yet to be ideas for the first game of a Premier League season to be played abroad, it is something which takes place in Major League Baseball.

The Oakland A’s opened their season this year against the Seattle Mariners in Japan. Opening day in baseball is sacred. It was America’s sport until football took over, and for those who are still clinging onto America’s pastime, the league have decided to strip away one of the elements which make that sport great.

Japan is a country that loves baseball. Yu Darvish, a superstar in Japan, is now playing for the Texas Rangers, and the Mariners took Ichiro Suzuki back to his homeland for opening day. Maybe the idea would have been a little more hideous if the sport was taken to a country where baseball is not so high up on the agenda. I’m thinking somewhere like Qatar.

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The NFL do it at Wembley every season and it’s great for the fans of the sport in this country. And although there is a great deal of interest, you can’t help but feel sorry for the real fans across the pond; those who have stuck by their team and who genuinely can throw out the customary “I’ve been a season ticket holder for 50 years.” “Thank you sir, but you’re only 39.”

Imagine the uproar if Manchester United were to play one of their key games on foreign soil. Would we be so dismissive of the anger felt by fans of other sports? Like Baseball for America, the Premier League is England’s game and England’s league. We’re not gifted with the choice of four major sports competing throughout the year, and have you ever heard anyone lose their sanity over a lack of rugby?

Sports need money, that much is clear. We have to accept that there are going to be positive proposals for the game and others which make you want to give up altogether. And taking the game abroad falls into the latter category.

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Growing the game internationally is important, which is why clubs tour America or the Far East in pre-season, and it‘s great. But isn’t that enough?

The argument for the idea is that the Oakland A’s, for example, experience poor attendances at their home games; although that may have a lot to do with the fact that the Dodgers and Angels are their neighbouring teams. The game against the Mariners drew a crowd of over 40,000 and in turn gave much more credit to the idea over the long-term.

But then it comes down to markets and the demand for the sport. Unlike America, England can’t move sports clubs to better suited cities, and we just have to deal with that. However, taking a chunk of the season away, even if it is a considerably small chunk, doesn’t sit right. Sure, I won’t feel any pain if United play a boxing day fixture in Qatar against Sunderland, but it’s the principle. What next? One game turns to two and then four and so on. What happens when Wembley does not host the FA Cup in the future?

Nicky Butt believes that Tom Cleverley has a bright future ahead of him, but feels he needs an injury-free season to become a Manchester United regular. BBC Sport reports.

Butt, who played 387 times for United and holds 39 England caps, feels the 23-year-old is at an age where playing regularly is more important than ever.

Cleverley has started all three of United matches so far this season, but a series of niggling injuries means that he has been restricted to just 12 starts in his Old Trafford career.

“He’s one of those players who can go on to great things but he needs a good run in the team and to get used to playing week in and week out for a massive club”, he told BBC Radio Manchester.

Since coming through the academy, Cleverley has had loan spells at Watford, Leicester and Wigan, although he is now edging towards the forefront of Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans and has three England caps behind him.

England manager, Roy Hodgson praised Cleverley’s performance in the 5-0 win over Moldova, but he was less convincing in the 1-1 draw with Ukraine- missing three golden opportunities to score.

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But Butt believes Cleverley has the ability to shine at the top level: “He’s a phenomenal young footballer and he’s at the right club to develop, with the right manager, the right coaches and the right players around him.”

Gervinho will never be able to replicate what Lionel Messi has done at Barcelona, but it didn’t really need me to make that obvious. What he can do, however, is adapt to a role that’s been brought to prominence by the Argentine forward and, in turn, heavily favour Arsenal’s fortunes with new dynamics to their attacking play.

There was high praise for Gervinho while in France. He was brought to Le Mans with a lot of promise and played a key role in Lille’s title-winning success of two seasons ago. The praise wasn’t just limited to those off the pitch, as Eden Hazard described the Ivorian as one of the best players he’s played with.

Gervinho, however, was the runner-up to Hazard, the consolation prize for Arsenal fans who really wanted the Belgian superstar in the red and white. His first season at the club was well short of what he’d accomplished in French football, with many fans and even the then Arsenal captain suggesting the move for the player was a mistake. Probably. There was certainly enough evidence to suggest Gervinho would fail to reach the heights of what was projected for him, but more importantly what Arsenal needed from him. Four goals and five assists is ok for a newcomer to the Premier League, but it shouldn’t be acceptable for an attacking player performing at a top four club.

Deadwood? Maybe a bit harsh, but Gervinho was showing little to suggest he was good enough to be a mainstay in Arsenal’s starting XI. He appeared weak, tame, with mental fragility and lacking quick and precise decision-making in and around the penalty area. However, there is a real feeling that Robin van Persie’s presence hindered the impact of the Gunners’ new signing. We saw it with Thierry Henry and players like Alex Hleb; the supporting cast in the team needed to look to the leader on the pitch first and contribute in their own way second. The shackles are off now. Look at the impact Alex Hleb had in 2007/08 following Henry’s departure. Is there even a hint that we could see another great contribution from a player who really was in the shadow of a former captain?

Arsene Wenger has played this magic trick before, transforming a misfiring wide player into a centralised striking superstar. And while I’m not suggesting Gervinho is on the way to becoming the next Thierry Henry, Wenger has plenty of experience in finding the most fitting role for his players and bringing out the best in them.

Despite his lack of goals last season, Gervinho’s dribbling ability and confidence to get past the last defender is excellent. A wide player with genuine attributes of playing in that position. What about through the middle? Wenger tested the player in that role in last year’s preseason, with the player grabbing two goals in his first game with the club away to Koln. This season, when a lot of emphasis was on bringing in another striker to compete with Olivier Giroud and fill the squad out, there’s been talk of Gervinho operating through the middle in training. Maybe this was the other striker the club were looking for.

He displayed cutting edge in the home win against Southampton, using his versatility to leave the opposition defenders second-guessing his movements and dragging the Southampton players out of position. Two goals for Gervinho on the day but two very different styles. The tap in for the second goal is a quality that Arsenal have long been searching for in a striker. The first, however, was a demonstration of Gervinho’s composure and ability to race away from a defence and put away a golden opportunity. The Gervinho of last season would definitely have looked to pass instead of shoot.

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Much more work is needed to tell if Gervinho’s new role is the real deal. But what it does guarantee Arsenal is a plan B; another option when Giroud isn’t quite working; a quick, tricky player who can unsettle a stubborn backline.

Give Gervinho a purpose in the squad, a real role that the team can benefit from, one that turns frustrating dead end situations into points. Early days yet, but Gervinho definitely has the build and quickness to allow Arsenal to adopt the false 9 role and be very threatening in a once one dimensional attack.