Time for most of the continent to take a break from football for the winter, and with that, I have the final list of rankings for 2009.
1. FC Barcelona
Top of La Liga, UEFA Champions League Group F Winners
Yeah I'm Convinced: Along with Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona are yet to lose domestically in league, and conquered what became the toughest Champions League group. A nice 3-1 win against a stingy Deportivo is among the wins since the last rankings.
I'm Not So Sure: You could argue that Real Madrid's chances in El Clasico would have been better if Ronaldo was fully fit. Still, Barcelona is doing everything they are asked to do at the moment, and are World Champions as well.
2. Real Madrid
2nd in La Liga, UEFA Champions League Group C Winners
Yeah, I'm Convinced: So that's what it's supposed to look like when it all comes together. 4 straight wins since the Clasico loss by a combined 16-5.
I'm Not So Sure: Getting a clean sheet against a Zaragoza side in the drop zone does not mean the defensive issues are solved. Pepe's injury will hurt.
3. Bordeaux
Top of Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League Group A Winners
Yeah, I'm Convinced: No one wants to play this team at the moment. Unbeaten in their games against all Champions League teams they've seen (including an away draw to Marseille and an away win at Lyon in league play). Just one goal conceded in their last 5 in all competitions.
I'm Not So Sure: Being top of Ligue 1 is one thing, but even with their recent struggles, would you really take Bordeaux over Chelsea or Manchester United? Or even Inter?
4. Chelsea
Top of Premier League, UEFA Champions League Group D Winners
Yeah I'm Convinced: The talent and the experience is still there to compete with any of the top three.
I'm Not So Sure: The dip in form that I thought would come is in progress. Lost to a Man City team that was struggling, and drew a West Ham side that's sitting in the drop.
5. Manchester United
2nd in Premier League, UEFA Champions League Group B Winners
Yeah, I'm Convinced: When it's switched on, they are as good as anybody. The Arsenal win suddenly looks terrific. Beat Wolfsburg at Wofsburg with a makeshift backline. However.......
I'm Not So Sure: they have become wildly inconsistent. Blanks against Aston Villa at home and Fulham away are not going to inspire any confidence. Would you take this team over Inter at the moment?
6. Arsenal
3rd in Premier League, UEFA Champions League Group H Winners
Yeah, I'm Convinced: Bounced back nicely from the Chelsea debacle and they are getting it done with key attacking players out through injury, such as Robin van Persie. 10 points from 4 league matches since the last rankings. No shame in the Olympiakos loss as they were at less than full strength.
I'm Not So Sure: Glen Johnson helped the Gunners back into that game at Anfield. Inter might have the steel and tactical rigidity to make it tough for Arsenal as well. The signature win is..... Tottenham? Celtic?
7. Inter Milan
Top of Serie A, UEFA Champions League Group D Runners-Up
Yeah, I'm Convinced: Finding ways to get results in Italy to stay top and also saved their Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Rubin Kazan. Samuel Eto'o is starting to warm up. However...........
I'm Not So Sure: That no-show at the Camp Nou is still too fresh, and the Juventus loss suddenly looks horrible. Drawing at Atalanta and beating, but not blasting Lazio isn't going to inspire confidence.
8. Sevilla
3rd in La Liga, UEFA Champions League Group G Winners
Yeah, I'm Convinced: Sevilla can't be blamed for losing ground to Barcelona and Real Madrid. They've proven they can play big boy football when called upon and there are a lot of teams that would love to have the Luis Fabiano- Frederic Kanoute strike force.
I'm Not So Sure: While Getafe is playing a lot better, Sevilla still should be losing to them at home. The Real Madrid win, though impressive, seems ages ago.
9. Bayern Munich
3rd in German Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League Group A Runners Up
Yeah, I'm Convinced: The machine is starting to roll through their opposition, and without Ribery. Only two points back of Leverkusen. That 4-1 win at Juventus came after the Old Lady beat Inter. The goals are coming from more than one source (Gomez, Muller, and Olic).
I'm Not So Sure: It's not. Bayern have played as well as anyone ranked ahead of them in the last 2+ weeks.
10. AC Milan
2nd in Serie A, UEFA Champions League Group C Runners Up
Yeah, I'm Convinced: If you saw the clinic they put on against Sampdoria a couple weeks ago, you'll see why they are this high.
I'm Not So Sure: Milan might be the best of a group that performed poorly over the last couple weeks and this is a default ranking. They need depth at defender, badly. This team can't play the attacking football they're trying to achieve without Thiago Silva keeping the back line together.
11. CSKA Moscow
Runners Up in Russian Premier League, UEFA Champions League Group B Runners Up
Enjoy watching Milos Krasic play for the Russian side in the Champions League in February, if he's still there. Ended Wolfsburg's Champions League run by beating them and winning at Besiktas to earn a place in the knockout rounds.
12. Bayer Leverkusen
Top of German Bundesliga
Still unbeaten in Germany, but 4 goals conceded in their last two matches to Monchengladbach and Hertha Berlin suggest they may be getting found out.
13. Aston Villa
4th in English Premier League
Beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford and Chelsea at home. Anyone else say they've done that this season? The Rapid Vienna embarrassment seems like so long ago now.
14. Lyon
4th in French Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League Group E Runners Up
Part of the criteria in this process is who would I take now, and depsite the recent struggles, I would still take Lyon over Juventus, Valencia, and Deportivo. No shame in losing to Bordeaux the way they're playing now, Bayern and Juventus have done it as well.
15. Valencia
4th in La Liga, UEFA Europa League Group B Winners
The Sevilla win and the Barcelona draw look great, and they conquered a group in the Europa League that featured dangerous sides like Lille and Genoa. Came close to sharing points with Real Madrid as well. Unfortunately for their slim La Liga title hopes, they have to play all three teams ahead of them away from the Mestalla. David Villa is at his vintage best, 15 goals in all competitions.
16. Juventus
3rd in Serie A, Qualified for UEFA Europa League
This is a pretty harsh ranking considering the last time I did this, they beat Inter. Unfortunately, they have lost three straight in all competitions by a combined 9-3. Bayern I can understand, but Catania and Bari? This is a team that needs to get healthy, and fast.
17. FC Schalke 04
2nd in German Bundesliga
Three straight wins in Germany including victories over top-half sides Werder Bremen and Mainz. Only 1 goal conceded in their last 5 in league. The Felix effect is taking hold in Gelsenkirchen.
18. Olympiakos
2nd in Greek League, UEFA Champions League Group H Runners Up
Came through with the win needed against Arsenal to confirm qualificatio nfor the knockout stages as well as beat rival Panathinaikos 2-0 to keep the Greek League race tight.
19. Benfica
2nd in Portuguese League, UEFA Europa League Group I Winners
Dominant in their Europa League group and recently have a 2-0 win over FC Porto to their credit.
20. Rubin Kazan
Russian Premier League Winners, Qualified for UEFA Europa League
The Russian Champions will be a tough out in the second club competition, they're the only team to have a victory over Barcelona to date this season.
21. PSV Eindhoven
2nd in Dutch Eredivisie, UEFA Europa League Group K Winners
The only team on this list that has yet to lose in any competition this season.
22. FC Porto
3rd in Portuguese League, UEFA Champions League Group D Runners Up
Barely in these rankings and mainly on the strength of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
23. Marseille
2nd in Ligue 1, Qualified for UEFA Europa League
Hard to blame them for not getting to the knockouts of the Champions League considering that they had to fight Real Madrid in Milan. Put together a nice run of wins domestically to mount a title challenge. They did draw Bordeaux earlier in the season.
24. Fiorentina
10th in Serie A, UEFA Champions League Group E Winner
Wildly inconsistent in league play (just lost 2-1 to Chievo) but here on the strength of outlasting Lyon and Liverpool to win their Champions League group.
25. Dynamo Kiev
Top of Ukranian League, Bottom of UEFA Champions League Group F
This is a team that had both Barcelona and Inter to the sword and couldn't finish them off. They top their domestic league and most noteable is an emphatci 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, who also was very competitive with Barcelona earlier in the season. Shame they are not in Europe anymore, they would have given some of the Europa League sides some real trouble.
OTHERS CONSIDERED:
Hamburg
LOSC Lille
Shakhtar Donetsk
Fenerbahce
Panathinaikos
Galatasaray
Tottenham Hotspur
Roma
FC Twente
That will do it for the rankings for 2009. A lot of shifting, especially at the bottom. Let me know what you think!
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To answer your question of United v Inter "at the moment" : I cannot back United in their current form in the proposed matchup. With the amount of injuries and no defense to speak of, the team is in dire straits.
ReplyDeleteGood post otherwise. An enjoyable read as always.