2010/11 Season Review Part 2: European Team of the Season

And so, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve come to the end of another season, and it was a decidedly mixed bag.

In England, we we lured into predicting the tightest Premier League race in years only for the rest of the pack to limply fade away and leave Manchester United to amble over the line to a record 19th title.

Spain lived up to its billing as the most glamorous two-team league on the planet, Italy was competitive but short on elite quality teams, while Germany and France both yielded surprise champions.

And in the Champions League final, Barcelona left almost everyone except Sir Alex Ferguson feeling all warm and fuzzy inside with a virtuoso display that surely confirms the Catalans’ place among the all-time great club sides.

With all this in mind, I’ve compiled my team of the season. I’ve elected to play 4-3-3 because, as you all surely have heard, it’s like, so in right now.

In the first XI I’ve chosen who I think have been the best players in each position over the last year, and on the bench I’ve tried also to be representative of the players who shone outside England and Spain, and who invariably spurred their teams on to great things.

WARNING: Neither PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale or FWA Player of the Year Scott Parker have made it into my squad – Bale because he only dazzled intermittently in an injury-disrupted season, and Parker because I feel that, with all due respect, being the best player in the worst team in the Premier League doesn’t actually count for all that much.

Have a read and let me know your views.

Goalkeeper - Edwin Van Der Sar, Manchester United

It is easy to forget that before Van Der Sar signed for United in the summer of 2005, Sir Alex Ferguson’s ill-fated search for a worthy successor to great Dane Peter Schmeichel between the Old Trafford sticks had become a source of comedy for rival fans.

The Dutchman has more than put paid to that though, oozing calm and consistency for the last five years and providing a reliable platform for Ferguson’s latest era of success at United. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have looked so imperious as a defensive pairing not least because of the confidence they share in the man behind them.

Van Der Sar’s place in my team is not assured by the fact he is retiring this summer, but simply as a result of him being the best keeper in the world this season (Champions League final blip aside). Mr De Gea, you have some big shoes to fill.

Right-back - Dani Alves, Barcelona

I don’t think there can be any arguments with this one. The decline of Maicon at Inter has given Alves the opportunity to assume the mantle of best right-back on the planet, and it is one he has grasped with both hands.

Rarely has a full-back carried such tactical influence on any team, let alone one of the greatest club sides in history, but Alves is undoubtedly crucial to the way Barcelona play.

A supreme athlete, his ability to ally potent attacking threat – he has 15 (yes, 15) assists in La Liga this season - with defensive awareness provides the Catalans with much needed width going forward without exposing themselves too much at the back. A worthy edition to any side.

Centre-back - Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
 

Comfortably the best centre-half in the country this season and, as his inclusion here categorically proves (ahem), one of the two best in the world. The big Serb has symbolised everything which has marked United out as deserving Premier League champions through his confidence and unerring determination.

With regular partner Rio Ferdinand suffering from persistent injury problems, Vidic has regularly held makeshift defences together and occasionally stopped his team conceding through what seems nothing more than sheer force of will.

Despite Barcelona tearing him a new one in the Champions League final, there are still few people other than Vidic who you would stake your life on making a goal-saving block or tackle, and he brings much needed grit to this flamboyant team. The defensive lynchpin and natural captain of this mythical team.

Centre-back - Gerard Pique, Barcelona

A tall, elegant, ball playing centre-back, Pique would complement Vidic in this team in much the same way as Ferdinand does at United.

But make no mistake, the young Spaniard can also mix it in physical terms against the very best, as his astonishingly dominating display in the Champions League final proved.

Like Vidic, Pique earned his place in this team by holding his defence together for long periods in the absence of an illustrious partner, and at only 24, he can remain one of the best in the world for many years to come. 

And he’s doing it all with the added distraction of dating Shakira…

Left-back - Marcelo, Real Madrid

 

Marcelo just edges out Patrice Evra for my left back berth on the strength of what has comfortably been the best season of the young Brazilian’s career to date.

Long renowned for his exceptional attacking gifts, Marcelo had been regarded as something of a defensive liability by a succession of Real Madrid managers until Jose Mourinho arrived at the Bernebeu.

But the Special One appears to have corrected this issue, and now his young charge balances responsibilities on the left flank at both ends of the pitch almost as well as fellow Brazilian Dani Alves on the right.

Defensive Midfielder - Sergio Busquets, Barcelona

 

The biggest complement you can pay to Sergio Busquets is that Barcelona have not missed Yaya Toure since the big Ivorian moved to Manchester City last summer.

In fact, the Catalans’ midfield is actually stronger, with increased La Masia connections facilitating their suffocating possession football, and Busquets’ defensive talents improving the team’s ability to win the ball back deep in the opposition’s half.

His play-acting frustrates and even disgusts at times, but his quality and place in this team cannot be denied.

Midfielder - Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona

 

No justification needed here. Xavi is the greatest midfield playmaker of his generation and one of the best of all time.

His passing is metronomic in its accuracy, his technique flawless, his awareness almost supernatural. Xavi not only sees gaps in opposing defences before they appear, he then has the poise and ability to find them, time and again.

He is also the man for the big occasion, having now dictated two Champions League finals and last summer’s World Cup showpiece against Holland in South Africa. Simply a joy to watch whenever he takes to the field.

Midfielder - Andres Iniesta, Barcelona

 

There's a reason they're the best team in the world, you know. Completing my midfield triumvirate is the third member of what will surely go down as one of the best footballing units in history.

Iniesta possesses vision if not quite on a par with Xavi, then at least in the same league, and combines this with the dynamism and skill to get into attacking positions and contribute goals for his team.

The 27-year-old earns his place in the team on his own merits, but the fact remains that when Xavi and Iniesta play together, their almost telepathic understanding allows them both to reach new plains of greatness.

Right-winger - Mesut Ozil, Real Madrid

Ozil won his big move to Real after a series of star-making performances for Germany at the World Cup last summer, but the odd question still remained about his ability to produce his best in the pressure cooker environment of the Bernebeu.

The young playmaker could not have answered those questions more emphatically. Not only has he matched the heights of South Africa this season, he has improved and matured into a consistently world class performer.

Ozil has created a chance on average every 22 minutes this season – the best ratio of anyone in the top five European leagues. It’s no wonder, then, that former World Player of the Year Kaka has been relegated to the role of understudy to the German.

Centre-forward - Lionel Messi, Barcelona

 

Who else? Messi has once again confirmed his status as the greatest player of his generation with the best season of his career to date.

53 goals and 23 assists yielded La Liga and Champions League winners’ medals, and the little Argentine capped it all with a masterful performance at Wembley.

The Messi has achieved all he has achieved is exceptional. That he is still only 23 is, frankly, frightening. No ultimate team would be complete without him.

Left-winger - Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

 

His trophy haul might not have been as impressive as Messi’s this season, but Ronaldo appears to have been inspired by the astonishing feats of his rival to reach new levels of greatness.

The Portuguese superstar broke the all-time scoring record in La Liga, recording 40 goals over the course of the campaign, and matched Messi’s total of 53 in all competitions. 

Those who accuse Ronaldo of being more individualistic than the Barcelona man might also be interested to know he has 15 assists in all competitions this term, the third highest in the team.

He may not be the best in the world, but he’s certainly done enough to ensure he’s still in the debate.

Manager - Pep Guardiola, Barcelona

 

As great as this Barcelona team is, it does not, as some like to believe, manage itself. 

Pep Guardiola has been just as integral to the club's phenomenal success over the past three seasons as the players he trains, and an astonishing haul of ten trophies from a possible 13 in that time reflects just as much upon him as it does his team.

For all he has achieved in his time in Catalonia, this season's triumphs may be his greatest yet. Managing a small (albeit exceptional) squad, the 40-year-old had to deal with the lengthy absences of  key players Eric Abidal and captain Carles Puyol. 

He also had to negotiate an unprecedented period of four intense El Clasicos in less than a month which defined the Catalans' season, and tested their young coach's resolve as well as his talent.

Guardiola has hinted he may take a break from football when he finally leaves the Nou Camp. After this season, you'd have to say he's earned one.

Substitutes

Edinson Cavani, Napoli – his 26 goals fired Napoli to an unexpected title push and eventual Champions League place.

Jack Wilshere, Arsenal – went from prodigious youngster to key man for both club and country in the space of a season. A superstar in the making.

Manuel Neuer, Schalke – brilliant all season for Schalke and produced arguably the outstanding goalkeeping performance of the season in his side’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United.

Thiago Silva, AC Milan – Marshalled an aging Milan defence to 20 clean sheets on their way to a first Serie A title since 2004, as well as establishing himself as first choice for Brazil.

Eden Hazard, Lille – provided the skill and class which enabled his club to win its first top flight French title in 57 years as part of an historic league and cup double. Is all but assured of a move to a top club this summer.

Nuri Sahin, Borussia Dortmund – While boy wonder Mario Gotze attracted the headlines, it was Sahin who linked defence and attack for the surprise Bundesliga champions with his excellent vision and awareness. Deserves his move to Real Madrid.

Antonio Di Natale, Udinese – the very reason why Edinson Cavani’s phenomenal season still wasn’t enough to win the Serie A golden boot. Still outstanding at 33, Di Natale’s experience and quality was integral to an Udinese side which secured Champions League qualification for only the second time in the club’s history.

Brilliant Barcelona join football's pantheon

It was the final we all wanted: the champions of Europe's two strongest leagues meeting at one of football's most spectacular venues to determine the cream of the continent.

We were assured of a contest for the ages. Manchester United vowed they had learned from humiliation in Rome two years ago, while Barcelona insisted that victory in 2009 had not showcased the peak of their powers.

The level of quality on show, coupled with the presence of dominating, attacking football as a core principle within the proud traditions of both clubs would guarantee, we thought, a competitive match on the biggest stage of them all. 

But, alas, it was not to be.

What transpired instead resembled something more like a sporting apotheosis, as through the devastating beauty of their play Pep Guardiola's exceptional side transcended the boundaries of mere excellence and staked an irrefutable claim for the current Barcelona vintage to be considered among the pantheon of the game's all time greats.

Moreover, the reality that such an outcome was not due to the faults of their opposition only amplifies the Catalans' achievement. For make no mistake, United tried their best to meet them on equal terms. 

The likes of Park, Giggs, Valencia and Hernandez, so influential in wrapping up the Premier League title, were again trusted to deliver on the big occasion, and immediately set about preventing the Spanish giants from getting into their mesmerising rhythm with typical zeal and endeavour.

For the first ten minutes, the ploy worked, and United were even able to pin their opponents back as they cautiously looked for a way to test Victor Valdes. But as soon as Barcelona began to warm to the task at hand, the gulf in class became evident.

The lethal quintet of Messi, Villa, Pedro, Iniesta and Dani Alves eagerly swarmed all over the scrambling United backline with Xavi, imperious as ever, conducting proceedings from deep. 

Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked in trouble long before the midfield maestro found Pedro with a sublimely-timed flick of his right boot and the young winger outwitted the despairing duo of Vidic and Van Der Sar with a clinical near post finish.

This United side have been accused on many occasions this season of compensating for a lack of fantasy with an abundance of resilience, but in their response to going behind both qualities were present in spades. 

Wayne Rooney's forceful but controlled finish following a rapid-fire exchange of passes with first Michael Carrick and then Ryan Giggs contained within it a level of craft which would not look out of place on the hallowed fields surrounding La Masia. 

At such a moment, the red half of Manchester may have allowed itself to believe once again that the force of destiny was with them. At the very least, their team had done more than in Rome in 2009: they had asked a question of Barcelona.

The Catalan response was emphatic. Rooney's strike proved nothing more than a spectacular anomaly in an otherwise uninterrupted pattern of suffocating Barcelona pressure, and it did not take long for the irrepressible genius of Lionel Messi, the world's best player, to finally make its mark on English soil.

As the beleaguered trio of Park, Carrick and Giggs found itself completely in the thrall of Barcelona's midfield passing carousel, Messi found himself 25 yards from goal with the United defence at his mercy.

The diminutive Argentine took his chance brilliantly, curling a venomous low short with minimal backlift around the prone Nemanja Vidic and towards goal. Van Der Sar was still diving when the ball hit the net.

It is a measure of the formidable winning mentality fostered so expertly by Ferguson that United's natural instinct was to attempt to pour forward in search of another equaliser, but Barca were by now in no mood to allow their opponents such an opportunity.

Instead the Catalans attacked with even greater vigour, appearently seized by the desire to make the scoreline reflect their utter dominance. They quickly got their wish, David Villa brilliantly curling the ball into the top corner to put the result beyond doubt.

Although they were not overawed as in 2009, United were no less overwhelmed by Barcelona, and the Spaniards third goal did what few, if any, have ever succeeded in doing to a team of men from Old Trafford: it broke their resolve.

In the last twenty minutes, Pep Guardiola's side dimmed their attacking ambitions but still held the Premier League champions at arms length with ease, defending, as they do so well, with the ball.

As the final whistle blew at Wembley to rubber-stamp Barcelona's fourth European Cup triumph at the place where it all started for them in 1992, many of those who witnessed the match were left wondering if they had ever seen a more dominant performance in the final of the continent's premier club competition.

The response, almost unanimously, will have been no, and in the answering of this question alone the greatness of this Barcelona team becomes clear. But for any who remain unconvinced, there is further evidence to back up the case.

In the last three seasons, Pep Guardiola's side have won 10 of the 13 tournaments they have entered. This astonishing trophy haul includes three consecutive La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and a World Club Championship. It is their results as much as the beauty of their methods which makes this exceptional group worthy of a place among the greatest club sides in history.

But perhaps the ultimate proof of the greatness of this Barcelona side can be found in the way other top teams approach the task of facing them.

Pep Guardiola's side alter their methods for no one, whereas even illustrious opponents such as Manchester United and Real Madrid are forced to focus their efforts on stifling the Catalans, accepting that any attempt to impose themselves will result in disaster.

And more often than not, as this season has proved, they still lose. There is no other side in recent memory - possibly ever - which has provoked such fear, and so justifiably, in its rivals.

When Barcelona demolished Real Madrid 5-0 in the Clasico last November, I claimed that Pep Guardiola's side were knocking on the door of history. On Saturday at Wembley, they crossed the threshold. 

End of year awards - 2010

First of all, let me just say, I don't like end of year awards.

I find the idea of judging teams and players on their performances in calendar years to be a clumsy and inadequate system for rewarding continued good form in football, for the simple reason that the football season does not begin in January and end in December.

Consequently, voting panels for these awards are invariably forced to judge players and teams on their performances in two halves of different seasons with an unhelpful summer-long gap in between. Or in the case of 2010, a World Cup.

The 'Greatest Show on Earth' rightly takes centre-stage every four years, but the rigid calendar year system for awards means that it takes on an unjustified level of importance in the minds of voting panelists. Hence we have Uruguay's inspirational talisman Diego Forlan on the 23-man Ballon d'Or shortlist ahead of Diego Milito, who fired Inter Milan to an historic treble.

And as much as Sunderland fans may wax lyrical about the virtues of Asamoah Gyan, even the most ardent Mackem would be hard pressed to convince me that Ghana's World Cup hero was one of the 23 best footballers in the world in 2010.

That said, the end of the calendar year is the time when we look back and evaluate in all walks of life, and it can come as no surprise that football is not excluded from this. Also, seeing as I have absolutely no power to change Fifa, there seems no sense in letting football's governing body have all the fun.

Here then, are my end of year awards. The World Cup has played a significant role in my choices, but I have been careful not to let it completely overshadow my judgment. I have looked to reward the individuals and teams who have shone on all fronts in 2010, as well as a couple who, well, didn't.

So here goes. Have a read and let me know what you think, regardless of whether you agree or not.

Player of the Year - Wesley Sneijder, Inter Milan and Holland

This decision may surprise many who favour the Ballon d'Or shortlist nominees Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, but there are several reasons why I believe the Dutch midfield maestro is the most deserving. 

First, while most observers (myself included) consider Barcelona's dream trio to be better footballers, they also have the benefit of playing with each other every week. The genius of each makes it easier for the other two to shine all the more brightly. 

Sneijder, by contrast, shouldered almost the entire creative burden of Jose Mourinho's defensive-minded Inter Milan side, crafting the devastating counter-attacks which contributed just as much to the Italian giants' success as defensive steel.

He then went to South Africa and almost repeated the trick with his country, leading another side built on solidity and work-rate to Holland's first World Cup final in over 30 years.

As well as creating opportunities for team-mates, Sneijder also rose to the challenge of taking them himself, finishing tied at the top of the tournament's scoring charts with five goals.

Messi, Xavi and Iniesta are great players who play in great teams. Sneijder's greatness this year stems from the fact that he inspired good teams on to great things. 2010 was his year.

Honorary mentions:

Cristiano Ronaldo - Blistering scoring form undermined by lack of trophies/World Cup exploits

Arjen Robben - Best season of his career, but finished on losing side in his two biggest matches of 2010

Bastian Schweinsteiger - Star for Germany and Bayern, but his less glamorous style works against him in awards like these 

Breakthrough of the Year - Pedro Rodriguez, Barcelona and Spain

   

2010 has seen the blossoming of numerous exciting new talents in the world of football, but there can be no breakthrough story quite so astonishing as that of Pedro Rodriguez Ledesma.

In July of 2009, Pedro was a 22-year-old still plying his trade in Barcelona's B team. By the age of 22, most prodigious young talents have already begun to make their mark on world football. Those who haven't broken through by then will most likely never do so, becoming consigned instead to a less distinguished career lower down the unforgiving football pyramid.

But far from being condemned to obscurity, Pedro took his first-team chances and has, in the last twelve months, achieved as much as many would be content with in an entire career.

With an indefatigable work-rate, impressive tactical versatility and keen eye for goal, this Tenerife-born youngster has established himself in what is widely regarded as the greatest football team in the world, with his tally of 24 goals including strikes in every single competition last term.

Such eye-catching form ensured a place on the plane to South Africa with World Cup favourites Spain, where Pedro quickly became Vicente Del Bosque's go-to man when a misfiring Fernando Torres failed to find his form, ahead of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and Man City's £25million summer recruit David Silva.

By last July, only six weeks after his first international cap, Pedro could add a World Cup winners medal to his already-formidable collection, and the footballing world could herald the arrival of a genuine world-class talent.

Honorary mentions:

Thomas Müller - The German Pedro. Brilliant breakthrough season for Bayern, and shone in South Africa, scoring five goals

Mesut Özil - Great form for Werder Bremen & a fantastic World Cup with Germany put him on the radar, moving to Real Madrid has given him the opportunity to establish himself

Nani - Has moved out of the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford. Just a little more consistency separates him from being truly world-class

Angel Di Maria - Great form for club & country secured a big money move to Real Madrid. Has impressed, but exploits not quite high-profile enough yet

Gareth Bale - Excellent form & consistency for Tottenham, but his resume doesn't compare with the other challengers - yet

Team of the Year - Spain

Now, it may seem I'm going back on my promise not to let the World Cup-inspired heart rule the head, but rest assured this was a very difficult decision. Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan deserve all of the credit they received for becoming the first Italian club ever to win the treble and reclaiming European Glory after more than forty years.

But it was Spain's first ever World Cup triumph and, in particular, the style with which they won, which caught the imagination of the footballing world.

2010 was the year of tiki-taka.

The achievement of this Spain side cannot possibly be overstated. They flew to South Africa shouldering the dreaded burden of the 'favourites' tag despite having no World Cup pedigree.

Confidence in their approach was tested in the very first group game, when they inexplicably lost to what was possibly Switzerland's only shot of the tournament. The hopes of key striker Fernando Torres were shattered by lack of form and fitness, with the Liverpool frontman failing to find the net in South Africa.

But Spain recovered, and passed their way to glory. It was an approach which no one, not even a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal or a dynamic young Germany, had an answer for. For any awe-struck spectator, the lesson on offer was plain to see: it doesn't matter how good your players are if they never have the ball.

Seeing that defensive organisation and counter-attacking endeavour were not enough, Holland resorted to rough-house tactics in the final. It almost worked, and Joris Mathijsen and Arjen Robben may be haunted for years by guilt-edged misses. 

But in spite of a game with a startling number of clear chances, there seemed to be a strange sense of destiny taking hold. When Andres Iniesta lashed home with penalties beckoning, the story was complete. It was not quite a tale of good triumphing over evil, but pure football was certainly the victor.

Honorary mentions:

Inter Milan - Historic treble-winning exploits made it a close run race. A truly great side, if not quite so pleasing on the eye

Barcelona - Likely the greatest football team of our generation, and provided the backbone of Spain's world-beaters. However, defeat to Inter in the Champions League means they are not the dominant story of the year

Bayern Munich - One final defeat away from a treble, Louis Van Gaal's side deserve their place in this list. But defeat to Inter and Germany's defeat to Spain means it was never going to be any higher.

Manager of the Year - Jose Mourinho, Inter Milan and Real Madrid

Despite recent setbacks at the Santiago Bernebeu, 2010 has a decent shout to be considered the greatest of Jose Mourinho's career. And with for a man who had already amassed one of the most impressive managerial CVs in world football, that is saying something.

In only his second season in Italian football, the Special One managed to forge a team equipped to take on all comers both domestically and in Europe.

In doing so, he gave the lie to the perceived superiority of England and Spain by defeating the best that La Liga and the Premier League had to offer, and brought European glory back to the blue half of Milan for the first time in more than forty years.

The zenith of Mourinho's glory undoubtedly came in the Nou Camp, where a 'beautiful' 1-0 defeat was nevertheless to see off a truly exceptional Barcelona side and ensure Inter's passage to the Champions League final.

It was a personal vindication for the brash Portuguese, who never felt appropriately valued in his own time at Barca. Now he had avenged himself on Catalans who contemptuously label him 'the translator'.

But not content to deny his former employers European glory at the Bernebeu, Mourinho then decided to take on the biggest challenge of his career: to revitalise Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid and aim to usurp the greatest club side of their generation.

There have, somewhat predictably, been set-backs in Mourinho's latest quest - the 5-0 Clasico drubbing was the heaviest of the Special One's career - but with his side only two points behind Barca at the halfway stage, it would be a brave man who writes off Mourinho's chances of stunning Catalonia once more.

Honorary mentions:

Vicente Del Bosque - Becoming Spain's first World Cup-winning manager certainly puts him in the debate, but the sheer wealth of talent at his disposal, together with a couple of dodgy results since the summer, rule him out

Carlo Ancelotti - Winning a League and Cup double in your first season in England is nothing to be sniffed at, but he was out-witted by Mourinho in the Champions League, and Chelsea's recent collapse means his very future is uncertain

Pep Guardiola - Another title-winning season with Barcelona has established Guardiola as one of Barca's all-time great managers, but this wasn't primarily his year

Louis Van Gaal - Added another feather to his already bird-like cap with a League and Cup double, but lost his Champions League final duel with Mourinho

Performance of the Year - Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

It was never going to be anything else, was it?

With the match hyped as a meeting between the two best teams in world football, and with the subplots of Jose Mourinho's first Clasico and the ongoing duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the title of world's greatest footballer, the scene was well and truly set for an epic contest.

What was eventually broadcast to millions around the world was everything the neutrals hoped for: an absorbing, historic, beautiful advert for the beautiful game. It just wasn't competitive.

Barcelona destroyed their closest rivals with suffocating pressure, lethally incisive passing and movement, and clinical finishing. In doing so, the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and co. proved that, together, they are not simply the best team on the planet - they are among the greatest teams ever assembled.

Honorary mentions:

Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal - More of a solo show from Messi as he ripped through the Gunners defence with four goals

Germany 4-1 England - Not likely to be a popular choice among England fans, but this dynamic and devastating performance provided the first clue as to the true potential of this youthful German side

Germany 4-0 Argentina - Possibly the best performance of the World Cup. Germany stepped it up to defeat a more talented team than England by a similarly emphatic scoreline, after a clinical counter-attacking display

Spain 1-0 Germany - No game offered greater vindication of Spain's footballing philosophy, as Vicente Del Bosque's side prevented an impressive Germany from counter-attacking by never allowing them the ball

Now that the major awards are out of the way, here are some others who I believe deserve recognition for their exploits in the last year:

Goalkeeper of the Year

Julio Cesar - The Brazilian stopper was a formidable last line in Inter Milan's nigh-on impregnable defence last season, and continued to impress in Dunga's pragmatic Brazil side in South Africa. The best keeper in the world right now.

Defender of the Year

Carles Puyol - The Barcelona captain has been used to inspiring his team-mates at club level with his assured and uncompromising displays, but this was the year that Puyol made a decisive difference for his country. Marshalling a defence which conceded just two goals, the fuzzy-haired centre-back responded to his side's struggles to break down a solid Germany backline in the semi-final with the most emphatic header you are ever likely to see. A truly great defender.

Comeback of the Year

Arjen Robben - The flying Dutchman overcame rejection from the Bernebeu and persistent injury problems to put together the best season of his career. Unlucky to find himself on the losing side in both the Champions League and World Cup finals, but just being there is testament to his achievement.

Goal of the Year

Matty Burrows - There are never any shortage of top-quality contenders for any goal of the year awards, but the Northern Irishman's astonishing flying spinning back-heel thingy into the top-corner which gave his side a last-gasp victory over Portadown stands out as an example of pure instinctive inspiration. He will NEVER do that again.

Fail of the Year

Fahad Khalfan - The name might be unfamiliar to you, but if you've caught Sky Sports News at any point in the last three months, you probably know what I'm talking about. Khalfan's amazing open goal miss for Qatar in an Asian Games clash with Uzbekistan (which his team went on to lose) was, needless to say, not the high point of his country's footballing year. It never had any serious rivals for this award, except maybe the Uzbekistani keeper's incompehensible decision to dummy the ball which kicks off the video. If you haven't seen it yet, the link is here.

History beckons for Barca

The sky is the limit for this Barcelona side after last night's Madrid mauling

Greatness is a quality which is far too readily attributed these days, but last night's astonishing dismantling of  Real Madrid proves that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona are more than worthy.

Prior to Monday's match, there was speculation in many quarters - this blog included - that a Real Madrid which boasted the world's best tactician in Jose Mourinho and an in-form Cristiano Ronaldo might represent the biggest challenge to Barcelona's desire for domestic and European domination. 

As a result, it was thought, this particular El Clasico could be one of the most evenly-matched in recent memory.

How wrong we were. 

Instead of a contest for the ages, the 98,000 fans who packed out the Nou Camp witnessed a euphoric exhibition of the beautiful game as Pep Guardiola's men embarrassed their bitterest rivals and staked their claim to be considered one of the greatest club sides in history.

It is admittedly risky to bestow such lofty praise on any team on the basis of one performance - even one as majestic as this. But let's be clear: this assessment is not based on Monday night's showing alone. 

Barcelona have dominated European football for the last two years with this team, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League. Were it not for Mourinho's 'beautiful defeat' with Inter last season, the Catalans would have been heavy favourites to defend their European title against Bayern Munich in the final.

Moreover, Pep Guardiola's side have done it all with a flair and style which has thrilled the neutral and established them as the entertainers of world football. But amid all of their victories and stunning play, it is the quality of this particular vanquished opposition which makes this performance so indicative of greatness.

Mourinho's Real came into El Clasico having swept all before them both domestically and in Europe. 

Unbeaten in all competitions, they led Barcelona by a point in La Liga and had breezed through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners, with Cristiano Ronaldo enjoying the sort of form which re-ignited the 'Ronaldo or Messi?' debate.

But it was obvious from the first whistle that this expensively-assembled Madrid side had not faced anything like the blistering speed, unerring accuracy and creative movement which characterised Barca's play.

The collective genius of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi ensured that the majority of the game was played deep in the Real half, whilst the home side's suffocating high pressure made it impossible for the much-vaunted quartet of Ronaldo, Di Maria, Ozil and Benzema to have any impact.

In the second half, the visitors were reduced to chasing shadows. Mourinho, for all his tactical acumen, could do nothing to turn the tide, and Ronaldo, looking to upstage Messi in their own personal duel, could only watch on helplessly as the diminutive Argentine settled matters in his own inimitable way.

Ronaldo dejected as Messi confirms status as world's best player

Of course, the youthful nature of this Madrid side must be taken into account, coupled with the fact that Monday's clash comes very early in Mourinho's reign. 

But prior to the match, Real were rightly considered - along with Barcelona - the form team of world football, and it was eleven world-class names who were embarrassed at the Nou Camp.

Having so comprehensively dismantled their main rivals, it seems that the only team which can prevent Barcelona continuing their domination of the European game is Barcelona. 

The level of quality which Messi and co. have reached means that they are no longer simply playing for trophies - they are playing for a place in history.

We thought they were good. They're better than we thought.

Who will win the Ballon d'Or?

Six of the very best in 2010 - but who will claim the top prize?

The Christmas period is a time to enjoy rare pleasures. Generously-proportioned men everywhere don bright red outfits and impossibly-pure white beards in order to reward other peoples' children, it becomes socially acceptable to eat mince pies, and I am once again reminded why I will never have to buy deodorant and underpants. But this year, another treat can be added to this illustrious list: the small matter of the world's best footballer remains to be decided - and for once, its not a formality.

One problem which has undermined the award as a talking point in recent years is that it has become so very predictable. Brazilian playmaker Kaka was always going to romp to success in 2007, having almost single-handedly dragged an aging AC Milan side to the seventh European Cup triumph in the club's history, scoring 10 goals along the way. Cristiano Ronaldo was clearly the outstanding candidate in 2008, notching 42 goals in all competitions and picking up Premier League and Champions League winners' medals with Manchester United. And Lionel Messi was destined for top individual recognition in 2009 - the season in which he provided the inspiration for an exceptional treble-winning Barcelona side.  

The race for the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or, however, promises to be far more of a close-run race. Why? Well, to put it simply, the World Cup has thrown a spanner into the works. In most years, club form is king - the individual who excels not only domestically but also, and perhaps more importantly, in the Champions League is ultimately rewarded. It is no coincidence that Ronaldinho, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi all triumphed in the years that their respective sides were victorious in Europe's premier club competition. The logic of the awards panel appears to be that the biggest players shine on the biggest occasions - and looking at the illustrious list of past winners, it is hard to argue with this rationale.

But it is this same philosophy which blows the race wide open in World Cup years. For the 'Greatest Show on Earth' is undoubtedly the biggest stage of all, and consequently a strong World Cup can transform a Ballon d'Or also-ran into an overwhelming favourite. In 2002, legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo had missed the entirety of the domestic season with Inter Milan as a result of chronic knee problems. It mattered not, as Il Fenomeno's fairytale comeback to lead his country to World Cup glory in Japan and South Korea ensured that he was the only choice for that year's awards.

In 2006, despite winning a second consecutive Serie A title with Juventus (subsequently rescinded in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal), Fabio Cannavaro was not an obvious candidate for supreme individual recognition, given that defenders are rarely considered in the average 'Best player in the world' debate. But the centre-back's inspirational form in marshalling a watertight Italian defence, which conceded only 2 goals en route to their country's fourth World Cup triumph, convinced the FIFA and Ballon d'Or award panels to make an exception to this unwritten rule.

If eye-catching performances in South Africa do indeed prove decisive, then we can expect several of Spain's World Cup heroes to be near the top of the list. Seven of the squad are nominated, but it is likely that Xavi, Iniesta and David Villa will be leading the charge. Xavi's case rests on the argument that although this year's World Cup triumph constitutes the crowning achievement of an already glittering career that will, one day, see him go down in the annals of history as one of Catalonia's greatest sons, ultimate individual recognition has thus far eluded him. Iniesta capped another season of imperious club form at Barcelona with the goal which secured Spain's first ever success on the world stage. And David Villa rose admirably to the challenge of shouldering the goalscoring burden thrust upon him by Fernando Torres' lack of form and fitness, finishing joint top scorer in the tournament, and cementing his reputation as a world-class striker. Among the rest of the Spanish contingent, Carles Puyol may also stand a chance, but only if the panel decide once again to go down the 'Cannavaro route'.

But Spain's finest are not the only ones to have had their Ballon d'Or credentials considerably boosted by a successful World Cup. Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder appears the most heavily favoured non-Spanish contender, with the Dutch playmaker instrumental both in his club's exceptional treble win and in his country's surprise run to the final in South Africa. Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben can boast of similar achievements, with losing appearances in the Champions League and World Cup finals serving to illuminate rather than undermine what has surely been the flying winger's best season to date.

And what about Germany's stars? 21 year old Thomas Muller has had a phenomenal first season in professional football. The young forward's impressive form ensured he was ever-present both in Bayern Munich's League and Cup double winning exploits and in the German giants' run to the Champions League final. He also shone on the big stage in South Africa, finishing joint-top scorer in his first World Cup, and winning the coveted Golden Boot by virtue of his 5 goals and 3 assists in the tournament. Bastian Schweinsteiger has been the driving force behind all that Bayern Munich and Germany have achieved in the last 12 months, and a succession of majestic displays in South Africa earned him plaudits the world over. The World Cup also confirmed Turkish-born German playmaker Mesut Ozil as one of the brightest young talents in world football, and his dazzling displays rightly brought him to the attention of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.

It should, at this point, be brought to the attention of anyone in need of further persuasion as to the competitive nature of this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or, that this article has grown to be eight paragraphs long without yet touching on the current form of the two greatest players of our generation. Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the most prestigious individual honours between them over the last two seasons and, if their performances in 2010 are anything to go by, both superstars remain hungry for more.

From Barcelona's perspective, last term certainly did not deliver the same fairytale ending as the historic treble-winning campaign before it. But on a more personal level, the 2009/10 season was the best of Lionel Messi's career: his 34 league goals equalled the all-time club record set by the Brazilian Ronaldo in 1996/97, and fell only four goals short of the all-time Spanish league record, set by legendary Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra way back in the 1950s.

His combined scoring total of 47 goals in all competitions was even more astounding, and his four goal demolition of Arsenal in the Champions League quarter final at the Nou Camp prompted favourable comparisons with the likes of Pele and Maradona in the global footballing community. It is widely agreed that Messi is the most talented footballer on the planet, but it remains to be seen how much a relatively disappointing World Cup with Argentina will damage his chances of claiming this year's trophy.

The last twelve months have not gone precisely to plan for Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Portuguese superstar has still shown more than enough on the pitch to prove that he deserves his place alongside Messi at the top of the world game. Having secured his 'dream' move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, Ronaldo has poured scorn on the idea that he would take time to adapt to life in La Liga with a string of match-winning displays, both domestically and in Europe. His 33 goals in 35 appearances were, however, insufficient to prevent Real coming off second best to an exceptional Barcelona in La Liga, and suffering an early Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon.

The 25 year old also under-performed at the World Cup, finding his opportunities to shine limited both by a tough draw and by the negative tactics of his coach, which left him starved of service in the opposition half. But the latter half of 2010 promises much for Ronaldo. He has continued his prolific scoring form at club level into the new season, and Madrid's chances of winning trophies have been drastically improved by the arrival of Jose Mourinho as manager. All of this means, though, that the 2010 Ballon d'Or award may be coming at the wrong time for him to genuinely challenge.

After carefully weighing up the credentials of each of the main contenders for this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award, it is this blogger's humble opinion that Wesley Sneijder is the most deserving, simply because of his amazing year of almost unparalleled brilliance for both club and country. However, if this post has accomplished nothing else, I hope it has convinced you that there are no shortage of worthy candidates for this year's prize, and that, unlike previous years, the speculation over who will ultimately hold the 'Golden Ball' aloft on January 11th is going to run and run.

Who do you think will win the Ballon d'Or? Comments are provided for in the space below.