My 2014 in around 400 words.

2014 has been a truly spectacular year in the world of football, mostly down to the drama of the World Cup. Here’s few of the talking points of this calendar year.

Cristiano Ronaldo started the year by collecting the 2013 Ballon D'Or Award at the ceremony in Zurich on the 13th January. Not only did he win this, but he guided his team to a Champions League win against Atletico in Lisbon in late May.

Sticking with the Spanish trend, it was nice to see underdogs, Atletico Madrid topple the big spenders, Real Madrid and Barcelona and win the league title. During that victory, manager, Diego Simeone created a cohesive unit and a squad that was hard to score against. Having lost their star striker to Chelsea, Atleti haven't scored as many goals, but still lie in 3rd place behind Barca and their City rivals, Real.

In the Premier League, we have seen the resurgence of Liverpool as well as the demise at Old Trafford. Luis Suarez guided Liverpool to a second place finish in the league, netting 31 goals in 37 appearances. Arsenal once again pipped their North London rivals to 4^th spot while City were able to win the title following slip ups from Liverpool and Chelsea.

In Germany, Bayern achieved their 2^nd consecutive title at the end of March with a record of 7 games left before the end of the league. The Italian League was no more dramatic as Juventus won by 18 points. As for the Europa League, Benfica failed at the final hurdle for the second year running, leaving Sevilla to clinch it on penalties.

I can’t forget to mention the World Cup extravaganza that was staged in Brazil during the months of June and July. It displayed some spectacular pieces of skill, particularly, James Rodriguez’ goal against the Uruguayans in the last 16. We also had another blunder from Luis Suarez as he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in the arm to earn himself another lengthy ban.

It was great to see minnows Costa Rica reach the quarter finals of the competition, but one of the biggest talking points was the annihilation of Brazil by future Champions Germany in their own back yard. We knew Brazil didn’t possess a capable defence, but I was shocked to see it implode in such a manner. Germany were deserved winners of the competition especially after close shaves the previous two times.

That’s 2014 in a nutshell, as always I would love to hear your thoughts on what has been a special footballing year. Here is to an equally great 2015!

The Ballon D'Or 2014

The shortlist for the prestigious Ballon D'Or award has been announced, and with the award in the New Year looming, let's take a look at who I think are the main contenders and what they have to offer:

Thomas Muller

Everyone's favourite raumdeuter on the award winning Football Manager series, Thomas Muller has had an impressive year with both club and country. At the World Cup, the German was awarded the Silver Boot, finishing behind James Rodriguez in the goal scoring charts with 5 goals. Also at the event he collected the Silver Ball behind Lionel Messi who received the coveted Golden Ball. With Bayern he helped them to their 23rd Bundesliga title and in the process scoring 13 goals and assisting 10 times. Muller is a work horse and is surely got be in with a shout at the award ceremony in January.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo is always going to be in with an excellent shout of retaining the award. Although his Portugal did not have a good World Cup, he has been firing on all cylinders for Real Madrid in 2014. With less than half of the season gone, he has netted 20 goals in 12 league appearances and 26 goals in total. Ronaldo was instrumental in Real Madrid achieving La Decima last season, breaking the record for number of goals scored in a single campaign (17). This led him to being awarded UEFA's Best Player in Europe accolade. For the 6th season in a row, it is looking likely that the winner of the award is likely to come from the Portuguese captain or else Lionel Messi and the raging feud between the pair continues..

Philipp Lahm

For many years, Philipp Lahm was the heart of the defence for both club and country, without notable praise abroad. Now after a World Cup triumph, his expertise is finally being noticed and complimented. Having decided to hang up his international boots in order to further his club career at Bayern Munich, he capped it off with aplomb in Brazil in July. The Munich captain is definitely more of a team player rather than relying on himself, but he does galvanise his side, and gives them a lift to the next level when he is on the pitch. Lahm may not receive the ultimate prize, but I do believe he has to be a shoe-in for Team of the Year. 

Lionel Messi

Ever since the bitter disappointment of losing in the World Cup Final in July, Lionel Messi has been breaking more records. At the tender age of 27, the Argentine recently broke Raul's record goal tally in the Champions League with a hat trick midweek against APOEL Nicosia, and it seems like there are more European goals in the future. Out of his 74 European goals, he has scored in 23 different cities in 16 countries. In Argentina's route to the World Cup Final, he found the net 4 times and also won the Golden Ball for the best player - no consolation however for losing in the Final. He'll be up there, and the new record broken, might just swing it for the the Barcelona no.10.

Manuel Neuer

You won't find a goal keeper on the list of Ballon D'Or winners in the modern award, and in fact have to look back to 1963, for the last keeper to go home with the award. Manuel Neuer will be hoping to change this drought and be the first since the Soviet, Lev Yashin to do so. The 6ft 4in keeper has been a colossus in the goal, over the past 12 months and only conceded 4 goals in the World Cup. In comparison, he conceded 40 goals in 50 matches for Bayern, not bad, considering the quality of teams he played against. Numerous awards gained this year include the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, the Golden Glove award at the World Cup, World Cup Dream Team, World Cup All Star Team and Footballer of the Year in Germany.

Other notable contenders include Diego Costa, Angel Di Maria, Arjen Robben and Toni Kroos. Costa led the Atletico line all the way to the Champions League Final last year and although he had a disappointing World Cup, he has been in red hot form for new club Chelsea. Di Maria and Robben have had excellent seasons both with club and country, sending eachother to trophies respectively. Similar to his former Bayern team mates, Kroos, was a key figure for club and country. His ability to dictate the play around the park and spread the ball, ensured a very successful season for Bayern Munich and Germany.

Even at an awards ceremony to commemorate the sublime talent we have in this era, UEFA have seemed to have grabbed the headlines once more, with needless ramblings that have caused controversy. With little over a month to wait, let's hope that UEFA can keep their opinions muted in order to not detract anything more from the spectacle that rewards some of the most gifted players in the planet for their individual brilliance.

2014 Champions League Final Preview

The most prestigious club competition in the world will reach it's climax tonight as Simeone's Atletico prepare to take on their fierce rivals, Real Madrid. Having spent shedloads of money over the last decade, Real will be hoping to reach La Decima while Atletico have only ever reached the final once before, losing to Bayern Munich 4-0 in 1974.

Tonights final marks the first time that 2 teams from the same city have reached the final and we can certainly expect a mass exodus from the Spanish capital across to Lisbon. The Portuguese city will be Spanish for one night only as many of the unfortunate fans who were unable to get tickets will have to settle for a screen in the raucous atmosphere of one of the many Lisbon pubs.

Nobody expected Atletico Madrid to reach the final, so a victory would certainly announce themselves on the European scene. Fresh from clinching the La Liga title in the Nou Camp, confidence will be flowing through the veins of Atleti, as they hope to complete a memorable double. Few will have predicted at the start of the season, that Atleti would win the league and reach the Champions League Final, and possibly even win it. It shows that Diego Simeone has acquired a close-knit bunch with exceptional talent within the squad. 

Having suffered a hamstring injury against Barcelona at the weekend, Atleti hotshot, Diego Costa is trying every possible way to get on Simeone's team sheet for the final. His absence would be a mighty blow to the team and to neutral, who want to see all the best players fit and able to play. Whether, he is risking his World Cup and future career on this match is another question. The native Brazilian has been at the centre of Atletico Madrid's success this season having scored 27 goals in the league, more than 1/4 of Atleti's goals in the league this season.

There were doubts as to whether Real's explosive duo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale would start on the final, but earlier in the week, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that both would feature in the star-studded affair on Saturday. Like Costa, the final would lose some of its gloss if Bale and Ronaldo were to miss out. After signing for a world record fee from Tottenham, Bale has caught the eye of Ancelotti who has been impressed with his debut season in Spain. His compatriot and Ballon D'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo has been unstoppable this season, scoring 47 goals and also breaking a record for the most goals in a tournament after his brace against Bayern in the previous round.

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both express similar philosophies when it comes to tactics. As seen against Bayern in the previous round, Real tore the reigning champions to shreds through the pace of Bale and Ronaldo, as well as the defensive discipline at the back with Sergio Ramos and Pepe. Bayern were unable to cope with Real's attacking trio and Guardiola opted to save his dignity by bringing on Javi Martinez at half-time to prevent any further damage being done. 

Similarly, Diego Simeone is a master tactician, out-witting the 'Special One' in the previous round. Atleti have a very solid defence, courtesy of their reliable centre-halves in Diego Godin and Miranda. During the knockout rounds, the team have only conceded 3 goals, meaning that Real will have to work hard in order to break down this defence. It is obvious that Atleti will pose a different kind of threat towards Real to the one that was delivered by Bayern in the last round. Atleti may surrender some of the possession to their rivals in the hope of getting a break and scoring on the counter attack.

Any tie where the finalists are local rivals, leads to wondrous occasion. We will most likely see a tentative start from both sides as no one will want to lose to their rivals. In terms of where my allegiance lies, I am torn. I would much like Real to achieve the long over due La Decima, while it would nice to see Atleti win their first ever trophy.

The FA Cup Final

The FA Cup journey began on the 16 August with 370 clubs entering at this stage, and now with only 2 clubs remaining, a pulsating affair lies waiting for us on Saturday afternoon. Arsenal aim to halt their trophy drought just 4 days before the term reaches 9 years, while Hull aim to upset the odds and win the trophy for the first time in their history.

It will be 8 years and 361 days on Saturday since Arsene Wenger and his Gunners last tasted success in a major competition, and since then, it has been a bumpy ride for the Reds from North London. With less than 48 hours until the final, I'm sure nerves are jangling in the Arsenal camp as they know that a win is imperative, to keep their status as a top club alive.

This is a must win game for Arsenal, and one which could change the fortunes of the club. A win could spark a revival of the Gunners back to their dominance over the domestic league during the era of Bergkamp, Henry, Parlour and Viera. On the other hand, a loss could see Wenger's dynasty crumble before his eyes and it may be his last ever game managing Arsenal. I believe that a loss could see an end to Wenger's reign over Arsenal, even considering the former glories he has brought the club.

Hull go into the match as firm underdogs, particularly as they have only won 1 of the last 6 matches against Arsenal, the last one being back in September 2008. The Gooners have taken maximum points off Hull in the Premier League this season, scoring 5 goals in the process and conceding none. History seems to be on the side of Arsenal.

The Tigers have had a dismal season, in which they finished just 4 points above the drop zone. Having lost 7 out of the last 10 games games, form is definitely not on the Tigers' side and Steve Bruce will have his work cut out if he is to mastermind another shock in the FA Cup. However it can be argued that Bruce was resting his key players such as Jelavic and Huddlestone in the build up to the final. Players such as Nikica Jelavic, Shane Long and Tom Huddlestone will be pivotal in the deciding of the outcome of the match.

I am under no doubt that Arsenal will have flashbacks of the Capital One Cup final in 2011, when Birmingham substitute Obafemi Martins scored a winner in the last minute, and this could benefit Hull. If the Tigers could nick an early goal, then it will pile the pressure onto Arsenal. At the same time, if the score is level going into the last 15 minutes, then the players who were apart of that Final in 2011, may become anxious, and therefore sloppy. 

The onus is down to Arsene Wenger to use his experience of high pressure situations to reflect onto the players. It's definitely make or break for Wenger and Bruce will be doing his utmost to spoil the Gunners' party.