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In a year that was believed to herald a new dominance of Brazilian club football with higher quality players, partially from repatriated imports, and ever-growing revenue, one can perhaps feel a little disappointed at the outcome and sense a change in direction is needed.

Despite Santos earning the country’s 15th Copa Libertadores title – still seven behind Argentina – they were not particularly convincing winners in a tournament where the other Brazilian clubs bowed out far too early. Shortly after came the abysmal Copa America performance from the national team followed by the crushing of supposed Brazilian powerhouses in the Copa Sudamericana by a side from Chile.

Santos only earned their first win in the 2011 Copa Libertadores on match-day four and only won one game by a margin of greater than a single goal – including aggregate scores. With qualification for the knockout stages scraped; as ninth seeds they drew the eight seeds – Club America of Mexico.

It was an extremely tight tie against a team that finished top in a group with Fluminense, Nacional (URU) and Argentinos Jrs. However, a solitary goal from Ganso in the first leg at the Vila Belmiro proved to be enough for Peixe. They were perhaps aided by the fact that America could not play the second leg at the daunting Azteca stadium, as U2 had hijacked it for a concert that night.

Such a level of fortune evaded the other Brazilian teams who were all eliminated in the round of 16 after Corinthians failed to even reach the group stage. Top-seed Cruzeiro and Fluminense both suffered second leg aggregate reverses to Once Caldas and Libertad respectively whilst Gremio’s exit came courtesy of two defeats at the hands of Universidad Catolica. A slow start to the second half in the second leg cost Internacional a spot in the quarter-finals to eventual finalists Penarol.

It was a night that severely shocked South America as one of the least impressive Brazilian sides were the ones to progress. The others had shown tremendous complacency as they succumbed to what was thought to be weaker opposition. With momentum against them a degree of petulancy emerged in the Brasileiro squads that damaged team morale and ultimately the outcome of the ties. There needed to be a shift in attitude of the Brazilian clubs and players who seemed to think the rest of the continent was out to get them.

As the Libertadores reached its conclusion the Copa America began shortly after, with a number of Brasileiro players forced to miss the early stages of the season in order to represent their country.

The tournament did not begin well for Mano Menezes’ side. A 0-0 draw with Venezuela was followed by a late goal from Fred to secure a 2-2 draw with Paraguay. They overcame Ecuador 4-2 in the final group game before being eliminated by Paraguay in the quarter-final via penalty shootout.

Menezes used a 4-2-2-2 formation for the tournament and his top-heavy line-ups have been a constant source of problems for the national team since. Against teams with three attackers, such as Paraguay, the full backs could not attack as they were occupied by the wingers. Everything therefore had to flow through the congested middle where Brazil were outnumbered.

Ganso was too heavily burdened by the immense responsibility in operating as the side’s number 10 and playmaker-in-chief. He was the only creative link in an attacking unit which lacked a focal point and was isolated from the deep-lying midfield duo of Ramires and Lucas Leiva.

Menezes managed to hold onto his job despite the appalling campaign and results have since improved, though his side still faces many of the same issues. He seems unwilling to alter his formation and is relatively inconsistent with his squad selection. Fortunately he has another 30 months to find the winning formula before the 2014 World Cup and can count on promising youth as the Under 20 side won the world title in Colombia this summer.

Though some of the most exciting players were lost to the Copa America, the Brasileiro did not fail to entertain. It was a great year with what seemed like 8 different teams contesting the title at different stages.

When the others fell away it was Vasco da Gama, Corinthians and Fluminense that remained in the title hunt with just two games left. A late goal from Bernardo ended Flu’s title hopes as Vasco won Rio de Janeiro’s Classico dos Gigantes in round 37. However the title ended up in Sao Paulo as Corinthians were crowned champions after a goalless draw against their Paulista rivals Palmeiras.

It was a truly fascinating season with the quality praised by many pundits. However, the evidence from the Copa Libertadores earlier in the year and the Copa Sudamericana suggest otherwise.

Most Brazilian clubs field a second-string team for the Copa Sudamericana when focussing on the league. This year was no different. Of the four Brazilian clubs that made it to the round of 16 (the first round proper) only one side progressed – Vasco da Gama.

Sao Paulo’s first team were sent packing by Libertad and Botafogo’s second-string were thrashed by Santa Fe. But perhaps the most humbling defeat befell Flamengo.

With Ronaldinho and Thiago Neves in the starting line-up, they were destroyed 4-0 at home in the first leg by Jorge Sampaoli’s Universidad de Chile. The Chilean side adopt a 3-4-3 formation and press high, with great intensity, for a possession-based attacking game. The opposing 4-2-2-2 formation failed to cope as the full backs could not vacate their own half and the Chileans dominated the midfield.

They played, and won, with swiftness, flair and assurance as they surged to the title. They exposed similar weaknesses in Vasco da Gama in the semi-final, playing with traits traditionally attached to Brazilian football. Though clubs from Brazil may be streets ahead of their South American clubs in financial terms, it is not a wholly similar case for their football.

Another Brazilian club to be taught a footballing lesson was Santos as they were trounced 4-0 by Barcelona in the much-anticipated Club World Cup final on December 18th. Peixe never got anywhere near the Catalan giants who embarrassed the Copa Libertadores champions. Ganso and Neymar could not stamp their mark on the game as their team barely had the ball, allowing for little fight to be put up against the European champions.

As Tim Vickery has suggested, it shows the lack of players in Brazil of a similar make-up to Xavi and Iniesta who contribute hugely to possession control. Universidad de Chile possess Marcelo Diaz and Charles Aranguiz and though they are inferior in ability to the Spaniards, they have much the same role in the side.

The preference for attacking full backs has caused the production of creative midfield players in Brazil to be diminished. The country now seems to produce only holding midfielders and attacking midfielders. There is no middle ground in which a player like Xavi could operate as that position rarely exists in modern Brazilian football.

Barcelona have demonstrated that a player such as Daniel Alves can be used as an attacking full back, without compromising midfield creativity in a contemporary 4-3-3. The Brazilian game must no longer forego the innovative central midfielder in order to allow maximum forward roaming for a full back. Versatility has been sacrificed and therefore the teams have often become predictable and therefore beatable.

So 2011 has been a year of mixed fortunes for Brazilian football. It has lost a degree of the creativity and versatility that made it not only the best in the world, but also the most pleasing to watch. Results take precedence over displays in Brazil. This has created an extremely quick-to-sack nature in the Brasileiro which perhaps accounts for the tactical shift in the nation’s football.

Brazil is not the force that it once was. Change is needed. The game needs to evolve at both domestic and international level if both clubs and the national side are to maintain competitiveness. They must rejuvenate the spirit of traditional samba style football that has somewhat inspired sides such as Universidad de Chile and Barcelona to numerous titles.

Follow Tom on Twitter @thwebber

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When Ronaldinho left Italian Serie A giants AC Milan in January 2011, the list of potential suitors was probably less glamorous than most people would have expected for a 30-year-old former World Cup winner and two-time World Player of the Year.

Less than five years after winning the Champions League and La Liga in the same season, his fitness, attitude and lifestyle were being questioned on a regular basis in the press and the Barcelona legend found himself linked with moves to Blackburn Rovers and L.A. Galaxy before he eventually agreed to return to Brazil and join Flamengo.

It was a move which, to most European fans, seemed to finally signal the end of Ronaldinho’s reign as a genuine top level footballer. Ronaldinho, however, claimed it was far from an admission of his declining ability and instead a career move which would help him realise his remaining footballing ambitions.

“All I care about is playing football. I am still a player and there is a World Cup in Brazil in four years time, which is why I’m back,” he told the press upon arrival.

Having failed to even make the 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup, even after resurgent form for AC Milan at the tail end of the 2009/10 season, the idea of a 34-year-old Ronaldinho representing Brazil four years later at the 2014 World Cup seemed pretty far-fetched.

Fast-forward eight months and the idea suddenly has merit and seems worthy of discussion.

Ronaldinho was recently recalled to the national team set up for the first time in almost a year by coach Mano Menezes for a friendly against Ghana, in London, on 5th September 2011. He played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win, earning his 89th cap in the process.

“There’s a long time to go yet [until the World Cup] but a player like Ronaldinho has got the qualities we need. He is a leader, has that technical part to his game and he is a player you can rely on to help with all the young players coming into the team now,” Menezes said.

“He played very well and is a player we needed to bring back to the team. He is showing now that he is still the same player he once was.”

In truth, Ronaldinho is not the same player he once was and the realisation of this fact has actually been instrumental in his rejuvenation. At club level his coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, has moved Ronaldinho into a more advanced attacking role, primarily to compensate for his diminishing pace.

The result has been a return to prolific goal-scoring form. ‘El Gaucho’ has scored 12 goals in 19 league games including a hat-trick in a 5-4 win over rivals Santos; a game in which Flamengo found themselves 3-0 down after just 26 minutes. The new role has also helped nurture the creative side of his game, with Ronaldinho using his intelligence and unquestionable technical ability to provide chances for his team-mates on a regular basis as well.

Now 31, his inability to take on teams by himself and consistently accelerate away from opponents like he could in his prime has, almost accidently, helped to make him more of an all-round team player. His first touch remains as good as any footballer on the planet, the tricks are still there when necessary but most importantly, for the first time in years, he seems to be genuinely enjoying himself on the pitch.

His change of on-field position and style of play has not been the only factor behind Ronaldinho’s career resurrection. Some observers have pin-pointed the exact date they believe the revival really began: 19th June, 2011.

At the end of a disappointing 0-0 draw against Botafogo, Ronaldinho was substituted in the 88th minute. It was probably an unnecessary substitution and in the process he was singled out by Flamengo supporters, who jeered him for a perceived lack of effort. It has since been speculated that this was a deliberate act by Vanderlei Luxemburgo to re-awaken and motivate Ronaldinho. If that is in fact true, his form in the subsequent months has proven it to be a masterstroke in man-management.

2014 is a long way away and it remains to be seen whether in the next few years Ronaldinho can legitimately challenge for a spot in the World Cup squad. Perhaps his biggest obstacle will be the lack of competitive international football Brazil have between now and then. As the host nation, they are not required to take part in the World Cup qualification process. As a result, the only semi-competitive football the full international side will play in the next few years is the Confederations Cup.

Another avenue to be explored then is a potential place for Ronaldinho in the Brazi squad for the Olympics in London next year.

“The Olympics and the World Cup are coming. These are my objectives,” he recently told reporters, indicating his desire to be included.

His experience would certainly benefit the Olympic team and it would also provide a helpful opportunity to assess Ronaldinho’s influence on a competitive international tournament in the new decade.

For now though, the best food for thought he can provide Brazil coach Mano Menezes is the continuation of his recent club form. If Ronaldinho can stay fit, keep his off-the-field lifestyle in check and maintain consistency, he may yet achieve his dream of leading Brazil out for the opening game of the 2014 World Cup in his home nation.

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St Mirren have had to lower their sights having reportedly failing in an audacious bid to bring Brazil’s latest superstar, Ronaldinho, to Scotland in a quick-fix transfer.

The Paisley club inquired about taking the 21-year-old striker, who is bound for Paris St Germain after agreeing to a £15m transfer, on loan until the end of the season.

But on Friday the Scottish Premier League club instead signed Glasgow-born striker Stephen McPhee on loan from Coventry City.

St Mirren had hoped to sign an experienced striker to boost their goals tally and had previously been linked with the likes of Benito Carbone, Jorge Cadete and Bebeto.

With the Brazilian season ended, Ronaldinho is technically out of contract at his old club, Gremio, until he moves to Paris.

That alerted Saints manager Tom Hendrie, who has contacts in South America, to the chance of picking up the young goal sensation before Saturday’s signing deadline.

Hendrie told the Daily Record: “It was always going to be a long shot, but he’s out of contract and not playing football.

“But there are sensitive legal matters going on in Brazil and the FA there refused his release.

“I am very disappointed. It almost seems bizarre that we are talking about a player of that quality who could have played for St Mirren.”

Source: BBC Sport

Well how mental would this deal have been?

Ronaldinho, Barcelona, AC Milan and Brazil superstar, turning out for St Mirren.

This is the same player, who 13 months later, would have been lobbing England goalkeeper David Seaman from 40-yards to send the Three Lions crashing out of the World Cup.

At least Tom Hendrie is not the only Scot to have missed out on the Samba flair and tricks.

Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him from PSG, but the forward decided on a move to Barcelona. But Fergie did sign Cristiano Ronaldo instead, which was not a bad move.

However, one must feel for the Buddies’ supporters who lost out on the opportunity to watch one of the games greats and in his place got Stephen McPhee.

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25. Fabrizio Ravanelli for Juventus v Ajax 1996

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is still the highest paid footballer on the planet beating younger stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The 35-year-old may be in the twilight of his career but he still knows how to bring home the bacon as he earns $40million (£24m) a year.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is still a very marketable player adding Pepsi and Electronic Arts to his endorsement stable in the last year.

Christiano Ronaldo, of Real Madrid is right behind him with $38million (£23m) in earnings, and Lionel Messi is third with $32 million (£19m).

The only two Premier League players to make the top 10 in the Forbes 2011 Soccer Valuation is Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.

The Manchester United is seventh on the list with $20million (£12m) despite his $1m a year deal with Coca Cola coming to an end. He still has lucrative agreements with Nike and Electronic Arts.

Chelsea midfielder Lampard is joint eight with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on $17million (£10m). The Blues vice-captain earns $11m a year from his Stamford Bridge employers.

The whole top 10 and what they earn:

1. David Beckham £40m; 2. Cristiano Ronaldo $38m; 3. Lionel Messi $32m; 4. Kaka $25m; 5. Ronaldinho $24m; 6. Thierry Henry $21m; 7. Wayne Rooney $20m; 8. Frank Lampard & Zlatan Ibrahimovic $17m; 10. Samuel Eto’o $15m

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