Summary: Now fully engaged in the last phase of domestic competition in the biggest European leagues, futures and fortunes are now in the balance as the rush to the important Champions League slots and relegation battles have entered the action phase where the defenders and strikers get put under the glare of a microscope looking for signs of strength. In segment one, joining Anto is Graham Ruthven on the heels of an important Premier League weekend that has seemed to reverse directions for both Manchester United and Manchester City as the fallout has sparked all kinds of conclusions and assumptions in the wake of a physical derby that has undone many of the predictions made in preseason. We also discuss the relegation battle, who clearly has a leg up and who appears to be heading for the drop, and we even evaluate the field for exactly who is the Premier League manager of the year as Crystal Palace continues to impress, Southampton defy the odds and Big Sam faces yet another end of season battle with the West Ham fans. In part two comes an interesting look at Japanese football as major changes have been made since Javier Aguirre was relieved of his duties, however there are still major cultural issues facing his replacement in Vahid Halilhodzic who will have to address how the national team moves forward if the Samurai Blue are to take the next evolution from regional to world power. There are loads of contradictions in Japan football and J.League commentator Cesare Polenghi gives us the inside view. In part three, we are then joined by David Raish of Football Collective for yet another top-four and relegation discussion involving the Bundesliga which suddenly seems altered even before Jurgen Klopp announced his intentions to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 season. We discuss whether two giants in German football could find themselves in the second division next season, whether FC St Pauli crashes yet to another level below, and gauge how the top four this season will be under siege for their talented players once the transfer market opens this summer. Also examined is how Pep Guardiola will continue to get measured as Bayern Munich failed miserably in Portugal and what exactly is his remit to the Bavarian giants, even while managing a squad filled with injuries to key players at the wrong end of the season.
