"Sensational". Pep Guardiola
Radamel Falcao is a beast of a man. Aptly nicknamed 'el tigre', the Colombian is revered around the world and quite rightly. Strikingly handsome and intelligent (he practised as a journalist) to be in his presence you feel a genuine sense of star quality which would have rubbed off most after a few moments in their company. The man is a demi-god in his home country of Colombia. Mention the 2014 world cup to any Colombian and you will be greeted with a sad shake of the head and the single word 'Falcao' muttered, it is with this heavy heart which they genuinely believe they would of been crowned champions of the world and not Germany had their leading man not have been ruled out of the tournament in Brazil through a horrific knee injury.
A sterling career has seen him play for some of the worlds most famous football clubs in various leagues and countries, Argentina's River Plate, Porto of Lisbon, Atletico Madrid in La Liga and one of the richest in Monaco, a string of clubs that has rewarded him with various medals, individual honours and a staggering 138 goals in just 229 appearances.
Sadly the mans legacy is in serious danger of been tarnished following a disastrous loan spell at Manchester United in the 2014-15 season. A competent but relatively average campaign for the club in Louis Van Gaal's debut season, for all they did not succeed, Falcao became the poster boy for abject failure. Used sparingly and inconsistently by the Dutchman, a miserable campaign for Falcao was sealed by been placed into a youth match just 24 hours after a league game at Old Trafford. The decision by United not to turn his loan into a permanent transfer was hardly met with shock within the football world, and it seems his enthusiastic yet uninspiring performances for his country at the 2015 Copa America have made Van Gaals' decision seem the right one.
But it seems the man who coaching legend Fabio Capello described as been up there with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo just a couple of years ago is on the verge of a season long loan this time to the newly crowned champions of England Chelsea with their manager the much fawn over Jose' Mourinho seemingly on a personal mission to help see that the Colombian is placed back in his rightful place on the pillar amongst footballs current greats.
So all seems to be looking up for the 29 year-old but he won't be without his warnings from various experts if he so wishes to seek advice ahead of a move to Stamford Bridge for the public sympathy and desire for him to return to his previous best won't quite be what it was once he runs over the white line wearing the blue of Roman Abramovich million-men for this is the club who turned striking greats such as Andrei Shevchenko and Fernando Torres into pale shadows of themselves and seemingly never recovered once they finally moved on, both have since commented on how painful their time was in West London. Add into the mix Chelsea's somewhat mixed reputation as an endearing club at home and abroad, Falcao won't have to look far for critics and naysayers if the expected loan is not a successful one.
A striker, particularly a great striker struggling for confidence and failing to find the net is one of the most depressing sights in football. Despite earning more in a week than most would in a decade, the sight of a goal-getter struggling makes for painful viewing to all but the few detractors for whom it provides hours of comic material.
Most want 'el tigre' to roar again. For the sight of a Radamel Falcao on song, happy in his work and in the groove is one of the most exciting and exhilarating sights in football from the past decade (view Youtube for clips of some of his goals for Porto and Atleti' and you will understand) but a move to Mourinho's team has that feeling of last chance salon. To a few who witnessed him ply his trade at Old Trafford last season it seems a little strange that he is opting to remain the Premier League but it is a credit to the quiet mans determination that he wishes to remain and prove he can hack it in one of the most physical leagues in the world.
Whichever way it works out the man who will retire a legend in his home town of Santa Marta deserves to be remembered as one of the worlds best strikers not the abject one we witnessed last season who failed to get a chance against lower league opposition. Lets hope he gives us a few more moments for the show reel, it will be fascinating to see if they are in royal blue..
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