When the final whistle blows at the end of the Barclays Premier League on May 11th one member of the ‘big four’ will be writing a new chapter in their history.

When the final whistle blows at the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21st one member of the ‘big four’ will maybe writing a new chapter in their history.

It’s incredible to think that after eight months of the most intense competition on the footballing planet, in seven weeks time, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool could end the season empty handed – that means trophy-less.

Last season it was Arsenal and Liverpool that spent a summer asking ‘what if’. This season it’s almost impossible to predict ‘what if’ however the draw for the Champions League and a tense weekend in the Premiership have given me a clue where the last two major pieces of silverware are heading as far as the ‘B4’ are concerned.

Manchester United: 1st in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Roma in the Champions League.

When you’re top of the league with nine to play its obvious that the title is in your own hands but in a way it isn’t. Sir Alex Ferguson still has to play his fiercest rivals, Liverpool, host Arsenal, who boast a decent record at Old Trafford and visit Stamford Bridge in late April. Three draws and tonking everyone else will guarantee Premiership trophy number ten. They’ll do it.

Last year Roma were slaughtered 7-1 at the Theater of Dreams, this year it’ll be slightly different. If there was one club to avoid in this round it was Roma. The Italians led by Francisco Totti are a serious footballing outfit as demonstrated by their remarkable victory over Real Madrid. If United do not get a positive result in Rome, the Premier League trophy will be the only piece silverware the cleaning lady gets to polish over the summer. A one-trophy season.

Arsenal: 2nd in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Liverpool in the Champions League.

Four consecutive draws have cost Arsenal the title, which is a crying shame. For my money the Gunners have been the best footballing team in the world for the last seven months but a lack of depth will deny them the title their football so richly deserves. Dropping six points to the bottom feeders of Birmingham, Wigan and Boro is like losing the winning lottery ticket. Arsene Wenger must put his ego aside this summer and sign the best.

Last season, Arsenal pulled down Liverpool’s shorts and spanked them harder than they’ve ever been spanked before in Cup competitions – it won’t happen this season unless Arsenal take a 2-0 lead to Anfield which in their present condition is almost impossible. Wenger has shocked us in the Champions League but they’ll be no more electricity coming from the Frenchman. A trophy-less season.

Chelsea: 3rd in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Fernabache in the Champions League.

After consecutive draws versus Portsmouth and Liverpool it looked all over for the Blues however if they beat Arsenal next Sunday they’re right back in it especially as they host United on April 26th for a potential title showdown except…under Avram Grant this is a side incapable of winning the ‘big one’. Chelsea does not regain their crown.

What is it about Cup competitions and the Blues getting the softest draw imaginable? If there was one name in the hat ‘everyone’ wanted it was Fernabache. Granted and no pun intended, the 1st leg in Istanbul might be a little hairy but just look at the respective squads. Unfortunately this means another semi-final clash with Liverpool (pull my eyes out please!), a team they can’t beat. A trophy-less season. 

Liverpool: 4th in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Arsenal in the Champions League.

The gap is eight points so stop thinking you’ve got a chance of the title – you blew that back in December when you thought the Champions League was more important. Rafa Benitez has all but rotated himself into the sack unless…

Call me crazy but Liverpool are peaking at exactly the right time. They’ll beat Arsenal, bore us to death against Chelsea and win a sixth Champions League title against Barcelona or Manchester United. I know it doesn’t seem fair after their horribly inconsistent season but that ladies and gentlemen is football. A one-trophy season.

You may wonder how I can predict with such certainty what will happen – it’s called ‘genius’ and when you look at all the available information plus the knowledge of twenty plus years - you too will come up with exactly the same conclusion if and only if you follow your brain and not your heart.

No one likes to be empty handed at the end of the season but at least two of the ‘B4’ will be asking ‘what if’.

Until then, get the beers in.

Jose come back and Martin who – Juande are you a genius and Avram are you a Muppet…A tale of four managers was played out at Wembley Stadium as the seasons first piece of silverware, the Carling Cup, was up for grabs on Sunday.

At the end of 120 absorbing and at times pulsating minutes, Tottenham won their first trophy since the 1999 League Cup and I was left with four questions.

1. What would Jose Mourinho have done?
2. Would Martin Jol even have been there?
3. Is Juande Ramos a Cup specialist?
4. Has Avram Grant been found out?

1. Jose Mourinho has been to seven Cup finals as a manager of FC Porto and Chelsea. His record is played seven, won seven. The reason for this success was a single-mindedness to win the trophy regardless of players and his relationship to them. If he had been coaching Chelsea on Sunday with a one goal lead and twenty minutes left to play the Blues would’ve won their third League Cup in four years. He would’ve made his team feel like giants instead they looked like mere mortals.
2. ‘Mr. Dead Man Walking’ himself, Martin Jol must be experiencing conflicting emotions. The team that ran out onto Wembley was pretty much his bar for Jonathan Woodgate and Alan Hutton. The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Ledley King and Robbie Keane could only get the Dutchman fifth in the Premiership though and for a traditional cup team like Spurs, finals were nothing but a distant dream. The answer has to be No.
3. In two-and-a-half seasons of Spanish and English football, Juande Ramos has won six, I repeat six trophies and every one of them has been a Cup competition. Two UEFA Cups, the UEFA Sup Cup, The Copa Del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and now the Carling Cup. If that’s not a Cup specialist I don’t know what is. Perhaps it’s some Spanish trait that us English don’t know about - just look at Rafa Benitez at Liverpool. Whatever the answer is, Ramos has beaten in successive cup matches, Arsenal and Chelsea. Prior to this, Spurs combined record versus these two clubs in all competitions was a paltry six wins in their last 74 attempts. Genius or Cup specialist – you decide.
4. Avram Grant inherited a squad with experience, talent and know-how. Avram Grant inherited possibly the best squad in the world. Avram Grant has lost the three big games where coaching matters. He has lost to United and Arsenal in the Premier League derailing their hopes of regaining the title and now he’s lost in his first final. Why play Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together when they’ve never worked together before. Does Anelka look like a wide man – no? Why leave Michael Ballack rotting on the bench for 88 minutes when Frank Lampard is having his usual Wembley stinker and replace Michael Essien. Why didn’t you start with Joe Cole, Chelsea’s most effective player all season? Avram Grant, you have been found out.

At the end of the day though the final question should be…’Did Tottenham deserve to win the Carling Cup’

The answer is a resounding YES.

From the opening whistle they played like they believed that this was going to be their day. So often in Cup Finals we see a cagey start but not this time as Spurs tore into Chelsea. I thought that Didier Zakora was excellent and completely over shadowed his like-for-like opponent John Obi Mikel. Woodgate and King were tremendous when Chelsea finally started exerting some pressure and I’m delighted for Paul Robinson. The Spurs keeper has been slaughtered recently for some terrible performances and rightly so however Ramos believed in him after a lengthy eleven matches out and was repaid with super saves from Cole and Salomon Kalou. Keane was commitment personified and have you ever seen a cooler penalty at Wembley as Berbatov sent the Petr Cech the wrong way for the equalizer. For Woodgate to then pop up in only his fourth Tottenham game to score the winner was pure fantasy.

Chelsea huffed, puffed and tried to squeeze the life out of the game but Spurs wouldn’t let them. If I’m honest the only time they looked like a Mourinho team was at the final whistle when they surrounded referee Mark Halsey. What a bunch of babies – you lost…deal with it and go home to West London.

Over in North London, Juande Ramos has the backing of the Spurs board and cash to play with. His Iberian counterpart, Jose Mourinho, used the Carling Cup as the springboard to further Chelsea success perhaps Tottenham can now have the belief to challenge the ‘big four’.

Until then, get the beers in.