If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend the train trip from Zurich to Innsbruck - yes its long and slow but OMG is it beautiful. You travel through the soaring still snow covered in places, Alps and let me tell you they are impressive.
My train was packed with Swedes and Greeks on their way to Salzburg along with Spaniards and Russian supporters stopping here. Needless to say it was as rowdy a train journey as I've been on since WC '06. The Greeks in particular were in fine voice and why not - they are the defending champions.
After picking up my match ticket at the picturesque stadium, a local cab driver took me to this nice spot, Riese Haymon, for a quick bite before kick-off and you can see who I bumped in to.
Roman was entertaining 20 friends at the table next to me which is probably why the service was incredibly bad but he was a good sport when I asked him who would be the next Chelsea gaffer. Inscrutable as always he wouldn't give anything away but he did raise his eyebrow and grin when I mentioned Luiz Scolari's name - you heard it here first.
In theory Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson should be
crowned Premier League Champions for the 10th time in two weeks but
if they somehow fail - we’ll never forget the Stamford Bridge blunder.
When you’ve had the success that SAF has had over the last
two decades it’s not easy to criticize because obviously something is working.
However, who in their right mind leaves out the current best player in the
world, Cristiano Ronaldo, with the defining match of a nine-month season on the
line. It is without a doubt the biggest gamble SAF has ever taken.
Can you imagine Bill Belichick saying to Tom Brady ‘take a
breather today’ with the Super Bowl up for grabs or Phil Jackson asking Kobe
Bryant to sit out game 6 of the NBA Finals as game 7 is a day away – its never
going to happen – except on Saturday for some inexplicable reason it did.
Before I delve into possible reasons for this ‘brain ####’
lets first give credit where credit is due. Chelsea fully deserved their
victory and Avram Grant can finally breathe easy for a day or two.
The Blues were better in every department even though
Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba seemed ready to roll around the Bridge pitch
scratching each other’s eyes out. The reaction of Michael Essien as the two of
them played kindergarten snatching the ball from their hands at a free kick
late in the second half was priceless.
And to think that we’d almost written them off after that
horrible 1-1 tie with Wigan – now that’s all forgotten and in a rich ironic
twist, United, have to go to the JJB on the last day of the season and in all
likelihood win.
If the Blues do happen to #### the title it will surely be
one of the most unlikely victories in the history of England’s top flight.
But back to Sir Alex and why he sat Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez
who have scored a combined 56 goals on the bench…
The obvious reason is that they’re being saved for Tuesday
night and the return leg with Barcelona in the Champions League but it can’t be
that simple can it?
I can’t help but feel that he’s being too clever for his own
good (just look at the trouble Rafa Benitez has given himself by messing around
with his team) and if he’s concerned that they’re tired I’d also be very
surprised. These kids are 23 and 24 respectively – they don’t get tired and I
can’t imagine that they were happy sitting on the pitch for the biggest
domestic game of the campaign either.
Football is a confidence game and Ronaldo and Tevez possess
that quality in ####s most of the time
however the Nou Camp experience may have dented that slightly. What you need in
that situation is another game not an opportunity to sit and stew.
Ferguson must know that victories cannot be guaranteed in
the Premiership and with the points dropped at Boro and Blackburn now looming large,
West Ham, cannot be taken for granted as they’ve owned the Red Devils recently.
Sir Alex famously coined this time of the season ‘squeaky
bum time’ however if anyone has a ‘squeaky bum’ right now it has to be the Old
Trafford supreme. United have been the favorites for both big trophies for
months and the pressure just maybe beginning to tell – decisions like
Saturday’s prove that.
At the end of the day I still fully expect United to do that
double but as we’ve seen football can be a cruel game. You know Arsenal have
been the best team of the year and won nothing, United have been the most
consistent side and could yet win nothing while Chelsea have been dogged,
unattractive and stubborn yet they could end up winning everything.
I hope SAF hasn’t spent the weekend second-guessing himself however
that is the curse of the man who likes to gamble.
When I was a teenager it almost felt like that the European
Cup was part and parcel of the domestic honors scene along with the league and
FA Cup. It was in essence only a trophy that English clubs seemed to contest.
Liverpool triumphed four times in 1977, ’78, ’81 & 84, Nottingham Forest
twice in ‘1979 & ’80 and Aston Villa in 1982 – but then came the Heysel
disaster and a five-year ban on English teams competing in Europe with
Liverpool serving an additional year.
Since that horrific day in Brussels, 23 finals have been
contested and English clubs have won the princely total of two!
And if I was to be completely honest with hand on heart, I
would have to say that both victories owe a huge amount to luck and incredible
collapses by the two teams in world football who you’d bet the house on if you
were offered these two scenarios – a one goal lead in injury time and a three
goal lead with a half to play.
Who could possibly think that United would score two goals
in injury time as its usually, Bayern Munich, that break hearts (just ask
Getafe in the UEFA Cup) but fate smiled on the Red Devils on the epic night in
Barcelona. As for AC Milan throwing away the Mt. Everest of leads in Istanbul,
impossible, but I guess that’s why they call it the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.
So without these freak occurrences, English clubs in all
seriousness would not have won the European Cup since Liverpool beat Roma in
1984.
This year though, if the semifinals play out they way I
think they will, an English teams name will be engraved on the trophy. Luck may
still play a part in the final result but at least it won’t be at the expense
of those ‘Johnny Foreigner’ types from Europe.
Tuesday
Liverpool v Chelsea
At first glance this fixture has all the appeal of a trip to
the dentists minus the anesthetic. In fact it has been described by Argentine
great, Jorge Valdano in the following way ‘Put a turd hanging from a stick in
the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium (Anfield) and there are people who
will tell you it’s a work of art. It’s not: it’s a turd hanging from a stick.
When six previous Champions League meetings have produced a
grand total of three goals, its hard to argue with Valdano’s description but
this time though I believe a turd won’t be laid for the simple reason that
Liverpool does not get Anfield in the 2nd leg. This will force Rafa
Benitez to play a more expansive game in the 1st leg on Merseyside
because the Reds must travel to Stamford Bridge with a lead. The reason is that
the Blues are all but unbeatable on their home turf.
When you factor in revenge, the ‘it must be our time’
mentality and a desire to win the ‘big one’ before this Chelsea team breaks up,
fireworks are a must. I also believe the players will make a contest out of
this in spite of Avram Grant.
One final note is the continuing doubt over the fitness of
Steven Gerrard. Who knows if Benitez is playing mind games but should the
Liverpool captain be missing the odds of the Reds making their third final in
four years lengthen considerably in my book. I backed Liverpool months ago to
win it all – without Gerrard all bets are off!
Wednesday
Barcelona v Manchester United
Unlike the Liverpool/Chelsea saga this fixture at first
glance has the purists drooling and they’ll be positively drowning in saliva if
both teams recapture the magic of the 1999 Champions League. The two group
games produced 12 goals and two amazing 3-3 ties. I’m not expecting that
quantity this time around as defensively, United, are a far superior unit and
don’t seem capable of conceding that many goals.
Offensively though they can score for fun and with Barcelona
in terrible shape coming into this contest a 0-0 in Spain followed by a 3-0
victory at Old Trafford would have the Red Devils advancing.
Fans of Barcelona might think I’m disrespecting them but
their current form reminds me of Arsenal. They’ve only won four times in
thirteen and seem to be running out of gas at the wrong time of the season
despite at times playing fantasy football. Supposedly Thierry Henry isn’t happy
- Ronaldinho is busy learning Italian and eating pasta - Frank Rijkaard is
flirting with Chelsea, which all results in bad form and unrest in the camp.
All signs point to a spanking, which is something the English clubs used to
hand out to the rest of Europe on a regular basis.
It was thirty-one years ago this year that English teams
began their seven-year domination of Europe’s top cup competition. With a
domestic team guaranteed to make the final in 2008 that will now be four
consecutive years with English representation and with a victory, two wins in
that same period.
With the Barclays Premier League now the cash cow of world
football, it sure feels to me as though a new era of dominance has begun and
will continue for the foreseeable future.
‘Grand Slam Sunday’ has emphatically established one simple
fact – the ‘Big 4’ should now be renamed because certain memberships have been
revoked. Lets now call it what it really is…the ‘Big 2’ – Arsenal and Liverpool
it’s time to reapply.
Back on December 12th 2007 I did the first part
of the A-Z of ‘GSS’ – here is part II.
Arsene Wenger you’ve been penny wise & pound foolish and
now its cost you the title. I told you to buy in the January sales. You may get
deals in the summer but you’ll have won nowt when it counts. What a time to
have your worst run in over a decade?
Balls & bottle because Avram Grant finally demonstrated
that he may have both when it matters.
Cristiano Ronaldo is putting together the finest season I
can remember. Thirty-four goals is ridiculous and fifty cannot be ruled out.
When one speaks of FIFA World Player of the Year, there can be only one serious
candidate.
Didier Drogba maybe playing his last season in English
football after sulking through most of the campaign but the man is still one of
the deadliest strikers in the world when it comes to showing up in the ‘big’
games. Are you listening Adebayor!
Emmanuel Eboue you’re amazingly talent with a golden future
but when are you going to grow up. Pouting, jawing and acting like a spoilt
brat isn’t going to win you matches.
Frank Lamaprd you’re so overrated.
Gerrard, Steven you’re so overrated.
Home field advantage is massive.
Idiotic behavior is unacceptable at the highest level
especially in matches that decide titles. What Javier Mascherano was playing at
is anyone’s guess but if I was to offer an explanation ‘energy’ drinks must
surely be the culprit because his mouth was working way faster than his brain.
Jamie Carragher has been a magnificent servant to Liverpool
but you’ll need a mechanical digger to find him now. Wayne Rooney practically
corkscrewed him down to China during one second half mazy.
Kalou, Salomon what a swing and a miss. Wow…what a sitter.
What was missing…a silver platter, napkins, and waiters?
Liverpool Football club has now played almost 12 hours of
Premiership football without scoring against Manchester United. When you wonder
why it’s been eighteen years since you’ve had a sniff of domestic league
glory…wonder no more!
Michael Carrick you’ll be truly appreciated by the OT
faithful one day. I thought you were superb.
Nani, nice, nimble and naughty celebration after a
sensational finish. I thought SAF had banned you from impersonating a gymnast.
Old Trafford has been a haven for the ‘prawn’ sandwich
brigade for most of the campaign – it was positively exhilarating to hear it
get back to ‘meat-and-potatoes’ mode on Sunday.
Pepe Reina you were United’s best player…Zoinks!
Questions that were answered: Chelsea just simply refuse to
lose at fortress Stamford Bridge- that’s now 78 matches without defeat in
domestic competition. United have had Liverpool’s number since 1993 – that’s a
lifetime in football.
Rooney, Wayne you should’ve scored a couple but your
all-round performance was a reminder that you are England’s greatest hope and
most outstanding natural talent.
Steve Bennett you’re either a brave man or one big spoiler.
I thought the first yellow card to Mascherano was well deserved for his late
challenge on Paul Scholes - you’ve got to keep a lid on these pressure cookers
before they explode. It then looked like the Argentine started badgering you,
leading to the second yellow card as he sprinted 20-30 yards to get in your
face. I guess we’ll never know what he said but I sure hope it was worth the
red.
Ten…“Manchester United have all but wrapped up Premiership
title number ten. Who wants to argue that?” If any of you do have a beef with
that statement, come on down the FSC studios and I’ll buy you a snack from our
deluxe vending machine and explain why you’re out to lunch.
Understated brilliance is the hallmark of Ricardo Carvalho.
Forget the loss of John Terry and Petr Cech. When this man is out, the Blues
are half a team.
Vidic, Nemanja reminds me of Jaap Stam with his beastly
presence in the heart of the United back four. Ronaldo make take the plaudits
but it’s the Serbian that provides the defensive steel making
Wesley Brown, so you think you deserve more money from the
Old Trafford printing press? Putting one past the Scousers will certainly help
loosen those purse strings...maybe!
X-cuses from the Professor and the Rotator are beginning to
ring hollow because the Frenchman and the Spaniard are both brilliant coaches.
The two men will meet three times over the next few weeks. Only one will have
the opportunity to move on and possibly save their seasons. Who will it be…stay
tuned?
Yesterday reminded me that the gap between the ‘haves and
have nots’ is growing. We must find a way to redress the balance or the
exclusive club that United and Chelsea have created will never accept new
membership.
Zzzzzz’s, not a chance this time around. ‘GSS’ before
Christmas was a snoozer while this was the real deal.
Until then, GTBI is retired and I’ll meet you at the far
post.
Grand Slam Sunday, Fantastic Four, Judgment Day, whatever you want to call it, December 16th is a four-and-a-half hour period…THAT I WANT BACK!
My heart told me that Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea would play the kind of fantasy football we saw from the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona, Bremen and…Wigan.
My brain told me it would be cagey and short of entertainment.
Guess whom I’m listening to next time especially as the West Coast kick off for the Anfield rascal was 5.30am.
Here is the A – Z critique of the finest that England has to offer.
Arsene Wenger couldn’t beat Jose Mourinho with a big stick and a large bulls-eye attached to the ‘Special One’s’ posterior but show him Avram Grant and Chelsea become a 3 point ATM.
Benitez...you getting sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning.
Capello…good luck mate, you’ll need it.
Defense…wins matches. If you don’t believe me, ask coaches in the NFL.
Edwin van der Sar…if I spent as much time as you waving at my mum, I’d be out of a job. The same goes for you Petr Cech.
Frank Lampard…you are so overrated.
Gerrard, Steven…you are so overrated.
Highbury, you’re missed but the Emirates packed for a night match is pure theater. You could move this fixture to the West End and it would still snap, crackle and pop.
Ian Wright, you’ve taught your son SWP well, but blimey, the lad couldn’t finish a fish and chip supper. My boy, right, could’ve tucked that 75th minute sitter away.
John Terry, just because you’re the England captain does not give you the right to act like ‘Billy big boots’. I’m certainly not saying you deserved to get crocked but it looked from my standpoint that you had it coming.
Kuyt, the Dirk kind. Endeavor, commitment, hustle are great words if you’re a player trying to impress Steve McClaren but when a match is screaming out for class, you’re well out of your league.
Liverpool…eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years…sorry did I say eighteen years...and counting.
Manchester United own Rafa Benitez. In the Barclays Premier League the record is this. Played 7, Won 6, tied 1.
Nemanja Vidic is the most commanding center back in England.
Owen Hargreaves may have cost Sir Alex Ferguson an arm and a leg but for every minute he plays take another ton of the hefty $34 million price tag.
Patrice Evra is the most exciting left back in England.
Questions were answered on Sunday and the grades are in. United and Arsenal get ‘A’s. Chelsea and Liverpool a big fat ‘F’.
Riise, John Arne, you used to be the darling of the Kop but I’ll wager a weeks wages that come January you’ll be surplus to requirements…why…try beating the first defender with a cross for once.
Shevchenko, Andriy. If we want players who can’t finish in the MLS we’ll stick with the lads we’ve got at 1/100th of the price.
Tevez, Carlos…form is fleeting, class is permanent. Have any of you ever seen a forward pairing (Tevez & Rooney) that works as hard as these two do on both sides of the ball.
Ugly…but three points is three points.
Van Persie, the Robin kind. I know you’re a little rusty but c’mon. How many ways do you want to beat a keeper before you score?
William Gallas, you know how to bite the hand that used to feed you however I suggest you find a new barber, you’re current one seems to be blind.
X-factor…just how important will that 5/6 point gap between the top two be at the end of the season.
Y…are we always led to believe that big four clashes will be epic.
Zero chance that either Liverpool or Chelsea will win the Premier League this season.
I’m not really that bitter about Sunday but wouldn’t it be nice, if just for once, the headline on foxsports.com was ‘wow…football’ and not the gridiron kind.
The Community Shield is not the most reliable guide as to who will win the title however as a day out it certainly looked splendid from my vantage point – and thankfully the two teams, Chelsea and Manchester United replaced the bore fest that was served up at the FA Cup Final 79 days earlier with something resembling a game of football.
Over ninety minutes there was very little to choose between the teams but I think a couple of markers were laid down for the coming campaign. In no particular order here are ten things that caught my attention, wetted my appetite or left me scratching my head.
Cristiano Ronaldo: After being anonymous during the FA Cup Final, Ronaldo showed up on the wide expanse of Wembley and showed just why he is rightly considered the world’s best player. I thought his desire, decision making and attitude were spot on especially as he took some tasty hammerings. The highlight was the pass to Patrice Evra for the goal by Ryan Giggs. Played with backspin, Evra did not have to change stride.
Wayne Rooney & Tal Ben Haim: I would love to see what would happen if these two ran into each other after a few beers on a Saturday night. The animosity is so apparent I’m surprised it didn’t kick off into something else. Watch out for this match-up when they meet at Old Trafford in September. Rooney has the temper while Ben Haim takes no prisoners.
Florent Malouda: Playing in a Lyon team that has strolled six consecutive league titles, Malouda sometimes struck me as a player who didn’t really fancy it ‘up him’. His 51 minute performance today certainly dispelled that thought. He took his goal so well but more importantly showed how brave he is. At 6’5’ Edwin van der Sar is a big lad, however Malouda never took his eye of the ball even though he knew he’d pay a price. Arjen Robben, if you were watching, you can see why Mourinho brought him!
Ryan Giggs: It’s hard to believe that this will be Giggsy’s 17th year as a Manchester United player. I remember asking him during the summer of 2003 when United were here in the US whether he could keep going for another two years at this level! I’m not surprised he gave me a dirty look as he put in another vintage performance.
Petr Cech: For my money Petr Cech continues to prove that he is the best goalkeeper in the world. Sure, he didn’t come up trumps in the shoot-out but throughout the game he is such a presence. In a way he reminds of the great Peter Shilton who according to his dearly departed old manager, Brian Clough, was worth ten points a season (2 points for a win back in those days).
Rio Ferdinand: As well as Malouda took his goal I can’t help but feel Mr. Casual should’ve done better. The ball over the top by Ashley Cole was a bread and butter delivery but Ferdinand was slightly wrong footed then didn’t have the strength to keep up with the Frenchman despite wanting to swap jerseys. Rio wait until the match is over next time.
John Obi Mikel: There is no doubting the skill of the twenty-year-old but boy has he got a temper. I don’t know if I was imaging it but I’m sure that on two occasions he was on the verge of man handling referee, Mark Halsey. You can’t touch a ref son and I’m sure it has been noted by Halsey’s colleagues. In 25 appearances for the Blues he already has nine yellows and two red cards – that is too many.
It meant something: Regardless of the fact that this match carried zero points you could see by the intensity of the tackling and the reaction of the United players as Rooney finished the job that it meant something. These two teams will meet up at least another two times this season and who’d bet against them tangling in the latter stages of any of the cup competitions. Players like to win whether its tiddly-winks or on penalties and every extra edge counts.
Ricardo Carvalho: They call Mourinho the ‘Portugezzer’ but it should be his countryman. If there is a player I love to hate it is Carvalho. He just knows all the tricks, the tugs, the pushes, the trips and he does them all so subtly. In my humble estimation he is the best defender in the Premiership by a country mile – it’s so annoying!
Nothing between them: Chelsea was missing the big guns of John Terry, Michael Ballack, Andry Shevchenko and Didier Drogba. United were short of Paul Scholes, Luis Saha, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves to name a few. There is nothing between these two teams and unless the chasing pack comes out flying, it will be Mourinho and Ferguson battling for the title once again.
Enjoy the season and don’t forget to check out my predictions.
..Congrats to Chelsea, the FA and Carling Cup in the same season matches Liverpool back in 2001. Hard lines United but you didn't want it enough.
Overall thoughts are that the game was a bust. I was hoping for blood and thunder but got a damp squib. For those of you paying $25 sorry but look on the bright side - the Champions League is free!
So that's the season done in England, see you all Weds for the big game and hopefully more excitement than this boring 120 minutes.
With the world watching or snoozing depending on what you call entertainment the two best teams in England are content to play cat-and-mouse.
Chelsea have been the better team but can't really carve out any decent chances while United have been awful when you consider the football they've played this season. Fergie must give Rooney some help and get Ronaldo the ball or and I hate to say this...it'll stay scoreless and we'll go to PK's...I'm think I'll puke if that happens.
..by Chelsea as Lamps tests van der Sar with a low grubber. United need to get support for Rooney - he looks very lonely up top. SWP then blazes over. The Blues though look more in control at this point of the game half-an-hour in.
..at last. First Ronaldo goes on a jinking run scaring the pants off Ferreira and then Joe Cole shows that he can do it better before linking with Drogba who shoots narrowly wide. That's better cos it's been a snoozer so far.
..15 minutes in and other than J Cole tatooing Browns shin and one little skirmish in midfield, nothing much is happening as Chelseaare content to keep possession at the back.
..start by both sides. Drogba nutted a Bridge cross over the bar but it was a tough chance. It looks like Rooney is up front on his todd with Giggs supporting. Ronaldo has yet to have a run against Ferreira yet.
...Wembley is open for business. Blimey I never thought we'd be back at the home of football but it looks like its been worth the wait. The stadium looks fantastic and boy is it loud. Prince Willie opened it up with the shortest speech in history which is alright by me and out come the teams...hair raising stuff...I'm lovin' it.
United - Chelsea...it gets the blood pumping doesn't it!
Finally after seven long years the showpiece of English football is back where it belongs…Wembley Stadium, the home of English football.
So what kind of treat will these two teams serve up – a stale tactical battle or a rip roaring blood and thunder epic? It’s hard to say and given my recent predictions woes I’m sitting uncomfortably on the fence!
In reality it’s all about the match-ups so let’s break them down.
Lord Fergie v the 'Special One’
The war of words has been heating up since in recent weeks. Mourinho has been needling Ronaldo and claiming United get all the penalties. Ferguson responds that the ‘Special One’ is panicking and can’t handle losing.
Ferdinand v Drogba
Mr. Casual cannot let down for a milli-second with Drogba roaming however the Ivorian has only scored two goals in his last nine outings. Carrying the Blues for the last two months has seemingly taken it out of him. That won’t be an excuse for Rio as he’s been watching telly for the last few weeks.
Terry v Rooney
JT hasn’t looked the same since returning from back surgery and will have to dig deep to stop Rooney…if the boy is up for it. You can’t bet against Rooney on the big stage though.
Lampard v Carrick
Stamina is the name of the game for Lamps and the big Wembley pitch should suit him down to the ground. Carrick has started to look like he belongs in Manchester the last few months but how will he cope with the big occasion.
Scholes v J Cole
Mr. Consistency is the man to make United tick over and when he clicks they purr like a well oiled machine. Joe Cole, just back from injury is the one player who can make something out of nothing.
Ronaldo v A Cole
Stopping Ronaldo will ultimately be the key to this match. In Cup Final history wingers have either shone brightly or not had a kick. Ashley Cole has a chance to show that he’s not just about the money although an ankle problem could knock him out.
Cech v van der Sar
Cech is the best in the business while I think that Edwin may just be beginning to show his age.
Wild Cards
Essien: What a beast. He has the ability, strength and skill to carry Chelsea on his broad shoulders.
Giggs: They just don’t make them like this anymore. It’s not only about the legs but the mind. Giggs has made the ‘promised land’ his home over the past decade and always has something left in the tank.
Team News: Injuries have hit the Blues hard. The loss of Sheva, Ballack and more importantly Carvalho are massive. The Red Devils will be without Mr. Dependable, Gary Neville and the oft injured, Luis Saha.
Conclusion: I can’t help but feel United will win this one 2-1 if they get the early goal and claim the domestic league and cup double. There I said it, which now means Chelsea will romp to victory!
