Sol comes out in Portugal

Sol Campbell was at the centre of the most amazing events in this Champions League tie on a bittersweet night in Porto for the centre-half.

Harry Harris hails Sol Campbell despite the Keystone Kops moments which saw FC Porto take a 2-1 Champions League advantage against Arsenal. What do you think?

Sol Campbell back in the limelight...

Premier League Play-Offs? What next...Cheerleaders?

I came across an interesting concept today that I thought I'd share; the idea that the 4 teams who finish 4th through 7th in the English Premier League play off for the 4th Champions League spot.  It will never happen, but it's an interesting thought nonetheless. 

If today was the end of the season this format would pitch Liverpool, Spurs, Man City and Aston Villa into a mini-competition at the end of the season...

So what are the pros?

• More revenue for the clubs in question and the EPL.
• An opportunity for someone other than Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd to qualify. (Did you know that these same four clubs have filled the top four positions in five of the past six seasons. Only Everton, in 2005, have broken their stranglehold.)
• TV coverage of more exciting, meaningful games. The Championship Play off final (to win a place in the Premier League) is often one of the most exciting games of the year for the neutral fan.
• Mid table mediocrity could become a thing of the past; if you're in 10th/12th place in April, and still have a shot at 7th, the last 6 weeks of the season take on new meaning.

And the cons?

• Extends the already congested season by another week or two; it would be no good in World Cup or European Championship years.
• Having weaker teams in the Champions League could jeopardise England's entitlement to 4 Champions League places.
• If you support English football and like to see English teams do well in Europe, wouldn't having Villa, Spurs or a team like Birmingham damage the potential for 3 or 4 English teams reaching the Quarters or Semis?
• Last year Fulham finished in 7th, a full 19 points behind Arsenal in 4th. Even if you dislike Arsenal, would it be fair for a season's work to be lost in a one-off game to a team who finished that far back? In fact Fulham were only 19 points above relegation! That's how big the gulf in class was...

This year the battle for 4th is more interesting anyway; with the likes of Villa, Citeh and Spurs giving Liverpool and Arsenal a genuine run for their money. But could Play-Offs, a further Americanisation of the Premier League, bring a new dimension to the EPL?

Personally I'd prefer the introduction of Cheerleaders, a much better American invention!

And we're off...

It always amazes me how quickly the first day of the Premier League season comes around...and every year it seems to get quicker! I think that is more a symptom of getting older than a shorter off-season!

I'm a little short of time today, but I thought I'd get in a few predictions and we can see where we fall short next May...

Premier League Champions - Chelsea

FA Cup Winners - Arsenal

League Cup Winners - Tottenham

Champions League Winners - Barcelona

I don't see Man Utd winning the league for a 'fourth' (thanks Gary) year...I haven't seen enough yet to show me that they won't miss the spark, energy and creativity of Ronaldo...but I hope to be proven wrong. I think Chelsea will get their stuff together with Ancelotti, but I think Liverpool missed their chance last year. Man City could sneak into 4th ahead of Arsenal...

Oh yes, and Bristol City will finish 7th in the Championship - just missing the play-offs again...

I'd be intrigued to see your thoughts...

Suspense is worse than disappointment

Robert Burns (18th century national poet of Scotland) had it right when he wrote "Suspense is worse than disappointment".

In the case of sports this is very true. When your team gets beaten, and beaten well, like Manchester Utd did on Wednesday, there is undoubtedly disappointment; but I imagine that ours was not half as bad this year as it was for Chelsea fans in the final last year.

To lose due to misfortune is infinitely more painful than losing because of a poor performance; slipping when taking a crucial penalty kick, or hitting the post but never scoring, is far worse than never being in the running. And that is down to the suspense...you think you're in with a chance! There is still hope... "We can win it boss!" Suspense lifts you up, keeps you on the edge of your seat, so if you or your team does fail, the disappointment is magnified...

That wasn't the case on Wednesday; after the first 10 minutes, it was pretty obvious that Utd were going to have to dig out something special to win, and frankly they never looked like doing it. As time moved on, a resignation to the inevitable came over those of us watching it together in the bar here in Gilbert.

We weren't 'robbed', we weren't 'unlucky', there were no real 'if only' moments... There was no suspense, just disappointment! And that is better for the heart...

I was joking on Facebook today with 'a friend of a friend', a Man City fan who I've never even met, I realized of course that as a Man Utd fan, we shouldn't really be disappointed.

A third Premier League trophy in a row, World Club Champions, The Mickey Mouse (sorry, League) Cup...losing to the lottery of penalties in the FA Cup Semi-finals (now that is suspense!) and losing in the Champions League final - that's not a bad season...and I'm pretty sure that 91 other professional football clubs in England would be happy with just one of those achievements...

And as I pointed out to that Man City fan (who was gleefully rubbing it in!), at least next season we'll be back in Europe to try again, while Man City's European adventure will consist of a Christmas shopping trip or a booze cruise to France!

Bring on 09/10 !

The delight of anticipation!

This time tomorrow the Champions League final between Manchester Utd and Barcelona will nearly be over...but in my experience the anticipation of a big sporting event, like a cup final or the Superbowl, is often far more enjoyable than the game itself...unless you're a neutral.

When I was a kid, the biggest football game of the year was undoubtedly the FA Cup Final. Every year on the first or second Saturday in May, the two competing TV stations would start their programmes earlier and earlier. Looking back, they were obviously hoping to catch the early audience who, in a time before remote controls, would switch on and then not (get up to!) change the channel all day!

The earliest start I can recall was about 9am, when fully 6 hours before kick off, the BBC would have a collection of specially produced FA cup themed shows, like Question of Sport or Superstars. And I would sit there...glued to the teams leaving the hotel...following the coach journeys from the air...the arrival at Wembley Stadium...the walk out to inspect the pitch in (often) dreadful cup final suits, like the 1996 'Spice Boys' of Liverpool in those awful white suits! The game was often an anti-climax, but still the next year I would tune in again...even earlier!

But now as we look forward to tomorrow's clash between the two best teams in Europe, I can't help but think that the feeling of excitement will soon disappear once kick-off comes. When you are a fan, and your team is involved in a game of such magnitude, I don't think you can enjoy the match - you suffer through it hoping for the right result. Even if your team is 2-0 up, there is still that nagging doubt that it only takes a second to score a goal...then we'll be back on the edge of our seat.

It's not just football; think back to that nail-biting Rugby World Cup Final between England and Australia in 2003...Extra time...last minute drop goals...the bloody Aussies never knowing when they're beaten! That's not fun, it was torture. I'd take waterboarding every time over being forced through a tight, tense game that I'm passionate about!

The problem is that with anticipation comes hope. The hope of Evertonians that their team will overcome the odds and beat Chelsea in this year's Cup Final. The hope from the fans of newly promoted teams like Burnley or Wolves, that they will do well in next year's Premier League, because eveyone starts at zero. Anything is possible!

That's why, unless you are a neutral and you don't much care who wins, it is the delight of anticipation that makes big sports occasions so much fun!

So tomorrow or Saturday, enjoy the build up, if not the games!!