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The First
Now that this seasons over for the majority of us (whadya mean, it was a long time ago!), let me be the first to start the wind-ups and say "next year could be our year".
Why, well United are clearly in decline and LFC are improving! How so, you may well ask, simple. In 2006-7 MUFC were crowned champions with 89 points, they scored 83 goals and conceded only 22, Ronaldo was footballer of the year. They then spent something like £75 million and what have they got for their money? Less points, less goals and more conceded, Ronaldo is still the best player in the league and they have progressed further in the Champions league, so maybe Fergie has taken a leaf out of Rafa's book and changed his priorities!
On the other hand, Liverpool spent about the same amount of money and have gained more points, scored more goals and conceded less (unless Tottenham score). Should Liverpool win at Tottenham and United at Wigan, the gap will have been reduced by 10 points. Both clubs will probably look to sign another striker in the summer and both last summers signings, Torres and Tevez have been fantastic this season with the Spaniard just edging the choice of best buy.
Chelsea's record is almost identical and amazingly, whilst Arsenal have scored less and conceded more, they have the best improvement points wise.
Should this be repeated next year and should Liverpool improve their abysmal record against the other three, then it's down to the wire for all four clubs and KK's words will mean very little! I'm telling you, next year could be our year!!!!!!!!
Howard Jones
Chelsea Deserve Some Credit
So the final game and still red nose and United cannot relax and enjoy the day. Let's be honest there's no way Wigan are going to dent Man United's bid for the title. Yes they have been playing better over the last 6 or so games, but in truth the 1-1 draw they got a Stamford Bridge was a brilliant result but they should have lost 8-1. It's no coincidence that Wright-Philips hasn't featured in the team/squad since the night he missed two easy chances to wrap the game up at two nil.
However I think it's right that we acknowledge the magnitude of Chelsea's effort in challenging a free scoring United this season. For the squad to lose such a charismatic leader was a massive dent and the hang over of that event last 4 to 5 weeks.
Do you realise that the majority of Chelsea's first team squad have missed at least a third of the season, Terry, Cech, Cavalho, Cole(a), Lampard, Ballack, Drogba, Bridge, Malouda (OK would we have known any different had he played!). Add to that the loss of their key African contingent to the ANC it is an incredible statistic.
People always point to the money spent (which is near £300 million), but what you cannot put a price on is team/squad spirit, will, belief and a determination not to give up. It would have been easy for the team to fold after defeats to United and Arsenal in the first part of the season.
Ask yourself this question, would Manchester, Arsenal, or Liverpool been challenging in the same way Chelsea have had their manager been sacked October and Avram Grant appointed (I like the guy, but the question has to be asked).
I know it will make some people vomit to say it, but Chelsea deserve praise for standing up in adversity and being the only team to hold a challenge to united all the way to the finishing post.
It may not be good enough for the title, but I believe they will beat United to take the Champions league.
Here's to a few twists and turns on Sunday.
Patrick Derham
Let's All Laught At Jim Spellman
I've read some unintentionally funny stuff in the mailbox before, but nothing brightened my day quite like Jim Spellman's suggestion that prize money in the Premiership be reversed. Firstly there is the ludicrous notion of rewarding failure and giving relegated clubs an almost guaranteed ticket back to the Premiership and therefore destroy the competitive nature of the Championship by creating a group of yo-yo clubs raking in huge amounts of money every other year (can you imagine every team in danger of relegation being like Derby, content to rake in the cash and go down). Secondly is the idea that once mid-table mediocrity had been achieved with clubs neither being in danger of relegation or in with a chance of Europe, would the likes of his beloved Spurs actually be trying to chuck points away to 'earn' more prize money. That could make for some great games at the end of the season, with say the teams in 9th and 14th playing each other on the last day of the season, with maybe both knowing that a win could cost their club a couple of million quid.
Pure comedy genius!
Also, on the Flamini front, hands up any Arsenal fans who are so loyal to their employer that they wouldn't leave for a 100% pay rise and a more prestigious employer...
Mike Christie
...In response to Jim Spellman (Spurs fan) and the top four dominance of the league. Before you start spouting absolute s**te about the top four you should research your facts and you'll see a very different picture when it comes to competitive leagues etc. Before I even go near talking about the finance issue and what crap you are talking, let's look round the leagues of Europe and see how things are over there:
France - Lyon look like winning the league for the 6th year running - DEAD competitive league there isn't it!!! No one gave anyone else a prayer in that league from day one!!!
Italy - Inter again by miles with Roma 2nd again!!! No other realistic candidates besides Juve and Milan, so their top 4 will be back to normal next season unless they match fix again. Oh yeah, I almost forgot - their league is boring as f**k!!!
Spain - do me a favour, two teams every year fighting for the title except a brief blip by Valencia for a couple of seasons!!!
Germany - ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!! Bayern are winning by about 14 points I think!!! Must be great to watch! Even SKY ditched it a few years back cos it was toss!!!
Holland - PSV have won it for the 4th year running. Flamin heck these leagues are competitive compared to..... Oh!!!
Now the finance side!!!
Derby will receive £30 million for finishing last plus the TV appearance money they will have accumulated throughout the season from SKY and Setanta for appearing on the Live games. The winner of the Champions League will get in total around £27/28 million. So the teams who don't actually get very far will have a lower spending capacity than the sh**test team to ever appear in the Premier League.
This next bit is directed at all those fans who say the top four ruin the league cos of the dominance. In this country the TV deals that are struck are done as a collective entity. That means if you want to watch United, Arse etc you take on Derby along with it. By the way, the top four are happy to do it this way as the alternatives would damage our football beyond repair. Take the system they have in Spain whereby each team negotiates its own TV deal!!! I can hear the cogs turning and everyone thinking oh f**k that would be disastrous and you'd all be dead right.
Does anyone really think that Derby would have managed to get the £30 million plus appearance money if they negotiated their own deal and does anyone think that United or Chelsea would only get £50 million for finishing 1st??? United in particular would end up getting a TV deal of around £300 million and Derby would be shown on Derby FC TV and that's it. The reason last place can command prize money of £30 million and you get £700,000 for hosting a live game is precisely cos the deals are done collectively. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the other teams should be grateful, but they shouldn't slag off the main reason their club is getting a shit load of money to spend on the likes of Berbatov et al!!! Our league isn't perfect but before you open you're gobs saying our league is shit cos of the top 4, imagine it the other way and shut up!!! Alternatively, p**s off and watch a complete procession to the title in another league!!!
Tim (feels good getting that off my chest) Collins
...Would Jim Spellman like a long meeting with my bosses? Only, his idea of getting paid more to do less appeals to me greatly. I would love to be like Derby, come to the Premiership with no aim of competing, and get more prize money than Manchester United! I think it would be thoroughly deserved that I, as the least inspiring, least able, least committed, worst employee to grace my firm for a number of years should earn the highest salary!
In fact, if I were to not turn up for work every day, I could save myself the bus fare. Maybe Derby should do that too so they can guarantee getting last spot?
There have been periods of dominance by some teams before in top flight football, there will be again. Just because you're bitter that your team is not currently involved in the domination, doesn't mean you can blame the top 4. It's is your management/board/fans that have created this sub-par league. It's teams creating a mental mini-league with the teams around them that create this kind of problem. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal go into every game generally looking to win. They might try a cheeky win (United vs. Chelsea a week ago) or they might try a boring win (Liverpool, all season), or a completely dull, uninspired, negative, un-footballing win (Liverpool, all season), but try to win they do. Aston Villa, Tottenham, Everton etc go into games against the top 4 with the mind-set "we're not expected to get anything here, but as long as we beat the teams around us we'll still finish 5th anyway".
Also, this quota system where they have to have a certain amount of English footballers is flawed. If only 4 teams have money, then surely those 4 teams would just snap up all the decent English players? That's if it wasn't against European laws, which I'm pretty sure it is.
OK I could go on forever. Having lost a weekend to GTA4 though, I'll go day-dream at work about how to kill those strip club owners at the umpteenth attempt!
Pat, Manchester
...Jim Spellman suggests reversing the prize money in the Premier League so that the teams closer to the bottom of the league receive more financial reward than the 'big four' at the top. Do we really need the football equivalent of a slow bicycle race?
Instead, why not give every team in the Premier League the same amount of money regardless of their finishing position in the League, and let incentives such as pride or qualification for Europe (and yes, the financial spoils that come with it) drive teams on?
Northsider Pete, Dublin
Maverick Idea
I found myself nodding along with Jim Spellman's mail until it reached the bizarre request for the reversal of prize money. Sorry but that's just stupid and asking for trouble. This season's finale has the title being decided against 2 teams who are basically safe in the league, and relegation being decided with 2 teams who are not going to qualify for Europe. With this suggestion they would all be rewarded for losing these games, totally ruining the league.
Its not even the Premier league that is most at fault, it is clearly the Champions League that cuts off all the other teams. I think success should be rewarded but at the minute, 4th place is too much of a reward.
We saw the FA Cup get gradually less meaningful for the top teams, the gap between the top and 2nd tier teams is enormous, and a more recent development is the disdain that some teams (I'm looking at you Liverpool, AC, etc.) treat the league. It is ridiculous that teams like these are rewarded in the CL for underperforming in the league by being able to rest players while their rivals are stretched trying to actually achieve domestic success. It makes a mockery of the idea of being the best team in Europe and reversing the prize money would make this trend even worse!
Qualifying for the CL is much more financially rewarding than the difference between 1st-4th in the league. Managers like Benitez know they'll get much more exposure and kudos across Europe for winning the CL than they will if they win a domestic title.
The fact that the cash for qualifying reinforces the position of the current teams will only make this worse - qualifying for the CL will be more important than winning the league (if it isn't already). This is an unacceptable situation and leads to teams giving up on the league in favour of the CL, secure in the knowledge that the cash advantage keeps them in a comfort zone above their 5-7th placed rivals.
So, my suggestion, if you repeatedly qualify for the CL, then you have 4 seasons to win the domestic league, and if you don't your place the next season will go to the team in 5th.
This gives a team time to use the CL revenue to build a team capable of strongly challenging for the title, plus it means they can't just give up after August, plus it means the race for 5th to potentially 7th may be even more meaningful, plus it spreads the cash around a bit more, increasing the possibility that an outsider can break the stranglehold at the top.
The CL should be a reward for achievement - not for constantly failing.
Ernie (these are my thoughts - do not steal them)
A Bitter Gooner Writes
To put it simply, Alex Hleb can shove it up his arse.
He may have been good when everyone was fresh at the start of the season but a Big Brother-style 'best bits' of his season would amount to awe-inspiring close control followed by the square root of sod all, with the exception of his assist at Anfield. Nico Krancjar is certainly no worse, and if it means we can cut the cost of this seemingly crippling wage bill and actually spend money on a couple of much-needed improvements and a replacement for Flamini - our best player this season, and therefore someone who I wouldn't mind complaining about lack of trophies - then we'll all be winners.
Those improvements? Well in an ideal world it would be Micah Richards, Gareth Barry, Krancjar and Ashley Young. But seeing as building the best stadium in the country in an attempt to boost revenue makes us marginally less competitive than Sp*rs, will most probably be Michael Johnson, Ben Arfa, Krancjar, and maybe John Mensah or someone like that. They might not be the players the Gooners would be hoping for but we'll not be much worse off without the Belarusian for whom the phrase 'flatters to deceive' might well have been coined.
William O'Doherty
...Andrew, Dublin. At the beginning of the season I don't think any Gooner would have worried if Flamini and Hleb stayed or not. Hleb has score 11 times in three years which patently isn't good enough and Flamini has only just come into his own this season.
Vieira and Henry were let go and haven't exactly set the world alight since their departure. Ditto Overmars, Anelka (presuming he doesn't win a CL medal at Chavski). In fact the only players who have gone on to win anything at a higher level than a domestic league - which Arsenal did - were Silvinho and Gio Van Bronckhorst.
However we are getting fed up with the 'who will go this summer' toss. Wenger has the core of an excellent team but we need one or two major signings as well as the inevitable foetuses of French-African descent.
Arsene, if you're out there, mate, please please please please please buy Franck Ribery.
Toxteth (I'm celebrating Tit Tuesday - the first day of summer where all the pretty girls come out in flimsy tops) O'Grady
A Not So Bitter Gooner Writes
I have been astonished at the vitriol aimed at Flamini and Hleb by a certain number of supporters; but also from the pessimism arising from their departure. Firstly they have every right to leave, and have gone about their job professionally. Flamini was used at left back and anywhere else where we needed him for too long; we barely made him feel wanted. Nevertheless, all he is is an extremely fit athlete who will be easily replaced by anyone with an inch of tenacity. The only thing I am annoyed about is that had we known sooner, I think we could have kept hold of the excellent Lassana Diarra.
Hleb is a different kettle of fish altogether. I can fully understand why he wants to leave; getting booted in the air every week probably didn't help his decision. He is the rare case of a player who is only excellent against the so-called Big Four clubs because this is the only time he gets time on the ball without fearing a bone crunching challenge. Are Arsenal West Ham United? Don't be ridiculous. If Cesc Fabregas leaves this summer then maybe we can start to worry, but apart from that noone in our team is irreplaceable.
Andy Pinnington, Cambridge
Two Footballing Evils In One Idea
I have solved the problem of boredom of knowing only the "Big Four" are going to qualify of the Champions League and taking the premier league global without the 39th game. The Premier League should bring in a playoff for the fourth Champions League spot (4th, 5th, 6th and 7th). Play them as one off games abroad. So that is a total of 3 games per year abroad. They are meaningful and important games so they will be well attended. They don't exist now so season ticket holders aren't losing out.
Phil "I'll take my commission in cash please" Wood
'The Bitches Of Europe'
Are Arsenal quite possibly the most tapped up team in the world...and more importantly, why do the club never do anything about it??? We are the b*tches of Europe!
Whoever wrote in this morning comparing us to a high class West Ham style feeder club is spot on. Unfortunately, few footballers have the loyalty and class or Arsene and the board, jumping ship for more money on a regular basis.
Seeing even more quotes from Ramon Caldron this morning is immensely frustrating...how can the bloke get away with this! How to the authorities let this happen as a casual process for obtaining unsettling players in Spain and Italy?
What concerns me more is that the club never ever do anything about our players being tapped up, even though there has been countless opportunities to do so. We had the perfect opportunity to report Real Madrid when they stopped paying for Anelka, When Hleb was tapped up by Inter, we should have gone in harder on Chelsea with Ashley Cole, teams tapping up Henry for years etc, why didn't we?
It just seems like Arsenal are in fact scared of the consequences if they were to report another G14 club for tapping up their players. We will never progress further than we have if we don't hang on to our best players, and therefore need to show the biggest European clubs that we are no pushovers and certainly not a feeder club!
Matt, Gooner, Essex.
Hope: Tis A Dangerous Thing
I know supporters of teams outside the top 4 think it's a forgone conclusion as to who will sit in those places, but its not actually necessarily true. Chelsea, for example were not one of those 4 guaranteed a few seasons ago. All it needs is a wealthy sugardaddy or company to buy the club and it can turn around. City, if they manage to stop amusingly shooting themselves in the foot, could give it a crack.
Liverpool weren't a million miles ahead of Everton till the last few months, and Portsmouth and Villa not SO far behind. Tottenham... well, they can break in if they ever keep it together. Arsenal have a good chance of being average next season if they keep shedding their remaining good players and replace them with players who need a season to bed in as is usual.
No club is far and away the top in the league any more. And the top four clubs in the country, had they not knocked each other out, would have occupied all four semi-final berths in the CL. I really don't think it's as grey and depressing as some emailers would have us believe. I'd say it was more a top 2, with the other 2 spots up for grabs for those that make good summer purchases, next season.
Guy Shrimpton, Manchester United supporter
Pragmatism In Europe
I have often thought that football fans have short memories (e.g. Arsenal fans bemoaning teams that don't play "beautiful" football while conveniently forgetting the George Graham era) but football writers take the biscuit. I refer to the comments of Alberto Cerruti in Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport, helpfully relayed to your site by Brendan Allen.
The reason that English clubs have become so dominant in Europe in the last few years is because they are now able to adapt their tactics depending on the anticipated approach of the opposition. Quite often it involves negating their opponents' strengths, exactly as Man Utd did against Barcelona recently, Arsenal did against Villareal in their semi-final in 2006 and Liverpool did against practically everyone in 2005 until the second half of the final. It might not always be pretty but it is effective and I distinctly recall numerous occasions when English clubs were accused of naivety for playing Premiership-style football in European competition. I suppose you can't please everyone all the time.
The spectacular irony, however, lies in the fact that it is an Italian journalist that is complaining about such tactics, given that their teams enjoyed a period of dominance in Europe based on exactly the same style of play. Signore Cerruti appears to have forgotten occasions such as the 2003 CL final between Juventus and AC Milan, which was roughly as enjoyable as gargling battery acid, and the fact that for decades Italian football was synonymous with dour, defensive and, on occasion, downright dirty football.
Griff
Tit For Tat
Todd from Boston (?) a Liverpool fan no less....suggests that Chelsea have been shameless all season. And also have played poorly all season (except when we beat your lot the other night?)
He goes on to suggest that Chelsea only bested United the other week because Fergie fielded a weakened side (by the way, since when did real Liverpool fans big up united??? - Todd, I can only assume you have NEVER been to Anfield?)
I could counter-claim that United only beat Chelsea earlier this season because a.) we had a weakened side - no Drogba, no Terry, no Ballack - and b.) Mike Dean sent off Mikel for nowt, a totally ridiculous red card (but what do you expect from arguably the worst ref in the league?) after 30 mins, there were two mins of injury time, yet United scored in the third min of first half injury time....whatever, it is irrelevant, we lost that game fair and square just as united did at our place.
If Fergie puts out a weakened team (all were full internationals though) then surely that is his choice and his mistake. Three league defeats all season means we are doing something right and our success is not because of other team's failures. But anyway, as a yank, what the f*** do you know about soccer? You just made yourself look a dick (which is why the mailbox team published your letter in the first place) Unless you are from Boston, Lancashire in which case....erm.....
Finally, if we are so crap, then what does that make you?
Adam T
Pipe Down Keggy
For Kevin Keegan to come out and say the Premier league is in danger of becoming boring because the Big Four is impossible to break into is a bit rich. Keegan has constantly blown his chances of achieving anything as a manager. First by gung ho tactics with Newcastle in the mid 90's and then by completely bottling it and running away when the going gets tough with Fulham, Man City and even England. The bloke just gives in far too easily and mopes off with his mullet between his legs. The premiership had the Big Two in the late nineties, then became the Big Three and now the Big Four (though Liverpool's grip is tenuous). Can anyone please tell me of a top class league anywhere else in the world where four teams have a chance for the title? Give the likes of Dave Moyes and Martin O'Neill a chance and that Big Four could soon be challenged. And never give up - A Russian or Chinese sugardaddy could be on the horizon for any club in the top flight!
As for Keegan - what odds on him quitting mid season after the pressure of the Toon Army getting too much? I will be down William Hill this afternoon plonking a cool £100 on it.
He was never any good anyway!
John, Edinburgh
Eureka!
Watching MOTD2 at the weekend, I realised one of the factors contributing Birmingham's drop into the relegation zone - Dave Bassett is on the coaching staff there! 'Arry almost sabotaged Leeds' season while he was assistant to Dennis Wise earlier in the season. During his time at Elland Road. Leeds played 16 league games and collected 25 points at a ratio of 1.56 points per game which is nowhere near promotion form. Thank you Mike Ashley for taking Wisey to St James' Park and therefore indirectly ridding Leeds of a massive albatross.
D Macintosh
Lucky Chelsea
Minutes into the United game, Vidic gets injured. Minutes into the second leg of the Champions League tie with Liverpool, Skrtel gets injured. Now against Newcastle, they look vulnerable until Viduka comes off at half time. (One has to question Keegan's bizarre decision not to replace him.) What price an injury to Diouf on Sunday, or another key injury to United on the 21st?
Cam, Toronto
Chuckle
Is anyone else loving the moaning Arsenal fans complaining about the disloyalty shown by their players in choosing to leave for rival clubs?
Do none of them see that the inherent disloyalty of most footballers is what allows Wenger's "scout 'em young" philosophy to work in the first place? Most of the Arsenal squad have already shown, in their short lives, an act of disloyalty by signing for them in the first place.
What goes around comes around...
Matt Houston, London
Escape To Victory
Further to the Bank Holiday showing of Escape to Victory, I was actually quite shocked at some of the action on display. I only remember seeing it years ago and then all football looked great (I am a Birmingham fan after all), but I was actually enjoyed seeing what looked like a real kick around, other than the obvious slow motion set pieces.
One other thing was the missus was watching it for the first time. Some of her quotes were "f*cking typical that blokes want to play football rather than save their lives and escape" and then "How are they going to escape? The crowd has just ruined the plan? Why doesn't the crowd give them a coat to wear to get away" and finally "See I told you the crowd would give away their coats!".
It all excitement in our house.
Jack (Chanting Victoire while Pele overhead kicks) Dudley
Spotting A Trend
Newcastle vs Chelsea. Half time score is 0-0.
Viduka off, Smith on and its 2-0 at full time.
Chelsea beat us on the day. They battered us at the start of the second half and earned their goal. However Ballack scored because he had a free header. He had a free header because his marker abandoned him. His marker was Alan Smith. Alot of our good work in the first half came from Viduka holding up the ball. Smith had very little to contribute. I am not suggesting that the only problem we have is Alan Smith, he is just the one that annoys me(not as much as Barton). He lacks the quality for the Premiership and he seems to have lost his heart for it too. Ship him out to Rangers pronto please.
Hungrykev(Beye is an unsung hero)
Here All Week
Now that young Mathieu has gone for the cash can you refer to him as Flamoney?
Si (I wouldn't whore myself for the highest bidder)
