A weekend that could prove decisive

This weekend's results could prove to be a contributing factor to the season-ending positions of most teams. Some may think it is a tad too premature, but you might change your mind in a moment. Both the Uniteds gathered at Old Trafford for an afternoon kickoff, while Roman's team who were in serious trouble invited a 'Wolf Pack' to the Bridge which was indeed falling, slowly but surely. Of the other big teams, and 'Adebayor propelled' Spurs visited Roy Hodgson's men, while Arsenal entertained Hodgson's former side, Fulham, at the Emirates.

Most pundits put United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs as favourites to grab all the points, though the former 2 disappointed to an extent. Chelsea and Spurs on the other hand, made light work of their opponents, though Andre Villas-Boas still has some convincing to do. Spurs had a certain Togolese striker to thank, though whether or not he will become a permanent fixture at White Hart Lane is a totally different question.

One thing which was somewhat surprising was that Newcastle United were actually the one to get the so-called 'lucky break' at Old Trafford, a ground when some referees tend to buckle under the pressure of the atmosphere as well as Scotsman sitting on the home side's bench on the Red Audi sponsored leather seat. It wasn't to be for Fergie's men, as the penalty award was a foolish decision by the Assistant Referee, though the last time I checked, the main man in black did indeed have the power to overrule the decisions made by his counterparts. That certainly wasn't the case here, and it was not like it was an extremely tough decision to make. Ben Arfa strode into the United box, Rio Ferdinand came over, and after the tackle had been committed, yes in all fairness, the Frenchman did go down, but it was more than obvious that the ball had indeed been touched and went in a different direction. In Sir Alex's words, the ref was about 8 yards away, so I guess it was a 'Shocking, Outrageous' decision. A namby-pamby perhaps? That being said though, United were at home, had most of the possession, and would have got all the points if not for some 'Malaysian-like' finishing from the usually 'Ice-cool' Mexican, plus heroics from Dutchman Tim Krul, though the United goal was indeed 'Krul' on Newcastle. They defended resolutely as a team, and the draw was probably a fair result.

Moving on to Chelsea, it certainly is beginning to look like it is time to draw the curtains on Didier Drogba's time at Chelsea. The once feared Ivorian dynamite is now becoming an 'also ran' at the Blue Army. Daniel Sturridge looks like a better bet than Torres to bag the goals, and Nicholas Anelka looks like he's going to go back to his 'Le Sulk' ways. One thing Villas-Boas maybe needs to look at is the spine of the Chelsea team. Of the 4 stalwarts, namely Petr 'Broken Bones' Cech', 'Dear' John, Frankie Lampard and the Ivorian dude, the latter three might need to be moved on, and rather soon I guess. Raul Meireles looks more than capable of filling Lampards boots, but John Terry needs addressing. David Luiz is a good defender, but the boy needs a calm head beside him, and Terry looks like he needs a baby-sitter himself. Maybe a new addition is needed, and Gary Cahill might come quite cheap as his contract runs out in the summer. Another interesting player is Dortmund's Serbian centre back, Neven Subotic. Whatever the case, Roman has to realise that his team needs rebuilding, not a major one, but still an important one at that.

Arsenal disappointed thoroughly on the night, though they can be forgiven for being hard done by as the 'Ozzie' between the posts was in a rather blistering form. The team as a whole did look jaded as well, down to the fact that the same team has played many games without much change, though it looks likely that at least half the team will be out when the Gunners welcome Arab Moneybags, City, to the Emirates in midweek for their Carling Cup quarter final date.

Spurs look like they are depending on Adebayor to bag a few goals for them, and his partnership with Jermain Defoe is beginning to look lethal. I just wish Harry would give Defoe the chance to play up top, alongside the lanky fella, or Jermain might be out the door if not January, certainly in the summer.

Tonight's game will be a gut-wrenching one, with Liverpool needing to win to if they harbour any desire to finish in the top four. The Mancunians will want to extend their lead at the top to 7 points, though they're confidence would have been rattled after the midweek defeat, as their Champions League hopes look to have vanished into thin air. I may sound rather biased, but I'm actually hoping for a draw, just to stop the Blue half of Manchester from pulling ahead too far.

Till next time,
Sayonara.

A Fergie Tribute

It's his Silver Jubilee, and Sir Alex Ferguson of Scotland will probably go down as one of the, if not the greatest manager to ever grace the game. On the 6th of November, it will be exactly 25 years since Sir Alex was appointed manager of what has now become the leading club in the UK. It will take a momentous effort to come anywhere near what the Scotsman has achieved, and I can safely say that the chance of it being repeated is second to none.

Upon his appointment, United were at that time, second from bottom in the league, then consisting of 22 clubs, and the he managed to lead them to an 11th place finish. United's first league title under Fergie came in the first season of the Premier League, the 92/93 season. Ironically, the previous season is the last time their main rivals, Liverpool, won a League title. Manchester United have won 12 since then, and have overtaken the Merseysiders as England's top dogs. Ironically, Liverpool were then managed by Kenny Dalglish, who went on to sit in the stands for 10 years or so, while his counterpart was still at it in Manchester. Added to the 12 League Titles, and you get a handful of FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 10 Community Shields, a couple of Champions League titles, (though a few runners-up medals), a Super Cup and a Cup Winners Cup each, and one Intercontinental Cup, alongside the sole FIFA Club World Cup United won in 08. A host of personal accolades followed and many out there know what he has achieved, so I will not waste more time on it.

The last quarter of a century, the world has witnessed the fall of the famous Soviet Union, the US being attacked in 01', the capture of Saddam Hussein, throw in the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and now Muammar Gaddafi and not forgetting the tragedy at New Orleans, the 2004 tsunami and a couple of other things which were significant enough to live a long lasting memory in most human beings. In the footballing world, the game witnessed the passing of one of the great managers of all time in Sir Bobby Robson, which was indeed a sad year for football as a whole. 6 World Cups has been played, and in that period, 'Fergie', as he is fondly known, has built 6 to 7 great teams in one club. Numerous United fans have tried naming 'Fergie's best 11', but there was hardly an identical choice among the supporters. That is a testament to his man-management skills, and his ability to spot players and rope them into the Theater of Dreams.

His teams have always had a trademark about them, going back to the days of the 'Cole & Yorke' partnership in the late 90's, before that the mercurial Frenchman in Eric Cantona, followed by the Golden Generation of Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Keane and not forgetting the Nevilles. One of the things that have to be admired about Ferguson's teams is that they always play football the right way, though some may argue that there is no wrong way to play football, but there is no denying that fans would rather pay more to watch United in action than to pay chicken feet to get a ticket into the Britannia Stadium, no offense.

Another traits the great man has is his ability to pressurise his opposing managers and making them melt under the heat. Kevin Keegan comes to mind, and so do Arsene Wenger and Rafael Benitez. More often than not, he comes out on top, though I really miss the moments when he and the man in North London used to get it going, on and off the pitch.

That being said, whatever is written here or elsewhere will not be enough to sum up what Sir Alex has achieved over the years, and even he might not be able to put it into words. From an Arsenal fan's perspective, it will certainly be interesting to see what will happen when Fergie retires, and who takes over at the helm, because shoes will not be the only thing that will require filling. One thing is for certain, he will certainly have a hand in picking his successor, and I can only thing of one man who is capable of doing it, and his name needs no mentioning. But let Fergie enjoy his moment, and the whole of football just stand back and take into account what he has done for the game.


There will never be another Alex Ferguson, Sir, I would add.