Angry Fans
Today, and every Tuesday, he will be acting as referee on your opinions on the Premiership. Let him know what you think and he’ll argue the toss with you. We’ll be offering a free sports prize to the star contribution each week. This week there’s joy (almost unconfined) at United’s five point gap after a pulsating weekend of action; glee (and a certain amount of malice) about the relegation of Leeds United; several fitting tributes to Alan Ball; argument over Big Sam’s legacy; and a look forward to tonight’s big Anfield match.
Letter of the week goes to Tony Adair for working both Bally and the Gallagher Brothers into the same contribution. The prize is in the post Tony, Definitely Maybe.
OSCAR Wilde once said it was impossible to read the death scene of Little Nell without laughing out loud. I feel exactly the same about the relegation of Leeds United.
Quoting the boy Wildey is a yellow card offence. If you must have a go at poor Leeds — and I expect many of you must — then at least have the wit to create your own insults.
HI Liam, what a weekend, Man Utd shoving closer to the Premiership title, Chelski shoving away from the Premiership title . . . there hasn’t been such excitement since T.V. Ga Ga. Chelsea prove once again that they are great when they lead from the start, but are not so great when trying to catch up and they don’t like it up ‘em. Congrats to Roy Keane and Sunderland on their incredible rise to the top-flight, some operator, Roy boy.
And so to Europe. If I had three wishes from the Champions League genie, they would be 1) Man Utd to finish off the Milanese, 2) Liverpool to beat Chelski, 3) Man Utd to beat Liverfluke in the Champions League final. The world would then be a much better place to live in.
ISN’T football great? There was a period on Saturday as a Man U fan that I said Chelsea could be champions and I was quaking (2-0 Everton and 2-1 Chelsea) level on points with two tough trips awaiting us to Man City and the Bridge, little did I know at the end of the game we would be five points ahead with a superior goal difference. What a great season it’s been and here’s to an exciting finale.
WHAT a calculated move by Philip Neville. Who could have foreseen the possibility of such circumstances arising — aside from the brilliant and selfless younger brother of the club’s captain. I would personally like to begin the lobbying for him to be considered our 20th goal scorer instead of Eagles who would be afforded number 21 after his brilliant goal. Also, makes you wonder about the proposed transfer of Rio Ferdinand to Chelsea a couple of seasons back. Should we have sold him? He might have proved to be a very useful ally in the coming weeks with a possible treble of crucial matches.
The only problem is that he probably would have forgotten what to do while dreaming of shopping with his bird. Unlucky Phil, from a professional point of view, but thanks a million. Hero.
Fine missive from Donal V which accurately captures the ding-dong excitement of the Premiership season just ending. And then goes and spoils it all by saying something stupid like . . . TV Ga Ga. Your choice, Donal — a red card or the bill for all my years of post-traumatic stress counselling.
WAS that Sam Allardyce’s goodbye present to Bolton Wanderers fans? To hand the Premiership to Manchester United?
NOTHING became Sam Allardyce quite so much as the manner of his leaving. No attacks from open play; two goals from (badly defended) set pieces; time wasting par excellence and five bookings for shirt-tugging and other gems of obstruction. Oh, and a manifest handball unpunished. Well done Sam for spending eight years building the new Wimbledon and not having to go to Milton Keynes to do it.
Ah, me oul’ flower, Cork Blue. Thought you’d sneak in under cover of Big Sam’s unfeasibly big head and none of us would notice that you’d failed to address Chelsea’s imminent demise as champions. The great man’s parting gift to you? One guess and a hint: red.
I REMEMBER travelling to London to watch Alan Ball in 1970 in the Charity Shield against Chelsea. He wore white boots — no one did that sort of thing in those days — and dominated the game. He was my hero. The Holy Trinity of Kendall, Harvey and Ball. The Golden Vision of Alex Young. What a team Everton had in those days. It used to be a pleasure to go into work after the weekend. Sic Transit Glorious Mondays.
ALAN Ball was one of the first modern players who understood that perspiration is as important as inspiration. But after 1966 English football became obsessed with “work rate” and flair players — Currie, Hudson, Bowles, Marsh, Osgood, Worthington — were gradually squeezed out of the international game. Bally had a lot of flair and was a wonderful short passer, but coaches drew the wrong lesson.
BALLY was a top, top player, but not a great manager, but he did inspire one of the great anthems of football from Maine Road regulars, sung to the tune of Wonderwall by Oasis:
“Today will be another day; I wish I’d never been a Blue
“I’m sure we saw it all before when we went down to Division 2
“I don’t believe that any team has played the way we do,
“Apart from Slough.
“Last week we had a bad defeat that we really could have done without
“Felt sure that we were gonna score, but again we left the field with nowt
“I don’t believe that Bill Shank-er-ley could stop us going down,
“Nor could Don Howe
“And all the roads to Wemb-er-ley are winding
“We ain’t got any silverware for shining
“We haven’t won a single thing for over 20 years and we won’t do now.
“Cos maybe, we should have got Liam Brady
“But after all we got Alan Ball.”
Talking about the Gallaghers, and looking at your picture Liam — you’re not a long lost cousin are you?
Hell no, I’m a Rory, not a Liam/Noel, man. But for remembering Alan Ball, in such a poetic, if back-handed way, have our Letter Of The Week prize.
SO Carvalho ruled out by injury from tonight’s match with Liverpool? Jose couldn’t be telling porkies for the second time in a week could he? Could he?
CHELSEA V Liverpool certainly wasn’t a game for the creative players. Alonso might as well have been up in the stand. The Liverpool midfielder was like a skilful boxer caught up in an all in pub brawl. How he must have wished to be in a game dominated by players, not managers.
Can’t disagree with you there, Mike. Needless to say, many desperate readers have been on to me wondering how they should bet on the semi-final second legs. So here are the actual results in advance: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 and AC Milan 2 Manchester United 1. It’s a Chelsea-Milan final and I’ll give you the result of that next week.
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FIRST Jacqui Oatley, now Gabby Logan being given her own Inside Sport TV spectacular. Is this some plot by the sisterhood to take over the beautiful game? And when can we expect RTE to go all politically correct. Perhaps putting a lady pundit in with Dunphy, Giles and Brady might lead to some sparky moments?
“A lady pundit”? Back with you to the cave, Nick.
DID you see that mid-air save by Paddy Kenny at the weekend? Was he a stunt double for House of the Flying Daggers? Up the Blades.
Daggers. Blades. Brilliant.
GALLAS says we haven’t seen the best of him this season. He can say that again.
Ok. “You haven’t seen the best of me this season” — William Gallas.
