With just two blogs to go before I take a break for exams, it's time to reflect on a week where the top and bottom places of the Premier League were decided, the play-offs began and Djokovic won... again. My last blog before a two week break will be next Monday because of the number of Premier League fixtures on the Sunday, but I might include a few awards and season highlights...
The past week
With all the inevitability of an Australian batting collapse, Manchester United managed to find the goal they needed to lift the Premier League trophy. Although Hernandez was fouled in the box (what was Paul Robinson doing?!) there was little doubt that the penalty would be given, even with all the consultation between referee and linesman. You can just imagine the conversation going on between the two:
Ref: What do you think?
Lino: Why are you asking me? I'm a linesman we never give decisions
Ref: If only we had someone behind the goal, then it would be so much easier
Lino: As we are both not sure, I don't think we can give a penalty
Ref: You're right. (Looks at Ferguson then points to the spot).
The only problem with giving the penalty was that it meant Rooney got to score the goal which sealed the record breaking title. Ever the opportunitist, he decided to shave the number 19 on to his chest just to prove that he actually loves the club and never really wanted to leave (after being given a wage increase).
It must have been a great night for the owners of Manchester's bars and clubs as City won the FA Cup on the same day, courtesy of another Yaya winner. What was surprising was to see Balotelli get man of the match. I have been converted by the Italian and am now a self-confessed fan just because of his ridiculous antics.
Here are some of the antics he has gotten up to (with a little help from FourFourTwo):
He is rumoured to have spent £1,500 on fireworks on joining City and set them off from his flat, before getting cautioned by the police.
He dumped his girlfriend Melissa Castagnoli (wow!) by text message on TV. The text read - "I'm back to make you change, but never mind, you are sunk." Having looked at photos of her on Google, I am stunned anyone would ever dump her. Ever.
He threw a dart at a youth-team player from a first-floor window because he was bored.
He took on several bouncers after being removed from a strip club, so one of them smashed his Maserati.
He apparently won £25,000 in a casino and gave £1,000 to a homeless man.
It is alleged he racked up £10,000 worth of parking fines already, although he disputes this figure.
If Manchester is celebrating, then London is definitely a place of mourning. Arsenal and Chelsea have both missed out on the Premier League and now West Ham have been relegated. Avram Grant being sacked afterwards was as inevitable as a Novak Djokovic win, but he can have no complaints. A team with the striking options of Cole, Ba, Piquionnem Keane and Sears should not come bottom, not to mention Scott Parker, my player of the season. Hammers fans can now look forward to blowing bubbles in the Championship, alongside Forest.
Ah the play-offs, the football equivalent of 90 minute exams, except with a lot more nerves and sleepless nights. Having paid in the region of £40 to go to Nottingham and watch the match on Thursday night, I was treated to watching Forest be outplayed for half the match by a team with 10 men, then I had to watch us not being given a pretty clear penalty. Fortunately, I can now watch the inevitable second-leg capitulation at Gunnies tomorrow evening, so it's not far to walk back to my flat and I can down my sorrows pretty easily if I need to. And in case you think I am being optimistic, here are some statistics:
Swansea home record: played 23, won 15, drew 5, lost 3. Scored 41, conceded 11 = most home wins, most home points and fewest goals conceded at home.
Forest away record: played 23, won 7, drew 7, lost 9. Scored 26, conceded 28 = shoot me now
Flop(ianski) of the week
I know I mentioned Sepp Blatter last week, but this week it has to be Mohamed Bin Haman, the man Blatter will beat in the Fifa elections next month. The man who is supposedly going to reform the most corrupt sporting body in the world (or so I assume) had the man who supposedly fixed the Qatar bid working for him for six years. Anyone who thinks there is a shed of decency left at Fifa is mistaken naive, but it is worrying that Haman is actually seen as a reformer. I suppose it says everything about Sepp 'women should wear skimpier skirts' Blatter. Actually, maybe he isn't that bad after all...
Hall of lame
For the next two weeks it is only right that I talk about the play-offs and where better to start than the most embarrassing capitulation ever, including Arsenal's match at Newcastle earlier this season. It might have been four seasons ago, but the wounds from Forest's capitulation at home to Yeovil still run deep. Having won the away leg 2-0, we contrived to lose at home 5-2 after extra time in a match which should have an 18 rating, it was that horrific. However, we had the last laugh as they didn't win at Wembley and we bought their best two players and went up automatically next season.
The week ahead
Wigan scrape a last ditch draw at Stoke and start a pitch invasion, but then news come through that Birmingham have won at White Hart Lane to relegate them. In the mayhem, nobody realises that Charlie Adam has scored a 30 yard free-kick to secure a 4-0 victory for Blackpool against Manchester United. The home side played their under 15 team, but the Premier League don't fine them for fielding a weakened side.
Forest come from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium courtesy of a Dele (L)Adebola last minute winner. If only.
Dramatic news comes out of Fifa headquarters. It turns out Sepp Blatter has had a sex-change. Well, as it's Fifa you'd believe anything.
Quotes of the week (some are real)
Balotelli - "All my season was shit"
Avram Grant - "I am a good manager, honest."
Arsene Wenger - "I feel the team is mentally strong."
Newcastle fans - "I wanna go home, I wanna go home. Chelsea's a sh**-hole, I wanna go home." Yes, that's Newcastle fans calling Chelsea a sh**-hole. I didn't realise Geordies did irony.
No comments:
Post a Comment