May 2011 Archives

What a weekend for Manchester.United win the Premier League and Manchester City are the new FA Cup holders!

WEST HAM UNITED ARE RELEGATED AND SACK AVRAM GRANT

West Ham United sacked Avram Grant at Wigan shortly after they were relegated.The Hammers lost 3-2 at fellow strugglers Wigan after leading 2-0.Vice chairman Karren Brady who rarely goes to away matches was present as were co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold.Its was pretty obvious what was going to happen once West Ham had lost and were relegated.Grant should never have been appointed.This is not hindsight.I and many others thought so at the time. He has never seemed assertive and had taken Portsmouth down before joining West Ham.At any rate West Ham should have made a change much earlier when it was obvious it was not working.The question now with one match left is which two from five will also be relegated to the Championship.Only one point seperates Blackburn and Wolves from Birmingham,Blackpool and Wigan.Blackburn,who play at Wolves on Sunday--all games kick-off Sunday at 4.00p.m.--have the best goal difference.Wigan play at Stoke who will be tired in their third game in eight days.Blackpool play at Old Trafford against the Champions Manchester United.Birmingham face a tough game at Spurs,who having won at Liverpool,now want to finish 5th.Its,as Sky Sports are already calling it,Survival Sunday!

MANCHESTER UNITED WIN RECORD 19TH LEAGUE TITLE

Manchester United regained the Premier League title with a record 19th League title......and it's Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs 12th Premier League title!They were the best team this season even if they did not always play to their best which they certainly did not a struggling Blackburn.United got the point they needed through a penalty by Wayne Rooney.United have so many good players and key players have big games at different times of the season.Its this all round team skill and the manager's wonderful ability that keeps them on or near the top.Now the challenge of the European League Champions Cup final at Wembley again the Spanish champions Barcelona on May 28.Will United stop Lionel Messi and his team-mates?Rest assured United will prepare for Messi and give their very best in a classic match up.

MANCHESTER CITY DESERVE FA CUP FINAL WIN

Moneybags Manchester City deserved their 1-0 win over plucky Stoke city in the FA Cup final at Wembley.They were the better side even if they only scored the one goal in the 74th minute by Yaya Toure.Stoke's gamble to play the recovering from injury Matthew Ethrington did not come off.This was City's first major trophy for 35 years and the way their billionaire Arab owner is spending more can be expected to follow fairly soon!

RANGERS WIN SCOTTISH PREMIER FOR THIRD SUCCESSIVE TIME

Well done Walter Smith as Rangers win 5-1 at Kilmarnock to pip Celtic to the SPL by a point.The manager hands over the reins to his assistant Ally McCoist after clinching the title for the third successive season.Smith has had two spells with Rangers as manager.Walte won these trophies:9 Scottish League titles,5 Scottish FA Cups,6 Scottish League Cups,and was SPL manager of the Season twice and voted by the Scottish Football Writers as their Manager of the Year seven times! Some record for an outstanding manager!

KENNY DALGLISH DESERVES NEW CONTRACT

Kenny Dalglish has done a super job with Liverpool since replacing Roy Hodgson.Now he has been given the manager's job officially with a 3 year contract.Well deserved.Great signings with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.Liverpool will continue to climb.

PLAY-OFFS NERVY TIME

Play-offs underway and its a tense time with some much at stake-particularly in the Championship.The semi-final first legs have been played.I fancy Swansea v Reading in the Championship final;Huddersfield v Peterborough in League One's final and Torquay v Stevenage in League Two

You should bet your last dollar that Sir Alex Ferguson will ensure that his Manchester United team give their everything in the classic match up for the European Champions League final at Wembley on May 28.But don't put your house on United beating Barcelona.Lionel Messi looks unstoppable.Barca are a great team and you would expect them to win this final.But as my old on screen partner Jimmy Greaves used to tell me: "football,gal,is a funny old game"

MANCHESTER UNITED V CHELSEA CLASSIC NEAR DECIDER

Manchester United v Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon is a classic not to be missed on Sky Sports.United 73 points 38 goals difference.Chelsea 70 points also 38 goals difference.The winner take all? Not quite but nearly!After this weekend United will play relegation threatened Blackburn away and finish with struggling Blackpool at home.Chelsea then have Newcastle at home and Everton away,slightly trickier.If United beat Chelsea you have to fancy them strongly again.If Chelsea win then goal difference is going to be a massive factor.A draw definately favours United.I have been with Manchester United all season and I am going to stay with them now.I believe that United will get a result against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

BORING AND FRUSTRATING WAIT FOR TECHNOLOGY

Chelsea had a lucky win over Spurs.They deserved the result but both goals were dodgy.The ball was not completely over the line for the equaliser.The linesman,who gave it,could not possibly tell from his position.The winner was offside but in fairness to the officials you need a slide rule to tell,not the human eye at first sight,normal speed....I have been campaigning for years for technology but if Blatter and his boys cannot give it after the World Cup "goal" by Frank Lampard what hope has the English game with the current FIFA set-up? I am blue in the face with frustration..and the negative attitude and arguments about the amount of time.It could be done in the same amount of time that the game is delayed by the players arguing over it with the officals! And the grassroots argument is rubbish.They have it in cricket Test matches but not county and village cricket..they have it in Rugby Union internationals but not club matches.Its a cop out by the richest sport in the world!

ITS SO TIGHT IN THE RELEGATION STAKES

Who goes down?Forecasts keep changing because it is so very tight at the bottom.West Ham keep being tipped by some to go down;others to stay up.They do look to have an easier fixture list than their rivals...threatened Blackburn at home,bottom three Wigan away and off form but safe Sunderland to finish at home.Wolves have biggest rivals West Brom at home on Sunday(just what you need!),Sunderland away and Blackburn at home on the last day.Wigan have Villa away,that West Ham home match and then Stoke away after the FA Cup final!Blackpool,very much in trouble have Spurs away,Bolton at home and Man Utd away.....and Blackburn have West Ham away,Manchester United at home and just what they need Wolves away on the last day! Take your pick....I'Ve got Wolves,Blackpool and Blackburn to go down!

WEST BROMWICH ALBION PAIR MY CHOICE

I enjoy sitting on the Barclays Premier League manager and player of the month awards panel.Its good to be involved.This month my votes went to Roy Hodgson as manager and his striker Peter Odemwingie.The Baggies has a great month.Hodgson has brought organisation to the team and lifted them to safety,currently 11th...Odemwingie has scored 14 Premier League goals this season.I look forward to seeing what my fellow panelists come up with...

DAVID COLEMAN GREATEST TELEVISION SPORTS PRESENTER

Did you see BBC's excellent documentary of that great television sports presenter David Coleman on his 85th birthday?He was brilliant as presenter,interviewer and commentator.He did everything including eleven Olympic Games...and they only come round every four years.David is the best I have ever seen and heard by miles and I have been in the same game for 43 years...Its wonderful that his channel should remember this ultimate professional.We don't have enough on screen journalists these days.A mixture of former sports stars and journalist trained performers is always the best mix.,

SAD ABOUT THE PASSING OF SIR HENRY COOPER

A few months ago I hosted the Variety Club of Great Britain Golfing Society's tribute to their former captain Sir Henry Cooper.It was an honour.Among the tributes to this modest,friendly,down to earth boxing legend were those from Jimmy Tarbutt,top writer Colin Hart, and former World champion John Conteh.Afterwards I asked him to sign my menu after sitting at his table.He did so and thanked me for the nice things I said about Henry. Typical of him.
Henry looked frail.He was going deaf and his body would no longer allow him to play his golf.He was recovering from recently losing his identical twin brother George and he would never recover from losing his wife Albina two years earlier.Indeed the day after our event he flew to Italy to scatter her ashes in her native country. His emotions must have been an ordeal for him.Albina had been his rock.Sir Henry,the only boxer to be Knighted was one of the truly great English sporting heroes.The punch that floored Cassius Clay will live on forever as will his image.The passing of a proper man.

LEICESTER CITY DIP OUT BUT NEED PROMOTION NEXT SEASON

Off to see my beloved Foxes play Ipswich in their last home match of the season on Saturday."If only" was the name of former Nottingham Forest chairman Fred Reacher's house in the Brian Clough days."If Only" Sven had started the season with Leicester I am pretty sure they woould be in the play-offs.But he didn't and they aren't.The new Thai owners have given him all the money he has needed to bring a stack of on loan players including the highly paid Yakubu but they have fallen short.They will need to do it next season with all the resources available.Here's hoping!...Player of the season?Richie Wellens....

PAUL LAMBERT IS ANOTHER MARTIN'ONEILL TYPE TOP MANAGER

Congratulations to Norwich.Regular readers of this blog will know how much I fancied the Canaries for promotion and how highly I rate Paul Lambert.I recommended him to my team Leicester City at the start of the season but I was told that the Foxes were too far down the road with Paulo Sousa ( what every happened to him?). Lambert played under Martin O'Neill,looks like him in a tracksuit;glasses,socks tucked in plus fours style and gestures.And clearly has the same managerial talent.The team have done well even if the directors are more famous,ie Delia Smith and Stephen Fry!Delia and her husband Michael have poured millions into their club and deserve their return to the Premier League.I hope they can stay up.

QPR CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH EARLIER

Rules are rules folks and should be obeyed.QPR face points deduction if fou nd guilty over charges of a transfer irregulation.It would mean almost certainly that they would have to go into the play-offs.Surely this should have been dealt with earlier.There will be controversy whatever happens..and delays to play-offs if an appeal is necessary and sought!Messy! Only winners besides the other team to be automatically promoted would be the lawyers...