(sj, from memory, I was disappointed that you took the bait on Chelsea so easily! but hey – who’s lauging now!!)

And not a word about my Fantasy EPL victory from anyone – nows that’s disappointing, Pippu!

I am out of here – have a good weekend

you disappoint me

Opta stats show Chelsea are the most attacking side in the EPL over the course of the season – with more shots on goal than any other club (248). Chelsea also set an EPL record this season for most consecutive away wins (11) and were the strongest club away from home this season. They also had the highest pass accuracy rate in the EPL (81%).

So Chelsea hardly flattered to deceive, in fact it is our latter form that was title winning, not our former form in which the sadly inadequate Scolari had one or two good games but lost crucial points until he was replaced by the mighty Guus.

Still, I do remember that first game of the season with special fondness…

As male sporting enthusiasts (which most of us are to at least some degree), how could we not be influenced by Hemingway’s tales in which men are men, and those lacking in cojones get their just rewards (and where the women don’t mind a man with smelly armpits and a bit of stubble on the face).

Liverpool dropped a few too many gimme 3 pointers (and Chelsea flattered to deceive, looking like the new Arsenal during the first 90 minutes of the season – alas – that was their high point).

Art – I already said I believed the story!!

Man U are Flat Track Bullies.

You still have to be Basque to play for Bilbao. Its quite an anachronistic position in today’s modern football but then again football is not all about winning trophies.

Pip – the story I recounted to you yesterday was quite true.

Greg – great observation. Liverpool certainly fluffed their lines this season.

And Greg – fantastic statistic! It certainly paints Manchester United’s achievements this season in an interesting light.

“In Premier League against the bottom 12 teams MU got 70 of 72 points. Against the top 7 teams they got 20 points from 42. Against the other top 4 teams they got 5 points from 18. So for MU to struggle against a good team was expected.”

I have other reasons for being an unabashed Catalan sympathiser (being a desecendant of a former subject of the Aragonese crown – which harks back to a time when Sicilian was viewed as a national language, and spoken alongside Catalan amongst the noblesse of Palermo, Catania and Messina – many traces of Catalan remain within my mother tongue to this day).

I’m just wondering why Catalan nationalism is so unquestioningly romanticised in much of the western world? I’ve got friends (from the region) who call themselves Barcelona fans that have never seen a game of football in their lives. Are we equally romantic towards a club like Athletic Bilbao? Perhaps not, since bombs still detonate in the name of the Basque (quasi Marxist-Leninist) separatist movement.

And yes, I’m well aware of the fractured history of federalised Spain (Phil Ball’s wonderful “Morbo” takes pride of place in my extensive football library).

I thought the ref and linesmen were ok this morning.

Pippinu, I saw an article on goal.com which had the most popular teams in China following a poll of unknown veracity. You may be saddened to learn that the most popular team is AC Milan, followed by Real Madrid and then Man U. Apparently they were surprised to find that a number of Chinese sides made the top 15.

Mick – Liverpool were extremely lucky in 2005 IMO. They nearly went out in the group stage but for Gerrard’s last-gasp goal against Olympiakos. And while I’ll maintain that the goal against us in the semi was never a goal, the fact is the ref should have stopped play before that because of the high boot by Baros in the lead up to the “goal.”

Maldini is absolute legend.

Xavi & Inesita, wow what midfielders, this is how to play, won’t be betting against Spain in WC2010.

Messi totally awesome, he doesn’t actually beat players but runs with the ball as if there is no defenders there.

Ronaldo had no support.

Rooney, Park, Carrick & vidic were poor. Van der Saar I thought could’ve done better.

Henry missed a sitter, if Barcelona lost, Henry goes missing in big matches again would be headlines.

Who is Chelsea?

And yes, Milan fans and fans of other Spanish clubs on the wrong side of certain decisions to complain, and for years later. I quote one Milan fan, in a comment made three years after the UCL fina in which Gerrard was awarded that penalty (in discussion of another controversial decision):

“such a shame to see a player like gerrard do a thing like this[a dive against Atletico Madrid]…………..he is a bit of a hypocrite in that he chastises those who dive and yet he is a performer of highest order in diving………….champions league final 2005 istanbul ring a bell? giancarlo knows what im talking about. great player……..huge hypocrite”

“Yes any Milan fans know what you’re talking about. Gerrard is a cheater and always have been one. This doesn’t surprise me”

“He most certainly did dive. I did watch the game, and the referee should have given Atletico at least two penalty kicks. The score would have been 3-1 at the end with Atletico winning”

etc.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article5191537.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=796995

Fans of Spanish club Atletico Madrid even made death threats to a referee that awarded that penalty to Liverpool.

In 2007 a Spanish referee received more than 50 death threats to himself and his family from Real Madrid fans for awarding two controversial penalties and sending off two Real Madrid players. His six year old daughter even received abuse in the park for her fathers performance, being told that her father “ruined things for Real”.

Otherwise, we might have been be playing in the UCL final against Barca with a team comprising of Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and a few choice imports. Oh well, I can always dream.

Liverpool won in 2005 helped by (1) a dive in the box by gerard in the finalbut i did not hear the milan supporters whinging (2) liverpool in the semi of 2005 v chelsea with a goal where the ball never crossed the line and (3) liverpool’s opponents in the 1/4s i think had a good goal ruled out for offside when the bloke was onside for 1 to 2 metres.

2005 would be the biggest conspiracy if any, if chelsea were good enough they would of put barca away in the 2nd leg especially when barca had 10 players on the pitch.

I

That sort of feat is right up there with Barca having 6 local players in their starting XI in terms of rarity in the modern era.

As a sad note to this otherwise great story, he made his last appearance at the San Siro last weekend, and a bunch of idiot ultras put up a banner proclaiming that he hadn’t shown enough respect to those who made him rich.

What a bunch of wankers.

The sooner Italy (and many other nations) can weed the scourge of ultras out of the game, the better off we’ll all be.

It’s hard for a Sicilian to be too complimentary too a Northerner, but Maldini really is an absolute legend in every sense of the word.

I also saw the foul on Ronaldo and thought Man U were unlucky he def got bodychecked by what appeared to be the last defender and only a yellow was given. Having said that the lack of Man U protests suggest there may have been another defender coming across. Also Man U stupidity in letting Giggs take the free kick instead of Ronaldo.

btw It seems I am the only one who saw that professional foul on C Ronaldo… I am surprised no one has commented on it … I will have to watch the replay tonight to see If I did see what I thought happened…

Midfielder or MVDave, didn’t you lads see it…. ???

~~~~~~~
KB

Iniesta went down without anyone touching him a few times.

P.S, I’m not sure how Barcelona was built as a business or a club, but Manchester United deserve respect for building a business, without getting any significant investment. Once they got success, from the advent of their very successful 1992 Youth cup side, they have sustained it and ultimately built on it, allowing them to spend the money they do.

The best performance, for me, in the final this year, was from the referee, I take my hat off to him (or I would if I were wearing one).

Man of the match and FIFA World Player 2009 = Massimo Busacca.