Say it were to happen, could forest survive in the premiership as they are. You could say that Paul Smith, Rob Earrnshaw and Andy Cole have premiership experience but from our current squad who could help us retain premiership status. The forest young guns like McGugan, Cohen, Bennett, Chambers and Wilson could make the step up in time but possibly not next season.

The concept I'm touching on here is that if a team wants to survive in the premiership then they must be premiership quality before they are promoted. This is why I believe Calderwood will make more signings before the Championship gets underway.

As much as it pains me to say it, a surprise promotion this season may not be in the best interests of forest because an awful lot of work has to be done before the side we knew last season that were promoted by the skin of our teeth, can become a premiership side.

Only time will tell if Cohen, McGugan and the rest grow with age and become the premiership players they are capable of being but unless its this season for our own sake, we had better not get promoted!

Bullard signed for Fulham for £2.5million in the Summer of 2006 before a horrific injury put him out for 16 months.

He was instrumental in Fulham's great escape and is a real fan's favourite down at the Cottage, having only played 21 games for the club.

I really can't see the club letting him go easily, unless it is for silly money. He is a very important member of the squad, and Roy Hodgson reiterated this after it was rumoured that the club were willing to let him go.

More to follow soon.

Arsene Wenger offloaded an aging plodder in Gilberto Silva, so, he replace him with another one when he signs Torsten Frings from Werder Bremen.  The deal seems unlikely, as Arsene never signs multi-year deals with players over 30 and likes his men about 15 years younger.  There’s also the small fact that freaking Newcastle reportedly rejected advances from Frings’ agent.  But, he would be about £15m cheaper than Gareth Barry.

Chelsea will revive Real Madrid’s coffers with a  £48m ($96m) bid for Brazilian starlet (can you still call someone that at 24?) Robinho.  For those keeping track, that is $2.74m for every goal scored at Real Madrid in his three seasons.  Either Big Phil wants to drastically change Chelsea’s style of play, or he really, really wants Ronaldo to leave England.

Andy Johnson is diminutive, pasty-white and bald, but that won’t thwart Wigan’s advances.  The club will increase their offer from the £9m that Everton rejected, bringing him to about the same price as Arsenal paid for Samir Nasri.  Johnson did only score 6 goals in 29 appearances last season, but he’s English!

The stirring As the Goalkeepers Turn saga continues this week.  Aston Villa will buy Brad Friedel to soften countryman Brad Guzan’s transition.  Blackburn will then try for Liverpool’s Scott Carson, who already has offers from Stoke and West Brom.  Somewhere, Paul Robinson sits in a pub, drowning his sorrows and waiting for the call that never comes.

Liverpool will buy enigmatic striker Robbie Keane for £20m.  Like a child with cash in a candy store, Spurs, predictably, will squander an immediate £17m on David Bentley.  Those not affiliated will chortle heartily.

I've just set up a worpress blog for the SCUMBAGS with a simple theme and custom header.

Now I've just got to convince the others to sign up-to wordpress and start blogging regularly.

No concrete details as yet however it's a possibility that it will be in direct competition with Maximes for Friday nights, however I find this highly unlikely.

Scumbag DJs have been approached by someone on the inside however so fingers crossed. We'll have to wait and see.

BO55 DAD (I can't really quarrel with that one.)

P11KY D (Why d'you want to be one of those?)

W16AN M (I guess they'd want to say they came from Wigan...)

PORTSMOUTH

HARRY REDKNAPP - I'm sure many people won't argue with my choice for the hero at Pompey last season. Finishing 8th in the Premiership and winning the FA Cup is an outstanding season and I believe this will be the start of good things at Portsmouth, I see them getting better and better. Harry also pulled off some great signings last season including Kranjcar, Diarra, Muntari, Defoe and Glen Johnson. Well done Harry, absolute man of the year for me.

READING

NOBODY - I cannot think of one single person at the club who did well last season. They were woeful.

SUNDERLAND

ROY KEANE - Did a great job in keeping Sunderland up this season. Crushed Tottenham's Champions League dreams after the first game of the season, but never really maintained that throughout the season, but did get results needed to stay up. I used to hate Roy Keane when he was at Man U, but I don't really mind him anymore. Maybe that's the sign of a great player and decent manager.

TOTTENHAM

PAUL ROBINSON - Absolute comedy genius supplied some of the most entertaining moments of the whole Premiership last season, even Robbie Keane was pissing himself laughing. Reminds me of Bobby Davro and Les Dawson rolled into one. Thanks Paul, you certainly cheered up my Saturday afternoon more often than not.

WEST HAM UNITED

ROBERT GREEN - Another great season from the man who just can't seem to break into the England squad. I'd take him at Arsenal.

WIGAN ATHLETIC

WILSON PALACIOS - I've not really seen much of Wigan this season but from what I've heard, Palacios is having a storming season, and Man U have shown an interest in the Honduran playmaker. Not good enough for Arsenal but good enough for Man U?

That's it for me folks. Please feel free to comment.

Grant arrived at Chelsea last summer from Premier League rivals Portsmouth as director of football, a move which did not please then Blues boss Jose Mourinho. After an indifferent start to the season, the popular and media pleasing Mourinho was axed after a 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg in the Champions League, and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy placed Grant in charge.

It was a decision which didn't go down well with the fans as, not only did they adore Mourinho, the self styled "special one" who brought the club 2 league titles, they were rightly concerned at Grant's limited managerial experience.

His first game was a daunting trip to Old Trafford and a 2-0 defeat by Manchester United wasn't the perfect start, though they weren't helped by the red card issued to midfielder Jon-Obi Mikel. After that though, Chelsea embarked on a 16 game unbeaten run which saw them through to the last 16 of the Champions League, quarter final of the Carling Cup and back up the Premier League table.

Although his public demeanour was perhaps duller than Mourinho's was, he set Chelsea out to play in a more attacking sense than Mourinho did, who focused on a solid defence. This was evident in a 6-0 drubbing of Manchester City, who were then flying in 3rd place, and the 3-2 defeat of Liverpool in the second leg of the Champions League semi final. Added to that thrilling 4-4 draws with Aston Villa and Tottenham then the entertainment value was there. Certainly more so for a neutral than what Mourinho's sides produced.

But, ultimately, Mourinho's teams won trophies, which is where the Israeli failed. He came in for fierce criticism following the Carling Cup final loss to Tottenham, who dominated Chelsea for long periods. Then his team suffered the embarassment of FA Cup defeat at Barnsley, who had also shocked Liverpool.

Crucial dropped points in draws at home to the likes of Wigan and Everton, where Chelsea lost very late goals, ultimately cost them the title but from a seemingly impossible position which I stated after that Wigan game, they defeated Manchester United and took the title race down to the last day and marched to their first Champions League final. But Chelsea missed out on both, leaving them with nothing to show for their efforts.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said in the aftermath of Grant's departure: "We have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us.

"So although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed."

Now, of course they are entitled to be disappointed. However, this is where football as we know it is going down the swanny in front of us. Chelsea before Roman Abramovich took over were a decent side. Regular qualifiers for Europe, winning the occasional trophy. But since the Russian has invested an obscene amount, they demand instant success. They have had some, but even reaching the final of Europe's elite tournament and almost snatching the title from the dead isn't good enough.

I felt its been a great season for Chelsea in the main and they were unlucky to end empty handed, especially in Moscow. Grant was given a near impossible task in trying to emulate the success of Mourinho, and I feel his sacking is premature and harsh after his achievements this season. He at least deserved to put his own stamp on them and take them into next season.

The foreign owners taking over at Premier League clubs and demanding success instantly is a problem. They don't know too much about the game it seems to me, they'll just think they can throw money at it and they'll get what they want. Thaskin Shinawatra at Manchester City, threating to sack Sven-Goran Eriksson after his first season there, where they finished a very creditable 9th, is another case in point. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I've said it before and will do again. Manchester United and Arsenal didn't achieve the success they have by hiring and firing all the time. Sir Alex Ferguson has been in charge of United since 1986, and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal since 1996. Sure, they have gone through trophyless seasons but the United and Arsenal boardrooms know what great managers they are and always have faith in them.

If the Chelsea board had done that, then perhaps Grant could've delivered trophies next term. 8 months is not time enough to judge, and certainly not given he led Chelsea to their first Champions League final, ultimately decided on a lottery. Even axing Mourinho, after the success he'd brought was ridiculous simply because they'd had a sticky start to the season.

I feel he can leave with his head held high. The question for Chelsea is, who next? Frank Rijkaard seems to be the bookies choice, but we shall have to wait and see what happens.

It's a night of merriment and mirth, consisting of Motown, Northern Soul, Rock, Indie, Breakbeat, Electronic, Hip Hop, Dirty D&B, 80's & 90's Cheese, Funk, Reggae, in fact everything that is good in the world!

3 DJ's, 3 different styles, 1 common goal......... to provide you with a night that you all will enjoy

9:30 pm til late, requests welcome..... as long as the music you suggest isn't offensive to our ear-holes

During my day i did observations and chatted to patients and staff to hear their stories and thoughts about the unit.  Whist i was there i realised what a niche service this is for the patients, they use it three times a week, there start to finish user journey is very methodical, it can often take up to 7 hours, and they are dependant on it to keep them alive....I have never expereinced a service that is such an important part of someones lives.

However although this is the case i have never met a group of people that were more upbeat and positive.....they were great! They know they need this treatment, but they just get on with it and make the most of it. The patients and staff have a real family vibe between them, they are all treated with equality rather than a division between staff and patients, it was very refreshing.

After a full day spent at the unit and a good disucssion with the renal consultant about our next steps i have come away with lots of exciting ideas and i am determined than ever to help make a difference!

More updates on this project will be on my website soon!

sorry i couldn't upload an image wordpress was being rubbish!

AEK FC official web-site profile of Manduca here.
AEK FC official web-site profile of Papastathopoulos here.

I’ve been up Wigan Bridge Club
to have a game of Bridge
It’s something that I longed to do
so that’s just what I did.
Just what goes on behind those doors
to secrecy I’m sworn
But playing cards is quite surreal
when set to hardcore porn.

So it was a season of two halves for the Arsenal this term. From August to early January we dominated practically every game, played brilliant football, and lost only twice in all four competitions, all of which we were still involved in at that point. The highlight of these four months was the 7-0 victory versus Sparta Prague where we played better than Brazil in the '70's and Walcott got his first Champions League goals.

Then three events saw the beginning of Arsenal's downfall.

• Tuesday, January 22, Arsenal's 5-1 loss to Spurs
• Saturday, February 16, Arsenal's 4-0 loss to Manchester United
• Saturday, February 23, Eduardo breaks his leg against Birmingham

Origen: Wigan, Inglaterra

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thevervetv

Página oficial: http://www.theverve.co.uk/

Miembros: Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones, Peter Salisbury

Status: Activos - Nuevo disco Otoño 2008

AwayFromHere: The Verve

Una canción: The Drugs Don't Work

Hei, ingat gak apa kata orang-orang Chelsea (pemain, pelatih, suporter, dsb) sebelum pertandingan? Mereka bilang MU akan menang mudah melawan Wigan karena pelatih Wigan, Steve Bruce, adalah mantan pemain MU. Mereka juga bilang, karena Wigan sudah aman posisinya untuk EPL musim depan, dan lain sebagainya pokoknya melancarkan segala persepsi ke media yang mengarah bahwa Wigan akan “mengalah” untuk MU yang sedang mengejar juara EPL 2007/2008.

Buktinya, Wigan memberi perlawanan cukup sengit, tidak menunjukkan kalau mengalah demi MU. Striker Wigan, Emile Heskey, bolak-balik mengancam gawang MU, tapi akhirnya mentah. Karena? Kipernya dong... Van der Sar. Kemenangan MU dibuka dengan penaltinya si CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) pada menit ke 32 karena striker MU, Wayne Rooney, dilanggar di kotak penalti.

Gol selanjutnya dicetak oleh pemain senior MU, Ryan Gigs pada menit ke-81. Gigs masuk sebagai pemain pengganti pada babak kedua (menggantikan kalau tidak Park Ji Sung atau Scholes gitu, aku lupa). Gigs mencetak gol, dia ada di posisi yang tepat, tidak terkawal dengan baik oleh pemain belakang Wigan. Gigs juga sempat menyelamatkan bola yang akan masuk ke gawang MU. Dia berdiri di bawah mistar gawang, menghadang bola sundulan Emile Heskey hasil dari sepak pojok untuk Wigan.

Hayo... akhirnya Chelsea seri gitu melawan Bolton.... Kalaupun hasil MU juga seri, MU juga yang juara EPL 2007/2008. Kalau MU menang karena penaltinya Ronaldo, toh golnya Gigs sangat telak Sangat menunjukkan kalau MU menang murni karena kekuatan MU sendiri, bukan karena tim lawan yang mengalah (atau apa lah...)!
Bagi yang menonton pertandingan MU vs Wigan kemarin (Minggu, 11/3/08), pasti melihat euforia/ selebrasi setelah gol Ryan igs. Selebrasi Gigs, pemain-pemain United, pelatih, official tim, dan supporter MU. Aku juga agak teriak kemarin, kasih aplaus untuk gol Gigs itu. Wah fantastis banget! Benar-benar kelasnya tim juara dengan materi pemain-pemain hebat.

Kemarin, aku menonton pertandingan MU vs Wigan di giant videotron Jalan Abu Bakar Ali, dekat Hotel Garuda Yogyakarta. Penontonnya banyak banget malam itu. Jalan Abu Bakar Ali yang terbagi jadi dua ruas (utara dan selatan), ruas jalan sebelah utara “tertutup” oleh penonton yang duduk di jalanan. Yang ruas selatan “hanya” tertutup separuh jalanan. Hal ini sering terjadi pada pertandingan-pertandingan big match. Seperti misalnya kemarin MU vs Arsenal (2-2), nutup jalan juga. Aku sendiri kemarin lihat dari ruas jalan yang selatan, duduk di atas motor. Aku lihat sama bapakku, yang sama-sama suka MU juga (wah... lengkap...).

Kabar tambahan, Ronaldo yang tahun ini menjadi top scorer EPL dengan 31 gol, tahun depan berencana membuat 50 gol dalam satu musim. Pelatih MU, Sir Alex Ferguson, belum akan berhenti melatih MU, setidaknya untuk beberapa musim kedepan. Dan juga kabarnya untuk tahun depan, MU akan membeli striker Newcastle, Michael Owen. Kenapa nggak Roque Santa Cruz aja (striker Blackburn Rovers)? Yang lebih muda dan juga naluri gol tinggi, jadi lebih efektif daripada Owen yang mulai tua dan gampang cedera.

Hmm... MU forever!

However, rollercoaster is one which could describe the season that Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has had. It started with the Scotland team, leading us to victory over Lithuania, France and Ukraine (goals below) as a nation hoped for the miracle of Euro 2008 qualification. A final game defeat to Italy put paid to that, but Scotland, and McLeish, were rightly lauded. National heroes if you like.

But despite saying he would be loyal to Scotland for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, he was off 10 days after the Italy match to take over as Birmingham boss, following Steve Bruce's departure to Wigan. It started well enough for him, with his new charges winning 3-2 at Tottenham in his first game in charge.

But despite just one home defeat in 13, Birmingham have struggled. Games which should have been won were drawn (2-0 up on Liverpool, drew 2-2) while their away form was poor. The January signing of Scotland hero James McFadden couldn't provide enough firepower and on the penultimate day, they slumped 2-0 at relegation rivals Fulham.

So Eck's team went into the final day knowing they had to beat Blackburn and hope Fulham and Reading slipped up in their games to have any chance of survival. And City did their part, demolishing Rovers 4-1.

But the day didn't go to plan. Reading, who started play outside the bottom three, romped to a 4-0 win over dismal Derby at Pride Park, who went down as officially the worst team in Premiership history. The Royals knew that if Fulham failed to win at Portsmouth, then they would stay up at the Cottagers expense.

But it was to be heartbreak for Reading along with Birmingham as Fulham completed a miraculous escape. Danny Murphy's header 14 minutes from time from Jimmy Bullard's free-kick sealed a 1-0 win and Fulham's survival on goal difference.

And their manager Roy Hodgson deserves huge credit. After a 3-1 home loss to Sunderland, Fulham looked doomed with 5 games to go. But a 2-0 win at Reading, followed by a sensational 3-2 success at Manchester City having been 2-0 down and effectively relegated, breathed new life into their chances and in the end they accumulated 12 points from their final 5 games to preserve their status. A terrific effort.

So joy for the Londoners, but bitter disappointment for Reading and Birmingham. Steve Coppell is said to be considering his future at Reading despite his chairman and the fans hoping he'll stay. Relegation is a bitter pill to swallow for the Royals after a superb 8th place finish last season, and it is reminiscent of Ipswich coming up to the Premiership under George Burley, finishing 5th then going down the next season.

As for McLeish and Birmingham, it was always going to be a struggle for the Blues. Their fans rounded on the board after the match, but now its up to them to prepare to attempt to bounce back immediately. McLeish is a good manager, but I said at the time he was mad to leave Scotland, a flying Scotland, for a struggling club like Birmingham. One wonders if that he wishes in part he was still at Hampden rather than St Andrews.

He is a player who really needs no introduction for Australian football fans. So, without further adieu:

PC: Your Socceroo career started back in 1997 against Macedonia and ended in front of a packed MCG against Argentina. In between, you amassed 52 caps and 9 goals. What was your biggest disappointment and greatest highlight?

Josip: Highlight would have to be World Cup qualification along with the winner I scored against Greece at the MCG. Biggest disappointment is easily not getting any match time during World Cup.

PC: Giving us a further insight into your Socceroo career, which Socceroo has the most annoying habit or is a pest in general? Who is the best footballer in your Socceroo generation? Who is the most difficult opponent that you have had to play against?

Josip: To name one player with an annoying habit wouldn't do the rest justice but it's enough to say that there was plenty of laughs to go around the group when talking about annoying things or habits. The best footballer in my generation would have to be Mark Viduka. I don't think i need to explain why. Most difficult opponent is a tough one as we have played in so many different games but it would probably have to be Zidane back when we played France in Melbourne in a friendly. The ball was tied to his foot in the greasy conditions that night. Unbelievable.

PC: During your career, you have played in Croatia, Belgium, Turkey and now England. There are several young A-League players who are looking to move abroad. Given your extensive experience with European football, what is your advice in relation to choosing the right country and club to ensure the continued development of these young players?

Josip: In regards to choosing a club for the young guns coming through. I would have to say that at a young age it's important to go to a club where the chances of playing are reasonable. Most clubs in Europe will be paying decent money so that shouldn't be an issue early on. I think there are plenty of clubs in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark or similar countries where the football is good but the gap in quality coming out of Australia is not so big that it can't be made up in a year or two of hard work. These days the young boys shouldn't be afraid to call upon some of the players of the past who have been there and done that to ask for advice about clubs and countries. Their advice could be invaluable long term.

PC: Your contract with Wigan expires at the end of the season. Can you provide us with an update as to whether you will be resigning with the club or perhaps moving to another foreign club? You have been strongly linked to a move to the A-League. Is there any substance to these reports?

Josip: My current position for next year is still up in the air. Whilst I have discussed next year with Wigan I have put out feelers elsewhere to keep my options open for the coming season. Finally, I have had some talks with clubs in the A-league but I am currently concentrating on staying in Europe for another two or so years before considering coming back to Australia.

Sorry A-League fans, looks like we'll probably be waiting a few more years to see Josip back in Australia. Good luck for next season, wherever you may be and thanks for taking some time out to provide us with an insight into your career so far.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-4696431101729350959&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]

El Chelsea tenía que esperar el fallo del United que no ocurrió pero es que además los blues no pudieron pasar del empate frente al Bolton que con este punto se salvaba del descenso después de coquetear con el durante el año. Los de Londres han acariciado el título en la temporada post-Mourinho y deberán preparar bien la final de Moscú para llevarse un título este año, la que sería su primera champions.

El tercer peldaño del podium inglés fue para el Arsenal que se despidió de esta liga con una victoria frente al Sunderland. Los de Wenger tuvieron una mala racha tras ganar al Milan que les apartó del título aunque se quedaron a sólo cuatro puntos. Keane consiguió mantener al Sunderland en la Premier tras su ascenso y dicen será el sustituto de Ferguson.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-8756786014535704817&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]

Y acompañará al Arsenal en la previa de la champions el Liverpool que ganó en esta última jornada al Tottenham de Juande. Los de Benítez no estuvieron nunca cerca de la cabeza y acabaron a once puntos pero se llevan el zamora en las manos de Reina. Juande ya puede empezar a pensar en la siguiente temporada para intentar repetir los exitos de estas pero mejor clasificados en la Premier.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-7103793971510959722&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]

.foto di ambil dari galeri foto http://www.detiksport.com/sepakbola.

akhirnya juara juga (lagi) Manchester United setelah di laga terakhir menang 2-0 atas Wigan, kemenangan terasa menegangkan karena penentuan juara liga inggris ditentukan pada akhir kompetisi, yang akhirnya ManU memenangi liga inggris setelah Ronaldo dan Giggs mencetak gol. dan Chelesea di laga terakhir ditahan imbang 1-1 atas Bolton.

selamat buat ManU, tinggal satu gelar yaitu Liga Champions dan lawannya adalah Chelsea, pasti seru banget pertandingannya.

Matches Between Top 25 Clubs This Week:
14 May - (19) Fluminense at (4) Sao Paulo
18 May - (6) Porto vs. (15) Sporting CP

Congrats to Man Utd (Champions) & Fulham (Saved from relegation West Ham Style) and West Ham for Finishing Above Tottenham & Newcastle from Cmonyuirons.com

And i also have to say to the Birmingham Yobs who Terrified little children into tears & destroyed their own ground, Every Fan in the World think you are SCUM.

Oleh : Robert Manurung

SUNGGUH sebuah sukses yang dramatis dan inspiring. Oh ya, Anda perlu diingatkan : ini kisah tribalism versi moderen dari dunia sepakbola—puncak menara budaya pop, yang merasuki jiwa kaum muda di seluruh dunia melebihi agama dan politik. Ini kisah perjuangan dan kejayaan Setan Merah, julukan klub Manchester United, yang mampu bertarung percaya diri dan kreatif meski dalam tekanan berat, dan akhirnya merebut gelar juara Liga Inggris 2007-2008.

MU, inisial Manchester United yang lebih populer di seluruh dunia dibanding nama PBB, memenangkan trofi yang sangat prestisius itu setelah menundukkan tuan rumah Wigan Athletic 2-0. Sebaliknya saingan utamanya, Chelsea, hanya mampu draw 1-1 dengan tim tamu, Bolton Wanderers. Kedua pertandingan itu digelar tadi malam di tempat berbeda, namun pada waktu bersamaan.

* * *

DI JJB Stadium, di bawah guyuran hujan yang membuat lapangan licin, MU mengawali pertandingan di bawah tekanan serangan gencar tim tuan rumah, yang didukung suporternya dengan kegairahan seperti penonton di arena zaman Romawi : menanti sang gladiator membunuh singa. Ternyata singa-singa MU-lah yang berjaya. Christiano Ronaldo mengeksekusi penalti dengan tenang pada menit 33, kemudian dilengkapi gol dari pemain veteran Ryan Giggs menit ke-80.

Pada waktu yang sama di Stadion Stamford Bridge, London, dengan dukungan menggelora dari suporter yang haus kemenangan; para pemain Chelsea justru mati kutu akibat tekanan ambisi sendiri. Sepanjang babak pertama, mereka tak punya inisiatif serangan yang terorganisir, cepat dan menekan seperti biasanya. Padahal, Bolton tidak memberikan tekanan berarti.

Pasukan Chelsea kian tertekan dan melempem setelah tahu MU unggul 1-0 atas Wigan. Semangat anak-anak asuhan pelatih Avram Grant itu memang sempat bangkit sejenak, di pertengahan babak kedua, berkat gol Andriy Shevchenko pada menit 62. Namun 18 menit kemudian spirit mereka benar-benar runtuh, lantaran pasukan MU yang dipimpin pelatih Alex Ferguson menambah keunggulan menjadi 2-0, lewat sontekan Ryan Giggs.

Dan akhirnya, Chelsea benar-benar hancur lebur, setelah Bolton menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 1-1, lewat gol Matt Taylor pada detik-detik terakhir menit ke-90.

* * *

APA boleh buat, tentunya tak ingin dicerca oleh pers Inggris sebagai manusia tak tahu adat; Grant pun mengucapkan selamat atas sukses MU. "Selamat buat Manchester United," ujar Grant seperti ditulis kantor berita reuters.

"Mereka telah menjalani musim yang luar biasa,”sambung pelatih asal Israel itu sembari menandaskan," Aku telah mengirimkan ucapan selamat kepada Alex Ferguson. Dia manajer yang hebat dan pribadi yang menyenangkan. Secara pribadi aku menyukainya. Aku harapkan yang terbaik buatnya.”

Padahal, hingga beberapa jam sebelum kedua tim berjuang menentukan takdir masing-masing, Grant dan sejumlah pemain Chelsea masih melancarkan perang urat syaraf yang tiadak elegan terhadap MU. Melalui media massa, mereka menyebarkan prasangka buruk bahwa kemungkinan Wigan akan memberi kemenangan kepada MU. Pasalnya, Steve Bruce yang menukangi Wigan adalah mantan pemain Setan Merah.

Itu intimidasi yang sangat jorok dan merusak atmosfir sportmanship. Kesannya, seolah-olah MU tidak mampu mengalahkan Wigan melalui pertandingan yang fair, dan seakan-akan Chelsea sudah pasti bakal menang atas Bolton.

Perang urat syaraf adalah bagian dari semangat kompetisi yang merupakan rohnya olahraga. Tapi, intimidasi seperti yang dilancarkan kubu Chelsea adalah sikap yang tidak menghormati lawan dan menyangkal karakter utama dunia olahraga itu sendiri, yaitu ketidakpastian. Kalau hasil pertandingan sudah bisa dipastikan sebelum kick-off, olahraga mati !

* * *

SUKSES di dunia olahraga kadang terjadi secara instan. Tapi itu dulu, ketika olahraga masih bersifat amatir, dan disebut kejutan. Namun di era profesionalisme sekarang ini, kejutan adalah sesuatu yang semu. Cuma hiasan kata-kata dalam reportase media. Sejatinya, sukses adalah hasil dari prosedur yang benar dan prosesnya berkelanjutan.

Coba kita diskusikan, seandainya tim nasional Nigeria atau timnas Afrika lainnya menjuarai Piala Dunia yang akan datang, apakah Anda menyebutnya kejutan ? Menurutku, itu bukan kejutan. Tapi kalau tim nasional kita lolos ke Piala Dunia, nah itu baru kejutan .

Kenapa ? Karena pusat kehidupan sepakbola sekarang ini adalah kompetisi klub-klub di Eropa. jadi, tak usah mimpi ikut bicara di pentas dunia kalau tak punya pemain di salah satu klub Eropa. Dan sebaliknya, banyak tim nasional yang menderita karena pemain-pemain andalannya menjadi pemain utama di klub-klub papan atas Eropa.

Sepakbola Eropa memang sudah benar-benar menjelma menjadi industri. Soal perputaran uang adalah cerita kuno, termasuk semakin gilanya nilai transfer dan gaji pemain. Cerita paling aktual adalah perilaku kapitalistik klub-klub Eropa, yang "mempekerjakan" para pemain sampai terkuras habis energi fisik dan batinnya.

Selain itu, tak satu pun remaja di bumi ini yang luput dari perhatian klub-klub raksasa semacam MU, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona dan Inter Milan. Kalau ada pemain berbakat, biar pun masih berusia 10 tahun, langsung diikat dan dipagari dengan kekuatan uang mereka.

Ya, uang sudah menguasai sepakbola moderen, sehingga permainan kaya imajinasi ala Amerika Latin menjadi punah. Ronaldinho sudah habis, dan Messi yang masih belia menjadi langganan cedera. Dalam hal inilah MU berbeda dan istimewa.

* * *

I am adamant that if last year's Manchester United would have remained unchanged, we would likely have finished 2nd or even 3rd. The real shining success from this season is a tough thing to pinpoint precisely, but I think Fergie's astute signings are the main talking point of the season, despite the incredible emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo as a genuine contender for best player in the world. More on him later, but first, let me explain my hypothesis.

Our early 2000's team blew pretty hard despite the presence of some bigger names and some success on and off the field. The Van Nistelrooy years stand out to me as an era of poor signings that, while they may have been skilled players, didn't fit into the United system and the likes of Seba Veron, Kleberson, Djemba X 2, Diego Forlan and Liam Miller all proved to be floppish. While I'm not doubting the ability of some of them (namely Forlan and Veron, Miller is still shite though, Djemba has dropped off the face of the earth) these were the wrong types of signings.

The players that Fergie picked up this year all added a different element to the team, without detracting from our overall style of play. Each of the players are extremely dynamic and while regular readers will know my thoughts on Nani (who I think needs more composure to compete at the highest level) each of these four have played a key part in United's campaign, thus far. While I'm on the topic of Nani, he did singlehandedly deliver three points early on in the season for us in the match against Middlesbrough. While his actions the other week against West Ham were not the type of football I like to see played at United, the lad obviously has the skills to pay the bills. He needs to spend more time soaking up advice from top pro's like Giggs, Scholesy and Ronaldo in order to reach that level of maturity and composure necessary to compete in the big games. Look at what happened to Rooney this year, Nani needs a dose of that. But watch this video as testament to Nani's gamebreaking ability.

Oliveira Anderson has provided something unique for United this year- an element of the unexpected. In retrospect, he was our mystery player this year- nobody knew much about him coming in. People had seen a bit of Nani and people more or less knew what to expect from him. Anderson was a different deal altogether. I expected the young Brazilian to come in and act like, as one of my readers predicted, "THE creative midfielder." Anderson adapted quickly to the pace and hard-hitting nature of the EPL and he shined as a box-to-box midfielder with vision and guile. Like Tevez, he possesses a low center of gravity and this makes him hard to knock off the ball and also gives him the ability to creep up on opposing players and quickly snake the ball from him. He was much more defensive and mentally aware than any of us predicted at the start of the season. While he finished goalless, his contribution was telling in that other teams still haven't quite figured out how to deal with Anderson. He will wear a United shirt for many many years.

Somebody's put together a little Anderson tribute here. I think it's fitting. Give it a look.

As a Canadian, seeing Owen Hargreaves take to the pitch in a United uniform always fills me with pride. Watching this good old boy from Calgary AB out there kicking ass in the name of Man United is one of the greatest pleasures I have. I admire the man's commitment and professionalism and while he grew up playing for Bayern, he brings the grit and get'er-done mentality that Canadians bring to everything they do. He is our ambassador to England and the Premier League and I think he is an excellent example of the type of versatility Man U have lacked in previous seasons. He is Phil Neville times three. All the versatility and ability to slot in basically anywhere, but he brings free-kicks and hard, lazer-guided tackles to the fore whenever he steps over the white lines. Hargreaves delivered the points at Arsenal and while he was hampered by injury all year, Hargreaves stepped up when he was called upon. Something that can do every Canadian proud.

This will go down as one of the greatest United freekicks of all time. I was shitting myself when he scored this one. These three points made the difference and Hargreaves fucking delivers.

And now, we've got Tevez. What more can you ask for from a player? While he isn't a 30 goal a season man in the vein of Torres, old Michael Owen or Ronaldo, him and Man United formed a symbiotic relationship this year. Manchester United has brought out the best in Carlos Tevez and Carlos Tevez has helped Manchester United get better. Everybody said that him and Rooney were too similar to succeed and that turned out to be one of the talking points of the season. Him and Rooney are similar, and contrary to predictions, it made them a better strike force. They can track each others runs expertly and both can drop deep, while both can play as out and out strikers. Tevez's versatility is one of the things that allows Man United to play the free-flowing attacking game that we all know and love. He is short, stout, and has the heart of a lion. It's an honor to watch this man go to work in the service of our team. He is on course to be a Man United legend and I have a feeling that he's a favourite in the dressing room.

He has a habit of scoring important goals. Case in point:

Now that I've addressed my four reasons why we won the title, let's get to the season's other main talking point- THE EMERGENCE OF CRISTIANO RONALDO AS THE BEST FOOTBALLER IN THE WORLD. I will argue it with anybody. Nobody plays the game like this guy and what he accomplished this season helped him break the bank, win the the title and shock the world. Over 40 goals from a right-winger is absolutely unprecedented in English football and I will also defend my theory that Ronaldo is blurring the lines between midfielder and striker. He alternates a Jeckyll and Hyde-style double-bill as a winger and old-fashioned center forward, scoring goals for fun and making opponents trip all over themselves. Always labeled as a one-trick pony thirty seconds away from a shampoo commercial, Ronaldo grabbed the team by the scruff of the neck and delivered the goods. This guy is the one who will sell "soccer" to America, not David Beckham. People in North America want to see goals and they want to see exciting stuff. Ronaldo plays football from another planet and the Glazier's know that he is their best chance at selling the game to the North American audience once and for all. That is why this guy is going nowhere.

Here's a few highlights from this season to whet your whistle. I'll have a full bio and review on him coming up in a few days.

The other main point worth mentioning is our defense. The central partnership of Rio and Vidic has been absolutely unparalleled in recent memory and the two will be operating in tandem for almost a decade, they're flanked by Wes Brown, who finally emerged as the top player we all knew he was (particularly in the second leg against Barca), and Patrice Evra- a more complete version of Roberto Carlos. These guys and Van Der Sar are the unsung heroes of the season. Like they always say- offense wins games, defense wins championships.

And that's exactly what our boys did today. Ryan Giggs scoring to put the icing on the cake as he matched the all-time appearance record for the team is a story that you just can't make up. I think you can't forget how important it was that Chelsea slipped up against Bolton when it mattered most. That gives us the big mo' going into the Champions League Final.

Drink up United fans- it's been a long season and we've delivered the goods.

Bring on Moscow.