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Word.

Exactly a year ago today I posted a big list of football games that you could watch for the opening weekend of the football season. You know, because I’m nice.

Well this year the season doesn’t start until next weekend… but seeing as there’s football leagues starting in the next few days (Charity Shield, Scottish League, French League, etc.) I thought I’d give you the tools to start a week early.

I wrote a guide here as to how you can watch matches live on the internet for FREE. No sky, no digital, no fees - no nothing. Just free football streamed across the internet.

So this weekend here are just a few choices for games (all times are GMT).

Saturday
12.30 - Falkirk v Rangers
12.45 - Birmingham City v Sheffield United
16.00 - AC Horsens v Brondby
17.15 - Everton v PSV (Friendly)
17.15 - Man City v AC Milan (Friendly)
18.00 - Arsenal v Sevilla (Friendly)
19.30 - Shamrock Rovers v Sunderland (Friendly)
20.15 - Ajax v Inter Milan (Friendly)
21.00 - Colorado Rapids v Toronto FC
21.30 - Sporting Lisbon v Sampdoria

Sunday
12.30 - Celtic v St Mirren
13.15 - Nottingham Forest v Reading
15.00 - Man Utd v Portsmouth
15.00 - Tottenham v Roma (Friendly)
16.30 - FC Kobenhavn v Aarhus
17.00 - AIK v Elfsborg
19.10 - NK Zagreb v Hdjuk Split
19.15 - Brno v Slovan Liberec
19.30 - FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt v Bayern Munich
20.00 - Lyon v Toulouse
20.00 - Boca Juniors v Gimnasia de Jujuy

Much better than Sky. Infact, most weekends there’ll be around 6 or 7 Premiership games on live (not to mention other leagues - Spain, Italy, France, all of South America, MLS, Germany, Holland, Australia, etc.)

If you want to watch any of the above games read my guide here and use www.myp2p.eu as your TV guide (so you know what channel to look for).

It’s good to have the football season back

p.s. I think this will also work for Olympic games too if anybody wants to watch that.

Ladbrokes doesn’t seem to be letting me on today, which means I have very little to do with my Friday afternoon. This is one of the major problems with working night times - most of your friends work during the day time so your time off is a very solitary experience. And I’m a bit sick of the gym at the moment, so it’s a lot of time spent at the laptop!

I’ve spent most of the time on my comp this summer reading up on the football, as I often do.

The season is almost here. The opening games are next weekend, which means that this weekend is the charity shield where my (and about 70 million others’) team Man Utd take on Portsmouth (who my dad supports). I’ve never been a big believer in the charity shield because it is ultimately a friendly, usually played between the two of the top four teams (United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea) but I will quietly enjoy this one as Portsmouth should be a refreshing change.

Looking towards the Premiership itself - not much has changed amongst the top four (unlike last pre-season). Manchester United haven’t brought anyone in. There is a clear gap in the strike force, which will horribly exposed with one or two injuries (Rooney/Ronaldo currently out in the short term) which means Frazier Campbell will probably see a lot of first team football this season, and so might players like Manucho and Daniel Welbeck if enforcements don’t come around soon. Berbatov seems like the one Fergie is chasing, but there is a clear problem with Tottenham’s valuation of the Bulgarian.

Liverpool seem to have done the most tinkering. Benitez has again looked to collect a few more wing backs, safe in the knowledge that he has yet to buy a single Premiership quality left/right back. The acquisition of Robbie Keane, whilst a costly one, could prove to make a massive difference in Liverpool’s quest to break the Man Utd/Chelsea title race. Personally, I think a lot of Keane’s quality stemmed from his striking relationship with Berbatov who tends to share and look for his strike partner a lot more than I expect Fernando Torres to. Regardless, Keane is a quality signing and will surely form a much better relationship than whatever Dirk Kuyt and Voronin could offer. Why they are still chasing Gareth Barry is beyond me (because Mascherano and Alonso are going nowhere)… it should be painstakingly obvious that a right, and possibly left, winger are needed to make this a world class team. And wingers like Quaresma and Mancini (who has now gone to Inter Milan) were readily available. But can you tell Benitez anything??

Chelsea haven’t done too much either. Bosingwa looks a good player, who will surely be better at right back than an out-of-position Essien or an inept Paulo Ferreira. Not sure why Scolari has signed Deco when they already have Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Mikel and others vying for the centre midfield spots… while there’s no considerable change in personnel, the change will surely be in Scolari’s style of football. I think Chelsea will go on to win games in an attractive manner, but likewise they could stumble in attempts to play Scolari’s ‘beautiful’ football. From what I saw of Scolari’s Portugal and Brazil sides - they weren’t always able to grind out results when they weren’t playing well, so it will be interesting to see how they tackle that at Chelsea.

Whilst many criticise Arsenal’s selling tactics, I think that the acquisition of Samir Nasri is an excellent one, and Wenger will be proved right yet again as one of Europe’s most promising young players replaces Alexander Hleb who I was never really a big fan of. Arsenal will have to play out of their skin though to keep themselves in the top four. I can’t see Emmanuel Adebayor having another goal-scoring spree like last season, nor do I see the new boys Nasri/Ramsey settling in straight away. Of the so called ‘top four’ I think Arsenal are the ones most in danger of slipping out… or atleast I hope so.

And right behind them will be Tottenham. Excellent acquisitions all over the place. Not sure about their strike force, which boasts only Berbs & Bent (with Berbatov possibly departing soon). Word on the street (yeah, word on the street) is that Villa could join soon, Arshavin too and Vedran Corluka. Hard to see where Arshavin fits into this picture after the acquisition of Luka Modric, but many feel it indicates a forthcoming 4-5-1 system which will rely heavily on Arshavin’s success. Personally, I think that the Russian is vastly overpriced and will come unstuck in a division that is much faster than he’s used to and against world class defences/holding midfielders (look how easily Marcos Senna and Xavi dealt with him in the Euro’s). However, it will surely be an improved side on last term and I think they’ve a real chance of breaking into the top four!

Elsewhere, Sunderland look really good and have absolutely transformed their midfield into top 10 standard. A couple more defenders and possibly a striker and they will be top 10 for sure, maybe even pushing for a late UEFA cup place.

Man City, Middlesborough, Newcastle and loads of others have looked to buy players with no real discernable experience or outstanding quality. If I were fans of those teams I’d be quite worried. While the teams around them strive to improve (Villa, Tottenham, etc.) these teams haven’t really ‘bolstered’, but rather chopped ‘n’ changed.

At the bottom, I honestly think that the ’sign-everyone-you-can!’ policy of Hull City might make them a safe bet to stay up. While teams like Derby County or West Brom of a few years ago believe that their Championship squads can cut the mustard and grind out results with ugly football, Hull have looked to improve in every single position (or atleast have as many options in every position as possible). Anthony Gardner is an excellent acquisition, and I’m sure the likes of Bernard Mendy and George Boateng will prove invaluable too. Stoke and West Brom both seem far too laid back in their transfer activities, which I’m sure will see them struggle from the off. Even if Hull do struggle straight away, I think they’ve got such a big squad now that eventually they will find an XI that will get them results. It certainly will be an interesting season for their fans, and I think of the three sides ‘destined’ for relegation the Humberside team are probably the best equipped to face the task ahead!

Not many massive changes on the European front. Barcelona have made a good move signing Daniel Alves… Ronaldinho is not a bad addition to any side, so AC Milan have done well there… Van der Vaart is just so good it hurts, and will fit in a treat at Real Madrid… lastly Inter Milan have finally realised they need wingers and the addition of Mancini (and possibly Quaresma too) will completely transform that side. Those are the teams (aside from AC who are in the UEFA cup) that I expect to challenge for the Champions League, but then again those are the teams that are always there anyway!

Not sure if there’s anything else that needs to be said.

I can see it being another Man Utd/Chelsea race, with Liverpool providing either an early or a late charge (as Arsenal did the year before). I say it every year, but I think Tottenham could well pip Arsenal to 4th place, and then after that you’re looking at the usual candidates of Everton and Aston Villa. West Ham, Newcastle, Man City and Blackburn will all float around mid table doing very little all season… and at the bottom I can’t look past Stoke and West Brom to go down. Hull might, but I think their squad looks capable of staying up, and thus I think Fulham or Middlesborough could be the other team unsuccessfully fighting to stay in the league.

And I can’t wait to watch it all unfold \o/

£18 million for Huntelaar.

£35 million for Berbatov.

£35 million for Benzema.

Just some of the figures being thrown around in the press lately about Manchester United’s summer targets.

As soon as the Euro’s shut and the transfer window open the Premier League was thrust into transfer activity. Chelsea brought in Deco, which suggests that 8 central midfielders might help them win the Premiership as opposed to 7. Arsenal and Adebayor have confused me greatly by asking for nearly double what they sold Henry for. Hull have tried to sign aging greats to create a world class team of 5 years ago (Makaay, Vieri, etc.) and Middlesborough have looked to sign unknowns, as long as they’re young unknowns.

All the while, Sir Alex has come out and said that he is looking at one or two things and that United fans should only really expect us to bring in one player.

And it’s hard to imagine it being anything but a striker.

We were in the chase for Jose Bosingwa, ultimately won by Chelsea, which suggests that Sir Alex knows that a tussle between out-of-position Wes Brown and over-the-hill Gary Neville is not the ideal battle for a starting birth at right back. A right back and a striker would have been the only real requirements, as far as I’m concerned, and it seems that Fergie knows we could bulk up in those areas too. The chase for the next van Nistelrooy seems to be the primary focus though.

We have been linked with Berbatov for forever and a day now, and Dimitar himself has spoke of how the move would be a dream. Tottenham, however, are still sour over the Michael Carrick transfer and it seems that we would have to pay well over the odds for the Bulgarian. A player who they bought for £10 million a few years ago (when we were in the chase) is now valued at near £40 million by the London club. Personally, I wouldn’t touch him for that price, even if he is exactly what United need - experienced in the Premiership and a brilliant individual goalscorer.

However, if United are going to throw nearly £40 million around, I would question whether they should do it at 26/27 year old Berbatov, or 20 year old Karim Benzema who has been a phenomenon this season. Benzema, who I have seen more than a handful of times, gave Ferdinand and Vidic a torrid time in Lyon last season BY HIMSELF. I’ve never seen anybody give them the run around quite like he did. He’s strong, skillful, versatile, fast and will surely go on to be one of the best players in the world over the next few years. Lyon seem to want £40 million for the player, but Benzema has long stated that he wants to stay in France and help Lyon win the Champions League (come on mate, don’t be daft). Whether you could convince him to move to Old Trafford, even after a fee has been agreed, is another matter.

Huntelaar, of Ajax, seems a much safer bet. The press are quoting £18 million as the price tag for a player who’s been linked with all the best clubs in Europe. However, Ajax are a selling club, and when they let van der Vaart go for as little as £6 million a few years back to HSV I think it was, when he was APPARENTLY on the brink of £15 million moves to Barcelona - you have to wonder if Huntelaar is really going to cost that much. I would question Huntelaar’s ability to score on the big stage and the big occassion, but is without doubt that he is the best natural goalscorer outside of Europe’s major leagues, and he has been for some time now. The real mystery is how Ajax have kept hold of him for this long? Every year he’s rumoured to leave, and the past 3 or 4 years he’s apparently been Old Trafford or Bernabeu bound.

Personally, I would love to see any of those players at Old Trafford. United can’t rely on another season of 40+ Cristiano Ronaldo goals, and they can’t expect Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez to stay fit for another entire campaign. Indeed, news that Ronaldo needs surgery and could miss the first month or two of the new season should force United’s hand that new firepower is required. Whether they go for Berbatov (a silky and sulky finesse player approaching his prime), Benzema (a bullish young player who could go on to be one of the world’s greats) or even Huntelaar (a proven goalscorer who surely needs to leave Ajax in the near future to improve his game), will surely depend on money (Berbatov/Benzema) and the player’s desire to join the Red Devils (Benzema).

Huntelaar feels like an easy, but perhaps more realistic, option after all things considered. The startling truth though is that their are few out-and-out strikers of world class ability available in the current climate. United fans will inevitably compare whoever is next in the door to Ruud van Nistelrooy, and with that said they should hope that Fergie can secure a deal for one of the three above. Ruud’s are big shoes to fill and Fergie will know that Saha and Manucho can’t be relied on to back up Rooney and Carlitos. If Saha is our #9 next season I will be bitterly disappointed.

Well it’s over now. Women can rejoice as the daily games of International football fall away for another couple of years, while men will sit back and talk about a first major competition for quite some time that didn’t feature England and whether it was ‘any good’?

For me, it was not only good, it was great.

I’ve mentioned a few times what a difference it makes to have a tournament where every single moment isn’t made comparable to England. However, Spain’s triumph has been credited to the mastery of Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas. When, in actual fact, David Villa was the better of the two strikers (Fernando spent most of the tournament rolling around on the floor) and Xavi/Iniesta were far more effective for the Spaniards than British-based Fabregas - who was merely a well used substitute, just as Guiza and Corluza(sp?) were. Focus on Germany was more to do with Ballack and his terrible track record in finals competition. With every team in the competition it seemed all the punditry focused on the British based compenents (Kazim-Richards for Turkey, Modric for Tottenham, Tuncay for Turkey and so on and so forth).

But I guess you can’t get away from that kind of ‘lets make it all British’ kind of press for a whole month, can you?

Personally, I’ve just enjoyed seeing 16 teams play some pretty entertaining stuff, without ever having to worry about motivating myself for the England games. It’s been a pretty relaxing experience just enjoying the spectacle. Not feeling completely involved.

Spain deserved to win it, as far as I’m concerned. Germany kind of stumbled through the whole competition and looked uninspired in pretty much every game they played in. For all their individual talents, they didn’t look settled as a team, and I think that only two players that will come out of this tournament with any grace are Podolski and Schweinsteiger who put in excellent performances pretty much every time they turned out.

Spain, however, looked settled and comfortable as a team. They had a strike partnership that fully understood how to play together. They had a well organised defensive set up, and they had a midfield that had caution, composure, intelligence and patience. In every single game the Spanish midfield set the tempo. That notion couldn’t be more fitting than when they came up against Russia, who were being lauded as potential winners after eliminating the Dutch. What Spain did, that Holland couldn’t, was to address the threat of Arshavin (he was nowhere to be seen in that game) whilst still being a danger going forward. Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Senna may not look like that most exhilerating line up on paper but in Xavi/Iniesta you have two incredibly clever players that are creative, but wary of doing the wrong thing. Attributes that lead to few wasted crosses/passes and an insistence on keeping possession until the killer pass or move comes along.

Whilst the Dutch played a lot of attractive football, and were a lot of people’s favourites to progress to the final (they were mine too!) they simply didn’t have a side or a squad as complete as Spain’s. What they produced on the attacking side of things was masterful, but the defensive co-ordination and organisation wasn’t quite capable of dealing with players like Arshavin. In the modern day game, the notion of you can score three and we’ll score four doesn’t quite work against the more organised units of international football. But it sure was enjoyable to watch.

A Spain-Holland game would surely have been a spectacle - it wouldn’t have been the final but it would have felt like one - because unlike the Germans, Holland would have gone at Spain with everything, which would have led to a much more open game than what we saw last night. Oh well, we can only dream.

A mate of mine declared that this tournament had been ‘boring’ and nothing compared to the Euro’s of 96. Bull shit, as far as I’m concerned. Euro ‘08 gave us the Turkish come back kings - a final couple of minutes against Croatia that will go down as absolute classics, just as their comeback against the Czechs will. You had a Dutch masterclass against the aging French and Italians. You had Russian underdogs doing extremely well against whoever they faced, inspired by the genius of Guus Hiddink. The Portuguese, of course, putting in a lot of attractive performances that were good for the neutral. You had Romania and the Croatians impressing a lot of people. And the refs were pretty good too!

The final may have been a bit of an anti-climax, but these days with so much at stake they often are. You can hardly say that Euro 2008 has been boring though, it’s been fantastic - it’s just a shame that it’s over.

Now lets have some transfers please!

I’ve tried to brush off all this talk of Ronaldo leaving for Real Madrid, as I bury my head in the sand, but everybody’s talking about it so here goes…

United fans are being awfully fickle on this subject. “Ronaldo’s a traiter”. He’s this, he’s that.

Ronaldo is one thing - a player who wants to play for his dream club.

United fans should accept that outside of England not everybody wants to play for Manchester United. While we continue to proclaim that the English league is the best in the world, outside of this tiny island there is a whole world that enjoys the majestic play of Real Madrid/Barcelona or the less action-packed play of AC Milan/Inter/Juventus. Not everybody is besotted with the action packed, hustle and bustle, very English style of the Premier League.

Ronaldo grew up in Portugal playing continental football, watching continental football, and dreaming of playing the same way as Luis Figo. Not David Beckham. Not Andrei Kanchelskis. Not Eric Cantona. He’s always dreamt of playing silky football in the Santiago Bernabeu, rather than getting kicked to pieces at Bolton and Wigan.

United fans are overlooking the fact that we do this every year when we sign players. When we wanted Hargreaves, he demanded a transfer from Bayern Munich as it was a dream for him to play for England’s biggest team. Same goes for Rooney. And Rio Ferdinand. And Michael Carrick. And Alan Smith.

How can we turn around now and say that Ronaldo is a traitor for chasing his dreams when the bulk of our squad is made up of players who’ve turned their backs on the clubs that established them?

We can’t.

If he goes, he goes. If the price is right and his heart isn’t in it, then let him leave I guess.

I understand why Ronaldo would want to leave. I wish all this was happening behind closed doors, and I hope he stays, but I suppose that it is inevitable that he will leave - whether it is this year, next year or on a bosman in a few years time.

The money that they’re talking about for Ronaldo is monumental. 50 million, 60 million, 70 million - enough to get us Benzema, or Berbatov, or any striker we need as well as a winger to fill Ronaldo’s boots. I’ve also heard Sergio Ramos and Sneijder or Robinho, which I can’t see being true as Real make far too much money through the merchandise of Ramos (one of Spain’s biggest young stars) and Robinho (one of Brazil’s biggest stars, and a rising figure in Nike’s sponsorship deals).

Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be enough to replace Ronaldo and then some. Ronaldo will not eclipse the season he has just had, and I think that the biggest teams in Europe are wise to how he plays (which is why he ‘never performs in the big games’) so I don’t think United will fall apart without him.

This debate could go on for hours really, and I could talk on both sides of it all day long. At the end of the day this Ronaldo-to-Real saga has been going on since before the World Cup of 2006, and he didn’t go then so he might not now.

However it does seem inevitable that one day Ronaldo will fulfill his ambition of playing in all white in the Santiago Bernabeu, and thinking unselfishly, if its his childhood dream then who can blame him for wanting to leave?

Well, I guess that shows what I know doesn’t it?

I said Holland would go out but I honestly expected it to be to better opposition. Not that Russia aren’t good, but after brushing aside Italy and France I expected Russia to be a fairly routine test. I guess Holland were better as underdogs, and when everyone expected an exhibition from them against Russia it just didn’t come off.

I also said: “Croatia, who have been great, will beat Turkey because Turkey are just very, very bad. But Croatia will give way when the pressure mounts. Same goes for Russia. Great coach, they’ve been good to watch and with Arshavin free to play now they might go a bit further but I can’t see them reaching the final.”

What happens? Turkey put the Croats out. And now Russia, who have comfortably beaten one of the competitions major favourites, are looking good to reach the final whether its Spain or Italy as their opponents.

Some pundit I am, eh? A Turkey/Russia final would be proof that I should keep my mouth shut from now on.

I just realized I haven’t written a single word about Euro 2008 on here since the tournament started.

It all started whilst I was in Prague, and I guess I just completely forgot to mention it at all on here. For what its worth, I had planned a little preview of the tournament of some description, but clearly I never got round to it!

Anyway. I just watched the Portuguese get dumped out of the competition by the Germans. To all the people that thought Portugal were the best team in the tournament – you are wrong. They looked good in their group, but you would in a group made up of woeful opponents. Tonight they were exposed as a team that simply aren’t good enough to win this competition. They’ve got some of the individuals – Pepe, Deco, Bosingwa and Moutinho have all been excellent. But they also have some pretty awful players in their team. Simao, a tricky winger with no pace at all, slows the whole team down when he gets the ball and seems incapable of an accurate cross. Paulo Ferreira can’t play right back, so why he is deployed at left back is mystifying. Then there’s Nuno Gomes – a striker who leads the line for Portugal simply because there isn’t really anybody else about to do it. The team’s got good individuals, but it’s not the finished article, and Cristiano Ronaldo was never going to carry them on the big stage like everyone was expecting.

Germany haven’t been great as a team either. Their group should have been a breeze, but their strikers haven’t got going at all, especially Gomez who has been a huge disappointment. I like the German national side for a change though. Schweinsteiger has a lot of fire in him, Lahm is a great player and Podolski is ace as well. If it weren’t for Lehmann and Ballack I might actually want them to win! I expect them to make the finals at the very least.

With that being said, I’m backing the Dutch (as I usually do). And for once it looks like it might be their year. For as long as I’ve been alive the Netherlands have always had teams that play beautiful, open, attractive football and this one is no different. On paper it’s not a fantastic team, particularly defensively, but they have been pretty faultless in my opinion. The flexibility and fluidity throughout the midfield and attack is a pleasure to watch – and from the off I think they solidified themselves as favourites. A team that can make 9 changes and still walk over Romania (who had held off Italy and France) are a team that should be definite contenders for this years European Championships. I’m just hoping they don’t bottle it late on like they usually do. I’m thinking they might when they come across Germany or Spain.

I think we can all be in agreement that Italy and France have been hugely disappointing. Italy look like a team that have never played together before with this tournament, and Luca Toni looks bemused every time there’s a camera close up. Mind you, with Pirlo sitting as deep as he does, basically touching his centre backs, and Toni playing off the last shoulder, it is always going to be hard for the Italians to play quick, attractive football. But that’s just how the Italians are!

I was really looking forward to seeing the French team in this tournament, what with the emergence of Benzema and Nasri on the national stage. Not to mention a whole host of domestic players who have outstanding reputations in France. Players such as Toulalan have looked really good in this tournament, but it is the seasoned and experienced Frenchmen that have really let the side down – Makelele, Henry, Sagnol, Thuram – all look unmotivated and in the team purely because they have been in the set up for so long. I was honestly expecting their squad to be tilted towards the new generation of French football rather than the ageing guys who were around in ’98 and ’02. Time’s change and this French team was never going to challenge. Never mind. Maybe World Cup 2010 is when we’ll see the new generation. Mind you, Henry might still be playing, so no doubt his reputation will guarantee a starting berth.

If the Dutch don’t do it this year, Spain will. They look sharp and confident, but most importantly there are goals galore in the Villa and Torres partnership. Any idiot can spot that, but it is simple that regardless of the rest of the team, David Villa and Fernando Torres are just going to be too much for most defences in the tournament. Add to that a midfield with so many different qualities, and Sergio Ramos who will attack the right flank all day long, then you’ve got a serious recipe for success. All their games have been great on the eye so far, and I am a big fan of their policy that they can only protect their lead by scoring more goals. A Spain/Holland encounter will no doubt be the best game of the Euro’s. If I’m correct then I think that is a potential final?

Forget the rest of the teams in the tournament. Croatia, who have been great, will beat Turkey because Turkey are just very, very bad. But Croatia will give way when the pressure mounts. Same goes for Russia. Great coach, they’ve been good to watch and with Arshavin free to play now they might go a bit further but I can’t see them reaching the final.

I’ve really enjoyed the tournament thus far. I think I’ve only missed two games. Whilst some people are ignoring it, saying its not the same without England, I think for me that has made it more enjoyable. Rather than each game being about potential England opponents, and every pundit talking about how our midfield is superior to the Spanish, or how we could defend as well as Italy, instead we’re simply enjoying the games for what they are. Neutrality is something I love in punditry and media coverage, so England not being in the Euro’s has been a blessing in many ways. I doubt that the rest of the country will see it that way, as most people only ever turn on for the England games and any other major ties, but for me it has been lovely to see teams like Holland, Spain and such go about playing without England ever being mentioned!

I got Romania and Austria in my sweepstakes with mates. I waved goodbye to the prize money as soon I saw that…

I didn’t see it at the time but in the wake of United’s Champions League victory it has been a popular subject of discussion.

Apparently in the ruckus and the aftermath of Drogba’s sending off, John Terry looks to have spat on Carlos Tevez’s neck. Judge for yourself…

… its hardly conclusive, but it certainly doesn’t look good. I can’t see any spit come out but people are swearing its crystal clear so maybe I’m just blind. The mannerisms are certainly indicative of a spitting action anyway.

If its true then I’m disgusted with John Terry, as I’m sure many others will be. He’s supposed to be a role model, a captain and a potential leader of the English national team. If he has, as this video suggests, spat on Tevez in such a cowardly manner then I hope he is punished appropriately and it should certainly make Fabio Capello’s decision on his permanent England captain even easier.

Like I said, I don’t find it conclusive, but Tevez’s reaction (grasping his neck, which may be coincidence) would add further claim to this. If it turns out to be true then I’m even happier ‘Mr Chelsea’ fluffed his penalty and the chance to win… what was he thinking trying to take the decisive penalty anyway? If he was as smart and noble as he thinks he is he would have left that to Ballack or Lampard. What a prick.

I’m speechless, I really am.

It has been so frustrating ever since ‘99 getting so near to European Cup finals, yet never quite making it, that we should finally get there and edge Chelsea on penalties feels.. I don’t know.. strange.. it just hasn’t sunk in.

I’m so happy that I can’t quite put it into words… I just want to tell each of those players out there tonight how much I love them and how brilliant they are. Its one of the best sights in the world to see them all happy, which is bizarre as I don’t know any of them personally. Watching Ferguson try and celebrate is one of the most enjoyable experiences in life - so to see him win his second Champions League trophy is on a whole other level.

The game itself wasn’t great, but it was better than I expected. The first half was a pretty open and entertaining affair and we were completely in control when Wes Brown’s LEFT footed cross landed on Ronaldo’s head… but I felt our luck wasn’t going to be in when Chelsea scored through not one but two United deflections and Edwin slipping in the process. A shocking goal to concede on the big stage and after that it just felt like Chelsea were going to nick it.

Indeed the second half was all theirs. They hit the woodwork a couple of times and spent the majority of the half pinning is against our own goal. It wasn’t enjoyable to watch, but we came out better in extra time.

Penalties was a gruelling experience and I honestly didn’t expect any of the Chelsea men to miss after Ronaldo had fluffed his chance. Luckily though, Terry slipped and the rest is history. Absolutely delighted with how that went - couldn’t have picked a better man to fuck it up for Chelsea!

Not a lot else to say really. I felt our squad was good, but not quite good enough last year - and a defensive midfielder and a striker were exactly what we needed to balance us out. Not only did Fergie bring in Hargreaves and Tevez to solve those problems, but he added two really bright prospects in Anderson (who is one of my new fave players) and Nani. The squad is almost perfect now, and Sir Alex has signalled his intent to complete the perfection by bringing in another top class striker (Benzema please!) and possibly a right back. If that’s the case then I don’t see any reason why we can’t emulate this season again next term. The squad is so good and at such a young age that we finally look to have the quality to seriously challenge on the European front for the forseable future.

I’m a little drunk and more than a little delighted so I will say peace out now. I’ve got beers to finish.

In just over an hours time Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium is going to play host to the first ever all-English Champions League final, between Manchester United and Chelsea.

I’ve been bouncing around all day with excitement, and I’ve had the Champions League theme tune on at every possible opportunity.

I simply can’t wait!

I remember the last time we were in the CL final back in ‘99, I was only 12, and I remember jumping round my house when we got a last minute equaliser after falling behind to Basler’s free kick in the sixth minute. I’d sulked all game and then I was going crazy after our equaliser. My dad was just about to head out for a coffee when play resumed in stoppage time, and we won another corner just as he was heading out of the room… he paused and said… “this is going in” and sure enough it did! Will never forget that moment for all of my life..

Hopefully tonight I’m going to get some enjoyable memories as well.

My good friend and house mate Mark is in Moscow as we speak with his family and they’re all attending the game. I’m so very, very jealous but they’ve been to every home game this season so they deserve to be there! He’s been texting me all day about Moscow… I asked if it was cold he said no, instead its rather humid?!? Also, he said the women look just as hot as they do in the movies, that the police are jerks and that strawberries & cream in restaurants will set you back a whopping £25. Sounds like fun huh?

I’m hoping and expecting a United win tonight. Chelsea simply wait for opportunities in games, whereas we create the opportunities, and if we rise to the occassion (which I’m sure we will) then I think we’ll do enough to control the game and get a goal or two. Hell, we deserve it, its such a good team and we’ve played so well this season!

Right, time to get the beers in the fridge…

COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!