John Terry's shin pads

I for one, am still getting over what's been an incredible season in England and throughout Europe. Manchester City's final day antics to deny their Red city rivals was remarkable.  Real Madrid knocking 'the best team in the world' Barcelona of their perch in Spain certainly hasn't gone unnoticed.  Bayern Munich's capitulation in the final games of the season seeing them runners up a hat trick of times in the Bundesliga, The German Cup and of course that dramatic Champions League Final in their own back yard!  The drama of Chelsea's first ever Champions League Trophy, only the 5th English team to win the tournament.  Their victory was top drawer, they we're the worthy winners, even though they got battered for the majority of the final (and 2 legs of the semi final), because of one simple fact, they won.  There's been so many highs and lows this season, from Sergio Aguero's last gasp City winner, Drogba's header, Suarez's and Terry's racism rows but nothing more disturbing for me than the Chelsea captains costume change during the final at the Allianz arena.  Yes the other suspended players did the same thing, but they hadn't been sent off for a ridiculous knee into the back of an opposition player, and they weren't trying to steal the limelight from the real heroes of the hour, they guys that actually played for over 2 hours!

JT started out wearing his club suit, patrolling the side lines and I'm sure trying to take the ear of Roberto Di Matteo at half time, or whenever he could, then in the second half he emerged in the clubs Adidas Champions League tracksuit before changing in the extra time and penalty drama to his full kit, including boots and shin pads!  UEFA had said that Terry would be allowed to lift the cup as captain if Chelsea won prior to the game, but that was probably only because they didn't think they had a hope.  it was a stupid decision from UEFA allowing a player suspended from the game to even be allowed on the side lines which is technically the field of play.  Even in NCAA college soccer that's a massive no no!  Here we were on the biggest stage, in the biggest club competition in the world with a player who shouldn't have been there roaming around, changing kits and eventually lifting the trophy alongside the real Captain of the team that night, Frank Lampard.  Comparisons were immediately drawn to Roy Keane and Paul Scholes lifting the trophy between them on the pitch after the trophy had been awarded and the team was doing one of many laps of honour.  They were pivotal players, who got booked in the semis helping get their team through and they turned up in the team suit and waiting until the right moment to take some deserved applause.  Terry did no such thing, stealing much of the limelight as the photo's in 10 years will show him at the heart of the team with the trophy without even kicking a ball or kneeing a back in that final.

The saving grace was how bad Chelsea's cup lift was.  Watching UEFA president Michel Platini try and usher players out the way to allow the cup and Chelsea's captains through just summed up how little respect he has over players and how important he thinks he is as they completely disregarded him and bundled in front so when the trophy was hoisted you couldn't really see it.

'It was written in the stars' for Chelsea Gary Neville reckons, maybe he was bought into the England fold to be the new Eileen Drewery (Glen Hoddle's infamous faith healer who was an 'agony aunt' to plays - Ray Parlour apparently sat down in her chair for a consultation and started by asking for a "short back and sides" Classic.)  Neville was constantly banging on about it being Chelsea's time, and how it was a destiny for them.  It wasn't at all.  It was uncharacteristic sloppiness in front of goal from a German side feeling the pressure of playing inside their own Stadium in front of millions of Bavarian's who expected a comfortable victory.  Bayern had their chances, and a lot of them, but didn't take them, that's why Chelsea won, they had one corner, one goal.  They had big game goal specialist Didier Drogba, not a misfiring Mario Gomes.  Chelsea had better penalty takers on the day and some momentum after Peter Cech performed so excellently in the shootout.  Was it fate that Cech saved those crucial penalties, the first from Arjen Robben in the second half of extra time, the others in the shootout?  No, it was meticulous preparation and a DVD that had every penalty every player had taken in the past 10 years and calculated decision making from a world class goalkeeper.  That isn't quite as romantic and enjoyable as a pundit shouting about it being the clubs destiny and having their name on that big eared trophy all along!

Chelsea were completely outplayed and set out their stall to defend and ride their luck, and that they did till a downward Thomas Muller header eluded Peter Cech by somehow bouncing over the huge Czech keeper. Game over everyone thought, it was the 83rd minute 'the perfect time to score'.  I've always had a problem with these types of sayings, 'perfect time to score' which it turns out was a ridiculous shout as Chelsea still had time to come back and tie up the game. Didier Drogba's 89th minute bullet header towards Manuel Neuer's goal was a better time to score for the Germans surely?!  Didier Drogba's last kick in a Chelsea shirt before he buggers off to China to make a mint was a lovely end to a great service from the Ivorian.  Fernando Torres will be happier than any defender to see the back of the big man, as he may now finally play a few games for the club that signed him for 50 mill.  The Drog still has a lot to offer, and could play for a year or two at the very highest level.. he's worth signing just for Cup finals, 8 goals, 8 games, thanks.

JT will be in the England squad for the Euro's at the expense of Rio Ferdinand who Terry isn't on best terms with after being accused of racially abusing his brother, Anton.  So JT is having a great run at it, got AVB sacked, been pulling the strings behind Di Matteo's back? Won the FA Cup, didn't play but WON the Champions League according to photo's from the day, got in the England squad for the Euro's and his old man has finally finished his 100 hours of community service for flogging 3 grams of gear to a journalist in an Essex wine bar in 2009.

TOWIE! The only way is England, for JT at least...

The 'Magic' of the FA Cup final - Dwindling

The FA cup final used to be the only game televised all year when I was a boy on my terrestrial TV back in England, and it was the season's best game (because it was the only one everyone could see!) It was the biggest of the footballing calender, something that everyone would be at least aware of if they weren't watching the game live.  Nowadays you can watch 50+ games from across the world's top leagues in just one week!  Maybe it's this or rise of the Champions League and the money of the Premiership but England's, and the worlds oldest club competition, has steadily declined in sync with the Premier and Champions Leagues' ascent.

Steven Gerrard has just realised that Stewart Downing has 3 years left on his current deal

Now the FA Cup kick off is shifted around on a day with Premiership games.  It's almost an afterthought after both semi finals have been hosted at Wembley.  I refer to it as Wembley, and not 'the new' Wembley like so many, seeing as it's not that new anymore having opened in 2007.  Two big teams fought out this seasons 2012 Budweiser sponsored FA Cup, Chelsea and Liverpool.  These two teams are no strangers having played over 30+ times against each other in the past 8 years which is quite staggering.  Maybe it was the fact that it was these two teams playing each other, again, the late kick off, the fact Liverpool aren't very good or that Chelsea have one eye firmly fixed on the Champions League final but there was no spark or excitement surrounding the build up to this game, compared to say, that of the recent Manchester derby or the Champions League semi-finals first and second legs.


The first hour of the game was incredibly dull.  After Jay Spearing gave the ball away in a bad area for the 6,000 time this season Ramires' energy and pace put him past a decaying Jose Enrique and his shot straight at Pepe Reina was straight through the Spaniard (who's suffered his worst season in his 7 at Anfield this year) and that was the only moment of note in a slow, and bland first 45.  After Didier Drogba had his customary Wembley goal Liverpool looked completely dead and buried.  The introduction of Andy Carroll did change Liverpool's attacking impetus and finally Luis Suarez had another red shirt inside the opposition half with him!  Jordan Henderson, Jay Spearing and Stewart Downing all had atrocious games and one wonders what was ever seen in them.  Spearing was a product of the Academy (which doesn't bode well as he's dire) and the other two were signed for close to 40 million quid by good old King Kenny!  Incredible to think about that waste of finances for two players who wouldn't stand out in a league 2 side.  The 'Caveman' Carroll got his second Wembley goal in a matter of weeks (adding to his semi final winner over Everton) and his decent return in big games (he also scored on his England debut at Wembley) but alas, it was too little, too poor, too late for the Reds, and Chelsea, by default rather than incredible play, were rightly Cup winners for the 4th time in the past 7 years.

Chelsea. FA CUP Winners...again

I miss the magic of the FA Cup, the giant killings, the small minnows of the non-league taking on the big dogs of the top tier, the support, Wembley way, the suits, the walking out onto the Wembley pitch, the iconic trophy being hoisted aloft after the long trudge up the Wembley steps for the valiant losers... These are all distant and past memories like the Crazy Gang beating Liverpool in '88, Charlie George in '71 and Crystal Palace taking Man U to a 3-3 draw in 1990.
Even the cup final of 1992 between Liverpool and Sunderland was more exciting.  I was up at the crack of dawn wearing my full Liverpool kit, drinking squash out of my Liverpool mug and swinging my Red scarf around my head as I went nuts in the living room 6 hours before the game even kicked off.  The anticipation was extraordinary.  I barely remember the game or the goals, but I can clearly remember the excitement of it all, the fantasy of one day maybe I'd be playing in final, what it would be like to lift the old trophy and get a medal from a member of the Royal family.  All that magic is still alive in me, but not for the current versions of the FA Cup, I wonder if  kids nowadays whip themselves into a frenzy for this game, or if they'd rather play out their own cup final on the Playstation on FIFA 2012?!  I must be getting old and bitter as I'm reminiscing about the 'good old days' of FA Cup finals and football, but I don't think I'm the only one that wants to recast the magical spell of the FA Cup back over English football once again.