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It's looking like Lisbon will host the Champs League final as the UK Govt is reluctant to give 3000 UEFA stakeholders/lackeys a free pass to enter the UK.
I am kind of glad, I am sick of all the finals and semi finals being held in London. It's meant to be a national sport not a capital sport, about time more of the semis, finals and England games are spread around the country anyway.
All the authorities jumped on the "for the fans" bandwagon, but holding everything at Wembley isn't for the fans it's for the corporate sponsors and the old school tie establishment.
It’s looking like Lisbon will host the Champs League final as the UK Govt is reluctant to give 3000 UEFA stakeholders/lackeys a free pass to enter the UK.
I'm 100% in favour of that in the current situation.
If they hold it at Wembley under social distancing rules it’ll look even more embarrassing than usual when all the corporate seats remain empty after half time as they opt to have another glass of fuzz instead of coming back out to watch the second half.
In other news, Cavani has signed for another season. I was one of those who was sceptical when he arrived, but it looks like a masterstroke now. 9 goals in his last 8 games? But also has clearly had a massive effect on the whole squad
Best free transfer ever? To go along with our existing title of worst free transfer ever ... Sanchez?
All because he had a bit of handbags with Neymar
It’s looking like Lisbon will host the Champs League final as the UK Govt is reluctant to give 3000 UEFA stakeholders/lackeys a free pass to enter the UK.
Correct decision.
Best free transfer ever?
Erm he didn't really set the world on fire from Sept to March. 🤔
Correct decision.
Is that an actual decision now then? This is UEFA we’re talking about here. They could just as easily change their minds and switch it to Moscow yet
Erm he didn’t really set the world on fire from Sept to March.
He did have a touch of the Forlan's to begin with. Immense workrate but the end result was lacking. At least he didn't do a Forlan and wait until he left to start banging them in for fun.
And while we're on about strikers coming good later in the season: Chris Wood scored again last night. An absolute peach, too! Great post-match interview. 😂
https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1391862569175027713?s=20
You can also see Boris forcing this through to get some revenue for UK plc and to boost his image. He's an idiot but wants to be portrayed as the saviour of football, Covid-19 etc.
And Adidas have let them know that they're not happy either
Hopefully this is the sign of things to come and the 'Big Six' owners start getting hit with the only language they understand
Well, the crowning of the champions has got you all excited, I can tell. 🙂
Must admit, it has felt particularly anticlimactic this time around.
The whole of football feels anticlimatic to me at the moment without crowds.
Not much anyone can do about it though, really, is there? It'll be back to something like normality soon enough.
Whats really anticlamatic is that the relegation places are all sorted. Thats usually a bit more of a ding-dong towards the end of the season.
Well done to Citeh on another title. They've played some great football. Hopefully it'll be a bit more competitive next season, but Pep has set the benchmark pretty high
NExt year will be our year 😉
(Just for you)
Porto will get the Chumps League Final. Decision expected tomorrow from those nice people at UEFA
ManYoo get to play in the wafer cup final in Gdansk
Trent once again showing up Southgate.
I don't think so, his form was poor so he got dropped, his form has now improved and he should probably get back in the England squad, but there are a few options in that position so lets see if he can stretch that performance into a run of games.
I see ManU's old school in commentary and analysis are still giving their mate Ole a free pass. Last nights game was really clear at the difference between a team who a properly coached and a team who are just put out on the pitch with the hope that individuals can deliver. I can't recall a more stark contrast in the way players got into a defensive shape when out of possession, and moved to support the player on the ball and create options when in possession.
Well, lets not be too hasty, Utd are hardly proppping up mid table at the moment. Sure they got last night wrong, but they've certainly been better this year than for a fair few seasons, if not always better, they've put the results away, which as we know can be the difference.
We were absolutely all over the shop at the back last night. Mind you, we've never been great defensively, but it makes you realise why slabhead starts every game. It all falls apart without him.
I knew we were in trouble when we scored first. It was unchartered territory not being one down after ten minutes at home. I think it confused everyone.
Porto will get the Chumps League Final.
I do hope English fans haven't booked their flights yet. Portugal's 'state of calamity' already extended to a day after the final, plus it is patently a pisspoor idea to import thousands of Mancs from a region which will, by then, be riddled with the Indian variant.
Trent had a bad season ... he is the second placed English fullback for assists this season ..... stats don’t lie. Southgate didn’t pick the first or second placed full backs this season .... they didn’t even get the squad!!! Picking on form he said and picked two right backs who do not even get in the starting eleven each week for the their clubs!!
I think regardless of whether people like TAA or not or if he's the best option at ful back or if he's in top form etc... He can put a ball in better than anyone else in the England squad so depending on the game and situation I think he's a great player to have in the squad for his crossing alone, David Beckham made a career out of it.
stats don’t lie
Representing a full backs assist numbers as his only value to the team could be considered rather dishonest.
I agree he is the best attacking option for his position, but also the worst defender, I think that dropping him has actually concentrated his mind a little bit in improving his defensive duties, AWB is improving his attack a little, and Walker is probably the best combination of both.
I don't think Maguire or Stones are solid enough to be exposed too often through a tournament, so the full backs are going to have to do some defending.
I do hope English fans haven’t booked their flights yet.
Another genius decision by UEFA. Did anyone expect anything different? Shall we have the. final in the country both teams are from? Of course not! Instead, lets make them fly across Europe during a global pandemic instead. ****ing clowns! It remains to be seen whether some sanity prevails and they don't go ahead with this madness, but I'm not optimistic
While it would be nice to get a few fans in, it's really not the priority. I agreed with the EUFA decision initially, didn't want it at Wembley or Villa Park. Just play it behind closed doors, draw a line under the whole meh season and let's move on.
Who cares where it's played? The location is meaningless. Every other game has been played in empty stadiums this season. So should this one. Flying thousands of fans across the continent in the middle of a pandemic, when you've a new strain of the virus doing the rounds is absolutely insane
My point really was that for him not to be even in the squad is wrong.
Oooooh, what a strike Tielamans! Hope Leicester can hold on.
Wes Morgan!! Not a Leicester fan myself but I recognise a legend when I see one.
I take back everything I have ever said about VAR 😎
Gary Lineker can't complain about it ever again
That was some save from Peter's kid
Anyone that thinks defenders and GK spoil games doesn't understand the game properly.
Yep, he’s superb jonv.
At the end of the first half, I was rather disinterested and didn't care who won, by the end of the match I was roaring for Leicester.
Schmeicel is as good as his dad, and that’s some benchmark. What a save.
Really enjoyed that. I’ve never loved VAR more 😂
Mrs Binners meant to shove a £2.50 bet on Leicester but didn’t have her glasses on and accidentally put 25 quid on them instead at 4/1. You probably all heard the scream at full time
What a contrast with the so-called ‘Big Six’ a lot of who’s fans absolutely despise their owners, to Leicester who all clearly love theirs.
You can’t not love Leicester really. As a club They seem to have got it pretty much spot on
Don’t see how VAR can ignore the handball in the buildup to the first goal, but gets its micrometer out for the offside
because it came off his knee onto his hand.
You may not agree with the law but the application is correct.
https://www.theifab.com/news/annual-general-meeting-2021
There will be no penalty if:
- the ball touches a player's hand/arm immediately from their own head/body/foot or the head/body/foot of another player.
- the ball touches a player's hand/arm close to their body and has not made their silhouette unnaturally bigger.
- a player is falling and the ball touches their hand/arm when it is between their body and the ground (but not extended to make the body bigger).
- additionally, should the goalkeeper attempt to clear a ball from a teammate but fails, the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball.
Womens CL Final looking a bit one sided. 20 mins gone, Barca 3 Chelsea 0
Alisson Wonderland.
Amazing header, Shearer would have been proud of that.
Seem to recall Poom doing similar for Sunderland against his former club Derby.
In other news Suarez scored a late winner for Atletico to put them on the brink of winning the title.
It would be great if they won so he can show Barcelona what a mistake they made getting rid of him
Well Barca lost so they're not winning the league either way
Here you go, Pooms header - pretty much the view I had of it in the stands, the video misses the fact that the leap and header were the perfectly timed end to him running the length of the pitch.
Derby fans still cheered him off the pitch at the end as well
Well, it's the last day of a bonkers season.
I'm happy with second as I thought we'd be scrapping for that 4th spot. Its still more down to how awful everyone else has been (I'm looking at you Spurs and Arsenal)
We've played some great footy (even if its usually after going one down). Cavani's been great but whats better is seeing Greenwoods development. He's a class act, alongside Rashford too. Bruno has been consistently brilliant. I'm presuming Ole will stick the reserves out today as theres nowt to play for and we've a final on Wednesday.
It seems a bit of an anti-climax today as theres not much to play for. City have walked it (predictably playing some quality football), the top 3 are nailed on, as are the relegation spots. Its just whether the scousers can scrape top four
Lets have your analysis of your teams season then...
City after a rough start really went up the gears, and it has been a pleasure watching them at times, and for once built upon a foundation of defensive solidity. I don't think the points gap between city and Liverpool is a true indication of the strength of the squads (just as it wasn't last year when city had severe injury problems). Dias winning the FWA player of the year, in his first year and as a defender is incredible, and he has brought the best out of Stones, Walker and Zinchenko especially and had an obvious effect on the whole team. I predict Walker and Stones will look a bit suspect at the euros without Dias's influence.
It would be great if Liverpool or Chelsea slipped up today and Leicester grabbed a top four spot, but I don't think they will. Leicester should be proud of their FA cup, but I think they will rue letting the top four slip, they could/should have had both.
Coming up from the Championship, I would have been satisfied with a seventeenth place finish, provided it was achieved with a few games to spare - like Burnley.
To finish in the top half of the table, potentially as high as eighth and potentially above Arsenal & Everton, all the while serving up some superb - and at times, bonkers - football, well I’m delighted to call myself a Leeds United fan.
MOT
What John Drummer said! Managed to watch almost every Leeds game this season and just love the way we play. The honest values that Bielsa and the owners have brought to the team make it a joy to watch - win, lose or draw. Hope that Berradi & Pablo get a great send off today.
RM.
Fair play to you. You've played some great football (and thats coming from a United fan) and served up some truly bonkers games, not least the insane 6-2 with us at Old Trafford. Well worthy of a top half finish on pure entertainment value alone
The 1st ManU and Liverpool games were the most bonkers, the 2nd Man City and Spurs games probably the best. Shame we haven’t seen a typical Leeds, nerve shredding crazy come back that we saw in the Championship a few times. Maybe today’s the day!! 😀
RM.
Chelsea hitting a massive panic button now!!!
Aguerooooooooo!!!
and again, can he get a hatrick on his final game?
Come on Leicester, don't blow it now... God knows when I started rooting for Leicester...
Spurs Leicester 2-4 Spurs
damn you, North London Whites!
Has Harry Kane just ensured CL football for himself next season?
Looks that way. With a blatant handball in the box too, which VAR inexplicably allowed to stand
Awesome send-off for Pablo & Bera. It’s a bit dusty in here.
ALAW. MOT
Gutted Leicester blew it! Impressive run by Liverpool to get third - 8 wins and 2 draws in last ten games. Fitting send off for Aguero and I hope City thump Chelsea in UCL final.
Listening to the roll call of the City Squad as they get their winners medals it’s difficult to see how anyone’s going to compete with that next season
Pretty crap season for Liverpool obviously but considering the injuries etc I don't think they've done too badly. Good mental strength to come back strongly at the end and grab the CL spot.
Villa fan here.
Very happy with that. New signings have done incredibly well, we were far more solid at the back and if Martinez and Grealish aren't in the PFA team of the year I'd be genuinely shocked. After the last 12 years or so of turmoil and dross, a couple of seasons of mid table mediocrity would do just fine.
I'm starting to think that if Grealish does move on, it wouldn't be the end of the world. His absence and return showed just how dependent on him we are. Cashing in and strengthening the squad might actually prove to be a better strategy especially as he's prone to a lengthy injury every season. Having said that, he's a total baller and he's one of us so I'd love him to stay.
I was really surprised that the gooners sold Martinez at the start of the season, he was and is clearly a better keeper than Leno, Villa definitely got the better of that deal.
Hello trailmonkey. Long time no see. 😀 Great stuff from Villa today, only wish it had been to consign Chelsea to 5th.
We had Martinez on loan at Reading the year before where he was brilliant too, WAY better than Leno in my opinion.
(Slightly) Interseting stats. Top 5 were the same as last year: compared to last year~
Utd +8 points
City +5 points
Leicester +4 points
Chelsea +1 point
Liverpool -30 points
Chelsea spent £200m plus whatever it cost to sack Frank and gained 1 point.
City had a huge injury crisis last season but only gained 5 points. They didn’t have a challenger from January.
A game too far for Leicester.
Liverpool underperformed even with the crippling injuries to 1st choice centre backs and Henderson.
Villa and Leeds were great fun. Predict Newcastle will drop out next season.
Augero departing as the best goal scorer in recent times?
Lille win ligue 1!! Great achievement - PSG should be walking it.
Chelsea will spend another fortune this summer, most of it on a centre forward, unless they’re canny like Utd and snap up a 30 something - Lewandowski perhaps. Maybe Werner will improve next year but he doesn’t look like a central striker to me, decision making and finishing poor. Tuchel got them better organised than Lampard did and harder to beat but I think Abramovich will be expecting more.
I can see a big four rather than a big six for the next few seasons with Spurs and Arsenal fading away to top ten rather than top six.
As a Liverpool fan I'm quite pleased with the final position in the league, 30 fewer points isn't all that surprising given the injuries and the run of good fortune we had been getting
Are Leicester the new Spurs? - won the Cup when there was a one in the year then manage to throw away Chumps League football during the run-in despite being in the top 4 longer than any other team.
Are Leicester the new Spurs?
No. They've actually won stuff. Including the title. 😉
5th will only be considered a disappointment because a couple of months ago they looked to be in such a strong position. But they have a relatively small squad and had a couple of important injuries. I am sure they would have been delighted with 5th and an FA cup if offered at the start of the season. Winning the FA cup is a much better memory for the fans and players than a (probable) non descript CL campaign next year.
I agree re. Leicester that winning the cup will be memorable but losing to Spurs on the last day just seemed a bit "Spursy".
Thoughts on Chelsea and City ahead of Saturday.
Everton played the match like a testimonial but City looked good going forward. Dias had a bit of an off day and could easily have got a red. Ederson did great with the penalty and Aguero's cameo was wonderful. They will be on a high.
Chelsea have been on a run of bad results- probably deserved a bit more than they have got recently but got lucky with Leicester's result.
City should be favourites I guess but I would rather have played any team other than Chelsea tbh. They have players like Kante, Ziyech, Mount etc. that can match City's intensity in midfield.
Leicester had a difficult run in, just compare it to Liverpool's so I think it's a bit harsh to give them too much stick.
Some absolutely fantastic shots there. My personal favourite, for obvious reasons. Since he arrived, he's not lost an away game. Though god knows, we've tried.
Looking at the images, it seems even sadder to see a still photo with no crowd. Sums up the season I suppose. Weird.
But for the truly iconic, I think you'd have to have a heart of stone to begrudge him this. It has to be:
Quite a moment, and what a finish?
Conte to Spuds ?
Here we go.
I’ll only be able to relax if we concede in the first ten minutes