Season review...the pointy end...enter Woy stage left

Here we go. Time to see the important things get settled. You might a few weeks back have thought it was all decided but!!!!!!!!! How happy (and relieved) will the EPL and television stations be that Manchester United have seemingly blinked? I wrote earlier in the year that I make a point of not celebrating too soon....it seems that some Reds fans may be feeling a bit embarrassed now for making and showing the 'we've won twenty banners'.

In the same way the relegaton battle is also going to the wire. Only Wolves are down.....any two of Bolton Blackburn QPR Wigan and Villa can still make the drop. Personally I'd like to see Martinez's Wigan stay up....they play good football through his 3 4 3 system in contrast to some pretty awful stuff dished up by the rest.
That sad reality that finishing in the top four seems to bring higher benefit that winning a Cup has given us a four way tussle for Champion League spots....Arsenal Tottenham Newcastle and Chelsea can all still make 3rd or 4th. The twist to it all might be that Chelsea actually win the ECL competition and edge out the others anyway!
Of course nothing is decided yet. May 5th approaches the big one will be decided. Which big one? I hear you ask.  The FA Cup Final....Liverpool v Chelsea....years ago this would have been the seasons crescendo...the high point....the game for which the whole world tuned in. Not any more :( It doesn't even get the day to itself in England anymore (we know the Scottish version takes place the same day...I went to their 1980 Old firm final). No, there will be EPL games taking place the same day and that competition runs on to the following week as well. Sad I feel.
Liverpool under happy Kenny have had a mixed bag of a season. They have already won a trophy....the League Cup and here they are back at Wembley again. Regardless of this success their fans will be deeply unsettled to know that not only miss out on Champions League places but they are struggling behind too many sides they regard as inferior...especially the blue side of Merseyside. Liverpool spending 100m on players has not been universally applauded.
'The club spent over £100m to bring nine new players to the club, although that figure is off set by at least £70m being recouped from the sales of Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Raul Meireles among others. Liverpool still struggle to break down sides that set their stall out to defend and admittedly perhaps wobble at the back far too often but that said overall the spending made by Messrs Dalglish and Comolli has on the whole been a success.' Caughtoffside
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/12/12/liverpools-2011-spending-analysed-players-rated-and-ranked/
Not sure that I agree with that final line but no traditionalist will deny that bringing home a few pieces of silverware from Wembley still gives the fans a buzz. Of course the red scousers will be glad that United seem to have gone off too early with their '20 EPL titles' rejoicing because they themselves are currently back on 18 League titles.
Chelsea....Liverpool opponents in the FA Cup prove a case in point with regard to that seemingly diminished competition. The FA Cup had been the premier knock out club competition around the world. It is this no longer. The European Champions League now holds that mantel and recognising this the blues will be playing their strongest side possible...ignoring suspensions....and allowing the more peripheral squad members go for FA Cup glory on Saturday.
Chelsea v Bayern Munich promises to be an open thrilling game. Robben facing his old side after so long should make it one with an edge. However, I can't help feeling tha fans around the world will feel they are missing something.....a bit like when you turn up to see a top Broadway Show and discover it is the understudy prforming the lead....yes Barcelona and Madrid will be missed.

Can't finish this end of season blog without commenting on Woy. Look I have always respected him in the sense that he was a trail blazing Englishman doing it in Europe before anyone else. He has coached several International sides previously Finland Switzerland and the UAE the three. My problem is that decades after Brian Clough the FA amateur brigade are still able to fly in the face of public sentiment and appoint someone other than Harry Redknapp. Now Harry is no Brain Clough but he would have been fine for at leats the Euro's...instead we have Woy. Roy Hodgson is just vanilla. Nough said.