G-O-D

Final matches of the first knockout round:

Arsenal v Bayern Munich (First Leg 1-3)

I'm going for a 2-1 here. Arsenal will win, but still fail to make it to the next round.

Bayer Leverkusen v Liverpool (First Leg 1-3)

1-0. I have absolutely no idea how this match will turn out, given Liverpool's inconsistent form.

Juventus v Real Madrid (First Leg 0-1)

3-3. Two very evenly matched sides. I expect Madrid to just edge it though.

Monaco v PSV Eindhoven (First Leg 0-1)

0-1. Monaco just don't have the quality they had last season.

"Boring, Boring Chelsea"

Team Spirit? I don't really believe Chelsea have much spirit at all, this team just fits together more than the team that Ranieri tried to make, hugging after a match isn't team spirit, especially when you only start doing it because the fans and the media say you have none.

Save the team spirit for next season when your players can actually speak to each other without a translator. Saying that, you'll probably have more players next season, so it'll happen again.

←

Like Arsene has said, their league win will be artificial, why?

Because it was about the potential of Roman's spending power, not the clubs potential.

Without him you would still be in fucking god knows how much debt.

Fuck Abramovich, cunt.

←

Sell Bojinov, and use that money to get another precocious forward like Robinho/Tevez/Cavenaghi, maybe even C.Ronaldo, depending on how well he and Man Utd are doing.

8 pts clear.

Now Manchester, this is how you beat a fighting bottom team.

Heaven on Earth?

It gives me a spiritual kinds feeling, for some weird reason.

Lehmann: Ball to blame

Arsenal's Jens Lehmann has risked the wrath of club kit sponsors Nike by criticising the sports company's ball.

Lehmann believes that Nike's official Premiership ball is partly to blame for the high profile errors that have marred his time with The Gunners.

"My focus is just the same as it was three or four years ago but what has definitely changed in this time is the ball," Lehmann told The Sun.

"There is no point developing these balls any more. It's ridiculous.

"It might make good TV but maybe we have to fight against this because the only guy on the field who looks stupid is the goalkeeper.

"The new Nike ball is so quick that even when you think it is there to grab it can be difficult to catch.

"Sometimes it's just not possible to catch safely because the ball is on you soon and bounces so much you miss the right moment.

"Nearly every ball now swerves but it is only this Nike ball that quickens up in flight as well."

Robben helped by Milan

Chelsea wide man Arjen Robben has the healing hands of Milan's medical team to thank for his rapid recovery from a broken foot.

The influential Dutchman had been expected to be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks after breaking a bone in his foot against Blackburn, but he is already back in training and looking to make an ahead of schedule return.

Roman Abramovich's close relationship with the Italian giants allowed Robben to be treated by the head of their medical team, Jean Pierre Meersseman, who is regarded as one of the best in his field.

Despite the fact Milan and Chelsea could yet still meet in the UEFA Champions League, Meersseman believes the club made the correct ethical decision in helping their potential rivals.

''We were happy to help,'' said Meersseman.

''Abramovich knows Galliani very well and the Russians are also on good terms with our Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

''It's unusual to help a rival, but it comes down to sportsmanship.

''Competition is important but so is sportsmanship.''

Those screenies look really good. Now Real Madrid in FM will probably simulate real life by signing a 'galactico' every season.

But do the chairmen interfering in transfers thing only happen in countries like Spain/Italy? Since, in real life, only clubs in these countries have chairmen who do that. In England, the chairmen hardly ever interfere with transfers, at least not to the extent that the chairmen in Italy and Spain do.

IMO, fines don't work in football anymore, unless it's a REALLY hefty one, which the various FAs seem reluctant to implement.

The FAs should use other forms of punishment, like match bans or something. Prutton's 10 match ban for pushing a referee is what I would call an effective punishment nowadays.

Yea seems odd, must have a ton of people trying to get on to find out if it's out. I hope they have a series of mirrors set up. Anyone know what the patch does?

Few questions I want answering about FM generally:

1) Anyway to lower the expectations of the board? I want to play as Leeds but I got sacked in Febuary for not being near the top. I figured lowering the clubs reputation might do it but I still want that. Any ideas?

2) How much TV revenue does a Premiership club get?

3) If you're Arsenal, is Bergkamp unavailble for away Euro games?

4) What happens if you're a national manager and you ignore the friendly instructions set by club managers? Do they just get a bit annoyed or do they start withdrawing players?

←

Then again he spoke of how England would survive because of two men he labelled as being versed in French football. Care to guess which?

←

Looks like Terry is gonna have a hangover

Terry: Fitness won Chelsea the cup

Chelsea captain John Terry believes his side's physical resilience helped win them the Carling Cup.

The Blues came from behind to win 3-2 in extra-time as Liverpool visibly tired towards the end.

Liverpool took the lead in the first minute when Fernando Morientes crossed for John Arne Riise to smash a volley past Petr Cech.

Chelsea toiled and with 11 minutes to go were handed a lifeline when Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard headed into his own net.

The Stamford Bridge side scored twice in the second period of extra-time through Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman with Antonio Nunez's first Liverpool goal a late consolation.

Man of the match Terry said: 'We had a terrible start but we picked it up and in the last 10 or 15 minutes they looked a bit tired and we said to each other 'just keep getting at them' and it finally paid off.

'Physically we were a bit tired before (the game) but seeing their legs go gave us a lift and we picked ourselves up and I'm over the moon for Kezza (Kezman),' he told Sky Sports.

Match-winner Kezman was similarly delighted: 'It's our first trophy for a few years, I'm very happy and I enjoyed it.

'It is brilliant for us, this is our first trophy.' 

And we've done it

Mourinho's first trophy in England, but there are reports that he will not go and collect it.

2 mins of injury time...

Come on Chelsea! Hang in there for 2 more mins!

Come on you Blues! Defend!

We have never shipped more than 2 goals this season, don't let it happen now!

So much action in 4 mins!

First a melee, then 2 quick goals by the most unlikely people, Kezman and Nunez.

This is great

And a melee breaks out for reasons which are not clear.

Drogba gets booked, and I think Makelele and Hamann, which were in the thick of the melee, are about to get booked too.

And Hamann's already on a yellow...

I told you I had a good vibe!

GOOOO DROGBA!

EDIT:

Now we have to do what we do best.

DEFEND!

Kezman is doing nothing on the pitch except for getting caught offside!

And Gerrard is having a bad game. Maybe he's too caught up in thinking about his future at Chelsea

Well, apparently, Jose got sent off because of the gesture of putting his finger to his lips at the Liverpool fans after the OG.

IMO, that didn't warrent a red card unless the ref deems that it was an obscene gesture. To me, Jose's gesture had the same effect as a player cupping his hands to his ears in front of the opposition fans. You don't see players getting sent off for that, do you?

Chelsea are a bunch of pricks, I cant stand these fuckers. They are the cockiest team ever.

Fuck you Drogba and prick Jose. All starting on Jamie for no reason. Then Jose doing the shush thing, what a fucking dickhead. His head will explode soon because he's so fucking cocky. I hope Liverpool win this because they deserve it. If they do, I'm taking the piss out of every Chelsea fan I know. Then I hope fucking Barcelona and United take away the other two cups, fuck Chelsea.

←

I'm not watching the match because I've got an essay to write - so why was Mourinho sent out?

←