Heading into the last game of the season Manchester City only needed to win or match Manchester United’s result to claim their first title in 44 years but football is rarely straight forward and as events unfolded the final moments of the 2011-’12 season were to turn out to be the most breathtaking of all time.

Here we take a look at each of the Premier League matches on what turned out to be a truly unforgettable day.

10. Roberto Martinez is a manager on the up

As we entered the final day of the season it came as no surprise to see Wigan manager Roberto Martinez linked with taking over from Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool.

The Latics boss has impressed many over the last couple of years with his footballing philosophy and ability to keep Dave Whelan’s club in the top flight despite working with one of the lowest budgets in the Premier League.

Doubts on his ability had begun to surface with Wigan firmly entrenched in the relegation zone at Christmas but a run of W-8 D-4 L-3 in their final 15 games turned their entire season around.

Martinez is a manager that always tries to play football the right way found a way to utilise both Sean Maloney and Victor Moses, his two most creative players, in his team by converting to an unconventional 3-6-1 formation from his tried and un-trusted 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 formations.

In the end this tactical switch was the catalyst for Wigan’s fine run in the last 15 games and it has definitely helped raise his profile.

He is a manager on the up and it is no surprise to find him linked with clubs like Spurs and Aston Villa, not to mention Liverpool.

9. Aston Villa were doomed to relegation with Alex McLeish in charge.

8. Alan Pardew deserves his Manager of the Year shout – Everton 3-1 Newcastle

One of the great truths, and quirks, of Premier League football is that Everton always finish the season strongly and this season was no exception.

David Moyes’ men only lost two league games after January 14 and one of those was a strange 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield where the Everton boss dropped practically his entire team for an upcoming FA Cup game against Sunderland. The other loss was against Arsenal in the immediate aftermath of that very FA Cup draw with Sunderland.

Apart from those two games, Everton have been virtually unplayable. Much of this is down to the canny business done by Moyes in the January transfer window when he brought in Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar.

With that in mind Goodison Park on the last day of the season is one of the last places you would want to go to but when you have a team led by the one manager who arguably did the best transfer business in the league in January, you will always have a chance.

Newcastle have been a revelation under Alan Pardew this season and have been top four contenders all season when some thought they might even be relegated. Their season started off with an amazing unbeaten run of 14 games in all competitions before eight defeats in 16 games threatened to derail their season but the signing of Papis Cisse was to provide the catalyst to push them back into Champions League contention.

13 goals in 14 games for the Senegalese international rocketed Newcastle up the league and as we headed into the last game of the season the Magpies still had a chance of finishing an unlikely third.

It wasn’t to be as a Pienaar and Jelavic inspired Everton easily disposed of the travelling Toon Army but when all is said and done; Alan Pardew did a miraculous job at the Sports Direct Arena and he is a deserved nominee for manager of the year and by all rights he should win it.

7. Kenny Dalglish is under severe pressure at LFC - Swansea 1-0 Liverpool

Make no bones about it; Liverpool, despite winning their first trophy in six years, has gone backwards this season under Kenny Dalglish.

This current team is now populated by average to good players with only two players of any real stature standing out – Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.

They have no fixed pattern or style of play and everything looks mismanaged both on and off the pitch. The handling of the Luis Suarez affair has been embarrassing and having finished the season with their worst ever Premier League points total – Dalglish is rightly under pressure.

Brendan Rogers on the other hand has had to make do with a budget approximately one quarter the size of his Liverpool counterparts and he has led his Swansea team to a highly credible 11th placed finish with 47 points – just five points behind Liverpool.

The other factor in Rogers’ favour is that they have achieved this placing playing what many regard as the best football in the league.

Indeed, Rogers training isn’t over yet. A firm disciple of Pep Guardiola and the Barcelona style of play, the Swans boss will meet up with Vicente Del Bosque and Spain as they prepare for Euro 2012. There he will be given a front row seat for all the world champions and reigning European champions training sessions between now and the tournaments end.

With all this talk of managers it would be remiss not to mention Danny Graham’s 100th goal of his career. He has been a hugely successful signing by Rogers, 12 goals in 25 games, since signing from Watford for £3.5 million last summer and he has a far better return than Andy Carroll who has scored just nine in 47 despite costing ten times as much as Graham.

6. Chelsea’s season depends upon Champions League - Chelsea 2-1 Blackburn

Whether Chelsea’s season is a success or not depends upon next Saturday’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

For a team with the highest wage bill in the Premier League to finish sixth is nothing short of embarrassing. This is why Andre Villas-Boas was sacked and why Roberto Di Matteo was given the task of finishing out the season.

To his credit, the Swiss born ex-Italian international has done well with just three defeats in 20 games as manager. He has masterminded the Pensioners FA Cup triumph over Liverpool, Barcelona being knocked out of the Champions League and he has helped turn his clubs season around when all looked lost in March.

But none of that will matter if they lose against Bayern next week. His future as manager and the future of some of his players depend upon victory. Nothing less will keep Roman Abramovich happy.

Today, they beat already relegated Blackburn 2-1. Not much more to add on that one really.

5. Bolton were doomed from day one - Stoke 2-2 Bolton

Bolton were not relegated after drawing 2-2 at the Britannia with Stoke City, They were relegated last summer when Owen Coyle allowed Johan Elmander and Daniel Sturridge to leave the club without replacing either.

Last season Bolton only scored 52 goals across the entire season with Elmander and Sturridge scoring a healthy 18 goals between them. Add in season long injuries to Stuart Holden and Chung-Yong Lee, their most creative players (eight goals and 12 assists last year between them), and you have a recipe for disaster.

It all adds up when you find that Bolton only scored 46 goals this term and only won ten games all season.

The maths is simple; you can’t take 26 goals from a team without suffering huge consequences.

Even with all that considered Owen Coyle’s team still had it within their own hands to avoid relegation on the final day of the season.

They went behind to an early goal from Johnathan Walters after the Euro 2012 bound Irish striker bundled the ball out of Adam Bogdan’s hands and into the net.

The goal should never have stood, it was a foul – clear and simple.

Somehow they fought back into the game and took the lead through a fortuitous Kevin Davies goal after his cross eluded Thomas Sorensen.

The Gods weren’t in any mood for forgiveness though and a ten minute spell between the 65th minute and the 75th minute effectively ended their season.

The first decisive moment came when at the Etihad when Jamie Mackie put ten man QPR ahead 2-1. This of course meant that Wanderers were relegated regardless of their result at Stoke.

As heads and hearts wilted, Peter Crouch was taken down for a penalty by Bogdan after the ‘keeper had saved the striker’s initial shot.

The penalty was duly put away by the hugely impressive Walters and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bolton are relegated to the Championship and how Coyle copes with the team, certain to be decimated by sales due to a crippling £110 million debt, is anyone’s guess.

Another relegation?

4. All or nothing for Spurs, but only after the Champions League Final - Spurs 2-0 Fulham

Tottenham Hotspur beat Fulham 2-0 at White Hart Lane to finish fourth and claim a coveted place in the Champions League, or have they?

Much of what Spurs want to achieve as a club depends upon the result of the Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich next week.

If Chelsea win then Spurs will be dumped out of the Champions League and into the Europa League and if Bayern Munich win then Spurs will claim a playoff place before the group stages of the biggest and best club competition on Earth.

The problem for Spurs now is that, for the next seven days, their future is in limbo.

At present they possess some of the best young players in the world, never mind the Premier League. Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Kyle Walker are three very excellent players who would improve any team and it is no surprise to see other teams covet them.

So keeping them may depend upon playing in the Champions League, as may signing new players, as may holding onto Harry Redknapp.

If Spurs can hold onto their stars and compete in the Champions League they will have be on the verge of something very special at the club.

Next season will see Spurs move into a new state of the art training facility and will also see development begin on re-building White Hart Lane to a 60,000 seater stadium.

As ever with Spurs, and their fans know this better than anyone, it is all or nothing and it all may depend upon the Champions League next week.

3. Gunners still struggling to reach required heights - WBA 2-3 Arsenal

Arsenal 3-2 come from behind win at West Brom cannot be underestimated in terms of importance for the club but it came in the worst way possible.

This was no superb comeback – ala Manchester City. No, this win came thanks to Marton Fulop and what may turn out to be the worst Premier League debut of all time.

The ex-Spurs ‘keeper, yes you read that right Arsenal fans, was only parachuted into the starting XI after regular goalie, and Gunners’ nemesis, Ben Foster was forced to withdraw at the last moment.

Fulop was at fault for all three Arsenal goals as it would be no exaggeration to say that Roy Hodgson really could have picked anyone from the crowd and they would have done a better job.

But what is most concerning for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal is that they only had three shots on goal in a game that mid-table West Brom bossed for most parts.

Arsenal, like Spurs, have struggled when under pressure this season and also like their North London rivals so much for next season depends upon holding onto their star player – Robin van Persie.

The Dutch striker was in mood to discuss his future at the Emirates after helping his side to their 3-2 win but it is widely accepted that the player, out of contract next season, is on the wanted list of Europe’s most powerful clubs.

As far as Arsene Wenger is concerned he is in something of a predicament. Van Persie is without doubt the only world class talent at the Gunners and selling him may deplete his squad somewhat.

However, it may also be the only way for Wenger to turn Arsenal into a title challenging team as the Frenchman is unlikely to be given the funds to strengthen significantly so selling his star pupil for excess of £50 million may be the best business all around.

2. Manchester United are not good enough - Sunderland 0-1 Man United

The last time Manchester United played Sunderland on the final day of the season was in 1968 – the last time Manchester City won the title.

So the omens were not in favour of Sir Alex Ferguson’s men going into the match. Credit to the Red Devils, they went out and did all they could with a convincing 1-0 win and credit to Sir Alex he was magnanimous in defeat – as you would expect from any great competitor.

However, even though his team finished level on points with the rivals and lost the title on the last game of the season with the last kick of the ball, he will know in his heart of hearts that this season has been one of the most disappointing in his 26 years at the Old Trafford helm.

United are in trouble as a team and as well as they did, the credit must go to Ferguson for dragging and dredging every available ounce out of a squad that is just not good enough.

Their midfield is poor, their defence is not as solid as it should be, their ‘keeper is still learning his trade and they only have one world class player – Wayne Rooney.

They were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages, out of the Europa League after being thoroughly outplayed by Athletic Bilbao, out of the FA Cup by Liverpool and they collapsed on the league run in with what has to be the greatest choke in English football history.

There is much work to do for Sir Alex if he is to compete for a title against the coming blue tide that will inevitability strengthen during the summer.

Will he be given the cash to buy the five or six players he needs to regain the title?

Or will Manchester City squeeze the life out of the Premier League and retire Sir Alex without another title?

This summer will reveal all.

1.      Manchester City win first league title in 44 years with 44th shot on goal

You just couldn’t make this stuff up.

Heading into the last game of the season all City needed to do was win. The team with the best home record in the league versus the team with the worst away record in the league. This would be simple…

Except, the script that was prepared earlier was ripped up and thrown away and as events unfolded we were to witness the greatest end to a league season ever seen.

Words can barely express what happened in the second half of City’s game against QPR let alone the final two minutes but, never the less; I will give it a go.

Pablo Zabaleta had given City a deserved, but slender, 1-0 lead at half time. QPR hadn’t even tried to attack Joe Hart’s goal and the league title looked as good as over as the two teams went down the tunnel at half time.

Whatever the respective managers said during the interval, it was Mark Hughes’ team that came out in the second half with renewed vigour. Djibril Cisse fired his team level after Jolean Lescott had been caught under the ball and his poor header fell nicely to the ex-Liverpool striker to blast home his sixth goal in seven games for the R’s.

With their title slipping from their grasp, City’s game began to fall apart and Roberto Mancini was reduced to a screaming spectator from the sidelines as he watched everything crumble.

But in the 66th minute his team were handed a lifeline by Joey Barton. The controversial Rangers midfielder elbowed Carlos Tevez in the face in an off the ball incident that was seen by the linesman and he deservedly received a red card for violent conduct.

Barton wasn’t there though and as he made his way through the remonstrating teams he lashed out and kicked Sergio Aguero in the back of the leg before trying to head butt Vincent Kompany!

The one cap wonder was then led from the pitch by Micah Richards, who deserves huge praise, for helping to calm the situation down as even Mario Balotelli had leapt from the bench to try and get at Barton.

The QPR midfielder, one wonders for how much longer, then went on Twitter with an amazing rant where he claimed he didn’t care what anyone said because he team were safe. Later on that evening, during Match of the Day, the player then launched a verbal assault on Alan Shearer after the England legend heavily criticized him for his behaviour.

One thing is for certain, what Barton did yesterday was a cowardly and selfish act and he did not care less if his team survived or not because if he did he would have acted accordingly.

With Rangers down to 10-men surely it was only a matter of time before City capitalised?

It was not to be though as Jamie Mackie scored a brilliant diving header to put his team ahead and basically relegate Bolton at the same time.

City then launched attack upon attack and Paddy Kenny, whose Wikipedia page had been vandalised by Manchester United fans for his mistake in Zabaleta’s goal made save upon save to keep his team ahead.

The game then entered injury time with Manchester United, just finished 1-0 winners at Sunderland, ready to be crowned Champions.

But then the most amazing end to a season kicked in.

Edin Dzeko met David Silva’s perfectly flighted cross, after a wonderful run and jink lost his marker, and all of a sudden City were level with one minute to go.

Somehow, QPR gained possession on the half way line with a throw in and as City fans punched seats in frustration, tore off jerseys in anger and left the stadium in tears the unbelievable was about to happen.

All Shaun Wright-Phillips had to do was to throw the ball down the line for Jay Boothroyd to shield but instead he threw the ball to his strikers head to flick on.

Boothroyd lazily didn’t even challenge Jolean Lescott for the ball and Nigel De Jong regained possession. He fed the ball through to Aguero who had come off his marker at the edge of the box.

The mercurial Argentinian tried a one-two with Mario Balotelli on the 18-yard-line but the Italian striker began to lose his balance and he backed into the defender. Seeing his team mate about to lose control, Aguero’s stepped up a gear and took control of the ball in the penalty box.

Seeing the striker had no angle for a shot, Vincent Kompany made the most intelligent and significant run of his career as he dragged Clint Hill out of position.

That yard made all the difference as Aguero charged into the space before evading Hill’s last ditch tackle, his shot, their 44th of the game, ballooned in the back of the net as the crowd screamed in rapturous delight – and the rest, as they say, is history.

It was an unbelievable end to an unbelievable season and City are deserved champions.

Will they go on to dominate the English game in the same fashion as Manchester United have dominated the last 20 years?

Will City go on to become an institution like United or Liverpool?

Only time will tell, but the seeds were planted here.

Now Gary Neville has finally come good to those assumptions and been announced as a member of Roy Hodgson’s England backroom team, signing a four year deal.

In his time as a pundit Neville has so far shown a large degree of common sense and honesty. A particular piece on theatrics in the game has been praised by many for just how honest it was regarding something that few want to admit is now an integral part of the game.

Neville has effectively reinvented himself, shrugging off the shackles of his ‘Red Nev’ persona. He becomes visibly uncomfortable when his past actions are discussed during segments on Sky Sports and it is a very good sign that Neville recognises his past errors and how they are best being left in the past.

Those questioning the decision due to Neville’s lack of experience as a coach can rest easy. Neville holds UEFA A and B coaching licenses and his analysis of the game on Sky Sports has helped show all his astute tactical knowledge on a weekly basis.

As a player Neville has played in 5 international tournaments and will understand the amount of pressure players will be under this summer. Neville has only been out of the game for just over a year now, it can therefore be assumed that he still will fraternise with many players as if he were still one of them. This would be handy for Hodgson as he would have a man on his side who can effectively turn any doubters of the new regime into believers.

Roy Hodgson is showing that he is looking to build a strong team around him. His decision to relieve Stuart Pearce of any senior squad role showed guts, as Pearce had somehow managed to mould himself into an important part of the senior England set up. He has now been asked to rightly focus on his work with the u21 and Olympics squads.

As well as Neville, Hodgson also appointed the experienced Ray Lewington with whom he worked with at Fulham and goalkeeping coach Dave Watson, who has worked with Joe Hart in the past, although both are only taking up their roles for the Euro 2012 competition. It can be assumed more appointments will be made, as many left the England backroom staff when Fabio Capello stepped down.

This role will help propel Neville into a successful career in management, rather than jump straight into the belly of the beast, Neville has allowed himself to be asked to enter. Neville could have looked for a coaching or even management role immediately after leaving Manchester instead he considered his options and made the right decision.

Many players have underestimated the task of management in the past, Neville clearly understands the magnitude of such a position having played under one of the greatest manager’s in the history of the game.

Despite being appointed to the role Neville will still continue as a pundit for Sky Sports, something which could see him be forced to tone down some of his candid opinions. It would be difficult for Neville to go from heavily criticising a player on TV to coaching them. It would be expected that eventually Neville would step down from his role with Sky to fully focus on his duties with England.

His work as a pundit has attributed to the high level of respect he now commands in the game. When asked about the appointment Hodgson spoke of how impressed he was with his analytical skills on Sky Sports. This could be the wakeup call Jamie Redknapp has needed for years.

The biggest concern that Roy Hodgson and his backroom team will have to contend with is how to handle the delicate issue regarding John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. Hodgson is reportedly yet to speak to either and has apparently been informed that the rift is far too wide to be dealt with.

Gary Neville heavily criticised the decision by the FA to strip John Terry of the captaincy following the announcement that he would be charged for alleged racism of Anton Ferdinand, an issue which led to Capello quitting his role. Neville is however a good friend of Rio Ferdinand’s having played with him for 9 years at Manchester United, whether Neville will choose to get involved in the issue or not is yet to be seen. He may in fact be the only man who can advise Roy to make the best decision.

Neville will most likely be placed in a role focusing on coaching the back line, his vast experience as a Premier League right back will prove invaluable. Neville’s work deeply analysing Premier League footballers for a season could mean he already has ideas as to what needs to be done to turn this current batch into a winning team. He has without doubt had much to criticise regarding some poor defensive performances in the league this year.

A year ago many were questioning the decision to even appoint Neville as a pundit for Sky, questioning whether he had it in his locker to offer expert views to the standards of Jamie Redknapp and Ray Wilkins. Now Neville’s appointment as a coach for England is being welcomed as a stroke of genius from Hodgson, and it is.

Roy Hodgson needed to do something different to set himself apart from the reputation he has acquired as an adequately average manager. Similarly to Roberto Martinez this season Gary Neville has become hot property and Hodgson immediately took his chance to take this valuable asset on. Neville has it in him to become a world class manager and if he can help Roy to a successful reign as England boss he could find himself with a long list of offers from top clubs.  There would be no prizes for guessing which job he will always have his eyes on though.

Stabæk’s misery continued when they hosted Molde on Saturday afternoon, the reigning champions firing five goals past them to move up to third, one point behind both Rosenborg and Strømgodset. The game was practically wrapped up after only nine minutes, Daniel Berg Hestad, Davy Angan and Joshua Gatt scoring one after the other, just three minutes separating each goal. The scoreline stayed that way at half time before Davy Angan got his second of the game after sixty-six minutes; substitute Jo Inge Berget then wrapping up a fantastic win for Molde when he scored their fifth with seven minutes left to go. Defensively all over the place, Stabæk could have easily conceded more. They travel to Vålerenga on Wednesday knowing full well that a similar performance will result in a similarly crushing defeat.

Tromsø overtook Vålerenga and moved up to fourth place in the table when they beat the away side 3-1 in snowy conditions on Saturday night. After chances for both sides, Zdenek Ondrášek scored his third goal of his first season as a Tromsø player to put the side 1-0 up after twenty nine minutes, Magnus Andersen then firing in after a defensive mix-up to make it 2-0 just two minutes later. Andersen then made it 3-0 nine minutes after the start of the second half, and Tromsø’s lead could have been furthered if it wasn’t for a strong performance under pressure from Vålerenga goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld. With five minutes left to play, Mohammed Fellah came on for Marcus Pedersen and scored a consolation goal for the away side just a minute later, blasting in from the left hand side of the penalty area. But, it was too late, and Vålerenga move down to sixth place, two points behind Tromsø who are in fourth, equal on points with Molde.

The rest of Round 8’s games were played on Sunday afternoon and evening, the entire day seeing the ball hit the back of the net twenty one times. After disposing of their manager Tom Freddy Aune during the week, Fredrikstad dropped to fourteenth place when their ultra-defensive performance against Haugesund meant that the game ended goalless. Fredrikstad walked off the pitch at the end of the game with barely any attempts on goal, whilst Haugesund produced several chances to go ahead, Serbian striker Nikola Đurđić coming the closest for the away side but finding himself unable to beat Jon Knudsen in the Fredrikstad goal. After what has happened at the club this week, a point may be welcomed by many within, but it leaves them only two points clear of the relegation zone and without a win in six matches, their only win so far this season. Haugesund, on the other hand, drop from fourth to fifth, now equal on points with Vålerenga.

One the most impressive results of the round was arguably Sandnes Ulf’s 1-1 home draw against Rosenborg, a draw that sees the side stay in a well-earned eighth place, equal on points with Sogndal. After a first half that produced no goals, Sandnes Ulf went ahead went ahead first after sixty-seven minutes when Tommy Høiland was brought down in the penalty area by Rosenborg goalkeeper Daniel Örlund. Örlund saw yellow for his challenge and was unable to save the subsequent penalty, Aksel Skjølsvik sending the Swedish keeper the wrong way. But, fourteen minutes later, Rade Prica leveled the scoreline with his well-placed shot from the edge of the area. The striker suffered a disappointing end to the game, however, picking up his second yellow card in ten minutes after an ugly challenge from behind on Steinthór Thorsteinsson and unsporting words being uttered to the referee. Despite only managing to pick up a point, Rosenborg still find themselves at the top of the table at the end of Round 8 after Strømgodset’s disappointing defeat.

Strømgodset travelled to Aalesund in the hope of picking up three points that would see them go three points clear at the top of the table, but, despite going ahead after half an hour through Adama Diomandé, it wasn’t to be, one goal from Michael Barrantes and two from Lars Fuhre securing a much-needed win for Aalesund and sending them up to eleventh in the table. Barrantes got Aalesund’s first, a low fired strike from the left of the box beating Adam Kwarasey to make it 1-1 before Fuhre made it 2-1 just two minutes later. The score stayed the same until Fuhre got his second of the game after seventy-two minutes, the young Norwegian with a fantastic left-footed strike from just outside the penalty area that left Kwarasey with no chance whatsoever. The three points mean that Aalesund are now fully involved in the mid-table muddle that the league finds itself in, just six points separating leaders Rosenborg and twelfth place Hønefoss.

After an unbeaten start to the season, Hønefoss lost their second game in a row when they hosted Odd Grenland, the away side, who had suffered a disappointing start to the season, managing to put an impressive four goals past Hønefoss in a 4-1 win that sees them go unbeaten in four games. Former Kongsvinger striker Adem Güven scored his first league goal of the season after half an hour of play before getting his second just seven minutes later, scoring the first with his feet and the second with his head to give the away side a 2-0 lead going into the break. Snorre Krogsgård then made it 3-0 ten minutes after the restart with an unstoppable strike from the edge of the box. Hønefoss pulled one back twenty minutes later when substitute Kevin Beugre scored his first of the season for the club, but it was quickly cancelled out by Simen Brenne when he took perfect advantage of poor defending from the home side to make it 4-1, wrapping up a comfortable three points for Odd Grenland and sending the side up to ninth place with eleven points.

Similarly to Hønefoss, Sogndal’s impressive unbeaten run has come to an end, the side losing 3-0 against Strømgodset last week before losing 2-1 to Viking at the Fosshaugane Campus this Sunday. It only took Viking thirteen minutes to go ahead, Andrè Danielsen with an easy tap in right in front of goal after being set up by Valon Berisha to his left. Berisha came close to doubling the lead when he smashed the bar with considerable force, and Malick Mane put the ball into the back of the net for Sogndal just before the whistle blew for half time but, to Viking’s relief, he was judged to have been in an offside position. Indriði Sigurðsson got the winning goal for Viking with ten minutes left to play, heading in from close distance to make it 2-0, before ex-Helsingborg defender Hannu Patronen scored with his head at the other end for Sogndal, but, despite their best efforts, it was too late for them to find an equaliser, the final whistle going shortly after and signaling Sogndal’s third defeat in two weeks. The win takes Viking up to tenth place, with Sogndal slipping down to seventh, just one point now separating the two sides.

Round 8 was completed with a fantastic seven-goal thriller between Lillestrøm and Brann, the away side winning 4-3 to move above Fredrikstad to thirteenth place, whilst Lillestrøm stay in the relegation zone in fifteenth place, still without a win so far this season. Brann’s opener came after only nine minutes, Chukwuma Akabueze finding himself unmarked in front of goal and easily able to head in past a stationary Stefán Logi Magnússon in the middle of the Lillestrøm goal. He then doubled their lead just after the half hour mark, again finding himself in the right position at the right time in front of goal to tap the ball into the back of the net past Magnússon. Two goals in three minutes from Björn Sigurðarson at the end of the first half made the scoreline equal once again, the first coming from the penalty spot before the Icelandic striker was left completely unmarked at the back post and was able to place the ball underneath Brann goalkeeper Piotr Leciejewski to make it 2-2. It looked like the first half was going to end with an even scoreline, but Akabueze was on hand again to put the away side ahead once again, completing his hat-trick a minute before half time with a header in front of goal. After the restart, mass confusion ensued; Brann’s Erik Mjelde was required to kick the ball back to Lillestrøm keeper Magnússon after an incident involving Lillestrøm striker Fredrik Gulbrandsen, which Mjelde did, but the lofted ball back to Magnússon bounced over the keeper’s head and into the back of the net to make it 4-2. Mjelde apologized for the goal, insisting that he didn’t mean to score, but the referee had no choice but to let the goal stand. After discussing what to do, the Brann players, bar a visibly irate Leciejewski, decided to put fair play first and allowed Sigurðarson to run through the defence and place the ball in the back of the net to make it 4-3, despite Leciejewski attempting to save the Icelander’s shot, the Polish keeper adamant that it was a goalkeeping error that was the cause of Brann’s goal, not anything to do with Mjelde. The score stayed that way until the final whistle was blown, Brann holding on to secure only their second win of the season and moving three points clear of the relegation zone and Lillestrøm.

At the end of Round 8, Rosenborg and Strømgodset are tied on points at the top of the table with sixteen each, Rosenborg leading the way due to a superior goal difference. Molde and Tromsø are one point behind them in third and fourth, respectively, whilst Haugesund and Vålerenga are in fifth and six with thirteen points each. Seventh and eighth place Sogndal and Sandnes Ulf both have twelve points and ninth and tenth place Odd Grenland and Viking both have eleven. Aalesund and Hønefoss are in eleventh and twelfth with ten points and only Brann, Fredrikstad, Lillestrøm and Stabæk remain on single digits, Brann in thirteenth place now with seven points, Fredrikstad one point behind them in fourteenth with Lillestrøm and Stabæk in the relegation zone with only four points and one point, respectively.

Yet, much more remarkable than those dramatic final minutes was the fact that City have been crowned champions during ‘Fergie’s Time’. Just 13 years ago while Ferguson was celebrating his first ever Champions League success against European giants Bayern Munich, City were competing in a League One play-off beating Gillingham on penalties.

The blue half of Manchester has spent over two years in the shadow of their red neighbours as they have witnessed them become a global sporting juggernaut, steered so masterfully by Sir Alex Ferguson. He has symbolised difference between the two rivals, dictating United’s success which City fans have swallowed for two decades. Proclamations back in 1999 that City would even threaten, let alone defeat the this Tyrant of football success responsible for inflicting so much of their pain, just over a decade later would have seen you laughed out of Manchester. Or carried out in a straight-jacket.

But, Sheik Mansour’s 2008 takeover and subsequent billion pound investment has given City an equal footing in the city they believe to be theirs.  If the FA Cup success broke the seal, then the Premiership title has left many wetting themselves with talk of a new era of unchecked domination. This is after all the age of media hyperbole, which lends itself to often hysteric proclamations, which have understandably been exacerbated by the incredible scenes on Sunday. Yet, there is one man you can be sure is remaining calm amongst talk of impending and prolonged power shifts, and that is of course Alex Ferguson.

It has been a landmark season for City and they thoroughly deserved to crowned Premier League Champions. However, the Red Devils have performed admirably to take them all the way to the final seconds of the season. The issue here is not money. Many will say City bought the title and to an extent they did, but to an extent everyone does, and it is a fact that’s largely irrelevant. Indeed, Manchester United’s starting XI on Sunday cost £8 million more than their neighbour’s line up.

City have been forced to spend excessively in order to accelerate their competitiveness, the modern climate of football demands it as revenue based growth has  been made impossible by the financial exclusivity that Champions League qualification and its millions has created. What is pertinent though is that City have arrived and seemingly bottomless oil barrels of cash makes them the team to beat. Yet, more than any other United team in recent history, this is one of considerable transition and yet they have still competed blow for blow.  It suggests that bold predictions are premature and that City’s mission of domestic and indeed European domination will be far from straightforward.

The likes of Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young have played their first full seasons’ at the sharp end of the Premier League. Plans to promote Tom Cleverely into senior action have been scuppered by injury and United have operated with a make-shift midfield for large parts of the season. The absence of Nemanja Vidic has been a huge blow and was ultimately telling in games against Wigan and Everton where his imperious stature and calming influence were sorely missed. As was the lack of an experienced goalkeeper since, undoubted talent though he is, David De Gea initially struggled to adapt to the rigours of Premiership life both physically and mentally. Simply put City’s squad regardless of how much it cost is superior to United’s. Therefore, United supporters can take solace from the fact that despite a season of significant change they still came within touching distance of a 20th league triumph.

United’s achievements can be put in perspective by contrasting it to events at Chelsea. Similarly to United they are negotiating a period of transition, yet despite cup success Chelsea sit 25 points adrift of the Premier League summit. Two years ago they appeared to be the team beat after a League and Cup Double. Trace time further back and their 2005 League triumph was too pinpointed as a watershed moment for the English game, the beginning of sustained period of dominance. Conversely, seven years on and United have won a further four Premier League titles, Chelsea just two. Ferguson’s managerial ability has undoubtedly been paramount in curtailing the ascendancies of not just Chelsea, but Arseanal, Blackburn and even Leeds before them. He and his teams have been a blockade to rival dominance, a barrier to the sustained superiority of other clubs.

It is evidence that money places you in a position to compete but offers no guarantee that an epoch of supremacy will be secured. Especially not while United remain under the stewardship of perhaps the greatest manager to have ever lived. The wisdom he possesses and stability he represents are still his employer’s greatest strength in the face of growing competition. Furthermore, City must fall in line with Uefa’s financial fair play regulations, a sizeable task considering City’s’ 2011 losses totalled a astounding £194.9 million and whose wage bill currently stands at £174 million.

It has been a staggering weekend of football and Mancini’s men have undoubtedly taken residence at the Premier League’s summit, but like a house buyer, until they pay the mortgage it will not exclusively be theirs. The fight from their city rivals will not cease, history alone has taught us that. And while money will certainly not be a hurdle to unimpeded ascendancy, a cunning old Glaswegian may still yet be.

It is less than two days since the Premier League ended and we already have our first management casualty of the summer. Alex McLeish has been sacked as manager of Aston Villa with immediate effect after a string of poor performances that resulted in only nine wins from 42 games all season.

A statement on the club website said;

The club has been disappointed with this season’s results, performances and the general message these have sent to our fans.

With Randy Lerner, Aston Villa’s American owner adding:

We need to be clear and candid with ourselves and with supporters about what we have lacked in recent years.

 

Compelling play and results that instil a sense of confidence that Villa is on the right track have been plainly absent.

 

The most immediate action that we can take is to look carefully at our options in terms of bringing in a new manager who sees the club’s potential and embraces our collective expectations.

The sacking comes swiftly and follows on the heels of Aston Villa’s worst season in decades.

They only avoided relegation thanks to a deflected Ciaran Clarke goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the penultimate game of the season and their overall Premier League record makes for tough reading.

Across the Premier League season their win/loss record reads as:

PLD-38 W-7 D-17 L-14 F-37 A-53 PTS-38

It is one of the worst records in football especially when you consider the finances available and the size of the club. However, it must be said that no other manager in the Premier League has had to endure as many slings and arrows as Alex McLeish has this season.

He has had to contend with losing Richard Dunne for three months with a broken collarbone, Darren Bent for three months with ruptured ligaments and Stilian Petrov, who has had to suspend his football career after he was diagnosed with leukaemia. But even with all that considered Aston Villa’s football this season has been un-inspiring, insipid and inept and it comes as no surprise to find that Alex McLeish’s win ratio last season was just 21 percent.

The Scot has never been flavour of the month with the Villains fans, having managed arch-rivals Birmingham City, but when compared to Blackburn Rovers fans, they have given Big Eck a relatively easy time.

The problem with Aston Villa is that Randy Lerner seems to be asset-stripping the club with a view to selling up and getting out of Birmingham.

Since taking over the club for £64 million in 2008, he has invested £60 million in transfers but has sold over £100 million worth of talent while trimming the wage bill considerably each year.

Even before McLeish took over from Gerard Houllier, the purse strings at the club had begun to be tightened, and now Randy Lerner has to reap what he has sown.

One thing is for sure; it will take a miracle for Aston Villa to avoid the drop next season – even with Gordon Cowen’s exciting crop of youngsters and it is with this in mind that Randy Lerner has acted now.

The question must be asked though; Is Alex McLeish’s sacking a direct result of Liverpool’s interest in Roberto Martinez?

The Wigan boss Randy Lerner’s first choice to take over from Gerard Houllier last season and even spoke with Aston Villa about the possibility of moving but decided his best interests lay with Wigan and a jubilant Dave Whelan.

It would seem obvious to most observers that over the past year Martinez’s star has risen some more and that he has worked wonders to keep Wigan in the Premier League on what is a meagre transfer and wage fund.

His teams always play football in an exciting way that is enticing to fans and as we entered the most dramatic day in football history several newspapers chose to run with headlines linking Martinez with the Liverpool job.

Whether this was a kite flying exercise by the Liverpool hierarchy or not, one thing is for sure – Kenny Dalglish is under intense pressure after a miserable season for the Reds.

So if Liverpool is about to make a move on Randy Lerner’s first choice replacement it makes sense for Villa to sack their unpopular manager and make the first decisive strike.

The other manager being linked with the Villa post is Norwich City’s Paul Lambert. During the Canaries 2-0 win over Villa yesterday, Aston Villa fans could be heard chanting “There’s only one Paul Lambert,” in an obvious attempt to show Lerner who they would like as the boss of their club.

Upon the news breaking of McLeish’s sacking, Martinez was immediately installed as favourite to take over with Lambert in second.

This forced the Norfolk club’s Chief Executive, David McNally, to tell BBC Radio that, “we would not welcome any enquiry for our football manager or any of the club’s football players. We’ll do everything we can and fight this as hard as we’ve ever fought.”

Enticing Roberto Martinez last season proved impossible as it may this season, especially with Liverpool hovering in the wings but appealing to Paul Lambert may be Aston Villa’s best hope.

Randy Lerner could do worse – he did last season.

We’ve seen City make a balls of things on the final day before – Robbie Fowler’s missed penalty against Middlesbrough which cost the club a place in Europe, the 8-1 defeat to the same opposition just four years ago, and of course the 1996 debacle when players held the ball in the corner against Liverpool thinking a 2-2 draw was enough to avoid relegation. It wasn’t.

The ‘Typical City’ mentality is a tough one to shake, and a rollercoaster season like the one we have just experienced makes it very difficult to think any different.

However, when it mattered most, this new look Manchester City adopted the never say die attitude we have become accustomed to seeing from the red half of the city and won with goals in the 92^nd and 94^th minutes to end a 44 year wait for English football’s top prize.

Sergio Aguero’s composure to fire home the winner was exemplary. He could have gone down under a challenge, he could have pulled the trigger first time and had his shot blocked, and he could, like Tevez and Nasri amongst others before him, blazed high and wide with the goal at his mercy.

Instead the Argentine was at his clinical best to beat Paddy Kenny, who for so long had been playing the Ludek Miklosko role with some superb saves after his first half howler for Pablo Zabaleta’s opener.

Joleon Lescott’s error for Djibril Cisse’s equaliser invoked that “Oh here we go” feeling that comes when you’ve experienced so many disappointments in the past. Lescott has had a great season but it would have been in keeping with the ‘Typical City’ idea for his one crucial error to cost them the title.

Mackie’s goal had QPR on the verge of a sensational shock, before Joey Barton did what Joey Barton does best by making himself the centre of attention unnecessarily. I liked Barton when he was at City, he’s a very good player, but his talent is completely overshadowed by what is simply an unstable mentality.

As Rangers defending doggedly a man short with City peppering their goal, all looked lost as the clock ticked into injury time. With City’s 43^rd effort at goal, Edin Dzeko, who has struggled for goals in 2012, rose superbly to nod in David Silva’s corner, before Aguero had his magic moment.

There have of course been sour moments this season. The Tevez affair will no doubt be revived in the summer, while Mario Balotelli’s indiscretions are well documented. Both played their role in a whirlwind few weeks though, Tevez with his goals and Balotelli with his vital touch to Aguero for the winner yesterday. Both characters are questionable more often than not but for now they are part of a Premier League winning squad.

The spine of the team has remained consistent with Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Aguero enjoying career best seasons. Skipper Kompany is an extremely likeable character, and has grown into arguably the best leader in the league.

The sight of Yaya Toure hobbling around in the first half was devastating given the impact he had against Manchester United and Newcastle recently. Even on one leg he was still able to set up Zabaleta for his goal. The Ivorian is a machine and when he is on song there’s no one better in the league. Claiming the title was the perfect present on his 29^th birthday.

The often unsung heroes deserve a mention; the likes of Gareth Barry and Pablo Zabaleta have been crucial to the makeup of the squad and proved their work with consistent performances recently.

Samir Nasri left Arsenal with few well wishes but his reasons for doing so are now justified with a Premier League winners’ medal around his neck. Gael Clichy is no doubt equally happy with his decision. Admittedly Nasri was hit and miss for much of the season but the Frenchman had his moments, most notably his winning goal against Chelsea.

The easy cheap shots about City buying the title are there, but really they hold little weight when every top flight championship these days is won with players who cost and earn millions.

Roberto Mancini deserves credit for year on year progress in the league since taking over at the club and, even with the backing of the world’s richest owners; it isn’t a foregone conclusion to get a group of players with egos to perform well together.

Of course there are still challenges ahead, and the Champions League will be top of the agenda for next season, but for now City fans can enjoy being top dog for a change.

It feels fantastic, and hopefully it’s just the beginning.

As we all know, Roy Hodgson was appointed as England’s new manager a week or so ago and he will leave his position at The Hawthorns, after a year and a half in charge, at the end of the season. It’s a significant loss for West Brom, who under Hodgson have formed a solid establishment in the English top flight.

But now it’s time to move on, and progress under a new, fresh face. A series of names have been floating about, but just who will be appointed as Baggies chief? Here are five candidates that could fill the empty seat.

Candidate number 1 – Chris Hughton

Hughton was also linked with the West Brom job when now-Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo was fired in February 2011 – but he was deemed surplus to requirements and then took the Birmingham City job. For me, he’s a decent manager with good pedigree and possesses solid style of playing the game. He was unfairly dismissed at Newcastle as he left the club lying in 11th spot in the Premier League, and he has done a tidy job at Birmingham with a shoestring budget and a squad plagued with injuries. He has Premier League experience, and could do a satisfactory job at West Brom if given the chance with Blues staying in the Championship for next term following their midweek defeat to Blackpool in the play-off semi-final. Manager Rating 7/10

Candidate number 2 – Claudio Ranieri

I know what you’re thinking. Claudio Ranieri to West Brom? No chance. However, he is actually the leading favourite to take over. The 60-year-old Italian, who has coached in Italy, Spain and England – has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game, and if appointed could help Albion retain their mid-table security. The only thing is – he’s used to dealing with big players, with big reputations and big financial backing. It wouldn’t be the same kind of pressure at West Brom, but that could work in his favour. He nurtures players well, and is efficient in his systems – naturally as an Italian. Could be the kind of calibre of manager the Baggies need to push on. Manager Rating 8.5/10

Candidate number 3 – Alan Curbishley

The East London-born former Charlton and West Ham chief was also reportedly linked with the vacant Wolves job following the sacking of Mick McCarthy – after he announced on Sky Sports News that he was interested in getting back into club management. Well, West Brom could be just the right place. I like Curbishley – he comes across as calm and collective and decent in the transfer market, too. He did a splendid job with Charlton and won over the fans before heading to West Ham, where he kept the Hammers up – albeit with a Carlos Tevez, who controversially switched to London, strike at Old Trafford. Mind you, he’d have to cut down on the punditry. Good coach with healthy experience, though. Manager Rating 7.5/10

Candidate number 4 – Roberto Martinez

For me, Martinez is actually one of the best managers in the English top flight. He’s incredibly underestimated, probably because of the club – no offence to Wigan – that he’s based at. He’s another who I think would do well with the Baggies, as he was Premier League pedigree and is capable of fulfilling such a task. It’s understood, despite his close relationship with Latics chairman David Whelan, that the Spaniard is attracting interest from a number of high profile clubs and could make his move in the summer. He’s done a fantastic job at Wigan, keeping them in the Premier League once more this season. A man who sticks to his principles, a man of true belief and professionalism. Deserves a crack at a bigger club. Manager Rating 8/10

Candidate number 5 – Gus Poyet

According to several newspapers, the Brighton boss is a target for Albion. Much like Martinez, he prides himself on hard working players and sticks to playing football whatever the situation. Brighton do have a sustainable idea behind them and are developing rapidly with their impressive Amex Stadium, which may persuade the former Chelsea midfielder to stay put on the Seaside. But would a swap for the Midlands be worth it? Premier League football would be guaranteed, and a fresh start at a new club. I think he’s got the talent and one-on-one skills to succeed. A long shot I think but don’t think too many Albion supporters would be disheartened with his appointment.

The ‘Boot Room’ philosophy is the theory of promoting from within the club. It has somewhat been lost in modern times as fans demand big name coaches with a wealth of experience. But is evident in Barcelona’s decision to originally appoint Pep Guardiola and now replace him with assistant Tito Vilanova.

When Pep Guardiola was appointed to succeed Frank Rijkaard in the managerial hot seat in 2008, his only previous experience came as head coach of Barcelona ‘B’. In essence a Barcelona reserve team. He had also only had one season in this “illustrious” position. Yet, then Barcelona president Joan Laporta was convinced that this was the man who could lead Barcelona back to glory. As a player he captained the side and appeared in the famous red and navy shirt over 400 times. Current midfield maestros Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas even go on record calling him a hero, and an advocate of the ‘tiki-taka’ game they now adhere to.

In 4 short years, Guardiola did lead Barcelona back to glory winning three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies amongst others, a truly Paisley-esque type return. So what was it that made this inexperienced young manager such a success?

The old Liverpool boot room was known for educating those lucky enough to venture inside about the ‘Liverpool way’ without them even realising it. The likes of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish had found themselves being buttered up for what was to be their destiny.

So was Pep’s knowledge of the ‘Barcelona way’ enough to lead him to glory? He was lucky enough to play under the guidance of the great Johan Cruyff who had introduced the total football style Barcelona continue to utilise. Cruyff brought Guardiola into his Barcelona side when he was just 20 years old and the defensive midfielder quickly became a first team regular for the Dutchman. Following Cruyff’s departure Guardiola remained a key member of Bobby Robson’s and then Louis Van Gaal’s Barcelona sides.

So what of Tito Vilanova? As a player he was part of the Barcelona youth set up but unlike Guardiola never made the “big time”. In 2007 he joined his former youth teammate at Barcelona B as his assistant. This was his first job in coaching. Tito found himself following his boss to the Nou Camp dugout, once again as assistant coach. Although, once Guardiola announced his inevitable resignation from the Barcelona hot seat in April for once Tito did not follow his companion and was immediately announced as Guardiola’s successor.

For many this was a shock. The rumour mill had already hit full pace spurting out big names left and right. Tito Vilanova has no experience as a manager. Yet he has found his way into one of the biggest jobs in world football. Does President Sandro Rossel see something in Tito? This is the sort of action that would lead to mass fan protests in England yet Barcelona fans have accepted this. Is the boot room philosophy now well and truly in place in Catalonia?

It does seem there is a bigger picture to all this, that a long term aim is lurking in the darkness. Tito Vilanova is for the most part not a long term appointment. The only way he can become one is to better the feat set by his predecessor. Barcelona are looking ahead and they may see a current member of the Barcelona squad as their future manager, whether it is Puyol, Xavi or even somebody else you cannot be sure. The only way to ensure the football philosophy they have so much faith in remains on the bill is to appoint somebody who already knows the ins and outs of the tiki-taka style and will not feel too much pressure to shrug off the legacy of Guardiola. Many managers will enter a top club and look to rid any presence of their predecessor. Brian Clough learnt the issues of doing this when he succeeded Don Revie at Leeds United in the 70’s. At Liverpool this wasn’t such an issue, Kenny Dalglish even went as far as to have Bob Paisley join his coaching team on the bench.

It would be a surprise if Tito was to try and rid Barcelona of the spirit of Guardiola, a friend whom he learnt under and coached under for 5 years. He will understand the issues that come with having a legacy to live up to but will understand the job that is at hand. In all respects, he is there to keep the seat warm for the next member of the Barcelona boot room to take up and therefore continue the tradition. He may prove to be a huge success; it would be hard to believe that any man could take a squad of such talent and achieve nothing.

There will even be aspects of Guardiola’s Barcelona that Tito will have to improve. Barcelona’s defence will certainly need working on; they have looked rigid and especially poor when defending set pieces. A ‘Plan B’ will also need to be devised. As shown in the Champions League semi-final defeat against Chelsea, the team were unable to break the defence down by simply passing the ball around. It was not the first time this happened either, Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan managed to manoeuvre their way past Barcelona using the all-out defence tactic in 2010. Many would have thought Guardiola would have learnt from this, clearly not. Barcelona therefore need to work out what to do now they may have been figured out.

Tito certainly has a tough job at hand but if he can figure out how to continue winning traditions whilst holding onto their playing style but also advancing it as well as the team; he could be a real success and an advocate for their boot room. If not Barcelona chiefs may be forced to submit defeat and appoint the external option who could prove to put the philosophy to bed.

The recent unveiling of the new Liverpool 2012-13 kit showed the huge strides Liverpool are making commercially. The deal, announced in January, with American company Warrior Sports will earn the club £25 million per season, the most lucrative in the Premier League.

Considering the club’s previous tie up with Adidas only raked in £12 million per year, it shows that certain aspects of the club are moving forward despite some disappointing performances on the field.

Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer said it was the German sportswear giant that chose to ditch Liverpool as “The gap between their performance on the field and what the number should be is not in balance.”

Liverpool’s yearly replica shirt sales are said to have hit 900,000 – the fourth highest selling football kit in the world. Warrior may just think they’ve done a good bit of business, Liverpool certainly have.

Any worries that the Warrior deal would represent a huge commercialisation of the Liverpool brand and disrespect the club’s traditions have been put to bed. As well as being a kit that looks good on the eye there is also a return of the old Liver bird badge, which is renowned for it’s usage during the successful 70s and 80s. And those worried about the loss of ‘the eternal flames’ representing those who perished at Hillsborough can fear not as a tribute to the 96 is placed on the back of the shirt.

Warrior Sports appear to have ticked all the boxes.
·               Smart and stylish, check.
·               Honours the club’s traditions, check.
·               Red, check.

Although there was still an error made. Whilst the club had met with members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group to discuss changes to the crest, they did not meet with the Hillsborough Justice Campaign. Some reacted angrily to this stating they felt it very poor that the club did not contact all that were affected by the disaster regarding such a significant adjustment to the club crest. Although the actual changes themselves are not being criticised.

For the most part it has been a great debut for the Boston based group.

Reds managing director Ian Ayre deserves a large amount of credit. As well as being a key part of the shirt deal he was also responsible for getting the sponsorship deal with investment bank Standard Chartered, worth £20 million per season. A huge success when compared to the club’s previous £7 million a year deal with Carlsberg.

Ayre is also one of the only members of Liverpool’s executive staff to have survived from the Hicks/Gillett era; clearly principal owner John Henry recognises that in Ayre they have a very skilled businessman who also has a great understanding of the club.

The recent clear out of some of the executives at Liverpool has shown that FSG have a clear intent to create a successfully run club out of Liverpool again, the Suarez case was of no help and seriously mired Liverpool’s global image. The latest casualty being long term director of communications Ian Cotton, who made an absolute mess of the Luis Suarez issue.

Whether there will be any more high profile departures is yet to be seen. Some still suggest Dalglish may be eased out of the dugout and shoved ‘upstairs’. It would be highly disrespectful to dispose of a club great in such a way, if it were to happen it seems more likely that it would be the manager’s decision to take a back seat.

The one move that would certainly do FSG no harm would be an announcement on the stadium situation. Liverpool have longed for a larger capacity stadia for years now, whether it be a completely new stadium or an expanded Anfield, FSG need to act soon. Everybody knows what started to develop when Hicks and Gillett stalled on their promises of a “shovel in the ground in 60 days”.

Liverpool are a global brand and it is shocking that it has taken this long for this position to finally be taken advantage of. Manchester United even struck a sponsorship deal with DHL for their training kit worth £40 million over the next four years. Many may complain about the Glazier’s regime but they have at least used their club’s worldwide fan base to aid the club’s progression. Admittedly the Hicks/Gillett era ended up setting the club back massively and even poor management by David Moores and Rick Parry beforehand meant the club remained dormant in the ‘field of gold’ they had access to.

Whilst performances this season may not have lived up to expectations, the position of the football club is healthy. To have been turning in seasons like this without any investment in the squad or new lucrative deals being struck would had been a sign for the worse.

Liverpool fans can now feel confident that those running their club know what they are doing. They managed to deliver the Boston Red Sox their first World Series in 86 years, and with the right moves they could end up bankrolling Liverpool’s first title since 1990.

The first shirt that I saw was Inzaghi and then Maldini and right after him was Alessandro Nesta. I picked up the Nesta shirt and said “I want this one” and when she asked why I said “because he’s Nesta, mommy”.

I have fallen in love and out of love faster than anybody I know. Not with ordinary people not with ordinary things but with legends like Nesta and Inzaghi. Not with ordinary things but with things like the San Siro that when it screams you can hear it till the end of Italy, with the game and with everything it has to offer. So this article isn’t going to be about how many records our legends have broken because legends aren’t facts to be recorded they are materials to be molded. They make reality seem like a dream and become more useful than records and facts.

Men fall and rise like wheat grains but these men were something special. Something that can never be replaced. They aren’t born every day they are born once in a blue moon and when they do take that field and score a goal or defend its isn’t something ordinary it isn’t something usual. Its something the whole world respects and learns to love. It’s something I learned over the years and hearing this news broke my heart into many pieces as my definition of Milan was Nesta, Inzaghi, Seedorf and Gattuso who will all be leaving at the end of the season and the whole world will have to say their goodbyes to them on the 13^th after the game against Novara.

When people like Nesta leave they still live on because legends like these pass what they know to other people just like Nesta passed on his skills on to Thiago Silva. I still remember when Barcelona came to San Siro this season for the UCL. My heart would skip a million beats the second the ball went near the penalty area and I used to lose faith but then there he was…Nesta with his world class defending that restored my faith. Even when I was a little girl I used to cover my eyes with my hands every time the other team tried to score until I realized we were “safe” as long as we had legends like Maldini. When he left I was still sure about our safety due to Nesta’s presence. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the news was who’s going to have our back now? Who’s going to be there to defend us and be our guardian? Sure, we have world class players like Thiago Silva but Nesta was something different like I said people like him are born once in a blue moon.

To make matters worse Inzaghi will also be leaving along with Seedorf and Gattuso. When Pirlo left it was one hard pill to swallow. And since then Milan have been looking for a midfielder that they weren’t able to find. With Seedorf leaving it just makes matters worse. For now my feelings about the club and how we are going to win or lose have shifted and are pretty quiet as I still cant move on from the idea about what was once my definition is gone.

Sure it is something positive for the Rossoneri as there will be fresh and faster legs on the pitch now which will boost the chances of winning against teams like Real Madrid. This reminds me of the time when Milan were losing to Real Madrid in the UCL and Inzaghi came on towards the end and scored two goals and ran like the Greek boy who started the Olympics while Mourinho stood by the Real Madrid bench stunned at what he was seeing. It was the same game that saw Gattuso get into a fight with Ronaldo and got the entire crowd on their feet. It was the same night when Nesta defended against Marcelo and saved us from a loss. There are many more matches we could talk about, many great matches that have so many memories so many things to learn from. So I put my thoughts and my feelings into this article as what I believed in once is gone, At least for now because when the legends go there is no more greatness. No more dreams.

So after the 13^th of May we will all have no choice but to move on and accept what has been done in hopes of new signings. However, one thing is for certain, every time the San Siro screams it will remind me about Inzaghi’s bravery and power. Every time a match is won due to great defending, every time I close my eyes once again as the ball goes near the penalty area it will remind me of Nesta’s amazing skills. Every time a ball is controlled by a midfielder it will remind me of Seedorf and every time someone raises the tempo it will remind me of Gattuso. This decade wasn’t only about winning or losing; there’s much more to it than that. They will always live on within our hearts and the walls of the San Siro.

Goodbye to everything legendary.

“Greatness and goodness are not means, but ends” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge.