Despite Alan Hansen’s assertions to the contrary, Sir Alex Ferguson has proven throughout his career that it’s the little things that win Premier League titles. Expensive signings, column inches and glorious goal fests can propel you so far, but over the period of a season, if you don’t score more goals and win more games than your peers, as well as ensure your players know who’s the boss, the only thing you’re going to be lifting in May is a P45.
Simples.
Before service commences, pray a moment’s silence for the death of Liverpool’s incompetence in the transfer market.
A last minute Ahmad Khalil goal saw UAE defeat defending champions Kuwait in the first Gulf Cup semi-final last night, but our preferred highlight was this interactive demonstration of the Arsenal offside trap, brought to us by the Bahrain police and a pitch invader.
Tony Adams would be proud, no?
This isn’t the first time we’ve been left tramatised and jonesing for cheese by events on Super Sunday.
But it’s without doubt the most visually arresting.
Semi-final first leg reports. Kinda.
Having failed to form his favoured siege mentality at the Bernabeu, it looks like Jose Mourinho is selflessly engaging in a Colonel Kurtz-style stand off with his squad to improve morale. It’s no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo has been “sad” for a long time, but the poor boy no longer has to deal with his dissatisfaction alone – Mou’s decisions to drop Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas from the Real Madrid first team prompting unprecedented scenes of surreptitious mutiny and pouting.
The upshot? Everyone is annoyed with Mourinho, a situation that is currently manifesting itself through manlove, but will invariably end up being twisted for his own nefarious ends. He’s like that.
Is a winter break something the EPL should consider introducing? It’s a popular debate at this time of year, so we casually followed the exploits of Bayern Munich & Schalke last week, both of whom shipped out to Doha during the annual Bundesliga hiatus. Would English clubs see any benefit from a week mucking about with sandpits and straps in the sun?
Well, if the friendly result at the end of the week was any evidence, no. Both teams more or less replicated their league form in the game – Bayern subjecting Schalke a 5-0 arse kicking – but on the plus side, it provided watching paps with all manner of novel photo opportunities. That’s all we care about really.
Consider us massively in favour.
Now the hysteria has subsided, we pick through the debris of FA Cup 3rd round weekend and expose a few sides to unfair scrutiny.
Join us. It’s fun.
SideEyeSport 