NEVER has the Premier League been so dominated by two clubs. Manchester City and Liverpool have practically set up a two-party state, a 20-plus points difference between themselves and the panting pack of four behind them. Much of this stranglehold can be put down to the leadership of managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp whose […]
NEVER has the Premier League been so dominated by two clubs.
Manchester City and Liverpool have practically set up a two-party state, a 20-plus points difference between themselves and the panting pack of four behind them.
Much of this stranglehold can be put down to the leadership of managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp whose personal battle for the nation’s biggest prizes has made the 2018-19 season unmatchable.
While Brexit animosity stupefies the country, European input into football electrifies it.
‘Never give up’ read Mo Salah’s T-shirt on Tuesday night.
It was a Churchillian reminder from an Egyptian Muslim that 0-3 down to allegedly the best team on the continent was no time for defeatism and Liverpool responded as millions of English fans hoped but did not seriously believe they would.
Salah must have loaned that T-shirt to Spurs who were reminded by manager Mauricio Pochettino that Liverpool had done the impossible and so could they against Ajax in Amsterdam.
So in an all-Premier League final Liverpool or Spurs have the chance of grasping the European Cup as consolation for the probability that the two-club Grand National finish to the title will end in City winning by a nostril.
Spurs were the one team with education and talent to measure up to our two Titans.
Argentine Poch has taught them to ignore any tendencies to an inferiority complex to run parallel to Liverpool in English football’s finest 24 hours.
Owning a new stadium and defying the unwritten rule that clubs must refresh in transfer windows, Spurs stand ready on June 1 in Madrid to make club history.
Confirmation that we have the best league in the world comes with two London sides in the Europa Cup final making it a unique English monopoly of the continent’s two competitions.
We learned many other things this season, too. Here are a few that strike me:
VAR is here to stay and we are already discovering the system makes mistakes, too. In time it will also undermine reffing authority and test crowd patience.
Arsenal must have regrets about allowing contracts to run down.
They’ve lost Aaron Ramsey to Juventus and, a year before, Alexis Sanchez to Man U for the combined sum of not a bauble.
United, meanwhile, having spent £500m on evidence from a 12-strong scouting team replete with a chief scout and, straight out of a world domination movie, a head of global scouting, finished a humbling sixth.
Plenty of lessons there, then.
There’s been further proof great players don’t often make great managers.
Joining the list that includes several of his United mates is Paul Scholes, ex-Oldham, and also the not-so-great Joey Barton, ex-Strangeways, who will be joining the jobless if he doesn’t behave at Fleetwood.
Worst sight of the season was Leeds striker Patrick Bamford collapsing in a pain-riddled heap with no Villa player near him. He should be ashamed of his acting. A two-match ban wasn’t enough.
And at West Ham we have learned that a good boss, a solid team, a goal scorer, supportive owners and a full stadium are the key to being in the top-flight.
Footnote: An embarrassed Stoke fan revealed Lionel Messi with his 600 goals in 14 years with Barcelona scored more than the Potters in the same time.
