live sports

RIP Bobby Robson - a nice bloke.

Quarter final draw...

Villarreal v Arsenal
Manchester United v FC Porto
Liverpool v Chelsea
Barcelona v Bayern Munich

My last predictions were that not all UK sides would get through the last 16 but they did. However at least this time I'd be right saying that since for the 23rd time in 5 seasons Liverpool take on Chelsea. My predictions for the semi-finals:

Villareal v Manchester United
Liverpool v Bayern Munich

Just can't see Barca having the ability to get past Bayern and the English sides will be a bit too much for the rest...

As for the final...

Liverpool v Manchester United is my bet with Liverpool winning from a jammy Stevie G wonder goal in the 83rd minute.

From Jamie's dictionary of modern football.

Platini, n: Pompous mixed up arse waging crusade against English football.

The Guardian says that "in January he questioned the morality" of the astronomical bids Manchester City lodged for various players. Yet last summer when Real Madrid were pursuing Cristiano Ronaldo they quote him as saying " "It's part of the system we have today.Players move from club to club and I can understand why Real Madrid want him. If the club has the finances they can do it, if they don't have the money they can't."

Admit it Michel - you just want to get at English football - I see you as the main reason that England would not get the 2018 World Cup.

"doddery collection of squabbling committees" - this is how Planet Rugby describe the RFU in a pre-emptive strike on the fact the England will be thrashed today. I haven't seen any odds for how much longer Jonno will remain in the job but I suspect it's only the distraction of the Lion's tour that is going to save him. My personal feeling is that he's there to be shot at - it's the nature of the job - but he's big enough to handle the pressure and needs to be given at least 2 years in the job - if there's no progress after that sure he can go but most importantly somebody needs to shoot all the "old farts" at the RFU.

Not wanting to sound overly pessimistic, but if the England cricket team manage to maintain their performance levels this could be the first week in a long time that all three main national sides (Football, Cricket, Rugby Union) have been comprehensively beaten in the same calendar week.

"Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club today (Monday 9th February 2009) with immediate effect". Chelsea's ambitions are really too high if they feel they need to do this. My prediction is that Abramovich is going to sell up soon and Chelsea will be finished as a power in UK football.

How do you explain this one...?

In my top 5 of goal celebrations...

Rafa reveals all - Keane bottled it - he "can't handle the expectations at Liverpool". He could well be right - Liverpool supporters really do feel that the league title is their's by right at some point soon and as the wait gets longer and longer it's only going to get worse. At Spurs however it's been so long since a decent piece of silverware that a whole generation of fans has grown up with failure and expectations are correspondingly lower.

OK. Who's going to offer me odds of the following happening at White Hart Lane on Sunday during the match between Spurs and Arsenal:

Robbie Keane scores a hat-trick on his return for Spurs while Arsenal's new 'wonder' signing, Andrei Arshavin, comes on for the last 10 mins, is chopped down by Jonathan Woodgate*, and is out injured for the rest of the season.

*who escapes with a mild ticking off from the referee

Have Arsenal been stealing from Liverpool's jam jar? After all Liverpool's last minute luck this season they've now conceded in the last minute or so in their last 2 games. To make things worse last night Arsenal salvaged a draw with a last minute goal. Is Arsenal's season finally getting lucky?