RECORDS BEING BROKEN
When Sir Alex Ferguson stepped off the hallowed turf at Old Trafford following Saturday’s eventless draw with Arsenal he moved ever closer to the mantra he has carried with him since taking over the helm at Manchester United, which was to “knock Liverpool off their perch.”
By equalling Liverpool’s record 18 league titles it has set up what would already have been a massive season in 2009/10 into what could see him sign off equalling Liverpool’s record of five European cups if all goes to plan next Wednesday in Rome in the Red Devils’ tussle with Spanish champions Barcelona.
All the elements are there to make it the most intriguing Premier League season yet. If the challenge that Liverpool will inevitably launch was not enough there could be a few surprises in store. What if Chelsea kept Hiddink? Can the money from the Middle East make rivals Manchester City a force to be reckoned with? Could Andrey Arshavin make Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal a force to be reckoned with once more?
Who knows? It’s obviously very early to speculate but this could turn into the best title race in years, and one that could define the careers of many. Watch this space…
BAR CODES STARING AT THE ABYSS
What do Damien Duff and Alan Smith have in common with the likes of George Boyd and Craig Mackail-Smith? They could all be playing Championship football next season, albeit that start of this season their expectations couldn’t have been further apart.
An opening day draw at the Theatre of Dreams gave Kevin Keegan’s Magpies reason to be optimistic. Keegan was back, they were playing good football, and expectation pointed to a comfortable finish in the league. Fast forward to this weekend and the bar codes find themselves in the mire. 18th in the Premier League. One game to go. Their fate to be decided elsewhere.
The visit to Villa Park next Saturday must produce at least a point if they are to have any chance of staying up, and even then if Hull and Sunderland win the club could be back in the second tier for the first time this century. The likelihood of them becoming the Leeds United is a very realistic possibility.
Relegation has never been a real enough proposition on Tyneside so none of the players contracts have clauses in them that allow for a drop in wages were it to happen. Geordies will be hoping that Sir Alan can produce one more piece of magic and keep them up, and ultimately afloat. The chances of that happening though look bleaker as every minute goes by.
