Have United got the Ballacks?
Comment & analysis round-up
Quote of the day: “I thought, ‘What can I do next year to get near them [Chelsea]‘ and the truth is there’s nothing I can do at all, maybe the owner thinks we can bridge that gap - but we can’t. This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world.” – Kevin Keegan.
Runner-up: “We achieved our aim of getting to the Champions League final and we have also improved our play on the pitch. Now we must beat Bolton and see what United do. The pressure is on them… The advantage is with them but it will not be easy at Wigan.” – Avram Grant.
Today’s overview: As two sets of winners’ medals are printed and the football world prepares for an enthralling final day of the season the papers are wetting themselves in excitement at the prospect of the closest ever Premier League title race and probably the tightest since 1968. In a final twist that sums up this season’s topsy turvy nature the main focus of the media is now being switched to Alex Ferguson’s former captain Steve Bruce and how Wigan approach their game with Manchester United on Sunday.
Matt Lawton (Daily Mail) puts Chelsea’s second-half performance at St James’ down to a “hairdryer” from Avram Grant. “As well as having a team that continues to match Sir Alex Ferguson’s men stride for stride, Avram Grant appears to possess a hairdryer as well. He said he gave Chelsea’s players something of a rollicking during the half-time interval here yesterday and, my, how well it worked. Two goals, the extra two points they needed and the chance to really pile the pressure on to Manchester United.”
Martin Samuel also credits Avram Grant for the win in The Times. “Newcastle were outplayed in the second half once Chelsea’s players had life breathed into them by Avram Grant, the first-team coach, during the interval.”
Sam Wallace (Independent) looks forward to Sunday. “The JJB Stadium is not exactly regarded as one of English football’s most passionate crucibles of history and pride, but come Sunday it will be the stage for a cliffhanger of a game of such significance that Ferguson’s old end-of-season ’squeaky bum’ description does not do it justice.”
Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph) also writes of Wigan and Steve Bruce. “In the run-up to Sunday’s date with destiny, the conspiracy theorists will have a field day with the Wigan-United game coming under the microscope. Anyone who knows Wigan’s manager, Steve Bruce, will realise that it is not in his mentality to tell his players to ease up, simply to help out his old United manager.”
Reminiscent of the famous interview with Tim Flowers, Steven Howard in The Sun writes that the title race is all about “bottle.” “Yes, Alex Ferguson’s team have a vastly superior goal difference. But, at this stage, it is all about bottle and who blinks first… And so to Sunday. The last time two teams were level on points with one game left was in 1968 — the year United were pipped to the title by rivals Manchester City. Nothing, surely, can ever be as bad as that.”
Louise Taylor (Guardian) praises Michael Ballack. “Ballack is high-calibre proof that modern midfielders do not always have to be uber-athletes.”
Tim Rich (Daily Telegraph) compares Keegan’s first spell as manager at Newcastle with the current one. “Newcastle have accomplished something that could never have happened when Keegan was last on Tyneside - they are now irrelevant to the great events of English football. Although, given the chaos that reigned only months before, this is something of a relief.”
Des Kelly (Daily Mail) adds to Kevin Keegan’s thoughts above on the “boring” nature of the Premier League and splits up the division into three “classes.” “Go back a decade-and-a-half to when Manchester United collected their first Premier League title and you discover they edged out Villa, Norwich City, Blackburn and QPR at the top of the table. That’s not going to happen again in a hurry.”
Following the departure of Flamini, many commentators are suggesting Wenger may flash the cash this summer. David Hytner in the Guardian: “A penny for Cesc Fábregas’s thoughts at present could be worth the investment. Ruled out because of a groin injury against Everton, he larked about on the bench with Flamini and Hleb. The trio are close but Serie A has now intervened. Wenger has reorganisation ahead.”
According to Jason Burt (Independent) “Hleb wants to follow Flamini out of Arsenal.” Sam Wallace also in the Independent reports that “Liverpool are winning the battle to sign Gareth Barry with the player himself having made the decision to sign for Rafael Benitez’s club this summer rather than agree a new contract at Aston Villa.”
Charles Sale (Daily Mail) claims that “Serious questions are being asked about the real circumstances behind last week’s shock departure of Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman. Edelman’s exit was totally unexpected and he even had important meetings arranged for last Thursday when he was unceremoniously hurried out of the Emirates Stadium just a fortnight before the end of the season.”
Neil Ashton exclusively reveals in the Daily Mail that “Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is on the verge of confirming plans for a 50,000-capacity stadium to be built next to White Hart Lane. The £300million project, which has more than a passing resemblance to Arsenal’s Emirates home, will be built adjacent to the existing site, with work to start before the end of the year.”
Glenn Moore (Independent) picks “the signings who have proved a shrewd investment and those who broke the bank and their club’s heart.” In The Sun, Ian Wright hands out his awards for the season.
After Gazza was admitted to hospital, Richard Williams (Guardian) asks “Is it too late to save Paul Gascoigne?” According to The Sun “Broken Paul Gascoigne was seen begging in the street hours before his desperate hotel suicide bid.”
Kevin McCarra in the Guardian believes Wigan are the template promoted clubs should follow. “Such eminence may not beckon for the centre-half Titus Bramble, but mockers may take note of a defensive record at Wigan that is better than those of, say, Newcastle or Tottenham.
Also in the Guardian, Stuart James questions whether Stoke can stay up playing the “long-bal game.” “Never mind wondering whether Stoke City are ready for the Premier League, there will be plenty of Championship supporters asking if the Premier League is ready for Stoke City.”
Tim Stannard (Football365) chews over Real Madrid’s La Liga win. “Against Osasuna, Madrid showed that they were made to fight for their right to party - something Barcelona consistently failed to do - and at the same time they won something more important to them than another league title - and that’s respect.”
The Guardian produce their weekly European round-up, Sid Lowe salutes champions Real Madrid, Paolo Bandini analyses Milan’s bid for fourth and Raphael Honigstein features Nurnberg’s Jan Koller.
In an article title “Champagne in Madrid and beer in Munich,” Rob Hughes (IHT) writes of the Bundesliga and La Liga Champions.
Many media outlets feature quotes from Ronaldo (the Brazilian) on his “altercation with transvestites,” the injured AC Milan striker has spoken of the “biggest mistake of his life.”
