The Premier League season is nearing its end, sadly. We’ve waved goodbye to Arsene (even though he’ll be back at the weekend). We’ve seen exactly how many backroom staff City can get on a podium. And we’ve watched Tottenham make their descent into being Tottenham working perfectly to their usual schedule. What else is actually left?
Here’s today’s Super Six.
#1 Merci, Arsene
Well, that was all very nice wasn’t it. The day went pretty much to plan and it was very decent of Burnley to turn up and play the role of the stooge, stepping aside each time Arsenal needed to give the crowd something to cheer. The #arseneout brigade kept it shut as well, which was the right thing to do. The only downside of the whole event? Who the hell was that busybody woman telling everyone what to do? Don’t get me wrong, every event needs someone like that but the really professional ones are behind the scenes – certainly not legging it across camera at every moment telling club legends exactly where they need to stand.
#2 Neil Warnock
It feels a bit odd, really, no? In the age of the laptop managers, the hands-on coaches, the younger generation, the desire of an owner to have the next bright European thing lead the revolution, Neil Warnock has got very-much-unfancied Cardiff City back into the Premier League doing it Warnock’s way. I doff my cap to him. If I could turn up on Thursday afternoon, rally the troops and get three points at the weekend I’d be loving it too. You think we will never see another Wenger? You wait until Colin has retired, that will be the end of a certain type, that is for sure. Yet, Warnock is eminently watchable – more so than his teams most of the time. His ego will be saying that he can compete in the top flight. My advice would be to resign on a high note now and get on the phone to Stoke City.
#3 Manchester City
That ‘coronation’ was a bit OTT, wasn’t it? Plus, it never quite feels the same when you’ve laboured to a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield Town. Personally, I prefer seeing a blind Italian tenor singing his heart out alongside Ranieri. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that winning the title Pep’s way is a ‘club effort’ and the people behind the scenes need their moment as well, but I would love to see the job description for all 136 of Pep’s backroom staff. I’d put money on the fact at least one of them is only there to tie KDB’s bootlaces. Hang on, do modern boots even have laces? See, it’s an even easier job!
#4 Tottenham Hotspur
My sister’s birthday is April 15th. Useless information? No, not at all. I can never forget her birthday because all I have to do is have a quick look at Tottenham’s current form and it tells me that her special day must be coming up soon. It’s the end-of-season run-in folks, which means you can almost guarantee that Spurs are running out of steam and will finish at least one place below where you thought they will. Injury time defeats at West Bromwich Albion? You got it.
#5 Tom Davies
Oh, Tom. You don’t really get it, do you? I want Southampton, well Mark Hughes mainly, to go down so going and scoring a last-minute equaliser helps nobody. Everton fans would love to see the back of Big Sham, so nicking him a point was almost the wrong thing to do.
#6 Sir Alex Ferguson
I deliberated where Sir Alex should come in on the list and as they are in no particular order felt it best that this was the last one you read today. Being the age that I am, Ferguson has absolutely dominated my football life. Yes, there has been Wenger and Mourinho etc in there too, but there was always Sir Alex Ferguson. He always struck me as a manager that wouldn’t know what to do when he retired such was his addiction to the job and it was great to see/read/hear that he was doing all the things he had wanted to do. He looked very well when presenting Wenger an award at Old Trafford only days ago so to hear that he is in a critical condition is a shock. Generally, I am not one to get too het up over older people dying, it happens, it is the cycle of life. Don’t get me wrong, it is never nice to hear but I’ve never understood the whole ‘social media drama’ that tends to follow. However, on this occasion, if we are (and I really hope we are not) about to lose the greatest manager ever, even I will put aside my cynicism for a moment and remember the great memories Ferguson gave me, as a non-United fan, in my youth and 20s.
