By Shang

Come Survival Sunday when Big Ben chime at the stroke of five, we herald reluctantly, the culmination of a long and winding season. Privileged to the stepovers of Ronaldo and the goal scoring exploits of a Torres, it was Premiership at its best.
 
In polarization, the lowest of the low came with the dismantling of an Eduardo and the mercenary tantrums of a Chimbonda which are all negative vibes that we do not like to see in the Premier League.
 
So for all the good and bad times that we have shared, let us reminisce, let us retrospect.
 
Arsenal -
The best passing team and play arguably the most attacking and entertaining football. With Flamster defecting to the Serie, it is imperative that Ces stay. If only they had held their nerves and beaten Manu in the thriller at Old Trafford, we will have been privileged to a three prong fight for the Premiership this coming Sunday.
 
Aston Villa -
Credit Martin O Neill for bringing Villa on the brink of Europe with arguably the smallest squad in the Premiership. When he shelled out 8 mio quid for a relatively unknown Ashley Young, many had our doubts. Well, isn't Young in the PFA team of the year ?
  
Birmingham City -
Whatever happened to Martin Taylor since his demolition job on an Eduardo Da Silva ?
  
Bolton Wanderers -
From Big Sam to Little Sam to a Gary Megson, does Phil Gartside knows what is he doing ? Well, the Trotters are finally staying up aren't they ? With serial spitter Diouf leaving at the end of season, they may not be so lucky second time around.
 
Blackburn Rovers -
Whatever happened to Benni McCarthy ? Just when all is lost, redemption came in the form of a Santa Cruz. What is it with Mark Hughes ability to talent spot strikers on the cheap ?
 
Chelsea -
Are we still reverberating to the echoes of the Special One at the Bridge ? For bringing the Premiership race right down to the wire and making a date with Moscow, you would have expected the vindication of the Average One. Alas, Roman's crave for sexy football is insatiable and rumours abound with the impending arrival of a Rijkarrd. What a club !
 
Derby County -
A solitary win and all of eleven points in the league consolidate their status as the worse team ever in the history of the Premiership. Can a pub team do any worse ?
 
Everton -
Alas the grind and toll of a long and testing season derail their ambition of Champions League football. Very much in the frame till the last month or so, will they have lasted the pace if not for the enforced absences of Arteta and Cahill ?
 
Fulham -
Just like the Toffees but at the other end of the table, I very much suspect the Cottagers would have been much better placed if only they have a fully fit McBride and Bullard for all season.
 
Liverpool -
Best described in two words, Fernando Torres ! Without his 23 goals in the league, I reckon Rafa will have been kicked all the way back to the Mestalla. The spine of the team is certainly there. Gerrard, Torres, Carragher, Alonso, Mascherano. What Rafa really need is two wingbacks and a decent right winger. Forget Gareth Barry and Michael Johnson. Just splurge the cash and plump for Dani Alves, Philip Lahm and Ricardo Quaresma and i'm pretty sure Pool will not be out of the title race before Christmas. And what more must Crouchy do to start a game ?
 
Man City -
I suspect that if Sven goes, it will be anarchy at the Eastlands. If there is one person who is most representative of the adage "you do not know what you are doing", it has to be Thaksin Sinatra. Ninth position in the league with a very average group of players and most number of points in the Premeirship that we can ever recollect, what more must Sven do ?
 
Man Utd -
Very much the champions elect, the season is all about Ronaldo and his forty goals. With Rio and Vidic acting as the rock repelling all intrusions, the rumoured acquisition of Micah Richards shoud it materialise will spell doom and gloom for the rest. Saha should be disposed of once and for all, but a front running trio of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney is still an awesome prospect.
 
Middlesbrough -
Now if Southgate can reproduced their form against Big Four on the rest of the Premiership, a visit to the Riverside for any side will be a tough proposition. With beliefs and consistency, Southgate can certainly look forward to challenging for a place in Europe instead of the perennial relegation dogfights.
 
Newcastle -
Had us chewing our fingers and teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown with their inept displays all season. Thankfully, King Kev awoke in time and regain some semblance of lucidity in leaving out the ineffective Smith and opting for a front three of Owen, Viduka and Martins, life has been more bearable at the Tyneside. Likewise with his contract up for renewal, the real Owen finally show up and started banging in the goals.
 
Portsmouth -
You have to give credit to the master wheeler dealer in turning down the job at St James Park in opting to walk his dog by the beach, a ritual he has been doing for years. Now should Pompey go on and win the FA Cup, it will have been a decision well justified and undoubtedly, Harry Redknapp will have cemented his status as a legend in the hearts of all those at Fratton Park.
 
Reading -
Whatever happened to the Reading that took the Premiership by storm when they were newly promoted two seasons ago ? With peripheral players not wanting to be involved in reserve games and Steve Coppell losing convictions mid-way into the campaign, it has all gone pear shape and shambolic at the Madesjki. With a loss of form and a loss of heart, even the tireless running of a Stephen Hunt against a woeful Derby County this weekend may not be enough to prevent visits to the likes of St Mary's or Bramall Lane come next season. 
 
Sunderland -
Given the steely grit and the undying traits of Roy Keane when he was a player, you know that eventually the Mackems will come good. But what you never know is even if Roy is to be given the 50 mio quid that he asked for come next season, will it be enough to entice calibre players to relocate to some obscure part of England and will Sunderland be good enough to compete ?
 
Tottenham Hotspur -
For all the abuses and bashing that Daniel Levy had been subjected to, dispensing with Martin Jol and bringing in Juande Ramos was the right thing to do. While winning the Carling Cup had been a long time coming, it's important that the terror duo of Berbatov and Keane stay for the Lilywhites to sustain a challenge come next season.
 
West Ham -
You always know what you are getting from a Alan Curbishley and Mervyn Day led team, doing enough to ensure survival in the first part of the season and then meditating and tapering off come the latter half. Acquiring a preponderance of sick men and master of the 0-4 defeats, a club with the history and traditions of the Hammers should really be doing better than miring in mid-table obscurity.
 
Wigan -
If reports are true that Brucie will be given 1 mio quid for ensuring Premiership status, then it will have been each and every penny well spent. With a limited budget and in a seemingly dire position, Brucie has performed miracles at the JJB to ensure Premiership football for another season. While I havent had the privilege of watching the much revered duo of Wilson Palaccio and Luis Valencia who had been popping up on the radar of a Sir Red Nose, I very much suspect they have much to do with the renaissance of the Lactics.

By Shang

In the end, it was a Bridge too far and Rafa finally lucked out. In all honesty, it has to happen cos it's glaringly obvious that this Pool team is just too lightweight, too one dimensional, too reliant on Gerrard and Torres. Too many average players that lack the mental toughness to stand up and be counted, too many mediocre players that lack the guile and the artistry to win football matches.
  
As for Average Grant, i'm not sure if it's down to him, but what I can be certain of is, if Drogba and the lads do decide to get stuck in and want to play, they can easily crank it up and grind out a result.
 
Sir Alex can reminiscent about how a Manu v Pool matchup is the ideal dream final for all of us, but deep down inside, he knows it very well that Chelsea with their workmanlike and ruthless efficiency is the one that he truly dreads and can realistically, derail his ambition of a dream double.
 
The first 45 tonight was a perfect illustration as to how if Chelsea do decide to get serious, they can easily raise their game a few notches with Pool never having a look-in and was left chasing shadows. Waltzing along in cruise control mode and dictating the pace of the game, they were teasing and toying with Gerrard and co and hardly need to break a sweat.
  
When Makalele did not even bother to cling on to Gerrard as he did in all of the first leg, you know that the talismanic captain is having one of his poorest games in a Red shirt and Pool are in trouble.
  
When both Terry and Carvalho suddenly turn benevolent and need not resort to their bullying, elbowing, kicking tactics on the isolated Torres, you know they are having an easy night and Pool will come unstuck.
  
When Skrtel who was instrumental in halting a bruising and barging Drogba in the first leg, had to go off early cos of an injury and in come an ageing Hyypia, you know Pool will struggle and Carragher will have it all to do containing the rampaging Ivory Coast international.
 
When you have the pace of an Arbeloa who can't read the line and keep up with a very average Kalou on one flank and a Riise, on the other side who is as one footed as Drogba's readiness to hit the deck at the slightest of touches, you know you are exposed and vulnerable down both flanks.
 
When you have a wideman in Kyut who operate more like a defensive striker excelling in only laying off backpasses and not knowing how to make best use of the ball when in possesssion, you know that he is unlikely to score.
 
When two thirds of the game is completed and you did not realise Benayoun was on the pitch till he shows up with his pass that led to Torres finding the net, you question Rafa's decision to play someone who has been a bit part player for most of the season in the starting eleven.
 
Chelsea had all the luck with that howler of a header from Riise in the first leg, but given the display on show today, I felt they were well deserving winners. Besides that lapse of concentration from Terry and Carvalho that led to Torres restoring parity, their defence was hardly stretched and they were always in control.
 
Essien the jack of all trades, is much too good a player to be stifled playing as a wingback. Though designated a defensive role, he was reserves in abundance with boundless energy and was popping up in all corners of the pitch shooting with ferocious venom.  For me, he is undoubtedly the best of the cosmopolitan bunch of midfielders the Blues have out there.
 
Drogba was immense and was certainly up for it after the slant from Rafa in his pre-match rhetoric. It's not far fetched to say that it was his two goals and sheer physical presence and bruising style that finally led to the capitulation of Pool's resolve and dogged determination. If only he can eradicate the theatrics and antics, he will be much idolised and can go on to be one of the greats of the game.
  
So for all you sentimentalists, the cliche with Rafa and his special European nights is dispel and Average Grant goes one up on the Special One. Honestly if the boys from West London do decide to turn up and play, a Manu v Chelsea final is still the better matchup cos rest assured Ronaldo and co will not have it all their way.