That Bloke In The Big Smoke

After 29 league games last season, Leicester City had just 19 points and marked nearly four months at the bottom of the Premier League table. If a new season had started immediately after that and included this season's matches, they would have 66 points from 31 matches. To put it in some perspective, this is a list of EPL teams since 1995/96* with the most points after 31 matches. The team in () was the eventual league champion, when different from the leader after 31 matches:

2014/15 - Chelsea            - 73 pts
2013/14 - Chelsea            - 69 pts (Manchester City)
2012/13 - Manchester United  - 77 pts
2011/12 - Manchester United  - 76 pts (Manchester City)
2010/11 - Manchester United  - 66 pts
2009/10 - Manchester United  - 69 pts (Chelsea)
2008/09 - Manchester United  - 71 pts
2007/08 - Manchester United  - 73 pts
2006/07 - Manchester United  - 78 pts
2005/06 - Chelsea            - 78 pts
2004/05 - Chelsea            - 80 pts
2003/04 - Arsenal            - 77 pts
2002/03 - Arsenal            - 66 pts (Manchester United)
2001/02 - Manchester United  - 64 pts (Arsenal)
2000/01 - Manchester United  - 70 pts
1999/00 - Manchester United  - 70 pts
1998/99 - Manchester United  - 64 pts
1997/98 - Arsenal            - 63 pts
1996/97 - Manchester United  - 63 pts
1995/96 - Manchester United**- 64 pts

** Newcastle United also had 64 pts

It's been a wee while since I made an entry about O Joga Bonito, but this season's English Premier League has earned it. I can't remember the last time when we were so far into a season (Gameweek 21 out of 38) and a team like Leicester City were still contending for the title. However unlikely it may still seem, the neutral in me wants them to go all the way. It would certainly surpass any achievement since the Premier League began (1992/93) and possibly eclipse the achievements of both Leeds United in 1991/92 and Aston Villa in 1980/81, because of their existing pedigree in English football. Of course, Blackburn Rovers won the title in 1994/95 under Dalglish, but they also had pedigree and their triumph was aided in no small part by owner Jack Walker's millions - the prescient precursor to the business model's successful replication by Chelsea and then Manchester City. No, we'd have to go back to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest - a fellow Midlands club - in 1977/78 to find the most recent equivalent accomplishment. Back then, The Reds won the league title immediately following promotion from the old Division Two - an extremely rare achievement in itself - and they remain the only club in Europe to have won more European Cups than league titles (2-to-1). I suppose even if The Foxes don't conquer the summit of English football, they'd take a place in the top four and entry into next season's Champions League. Even that would be an outstandingly incredible achievement. Goodness knows how excruciatingly frustrating it's been as a Liverpool fan aiming to achieve just that in the past half a dozen seasons. As another famous Scot might muse: Football, bloody hell!<sup>1

1</sup> Bill Shankly quoted in the subject, Sir Alex Ferguson in the entry.

I wish there was a job that existed along the lines of "Professional Sport Armchair Spectator" because not only would I be very good at it, but I'd also bring two decades worth of extensive work experience. It occurred to me that in the past ten days, I have been smothered with at least one match/race of all the sports and teams which I follow and/or love. Starting with cricket, India and England have been in action, in football both England and Liverpool have flattered to deceive (as usual), Federer's lost at the US Open, Usain Bolt got disqualified from one race, won another and helped set a world record in a third, while the Rugby World Cup got underway and Sebastian Vettel won yet another Formula One race. Sportsgasmic!

I think the only way Torres, Reina and Gerrard will stay at the end of the season is if John Henry fires Roy Hodgson before Christmas and brings in a big name like Hiddink. The new owners will also probably have to demonstrate their ambition by splashing the dough in January on at least one major signing. Otherwise we're toast. It's probably too late already. What a disaster the last eighteen months have been. YNWA

Fantastic news for Premier League fans. MOTD2 will be available for a week, on the Tuesday following its Sunday evening broadcast.

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It'll take a while to get used to Colin Murray, who replaces the man you love to hate but love and miss terribly, Adrian Chiles. A cursory search on Twitter suggests I'm not the only one who misses his under appreciated sense of humour and Brummie accent. It is a Brummie accent, right? Any ways, today's show was nice with its cutbacks to old footage, 80s music and titles. Don't you just miss the 80s? I do.

And what happened to, 2Good 2Bad? I really miss it and I hope they bring it back next week. Again, Twitter suggests I'm not alone.

This is why I love living in Europe. One of my best mates supports Blackpool FC. They play in the second division of English football but this was their last game of the season and their biggest in decades. The last time The Seasiders played in the top division was 1971. They got relegated immediately and as recent as two seasons ago were languishing in the third division. But since surviving by the skin of their teeth last season, The Tangerines have ripened just in time to qualify for the Premier League play-offs next week. Today's game was crucial because if they drew or lost and Swansea had beaten Doncaster, the Welsh club would've qualified instead. As it were, The Jacks were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home, unleashing a fantastic sea of emotion at the Prince of Wales pub near Victoria Station. Not only is it a Blackpool supporters pub but the pub landlord and his assistants are all lifelong supporters! The game itself was rather boring, even though Blackpool found themselves behind early in the first half. As the second half progressed, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. Brett Ormerod's full-length diving header secured the long-awaited equaliser and calmed everybody down a bit. But the fans wanted a winner. As the match entered the final few minutes, bitten nails were flying everywhere.

Everybody with iPhones tried to find out what was happening at The Liberty Stadium, but as it happened, we all found out their result by the reactions of the fans on the telly! In the end a victory wasn't necessary and Blackpool now meet a certain Nottingham Forest in the play-offs. I know who I'll be supporting, and it ain't the men in orange ahem, tangerine. I got told off for saying that today! So even if Blackpool get through that, there's still the play-off final at Wembley to deal with in two weeks. Either way from what I saw this afternoon, whoever qualifies is probably going straight back down. I got home to watch the Man Utd-Sunderland game and it was noticeably three notches quicker and of much better quality. Oh and we did our bit to help Chelsea move closer to the Premier League title. But is it the end for Rafa?


Blackpool fans waiting in anticipation for the final whistle, and the result at Swansea.


Job done! Swansea draw, Blackpool through, best day in a long time. Long night of drunken revelry!

The Red Devils were literally seconds away from their first ever back-to-back goalless draws since the Premier League began in 1992. That's how dominant they have been the last eighteen years, so it should've come as no surprise to me when they snatched a last-minute equaliser in stoppage time, away at the Manchester derby. No pressure on Chelsea to beat Spurs later today. Grr, If I hated them before...