In 2005, Milan was 3-0 up. Imagine their heartbreak ;)

And in 2006, Arsenal played better football throughout, and yet lost by a goal that was injustice (the ref who allowed it, was also seen earlier posing with a Barca shirt).

I think we’ve been lucky to get even until here (imagine what would’ve happened without Rise’s own goal – we’d not have reached finals), and to say Manure won by luck alone is not fair.

1) The stupid refs who always gives decisions in favour of legacy clubs like Manure, Real Madrid and AC Milan (I’ve said this before here at BC).
2) Michael Essien played at RB. Even then, he surged forward in creation of the first goal. Imagine if he played center midfielder. I hear folks who say first goal was lucky. I disagree – after hearing of Essien’s searing long-range shots against other sides, I’m sure atleast one of Manure’s defenders panicked when they saw Essien lining up his shot. And the first two guys couldn’t react quickly enough (which is why it deflected), which is why Lamps got the goal. I remember some Liverpool fans saying they were afraid of Essien, that he looked like a freak and that he was the only Chelsea player they’d have loved to have at Anfield.
3)Not sending in Sheva even in extra time. That might have made Terry think twice before stepping up to take penalty, but oh well….

All in all, I think we’ve had a fair season. Some absurd referee decisions were evened out by luck at Fenerbahce and Stamford Bridge in Champions League, and many more in EPL. Perhaps more consistent performances could have prevented last minute equalizers. A better manager would augur well for us next season.

Many are pecking Avram Grant, and I have done so too, but looking back, he was meant to be a temporary placeholder until a better manager came. And in that position, AG has done admirably well. It is only when people think of him as a real and long term coach that he fails. As for his stupid tactics and oxymoron looks in matches, they’re God-given, and he cannot do anything. He talks positively (or tries to do so), and says they play good football, but in the end, every player and coach would do so because doing anything else would be suicidal to players’ confidence. And try to look at the positives – Ballack, Joe Cole, Kalou etc. have done well under him, mostly better than they did under Jose Mourinho. In terms of man management, I can blame him for only a handful of failures by otherwise exceptional players – Sheva, Anelka and Wayne Bridge.

I wonder what’s up with Shevchenko, though. Everyone reports that he’s been positive during training, and has returned to reasonable fitness, trained hard and played in reserve matches. Even then, after more than a half a decade of being one of Europe’s top marksman, he was not even subbed in when penalties became obvious. Maybe Grant is jealous or not confident enough? It is probably the former, because he has shown faith in others like Ballack and J.Cole, both of who have paid him back with match-winning performances.

In the front, go for Gomez and Amauri.

Will Roman spend so much. Reports in Newspaper say he is not interested any more..