Its the FA Cup Final with Saint and Greavsie

You may think after reading the headline to this post, that we have returned to the 1980's - but fear not, there is no need to dig out your old chino's and Strawberry Switchblade albums. The final should be a great match as Everton try and deservedly finish their season with some silverware, whilst Chelsea are still looking for success after their Champions League controversial dismissal. Personally i can't wait for tomorrow and the weather is going to be great as well - the icing on the cake is that Setanta are showing the final FREE for all Satellite customers, and their special FA Cup guests are Saint and Greavsie - Classic!

The Final Countdown

I love bank holiday weekends. You see, i can fully justify spending the whole of Sunday watching sport on the TV, and still have time on Monday to do my DIY. This Sunday i have it all mapped out, i will be watching the climax to the Scottish Premier League from 1pm as Celtic meet Hearts and Dundee United entertain Rangers; I will then swap between watching the IPL cricket final (from 3:30pm) and West Ham v Middlesbrough (from 4pm), which could be the greatest escape of all time. The best thing is i get all these finales as part of my monthly subscription to Setanta – which, incidentally works out cheaper than a pint of beer per week.

So...who’s going to win the FA Cup final?

It’s only two weeks until the FA Cup final, and it promises to be one of the most interesting in years. It’s Chelsea’s last chance to win some silverware this year, whilst Everton will be looking to capitalise on what has been an extremely impressive year for them. To celebrate the final my friends at Setanta have just launched a new FA Cup Fans Channel - www.setanta.com/fans. I love the idea – basically Everton and Chelsea fans can record a video of themselves talking about their teams chances of winning the final. You upload the video on the site and automatically win a copy of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 – the fan who records the best video gets two tickets to the final. Time to get my video camera out i think...

Le Crunch...

What a week! I have only just got over this week’s Champions League shenanigans and now it’s back to the climax of the English and Scottish Premier Leagues. If the weekend’s action follows on from the midweek action then we are in for a footballing spectacle over the next couple of days. Liverpool have the chance to put the pressure back on United when they meet West Ham on Saturday (5.30pm). United play City in the Manchester Derby on Sunday, so for Liverpool it’s probably one of their final chances to really test United’s nerve this season. Things are even closer in Scotland,where there is one point in it between Rangers and Celtic. The old rivals battle it out on Saturday at 12.30pm – both games are live on Setanta and personally i can’t wait for the weekend to begin.

It’s now or never

I have loved watching Liverpool this season. When they are good, they are very good. There is just something about them that none of the other top four teams have – this magical x-factor is “team spirit”. Okay, every team has an element of team spirit, but with Liverpool you just feel that when their first team is all fully fit they just have a better team spirit than any other team in the Premier League. Maybe it’s the passion for the game that the Spanish players and manager have, mixed with the loyalty that comes from local talent such as Gerrard and Carragher – whatever it is - it’s great to see. I for one am hoping that the reds take the title race to the wire and will be watching with keen interest the match on Sunday against Newcastle- Live on Setanta Sports at 1.30pm – I am sure Alan Shearer will also be looking for some of that great team spirit amongst his Newcastle side as well.

It’s definitely IPL Time

I'm loving the new Indian Premier League season. It’s giving me that football World Cup feeling, where every day, there is a match or two to look forward to. My IPL team are the Chennai Super Kings, they are not doing too well at present but it’s still early days as the tournament doesn’t finish until May 24th. What i love most about the IPL is the fact that you have some of the world’s top cricketers, including Pietersen, Flintoff, Warne, Tendulkar and Dravid, genuinely having fun whilst at the same time retaining a high level of competitiveness; add to this all the razzamatazz that is the IPL and you get a cracking spectacle – if you’re not watching it yet visit www.setanta.com and get involved!

Summer's here...

I always know when its summer as my second favorite sport, namely Cricket, makes a re-appearance in my sporting calendar. What a bonus, not only do I get to watch top football matches but I also get some quality cricket action too. Twenty20 cricket is my new passion, let’s face it cricket needed to be modernised and the Twenty20 format has done just that. I am therefore going to be totally spoilt at the weekend as this year’s IPL Cricket tournament starts on Saturday at 11:30am followed by the Arsenal v Chelsea semi final from Wembley at 5:15pm – both Live on Setanta. Summers here and I love it.

Manager Power

As regular readers of my column will know, i am a great believer that the key to a successful Premier League football club depends on finding the right manager – and then giving him the time and investment to do his job properly. Aston Villa and Everton have been great underachievers for many decades and yet in recent years they have managed to stabilise themselves by finding the right man for their top job. If Alan Shearer manages to keep Newcastle up, then i think his club needs to take a leaf out of Villa and Everton’s book. Newcastle is a club that desperately needs stability, and i think Shearer can bring this to the Toon,if given the necessary time and support. You can follow the latest fortunes of Moyes, O’Neill and Shearer this weekend, Live on Setanta – Stoke v Newcastle Sat 5:30 – Aston Villa v Everton 2pm Sunday.

It’s not over...just yet.

Only a few weeks ago people were moaning about the Premier League being a one horse race. Well,on this Grand National weekend, there are most definitely two horses left in the title chase. This weekend is where the men are going to be separated from the boys. I really couldn’t tell you how I think things are going to pan out, but by Monday morning I will have a much better idea. For years Liverpool have fallen at the final fence when they have had a chance to win the League. They must now show that they have the character, stamina and discipline to take this race to the final furlong. A potentially tricky tie against Fulham, tomorrow night at 5:30pm (Live on Setanta), awaits the Reds. It’s time for them to show their champions credentials!

Fortress Wembley

I wholeheartedly agree with David Beckham’s comments regarding Wembley, once again, becoming a fortress for the England team. England seem to be performing better on their travels than at home and need to start proving to their fans that they can handle the pressure on home soil. To play for England is a privilege that thousands dream about and few achieve; every England match at Wembley, be it a World Cup qualifier or a home friendly, is a chance for England players to prove to their country that they are the best players this country has to offer. So come on lads, get stuck in, starting with the Slovakia game at Wembley on Saturday. (Live on Setanta - 5:15pm; this is followed by the impressive looking Holland v Scotland World Cup qualifying game at 7:45pm)

6 pointers galore

It’s come to that part of the season, where to many teams at the top and bottom of the Premier League, every match is a certain 6 pointer. The strain on a managers face is painful to watch as he recognizes that his career might be dependent on the results of a handful of matches. The pressure on Premier League football managers has never been so intense - and the perverse thing is, that this end of season “do or die” pressure, makes the climax of the season all the more fascinating to watch. The Newcastle v Arsenal match (Live on Setanta – this Saturday 5:30pm) is a classic case in point. If Arsenal win they could go a long way to securing their Top 4 Champions League qualification place, whilst if Newcastle loose they suddenly find themselves potentially dropping out of the world’s richest football league competition – Captivating stuff!

Foreign Legions

As I am now one of our great nations more senior citizens, I remember the time when a top flight football club having a foreign player was a rarity. Back in the good old days, the news of a foreign player being signed for your team was treated with excitement, tinged with a hint of scepticism; Would the player have a temperament that didn’t suit the English game? Could the player perform on a cold and bleak mid-winter Saturday afternoon? All these question marks would be raised even before the player had chance to set foot on the park and prove his worth. How things have changed, these days foreign players are ten a penny, and I for one think this is a great thing. Drogba, Robinho, Eduardo, Van Persie, Essien, the list goes on and on. I would much rather watch these players than a team purely consisting of English players, the mix of both foreign and home grown talent is fascinating to see. Over the next few days, I will be watching with great interest the fortunes of the aforementioned talented foreigners when I catch Chelsea v Man City – Sunday 1.30pm and Hull v Arsenal next Tuesday 7.45pm – both games are live and exclusive on Setanta. Muchos Appreciado!

Double Delight

I’ve just checked the weather forecast and Sunday looks like rain – oh well, it makes my decision to watch Sunday's FA Cup double header (Arsenal v Burnley - 1:30pm and Everton v Middlesbrough – 4pm : Both live on Setanta) much easier to justify. I still love the magic of the Cup and will stick my neck out to say that I think Burnley may get something out of their tie with the Gunners; Maybe not a win, but possibly a draw – they have an excellent record this season of beating London Premier League teams. The second match is far harder to call – both teams value the cup – lets face it they are not in the Champions League, nor are they going to finish in the top four, so the FA Cup has real significance. My money is on Boro to snatch a victory – but remember Boro fans – you are only allowed to make some noise when your team scores!!

Relegation Blues

I love the tension of the end of season Premier League relegation battles. Monday was a classic example, Harry Redknapp’s nervous twitch was in overdrive as Spurs eventually broke down a resilient Hull side. As for this weekend, Bolton and Newcastle battle it out on Sunday (Live on Setanta – 1pm) to try and ease themselves away from the dreaded relegation zone and back into mid-table security. The fact is, relegation to the Championship is now more costly for a team than ever before, which means the pressure on a manager, whose team could potentially be drawn into a relegation battle is palpable. A couple of good wins now, can make all the difference, and both Gary Megson and Joe Kinnear will be fully aware of this fact. I think Sunday will be a hard fought draw, with both teams succumbing slightly to the tension that grips this part of the season.

Premier Class

I'm sick of people moaning on about how they can't be bothered to watch any more Premier League games this season because Man Utd are clearly going to win it. Yes, Man Utd will probably win it,but why not enjoy watching them win it in style. They are a class act and are starting to play their best football of the season. I will definitely be watching them against Blackburn on Saturday. (Live on Setanta - 5:30pm) Also, lets not forget that there are issues to be resolved at the bottom of the table - Spurs are still not safe and face a tricky game at Hull on Monday night also on Setanta.

Too much money in football is not always a bad thing.

I went to the Arsenal v Cardiff match last night at the Emirates. The Game was ok, but the thing that impressed me the most was The Emirates Stadium - I had never been to The Emirates before last night and i have to say that it is definately one of the most impressive stadiums i have ever been too. I know people moan about the lack of atmosphere, but it was noisy enough last night. The fact is, would the Emirates ever have been built if the Premier League had'nt become the wealthiest football league in the world? The answer, i believe, is most probably not.

Old Firm - A difficult one to call

I'm looking forward to the Old Firm clash on Sunday. (12:30pm - Live on Setanta) Celtic are top of the table by 2 points but Rangers are the form team. Its so difficult to pick a winner. Also, it won't be easy for the players on Sunday as the midweek international fixtures were hardly the best preparation for Sunday's Game.

If i had to pick a winner it would be Celtic to win 1-0 - i have always been a fan of Strachan both as a manager and as a player - he is a highly disciplined man and installs his value's and high levels of expectation in his players. He totally contradicts my view that most big time players don't make great managers.

Whichever side of the city you come from it should be a cracking tie - in fact i can't think of any better way to spend my Sunday Lunchtime.

Footballs big weekend

Wednesday afternoons are always the time to start thinking about the weekend in my books. Your half way through the week and you need to have some sort of light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to. This weekend is all about the FA Cup for me. I'm really looking forward to the fifth round, especially as Setanta are showing Chelsea, and their new manager Gus Hiddink, take on Watford on Saturday. Then on Sunday, i'll take a break from the FA Cup to watch the Old Firm Derby at 12:30 and then switch back to the cup as Everton take on Aston Villa later in the afternoon. Everton and Villa are two genuine football teams that i have alot of respect for - they are a product of their own managers high standards and set a good example for other clubs - thats all from me for now.

Big name player - short term manager.

Why do clubs still insist on employing ex-big name players as managers, when this strategy clearly does'nt work. Lets look at the evidence - Clough, Ferguson, Revie, Shankly, Stein - they may have played the game, but they never excelled as players. O'leary, Ince, Wise, Adams - they may have excelled as players but they have yet to prove themselves as competant managers. Chairmen need to look beyond the hype and realise that most managers that stand the test of time were never big time players-once they realise this we may see the end of the current farcical nature of managerial appointments and sackings that blight the Premier League.

Missed the cut?

Regular fans of my blog will recall me droning on about whether it would be worth watching the Everton v Liverpool FA Cup replay last night....well, i sat down with my usual bottle of Chilean Merlot and decided to watch it. The first half was quite exciting, the second half not so good. I stuck it out for extra time and then.....BOOM...ITV made a very unusual editorial decision - they cut to an advert break two minutes from the end of extra time and missed Evertons winning goal. Brilliant stuff..Denis Nordon's It'll be alright on the Night (another quality ITV production) would have been proud. So yes, it was worth watching the match last night...but for all the wrong reasons.

Liverpool - Cup or League?

Well, i'm just planning my midweek footy TV viewing and it crossed my mind to watch the Everton v Liverpool match... but is it really going to be worth it? Since the Reds win against Chelsea last weekend the spotlight is back on their chances of pulling off a surprise Premier League title challenge. If you asked me last week if they would be prioritising the FA Cup this season i probably would have said yes due to their poor form in the Premier League. How quickly things change...a week is along time, not only in politics but also in the beautiful game.

Snowed Under

Well, I expect just like you, I was surprised to see so much snow this morning. I flew back to London last night from a quick break in the Bahamas and woke up to the largest snowfall in central London for 18 years... global warming hey. Anyway, it got me thinking how amazing it would be to see the Winter Olympics in London. Can you imagine bobsleighing in Hyde Park, Ski Jumping off Primrose Hill or maybe even ice-skating on Hampstead Heath pond - the mind boggles... The sad fact is, give it two days and all this snow will have melted and we probably won't see the like of it for another two decades - so no need to bring Eddie the Eagle out of retirement just yet.

Dazzling Darren

I can't believe it - the Yorkshire roly poly Darren Gough is making a comeback in the IPL cricket aged 38.... (stone). I was always a big fan of Darren, but is he really going to be good enough to compete in the IPL? Having said that, the IPL should be fun this year - I am a great fan of the Commercialization of cricket - for too long this game has been stuck in the middle ages. I went to Headingley last year for a 20/20 match involving Yorkshire and Northants - The game lasted 3 hours, there were loads of great shots, I had 4 pints of delicious Yorkshire bitter and everything finished before the rain started - now that's what I call a good night out!!

FA Cup 5th Round

Who says the FA Cup has lost its sparkle? Setanta had record viewing figures for the merseyside derby last weekend - I thought it was a good game but Everton really let the Reds off the hook. It was a great chance to turnover their local rivals, but they missed their chance. Speaking of missing chances Liverpool look like they could be losing their best chance in 18 years of winning the league -if I was a betting man ~(which I'm not)I wouldn't be putting my money on the Reds to take the title this season.


Just one last thing, I've just got hold of Setanta's fifth round FA Cup fixtures so here they are for you hot off the press...

Tuesday, February 3rd @ 7.45pm – Arsenal vs. Cardiff City

Saturday, February 14th @ 5.30pm – Watford vs. Chelsea

Sunday, February 15th @ 2.30pm – Liverpool/Everton vs. Aston Villa/Doncaster Rovers

Monday, February 16th @ 7.45pm – Cardiff City/Arsenal vs. West Bromwich Albion/Burnley

I'm off to Liverpool

So...how is your Flat Des spotting going? I'm off to Liverpool this weekend for the big match, which is live on Setanta. All eyes will be on Anfield on Sunday as the Cup returns and Everton try and go one better after their last minute equaliser in Monday's Merseyside Derby. I've got my hat and scarf ready and I'll be there so keep an eye out for me and if you do see me then make sure you send in your photos!

What's going on at City?

Is it all about to go sour at the World's richest club, Manchester City? First of all, Kaka decided to stay in Milan and then rumours surfaced that Robinho had hot footed it back to Brazil. I've been saying for a while that money and football are not a good combination and perhaps this is the latest example. It's a well known adage in football that you can't buy success but Manchester City are determined to try and prove that's not the case. Kaka may have said no but now Thierry Henry is being linked to City- the world has gone made! Bring back those jumpers for goalposts!

The World has gone Kakkrazy

I told you the Transfer Window was exciting! And this week, the football world has gone ballistic with the news that mega-rich Manchester City are talking to Brazilian superstar Kaka over a £100m transfer. I remember when Manchester City were at Maine Road and in the Second Division...who would have thought that one day they would be the richest club in the World. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again but football is a funny old game.

Love it or Hate It

It's not just the Cup that has everyone talking in January- lets not forget it's transfer window time and love it or hate it, it certainly helps fill those column inches as fans from up and down the land wonder just what their club is going to do. If your club hasn't started the season too brightly and has gone out of the Cup already then this is time when fans become optimistic again, after-all this is the opportunity for clubs to shuffle their pack and to get new blood in. Even if your club hasn't got any money and lets face in these economically troubled times- there's quite a few of them, there are stiill players to be had. Whereas if your club is romping it or is in the chasing pack then new players can really make the difference..although it has to be said, the big and most successful clubs don't really rely on these windows as much as the strugglers.
Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that I've got my ear to the ground for those transfer rumours and I'll make sure that you don't miss out as and when I hear them.
So...how's this for a starter for ten, Man Utd's Carlos Tevez could be London-bound. Rumour has it that his recent public outburst against Sir Alex was actually a come and get me pleaa to the Gunners. The great thing about the transfer window is that for every actual transfer, there's 100 rumours so as I said, you either love it or you hate it!

It just gets better and better

January used to be such a dull month, the Christmas fun over and lots of bills to pay but forget all that because the FA Cup just gets better and better and I can't wait for the Fourth Round. In case you missed it, here is the Fourth Round Draw. Some right corkers in there including a Merseyside Derby and all the history they bring and an East Midlands Derby. Not forgetting Man Utd taking on Spurs and Arsenal facing a tricky trip to Wales to take on Cardiff!
Setanta has made its picks and I tell you what, there's three crackers coming up! They're going to start the weekend with the tasty match between Derby and Nottingham Forest; which has been made all the more significant following Clough Jr's appointment as Derby manager this week and then Sunday is Super Sunday on Setanta! Follow your Sunday Roast with Cardiff v Arsenal and then it's the really big one- Liverpool vs Everton just in time for tea. What better way to spend a weekend!

What a Weekend!

I told you that the FA Cup was going to kick off the New Year with a bang and that we could expect a few upsets but few people would have predicted Southend snatching a very credible draw at Chelsea or Manchester City being heavily beaten by Nottingham Forest.

That's what I love about the Cup- the unpredictability of it and you can guarantee that there's more to come so stay tuned.

So how's your Flat Des spotting going? I was down in the sunny or freezing south yesterday to see Manchester Utd beat a spirited Southampton side who couldn't recreate the spirt of '76 and tonight weather permitting I'll be up North to watchBlyth Spartans take on Big Sam's Blackburn Rovers. If you can't be there, then the game is on Setanta but in the meantime,keep looking out for me!

This week will also see the start of a very special Flat Des competition and I'll be back with more details soon so watch this space...

I'm in the Sun!

You heard it here first..I've joined up with The Sun to give them my take on the FA Cup this weekend. The magic of the Cup is well and truly back so read all about it here!

Get up for the Cup!

It's often said that the FA Cup is the most famous cup competition in the world. Well we all know it’s the return of real football - when the Premier League meet the Football League and where we, the fans get to enjoy clashes of yesteryear!

This year, Setanta will have all the best FA Cup action and it all kicks off this weekend with three great ties- an all Premiership clash this Friday night (January 2nd), a battle between rich and poor on Sunday and then a clash between a minnow from Northumberland and a giant from Lancashire to finish it all off on Monday night.

White Hart Lane will be the place to be on Friday night to watch Harry's Spurs take on Steve Bruce's Wigan.
The question that we all want answering is can Harry take his Cup luck from Pompey to Spurs where he desperately needs to rediscover winning ways with Spurs going the wrong way down the table at the moment.

Then on Sunday, it's a replay of the 1976 FA Cup Final as Manchester United, fresh from their World Club Championship victory head South to take on a very young, inexeperienced and yet exciting Southampton team. Knowing Fergie, he won't want to be embarrassed but he will be looking to play a mixture of youth and experience and with Saints relying on a very young team to play free flowing football, it promises to be an entertaining match and one which I'm sure will have lots of goals in especially if United wear those Grey shirts!

Finally on Monday, we're off up North to see Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers make the tricky trip to Blyth to take on Blyth Spartans fresh from their victory against AFC Bournemouth. Big Sam will want a smooth ride through this game, which has banana skin written all over it- particularly as Rovers have been questionable in defence in their last two matches.

The great thing about the Cup is that you just can't be sure what's going to happen and you can guarantee upsets so stay tuned as Setanta's cameras will be there to capture the highs and the lows from now to the Final.

You can't argue with that!