Alan’s Diary: Climax To An Exciting Premier League Season
By Alan Hill
[Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]The final week of the Premier League brought an exciting climax to the 2013-14 season even if the conclusion was not quite as Tottenham might have hoped for.
Alan’s 2013-14 Season Diary (continued)
Monday 5 May
The Palace/Liverpool game encapsulated everything I love about football. When Liverpool were 3-0 up I was convinced they were going to go on and get a hatful and halve the goal difference with Manchester City. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
- Today’s entry in the Tottenham manager sweepstake, according to the Star is Roberto Martinez. Anyone for Tony Pulis?
I can’t help but wonder whether travelling to and from the Player of the Year awards drained Liverpool players of the stamina they needed to see it out. Also I wonder if that’s where Suarez picked up the bug he seemed to be suffering with throughout. Surely events like that should take place after the season’s business is over and done with, not in the night before crucial games? If players had been caught out on the town on their own jolly, there would have been hell to pay in the press. I guess if it’s the football writers’ own shindig that makes it all OK.
Tuesday 6 May
Manchester United beat Hull 3 – 1, so the Europa League outcome will go all the way to the last day. I am sure there will be no own goals, unnecessary sending offs, diving out of the way of free kicks, or defenders passing to centre forwards in either game. For those of you without a sense of humour who have been haranguing the editor, that is a joke.
Sunday 11 May
We beat Aston Villa 3 – 0 to secure a Europa League place. As usual, Logan has done a full report on the game. For me, our first half performance was the best of the season. 3 goals and it could have been 6. I also thought the second half was controlled and professional. No goals but we did not make the naïve mistakes that Liverpool did against Palace.
So, we finish in 6th, 3 points behind Everton and comfortably clear of Manchester United who only manage a draw against Southampton. Looking forward to another season of Thursday nights and rearranged Sunday games. I honestly don’t know whether to be pleased or disappointed. The proof of the pudding will be in seeing how Manchester United do compared to us without the Europa League distraction. At least if we win it, it is another route into the Champions League this time.
Tim Sherwood
Tim Sherwood’s performance looked confident and relaxed. It was as if he knew he was beyond being hurt any further. If, as suspected, Spurs do replace him, those in charge should search their conscience. From what I recall it seems that when they first offered him the job, he made it clear he would not take it as just a stand-in until the end of the season. So they gave him an 18 month contract. Most of us believed though, that it would only serve to give him a bigger pay-off when they brought someone new in at the end of the season.
Virtually from day one there has not only been press speculation that we have been approaching other managers but at least one manager and club has confirmed that has been the case. How much more dignified if Spurs had been more honest with Sherwood, like Man United have with Ryan Giggs, making it clear from the outset that they wanted a more experienced manager long term and that he only had the opportunity to help out to the end of the season.
Premier League Champions
Meanwhile Moneybags Man City take the title again with a comfortable win over West Ham. Jose Mourinho said that it is all about money now, which is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black when you consider how he bought the title in his first spell at Chelsea. He was making the point that although Man City broke the fair play rules to use their limitless resources to buy more than a fair share of the best players, their only punishment this season is a fine which they can easily afford. A points deduction for cheating would have been a proper deterrent. Having said that, it is hard to begrudge the City fans after the generation of hurt they suffered.