By Shaun Orange

Peruvian captain Nolberto Solano has been left dumbfounded by the absence of Raul from the Spain line-up when they clash with the Iberian side in a friendly international on Saturday.

To be used as a warm-up game for the European Championships that get underway next week in Austria and Switzerland, the fixture is being viewed as crucial to the preparations of the home side that will start the continental tournament as second favourites.

For most, who have any clue of what makes Spanish football what it is today, Solano’s thinking does have some merits. But then again, controversial Spanish coach Luis Aragones does not think nor behave like the majority of us.

He is his own man with his own agenda, and when Spain depart from Euro 2008 he will be expecting them to do so with the trophy in tow. It is not an unrealistic target, not when you are ranked fourth in the world and have a team laden with some of the best talents there are around.

But in every competition since their triumph at home in these championships in 1964, Spain have made their rounds at major tournaments only to fail dismally. The closest they got to winning anything since then was a (1984) semi-final placing. That was a bout it, nothing more.

Yet this time there appears, at least at a first glance, that things could be a lot different for the squad known as La Furia Roja (or the Red Fury). With skipper Ilker Casillas, Fernando Torres, Sergio Ramos, David Silva, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Marcos Senna forming the core on which a nation’s hopes rest, Aragones certainly does have the potential at his disposal to deliver the silverware on July 29.

In Ramos and Villa, Spain have two players who many believe could emerge as the tournament’s best. Ramos in particular is being looked to as the Red Fury’s inspiration.

Real Madrid paid Sevilla £18 million for the over-lapping defending in 2005 and now the 22-year-old has developed into a world-class player. Even at this young age, he will be expected to carry Spain forward as they endeavour to finish top of Group D, which also includes champions Greece, Russia and Sweden.

Aragones, who prefers to go with a 4-1-4-1 formation, does have the option to switch to a 4-4-2, although we expect to see more of the former when Euro 2008 gets started. That should mean Torres will get to lead the attack on most occasions, or when the coach decides on a change, when he is paired up front with Villa.

Spain’s midfield, though, is what really excites the purists. The mention of Senna, Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta and Silva in the same engine room has got to be among the best in world soccer, and if they can clink in Austria and Switzerland then the opposition, no matter who it might be, could fins if very difficult to get beyond them.

Aragones, for his part, must not let his squad down with any of his own theatrics. A fiery character who has been fined on occasion for racism and fallen out too many times with the authorities, Aragones will need to keep his temper in check as they bid to win their first major trophy in 34 years.

Can they do it? Yes, if they click even from half through the tournament and Aragones stays far from trouble.

By Shaun Orange

The season has hardly ended and Rafael Benitez is already resigning himself to merely “challenging” for a fourth spot finish, rather than the Premiership crown. He was quoted by the club’s website as saying that winning the championship title next term was just “an option” and nothing more.

This, for all intents and purposes, is a deeply depressing state of affairs for those who might passionately follow the fortunes of the Anfield team. What it tells us is that the Spaniard would not be surprised if they did not win the Premier League nor does he have any solution to right the wrong (put another way he would be very surprised if they DID win the league).

Liverpool is an illustrious club with a rich, long and proud heritage. They are, contrary to the suggestions of Manchester United, the most successful team of all-time in English soccer. They have a record 18 league titles to their credit but have not won the coveted “bread and butter” silverware since Kenny Dalglish was in charge in 1990.

And now with Rafa spelling out things as he sees it, they won’t be adding to their league tally, not in the near future anyway. The former Valencia coach has put their “weakened bid” for a tilt at the Premiership trophy down to a restricted budget to bring in new players.

Citing Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal as having spent big-time over the past few seasons, he said Liverpool have a lot of catching up to do. He offered a brave front by saying that they would do their “best under the circumstances” but cautioned not to expect too much next season.

If we are not yet through the month May and already the boss is talking about a meek challenge next season, then there can call, or cry, for any optimism – nothing at all. In fact, I got a gut feeling that Benitez is trying to opt out of his job at Anfield. For what other reason then would he tell the club’s website not to think about winning the league.

This Spanish coach, for all his rhetoric, is a good football tactician. He does not always get in it right in the domestic game, but some how has a wonder-touch about playing in Europe. There are those who say that much of their continental heroism is because of the legacies of past European Cup successes.

To some extent there is merit in that argument, but it must also be agreed that Benitez himself is a mastermind in his own right. And that is why I think that before next season gets underway in the middle of August, he will have departed from Merseyside.

The uncertainty surrounding the ownership and the battle royale going on between the two American tycoons to actually own the club does not make for a stable situation within Anfield.

But even in circumstances such as these, the coach shouldn’t really be talking about it being a hopeless case, not when we are still some way off June (note: not July - June).

By Shaun Orange

Holland, one of the few teams that play football like it is supposed to be played – with flair and skill (and to some extent determination) will go into the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland next month as one of the sides fancied to take the title.

If they do manage to pull it off, it would be only the second time after their amazing triumph of 1988 that the Oranjes won the continental title. It would also mark the coming of age as a manager of Marco van Basten, the 43-year-old who took over as national team boss four years ago.

Holland tarvel to Euro 2008 with a squad comprising a fair degree of youth yet also with a good blend of experience. They were quite outstanding in the qualifiers and thrilled their fans and neutrals alike with a type of approach that was reminiscent of the good old days. Much of that was down to van Basten’s no-holds barred philosophy as he sought to field players who otherwise would have been left out because they were too young or not tried and tested material on the international stage.

That in itself is what appeals to many and the way things are going in their build-up to the start of the championships, it appears that the Dutch coach is maintaining that stance. A brave and noble position it is, but one that could seriously backfire in his face.

Nonetheless, van Basten remains undeterred and takes it a step further by breaking with another tradition – that of omitting players who are prone to injury. The case in point here is Robin van Persie. The Arsenal striker is battling to come right as he struggles with a thigh injury. Yet despite this, van Basten said he would be taking the 24-year-old along, as they bid to qualify for the quarterfinals from Group C.

In the toughest group in the competition, the Oranjes will do battle with France, Italy and Romania for one of the two spots that come with a berth in the last 16. Such is the strength of this pool that any of three of the four teams have a good chance of going on to claim the trophy, won by surprise packages Greece in 2004. A Romanian triumph would be seen as a major upset, something similar to the Greeks’ victory; so not entirely impossible.

Notwithstanding this, van Basten, who vacates the national team hot seat after the tournament to take over as Ajax Amsterdam coach on July 1, will want his side to emulate the Dutch success of 1988 when he played such a crucial role in their triumph. Who will ever forget his magnificent volley in the final against Russia?

But it won’t be easy. However, with the likes of Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, Real Madrid play-maker Wesley Sneijder, Liverpool winger Ryan Babel and a fit van Persie, they stand a decent chance of doing better than reaching the semi-finals like they did in the last two editions of the tournament.

And if they play with the flair that we know they can, then we could be in for a treat.

By Shaun Orange

As has become the norm at this time of the year, the rumour mill is spinning out of control. There is hardly time to get one’s breath back when something new pops up; most of the focus, though, is on who is supposed to going where and who is coming in.

The news of Abram Grant has been the biggest of teh lot thus far this week. His tenure at Chelsea was brought to an end because he did not win a trophy in the eight months that was at the helm there. But the Israeli coach’s record at Stamford Bridge is really quite something. He managed the Blues in 54 matches and only lost five.

The underlining issue of course was that the runners-up spots in the European Champions League and English Premier League, as well as second place in the League Cup were frowned upon by Chelsea’s hierarchy and deemed not good enough.

That be as it may, but Grant did a good job under the circumstances. I am certainly no fan of his but have got to admit that he did his part. Sometimes, when you are coach, and one with a big (rich) club like the Blues are, then there is but only a thin fine line between success and failure. And in this high-stakes game, failure (when you are a coach) often means getting the sack.

As unfortunate as the developments at Stamford Bridge are, they will now turn teh page for another chapter to be written in the club’s history under Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Russian who purchased Stamford Bridge in 2003.

There has been some talk for some time now that Frank Rijkaard, who last week left Barcelona, will be taking over. There has been no official announcement from the club, but there have been enough noises made long before Grant was told to head for the exit, to not brush off too lightly the idea of the Dutchman coming in.

Then again, Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese coach who won Chelsea two Premiership titles, a League Cup and two FA Cups, has also been mentioned for a possible return to the London club.

News that his relationship with Abramovich has been restored somewhat after it soured to the extent that he was given his marching orders last September makes the whole thing even more interesting. If Mourinho were to return to Stamford Bridge I would not be entirely surprised but I would definitely rub my hands gleefully together at the prospect of an even closer-run league championship race next season.

One gets the feeling that if this were to transpire, Manchester United would be a lot more concerned than they are today. Mourinho, for all his rashness in front of the media, often at the expense of his own undoing, somehow gets his players to play above and beyond themselves – as we saw with lowly Porto when they won the Champions League in May 2004.

And that is why, if Abramovich were to pull off one masterstroke, one like he had hoped he would in Moscow last Wednesday, it would be to bring back Mourinho. I can’t see even Rijkaard winning the league at his first attempt, or anybody else for that mater; other than Mourinho of course.

But with the way spinning wheel turns in the Premiership it is almost surely Rijkaard who will take over as the next Chelsea boss. That’s just the way things are these days.

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United are basking in the glory of a great season, one that saw them secure a unique English Premier League and European Champions League double.

Alex Ferguson’s gallant squad, which looked, and certainly were, shaky at times during the campaign, came through when it mattered most and can now sit back with their feet up and soak in the sun; at least, those players who will not be on international duty at the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland, or in South America.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one who will get no rest, not apart from a couple of days or so, before teaming up with his compatriots in the Portugal national team for a tilt at Euro 2008. Even then, Man Utd’s star winger will not be shy of the headlines as he will almost certainly be the subject of a tense battle between his club and nine-times European Cup winners Real Madrid.

Sniping from both camps is well and truly underway, but was really started by the player himself – the public volleys anyway. There might have been some behind the scenes maneuvers by Real (something which they are capable of), but for Ronaldo to come out last week on his own and publicly say that his future, whether at Old Trafford or the Bernabeu, would be decided only after the Champions League final in Moscow on Wednesday, was really a case of telling the Spanish giants to “come and get me if you want me”.

Naturally, Man Utd hit back with declarations of their own that their star player, England’s Footballer of the Year for a second season in a row, was going no where, despite the overtures of the club from Madrid.

First, Old Trafford CEO (Chief Executive Officer) David Gill sought to silence the matter before the Champions League final by telling the media that Ronaldo is tied down to play for the Red Devils until 2012 and that he would be seeing out his contract.

In a victorious post-match Press conference after the final, Ferguson reiterated that Ronaldo would be going no-where soon (other than Euro 2008). But he went a bit further, as would be expected of him, to call Real Madrid’s approach “immoral”. Of course, if this is what Real are up to, then they are indeed, way off the mark and guilty of breaching the code of ethics that governs the game. And if this were proved to be true then the league champions of Spain would be charged under the by-laws of the European game and sanctioned.

As yet, the issue has not reached that stage. But it was interesting to note that Ferguson took a personal swipe Real president Ramon Calderon. He accused the Bernabeu boss and his club of “riding roughshod” and went on to say that “Barcelona (Real's great La Liga rivals) have far better morality that Real Madrid will ever have”.

That might be true; however, one cannot be sure. But for it to come from Ferguson even if he is angered by Madrid advances, it does seem like someone throwing stones in a glass house – beind a real big hypocrite.

Man Utd themselves, and Ferguson in particularly, have in the past practiced similar tactics. These were even once revealed in a book by Jaap Stam, who told all of his transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester. Needless to say he was promptly sacked by Feguspon.

How do you like that for being moral?

By Shaun Orange

Sepp Blatter, by virtue of being president of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), is among the most influential figures in wold sport. Looked at in another context, he is also bigwig in world business.

But despite these lofty standings of the Swiss, the manner in which Blatter often rambles aloud his thoughts, many of them completely void of what this sport needs, leaves a lot to be desired.

At this week’s European Champions League final in Moscow – between Manchester united and Chelsea, England’s two powerhouses, the FIFA boss is expected to discuss the issue of quotas for foreign players with UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) president, Michel Platini. The two are at loggerheads over suggestions by Blatter that league teams (including England) should start a match with no more than five foreign players. It has been referred to as the “6+5 Ruling” and has met with much disapproval.

But if you know Blatter, he won’t be changing his mind any time soon, if at all.

The FIFA chief’s idea is in direct variance with European laws that govern the free movement of players and would risk legal action. However, Blatter is unrelenting in his pursuit ensure that what he says goes, even if means going against the system.

He said repeatedly called for the change and just recently said that he would raise the matter at the FIFA Congress in Sydney, Australia at the end of this month. However, some insiders have hinted that Blatter would maybe call for a re-examination of the matter, which was tabled in Zurich last year where it was agreed to at least investigate its merits.

But the optimists might be disheartened to learn that the FIFA chief just a few weeks ago said that he would call on the Congress in Sydney to take the issue forward by “starting with a quota of at least four home grown players on the pitch from 2010, and then going up to five players in 2011 and the maximum six by 2012”.

Given the way Blatter can sway some of those who attend the Congress it could well turnout that he gets his way, but it would be foolhardy.

A lot of attention will also paid to what comes out of the talks between Blatter and Platini in Moscow. Failure on the part of the Frenchman, who now leads the European game, would be seen in some quarters as been unable to twist the arm of the man who many say got him the top job on the continent in the first place.

This could seriously undermine Platini’s standing in the region, not that he enjoys the full backing of all the powerful nations.

But to let Blatter get his way with this one, and possible court hearings to follow, would be a huge blow to not only Platini but also the European game as a whole.

By Shaun Orange

Bobby Charlton is one of the most respected figures in not only English soccer, but world football. As he stood out among all men in his playing career, winning everything there was to win, he carried himself with the same esteem beyond his days on the pitch.

Today Charlton still commands the admiration similarly to how he did when he played all those years for Manchester United and England, capturing amongst other numerous titles, the European Cup and the World Cup.

Today the great man came out to hail the Red Devils’ most successful manager, Alex Ferguson and quite rightly pointed out that it was the Scotsman’s longevity and acumen that had taken him to where only some can dream of going.

Of course, Charlton, even in his in his seventies, still chooses his timing to perfection. On this occasion he chose to applaud Ferguson on the eve of their European Champions League final clash with Chelsea.

The man who was renowned for his attacking instincts in midfield and a thunderous long-range shot that yielded more than a few important goals for club and country, will know all too well himself that a decent pat on the back before a crucial fixture like the Moscow showdown will go a long way to bolstering the morale of the team and help give the squad a lift amidst all the pressures that they will be going through.

Charlton, himself played a pivotal role in Manchester United’s first of two victories in Europe’s showpiece. In the 1968 final at Wembley, he scored twice against Benfica and had the honour as captain of the team to become the first player of an English club to lift the coveted trophy.

 Ferguson will get the chance to hoist the Cup for a second time in his illustrious career as manager of the Old Trafford side, provided they can overcome the Blues on Wednesday. They will start as firm favourites to do just that and it wouldn’t surprise many, Charlton included, if they actually do.

But Charlton’s rallying call for Man Utd comes in total contrast on a day that saw Newcastle midfield Joey Barton sent to jail (for six months) for his part in a criminal attack on an unidentified person, whom he knocked down to the ground. The player who had England potential pleaded guilty to assault and affray in a charge arising from an incident in December last year and was duly sentenced to do time behind bars.

These two extreme stories of soccer personalities vividly illustrate just what the sport has come to, made out by those who are these days paid millions of dollars to play the game. In Barton’s case, he has no excuses.

But how differently his world might have been had he taken even a mere leaf from the book of Charlton. That is what he and so many others of England’s young footballers should be doing today. After all, the world stage is there for their taking. What a pity!

By Shaun Orange

The war of words between Chelsea and Manchester United, ahead of the European Champions League final in Moscow on Wednesday, has been unrelenting. The verbal attacks have come every quarter possible, yet it is something that we have come to expect from these teams and it will only cease just before the game gets underway.

Man United boss Alex Ferguson, who has been at it for as long as he has been in management, has become so good at it that he has turned it into an art of sorts. But really, what it is all about is merely a case of manipulating the media because most of us do not believe every word that is said.

However, in the case of Chelsea skipper John Terry, who came out to defend his club in the light of some unsavoury suggestions by the opposition and certain elements of the media (who obviously have a fancy for the Red Devils) his call was genuine, with nothing untoward about claiming that the Blues are among the greats of Europe, which in turn would make them among the world’s elite (without him mnetioning the latter).

The Stamford Bridge captain is spot-on, although it would help convert some of the hardliners dressed in Red if they do overcome Man Utd on Wednesday. Terry pointed out to their critics that they have dominated the domestic game over the past few years winning “two Premiership titles and finishing runners-up on the other two occasions”.

They also won the FA Cup and League Cup for good measure and Terry was dead right in his analogy that you do not have to win the Champions League to be considered among Europe’s finest (it does help though).

If that were the case how would one judge the difference between Liverpool and Man Utd, who between them have clinched the coveted European Cup seven times: 5-2. Would that mean that Liverpool are two-and-a-half times better than their fiercest rivals – of course not; they are both great teams, period. And so too are Chelsea, who have proven their worth and get the chance to drive home the point in Moscow on Wednesday.

But it won’t easy and that is something that Terry readily admits. And the reason why he has is because Man Utd are probably the best, and strongest, team in all of Europe right now. Alex Ferguson's squad were pushed to the last game of the season by Chelsea in their successful defence of the Premier League title, but it was a lot less stressful than it appeared from the outside.

The Red Devils, for the better part of the campaign, played better fashioned soccer than the Blues. Although, on Wednesday it would matter little who plays the more attractive football, but rather who lifts the gigantic trophy at the end of the match.

Needless to say, if Chelsea do manage pull off a victory in the hometown of their owner, Roman Abramovich, they will surely have silenced their critics about who is a great team and who is not a great team. Should Man Utd prevail, it would not make them any greater – they are great already; it would only consolidate their standing as the best of the lot; and nobody would begrudge them that; at least not in my book.

I do think though, that because these sides are so evenly matched (pound for pound) that the game will end in a draw and that Man Utd will go on to win the penalty shootout.

By Shaun Orange

Harry Redknapp enjoyed his finest hour in football, as a player or a manager, when his Portsmouth team won the FA Cup at the expense of Championship Division side Cardiff City at Wembley on Saturday.

In a post-match interview the Pompey boss told the BBC it was “fantastic for everyone”. Of course, he was making reference to his family, the players, the fans and all those who made the victory possible and joined in their celebration.

But Redknapp, also in the interview, remarked that it had been a difficult year “off the field”. This, no doubt, was to touch on the pressures that come with managing a Premiership club. And, more importantly, to mention his ordeal in the investigation into alleged irregular payments received from the transfers of players.

The Portsmouth boss was one of a few high profiles figures named in a report that was tabled after a probe into allegations carried in a BBC Panorama programme. The British broadcasters also reported that Redknapp, along with Portsmouth managing director Peter Storrie, Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, footballers’ agent Willie McKay and Premier League player Amdy Faye, was subsequently picked up by police last year November and quizzed.

And while no formal criminal charges have been brought against the Pompey manager, the fact that his name popped up in the probe and his arrest, has somewhat left a stain on his very being. He has strenuously denied any wrong-doing and said he was “one million percent innocent”.

Redknapp is a highly-rated manager in the game and some say the best that the English have to offer as a coach. He was short-listed for the Three Lions national team job before Fabio Capello, the successful Italian coach got the nod.

And when Sam Allardyce, another of those who became part of the “bungs” (under the table payments) investigation, was sacked by Newcastle in January, Redknapp was installed as the favourite to take over at St, James Park. However, he turned down the job just when nearly everyone thought he was about to say “Yes”. Kevin Keegan then stepped in for a second spell at the club.

That Redknapp chose to mention that things were “difficult” off the pitch in a celebratory interview and in a season when the club won its first trophy of significance since their only other FA Cup triumph in 1939, goes some way to underlining just how complicated this game has become and just how shady it can be.

Needless to say, the Steven Inquiry, which name-dropped Redknapp, was not the first in English soccer and neither will it be the last. But it does give us an idea as to how crooked soccer has become. And when we consider that this is the biggest and best league of all in world football, it makes one wonder when will ever stop (if it will at all).

My thinking on the matter is that it won’t end. Next season, or the one after that, or some other time in the near future, there will probably be another round of allegations and the whole process will begin all over again.

This is the sort of thing that stains the good name of so many honest persons in the sport. And if it has the effect of being brought up in the finest hour of one’s career, like it did when Redknapp won the FA Cup on Saturday, then we have to understand that it is a scourge that must be eradicated at all costs.

Moments like Portsmouth’s victory at Wembley are too special to be spoilt by issues like this, or any others for that matter.

<By Shaun Orange

Coming as it does, less than a week before the European Champions League final – the trophy Alex Ferguson would like to win the most, Cristiano Ronaldo’s admission that he will reconsider his future at the club after the Moscow date will have riled the Old Trafford like at no other time he came to Manchester in 2003.

Of course, Ferguson will rebuke the Portuguese star in public, but no doubt, will have had words with England’s Player of the Year in quiet.

That Ronaldo has openly suggested he would give thought to a possible move Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium after Manchester United’s clash with Chelsea in the European Cup final next Wednesday does seem a little odd, so far as the timing is concerned.

Although, having said that, it makes wonderful reading with the hype surrounding the first all-England Champions League final and could not have been better timed by his advisers.

The hottest property in world football right now, if Real were to swoop for the 23-year-old winger who topped the Premiership’s goal-scoring charts with 31 in the just-ended league campaign, Ronaldo’s transfer would almost certainly smash the world record, and do so by quite a margin.

As we all know, Real Madrid are not shy when it comes to forking out for the game’s best players. They indeed are the ones who paid the most ever for a player when Zinedine Zidane left Juventus for the Bernabeu in 2001. On that occasion US$54.5 million changed hands. Some analysts have estimated that if Madrid do make a move for Ronaldo, he could cost the La Liga champions anything in the region of $100 million.

It does sound a little far-fetched, but it could well happen. This is a high stakes game these days and the best players do not come cheap anymore. That is why Ferguson, who painstakingly nurtured Ronaldo into the iconic figure that he has become, will be raving mad to hear what the Portuguese star winger had to say the other day.

Fort Ferguson to give his star player a tongue-lashing in public will not be an option at this crucial stage in the build-up to the Champions League final. The 66-year-old boss is too much of an old pro to rock the boat ahead of the Moscow final.

He will, just like Ronaldo said he would do, deal with the matter once the Chelsea fixture is out of the way. But regardless of this, Ronaldo’s broad hint will sound like sweet music to the hierarchy at Real Madrid. This is a veiled invitation to the Spanish to giants, saying “come and get me if you want me”.

Make no mistakes about it; the negotiators at Real Madrid will have kicked into overdrive upon hearing what the Manchester United ace had to say. But whether they will get him is another issue altogether. It will not be easy – not with Ferguson there, and neither will it be cheap.

But if there is one club that has the allure to bring any player in the global game to their training ground, then it is Real Madrid. And for that reason alone it is simple to understand why Ferguson will be a gravely worried man right now. Champions League final or not, he will be pulling his hair out (but in private).

By Shaun Orange

There has never been a Champions League final between two English clubs, or a European Cup final for that matter (the trophy’s predecessor).

So, with the two most expensively assembly sides in the land in the continental showdown next week, it makes sense that almost everyone has been caught up in the hype surrounding the clash between Chelsea and Manchester United in Moscow.

This fixture promises to be one of the most fiery contests yet between the two. If it peters out to a drab draw, all too cagey and with not much to shout about then so be it, we’ll take that in our stride.

But what the Champions League final has done is to completely over-shadow the FA Cup final. There is a Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday - the oldest and most cherished of club soccer’s trophies.

The sad thing about all of this is that Cardiff, a team that finished a modest 12^th the Championship Division, and Portsmouth, who managed eighth place in the Premiership, have not got any of the glory and glitzy fanfare that usually goes with reaching the final of this tournament.

Instead, almost every inch in the Champions League final has lapped up the papers and nearly every minute of airtime.

Nonetheless, these two unfashionable clubs in the FA Cup will get their day on Saturday, no matter how brief it might seem (let’s hope the sun is out in London on the day).

Both teams are deserving finalists and Portsmouth will start as overwhelming favourites, even if they did not finish off the season as strongly as Harry Redknapp might have wanted.

Pompey have more than a few things going for them and maybe none more so than the fact that they are a decent mid-table Premier League side who have quite a lot of experience in their line-up.

But if Pompey are to avoid the banana skin they should heed the call of their French defender Sylvain Distin who has rallied his teammates not to under-estimate the opposition and treat Cardiff with a bit of respect.

This Cup final has thrown up too many upsets over the years for a side like Portsmouth to walk into Wembley thinking that they have already won the trophy. If they do, they could well be left with egg on their faces and not a soul will feel sorry for them.

However, Cardiff themselves should approach the final with undeterred by the prospect of failure. After all they did well enough just to the English football’s showpiece. Running out onto that turf is in itself a huge success for Dave Jones’ squad.

For me, an upset would be great stuff, and I wouldn’t mind in the least if one youngster, who goes by the name of Aaron Ramsey, gets the winning goal. Am I dreaming? Of course, I am. And that’s what the FA Cup final is all about, unlike a Champions League final featuring Chelsea and Man United.

By Shaun Orange

English football is awash with speculation about all sorts of issues, ranging from possible transfers to likely takeovers to permutations for next season, and everything in between.

But it is not so surprising; not if you think that we are into the off-season, even if Manchester United and Chelsea have one last crunch fixture to play out: the European Champions League final in Moscow next week Wednesday.

This is how the mechanics of British soccer in general evolve. Even before the last ball kicked and the last whistle blown to signal the end of the season, there is always a flurry of action – on the pitch and in the corridors of power.

Once the curtain come down the intensity in which these developments take place are merely magnified, sometimes a one hundred-fold.

The first all-English Champions League final has really caught the imagination of the public and media alike, but there are other issues that have also generated enough interest to warrant a mention beyond the looming confrontation between the English champions and the side whose owner – Roman Abramovich, calls Moscow home.

One that really intrigues me is the talk of a possible move to Japan by England striker Michael Owen.

Now, before anyone gets carried away I have to emphasize the fact that no deal (at the time of writing) has been concluded and even if it will be, it shouldn’t be for some time to come.

Anyway, the fact that JEF United Chiba have boldly claimed that they intend to lure the Newcastle forward to the J League makes for good reading.

For the skeptics, it is well understood that Japan’s premier soccer competition is no match for the Premiership, in terms of dollars or publicity, or in general stature.

Further still, it is unlikely that Kevin Keegan, the Magpies boss, will release Owen without strenuously opposing the move; more so as the St. James’ Park manager see his team captain as the pivotal player in their renaissance.

But should not be forgotten is that the J League is not the same it used to a couple of decades or so ago. This championship has some serious financial backing and boasts the enough quality to bring in players, albeit in the twilight of their careers, such Brazil’s World Cup winning captain Dunga.

And if one considers that one Arsene Wenger, now a guru of the English game and also Arsenal’s most successful manager, plied his trade in Japan then I see no reason why Owen might not agree to a stint in the J League.

Of course, the chance of playing for England could used as a deterrent fro him moving so far abroad, but David Beckham has proved that if you are good enough to do the job, then you will get picked for the team.

Perhaps, the only real stumbling block in this is the matter of just how serious JEF United Chiba are. If they come up with a package that could get Owen to have second thoughts, they might just make inroads into securing a global figure for their squad.

If Owen for some cannot make it, then they might yet collar another player of substance in international soccer.

I wish them well; and the two teams in the Champions League final.

By Shaun Orange

Well, Manchester United did it. They retained the Premier League title on the last day of the season. Thanks in part to the 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic, but essentially to a more consistent and determined performance throughout the campaign.

Man Utd’s ability to sustain a challenge that took past Chelsea, who finished two points off the pace, and Arsenal, who had led the race for some time before dramatically buckling under intense pressure in the two months leading up to the end, brought Alex Ferguson his tenth league title in 22 years at the helm of Old Trafford.

That landmark alone will go down in history as the best of the lot, and is unlikely to be eclipsed ever.

The Red Devils’ success, as deserved as each shout of joy at the end of Sunday’s action, underscored their superiority in England and also gave notice that when they resume their rivalry with Chelsea in the European Champions League final in Moscow next week, they will start as favourites to pull of a unique Premier league and Champions League double.

Ferguson’s squad has the depth, talent and experience to do win them both, but Chelsea, wounded by finishing runners-up again, and playing with a side that will weakened by the absence of skipper John Terry, among others, should not be ruled out too easily.

They will almost certainly look to the fixture as their redemption from a season that has had its fair share of ups and downs, not least, the departure of Jose Mourinho and the ascendancy of Avram Grant to head coach.

But even if Chelsea were at full strength, Man Utd would fancy their chances. Of course, the odds will merely shorten now that it has been established that Terry indeed dislocated an elbow in the Bolton game. The England defender remains adamant that he will be fit for the May 21 showdown in Moscow, but it is quite likely that he will travel, but not play.

Credit is due to both Man Utd and Chelsea for their real close, tough battle they put on for the championship title, and the latter could draw inspiration from the fact that they came back from the dead to challenge for the crown at the end.

Arsenal appear to have some serious problems with players leaving or reportedly wanting to leave. And unless Arsene Wenger can get to grips with the issue well before the start of pre-season training they look like they will suffer badly next term.

Liverpool, the other team in England’s “Big Four” could face a similar situation if they do not sort out their boardroom squabbles. Rafael Benitez, who is keen on a few new signs after a clear-out in the off-season, has the nucleus of a potent squad and could do a lot better next season if they can find some stability within their hierarchy.

Nonetheles, Arsenal and Liverpool will struggle to keep pace with Man Utd and Chelsea from the start. The reasoning behind this is evident in the Champions League final, where the two best teams in England will fight to see who is king of Europe. Man Utd should take it, more so after their triumphant showing on Sunday.

By Shaun Orange

Sunday sees the curtain come down on an eventful season, one that will have the winner and the two remaining clubs for the drop to be declared at the final whistle. That the action has come down to the final round of fixtures merely confirms why the Premier League championship has developed into a billion dollar industry of its own.

But even before the heroics of those who will be honoured in triumph and those who will live with great regret for falling out of the world’s most popular championship, the wheeling and dealings for players, and coaches, has swung into full motion.

Officially, the trading of players can only start after the end of the season, and it closes on midnight of August 31. There is brief respite in the month of January, during which transfers are also allowed under the rules and regulations that govern English and European football.

Two instances of the behind-closed doors negotiations that have caught the imagination of the media and the soccer public at large are those which involve Arsenal and Aston Villa. The plight of Manchester City coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has also raised more than a few eyebrows.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said on Friday that he was bewildered by the news that star midfielder Alex Hleb was about to quit the Premier League for Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan. He was quoted saying that there was “nothing” in the reports. But this was despite the fact the story was highlighted in the wake of comments made by the Belarus international’s agent.

Of course, Wenger maybe would say that even if he knew differently and more so after Mathieu Flamini, his gifted compatriot chose to leave the Emirates Stadium to play for AC Milan at the San Siro.

Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager who was expecting a seize of sorts even before the issue of Gareth Barry blew up in his face, called Liverpool’s offer for the England midfielder and suggestions by Anfield chief Rafael Benitez that they had actually discussed the move, “absolutely crazy”.

If you did not much about how this game works (behind closed doors) and what club managements would do to win favour in the wheeling and dealings that come with it, you might be left feeling that Arsenal and Aston Villa are being hard done by.

But these two cases, and that of Eriksson, who is being sized up for a return to Benfica, following reports that Man City are courting Brazil’s World Cup winning coach, Felipe Scolari, are just examples of how the system operates. Much of it is because of the big bucks involved and to some extent illustrates to what lengths the “bigger clubs” will go to lure players, and managers, to bolster their chances of success.

The age old adage that “money is the root of all evil” is not one that should be dismissed lightly when it comes to the Premiership, and Europe’s other leagues, or any league in the global game for that matter.

These days, there is just too much at stake (financially) not to succeed, and the players and managers, and their agents and the media (and the public) know it. So for Wenger and O’Neill, whom we maybe can feel some sort of sympathy for, it should really be a matter of just getting on with things – even if only on Sunday we will find who wins the league title and who going down.

By Shaun Orange

Kevin Keegan, who has only just got his team playing again after a dreadful start to his second spell as boss of Newcastle United, was made to eat humble pie on Monday.

The Magpies’ boss went out of his way - for no apparent reason, to say that they would do Manchester United a favour and beat Chelsea when the sides met at St. James’ Park. Well, that was not to be and the Blues left Newcastle with a deserved 2-0 victory, something which should teach Keegan a lesson - not to just wonder off mouthing about things that he cannot deliver.

Chelsea are level on points with Man Utd at the top of the Premiership standings with only one game to go, and a Newcastle win would have handed Man Utd the crown. But Avram Grant’s team, who will also meet Man Utd in the European Champions League final in Moscow on May 21, ensured that this title race will go down to the very last game of the season with their humbling of the Magpies.

Keegan, even in defeat declined to afford Chelsea the respect that they so richly deserve and again said that Man Utd would win it - this after being given the run-around and taught a thing or two by the Blues.

His actions and reactions do leave one a little bewildered. For all their clout as one of the best supported teams in the land and their bigger than reality ambitions, Newcastle are nowhere nearer to becoming a force to reckon with than before Keegan arrived in January to replace a forlorn Sam Allardyce.

The Magpies certainly have the potential to do well in the Premiership and might be even better off now that owner Mike Ashley has hinted that there could be a sizeable kitty for Keegan to bringing in new players during the off-season. But what Keegan should remember is to respect others, particularly when they deserve it - like Chelsea do.

And it comes as a bit of a surprise that he does not know this or is just plain hardheaded. His days at Liverpool, when the Reds were THE team in world soccer, would have taught him that you respect everyone - don’t be afraid of them, but respect them. There is a distinct difference and Keegan should know this by now. And I wonder if maybe he had shown Chelsea a little respect if he had not got the result he wanted.

Of course, Newcastle were playing merely for pride, having been eliminated from all competition and totally out of the running for the Premier League title in 12th place.

Perhaps the former England and Liverpool striker should have kept his thoughts to himself and got on with the job. Maybe then he would come out with something from this fixture, which has now tainted his mini revival at St. James Park.