I love birthdays, I really do. I like the gifts, I like the people telling you that they hope you have a great day and I really like a birthday drink or two. Who doesn’t? Then again, as I strolled into my office on my birthday this year it had never crossed my mind that I was owed something...
Without much fanfare, it has been a week of change for football. They’re small changes, changes that may have slipped under the radar for most, but changes none the less. And not just change for change sake, change for the better. A better word could be progress.
It’s been a big week of Champions League football. Well, aren’t they all big weeks? We now have an all Madrid final to look forward to while Chelsea and Bayern Munich will be left licking their wounds. Here’s just some of what we’ve seen/learned/experienced.
To many, the appointment of David Moyes at Manchester United signified them finally dropping off of their pedestal once and for all. Those people will certainly feel vindicated now. But, in truth, it’s Moyes’ sacking that has shown United’s biggest fall from grace. Because it’s his sacking that has truly made United just like every other club.
If there is one thing the football media loves it’s lambasting a player who has just embarrassed himself with a theatrical dive. Old football stalwarts like Graeme Souness or Alan Hansen, who played in an era where men were men and toughness was paramount, verbally bashing players for being divers. It shows you up as less than a man, it’s not in keeping with the spirit of the game and it’s downright cheating. But this Monday night saw a shift in strategy and a point awarded for the diving team.