Football

Trophy is in the shop? Did you let Ramos near it?

Apparently attaching a shark fin to silver is hard work!

I can't believe my team did so well!

Sadly I was once again unable to catch an impressive leader, this time Ed, in the SPL-like version of the BZ League, though I did win the more sexy, head-to-head championship! I'm particularly pleased to have clinched it with an away (!) win over my nemesis, Average! I couldn't hire an open top bus at short notice, and the trophy is still in the shop, so instead I will be parading a tin of baked beans around my street from 2 til 4 this afternoon. Do swing by if you're in the neighbourhood!

Can I pompously remind you all that I didn't join until week 2 again too?!!

Sorry you couldn't get a bus for your victory

in the other one I wasn't involved in so therefore don't care about

, Frederick - but recent parades have shown a propensity for butterfingers atop those things anyway. So just as well...

Oh well, there's always next season for me, assuming I'm not replaced by Guus Hiddink over the summer. Congratulations to Messrs Ed and Freddy - victory in the world's greatest fantasy league(s) surely deserves the world's greatest celebration...

Possible Man Utd starting XI for Saturday's final...

Van der Sar

O'Shea

Evra

Vidic

Ferdinand

Fletcher

Carrick

Park

An un-named Premier League footballer

Rooney

Hernandez

Yes, we won it!!!!!!!!!!!!

"we"

congrats facoquer

you must be jumping up and down everytime you know you're going to face united in a final, you basically school us everytime we play. Embarrassing stuff on our behalf, but barca were clearly and deservedly the better team.

you should be proud of your team.

Thanks! When Rooney scored I felt scared. I thought myself: "We had many clear chances to score and they did it in their first, we're gonna lose this".

There's no shame for United in losing to Pep's boys. The footballing world hardly needs proof that they're beatable but they'll win any game provided they turn up and perform - regardless of who the opposition is or whether they choose to defend, attack, contain or bully. It's impossible to do anything without a fair share of possession and you simply don't get that against Barca.

P.S. Peterborough 3-0 Lee Clark's Huddersfield Town. Hahahahahahaha. Ha.

Some compensation for Saturday night..

"Craig Bellamy is a leading contender to replace Dave Jones, who was sacked as Cardiff boss after the club's play-off failure" - The Guardian.

What could possibly go wrong? :|

If you don't do proper zonal or man marking against the likes of Xavi and Messi you are asking for trouble and that's what happened. At least one proper DM in front of the back 4 and behind your mids for covering the gaps

Congrats Barca

^The only realistic chance United had of winning in the first place was to catch Barca on a real off day (Exhibits A & B: Hercules and Sociedad) or to get incredibly lucky (Exhibit C: Arsenal - their performance in the last 20 minutes of the first leg masked what could and should have been a massacre) but it's fair to say that they did little to help their cause. Not only did Fergie's much-vaunted masterplan for stopping Messi fail to materialise, pairing the attack-minded Giggs with the relatively pedestrian Carrick to try and nullify Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets in the midfield was tantamount to suicide.

So Fred, do you want Hughes or Moyes (or neither)?

So Fred, do you want Hughes or Moyes (or neither)?

Like everyone, I wanted Gerard to gracefully exit from the stage (though we all know that's not how it was) but to be honest I find myself whimpering away from the conversation whenever it comes up. I like the fact that we rang Ancelotti, presumably just for the sheer hell of it, but really none of the seemingly obtainable candidates stand out. For me the most important thing is to get it sorted quickly. Selling our best player with no manager in place, two summers in a row = doom.

Also, allow me if I may to lament the fees supposedly being spent on Phil Jones and Jordan Henderson. One senior England cap between them yet both apparently worth more than Manuel Neuer. Good grief.

Also, allow me if I may to lament the fees supposedly being spent on Phil Jones and Jordan Henderson. One senior England cap between them yet both apparently worth more than Manuel Neuer. Good grief.

I cant believe some of the prices being quoted for these two, can you imagine how much top quality internationals be worth now.

I rate both players, don't get me wrong, and for all I know they both may end up being brilliant internationals with unbelievable careers but Christ almighty you used to have to have done something a little bit more to be worth nigh on 20 mil than play in Blackburn's four game undefeated end of season run-in. You know the minute one of them delivers a bad pass they'll be reminded of how much they cost by every tabloid hack and phone-in Neanderthal 'til their ears bleed. The same ones that mocked a certain football club when they purchased Darren "unproven" Bent.

No doubt they may go on to be great players, we may look back and see them as bargains and of cause their both English which means a huge premium, but you have to say at those prices you would like proven rather than potential.