Hi and hello football fans, it's your old pal Roko the Football Guy, whats going down? I hope all is well wherever you are! Things are busy here in the broom closet at Football Guy towers and I'll tell you why in just a bit. First we've got a Champions League final to talk about!

The Deutsche Bank corollary

Many moons ago I discovered that sometimes in football winning is not down to how good or lucky you are. Sometimes it's just down to karma.

Back in January of 2002 I started working for Deutsche Bank, a job I really hated but like most jobs I did it because I needed the money. I stayed until the summer and then I went on holiday for six weeks full of cash, that was the only good thing about the job....... Oh and the fact that Arsenal didn't lose another league match that season and were crowned champions at Old Trafford.

Anyway, a year went by and I found myself out of work again and in need of a job and luckily for me (and Arsenal) my old boss was gracious enough to take me back (well he was my girlfriends dad at the time). So I started back up again in August 2003 and worked again through until the summer and guess what happened.......... Arsenal never lost a league match the entire time I was there and finished the season unbeaten......... Hmmmm, So in two separate stints at Deutsche Bank my favorite football team never lost a league game. Karma really is a funny thing!

Barcelona loves England

So as we've seen with my Deutsche Bank days, the footballing Gods can be mysterious and Barcelona know that only too well.

They have there own little Karmic pull and it started in 1992.

Back then Barca were still a massive team but had never won the European Cup (they had lost twice in the final), something that Real Madrid fans no doubt rubbed in their faces quite a lot. Well that year they reached the final which was staged in London at Wembley Stadium and they went onto win in extra time from a Ronald Koeman free kick. Now fast forward 14 years to 2006, Barca had been to another final in between but were rather embarrassed by AC Milan 4-0 in 1994 but in 2006 they face Arsenal (who despite popular belief are not French but English). They found themselves losing to a 10 man Arsenal team 1-0 with about 12 minutes to go........ They go on to win the match and their second Champions League....... Notice a trend forming?

Skip a few more years and we find ourselves today, the morning after Barca's 3rd Champions League title...... Who did they beat last night? Manchester United........ English right?

Just like mine and Arsenal's Karmically induced success when you combine Deutsche Bank and Me, Barca have their own when you combine playing in or against English teams in a Champions League final........ Don't ask me why it is they way it is, just accept it for fact! Like the Sun follows the moon and like when I work at Deutsche Bank, If Barca play in or against and English team in the Champions League final they will win....... Thank you.

Side Note - This for whatever reason does not work if the Ref  or their manager is English. In 1986 Barca lost in the European Cup final on penalties whilst having an English manager (Terry Venables) and in 1994 when they lost to Milan the Ref was English.

Football Guy being Busy

As mentioned earlier, the reason why I'm busy is that I coincidently am off to Barcelona today for six days to attend a close friends wedding. The atmosphere of the city will no doubt be good.

Oh, I almost forgot....... Another querk with Barca is that the last time they won the trophy, I too had already booked flights to go to Barca to work...... Maybe the Barcelona tourist board next January should book me some complimentary tickets to come to their city in June and they might end up with a fourth Champions League title......... Well only if they are playing an English team of course!

Take Care

Football Guy

Hi and hello football fans, it's your old pal Roko the Football Guy, whats going down? I hope all is well wherever you are! Things in the broom closet at Football Guy Towers are not that great, I've developed a nasty little cough which is bothering me just slightly. I hope it says like that and does not turn in to a cold...... Or even worse..... Cancer!

Did anyone watch the game last night?

Millennium Magpie v Portsmouth

I did and I can honestly say I was very disappointed with the Millennium Magpie's.

To get out played by a good team is not sin, but to get out played at home by Pompey should be No11 on the 10 commandments, kind of like an unwritten rule. How they expect to stay up after a performance like that is beyond me.

Even when Pompey generously gifted them with the games best chance, all Michael Owen could do was hit the ball straight at David James when clean through.

It could have been a lot worse for the Magpies had Mike Riley, who of late seems to not want to give penalties of late, pointed to the spot when Peter Crouch was clearly bundled over by cousin IT from the Adams family, or when Richard Hughes header hit the post when it looked like it was looping in.

I'd say that this point for Pompey should all but see them safe, the Millennium Magpies on the other hand have four matches left to save their hides, starting with Liverpool away next weekend, don't see much joy in that match for them. That leaves two home games against Boro and Fulham, Boro have lost their last 10 away matches in the Premiership and Fulham have only managed two away win's all season, if six points are not picked up their I think that will be all she wrote. Their last game of the season is away to Aston Villa who may or may not have anything left to play for come then, but I'm sure Martin O'Neill would love to finish a season which has fizzled out on a high note.

I still think Big Al and the boys can do it as I can see Hull losing all their remaining fixtures, but time is most certainly running out!

 

Barcelona v Chelsea 

On the whole, meeting between these two in the Champions League have been pretty exciting affairs.

All in all their have been 29 goals in the last 8 meetings between the two, that works out to over 3.5 goals per match....... Let's hope tonight is not different.

Here's a quick overview of how those games went -

April 5th, 2000: quarter-final, first leg: Chelsea 3, Barcelona 1 GOALS FROM Gianfranco Zola and Tore Andre Flo (two) put Chelsea 3-0 up in eight first-half minutes at Stamford Bridge but Luis Figo grabbed an away goal in the second half.

April 18th, 2000: quarter-final, second leg

Barcelona 5, Chelsea 1

RIVALDO AND Figo scored in the first half to put Barcelona 2-0 up and level on aggregate, but Flo made it 2-1 in the second half to edge the Blues ahead. Dani scored with seven minutes left to level the tie and two minutes later Rivaldo had a penalty to put Barca through. He missed, sending the game into extra-time, during which he atoned for his error by scoring from the spot before Patrick Kluivert finished the job in the 104th minute.

February 23rd, 2005: last 16, first leg

Barcelona 2, Chelsea 1

AN OWN goal by Chelsea’s then Barca defender Juliano Belletti gifted the Blues the lead but second-half goals from Maxi Lopez and Samuel Eto’o put Barca in front. Didier Drogba was controversially sent off by referee Anders Frisk in the 55th minute, an incident which earned the official some vitriolic abuse from Chelsea fans and subsequently prompted his retirement.

March 8th, 2005: last 16, second leg

Chelsea 4, Barcelona 2

GOALS FROM Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff in 11 first-half minutes put the Blues in the ascendancy but Barca hit back with a double from Ronaldinho. With the Spaniards set to progress on away goals, John Terry grabbed the decisive fourth goal 14 minutes from time.

February 22nd, 2006: last 16, first leg

Chelsea 1, Barcelona 2

ASIER DEL Horno was sent off in the first half but Chelsea went ahead in the 59th minute through a Thiago Motta own goal. Terry then put through his own net and Eto’o grabbed a late winner.

March 8th, 2006: last 16, second leg

Barcelona 1, Chelsea 1

A LATE Ronaldinho goal all but clinched it for Barca, rendering Lampard’s injury-time penalty a consolation.

October 18th, 2006: group stage

Chelsea 1, Barcelona 0

DROGBA earned the Blues three points at home.

October 31st, 2006: group stage

Barcelona 2, Chelsea 2

DECO PUT Barca ahead early on but Lampard equalised with a brilliant chip. Gudjohnsen then scored for the hosts against his old club but Drogba netted an injury-time equaliser.

When you think that just in the last round, both teams managed to score 5 and 7 goals respectivly over the two legs, who knows how tonight will turn out.

Football Guy's verdict 2-1

Take care

Football Guy

U

Hi and hello Football fans, it's your old pal Roko The Football Guy, what's going down? I hope all is well wherever you are! Things are quite here in the broom closet at Football Guy Towers, not really much to report on other than the fact I'm ready to go back to work after what seemed like the longest Easter bank holiday weekend in recorded history, that's right, I'm moaning about bank holidays........ Whats wrong with me?

The Champions League is back tonight and unfortunately for tonight at least I don't think we have all that much to look forward too, with in my opinion, both ties being pretty much settled. It's going to be like watching a movie you have seen before and don't really like (if you are a neutral) but I guess if your a fan of either Chelsea or Barca then it's like watching your favorite porno over and over again, loads of pleasure and no risk!

Let's take a closer look.

Bayern Munich v Barcelona

Barca take a 4-0 lead into the second leg of a tie which is deader (is that a real word?) than Jade Goody (too soon?).

I really do love it when the manager of the winning team tries to be polite about the situation like Pep Guardiola has been with his pre match quotes -

"Bayern can score four goals and even more when they're on the back foot.

I don't believe it when they say the tie's over. I'm sure they'll be up for it and (Franck) Ribery and company are dangerous players."

He sounds like a guy who has just met his mates new girlfriend for the first time and thinks she is a dog but is not going to tell his mate that so he says stuff like - "She seems like a nice girl" or "She has real good dress sense".

Would it not be better and much funnier if Pep came out with -

"Bayern are a beaten team, we crushed them once and if we want too we will crush them again.

There is more chance of me giving birth to Jesus Christ than there is of us losing this tie."

Lights up a cigar leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind is head.

That would be way cooler than basically pretending that Munich have a chance tonight.

As far as I'm aware, neither team has any new injuries since the first leg but I'm sure Barca will rest a couple of their stars for tonight, which might mean we get to see Alexander Hleb....... Don't expect  to see a goal from him, but do expect to see loads of dribbling with poor pea-roller shots.

Bayern might beat them tonight, but don't expect the greatest comeback in Champions League history........... Yes Liverpool fans, I think this would be a bigger comeback than yours in 2005.

Football Guy verdict 2-1

Chelsea v Liverpool

Not sure why I have a picture of John Terry for this game as he is suspended....... But hey, I'm sure he will be there in spirit on the pitch.

The talk from the dressing room is that Liverpool will risk their inspirational Captain Stevie G for tonight's game and boy do they need a special performance from him.

The problem for me Liverpool have is that they need goals, and that's not been something they have managed in abundance against Chelsea, especially at Stamford Bridge, having failed to score in three of their last four visits to the Bridge in the Champions League. Even if you look back at the two victories in the league, they scored two very late goals at Anfield and at the Bridge (when they ended Chelsea's 47 year unbeaten run at home) it was a game without many real chances and the winner was a deflected Xabi Alonso strike.

Liverpool need to score early and they will need at least three goals to pull this off, so they can afford to throw caution to the wind as even if Chelsea score one it would not change the fact that the Reds need three to get back in the tie.

I'm hoping Liverpool do score two early as it will be a much better spectacle for all of us having to put up with David Pleat's commentary tonight on ITV....... Please let it be Jim Beglin.

Football Guy's verdict 1-1 although I think this could well be wrong if Liverpool go Gung-ho in the last 10 minutes.

OK peeps, see you tomorrow.

Take care

Football Guy 

 

Hi and hello Football fans it's your old pal Roko the Football Guy, whats going down? I hope all is well wherever you are. Things are a little bit chilly here in the broom closet at Football Guy Towers and I'm not sure why, so I've plugged in my electric heater and got a little blanket wrapped a round me at my desk....... Really, I am cold!

I'm also a little annoyed this morning as I had one of the most horrid things done to me that a person could do............. I had a phone call 25 minutes before my alarm was set to go off! WHY GOD........ I hate it when that happens, as I find it impossible to fall back asleep and I keep counting down the minutes until I have to wake up. Had it been an important call I would not have minded, but unfortunately it was the recruitment agency I use giving me a courtesy call......... Fuck you, when I need to speak to you I will, don't call me EVER, just to see how I'm doing...... ASSHOLES!

Liverpool v Chelsea

OK, I hold my hands up. I didn't see this coming, but hey, |I doubt many of you guys did either and to be fair to me I only said 1-0 to Liverpool, I read a lot of other people (some who get paid to do this) tout 3-0 or 3-1........ I certainly didn't read to many 1-3, especially when you think that Chelsea, out of five games so far against the "Big Four" have had four defeats and one draw, hardley form to write home about.

So when Fernando Torres gave Liverpool the lead after six minutes, I thought it was business as usual, but then something happened, Chelsea started to take over the game, winning those 50/50 balls and looking like the team most likely to score.

Drogba could have had two in the first have had it not been for Pepe Reina, but instead the man who did get two was probably Chelsea most unlikeliest man to do so..... Well baring Petr Cech. Branislav Ivanovic, welcome to Chelsea folklore. His two goals, whilst well taken headers were, to quote Alan Hansen "Shocking defending" on Liverpool's part and something you really would not expect.

Drogba did eventually get on the score sheet and his goal virtually killed the tie. I don't see Liverpool beating Chelsea by three goals at Stamford Bridge, yes I know the beat United at Old Trafford only a few weeks ago 4-1 but lets face it, how often to does sort of results happen?

All in all, Chelsea were the better team and deserved the win.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Looks like I gave Bayern too much credit yesterday, silly me thinking they would score a goal........

At least I was right about how many Barca would score. I said 4-1 it ended up 4-0 but it felt like if Barca needed 10 they would have scored 10.

I'm not surprised in the slightest. We all know Barca are one of the best teams in the world, but I knew Bayern are a average team with a poor defence and that spells trouble when your up against arguably the best three man attck in the world. Messi, Eto and Henry tore them apart with relative ease and the only black mark on the game was when Messi was booked for a dive by Howard Webb when the replay clearly showed it was a penalty to Barca.

So it looks like we are set for a Chelsea Barcelona semi final and to be honest, after last night performances, you can't really argue against it.

OK peeps, I shall be back tomorrow with the weekend preview, till then

Take care

Football Guy