Ebbsfleet United travel to Barrow for an important Blue Square Premier League (National Conference) match on Saturday. The Fleet are currently in 22nd place, having won only once so far in 16 league games. Barrow are in 16th place with 17 points. A win for Ebbsfleet could take them out of the relegation zone depending on results elsewhere.

For American fans of the Fleet, you can listen to the match online starting at 10:00 Eastern time. Click here to listen to BBC Radio Kent's coverage of the match.

The BBC provides radio commentary for most non-league matches:

BBC Non-League Radio Commentaries

To become a member of MyFootballClub, click here:
http://www.myfootballclub.co.uk/

For more information about Ebbsfleet United, visit the official club site:
http://www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk/

For American fans of the English Premier League, there will be several quality matches televised, thanks in part to ESPN2's coverage this season.

Saturday, October 17

7:45am - Aston Villa v Chelsea (ESPN2)
10:00am - Sunderland v Liverpool (FSC)

Sunday, October 18

11:00am - Wigan v Manchester City (FSC)

These games will be shown live. Times listed are Eastern time. And the early starting times won't interfere with any College or NFL football plans for the American audience. So wake up early, and enjoy a full day of football, both American football and soccer.

If there's no soccer field or large grassy area near your residence, then traditional soccer (football) cleats are not of much use, are they? Consider the Puma Liga XL IT soccer shoe as an alternative. These shoes are designed for indoor surfaces, and the rubber sole is non-marking. These full-grain leather Pumas are perfect for the fast skills that the indoor game demands, and are comfortable enough to wear any time.

Puma Liga XL soccer shoes

As an added bonus, they can also be used on hard surfaces, such as street ball or simply practicing your juggling technique in the driveway. I tried a size 10 pair of the Puma Liga XL IT (White and Black with Red) pictured above, and found them most comfortable. They provide adequate support for quick cuts and fancy footwork, and they are extremely light weight. The laces are set slightly off-center, as is the fashion in soccer shoes today, to provide a greater ball striking area.

The shoes have a simple, yet elegant design and color scheme, with the classic Puma design in black with red trim on a white base color. The tongue folds down over the laces and is secured with Velcro. It's not the most high tech or fancy shoe, but it does the job with a classic look, a comfortable feel, and an affordable price tag. In fact, I wear them to walk my dogs around the neighborhood too, so they are more than just a soccer shoe.

If you are planning to order these shoes online, keep in mind that sizing can sometimes be a bit difficult to predict depending on the brand. The Puma Liga XL IT has a somewhat snug fit, so you may want to consider ordering a half size bigger if you like a little more room in your shoes.

Puma Liga XL Soccer Shoes and other soccer shoes are available at SoccerPro:
Soccer Shoes

The KwikGoal Premier referee jersey is the perfect shirt for those of you who referee youth, recreational, or local soccer leagues. The shirt is the classic vertical stripe referee jersey design with a collar and two buttons. It comes in five colors: red, yellow, blue, green, and classic black.

The jersey is made of 100% polyester and has an extremely comfortable feel. In addition to comfort, it also has the utilitarian features that a top referee would require. It has two shirt pockets to store red and yellow cards and the referee's book and pencil. The pockets have Velcro closures to avoid the ultimate embarassment for a referee, losing one's cards.

KwikGoal Premier Referee Jersey

The jerseys come in all sizes (YL, S, M, L, XL, XXL). I tried out a classic black jersey (pictured above), and the sizing was accurate, and the feel of the shirt matched what I have found in top replica soccer jerseys from the top Premier League clubs.

Even if you aren't a referee or don't have any plans of becoming a referee, the KwikGoal Premier Referee Jersey could be a great novelty item. It would make a perfect Halloween costume, complete with an eye patch, thick glasses, or a walking cane. Or you could wear this costume to your favorite sporting event to heckle the referees or umpires. Or you could wear the referee shirt to settle a dispute at work with a bit of humor. Whether for serious sport or for fun, I recommend the KwikGoal Premier Referee Jersey for all your officiating needs.

The KwikGoal Premier Referee Jersey and other referee uniforms are available at SoccerPro:
Soccer Referee Uniforms

If you don't live near a soccer field and you don't have a yard big enough to practice your footie skills, then you should consider the Calle Primero Street Soccer Ball. It's perfect for practicing your juggling skills or playing a pick up game of soccer in the street or in a parking lot. It has a durable rubber outer layer that is strong enough to withstand pavement or hard ground. Inside, it has a low bounce premium latex bladder that allows for a soft touch. The Calle Primero ball comes in five colors: black (pictured below), grass with yellow, red, teal, or gold.

Calle Primero Street Soccer Ball

The model I tried out was a size 4 (pictured above), so it was smaller than a standard sized soccer ball, but ideal for a pick up game with friends, especially if you have portable goals that are smaller than normal goals. I plan to start an after-hours game in the parking lot at my office. Or at the very least, use the Calle Primero ball to practice my ball skills in the driveway at home.

When you buy a Calle Primero Soccer Ball you also get a canvas bag with the intriguing name "Ball Sack" printed on the side. As is typically the case, the ball is shipped un-inflated, so be prepared to have a pump and needle on hand. "Calle" means "street" in Spanish, and the ball therefore features the iconic pigeon logo. Join the ranks of the callejeros and take the beautiful game to the streets!

The Calle Primero Street Ball and other soccer balls are available at SoccerPro:

soccer balls

For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of being a member of MyFootballClub, the world's first web community owned club. We own Ebbsfleet United Football Club, a professional team in the Blue Square Premier League, the 5th division of English football. Thousands of members worldwide vote on key decisions, from team selection to club finance to kit manufacture to buying and selling players. Also, you can participate in the online forum to discuss key issues on and off the pitch with fellow members. You can listen to the games live online (BBC Radio Kent) and watch video highlights on the MyFC website. For overseas members, we are working on the possibility of live streaming video.

To become a member of MyFootballClub, click here:
http://www.myfootballclub.co.uk/

A Brief History of MyFootballClub & Ebbsfleet United
Shortly after MyFC purchased Ebbsfleet United, the Fleet won the FA Trophy on 10 May 2008, defeating Torquay United 1-0 at Wembley. With high expectations entering the 2008-09 season, the club was hit with multiple injuries throughout the season and was unable to challenge for promotion. Ebbsfleet did return to the semi-finals of the FA Trophy, where they fell to eventual champions Stevenage Borough 2-4 over two legs. Despite flirting with relegation, the Fleet managed to finish the season in 14th place, well clear of the drop zone.

Due to a decrease in MyFC membership and other financial difficulties, Ebbsfleet United were unable to retain the majority of their players at the end of the 2008-09 season. Therfeore, the summer of 2009 was a difficult period during which MyFC members raised additional funds for signing new players. Manager Liam Daish, working under extremely difficult circumstances and a much reduced budget, ultimately signed out of contract players and trialists in time to field a full squad at the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

Current Squad
No. - Pos - Player
1 - GK - Lance Cronin
2 - DF - Will Salmon
3 - DF - Jordan Collins
4 - MF - Gavin Heeroo
5 - DF - Dean Pooley
6 - DF - Paul McCarthy (captain)
7 - MF - Michael West
8 - FW - Magno Vieira
9 - FW - James Lindie
10 - FW - Jamie Forshaw
11 - MF - Ishmael Welsh
12 - FW - Scott Ginty
14 - MF - Kane Wills
15 - MF - Scott Shulton
16 - MF - Ricky Shakes
17 - MF - Chris Henry
18 - DF - Steven Springett
19 - DF - Charlie Read
20 - MF - Stefan Bailey
21 - GK - Matthew Lamprell
22 - DF - Leon Crooks
24 - DF - Darius Charles
25 - FW - Simon Thomas (on loan from Crystal Palace)
26 - FW - Luis Cumbers (on loan from Gillingam)

Manager - Liam Daish
Chairman - Duncan Holt

For more information about Ebbsfleet United, visit the official club site:
http://www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk/

Who would you select as the best starting 11 from all the Premier League clubs? Here's my list, with the stipulation that I can only select one player from a single team (that makes it much harder given that the top clubs have multiple players that I would select otherwise):

GK - Shay Given (Man City)
D - John Painstil (Fulham)
D - Gary Cahill (Bolton)
D - Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)
D - Leighton Baines (Everton)
M - Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
M - Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
M - Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
M - Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
F - Wayne Rooney (Man United)
F - Jermaine Defoe (Spurs)

Here's a second team:

GK - Robert Green (West Ham)
D - Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
D - Michael Turner (Sunderland)
D - Brede Hangeland (Fulham)
D - Nemanja Vidic (Man United)
M - Aaron Lennon (Spurs)
M - Tim Cahill (Everton)
M - Shawn Wright-Phillips (Man City)
M - Matt Taylor (Bolton)
F - Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
F - Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

And a third:

GK - Brian Jenson (Burnley)
D - Sebastian Bassong (Spurs)
D - Rio Ferdinand (Man United)
D - Gael Givet (Blackburn)
D - Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
M - Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal)
M - Jordi Gomez (Wigan)
M - Lee Cattermole (Sunderland)
M - Stephen Hunt (Hull City)
F - Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
F - Emanuel Adebayor (Man City)

The one player per team rule really made this a difficult task. Give it a try and post your starting XI in the comments section.

Of the 20 clubs in the English Premier League, only 8 have English managers. Four clubs have Scottish managers, and there are two each from Spain, Italy, and Wales. Here is the complete list of Premier League managers by nationality:

8 - England: Sam Allardyce (Bolton), Gary Megson (Bolton), Roy Hodgson (Fulham), Phil Brown (Hull City), Paul Hart (Portsmouth), Steve Bruce (Sunderland), Harry Redknapp (Spurs), Mick McCarthy* (Wolverhampton)

4 - Scotland: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Alex McLeish (Birmingham), Owen Coyne (Burnley), David Moyes (Everton)

2 - Italy: Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Gianfranco Zola (West Ham)

2 - Spain: Rafael Benitez (Liverpool), Roberto Martinez (Wigan)

2 - Wales: Mark Hughes (Manchester City), Tony Pulis (Stoke City)

1 - France: Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)

1 - Northern Ireland: Martin O'Neill (Aston Villa)

*Mick McCarthy was born in England, but played internationally for the Republic of Ireland. His father was Irish.

The BBC has a very interesting piece about where the crop of 2009-10 Premier League footballers are from compared to where the 1989-90 class of players were born. What is particularly telling is the percentage of players from outside the UK in today's game. The BBC has a high quality interactive map to illustrate the increasingly global influence on the Premier League. Click here for the interactive map. You can see how the makeup of individual clubs has changed over the last 20 years, and the Premier League as a whole.

The map indicates the birth location for every player in the Premier League today, and the birth locations of the players on those same teams 20 years ago. Today, the average team has 13 foreign born (non-UK) players, far more than 10 or 20 years ago. Note that the article focuses on the place of birth, not nationality. For instance, although Florent Malouda plays for France, he is listed as being from French Guiana on the map.

The current club with the most players born abroad? Not surprisingly, it's Arsenal with 23. Liverpool is not far behind with 20 foreign born players. The newly promoted clubs tend to have the fewest foreign players: Burnley have 7 and Wolves have 6.

BBC Interactive Map

For the club, of course, what is most important is not the country of origin but the quality of the player. Some would argue that the influx of non-UK talent hinders the development of UK players and thus has a negative affect on the national team. There may be something to that theory, but I don't recall England winning the World Cup in the 70s or 80s when the English Football League was still fairly provincial. Any thoughts? Anyone?

% Players born in the UK*
71% - Wolverhampton
69% - Burnley
67% - Birmingham City
67% - Stoke City
60% - Aston Villa
57% - West Ham
56% - Hull City
55% - Everton
54% - Sunderland
52% - Bolton
52% - Tottenham
39% - Wigan
39% - Manchester United
38% - Portsmouth
33% - Fulham
30% - Manchester City
28% - Blackburn
26% - Chelsea
17% - Liverpool
15% - Arsenal

*based on statistics reported by the BBC on 12 August 2009.

Premier League Predictions 2009-10
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool
4. Manchester United
5. Manchester City
6. Everton
7. Aston Villa
8. Spurs
9. Sunderland
10. Fulham
11. West Ham
12. Stoke City
13. Bolton
14. Blackburn
15. Birmingham
16. Wigan
17. Burnley
18. Wolverhampton
19. Portsmouth
20. Hull City

Championship 2009-10 Predictions

1. West Brom
2. Middlesbrough
3. Newcastle
4. Reading
5. Sheffield United
6. Ipswich
7. Derby County
8. Cardiff
9. Crystal Palace
10. Queens Park Rangers
11. Nottingham Forest
12. Coventry City
13. Sheffield Wednesday
14. Preston North End
15. Leicester
16. Bristol City
17. Watford
18. Barnsley
19. Swansea
20. Plymouth
21. Blackpool
22. Doncaster
23. Peterborough
24. Scunthorpe

The BBC's Championship Guide can be found here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8154723.stm

League One 2009-10 Predictions

1. Leeds
2. Norwich
3. Charlton
4. Huddersfield
5. MK Dons
6. Millwall
7. Colchester
8. Southampton
9. Southend
10. Oldham
11. Brentford
12. Tranmere
13. Brighton
14. Walsall
15. Bristol Rovers
16. Leyton Orient
17. Hartlepool
18. Carlisle
19. Wycombe
20. Exeter
21. Gillingham
22. Swindon
23. Yeovil
24. Stockport

The BBC's League One Guide can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/8140428.stm

League Two 2009-10 Predictions

1. Notts County
2. Rotherham
3. Bury
4. Shrewsbury
5. Bradford
6. Grimsby
7. Northampton
8. Barnet
9. Crewe
10. Rochdale
11. Darlington
12. Bournemouth
13. Chesterfield
14. Cheltenham
15. Dagenham & Redbridge
16. Torquay
17. Burton Albion
18. Lincoln
19. Port Vale
20. Accrington Stanley
21. Hereford
22. Morecambe
23. Aldershot
24. Macclesfield

The BBC's League Two Guide can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/8141245.stm

Blue Square Premier League 2009-10 Predictions

It's the time of the year once again for the inexact science that is league predictions. So here's my take at the Blue Square Premier League (Conference):

1. Luton Town
2. Oxford
3. Wrexham
4. Stevenage
5. Mansfield
6. Cambridge
7. Rushden & Diamonds
8. Kidderminster
9. York City
10. AFC Wimbledon
11. Kettering
12. Crawley
13. Eastbourne
14. Histon
15. Ebbsfleet United
16. Tamworth
17. Altrincham
18. Forest Green
19. Barrow
20. Salisbury
21. Gateshead
22. Hayes & Yeading
23. Grays Athletic
24. Chester

The BBC's Blue Square Premier League Preview is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_conf/8144687.stm

FA Cup Final: Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton
Chelsea rebounded from the disappointment of their Champions League semi-final loss to Barcelona to lift the FA Cup in manager Guus Hiddink's last match in charge. It was a fitting end to the brief Hiddink era at Stamford Bridge, as the Dutch manager turned around an under-achieving team under former manager Scolari. Hiddink now returns to coach Russia full time as they attempt to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

But it didn't start out well for Chelsea. Like their semi-final win against Arsenal in the FA Cup, Chelsea fell behind early. This time, they fell behind extremely early as Everton's Luis Saha scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history. From the opening kick, Everton worked the ball into the left corner of the pitch where Steven Pienaar crossed the ball into the box. Jon Mikel partially cleared the ball away with a header, but Marouane Fellaini headed it down into the path of Louis Saha. And Saha fired a low shot past Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to give Everton the lead after only 25 seconds.

But after the initial goal, Chelsea began to dominate possession and put Everton on the defensive. The Blues were particularly successful attacking down their left flank with Ashley Cole getting forward in support of Florent Malouda. Everton right back Tony Hibbert could not match their pace and struggled to contain the threat. It was from the left wing that Chelsea found the tying goal. In the 21st minute, Frank Lampard picked out Malouda on the left wing. And with Hibbert playing well off Malouda, the French winger had plenty of space and time to play a perfect cross into the box. There were five Everton defenders in the box, but Didier Drogba drove forward and out-jumped Jolean Lescott to head the ball into the corner of the net.

The score remained 1-1 at the half, but Everton boss David Moyes made a change to start the second half, brining on Lars Jocabsen for the ineffective Hibbert. Despite the change, Everton still struggled to maintain possession, and Chelsea looked more likely to score. Saha and Tim Cahill both had half-chances on goal, but their shots were off target.

With just less than 20 minutes remaining, Chelsea broke the deadline, and it was Frank Lampard - who else? - to the rescue. Lampard received the ball just outside the box, and it looked like he was teeing up a right footed shot. Instead, he pulled the ball back to his left foot to avoid a challenge from Phil Neville, slipping in the process. But he got to his feet quickly and fired a superb left foot shot that swerved into the top left of the goal off the fingertips of Tim Howard. Lampard ran to the corner flag and danced around it in celebration, just as his father, Frank Lampard Sr., had done when scoring a winner against Everton for West Ham in the FA Cup semi-final.

Moments later, Chelsea should have gone up 3-1 when Florent Malouda fired a long-range pile-driver of a shot off the underside of the crossbar and just over the line. The pace and back-spin of the shot caused the ball to spin back out of the goal so quickly that neither the referee nor the linesman could be sure it had crossed the line. So the score remained 2-1 for Chelsea.

Nicolas Anelka also could have increased the lead on two occasions. Twice he was played in behind the defenders, but on both occasions his chip attempt past the charging Tim Howard sailed high and wide of the goal.
In the end it didn't matter. After four minutes of stoppage time, referee Howard Webb blew the final whistle and Chelsea were FA Cup winners. The players took the long walk up the Wembley steps to receive their winners medals, and captain John Terry, along with goal scoring hero Frank Lampard, lifted the FA Cup for Chelsea. It was second FA Cup in three years for the Blues, both at the new Wembley. Congratulations Chelsea, and congratulations Guus Hiddink. What a way to go out!

Champions League Final: Barcelona 2 - 0 Manchester Untied
I wasn't able to watch the Champions League final live, but I have since seen the reply twice, and it was truly a remarkable performance by Barcelona. Manchester United started well, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting a couple early shots at goal, but after the first eight minutes, it was all Barcelona. Andres Iniesta and Xavi dominated the midfield, controlling possession and playing accurate passes to their attacking teammates: Thiery Henry, Lionel Messi, and Samuel Eto'o. And their play paid off with a goal in the 10th minute. Samuel Eto'o took a pass on the right wing, cut inside, and dribbled around Nemanja Vidic before stabbing the ball past United keeper Edwin van der Sar at the near post. The goal was against the run of play at the time, but after Barcelona were up 1-0, they took control of the game completely.

Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics looked wrong as well. Rooney was playing on his own up front, with Ryan Giggs in the middle of the pitch with Ronaldo and Park in the wide positions. Rooney struggled to get a touch on the ball all game, and Giggs was largely ineffectual. After the half time break, Ferguson put Carlos Tevez into the game in place of Anderson, but it did little to help.

In fact, United's tactics may have been irrelevant as Barcelona looked far and away the better team in terms of technical ability, passing, and attacking runs. Even had Ferguson opted for two strikers from the beginning with Giggs in a more accustomed role, it likely would have made no difference.

In addition to the superb midfield play of Iniesta and Xavi, Carlos Puyol was brilliant for Barcelona at right back. He usually plays in the center of midfield, but was forced wide because of injuries to other defenders. And Puyol thrived in that role. Near the 70th minute mark, Puyol intercepted a long pass from van der Sar, and then another clearing attempt, to set up Xavi on the right. The quick counter attack caught United off guard, as Xavi played a perfect cross over Rio Ferdinand to a wide open Messi in front of goal. The cross was slightly behind him, but somehow the 5'7" Messi soared in the air, leaning back as he defied gravity, and headed the ball over van der Sar and into the net. It's not the type of goal that Messi usually scores, but it will go down as one of the most memorable goals in Champions League final history.

Up 2-0 with twenty minutes to go, Barcelona looked certain to win. And you got the sense that the United players were resigned to that fact too. Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes came on as substitutes, but they did little to improve United's chances. Berbatov headed well over the goal, and Scholes' impact was limited to a typical, clumsy tackle that earned him a yellow card.

At the end, Barcelona fully deserved the 2-0 victory, a win that gave the Catalan club a unique treble: Spanish League title, Copa del Rey, and Champions League. And all this in manager Pep Guardiola's first year in charge. It was also the first Champions League medal for Thierry Henry, Man United's nemesis for so many years at Arsenal. Also worth mentioning was the play of former United defender Gerard Pique, who was excellent at left back, blocking cross after cross from the right wing.

Congratulations to Barcelona! They completely outplayed Manchester United. In fact, Chelsea's semi-final performance, holding Barca scoreless for 180 minutes, now looks like an even more impressive feat, even if it ended in defeat.

Championship Playoff Final: Burnley 1 - 0 Sheffield United
Burnely completed a fairy tale season by winning the ultimate prize, promotion to the top flight of English Football. Burnley was not considered one of the better teams in the league when the season began, but they completed an historic season by beating Sheffield United 1-0 in the playoff final. Having already beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the League Cup, Burnely had their share of big games this season, and they didn't disappoint in the spotlight of a playoff final at Wembley. Wade Elliott put Burnley in front with a fantastic strike from 30 yards in the 13th minute. And throughout the match, Burnley kept the pressure on the Sheffield United defense. Joey Gudjohnsson, Robbie Blake and Martin Paterson all had chances to put Burnely ahead by two, but were denied by last chance blocks and challenges from United, particularly Kyle Walker and Nick Montgomery. As for Sheffield United, they didn't mount much of an attack until the second half, but the Burnely central defensive partnership of Caldwell and Carlisle were up to the task. Near the final whistle, United's Jamie Ward was sent off for his second yellow card, both for hand balls. Burnely finished fifth during the regular season, two spots below Sheffield United. But today they were the better team, and as a result, they return to the top flight for the first time in 33 years. Congratulations Burnley!

League One Playoff Final: Scunthorpe 3 - 2 Millwall
Scunthorpe prevailed over Millwall in an outstanding playoff final, and are back in the Championship for next season. Matt Sparrow put the Iron in front with a goal in the sixth minute, but Gary Alexander responded with two goals in a three minute span near the end of the first half. Alexander's first goal was a candidate for goal of the season as he took a headed pass, turned, and fired in a long range strike from well outside the penalty area. Moments later, Alexander headed in a second goal to put Millwall in front. It stayed 2-1 to Millwall until the 70th minute, when Sparrow scored his second. Sparrow pulled the ball back around a defender and slammed home to tying goal. With six minutes to go, Alexander had a great chance to put Millwall back in front, but he missed a open header from in front of goal. And Millwall paid the price. Moments later, Martyn Woolford scored the winner for Scunthorpe, firing in a low strike from the left of the penalty area. Scunthorpe just barely made the playoffs, finishing sixth after earning a late draw against Tranmere in the final game of the regular season. Now, they have been promoted to the Championship. Congratulations to the Iron!

Newcastle and Middlesbrough are relegated from the Premier League.

All of the clubs facing relegation lost today. That means Sunderland and Hull City stay up, Newcastle and Middlesbrough go down. Here is the bottom of the table:

Final Standings
16: 36 pts - Sunderland
17: 35 pts - Hull City
18: 34 pts - Newcastle
19: 32 pts - Middlesbrough
20: 32 pts - West Brom

Full Time Scores
Sunderland 2 - 3 Chelsea
Hull 0 - 1 Man United
Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle
West Ham 2 - 1 Middlesbrough

17:56: Full Time all around. Well, none of the clubs facing relegation really made a strong case to stay in the Premiership. I guess Sunderland were the least poor on the day. At least they scored twice. Middlesbrough didn't really have a reasonable shot at survival, but Newcastle were very disappointing. No goals, not many chances. Nicky Butt had a particularly bad day. But it was a very, very bad day indeed for the northeast, except for Sunderland that is. They stay up, while their neighbors Newcastle and Middlesbrough go down.

17:55: Sent Off: David Edgar (Newcastle), second yellow card.

17:54: Full Time: Sunderland 2 - 3 Chelsea.

17:51: Into stoppage time at Aston Villa. Newcastle have an added 4 minutes to save themselves. Four minutes left at Hull too.

17:49: Goal, Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland); Sunderland 2 - 3 Chelsea. Not so fast. Sunderland are just down by a single goal now.

17:45: Goal, Ashley Cole (Chelsea); Sunerland 1 - 3 Chelsea. Looks like Sunderland are going to lose, but thankfully for them, the other three clubs in the relegation race are all losing too. The Black Cats should be safe despite the loss.

17:42: Less than ten minutes remaining. As it stands, Newcastle and Middlesbrough are going down along with West Brom. A late goal from Newcastle could still save them, but I'm afraid there's no chance for Middlesbrough.

17:34: Goal, Salomon Kalou (Chelsea); Sunderland 1 - 2 Chelsea. Sunderland are behind again, but that won't matter unless Both Hull and Newcastle come back and win.

17:31: Aston Villa nearly scored a second goal. Nicky Butt's poor back pass was intercepted by Gareth Barry, but Barry shoots wide. Reprieve for Newcastle.

1727: Michael Owen enters the game for Newcastle as a substitute for Kevin Nolan. Alan Shearer's taking a chance on Owen, who is probably not 100% fit. But Newcastle need a goal to have a shot at staying up. Can Owen provide it? We'll see.

17:19: Goal, Junior Stanislas (West Ham); West Ham 2 - 1 Middlesbrough. That might be end of the road for Middlesbrough. They're down 1-2 and they need a big win to survive.

17:11: Goal, Kieran Richardson (Sunderland); Sunderland 1 - 1 Chelsea. Chelsea's lead didn't last long. The goals are flying in now, and Sunderland are back on level terms after Richardson's goal.

17:10: Goal, Gary O'Neil (Middlesbrough); West Ham 1 - 1 Middlesbrough. Some hope for Boro, but they need a couple more goals at least.

17:06: Goal, Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea); Sunderland 0 - 1 Chelsea. That's a blow for Sunderland. They are still safe for now, but a Newcastle comeback could send them down. All four teams facing relegation today are losing 0-1. For Anelka, that goal means he will be the leading scorer in the Premier League this season as Ronaldo is not playing for Man United.

16:49: It's half time, and we are right back to where we started. Hull safe in 17th; Newcastle and Middlesbrough are going down unless they can turn it around in the second half. It looks very bleak for Boro, but one goal from Newcastle might be enough. Sunderland look to be in a good position. They stay up even if Newcastle come back and earn a draw.

16:40: Goal, Damien Duff (own goal - Aston Villa); Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle. Gareth Barry's long range shot is deflected into the Newcastle goal by Damien Duff. That should go down as an own goal. And with that goal, Hull City are back out of the drop zone. Hull, Newcastle, and Middlesbrough are all losing 0-1.

16:36: Goal, Carlton Cole (West Ham); West Ham 1 - 0 Middlesbrough. It's not looking good for Boro.

16:26: Goal, Darron Gibson (Man Utd); Hull 0 - 1 Man United. What a goal, a screamer from 35 yards out for Gibson! That goal means that Newcastle would be safe on goal difference, and Hull would go down if things stay as they are now. Sunderland would be safe too.

16:16: No goals yet. The updated standings above reflect the 0-0 scores in the games so far - each team getting a point for a draw. The points will be updated as results change.

16:00: All games have kicked off.

Socceword is bringing you up to the minute updates on the relegation race in the Premier League. Live scores and the table as it stands now appear above. At the end of the day, the teams in 18th and 19th place will be relegated, joining West Brom who are already down. 16th and 17th place teams will be back for another season in the Premier League. All times listed are GMT.

Going into the final day of the Premier League season, there is not much drama at the top of the table. Manchester United will be the league champions, Liverpool and Chelsea will finish second and third, and Arsenal has the fourth spot locked up. But the battle to avoid relegation promises to be most dramatic. Only West Brom are certain to be relegated. The other two clubs in the bottom three - Newcastle and Middlesbrough - can still avoid the drop, but they need help. Sunderland and Hull City can ensure another season in the top flight with wins, but they face Chelsea and Man United respectively, so a win is not at all certain, or even likely. If they stumble, then Newcastle and even Middlesbrough could overtake them.

Current Standings
16: 36 - Sunderland
17: 35 - Hull City
18: 34 - Newcastle
19: 32 - Middlesbrough

Last Day Fixtures
Sunderland v Chelsea
Hull v Man United
Aston Villa v Newcastle
West Ham v Middlesbrough

Looking at the fixtures, the clubs that are currently safe, Sunderland in 16th and Hull in 17th, have a distinct advantage. One, they currently have more points, and two, they are at home for their final match. Hull also have the edge in that Manchester United will be resting some of their first team players in advance of the Champions League final in mid-week. So here's what it would take for each of the teams in question to avoid relegation:

Sunderland
1. Win against Chelsea.
2. Draw or lose against Chelsea AND either Hull or Newcastle loses or draws.

For Sunderland to go down, Hull and Newcastle would have to win.

Hull City
Because of their inferior goal difference, Hull has to at least match Newcastle's performance to avoid relegation. A win and they are safe regardless of what Newcastle does. If Newcastle get a draw, then Hull has to draw. If Newcastle wins, then Hull has to win too. If Newcastle loses, then Hull could still remain safe, unless they lose and Middlesbrough win by enough goals to overturn the goal difference tie breaker. Hull currently has a +4 advantage over Middlesbrough on goal difference. So if Hull loses by 2 and Middlesbrough wins by 3, then Boro would go above Hull in the standings.

Newcastle
Newcastle's best chance at survival is to better Hull's result on Sunday. If Newcastle wins and Hull draws or loses, then Newcastle will be safe. Likewise, if Newcastle gets a draw and Hull loses, then Newcastle will be safe. Newcastle will also avoid the drop if they win and Sunderland loses. A loss, and Newcastle are relegated. Bottom line, they need to get a result and hope for help.

Middlesbrough
Boro cannot catch Sunderland, so their survival hopes rest on negative results for Newcastle and Hull. Number 1, Hull and Newcastle have to lose or Middlesbrough has no hope. A draw for Hull would put them at 36 points, beyond the reach of Boro. If Newcastle draw, then they are at 35 points with a much better goal difference than Boro. So for Boro to have any chance, they must hope that both Hull and Newcastle lose. Secondly, Middlesbrough has to win and win by enough goals to beat Hull in the goal difference tie breaker. Hull are currently +4 in goal difference compared to Boro, so Boro need a net +5 advantage on the final day to go above Hull. That being a combination of a loss by Hull and a win by Middlesbrough equaling 5 goals. Boro win by 3, Hull lose by 2. Or Boro win by 1, Hull lose by 4. It's very unlikely, but not impossible.

Based on a review of the possible scenarios, the most likely result is that Sunderland will be safe, Boro will go down, and the drama will come down to Hull or Newcastle. The wild card is the team Manchester United will field against Hull. With nothing to play for, if the United reserves fail to challenge Hull, then Hull may run out winners and survive for another year. But if Hull can't cope with United and lose, then I think it's very possible that Newcastle can get at least a draw at Aston Villa.

For some reason, I think Mark Viduka may score the all important goal for Newcastle. He was on the wrong end when Leeds were relegated from the Premiership, so he knows first hand what the consequences will be. And with Hull City's shockingly bad form over the second half of the season, I'm not at all confident in them, even against United's reserves. If I had to predict the outcome, I would say Newcastle and Sunderland survive, Hull and Middlesbrough go down. Tune in tomorrow to find out. We will have live updates here on soccerword.com.

League Two Playoff Final: Gillingham 1 - 0 Shrewsbury
It looked like this final was destined for extra time, as neither team had managed to score going into the final minutes of normal time. But Gillingham won a corner kick in the 90th minute, and took advantage. Simeon Jackson headed in Joshua Wright's corner kick to win the match and earn Gillingham a spot in League One next season. Replays suggested that it should have been a goal kick instead of a corner, but Gillingham won't care. In fairness, they were probably the better side over the course of the match. Winning the playoff final means that the Gills have bounced straight back to League One after being relegated a year ago. A tough luck ending for Shrewsbury, but congratulations to Gillingham.

Sheffield United v Burnley
There are plenty of reasons to root for either of these clubs. I'll start with Sheffield United:

1. The Blades felt justifiably slighted when they were relegated from the Premier League two years ago. West Ham won the last game of the season, at Old Trafford, thanks to a winning goal from Carlos Tevez. But West Ham were fined over the transfer dealings that brought Tevez to the club. Despite ruling that West Ham had violated league rules, they did not have points deducted, which would have led to their relegation and safety for Sheffield United. The Blades protested in vain and were sent down to the Championship. A win in the playoff finals would in some way right the perceived wrong from the Carlos Tevez incident.

2. Sheffield United have won of the best songs in the league. Their fans sing the "Greasy Chip Butty" song (to the tune of John Denver's Annie's Song) at the start of each game. A legendary Sheffield anthem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greasy_Chip_Butty_Song

2. Sheffield United's keeper, Paddy Kenny, is something of a legend, especially after having his eyebrow bitten off in a fight.

3. The Blades closed the season well, overtaking Reading in the standings and nearly catching second place Birmingham.

Now for Burnley:

1. Burnley had an incredible cup run this season, knocking off Liverpool and Chelsea in back to back League Cup games. Then, down 1-4 after the first leg of the semi-final against Spurs, Burnley mounted a furious second leg comeback to force extra time before eventually losing 4-6 on aggregate.

2. If they win, it would be Burnley's first appearance in the Premier League.

3. Burnley was a founding member of the football league in 1882 and have played at Turf Moor since 1883.

4. Burnley have one of the smallest squads in the league, in terms of number of players, especially compared to Sheffield United's sprawling side.

Burnely are clearly the underdogs in this match. Sheffield United have greater depth, but in a single match, that may be less important. Key players for Sheffield: Kyle Naughton, Matthew Kilgallon, Nick Montgomery, Greg Halford. Key players for Burnley: Martin Paterson, Chris Eagles, Graham Alexander. I think it will be a close match, but I think Sheffield United will win in the end. Keep an eye on Nick Montgomery.

Millwall v Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe nearly failed to make the playoffs. Needing a draw against Tranmere in the final game of the season, Scunthorpe were down 0-1 until a late goal from Cliff Byrne made it 1-1 to ensure that the Iron finished two points ahead of Tranmere. That meant 6th place Scunthorpe (76 points) were paired with 3rd place MK Dons (87 points) in the semi-finals. The first leg ended 1-1 with Martyn Woolford scoring Scunthorpe's goal. After a scoreless second leg, the game was decided on penalty kicks, with Scunthorpe winning 7-6.

Millwall faced Leeds in the other semi-final, with Leeds being the heavy favorites. In the past, both of these clubs were known for the tough, borderline violent character of their supporters and players, but that was a different time. Despite finishing just two points ahead of Millwall in the table, Leeds had a much better goal difference (28 to 10). But Millwall won the first leg 1-0, with Neil Harris scoring the only goal. In the second leg, Leeds' Luciano Becchio evened the score on aggregate with a goal in the 53rd minute. But Djimi Abdou put Millwall back in front for good with a quarter of an hour to go. Jermaine Beckford missed a crucial penalty for Leeds, who fell 1-2 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe's top scorer, Gary Hooper with 30 goals, is set to return in the playoff final after missing the semis. Millwall relies on veteran strikers Neil Harris (11 goals) and Gary Alexander (13 goals). The Lions also feature American defender Zak Whitbread. Scunthorpe won both matches against Millwall during the regular season, but I'm going with Millwall in the final.

Gillingham v Shrewsbury
It's the Gills vs the Shrews in the League Two playoff final. The winner will join the three clubs that achieved automatic promotion - Brentford, Exeter, and Wycombe - in League One next season. Shrewsbury finished the season in 7th place with 69 points, and just qualified for the playoffs, a point ahead of Dagenham and Redbridge. Gillingham finished in 5th place with 73 points.

Does that make Gillingham the favorites? Not necessarily. Shrewsbury had the better goal difference (17 to 3) and feature the league's top goal scorer, Grant Holt who scored 20. Gillingham's top striker, Simeon Jackson, wasn't far behind with 19 goals, and he scored the crucial 2 goals in the semi-final victory over Rochdale.

Shrewsbury needed a late goal from Kevin McIntyre to send the second leg of their semi-final against Bury into extra time. The match eventually went to penalties, and the hero was on-loan keeper Luke Daniels. In normal time, Daniels saved a penalty from Phil Jevons, and then he saved two more during the penalty shoot-out to give Shrews a 4-3 win on penalties. It was cruel fate for Bury however, as they missed out on automatic promotion by the narrowest of margins. Bury and Wycombe finished with 78 points, but Wycombe's goal difference of 21 was one better than Bury's 20. That meant Bury had to go the playoff route, where they lost out to Shrews. Jevon's missed penalty, the late goal from McIntyre, and a penalty shoot-out loss knocked Bury out of the playoffs and sent Shrews to the final. That makes you wonder whether the Shrews are destined for promotion.

If you look at these two clubs' meetings earlier in the season, you would have to favor Shrewsbury. They drew 2-2 at Gillingham in March, but the first meeting was a 7-0 victory for Shrewsbury back in September. That was a long time ago, and I'm certainly not expecting another thrashing like that, but I'm picking Shrews to win in the final.

Soccerword's Premier League Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United

Manager of the Year: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United

Premiership Player of the Year
2008-09: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
2007-08: Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United
2006-07: Didier Drogba, Chelsea
2005-06: Frank Lampard, Chelsea
2004-05: John Terry, Chelsea

Premiership Manager of the Year
2008-09: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
2007-08: Roy Hodgson, Fulham
2006-07: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
2005-06: Alan Pardew, West Ham
2004-05: Jose Mourinho, Chelsea

Soccerword's Championship Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolverhampton

Manager of the Year: Owen Coyle, Burnley

Championship Player of the Year
2008-09: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolverhampton
2007-08: Liam Lawrence, Stoke City
2006-07: Dean Whitehead, Sunderland
2005-06: Phil Jagielka, Sheffield United
2004-05: Jason Roberts, Wigan

Championship Manager of the Year
2008-09: Owen Coyle, Burnley
2007-08: Tony Mowbray, West Brom
2006-07: Roy Keane, Sunderland
2005-06: Steve Coppell, Reading
2004-05: George Burley, Derby County

Soccerword's League One Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Matty Fryatt, Leicester City
Manager of the Year: Darren Ferguson, Peterborough

League One Player of the Year
2008-09: Matty Fryatt, Leicester City
2007-08: Jermaine Beckford, Leeds
2006-07: Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Freddy Eastwood, Southend
2004-05: Stuart Elliott, Hull City

League One Manager of the Year
2008-09: Darren Ferguson, Peterborough
2007-08: Roberto Martinez, Swansea
2006-07: Nigel Adkins, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Steve Tilson, Southend
2004-05: Martin Allen, Brentford

Soccerword's League Two Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Grant Holt, Shrewsbury
Manager of the Year: Andy Scott, Brentford

League Two Player of the Year
2008-09: Grant Holt, Shrewsbury
2007-08: Aaron McLean, Peterborough
2006-07: Izale McLeod, MK Dons
2005-06: Karl Hawley, Carlisle
2004-05: Lee Trundle, Swansea

League Two Manager of the Year
2008-09: Andy Scott, Brentford
2007-08: Paul Ince, MK Dons
2006-07: Richard Money, Walsall
2005-06: Paul Simpson, Carlisle
2004-05: Gary Johnson, Yeovil

By now, I'm sure you're well aware of what happened during the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. After drawing 0-0 in the first leg at Barcelona, Chelsea led 1-0 in the second leg until Iniesta scored in stoppage time to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw, which meant Barca advanced to the final on the away goals tie breaker. For Americans and others unfamiliar with the away goals rule, it is one of those quirks of European football, designed as an apparently preferable alternative to penalty kicks as a tie breaker. I'm not sure I agree that it's a better solution, but that is the rule. If both clubs are tied on aggregate after the second leg, then the team that scored more goals in their away leg advances. Thus Barcelona's goal at Chelsea gave them a 1-0 advantage in terms of away goals. Why this is better than Chelsea's 1-0 advantage in terms of home goals I don't know.

But the away goal rule was not the center of controversy in the game at Stamford Bridge. It is totally accepted as a legitimate tie breaking rule in Europe. What caused the controversy was the fact that the referee in the match, Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo, failed to give Chelsea a penalty kick on four separate occasions. Any one of the penalty claims would have given Chelsea the opportunity to go up 2-0 and virtually ensure their place in the final.

So here's my verdict on the penalty claims. Two were 100% no doubt penalties.

1. Florent Malouda was hauled down inside the Barcelona penalty area. Referee Ovrebo spotted the foul, but inexplicably awarded Chelsea a free kick just outside the area rather than a penalty kick. Verdict: horrible call, definitely a penalty.

2. In the second half, Nicolas Anelka kicked the ball into the penalty area where it hit Pique's raised arm. Overbo waved play on. Verdict: Another clear penalty. It was a handball in plain view that the referee could not have missed.

There other two claims were less obvious, but nonetheless, they are given at least 50% of the time.

3. Didier Drogba went to ground after contact from Abidal. This one could go either way. There was contact, Drogba went down, so it could have been called a penalty. However, the contact was minimal and Drogba has a reputation for going down rather easily. Drogba's reputation probably caught up to him this time. Verdict: I'll give Tom Henning Ovrebo the benefit of the doubt on this one.

4. After Barcelona tied the match, Chelsea played a corner kick into the box. It was played out to Ballack, who fired a shot on goal. It hit a Samuel Eto'o near the shoulder. Ballack screamed for a penalty, chasing the referee as he waved play on. Again, this was a close call. The ball appeared to hit the shoulder or chest as much as it hit the arm. In any event, the player's arm was held against his body, not extended up like Pique's handball. Verdict: Overbo could have given a penalty as a "make-up call" for missing the other three. But it was not a 100% penalty claim, more of a 50-50.

As it turned out, Chelsea should have been awarded at least 2 penalties, but Tom Henning Ovrebo blew it big time and Chelsea miss out on the final as a result. The Chelsea players, particularly Drogba and Ballack, understandably felt robbed and voiced their anger at Ovrebo after the final whistle. Their expression of anger was well over the top and will certainly draw punishment from UEFA. But UEFA should also review the performance of Ovrebo. In addition to the two (or four) missed penalties, he also incorrectly sent off Abidal of Barcelona, proving that he was an equal opportunity blunderer.

I'm not buying the conspiracy theories that UEFA didn't want two English clubs in the final and instructed Ovrebo to make sure Barca won at all costs. I think incompetence is more likely than conspiracy. To be fair to Ovrebo, he had previously worked over 20 Champions League matches, but he did come under criticism for his handling of the Italy-Romania match at Euro 2008 for a late penalty he awarded to Romania. Ovrebo admitted the mistake after the match and was not selected for any other games at Euro '08.

One final point about the Chelsea game. Yes, the Blues were denied at least two solid penalty claims, but they also have themselves to blame for not extending their lead. Up 1-0 in the second half, Chelsea had several goal scoring chances that would have wrapped up the win, but they failed to convert. The best chance was when Didier Drogba was played into the box with one defender to beat. He pulled the ball back past the defender but fired his shot right at keeper Victor Valdes. Chelsea could have made the penalty controversy moot, but they failed to kill the game off with a second goal. As a result, Ovrebo's incorrect penalty decisions loomed large. Condolences to Chelsea, but a word of advice. Screaming at the referee after the match rarely gets you anything except maybe a fine or suspension.

Championship
It was an exciting finish to the Championship season. Wolves had already clinched the league championship, but the second automatic promotion spot, the fourth playoff spot, and the third relegation spot were up for grabs. Birmingham clinched automatic promotion and second place with their 2-1 win over reading. Keith Fahey and Kevin Phillips scored the goals for Birmingham. Reading will have to settle for a place in the playoffs. Sheffield United, Burnley, and Preston are the other playoff teams. Preston just edged out Cardiff for the final playoff spot by the narrowest of margins. Cardiff lost 0-1 at Sheffield Wednesday to open the door for Preston. And Preston took advantage with a 2-1 win against QPR, with Jon Parkin and Sean St. Ledger scoring the goals. The results left both clubs with 74 points and identical goal differences of +12. But Preston win the tie breaker because they scored one more goal than Cardiff, 66 to 65. As it turns out, Preston's 6-0 win over Cardiff two weeks ago made all the difference.

At the bottom end of the table, it's a sad day for three former Premier League Clubs. Norwich lost 2-4 to Charlton today, a result which keeps the Canaries in the bottom three. Charlton's relegation had already been confirmed, and the same was true for Southampton. All three clubs have played in the Premier League in recent seasons, but now they are heading to League One. Hopefully, they will follow Leicester's lead and bounce right back up.

Automatic Promotion
90 - Wolverhampton
83 - Birmingham

Playoffs
80 - Sheffield United
77 - Reading
76 - Burnley
74 - Preston

Relegation
46 - Norwich
45 - Southampton
39 - Charlton

League One
Leicester City have won League One and bounce back to the Championship a season after being relegated. Peterborough continue their climb up the divisions and will join Leicester in the Championship along with the playoff winner. Scunthorpe needed a late goal from captain Cliff Byrne to earn a 1-1 draw against Tranmere to claim the final playoff spot. At the bottom end of the table, Carlisle avoided relegation thanks to a 2-0 win over Millwall on the final day of the season. Graham Kavanagh and Paul Thirwell scored the vital goals to ensure safety for Carlisle. As a result, Northampton were relegated. Crewe, Cheltenham, and Hereford are also going down to League One.

Automatic Promotion
96 - Leicester City
89 - Peterborough

Playoffs
87 - MK Dons
84 - Millwall
82 - Leeds
76 - Scunthorpe

Relegation
49 - Northampton
46 - Crewe
39 - Cheltenham
34 - Hereford

League Two
Brentford have won League Two, and will be joined in League One next year by Exeter, Wycombe, and the playoff winner. Luton Town finish bottom of the league, primarily due to the hard 30 point penalty they received before the season began. Without the point deduction, Luton would have finished comfortably in 15th. Winning the Johnstone Paint trophy provides some consolation to the Hatters.

Automatic Promotion
85 - Brentford
79 - Exeter
78 - Wycombe

Playoffs
78 - Bury
75 - Gillingham
70 - Rochdale
69 - Shrewsbury

Relegation
37 - Chester
26 - Luton (-30 point deduction)

Thanks to embarrassing lobbying from manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the triumph of sentimentality over objective analysis, Ryan Giggs has been named the PFA Player of the Year. No doubt, Giggs is one of the best players ever in the Premier League and his career performance is worthy of praise. But there is no way he has been the best player over the past year. In fact, he hasn't even been a regular starter for Manchester United. He's played in 24 of United's 32 league games, scoring only a single goal. When you compare the performances of Ryan Giggs and Chelsea's Frank Lampard, there is no possible way to conclude that Giggs has been the better player this year. Consider the following stats:

Goals
12 - Lampard
1 - Giggs

Assists
9 - Lampard
7 - Giggs

Shots on Target
54 - Lampard
8 - Giggs

Corners Won
40 - Lampard
12 - Giggs

Fouls Won
36 - Lampard
13 - Giggs

Tackles Won
40 - Lampard
22 - Giggs

Passes Intercepted
30 - Lampard
22 - Giggs

Shots Blocked
9 - Lampard
0 - Giggs

In every statistical category, Lampard leads Giggs, and by a considerable margin in most categories. Furthermore, Lampard has played in virtually all of Chelsea's games and has been their most important player. You could argue that Giggs isn't even the most valuable player on his own team. Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, and Wayne Rooney have all contributed more to United's success than Giggs.

Another indicator of a player's overall performance from a statistical point of view is the Actim Index Score. This stat provides the most complete statistical rating of a player. Frank Lampard leads all Premier League footballers with a score of 622. That's # 1 in the league. Ryan Giggs isn't even in the top 100. Giggs currently has fewer points than the 279 recorded by Jason Roberts, who is # 100 on the list. All of the other Manchester United players nominated for the award came in higher than Giggs.

Actim Index Score
622 - Lampard
452 - Gerrard
447 - Ronaldo
423 - Vidic
399 - van der Sar
330 - Rio Ferdinand

If you don't trust the Actim Index, then how about the point system my fantasy football league uses. Let's look at the points for each of the players:

467.00 - Lampard
144.50 - Giggs

What is truly unbelievable is that Frank Lampard not only did not win the PFA Player of the Year award, he didn't even make the Premier League team of the year:

Edwin Van der Sar (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

Look how many United players made the list. Yet they are only six points ahead of Chelsea in the league. And with so many players making the list, no one player has had to carry the load for them. For Chelsea however, Didier Drogba was nearly non-existent during the first half of the season when Scolari was manager; Joe Cole is out injured for the season, and Michael Essien is just now back from injury, meaning Chelsea has had to depend even more on Lampard throughout the year. And he has delivered big time, scoring crucial goals with regularity and contributing pin point passes, even long-range efforts, to set up his teammates.

For me, there is no doubt that Frank Lampard has been the player of the year. You could make an argument for Ronaldo or Gerrard or Vidic or Ferdinand, but there is absolutely no rational argument to be made in favor of Ryan Giggs. Yes, it's great that he's having a solid season late in his career, and yes he has played at a high level for more years than most. But the PFA award is not a lifetime achievement award. It's the award for the best player of the year. For me, that's Frank Lampard. Ryan Giggs should not even be in the conversation.

Giggs winning the award is like Paul Newman winning an Academy Award for Color of Money or Jack Palace winning for City Slickers. It's a sympathy vote. Yes, Giggs probably should have won the award at some time in his career, just like Palace and Newman probably should have won an Oscar at some time. But not this year. His performance simply does not rate as the best player of the year. It's not justice.

The following players have had years similar to if not better than Giggs, and no one would even consider giving them the award this year:

Danny Murphy, Fulham
Dirk Kuyt, Liverpool
Jolean Lescott, Everton
Phil Jagielka, Everton
Kevin Davies, Bolton
John Pantsil, Fulham
Marouane Fellaini, Everton
Gabriel Agbonlahor, Aston Villa
Stephen Ireland, Man City
Tim Cahill, Everton
Matthew Taylor, Bolton
Glen Johnson, Portsmouth
Rory Delap, Stoke
Salomon Kalou, Chelsea
Emile Heskey, Wigan/Aston Villa
Ashley Young, Aston Villa
Chris Brunt, West Brom
Aaron Lennon, Spurs
Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea

And that's just to name a few. The PFA should be ashamed that they gave the award to Giggs. You could even argue that Titus Bramble has had a better season than Ryan Giggs. That says it all.

Let's look at that comparison a bit more:

Goals
1 - Bramble
1 - Giggs

Assists
7 - Giggs
1 - Bramble

Shots on Target
8 - Giggs
4 - Bramble

Corners Won
12 - Giggs
7 - Bramble

Fouls Won
18 - Bramble
13 - Giggs

Tackles Won
47 - Bramble
22 - Giggs

Passes Intercepted
59 - Bramble
22 - Giggs

Shots Blocked
25 - Bramble
0 - Giggs

Actim Score (rank)
300 - Bramble (85)
???? - Giggs (outside top 100)

Fantasy Points
165.0 - Bramble
144.5 - Giggs

So there you have it. Titus Bramble is more deserving of the PFA Player of the Year than Ryan Giggs. Anyone besides Sir Alex still willing to argue for Giggs?

Here is the list of the top goal scorers in the English Premier League from the 2004-05 season to the present:

G - Player
77 - Cristiano Ronaldo
62 - Frank Lampard
62 - Wayne Rooney
62 - Thierry Henry
61 - Robbie Keane
57 - Aiyegbeni Yakubu
54 - Didier Drogba
53 - Jermain Defoe
48 - Steven Gerrard
47 - Darren Bent
46 - Emmanuel Adebayor
44 - Nicolas Anelka
44 - Peter Crouch
38 - Kevin Davies
37 - Tim Cahill
37 - Robin van Persie

Statistics through 15 April 2009.

The shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award was announced today, and somehow Frank Lampard was left off the list. Those in the running for the award are: Steven Gerrard of Liverpool, and Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Edwin van der Sar, all of Manchester United. All of these players have had good seasons, but surely Lampard's season has been just as good, if not better.

It's hard to compare Lampard to defenders Vidic and Ferdinand or goalkeeper van der Sar, but let's see how Lampard compares to the other nominees. Lampard has 12 Premier League goals, comparable to Gerrard's 13 and Ronaldo's 15, and well ahead of Giggs' single goal. Lampard is also second in the Premier League with 9 assists, more than any of the other nominees (Gerrard-7, Giggs-7, Ronaldo-5).

Furthermore, Lampard has the highest Actim Index Score (a statistic used to measure a player's all around performance) of any player in the Premier League. Here is a list of the Actim Index scores of the nominees:

622 - Lampard
452 - Gerrard
447 - Ronaldo
423 - Vidic
399 - van der Sar
330 - Rio Ferdinand

Actually, I can't report Giggs' score because he isn't even in the top 100. Ryan Shawcross, Ryan Nelson, and Titus Bramble are ahead of Giggs. I'm sure Ryan Giggs is a sentimental choice because he has been at Manchester United so long, but come on, there is no way that he has been a better player than Frank Lampard this year.

If you don't trust the Actim Index, then how about the point system my fantasy football league uses. Let's look at the points for each of the players:

448.50 - Lampard
388.00 - Ronaldo
322.50 - Gerrard
246.50 - van der Sar
244.00 - Vidic
157.00 - Ferdinand
132.00 - Giggs

From a statistical standpoint, then, Frank Lampard should not only be among the six nominees, he should be the front-runner for the award. Lampard has scored key goals for Chelsea, as evidenced by his two second-half goals in the Champions League against Liverpool. And unlike Ronaldo, Lampard accumulates more of his points from defending rather than drawing fouls. Here's a breakdown of various statistics for the midfielders in contention plus Lampard:

Goals
15 - Ronaldo
13 - Gerrard
12 - Lampard

Assists
9 - Lampard
7 - Gerrard
7 - Giggs
5 - Ronaldo

Shots on Target
54 - Lampard
48 - Ronaldo
33 - Gerrard
8 - Giggs

Corners Won
57 - Ronaldo
40 - Lampard
33 - Gerrard
12 - Giggs

Fouls Won
69 - Ronaldo (i.e., diving)
36 - Lampard
25 - Gerrard
13 - Giggs

Tackles Won
40 - Lampard
34 - Gerrard
22 - Giggs
11 - Ronaldo

Passes Intercepted
30 - Lampard
26 - Gerrard
22 - Giggs
15 - Ronaldo

Shots Blocked
9 - Lampard
1 - Gerrard
1 - Ronaldo
0 - Giggs

Based on the stats, it's hard to argue that Lampard does not deserve to be included at least in the consideration for the PFA Player of the Year Award. I understand that the team that the award usually goes to the team that wins the title, but Manchester United aren't that far ahead of Liverpool or Chelsea. At least Liverpool got one player on the short list. But Ryan Giggs on the list over Frank Lampard is just a joke.

A couple weeks ago I heard Sir Alex Ferguson saying Giggs should be the player of the year. so I guess if Sir Alex says it, it has to be so, even if none of the facts would support it. But don't worry, Soccerword hands out a player of the year award every season, and I don't limit the nominees to a short list while the season is still going on. After the last game is played, soccerword will reveal our player of the year, based on an objective analysis of all the data at hand.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal are into the Champions League Semi-Finals

Three English clubs - Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal - made it into the semi-finals of the Champions League this week. Manchester United looked vulnerable after drawing the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Porto at Old Trafford. But they squeaked by with a 1-0 win at Porto in the second leg today, thanks largely to a superb, long-range strike from Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal were also tied 1-1 after their first leg match with Villareal, but they cruised to a 3-0 win today in the second leg. Congratulations to the Gunners and the Red Devils.

But the match of the week, indeed the match of the year, was Tuesday's game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were the favorites to advance, having convincingly beaten Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield in the first leg. The Blues chances looked even better when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was ruled out due to injury. But Liverpool stormed back in the second leg, thanks in part to a jittery performance from Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. In the 19th minute, Petr Cech assumed Fabio Aurelio's free kick from distance would be a cross to the far post. Cech took a step to his right before realizing that Auerlio was shooting at the near post. It was too late, as a diving Cech could not scramble back across goal, and the ball smashed into the back of the net.

Within ten minutes, Liverpool had a penalty kick after Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea's hero from the first leg, pulled down Xabi Alonso in the box. Alonso converted the spot kick, and suddenly Liverpool were level 3-3 on aggregate. But they needed one more goal to advance as Chelsea had the away goals advantage, 3-2 at that time.

Before half time, Chelsea manager Gus Hiddink replaced Salomon Kalou with Nicolas Anelka in an effort to reverse the momentum. After a half time team talk that Hiddink described as "angry," Chelsea responded in the second half. Anelka played the ball into the box with a low cross near the touch line. It should have been easy enough for Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina to handle, but a diving Didier Drogba got a slight touch on the ball, which deflected off Reina and over the line. Five minutes later, Chelsea were given a free kick about ten yards outside the penalty area, and Alex scored with a swerving pile-driver of a kick. And just like that, the Stamford Bridge crowd seemed much more at ease.

In the 76th minute, Didier Drogba played the ball to Frank Lampard, who scored from close range, the ball deflecting off Reina and into the net. Now leading 3-2 in the second leg and 6-3 on aggregate, Chelsea were surely through to the semi-finals, weren't they? So it seemed until a deflected shot from Lucas went into the Chelsea goal in the 82nd minute, followed by a headed goal from Dirk Kuyt a minute later. Suddenly, Liverpool led 4-3 and trailed only 5-6 on aggregate. Another late goal would send the Reds through.

The Stamford Bridge crowd became nervous once again, especially after Petr Cech looked less and less confident. With Liverpool pressing forward, Chelsea were able to counter-attack, and Lampard once again proved the hero. He took a passjust inside the box and curled a shot off the left post, across the goal, and then off the right post and over the line to seal a spot in the semis. There was still time for Cech to make another error as he was caught out of goal. But Michael Essien was on the line to head away a last minute shot from David N'Gog.

Final score: 4-4 (Chelsea advanced 7-5 on aggregate). It wasn't the best played game from a technical standpoint, but defensive errors led to a dramatic game filled with goals. Much different than what we have come to expect from Chelsea and Liverpool in the Champions League. Chelsea's reward - facing Barcelona in the semi-finals. And they will be without left back Ashely Cole who picked up a yellow card against Liverpool. Who will Chelsea select to defend against Lionel Messi? In previous years, they had England's second best left back, Wayne Bridge, to fill in, but Bridge is now at Manchester City. That means that former Barcelona player Juliano Belletti will probably get the call. Ironic, as Belletti scored the goal that won the Champions League final for Barcelona against Arsenal.

Note: on a more serious note, today marks the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster that claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. Our thoughts are with their families and friends today. You'll never walk alone!

The BBC has full coverage of the memorial service held today at Anfield:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7999279.stm

Lower GBS% is Better

It won't come as a big surprise that the teams near the top of the Premier League table score more goals than the clubs in the bottom half, but a closer look at the statistics may reveal why. The clubs that are at or near the top of the league rely less on strikers for their goals than the clubs near the bottom. The table below shows the number of league goals each team has scored, followed by the number of Goals Scored by Strikers (GBS), and then the Percentage of the club's Goals Scored by Strikers (GBS%).

Team - G - GBS (GBS%)
1. Man United 49 - 20 (41%)
2. Liverpool 54 - 23 (43%)
3. Chelsea 49 - 21 (43%)
4. Arsenal 48 - 24 (50%)
5. Aston Villa 43 - 19 (44%)
6. Everton 40 - 12 (30%)
7. Wigan 30 - 16 (53%)
8. West Ham 35 - 20 (57%)
9. Fulham 30 - 17 (57%)
10. Man City 46 - 20 (43%)
11. Spurs 36 - 18 (50%)
12. Bolton 32 - 16 (50%)
13. Hull 35 - 20 (57%)
14. Sunderland 29 - 19 (66%)
15. Pompey 32 - 21 (66%)
16. Stoke 29 - 15 (52%)
17. Blackburn 33 - 20 (61%)
18. Newcastle 36 - 23 (64%)
19. Middlesboro 21 - 16 (76%)
20. West Brom 26 - 11 (42%)

The relationship between league rank and % of goals scored by strikers (GBS%) is stark. None of the top six clubs rely on strikers for more than 50% of their goals. They are getting significant goal scoring contribution from their midfielders and even defenders. By contrast, at least 50% of the goals scored by clubs in the bottom half were scored by strikers. And with the exception of West Brom, the percentage gets higher as you go further down the table. West Brom is an exception for two reasons. One, they just haven't scored that many goals, and two, they more than any other club, lack a proven goal-scorer up front. Everton is also a bit of an aberration because of the number of games missed by injured strikers. Thus their GBS% (30%) is unusually low.

What this suggests is that having more attacking options, beyond the one or two strikers up front, is key to success. The correlation between the percentage of goals scored by non-strikers and league table position is 0.62, a very strong positive relationship, nearly as strong as the correlation between total goals scored and league position (0.81).

And it gets more interesting when you look at the leading goal scorer by a non-striker for each club. The table below shows the number of goals scored by the leading midfielder/defender for each club.

1. Man United - Ronaldo 13
2. Liverpool - Gerrard 13
3. Chelsea - Lampard 10
4. Arsenal - Nasri 6
5. Aston Villa - Young 5
6. Everton - Cahill 7
7. Wigan - Valencia 3
8. West Ham - Collison/Noble 3
9. Fulham - Murphy 4
10. Man City - Ireland 7
11. Spurs - Lennon 5
12. Bolton - Taylor 8
13. Hull - Turner 4
14. Sunderland - Richardson 3
15. Pompey - Johnson 3
16. Stoke - Shawcross 3
17. Blackburn - Warnock 3
18. Newcastle - Taylor/Duff 3
19. Middlesboro - O'Neil 2
20. West Brom - Brunt 4

Again, the relationship is clear. Clubs near the top have a midfielder or defender who pitches in with goals; clubs near the bottom do not. Only three clubs have a midfielder who has scored in the double digits in league play, and it's the top three: Ronaldo with 13 for Man United, Gerrard with 13 for Liverpool, and Lampard with 10 for Chelsea.

The average number of goals scored by the top non-striker for the top six clubs is 9. For the bottom 14, the average is 3.9 and for the bottom seven it's 3.0. In fact, the correlation between number of goals from leading non-striker goal scorer and league position is 0.73, again a strong positive relationship.

It's obvious that scoring more goals should lead to greater league success, but these statistics show that the way to score more goals is to have a well rounded attack with legitimate goal-scoring options from the midfield. An over-reliance on goals from strikers may allow the opposing team to clamp down on the strikers and thus remove the main or only goal-scoring option.

It should be noted that strong correlations do not prove causation. The role of the striker is certainly important. The striker goal percentages of the best clubs are in the 40% range compared to the 60-70% range for the bottom clubs, so it's not like the top clubs don't get goals from strikers. Also, there aren't that many Lampards, Gerrards, or Ronaldos out there. But if your club has a chance to get a goal-scoring midfielder, snap him up ASAP. The importance of such a player is illustrated by the absence of the injured Cesc Fabregas for Arsenal this season. If he had been healthy, Arsenal's GBS% would surely be lower than 50%.

The bottom line: Lower GBS% = Higher League Position.

Note: statistics are based on Premier League games during the 2008-09 season as of 1 April 2009.

What a couple of weeks for Liverpool! On March 10, the Reds thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League to advance to the quarter-finals. Liverpool followed up that triumph with a stunning 4-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and suddenly the Premier League title race was on. This past weekend, Man United continued their meltdown with a 0-2 loss at Fulham in which Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were sent off. Cristiano Ronaldo was lucky not to join them as the petulant winger was warned several times for dissent. Liverpool took advantage of United's sudden frailty by overwhelming Aston Villa 5-0 on Sunday, thanks in part to Steven Gerrard's first Premier League hat-trick. What was a ten point lead for United is now a single point edge over Liverpool for first place in the Premier League.

On top of the success on the pitch, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez signed a five year contract extension. And Chelsea's 0-1 loss at Spurs means that the Blues are still four points behind United, three behind Liverpool. You couldn't envision a better two weeks for the Reds. Manchester United still have a game in hand and remain a point ahead in the title race. But what was not too recently ago thought of as an inevitable title for United is shaping up to be a thrilling finish to the Premiership season.

Chelsea aren't out of it, but they are clearly third favorites behind United and the resurgent Liverpool. If United win, it will be their third consecutive title. While Liverpool are looking for their first ever Premier League championship. As a Chelsea fan, neither prospect is that inviting, but at least the Liverpool players have carried themselves with a certain level of class, at least relative to the behavior of Manchester United. United's players tend to throw tantrums when things don't go their way. Ronaldo's theatrical diving and Rooney's angry hurl of the ball towards the referee are the prime examples. The United players give the impression that they are entitled to victory, even when they don't deserve it. So if Chelsea aren't going to win, I'm officially stating a preference for Liverpool over Man United. At the very least, having a new club win the Premiership is good for the league as a whole. It gets boring seeing the same team win year after year. Unless, of course, that team is Chelsea.

League One News
The top two clubs earn automatic promotion from League One, and Leicester City will almost certainly be one of them, especially after their 1-0 win against Millwall today. Steve Howard scored the only goal of the match as Leicester are on pace to bounce straight back up to the Championship after suffering relegation last season. MK Dons have a great chance to overtake Petersborough for the second automatic spot because they have played three fewer games to date. Every club from Millwall in fourth to Colchester in 11th still have a shot a making the playoffs.

League One - Top of the Table
1 Leicester 81
2 Peterborough 72
3 MK Dons 67
4 Millwall 64
5 Leeds United 62
6 Tranmere 59
7 Scunthorpe 58
8 Oldham 58
9 Stockport 56
10 Southend 55
11 Colchester 53

Four clubs are relegated from League One, and Cheltenham will almost certainly be one of them. It doesn't look good for Hereford either.

League One - Bottom of the Table
19 Northampton 38
20 Yeovil 38
21 Swindon 35
22 Brighton 35
23 Hereford 30
24 Cheltenham 25

League Two News
With fewer than 10 matches to go, it looks like Brentford will earn promotion to League One, especially after their 3-3 draw against Wycombe today. Sam Williams scored a late goal for the Bees to keep them 7 points ahead of second place Wycombe. There are three automatic promotion places in League Two, so Wycombe will battle it out with Rochdale, Bury, Exeter, and Gillingham for the final two automatic promotion spots. Four other clubs (see below) are still in contention for the playoffs, but it's looking less likely for Dagenham and Redbridge and Morecambe.

League Two - Top of the Table
1 Brentford 70
2 Wycombe 63
3 Rochdale 61
4 Bury 61
5 Exeter 61
6 Gillingham 61
7 Shrewsbury 58
8 Bradford 58
9 Dag & Red 53
10 Morecambe 51

At the other end of the table, Luton Town are almost certainly relegated, especially after their loss to Aldershot today. It is a cruel fate for the club who were hit with an extremely harsh -30 point penalty to start the season. Either Chester or Grimsby Town will most likely join Luton in relegation.

League Two: bottom of the table
22 Chester 28
23 Grimsby 27
24 Luton 13

Scolari is out at Chelsea, and Hiddink is in, at least for the remainder of the season. Roman Abramovich used his influence with Russian Football to persuade them to let Hiddink serve as coach of both Chelsea and Russia on a temporary basis. Hiddink insists that at season's end, he's back to Russia full time to lead their World Cup qualifying campaign. So where does that leave the once mighty Blues?

It seems a long time since the glory of the Jose Mourinho era at Stamford Bridge. At the end of the 2006-07 season, Chelsea were basking in the glow of six titles in three years under the special one's managerial reign. Two Premier League Titles, two League Cups, an FA Cup, and the Community Shield. Not sure the Community Shield counts as a major title, but Jose certainly counted it.

Now, less than two years later, the club is on their third post-Mourinho manager. Avram Grant took over last season after Jose's sudden departure (still not sure if he quit or was forced out), and guided the club to three runners-up finishes: second in the league, and losers in the League Cup and Champions League finals. In fact, Grant was a John Terry slip away from being hailed as a European Champion. But Captain Terry spot kick sailed wide and United went on the lift the cup.

Second place was not good enough for Abramovich, so Grant's understated style was replaced with the larger than life character that is Luiz Filipe Scolari. Or perhaps I should say "was" Luiz Filipe Scolari. After scintillating performances to start the season, Chelsea looked like they had finally added entertaining, stylish football to their repertoire. The results and the flash were on display. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the title. Every time Liverpool slipped up and were held to a draw or a win, Chelsea responded in kind, unable to pick up vital wins to catch the Reds at the top of the table. And then Man United went on a sensational surge, including a record run of clean sheets (that's shutouts to those of us in America).

Suddenly, Chelsea found themselves in fourth place, behind the enigmatic Liverpool, the suddenly invincible United, and the upstart Aston Villa. If second place wasn't good enough for Grant, fourth place with Scolari could not be tolerated. So the former World Cup winning coach was shown the door. John Terry defended Scolari, claiming that one or two other players were also behind him. Only one or two? Not the most glowing endorsement. Likewise, Scolari claimed that Chelsea did not have any player who could single-handedly make a difference in a game. Not exactly an amicable split. I'm sure Lampard or Cole or Drogba might disagree.

So where did it all go wrong with Chelsea? Admittedly, most clubs would not consider fourth in the Premier League as "going wrong," but such is the cruel reality of high expectations. Some have claimed the club is aging, with Lampard, Drogba, Carvalho, and others the wrong side of 30. But perhaps a bigger problem is the lack of stability in the manager's role.

If you look at the history of the Premier League, Manchester United and Arsenal are clearly the most successful. And it's no coincidence that Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger are the two longest serving managers in the league. Both managers had spells of two or three years without winning the league, but both kept their jobs and bounced back with titles. Besides those two clubs and Chelsea, the next most successful club over the past five years has been Liverpool. No Premier League title, but impressive cup wins, and a title challenge this season - all under the management of Rafa Benitez. He's had his critics to be sure, but he has been given time to build the squad and demonstrate what he can do over multiple seasons. Grant and Scolari were not afforded that time.

Already this season, eight Premier League managers are no longer with the clubs they started the season with: Scolari, Ramos, Keane, Adams, Ince, Curbishley, Keegan, and Redknapp. More often than not, a managerial carousel results in a downward spiral rather than immediate success. But the financial penalty for relegation had made owners increasingly impatient for instant gratification.

Which brings me to my second explanation for Chelsea's current predicament. I call it the Real Madrid syndrome: buying star players for inflated salaries at the expense of squad unity and role players. After Chelsea won their second straight Premier League title, the Blues looked like an unbeatable squad. The only problem, no Champions League title. Rather than letting the same, impressive group of players give it another go the following year, with another year of experience playing together, Abramovich paid the big bucks to sign Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack. Eidur Gudjohnsen and Damien Duff left the club, with Arjen Robben to follow a year later.

Shevchenko was a major bust, and eventually left the club. Ballack has had his moments, but they have been few and far between. This season, he had been arguably Chelsea's worst player, giving the ball away cheaply and basically getting in the way of his teammates.

In the end, I'm afraid I'm not unhappy to see Scolari leave Chelsea. I found many of his decisions baffling, particularly continuing to play Ballack and Malouda. I know Cole and Essien are injured, but how many sub-par performances does it take to convince Scolari? In a supreme irony, it was reported that Ballack claimed Scolari was Chelsea's "weakest link." If that is true, I maintain that the reason Scolari was the weakest link was because he continued to name Ballack in the starting eleven. I think that might make Ballack the weakest link, especially now that Scolari is gone.

Good luck to Guus Hiddink, but if he really is the manager for just a few months, then the managerial merry-go-round will continue at Stamford Bridge. Hiddink insists Chelsea have not given up on the Premier League title. But United are 7 points ahead with a game in hand. Chelsea may be better off focusing on the Champions League (game coming up against former Blues boss Ranieri) and the FA Cup (game coming up against former Blues reserve team coach), with an eye on holding off Arsenal (or Aston Villa) for fourth place.

It's just slightly past the half way mark of the Premier League season, and with the transfer window opening in January 2009, this is the perfect time to grade each team's first half performance.

1. Liverpool (13-6-1): A
The Reds are looking like legitimate title contenders. They haven't been able to pull away from Chelsea or Man United just yet, but a 3 point lead at the top of the table gives Liverpool the front runner status, at least for now.

2. Chelsea (12-6-3): B-
New manager Scolari has the Blues scoring more goals and they easily lead the league in goal difference. But Chelsea has squandered several chances to catch Liverpool, and their home form has been poor: only 4 wins in 10 games and two losses at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea never lost a league match at home under Mourinho.

3. Man United (11-5-2): B+
As reigning Champions League winners, Man United has played two fewer games due to cup obligations. What should worry Liverpool and Chelsea is that United are still just 7 points behind the leaders and they haven't been at their best yet. With two games in hand, United should make a late season charge.

4. Aston Villa (11-5-4): A
This could be a break through year for Martin O'Neil's club if they can hang on to fourth place. Coming from two goals down to earn a draw against Arsenal kept Villa in the top four to start the new year. Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young have been fantastic!

5. Arsenal (10-5-5): C+
Arsenal are having a very inconsistent seasons. In some games, they look like the best passing team in the world. Then, they go out and lose to Hull City and Stoke. And then there's the turmoil surrounding William Gallas and the captaincy.

6. Everton (9-5-6): B
I think if Everton finish the season in 6th place, manager David Moyes would be very pleased. The club has a real shortage at the striker position and their usually solid home form has been poor (2-4-4). But they have been great on the road and somehow find themselves in 6th.

7. Wigan (8-4-7): B
Steve Bruce has done a great job at Wigan. They were in relegation danger last season, but are now fighting for a place in Europe. Or are they? Wigan in 7th place are only 8 points ahead of Stoke in 18th. So any of the clubs outside the top six are just a losing streak away from danger.

8. Hull City (7-6-7): B+
Hull were the surprise team of the first half after reaching the Premier League for the first time. A fine start to the season, including a win against Arsenal, had Hull in the top four for a while. But they may have fallen back to earth a bit, evidenced by their 5-1 thrashing at Man City and manager Phil Brown's half time tirade on the pitch. Still, they have far exceeded my expectations so far.

9. Fulham (6-8-5): B+
Roy Hodgson's side has overachieved so far this season. After last season's near relegation, Fulham were one of the leading candidates this season too. But here they are in 9th place with a game in hand. They even earned a draw against their neighbors Chelsea. Hopefully, they will be able to hang on to Jimmy Bullard in the transfer window.

10. West Ham (7-4-9): C
Another inconsistent team, but it's still too early to judge the Gianfranco Zola era at Upton Park. The Hammers recorded a draw against Chelsea, and have won their last two matches. West Ham may be on the upswing, but their early season inconsistencies earn them a C at the half way point.

11. Bolton (7-2-11): C
This is about where you would expect Gary Megson's squad. Obviously, they weren't going to contend for the top four. 11th place might sound like mid-table safety, but they're only 3 points ahead of 18th place Stoke. Not out of the woods yet.

12. Portsmouth (6-5-9): C-
I'm very worried for Pompey. After Harry Redknapp left for Spurs, Pompey have been in a free fall down the table. Plus, Jermain Defoe may be on his way out in the January transfer window. I think Tony Adams may be out of his depth here.

13. Manchester City (6-4-10): C-
With the talent on this club (Robinho, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, etc.), they should be doing a lot better than 13th place. Expect lots of funds available for Sparky Hughes this January. City demolished Hull and then staged a late comeback to earn a draw at Blackburn, so they may be headed in the right direction.

14. Newcastle (5-7-8): D+
What a mess at Newcastle. Kevin Keegan left the club, the owner may or may not be ready to sell the club, and their defending has once again been the Achilles Heel of the club. Shay Given has been great in goal and surprise choice for manager Joe Kinnear has improved their standing in the table somewhat. Still, they were thrashed by Liverpool in their last match and look like the usual under-achievers we have come to expect.

15. Sunderland (6-4-10): C
Another difficult club to figure out. Manager Roy Keane spent plenty of money before the season increasing the size of the squad. Some were big names like Djibril Cisse who have performed well. Others just made the squad way too big. Then Keane quits the club out of the blue and Ricky Sbragia is named caretaker manager. Then Sunderland goes on a rampage, scoring four goals in back to back games and Sbragia is named permanent manager. Then they manage only a draw and a loss over the holidays. One of about a dozen clubs trying to distance themselves from the bottom 3.

16. Tottenham (5-5-10): F/B
For Spurs I have to give two grades. When Juande Ramos was in charge, they get an F. How in the world can a club with this much talent be at the bottom of the table. Maybe by selling your three best strikers (Berbatov, Keane, and Defoe) and not replacing them. Ramos' punishment for such a poor start? Axed by Spurs, signed by Real Madrid as their new manager. Since Harry Redknapp took over, I give Spurs a B. Harry is doing a revival of his Houdini act it appears. Spurs are out of the relegation zone, but they really need to sign a striker or two in January.

17. Middlesbrough (5-5-10): D
I'm still not convinced that Gareth Southgate is Premier League quality as a manager. After a decent start, Boro have now gone 8 games without a win.

18. Stoke City (5-5-10): C
Tony Pulis' club have pulled off a few upsets and certainly have a chance to avoid relegation. That's usually considered a success for a promoted team. But Stoke have relied on long throw-ins from Rory Delap for many of their goals and he now has a shoulder injury. Stoke's home form has been good, and if they can keep that up, they just might avoid the drop.

19. Blackburn (4-6-10): F
Under Mark Hughes, Blackburn was a difficult club to play against, and they usually were in contention for a European place. Not so for the failed Paul Ince reign in charge. Sam Alardyce has been brought in as manager and results improved immediately. They squandered a two goal lead in the dying minutes against Man City, but Big Sam should get better results that Ince.

20. West Brom (5-3-12): C
For much of the first half, West Brom were adrift at the bottom of the table. But after wins in two of their last three matches, Tony Mowbray's club are now just two points behind 17th place Middlesbrough. The club in last place at Christmas has only once avoided relegation, but that club was West Brom. Still some hope left for Baggies fans.

1. Spain wins Euro 2008
Spain cruised through their group stage matches with three wins and a +5 goal difference. After knocking out Italy 4-2 on penalties, Spain then defeated Russia 3-0 in the semis. Fernando Torres scored the winner in their 1-0 victory over Germany in the final. David Villa was the tournament's leading goal scorer with 4.

2. Man United defeat Chelsea on penalties to win Champions League
Probably the most poignant memory of 2008 was John Terry's penalty kick miss that would have won the title for Chelsea. The Chelsea captain slipped and shot wide left. Two kicks later, United were champions. Football can be cruel sometimes. Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo's spot kick was saved by Petr Cech. But all we remember now is Terry's miss and United lifting the trophy.

3. Chelsea defeat Liverpool in Champions League semi-final
Finally, after losing to the Reds twice in the semi-final stage, Chelsea finally advanced to the final. It was 1-1 after the first leg, and level on aggregate after 90 minutes of the second leg. But Frank Lampard, playing only days after his mother's death, scored the crucial penalty kick in added time. A defining moment for Lampard and Chelsea.

4. Manchester United retain Premier League Crown
Behind Cristiano Ronaldo's player of the year performance, United fought off Chelsea for the second straight season to capture the Premier League title.

5. Fabio Capello Era begins
Capello took over as England manager in January and positive results would soon follow. England are well on the way to qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. McClaren who?

6. New Teams on the Premiership Block
Stoke City and Hull City crashed the Premier League party for the first time in 2008 and so far so good. Hull City remain in the top half of the table and Rory Delap's long throws have been the Premiership phenomenon of the first half of the season.

7. New Faces in FA Cup Final
None of the big four clubs made the FA Cup final in 2008. In fact, only one team from the Premiership, eventual winners Portsmouth, made the semi-finals. Barnsley dispatched Chelsea in the quarter-finals after knocking out Liverpool in the previous round. Pompey won a controversial match against Man United in the quarters, which set up a final four of Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, and West Brom. Portsmouth defeated Cardiff in the final with Kanu scoring the only goal.

8. Managerial Merry-Go-Round Continues
In a disturbing trend, managers are shown the door at an increasingly alarming rate. Currently, there are only five managers who have been at their clubs more than 5 years: Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, David Moyes, Graham Turner (Herford), and John Coleman (Accrington Stanley). By contrast, 40 clubs have hired a new manager within the past year. I'm afraid the "win now" philosophy of instant gratification or else has resulted in a short sighted, trigger happy approach to football. Surely, a manager deserves at least two or three seasons to prove what he can do, doesn't he? But the prospect of relegation makes owners and sometimes fans less patient. Still, we are approaching the territory of the absurd. Since the 2008-09 Premier League season began in August, five of the twenty clubs (or 25%) have appointed new managers. The five mangers who are no longer employed: Ince (fired at Blackburn), Ramos (fired at Spurs), Keegan (left by "mutual consent at Newcastle), Keane (quit at Sunderland), and Redknapp (left Pompey for Spurs).

9. Avram Axed, Scolari hired at Chelsea
Avram Grant faced the unenviable task of replacing Jose Mourinho, and all he did was lead the Blues to their first ever Champions League final. In fact, he was a John Terry slip away from winning the whole thing. And he led the Blues to a runners-up finish in the Premier League and the League Cup. That would be the best-ever season for 95% of English clubs, but what did it get Grant? The axe! And former World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was brought in to right the ship. I could be wrong, but I think Scolari is the first World Cup winning manager to guide an English club in the Premier League era.

10. Luton Town got screwed
After already being docked points and suffering two relegations (from the Championship to League One to League Two), Luton Town were docked a further whopping 27 points to start the 2008-09 season in League two. The penalty virtually ensures that the Hatters will be relegated out of the Football League all together by season's end. Their crime? Illegal payments to agents (self-reported by their manager) and going into administration (that's bankruptcy for American readers). The penalty seems incredibly harsh, especially since West Ham were not docked any points (only fined) for the illegal signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano the season before last. Apparently fortune favors not the brave but London clubs with money.

Note: as this list is based not on considerable research but rather my fallible recollection as midnight approaches on New Year's Eve, please feel free to share your comments. I'm sure I've missed some of your favorite memories of 2008. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from Soccerword.com!

Soccerword's Premiership Team of the Week - 16

We're going with a 4-4-2 formation for this week's team:

Goalkeeper: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa)

Defenders: Ricardo Gardner (Bolton), Jolean Lescott (Everton), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Tony Hibbert (Everton)

Midfielders: Steed Malbranque (Sunderland), Matthew Taylor (Bolton), Jimmy Bullard (Fulham), Damien Duff (Newcastle)

Forwards: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn), Jason Roberts (Blackburn)

Final 16 Match-ups
The three Italian clubs were all paired against English competition. Jose Mourinho will renew his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson as Inter Milan were drawn against the reigning champions Man United. It will also be a homecoming for Claudio Ranieri. The former Chelsea manager will return to Stamford Bridge with his Juventus side. And Roma will face off against Arsenal. The other English club, Liverpool, will face Real Madrid in a homecoming of sorts for Liverpool's Spanish manager Rafa Benitez. Here is the complete draw:

CHELSEA v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v LIVERPOOL
ARSENAL v Roma
Inter Milan v MANCHESTER UNITED

All of the "big four" clubs were held to a draw this weekend (Chelsea 1 - 1 West Ham, Liverpool 2 - 2 Hull City, Spurs 0 - 0 Man United, Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Arsenal). As a result, Liverpool are still top of the table, and Aston Villa are in 4th place ahead of the Gunners. Here is our team of the week:

Soccerword's Premiership Team of the Week - 15

We're going with a 3-5-2 formation for this week's team:

Goalkeeper: Martin Fulop (Sunderland)

Defenders: Jose Enriqu (Newcastle), Jolean Lescott (Everton), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle)

Midfielders: Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Andy Reid (Sunderland), Luis Valencia (Wigan), Danny Guthrie (Newcastle)

Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland)

PSV Eindhoven 1 - 3 Liverpool
Liverpool had already clinched a spot in the final 16 of the Champions League, but their 3-1 win at Eindhoven. Germain ensured the Reds finished in first place in their group. After falling behind 0-1, Liverpool responded with three goals despite resting many of their top players. Ryan Babel scored just before half time, and Riera and Ngog added second half goals.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Cluj
It was a bit more difficult for Chelsea, however. The Blues needed a win at home against Romanian club Cluj to ensure they advanced. Saloman Kalou put the Blues in front late in the first half, but Cluj fought back to tie the game at 1-1 early in the second half. Striker Didier Drogba, who has missed many games to due injury and suspension, came off the bench to rescue Chelsea with the winning goal in the 71st minute. As it turned out, Chelsea would have advanced even with a draw because group leaders Roma defeated Bordeaux. Even with their win, Chelsea could not catch Roma, so they advance as the second place team in the group. That means the Blues will face a group winner in the round of 16.

The teams in Groups E, F, G, and H still have one game remaining, but the top two clubs in each of those groups have mathematically advanced. Here are 16 clubs in the knockout stage of the Champions League:

Group A: Roma, Chelsea
Group B: Panathinaikos, Inter Milan
Group C: Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon
Group D: Liverpool, Atletico Madrid
Group E: Man United, Villarreal
Group F: Lyon, Bayern Munich
Group G: Arsenal, FC Porto
Group H: Juventus, Real Madrid

All four of the English and Spanish clubs have advanced. Here is a country by country breakdown of the final 16:

England: 4 clubs
Spain: 4
Italy: 3
Portugal: 2
Germany: 1
France: 1
Greece: 1

Soccerword's Premiership Team of the Week - 14

We're going with a 3-5-2 formation for this week's team:

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech (Chelsea)

Defenders: Ledley King (Spurs), Nemanja Vidic (Man United), Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Deco (Chelsea), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Jimmy Bullard (Fulham)

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Michael Owen (Newcastle)

FA Cup third round draw:

Portsmouth v Bristol City
Sheffield Wed v Fulham
Preston v Liverpool
Birmingham v Wolves
West Ham v Barnsley
Middlesbrough v Barrow
Hull City v Newcastle
Hartlepool v Stoke
Chelsea v Southend
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
Cardiff v Reading
Ipswich v Chesterfield or Droylsden
Charlton v Norwich
West Brom v Peterborough or Tranmere
Torquay v Blackpool
Leyton Orient v Sheffield United
Southampton v Manchester United
Millwall v Carlisle or Crewe
Histon v Swansea
Forest Green Rovers v Derby
QPR v Burnley
Leicester v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Wigan
Morecambe or Cheltenham v Doncaster
Arsenal v Plymouth
Notts County or Kettering v Eastwood Town
Bournemouth or Blyth Spartans v Blackburn
Macclesfield v Everton
Watford v Scunthorpe
Sunderland v Bolton
Coventry v Kidderminster
Gillingham or Stockport v Aston Villa