anti-climatic conclusion to magical season

As the season came to a close at 6pm on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but think that it all ended up a bit anti-climatic. What I’ve realised, this season more than any other, is that the season is not so much about your final position, well, technically it is, but more so than that all important points total, its about the moments that get you there. For the teams who had a memorable season, they will remember the good times (Liverpool: 4-1 against United; Arsenal: Arshavin at Anfield; Chelsea: 4-1 at the Emirates; Fulham: 1-0 Arsenal, 2-0 United; and Everton: the cup final), and for those who have had a season to forget…well, then they will try there hardest to forget it. The season therefore is about those moments: the ones that, as a fan, emotionally effect you, and on the pitch, those crucial victories, powerful team performances and individual strokes of genius. Where you end up is just a culmination and result of these moments. The way you end it may in fact, as was witnessed in the closing weeks of this season, not be very memorable at all.

The average finale to the 2008/2009 season began the weekend before last, with United’s dull 0-0 ‘win’ against Arsenal, then it ultimately closed with ‘Scary Sunday’ (thank you ‘the Sun’) a week later. Our final home game of the season was potentially custom made for our original Premier League rivals to ruin our title dreams; an occasion that would have made Arsenal’s dyer season almost meaningful. Surely they were as up for it as we were? But, after stupid amounts of possession by Arsenal (about 70%) and about 2 whole shots later, nothing changed…oh, but we won the league. The greatest prize in domestic football. Was this REALLY a game worthy of settling it? I don’t think so somehow. And even the fact that it didn’t go down to the wire, after all the potential for that to happen due to our dramatic mid-March drop in form, made the climax that bit less special. Let’s face it, it was a bit easy really? We ended with our highest points total in years (90) and 4 points clear. For all of Liverpool’s high-goalscoring efforts - and to be fair, they were high - we won it comfortably. We could have given them a whole extra 90 minutes free, against anyone - say Derby of last season - and they STILL wouldn’t have caught us. So much for the dramatic ‘Super Sunday’ climax that Sky Sports had dreamed of.

After the Fulham defeat on the 21st March, I had a bad, bad feeling about the run-in. I just knew we would be in serious trouble unless Liverpool, and (still) Chelsea, started dropping points. Well, neither did to a dramatic extent, yet to my surprise and utter lack of faith, neither did we. The following game against Villa, as with the Tottenham game a few weeks later, provide the soul of this momentous season (see ‘moments….’ below). These occasions are what this season was all about. My 2008/2009 was built on these magical moments…the finale however appears insignificant in comparisson; a mere formality.

Then comes the circus that became the bottom of the table. As the situation at the top became considerably more comfortable sooner than anticipated (after the City game, when we needed only 4 points in the last 3 games), I was able to at least remain enthralled by the ‘who’s going down?’ specactacle. Newcastle performed heroically against Boro, so of course, one of the defining ‘big teams’ in English football will be able to stay in the top-flight: battle there way out like warriors and defy their haters and critics, if not for their amazing fans then surely for their hero and potential saviour Mr Shearer? But no. They fucked it. Defeat against Fulham (unfairly, mind) and a shocking no-show at Villa Park on the last day was enough to finally send them down. Along with Boro, who were even more lacklustre at West Ham on Sunday. So what about the third team involved? No doubt they gallantly escaped with the pride and passion such an occasion demands? Definitely not. The embarrassment that is Phil Brown sings and dances away, as though his team had bravely seen themselves to safety in far more superior style than the other 2...rather than getting battered at home to United’s, what, D-team? And celebrating that Newcastle had lost. T’was all a bit of a joke in the end. But I’d hate that to be the way this mad, surprising and constantly entertaining season will be remembered. Aside from the outstanding moments of my own season, neutrals will want to remember Liverpool’s impressive push, Phil 'the best manager in Premiership history' Brown's inspired on-pitch teamtalk, Fulham and West Ham’s (therefore Hodgson and Zola's) emergence into the Europa-Cup mix (...Europa-Cup!?!?!...), and just how shit is £30million rated Adebayor (who incidentally didn’t play in the final games of the season)? These are among the talking-point’s that summarise and elucidate the moments of shock, dispair and excitement; not the average, over-hyped events that culminate the season that lead to anti-climatic dissapointment for all.