The pod wraps up all of the last day action of the Premier League with a focus on the North London scrabble for a Champions League place and we wave off Sir Alex Ferguson, Jamie Carragher, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen to name a few. We even highlight the chance to own Sir Alex's final piece of gum chewed as the Manchester United manager.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes Brendan Rodgers must spend big if they are to compete for the Champions League places next season. The Reds finished the season strongly taking 30 points from 16 matches after losing to Manchester United on January 13 and to bridge the gap Gerrard believes the squad will need strengthening.
Liverpool target Christian Eriksen will snub the Kop and sign a new contract at Ajax if Brendan Rodgers does not make a £15million offer in the next month, writes the Sunday People. Danish dazzler Eriksen is keen on a move to Anfield, with the Reds on his trail for the past few months and battling Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund for his signature.
Jamie Carragher will be playing his final game for Liverpool on Sunday 19th May 2013. having won two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup and two Super Cups in his 16th years playing with the club he loves.
Naturally, it promises to be an emotional day for the crowd, if not the player himself who has vowed not to shed a single tear, preferring, instead to concentrate on the job of playing well on the pitch and ensuring that Liverpool emerge victorious in their final game of the Season.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp has hailed Jamie Carragher as "one of the greats" ahead of the Liverpool defender's retirement. The 35-year-old will play his 738th and final game for the Reds on Sunday against the Rs, bringing a 17-season playing career at Anfield to an end. And after winning five domestic cups and four European cups, including the Champions League, Carragher is up there with the best Liverpool has ever produced, according to Redknapp.
It has been reported that Arsenal are close to sealing the deal for The Montenegro international and Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic. While the Gunners sealed the final Champions League place in the Premier League with victory at Newcastle, Fiorentina missed out despite beating Pescara 5-1.
Jovetic scored in the game, but it could be his last in Viola colours, as Metro reports that his agent, Fali Ramadani, is in the Capital to put the final touches to a deal that could cost the Gunners nearly £25 million.
First, please kneel, place your hands together and join me in reciting the Prayer of St Totteringham:
"Our Neighbours, who art in shadow Fallow be thy game. Thy fandom – scum; Thy players – plums (In truth, none would make our eleven). Give us this day our Champions League, And forgive us for taking the p*ss As we laugh at those who finish behind us, And lead us not into N17, But deliver us from Levy For Arsenal's is the kingdom, The power, and the gap, For ever and ever, Arsène.
Well done Arsenal. Now the serious work begins... by FD
As the dust settles on another Premier League campaign, Arsenal fans can look back on a satisfying final third of the season. While it may have been a little strange watching the celebrations of the Arsenal players at winning fourth place, with memories of the Invincibles still etched in our minds, we shouldn't begrudge them their plaudits.
Now that the Premier League season has come to a close, it's time for a retrospective look at events from the 2012-13 season. In my opinion, it hasn't been an exhilarating season by any means, with the title race a breeze for Manchester United.
But this season is something else: It will be the last time that Sir Alex Ferguson will be at the helm of Manchester United.
The 2012/13 Premier League season is over and, to be honest, it wasn't that great. We were definitely spoiled by the dizzying last-minute climax of the 2011/12 season, but watching Manchester United trudge to a 20th title while the rest of the league floundered and groaned had all the excitement of bingo night at Gareth Barry's house.
It has been a testing time for everybody concerned with Arsenal Football Club this season, but the players made sure that it finished with a bang by beating Newcastle United at St. James' Park yesterday. You could see the elation and relief on the faces of the Gunners and the Gooners who had traveled to see the game, but we really must do better next season.
Three of the top clubs in Europe will be back in the Champions League next season after Arsenal, AC Milan and Schalke pulled out close wins on the final day of their respective seasons.
Arsenal denied North London rival Tottenham the final Champions League spot in the Premier League by holding onto a 1-0 win at Newcastle United.
Chelsea finished off their Premier League season strong with another win at the Bridge yesterday to finish a strong third place and automatically qualify for the Champions League group stages. Credit goes out to the players and also to Rafa Benitez - more on him in my next post.
It wasn't the best performance we have ever seen and Chelsea weren't exactly at their best but at the end of the day a win is a win and we delivered the three points when it was needed.
That was a very, very nervous experience made all the more intense by the fact that we were expected to win. Some how being the underdog in crucial games makes it just that little more bearable when a loss is inevitably considered before and during the game. But win we did and by doing so we secured the chance to play Champions League football next season which I believe makes it sixteen seasons on the trot, no mean feat when you consider just how desperate and disappointed those around us were at missing out again.
That was a very, very nervous experience made all the more intense by the fact that we were expected to win. Some how being the underdog in crucial games makes it just that little more bearable when a loss is inevitably considered before and during the game. But win we did and by doing so we secured the chance to play Champions League football next season which I believe makes it sixteen seasons on the trot, no mean feat when you consider just how desperate and disappointed those around us were at missing out again.
Arsenal fans should be used to having our hearts in our mouths towards the end of just about every game since Christmas, but with so much at stake yesterday's game at Newcastle was even nervier than most. Laurent Koscielny's goal calmed us all a little, but we still had to suffer right to the end of the 90 minutes.
Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle ensured that the Gunners will be playing the Champions League next season at the expense of North London rivals Tottenham, despite their 1-0 win at home against Sunderland courtesy of another late blockbuster from Gareth Bale.
With the title already secured by Manchester United and relegation matters settled in midweek, the only piece of intrigue left to be settled was who will be playing in Europe next season.
Arsene Wenger was able to name an unchanged Arsenal side after Mikel Arteta passed a late fitness test on his calf. Although Olivier Giroud was available to play after his three game suspension, Wenger left him on the bench. Newcastle United were determined to try to spoil the party for Arsenal, as were Sunderland at Tottenham.
Jack Wilshere is heading for a small operation in the summer to remove a pin from his ankle, but is still expected to play some part in today's game against Newcastle due to the injury to Mikel Arteta.
He admits that this game is so crucial that there may be a few nerves amongst the Arsenal players, but says they just have to calm and professional to make sure of the three points, no matter what happens in the Tottenham game.
After a long and, at times, difficult campaign, it all comes down to what we do today. It's in our hands and we all know what's required. Win and we have at least a qualification game for the Champions League; draw and as long as Sp*rs don't win we've got the same; win, and Chelsea lose, and we finish third.
And so the end has come once again, the moment every ardent soccer fan dreads; the final kick of the ball, the last high-pitched call of the whistle, and the customary sign-off from FOX Soccer and ESPN (in the States) and Gary Lineker and the boys (in the UK).
It has been a long and eventful season in the Barclays Premier League, a mixed bag of triumphs and tumult, and once again the red side of Manchester is caught up in jubilant victory songs.
Could Arsenal make a shock move for 33 year old Wigan defender Emerson Boyce? by SS
Arsene Wenger would hope to get Boyce cheap and use him as cover in a variety of defensive positions and to act as an experienced leader within the defence. Bacary Sagna looks set to leave the club this summer with Russian giants Anzhi and newly crowned French champions PSG interested.
There was very little to play for in most of the games yesterday, which is why the Arsenal v Newcastle game and the Tottenham v Sunderland game were shown simultaneously on Sky sports. The papers and football websites have been building up the tension between the two north London rivals and saying just how important fourth place in the Premier League was.
It's not the last day of the season without the odd false rumour or two. Yesterday, someone at White Hart Lane started a very cruel rumour that Newcastle had equalised against Arsenal. Spurs needed the Gunners to drop points to have any hope of qualifying for the Champions League, so you can understand why their [.
The avalanche of Arsenal transfer rumours over the last month has been led by the news that the arrival of Stevan Jovetic is expected to be named as an Arsenal player as soon as the season finishes, and we are all waiting expectantly despite rumoured interest from Juventus as well.
But yesterday the Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade has told the Italian press that a decision on his future will not announced until after Jovetic has had a meeting with the Viola owner Diego Della Valle.
One-nil to the Arsenal, and the relief is palpable. It was desperately close and not remotely good for the constitution, but we dragged ourselves over the line to fourth and into the final Champions League spot. That's the 16th time in a row we have qualified for it.
Obviously Chelsea are extremely happy that they have won yet another European trophy this season, despite the fact that they were only in the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League in the Group Stages.
Wenger thinks that this should not happen, and the teams that are given another chance in the Europa League are basically being "rewarded for failure".
Germany and Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm visited the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich earlier this week and gave an interesting interview, where he spoke about his charity foundation, the Champions League final and winning the World Cup next year (in Brazil?!)
On the Champions League Final
"Everything has to come together for a Champions League final.
The Munich Philharmonic penned this little aria for their boys heading to England for the grandest match of the year on Saturday. Bounding around Google has surfaced nothing in the way of an English translation for the lyrics, but it's worth it simply to watch someone work 'Heynckes' into a song.
(It is entirely possible some of this was 'sampled'.
Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben has denied any truth to the talk that he is a target of Manchester City.
Although the former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder got off to a rough start this season with Bayern, he was able to work his way back in to the starting lineup more consistently.
Bayern Munich is far and away the most prestigious club in German soccer. With a record 23 Bundesliga championships and having consistently dominated the league while accumulating the best of Germany's talent, they are truly the pride of the nation.
But recently, a rival club has emerged to shake up the foundation.
Another year, another disappointment. No decima. No dice. Madrid fought the good fight in the King's Cup, conceded La Liga way early, and fell in the semifinals of the Champions League. Despite some fun wins at the Camp Nou, even Jose Mourinho has admitted this is his worst season ever.
It took them 14 years to beat Real Madrid, but Atletico Madrid did in the grandest and most magnificent manner last night: At The Copa del Rey final. If you are a long-suffering fan of Los Colchoneros, Atletico's achievement at the Bernabeu belonged to you!
Well the season is over and to be completely honest, life sucks. After the Champions League final we as a people are going to be deprived of a steady source of meaningful football until August. What am I supposed to do with all this free time I'll have on the weekends now? I guess I could do some work around the house (fat chance), spend time with my family (HA!
Bayern Munich have press-ganged the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and chief conductorLorin Maazelinto producing the club's official song for their upcoming appearance in the Champions League Final at Wembley on March 25th, and presumably didn't give them an awful lot of time to come up with a finished product.
With Bayern Munich heading to London as favourites to lift the Champions League trophy in Wembley, the club have had an official song given to them for the final. Fortunately, they didn't channel "Glory Glory Man United" or "We've Got The Whole World In Our Hands," and instead went all highbrow. Their song has been [.
Di Canio sconfitto ma salvo Un eurogoal di Gareth Bale al 90° (con il Sunderland in 10 dal 75' per l'ennesima espulsione) regala tre punti inutili al Tottenham (comunque fuori dalla prossima Champions League) e condanna i "black cats" di Paolo Di Canio ad una sconfitta "indolore" (biancorossi gi salvi dal turno precedente grazie alla sconfitta del Wigan che fissa il record di retrocedere e
So, Saison endlich beendet! Bayern ist Meister, Dortmund ist Zweiter! Damit ist alles geklärt...denkt man, ist aber nicht so! Denn das eigentliche Highlight dieser Saison kommt erst noch und zwar nächsten Samstag. Dann steigt das Champions League Finale in London und da stehen sich wieder Bayern München und Borussia Dortmund gegenüber.
