Down to Ten Men

On Saturday morning I decided to peel myself from my bed and make the journey to my local town to watch the Manchester derby. Sounds like any normal Saturday to some people but I was going to see what the fuss was with this 3D business Sky are currently showcasing.

3D technology is nothing new, in fact it was originally invented well over 100 years ago but did not really take off until the late 1970’s / early 1980’s with prominent movie hits such as Jaws 3D and The Amitiville Horror 3D, but the novelty was soon to wear off.

That’s right; big John Carew is a sizeable centre forward. 6’4 and no slouch out of the blocks, his imposing physicality should strike fear into every defender. But this isn’t the case.

Blessed with all the physical attributes the modern Premier League striker needs to survive, Aston Villa‘s Carew has also graced Champions League prize fighters such as Valencia, Roma and Lyon.

I’ve always had a soft spot for West Ham, but I’ve never really known why. It might be because I have a few friends who support them, or I enjoyed the book ‘Congratulations, you have just met the I.C.F’.

It could be because Russell Brand, Keira Knightley and John Cleese are all followers (however having quickly looked up West Ham’s celebrity fan base I did find this – http://www.westhamtillidie.com/celebrity-supporters/ or, as I like to call it, 101 reasons to dislike West Ham.)

Ever thought to yourself: “Why do I put myself through this?” Well on Saturday afternoon I found myself asking that very question as I sat there watching the Arsenal v Wolves game unfold in front of my eyes. Yes we got the win with the latest of all the late goals we’ve scored this season, but as I came away from a jubilant Emirates Stadium I felt as though I had run a gruelling marathon or even gone the full 12 rounds in a boxing match – I was sapped of all the energy I had.

The MLS (Major League Soccer) is a funny old thing. It’s a bit like a Club 18:30 holiday – you don’t know how long it’s been around, just that it’s abroad and only old people seem to want to go there.

I do actually know how long it’s been around – since 1996. It didn’t make itself known to the wider world until 2007 though, when a certain English export emigrated to LA.

Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Manchester United

Could man-of-the-moment Wayne Rooney have been any more involved tonight?

An early side-footed volley from Nani’s corner gave his team, and this season is it his team, the lead, and must have had Louis Van Gaal fearing the worst.

Bayern rallied though and in the second half Ribery‘s free-kick hit Rooney and wrong-footed Van der Sar, pulling the Germans level, before lax defending allowed Ivan Olic to steal in to give the 1999 finalists a win to take with them to Old Trafford next Wednesday.