Cronky

Should be a good final. Both teams like to attack. Man U and Chelsea tend to cancel each other out, so I'm glad it's not a repeat. I'd fancy Man U to win, because Barca's defence is vulnerable.

Good point.

Everyone recognises the problem, but it's hard to find a viable solution. Capping the salaries is difficult because there are so many ways around it and it's hard to police. It would also need to be done on an international basis. What may be possible is to restrict the amount that's spent on salaries and transfer fees to a certain proportion of a club's income. That won't prevent a Man U from having more money to spend than other clubs, but it will prevent the likes of Chelsea and Man City from inflating the market by bringing money in from outside the game, and which the club hasn't generated. It won't completely solve the problem, but it might help. Chelsea have exacerbated the situation of elitism and made it difficult for smaller clubs to compete. Even Liverpool and Arsenal are struggling to keep up, and have driven themselves into large amounts of debt as a result. Man U may be vulnerable when Ferguson goes.

Those are interesting snippets. Speed certainly comes across as a nice bloke who would always offer good advice. Whether he's got the forcefulness or the creative brain of a top manager - not apparent yet. Appointing a novice manager is always a risk, but Shearer has always shown potential. I've seen enough over the last few weeks to want to see him given a chance. My only hesitation had been whether he had the brain and the balls to drop Owen, and he's done that.

Unless we're taken over by someone richer who can pump a lot of his own money in (as with Man City and Chelsea), I can't see a better alternative. The idea of a 'local consortium' headed by Shepherd fills me with horror. Apart from anything else, we really need some continuity. The bloke has made mistakes, but I don't distrust his motives.

If we do get relegated, it would sugar the pill a lot for me if Shearer and Ashley stayed on. It's a combination that could really take us forward long-term. Perpetually scratching around in the lower reaches of the Premiership, as we were in Shepherd's last few seasons, doesn't strike me as a better alternative.

It's hard to judge his quality as a manager because he wasn't in the job for long and he inherited a really crap situation. Given that neither Shearer nor Houghton have produced better results, I'd hesitate to criticise him. Yes, he was Ashley's appointment but it was made as a result of events which weren't completely in Ashley's control. Our manager walked out and an ugly situation developed where a powerful group of fans were demanding that Ashley leaves. He acceded to their demands in order to ease the situation but of course as we know he had trouble selling due to the credit crunch and we ended up with a temporary manager - and the choice for that role was never going to be wide. You can blame Ashley for all of that if you want, but others need to look at themselves as well - principally Keegan and those who stirred things up after his departure.

The first two were probably pens, but difficult calls for the ref. In the case of the first, the foul began outside the area. In the second, it looked like Drogba had lost control of the ball anyway, and there wasn't a lot of contact to spot. The fourth I thought was definitely not. How can it be deliberate handball when the defender has turned his back to the attacker like that? If anything, too many pens get given in that situation of blocked shots - in reality there's not much time or opportunity for the defender to see where the ball's going and get their hand out the way.

It's not always fair, but it's better than penalties or (as used to be the case) the toss of a coin. It also does produce dramatic situations like tonight.

I don't like Chelsea and I'm very pleased.

I doubt that Barca are going to score. They pass the ball through a defence really well, but that's their only strategy and Chelsea know what's coming. They don't have the aerial power to go over their defence or to get on the end of corners / crosses. I'd love to see them get through, but I don't think it'll happen.

I can't see why a referee shouldn't be allowed to cancel a red card after the game, if they realise that they've definitely made a mistake, as is the case in the Premiership. Their entire authority doesn't crumble as a result. BUT - you can't change the rules half way through a competition. So the answer's no.

I don't think they're that far off being a great side again. They need another top class centre back to partner Toure - the loss of Gallas and the feuding that has surrounded him has been a real blow. I also think they need a better striker. Adebayor and Van Persie are good players but I don't think they'll take them from the top four to the top two, which is what they're aiming for. Apart from that, I don't think there's much wrong. Fourth place and a Champions League semi is a good platform to build on.

I have to admit I was a supporter of Barton at the beginning of the season, but he's crossed the line. Alan Shearer is totally vindicated imo. Barton is now no use to us at all. A complete break in the form of a sacking is best all round. I've seen the tackle again and it looks indefensible. A typical Scholes or Smith tackle is where they come in from the side, but aren't in the right position to get the ball, and end up taking the opponent's legs instead. That's a booking. Barton was face on to Alonso and jumped in with both feet off the ground. The fact that his foot rolled over the top of the ball before making contact with Alonso's leg is not the important issue. It's still a very dangerous tackle, and the fact that it was unnecessary only makes it clear to the ref that the intention was to hurt the opponent.

I'd definitely at least have him on the bench and use him as a sub. I don't know why he hasn't been given more chances. Every time I've seen him, he looks the part.

Barton's response to Shearer that he was 'the best player at the club' is a pointer to the underlying problem. FWIW, I'd agree with that opinion, but he'd have a much bigger incentive to change his ways if was an ordinary player who had to scratch around for a living. Deep down, Barton knows that he'll always get second chances, if necessary at another club, because managers will always want to take the risk on a player with his talent. As a fan, I'll admit that has influenced my judgement of him in the past. Despite his record, I've been eager to see him back in the team. I now feel that there's an arrogance about him which is a big obstacle to him changing. Sadly, it's time to call it a day.

Yes, until I see the better alternative. So-called 'consortiums' need not apply.

Even if that were true (which I doubt), the only person to blame for his reputation is him. In which case he's even fucking thicker for making the 'tackle'. It's conjecture obviously, but you think Gerrard or Scholes would have gone for that? I've seen Gerrard perform tackles far worse than that in the past. He used to be renound for his love for a two footed lunge. 'They're picking on me' is the sort of excuse that Barton himself would come up with. Whatever the technicalities of the tackle, there was a clear intent to hurt or intimidate his opponent and that's why he walked. I've been one of Barton's supporters, but I find his action unforgiveable. It was an unnecessary challenge, fuelled not be temper but by his desire to put Alonso in his place. We're a club in trouble, but it seems that Barton's ego is more important than that. Just who does he think he is? i'll be interested to see just how badly injured alonso is after being stretchered off, looked like barton barely touched him to me So what? It's the intention that counts, not the end result.

Even if that were true (which I doubt), the only person to blame for his reputation is him. In which case he's even fucking thicker for making the 'tackle'. It's conjecture obviously, but you think Gerrard or Scholes would have gone for that? I've seen Gerrard perform tackles far worse than that in the past. He used to be renound for his love for a two footed lunge. 'They're picking on me' is the sort of excuse that Barton himself would come up with. Whatever the technicalities of the tackle, there was a clear intent to hurt or intimidate his opponent and that's why he walked. I've been one of Barton's supporters, but I find his action unforgiveable. It was an unnecessary challenge, fuelled not be temper but by his desire to put Alonso in his place. We're a club in trouble, but it seems that Barton's ego is more important than that. Just who does he think he is?

In clearing the debt and investing in the youth set up, Ashley has concentrated on the long-term at the expense of the short term. Ironically, the reserves and the youth team have never been in a better state than they are now. I wouldn't call that a mistake in itself, but it was a major error to appoint Keegan if that was the strategy. Apart from the fact that his morale and motivation is very up and down, he's a manager with a reputation for concentrating on the first team and and the short-term. The eventual, inevitable collision and its consequences has completely wrecked this season. Let's not delude ourselves that Shepherd's strategy was working either. Despite the money being pumped in, the first team was still struggling and we were just driving ourselves deeper into debt. That's why the Halls baled out. If we do go down, I would hate to see Shepherd returning, as the article suggests is a possibility. Ashley is bound to suffer a lot of pressure to go, but he will have collected some vital experience and can turn things round again. Change for change's sake would be madness.

The problem with Barton is that he thinks he can make his own rules, according to what he himself thinks is right and wrong. He had got annoyed with Alonso earlier on, when he figured that Alonso was trying to act injured after a harmless challenge. I reckon he felt that Alonso deserved to be sorted out, and so he put far more into that tackle than he needed to. And Joey - it doesn't matter if you get the ball either - if you jump in two-footed it's a red. Barton has this arrogant attitude that he can take the law into his own hands and dispense his own justice. He probably thinks he's acting out of principle, but he's part of a team of 11 men and he's just being selfish. I don't think he'd lost his temper, which would have made the foul a bit more understandable. It's the general attitude that he brings to the game.

Going forward, we looked a lot better with Barton in the side. I was starting to feel really optimistic about getting the points to stay up. Then he does that.

I really am in despair now - not because of the result, which was only to be expected, but because of Barton. He was our best hope, and with that sending off he's let everyone down. Unbelievably stupid and irresponsible in the circumstances.

What was wrong with the second? One of the Liverpool defenders was holding Beye. Beye was just shit, didn't track his man, nothing illegal about it at all. I don't think Beye was the best match-up for Kuyt. Kuyt is quite energetic and nimble whereas Beye is fairly slow off the mark.

The presence of Barton and the absence of Owen has brought a big improvement when we're in possession. We've actually opened up their defence a few times, and could have scored. That's what we can take forward from this game. Of course, there's no leadership in defence. As usual, there's no-one directing operations and we look a shambles.