There are a few things that really bother me in football at this time - excessive posturing/politics and the huge sums of money involved - that are both in danger of eclipsing the joy and skill of the game, and the enjoyment of watching 2 teams battle it out fairly. Chelsea have both in abundance, and I admit a certain amount of pleasure in knowing that, once again, they will fail to obtain a Champions League victory. And Mourinho’s posturing both before and after the match makes me even gladder.

I suspect that this healthy dose of schadenfreude will probably mean that I will watch Liverpool do likewise tonight, which would be a crying shame, but even if we do, I feel that we have gone some measure to proving that last years victory was no mere fluke.

Anybody who wants to join me in the pub to watch the match tonight is welcome

mrBen