It's hard to find a more hated football manager than former Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock.
Reputed with a sharp tongue and a brain that is unable to work cohesively (might not be true), he has come up with some classics over the years including the spat with the classy Arsene Wenger.
Like all humans, we all turn to others and always the first to point the finger and blame somebody else.
First of all, he was absolutely livid with West Ham for their Harry Houdini-esque escape from relegation in lieu of his team.
He wasn't pleased with West Ham and alleged that they made illegal payments for the signing of Javier Mascherano and most importantly, Carlos Tevez, whose case is still outgoing at the moment and became the most boring talking point of the entire summer.
As deluded as he is, his club chairman and him appealed to the FA as they truly believe that the result will overturn and that they will be reinstated back to the Premiership.
Fat hope.
Next, he blamed ManYoo and Fergie for letting West Ham snatch a surprise victory at Old Trafford that guaranteed their survival.
If you and your Sheffield U could beat Wigan at home, things wouldn't be so complicated, eh? But too bad, you and your men failed to beat them at Bramall Lane.
Here is the clincher. He bet against Liverpool in the Champions League final after he felt that Rafa and Liverpool betrayed Sheffield U by fielding a weakened side against Fulham, in which the Cottagers won and ultimately saved a place for next season's Premiership.
This is how bitter a man can get. Don't let it get you, Neil. You need some help and should stay away from football as long as possible.
A classy finish from the skipper. Once again, a product of a good move down the middle and he delicately tapped the ball past the onrushing Sheffield Utd defender before firing past Paddy Kenny.
How many of us neutrals actually think that Sheffield United will be the one joining Charlton and Watford in the Championship next season?
I can tell you it's not a lot, considering the Blades had the upperhand and with their fate lying in their own hands. They were up against fellow strugglers, Wigan, who were in an absolutely horrendous form prior to the game and looked very likely to falter at Bremall Lane.
Considering it was Sheffield United's home ground, it was definitely no easy task for Paul Jewell's men and they were marked as the underdogs for this game. Wigan's survival is also closely link to the simultaneous match going on at Old Trafford, where West Ham did everything they could for survival, to dampen United's joyous mood after winning their first Premiership title since 2003.
But before the battle on the pitch had even started, the war off the pitch has already heated up. The 'Gang of Four', Charlton, Sheffield Utd, Fulham and Wigan were all involved in a law suit against West Ham and they were contesting the Premier League committee, who only fined West Ham 5.5million GBP due to the problematic signings of Tevez and Mascherano.
The quartet felt it was unfair and wanted West Ham to be docked off points just like AFC Wimbledon did few seasons ago after fielding 6 loanees on the pitch at the same time. They felt that the sentence should be more severe rather than just monetary compensation.
When all the world seemed to be against you, that is when the true character shows and West Ham put up a magnificent showing at Old Trafford to not only put a little sour note to a supposed celebratory occasion for United but also ensured their own safety.
Ironically, the man who got them to do a 'Harry Houdini' is none other than Carlos Tevez, the one who got them into trouble, well not his fault anyway. Since he scored his first goal for West Ham in the 4-3 defeat to Spurs back in early March, he was on top of his form and managed to dragged West Ham through.
Although Sir Alex fielded a weaken side, one should never question the integrity of the Red Nose as is probably saving the tired legs from the FA Cup Final this Saturday.
And that's probably why some of us are glad to see the back of Neil Warnock and his Blades. He have been banging on about clubs playing their weakened side and giving the relegation strugglers a foothold. And that constant whinging and moaning has got on the nerves of many neutrals.
Although, to me, I was very surprised to see Sheffield United going down because although they have been languishing in the bottom half of the table for majority of the season, they have been able to make their home a very difficult place for teams to go to and they are relatively stable compared to the likes of Wigan and West Ham.
But their away form have been abysmal and that probably is the stumbling block for their season. Losing key striker, Rob Hulse, is also another major turning point for them and their struggle to get goals means they'll always have less chances of winning.
Wigan went on a 10 games winless streak and were a totally different side from the one we saw last season. Their season hasn't been good by any means and they've probably became the team 'nobody gives a damn about' this season.
Yet when it all mattered, they turned up. Sheffield United sank. And that was how it all went wrong for the Blades. It was a bitter and cruel twist of fate as time wore on, Wigan's fortune began to change while West Ham showed true character and resilience despite ManYoo's futile attempt to dash their hopes of survival.
Paul Scharner puts Wigan ahead but Jon Stead equalised for Sheffield United. The turn of the tide came when Sheffield Utd captain, Phil Jagielka, handled the ball in the box and it was up to the former Blades player to put the final nail in Sheffield United's coffin. He slammed home the penalty and soon, it became a one way traffic game where the home side piled pressure and waves upon waves of attack at Wigan's goal.
But as we all know, football is never predictable. The final showdown of the relegation battle sums it all up really. The beauty of it, of course if you're a Blades fan. How things turn 360 degrees in your favour in a matter of seconds.
Well done Wigan and especially, West Ham. They put up their best when they were called to and although they merely survived by the skin of their teeth, both the teams know that it is extremely vital to stay in the Premiership.
This season has been yet another tremendous one considering the champion is not Chelsea this time round.
The relegation battle that boils down to the last day of the season is exhilarating and has been a fantastic showing for neutrals.
Although not as epic as the one 2 seasons ago, it still has been top notch while the the battle on top were a little different.
Basically, ManYoo steamrolled through almost all the teams while Chelsea playing catching up till the point they ran out of gas. They are considered the 'Big Two'. Then Arsenal and Liverpool fought for the 3rd and 4th place till the last day of the season as well but it doesn't really matter, isn't it? They are called 'The Other Two'.
Whatever it is, it has been a wonderful season and although I was disappointed to see us not challenging the title once again, it is still enough to excite and kept us at the edge of our seats. Bring on next season! Faster!
Managerial Musical Chair Begins
It is a norm that after the end of the season, there will be managerial casualties and also, jumping ships.
Big Sam Allardyce was the first as he quit Bolton two games before the end and is now appointed as the new Newcastle Utd. manager.
He is known for bringing out the best from the players and I've got a good feeling he'll succeed and excel at St. James' Park. Of course, lots of work needs to be done still as the club is fast becoming more like a medical centre than anything else.
Injuries aside, the dressing room hasn't been united through Glenn Roeder's last days as Oba Martins is reportedly missing while Charles N'Zogbia walked out after finding himself on the bench.
Money will be available for Fat Sam, finally, after years of limited budget at the Reebok Stadium. With Freddy Shepherd being the contributor, he'll now be able to bring in quality players without having to scour through the free transfer market for past-it players.
Paul Jewell, too, left his position at Wigan. It was only 48 hours after the miraculous survival and it is believed that the last few months has heaped so much pressure on Jewell that he can't take it further. A break is needed.
Man City, meanwhile, sacked Stuart Pearce after a dismal season in the league. With only 4 points off the relegation spot, Man City struggled throughout and despite spending big on Giorgious Samaras, Bernado Corradi and DaMarcus Beasley, they were short of fire power up front and broke an all time record of only 10 league goals at home this season. Shocking.
It might not end here as the board begins to assess the managers while the likes of Chris Coleman and Paul Jewell still about, the musical chair might not end just yet.
The battle to avoid the last 3 places of the English Premiership seemed to have reached it's boiling point as teams now scramble for points and getting some surprise results.
It's where the show starts and gets interesting.
When it seemed like some teams were dead and buried before Christmas, it now started to look more open and some teams might find themselves in unfamiliar position if they continue to drop precious points in their upcoming games.
Watford though, looked destined for the drop. They played with pride and even though they're last in the table, they didn't have a particularly bad time in the Premiership like Sunderland last season. They're a decent side which just don't have enough quality to make the cut and scoring goals is always going to be a problem for them.
West Ham now plays with renewed hope as they have chalked up two precious wins back to back after defeating both Blackburn and Middlesbrough. Carlos Tevez could be the key man to rescue the Hammers from relegation mire but with tough fixtures coming up, it's not looking too good for them still.
Under Alan Pardew, it seemed like Charlton have revived their season and are now on a roll. They had good results in recent games and they managed to beat last season's black horse, Wigan, 1-0 at The Valley. The 3 points might prove to be a very precious one indeed.
Further up, you have Sheffield United hovering above the drop zone. It's too close for comfort for the Blades as their hope of survival was severely dented by the injury of their top marksman, Rob Hulse. He'll be sorely missed as now they'll do a battle against relegation.
Wigan, meanwhile, lacked confidence within the squad and Paul Jewell have a difficult task to stop them from the free fall. They've disappointed this season after last season's high but should have enough quality to keep them safe, at least for another season.
Even teams like Aston Villa and Fulham should not take their foot off the pedal as they're not far ahead either. Both teams didn't have a particularly successful campaign and if they aren't careful, they might get dragged into the battle as well.
Drogballs' Prediction on the last 3 placing:Watford, West Ham, Sheffield United
Red Devils Steamroll Past Everyone
Seemed like nobody is going to stop them from winning the title. They've shown everything needed to win the title and I think they deserve it fully.
Comebacks? Check. Playing badly and winning it? Check. Good fixtures run in? Check.
But what impressed me most would be the fact that even though they have some injury problems throughout the season, they showed that they've coped well and the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo is also a positive point to note.
Blackburn scored first through Matt Derbyshire but United came back strongly and just by watching the game, you'll wonder how did Sir Alex coach a group of players that attack with such class, tenacity and precision.
If Neil Warnock thinks that by putting a 'Fortune Cat' at the sidelines will help his side to come away from Anfield unscathed, then perhaps he should turn away from it and looked upon the countenance of 'God'.
Of course, the pun intended opening line is a little tribute to none other than Anfield's prodigal son and 'God', Robbie Fowler, who stepped up twice to score from the penalty spot. He showed great composure and courage to do it twice but was unfazed with the challenge.
It's a match in which Liverpool didn't really step up a gear from the start and yet comfortably beat a shell shocked Sheffield United side. The opening day fixture in which the Blades held on to a draw must have inspired the players for a revenge.
Looking at the statistics, it shows 4 shots on target and 4 goals. It shows that perhaps Liverpool CAN be clinical if they want to and with all the worries about how the midweek European game will unsettle the side, Rafa made sure that there were no tired legs out there.
He chopped and changed like his usual style and made 7 changes to the squad that came home with a heroic victory at the Nou Camp. Dudek went in goal for Reina while Hyypia took this chance to partner Carragher. But all focus were on the Argentinian holding midfielder, Javier Mascherano as he make his debut at a strangely subdued Anfield.
Liverpool started the game decently but were unable to find any gaps in a disciplined Sheffield United side. Hyypia's constant long ball to the front doesn't help the team and the home team were not able to push the Blades back against the wall. The game was played at a very slow pace from the start to the end.
But the game sparked to life after a penalty was awarded for some handbags in the United penalty box. Incidently, Crouch's head met with Rob Hulse boots and had to be taken off after the blood on his forehead can't be stopped. Kuyt took over his place and up steps Fowler, who placed the ball beyond Paddy Kenny's finger tips.
Then Steve Bennett had his whistle to his mouth again. Kuyt headed the ball into the path of Gerrard, who was once again pulled back by defender, Montgomerie and this penalty incident is the more obvious of the two.
It's Fowler again, who calmly stroked the ball into the Kop End and Liverpool comfortably in front at that stage although not playing at their best.
And to be honest, the rest of the match are like going through motions and nothing eventful really happened until Hyypia scored from a corner in the 70th minute. It was an instinctive finish from the experienced Finnish rearguard. Reminsce of his volleyed goal against Juvetus came to mind.
Then it was all over when Steve Gerrard scores from an acute angle for his first goal since New Years Day. Again, it was down to Fowler's fantastic vision and technique. He lifted the ball over the defence and Gerrard's first touch took him away from the defence before placing it into Paddy Kenny's right bottom corner.
Liverpool can now prepare for the next game against Man United with confidence sky high. They'll go away from this game with a couple of positives. Javier Mascherano had a decent debut in the middle of the park and showed hunger and is not afraid to put his foot into challenges.
It's always nice to see Fowler scoring goals and looking sharp. Two goals and one assist from him actually tells us that he still have something to offer to the team. His experience is invaluable.
Last but not least a good result albeit a unconvincing performance. But when Liverpool stepped up their gear, they threaten and they score the goals. That's the most important thing in a football match.
Liverpool will return to Anfield for their first home game under new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks as they prepare to take on a revitalised Sheffield United.
The Reds started the week on a highest note possible with an excellent 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp and now, they have to show their consistency by beating the Blades.
Liverpool have gone on a 2 game winless streak in the Premiership after being held 0-0 by small club, Everton and then lost 2-1 to Newcastle at St. James' Park.
But they managed a result that deemed impossible in many people's eyes and Rafa will hope that they can build on that win. It's also important to get all 3 points for this game because the upcoming games for Liverpool will certainly be tough.
They will host league leaders, Man United next and then it's the second leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16.
But it's time to focus our eyes on this game rather than looking too far forward. Because although Sheffield United are in no ways a club in the same echelon as Liverpool, but some teams showed that with hard work and resilience, it's possible to frustrate the hell out of the Reds.
The opening day showing at Bremall Lane was abysmal and it sort of sum up the early form of Liverpool. A fortunate tumble by Gerrard and the generosity of the match referee rescued Liverpool from embarrassment but we can be sure that Rafa will not want his team to put up another performance of that calibre.
Javier Mascherano could be in for a home debut as Rafa looked set to chop and change once again after the mid-week heroics and will not hesitate to replace tired legs. Momo Sissoko suffered a knock to his shin at the Nou Camp and could be replaced by the Argentinian that is revered by none other than Benitez himself.
Crouch could make a start as Kuyt's stamina might be drained on Thursday. His preferred partner would be Bellamy, who showed character to defy the odds and put up an amazing performance.
Expected team:
Reina;
Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa;
Pennant, Gerrard, Mascherano, Riise;
Crouch, Bellamy;
Drogballs' Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield United. I expect a tough game given that the Blades have been pretty good so far and the team that everyone deemed as relegation fodders are doing decently in recent times and they have a tendency to frustrate Liverpool with their physical game and also, discipline in defence.
Neil Warnock's side will surely go on a 'park the bus' tactic to hold out Liverpool like Everton did but I feel that the home team's morale is on a high and will have the necessary quality to break down a resilient Sheffield Utd.
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It's hard to find a more hated football manager than former Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock.
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