Review of the week
One minute Alvaro Arbeloa was comparing Liverpool to The Beatles, the next they were on the long and winding road out of Europe.
Headlines like '4-4 Phew!', 'Guud Grief!' and 'The Gr8est Game Ever' screamed from the papers following the epic draw at the Bridge that left pundit Joe Cole 'buzzin'. But Liverpool had already sealed their fate after making a right Octopus's Garden of the first leg.
Arbeloa's comment that "This team is on the way to becoming more famous than The Beatles" (made before the Anfield encounter) had echoes of John Lennon's infamous 'Jesus' boast, although it's unlikely folk in the deep south will be falling over themselves to burn the defender's replica shirts in protest.
Some critics have suggested Rafa Benitez's latest dig at Sir Alex Ferguson, when claiming the Manchester United manager was 'scared' of Liverpool, might have contributed to the Reds' downfall in the first leg - and Fergie was certainly loving every minute of it.
"The interesting thing as far as Rafa is concerned is that he's got a European tie and he's talking about Alex Ferguson. Fantastic - I didn't know I was that important," the good knight chuckled.
When asked whether he thought he had got under Benitez's skin, Ferguson added; "I have no more comment to make" - but the broad grin that accompanied his silence spoke a thousand words.
That smile became as wide as the Mersey Tunnel following Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning 40-yarder at Porto which set up a semi-final with Arsenal.
The Gunners enjoyed an emphatic 3-0 win over Villareal - set on their way by an exquisite chip from Theo Walcott.
The over-excited TV commentator immediately drooled: "They don't do 0-0s, Arsenal" - apart from those four successive goalless league draws against West Ham, Tottenham, Sunderland and Fulham stretching all the way back to...February.
All of which meant for the second year running there are three English clubs out of four in the Champions League semi-finals, with the small matter of Barcelona making up the numbers.
But never mind the Fab Four, what about Flav's door, which continues to revolve faster than a hamster that's just spotted Freddie Starr approaching its cage.
Paulo Sousa was the latest victim of supremo Briatore at my club QPR. He seems intent on making Alan Sugar's catchphrase his own. As discarded striker Dexter Blackstock mused: "In three years with Rangers I think Paulo was the seventh man in charge - or was it the eighth?" And there was me thinking The Comedy Club was still situated in the West End.
Of course we've got no chance of going up this season (or next, in all probability) but Burnley are right in there with a shout and the manager's reputation is spreading like wildfire - all the way to Wrestlemania 25 in fact, where a fan's 'Owen Coyle is God' banner in the crowd was repeatedly shown live on US TV.
After spotting it on the Mirror website, Paul Cavanagh wrote in to say: "Thanks! MY SIGN!! never ever thought this would get on any website other than a Burnley fansite, and was quite amazed to see Owen himself mention it in his programmes notes." Step aside, Shirley Crabtree, there's a new Big Daddy in town.
Meanwhile, Clarets striker Robbie Blake was named the Championship's Player of the Month - great recognition for the man with the best spoonerism name in football, nearly up there with Neil Warnock's anagram, in fact.
Staying with words and Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski recalled his boyhood heroes ahead of the Villarreal game. "I had a few keepers to look up to when I was growing up," the Pole said. "Some were from the old days, like Jan Tomaszewski. He's still a big name." He certainly is.
Goal celebration of the week involved Millwall's Jason Price, who marked his strike against Peterborough by donning a false nose he'd pulled out of his sock (like you do). The striker explained: "It was for my mate in Manchester who's got a big nose." Hopefully Kiko Macheda saw the funny side.
Further down the table, Tranmere's Bas Savage celebrated his goal against Hereford with his trademark Michael Jackson moonwalk. And if any of you have missed this truly thrilling sight, check out a remix of Bas's greatest moves.
On a sad note, spare a thought for poor old Luton Town fans, who saw the Hatters finally succumb to their inevitable fate, through no fault of their own. Luton chairman Nick Owen announced they would bounce back - although let's hope Anne Diamond's former co-star carries more clout than the day a few years back when he was refused entry by Kenilworth Road security guards, because there was no room, to the club's....Nick Owen Lounge.
In the Premier League, Newcastle grabbed a valuable point at Stoke and warmed up for Sunday's clash at Spurs by holding an open training session witnessed by 7,500 fans - approximately the gate at Blackpool next season should things go T.U.
And finally (courtesy of my wonderful girlfriend), the non-footballer's footballer quote of the week goes to Anthea Turner's other half on Hell's Kitchen, who said to the fearsome Marco Pierre White: "I don't mind him losing his temper with Grant Bovey."
Form an orderly queue, Marco.
I am a journalist with BBC Sport, dealing with the more offbeat stories doing the rounds. I am a QPR fan - and also quite fond of football. If our new-found wealth brings success I'll be happy to tell anyone exactly where I was when we were sh... rubbish - row J seat 139. 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~59~RS~)
Comments
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First comment :D
What paper came up with 'Guud Grief'? lol
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Why does everyone seem to be forgetting that this is the THIRD straight year with three English teams in the semi-finals! Not the SECOND! Sorry, just to emphasise our dominance!
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Hoping not to see another Chelsea v Man Utd final - would rather see Barcelona vs Arsenal again.
And there's nothing about Leicester's inevitable promotion back to the Championship!
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Yet another brilliant blog. Review of the Week really is a highlight of the week. Is Macheda's nose really THAT big?
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yes! macheda's nose is that big! great blog, i have to hold my hands up and say i loved the "'it's still a big name' - it certainly is" - it's still got me going.
anyone else thing that, like the choice between low or high graphics, this website should have an option for "Tabloid Affect" where we could get treated to some of the great headlines??
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I wouldn't mind an Arsenal vs Chelsea final, but I would love an Arsenal vs Barcelona final. How ironic would it be if Arsenal beat them poor Thierry Henry still would not have won a champion league.
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Enjoyed the blog and great to see you back on Red Dwarf.
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Meanwhile, Clarets striker Robbie Blake was named the Championship's Player of the Month - great recognition for the man with the best spoonerism name in football...
*******
The man with the best Spoonerism name in football is, and will always be, Kenny Lunt.
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St Mirren's Garry Brady is a good spoonerism. ALtho more confusing than funny, many times I've called him Barry Grady out of habit and had to think to myself whether I actually got his name the right way round...
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No videos this week? :(
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How is Robbie Blake a "spoonerism"?
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And no mention of Wolves being on the brink of a return to the big time!
The best spoonerism in sport is still Bernard Langer.
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Good blog Chris. Any suggestions to what a certain double act of Platini and Blatter will be plotting in response to yet another year of English dominance in the Champions League?
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Coleen Rooney is a good 'un, albeit a tad innapropriate (with Kenny Lunt)
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Hi Chris,
Great blog as always. I actually became a member specifically to tell you that. I recall when you first started Review of the Week, when you would get hardly a handful of comments back, do you recall? And Robbo was king back then. Now you, the Student, have become the Master. You're the best thing on the BBC Sport page - keep up the top notch work.
Right, enough of the hero worship. I also don't get the Robbie Blake spoonerism joke. Now, the Two Ronnies sketch with Mary Hinge and Betty Swallocks - now there's spoonerisms for ya, and comedy gold thrown in to boot. Any of you who haven't seen it, make an effort to try to find it on the Net. It'll be worth it.
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no matter how is the result of Arsenal vs Chelsea final, i sincerely hope u can enjoe ur day and not to care the result to much. hope ur life solorful!!
http://www.uggsclub.com
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What's a spoonerism?
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17. At 11:57am on 19 Apr 2009, redandblackT1899?- wrote:
What's a spoonerism?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=spoonerism
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Life imitating art imitating life. The plots and sub plots regarding the PL run-in remind me of something ...
We have the Don Corleone- SAF. Peerless, all-powerful and highly respected, but is he losing his grip? Seriously though, years ago could they have got to him? Openly confronting him is Don Tattalglia - Benitez. Ruthlessly ambitious, prepared to play the Old Don at his own murderous and deadly game, whilst behind the scenes the wily Don Barzini (Hiddink) looks on, pulling the strings with artful guile laced with steely intent.
Then we have the Capos - Tessio (Moyes) and Clemenza (Allerdyce). Ostensibly their own men with their own soldiers but essentially loyal to Corleone, on the surface at least. Tessio, of course, is the more ambitious, but then he was always smarter...
And who will succeed the Don when the day comes? The eldest son Sonny (Roy Keane) was an early favourite, but maybe he's too headstong, too volatile, too much given to biting of knuckles and smashing dustbin lids on people's heads.
It won't be Fredo we know that, for he's weak. (This role was originally played by Brian Kidd but now it's being filled by Mike Phelan - a yes man who surely will soon be whisked away to learn the hotel business in Vegas, Reno or Cheadle Hume.)
Currently in exile in Europe is the young Micheal Corleone (Carlos Queiroz), a brooding, intellectual but nevertheless hardnosed, coldblooded chip off the old block.
Throw in the Don's loyal Consigliere (Bobby Charlton) and psychotic button man Luca Brazi (Steve Bruce) and you have the makings of a decent movie...
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number 19 - heimanroth:
that was superb. (you anorak). was sure you'd have found a place for Mourinho, O'Neill, Wenger, but maybe we'll have to wait for Godfather 2 ...
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Mourinho = Virgil Solozzo. Aspirant, ambitious and seemingly unstoppable. Gone, but still, even after his demise, his influnce is profound and eduring. Wenger? Moe Greene. Dour, clinical and occasionally riled to vengeful anger. (Plus, he wears specs.) Martin O'Neill would be Frankie Pentageli. Effective and succesful up to a point but somehow a little bit comical and eventually doomed to self destuction.
(What do you mean, anorak?)
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Looking back, you're right about Rafa Benitez messing up Liverpool's chances last season. Arbeloa has left the (sinking?) ship this season.
Fiona
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