Football, football, football...

As much as it pains me to say this, congratulations to Manchester United. They were the best team this season.
But dammit - Arsenal were only 4 measly points away from them this season! We were within touching distance of the Premiership trophy, until that fateful match against Birmingham on 23rd February 2008.
Still, if you told me at the beginning of the 2007/08 season we would finish in third place, four points from being declared champions, I'd probably had accepted it. Looking back then, the considered opinion was that the Gunners were going to finish outside the top four places, and behind Spurs!!!!

Still, for manager Arsène Wenger, his problem is now keeping this talented Arsenal team together and building wisely on that talent, while still avoiding paying inflated wages. With Mathieu Flamini off to Milan (good luck and thanks for your time at Arsenal, Matt), and Alexander Hleb being reportedly courted by Inter, we could be faced with yet another season of rebuilding. Can Arsenal maintain their current wage structure, which is way below our direct competitors (both european and domestic)?

And let us not forget the vexed takeover issue - following the recent resignation of Arsenal's managing director Keith Edelman, speculation rumbles on about the intentions of American Stanley Kroenke, who is the third largest share holder in the club and Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who currently holds a 24% share.

Oh well - no point in looking back on what ifs, lets look ahead to next season, hopefully with vital lessons learned....

PS: Well done, Arsenal ladies, for clinching their fifth Women's Premier League title and retaining the Women's FA Cup this season...
How the title was won