"Maybe not goodbye, but farewell..."

Publishing on Blogspot hasn't been working for several
days, so TDH has some catching up to do. To get around
the problems, TDH is experimenting with posting by email.
Thank you, loyal readers, for your patience!

---

Let's start with a tribute to the skipper.

There will surely be a chorus of critics cynically using
his retirement as an excuse to say, once again, that he
was an obstacle rather than a bolster to the Magpies'
success. TDH doesn't buy it. Even in his last years, he
provided leadership and goals. We saw in the past couple
of months that, with a decent manager, Uncle Alan could
still fit into the setup - in fact, more than fit in,
thrive.

But let us not forget the many earlier years he gave to
the club, and the countless goals (well, 206 to be
exact): the hammer-like headers, the seemingly impossible
volleys, the almost automatic penalties and the
thunderbolts from distance. Few strikers posed as much
of a threat on the half-chance. What looked unlikely
suddenly became reasonable, thanks to his involvement.

We'll miss him for a few years. But as Sir Bob said
before, we'll undoubtedly see him again.

---

Whatever possessed The Especially Peculiar One to play
with no wingers in the FA Cup Semifinal? Shockingly,
Duff, Cole and Robben were on the bench, with SWP nowhere
in sight. Did Geremi look so unstoppable in training?
Did he think he would clog up the midfield with big
bodies?

And one has to wonder whether Cech would have done a
better job than Cudicini. A goalkeeper who stands still
during a free kick isn't doing his job. If you don't
make a move one way or another, you stand no chance at
all - unless you think the ball's coming right for you,
and that didn't seem too likely. Well, Roman will have
to be happy with his emerging dynasty at the top of the
Premiership. Sigh for him.

---

How much football was in the Arsenal v Villareal match?
About five minutes' worth? And who knew the Gooners
could play that kind of slam-the-door game? One of the
local commentators, Luis Omar Tapia, called it
"Catenaccio Ingles" - he was right on the money!

Sol looked a bit unsteady at first but gradually got his
rhythm back. TDH was glad to see it. He may be a
headcase, but he's always given good service to his teams
when he's been healthy and unpreoccupied.