The 90%

Some people consider the story of Jesus to be the Greatest Story Ever Told.  Fair play to them, that's all well and good, and they are entitled to their beliefs.  From my point of view, turning water into wine is one thing...but having the composure to take a touch in a packed penalty area and then finish to cap an injury time turnaround and seal the entire League for the first time in your club's history...now that is a miracle.  Thus it is that with all the excitement of the new, accept no imitations, REAL Greatest Story Ever Told at the Etihad on Sunday everything else in football got somewhat overlooked.

Apologies for the casual blasphemy there but what I'm getting at is that City's remarkable victory from the jaws of despair has, rightly, hogged the attention from Sunday's final day drama.  They were by far not the only ones to provide a talking point however on Sunday's feast of football, a day of high excitement yet again in this remarkable season.  Incidentally that final day has pretty much done Sky Sports marketing for them for next year's subscriptions.

First off, Arsenal just clinching third in what has to go down as one of the most unlikely and perhaps commendable achievements of Wenger's tenure.  After the horrible start they endured - who can forget the 8-2 mauling which actually served to spark their transfer dealings into life - they found theselves miles off the pace in the Autumn.  A thoroughly enjoyable 5-3 away win against Chelsea showed signs that the potential was there, but even come late January they were still a long way off their North London rivals Tottenham in the hunt for a Champions League spot.  The capitulation of Spurs has been frankly shameful, but nevertheless Arsenal have been excellent in their relentless pursuit and third place with it's guaranteed Champions League spot is a deserved reward for the efforts of Robin Van Persie FC.

A team that until recently had Champions League aspirations of their own - in fact more than aspirations, expectations, is Liverpool.  Their 1-0 defeat to Swansea was largely buried amongst the other issues of the day, and arguably the team in 11th beating the team in 8th at home is no big reason to get excited.  But this represented Liverpool's 14th defeat of the campaign...14...that is just so far from being acceptable it is almost indecent.  Huge question marks hang over Anfield this Summer concerning the role of manager Kenny Dalglish, will he move 'upstairs', will he step aside, will the owners even go so far as to remove this great legend of the club?  Any other manager having delivered the utter dross that Liverpool have served up this season would be done for - this is a team that used to qualify for the Champions League routinely and have every other club in Europe fearing their name being drawn from the hat.  Now, what fear do they inspire?  Not enough, that's what.

Another fallen giant to suffer a humiliating defeat that was largely overlooked was Aston Villa.  Alex McLeish deserved the sack, without a doubt.  His results were nowhere near good enough, by rights with a mere 38 points Villa should have been relegated.  More than this though is the negativity, oh lord the negativity.  I'm not necessarily of the mindset that football is purely an entertainment choice alongside going to the cinema or bowling...I go to football to support the team first and foremost...but I also don't blame any single one of those Villa fans for demonstrating their unhappiness having sat through a season of that tripe. 

At least Villa avoided relegation, which is more than can be said for Bolton Wanderers.  The Sergio Aguero goal heard around the M62 would have been cheered just as loudly a bit further north in Bolton, if Owen Coyle's men had managed to defeat Stoke City.  The referee did them no favours in that game, and their 2-2 draw was not enough to overhaul QPR.  It's a shame for Bolton, a club that I like and one which I feel does bring something to the Premier League - they have been there long enough now to be something of a mainstay, but what this shows is that no club can ever afford to feel safe in this division.  I hope the reports of financial woes are overblown and the Trotters can come straight back up next season.

Two other results that I feel are worthy of comment but received little are the Everton defeat of Newcastle, and Wigan's win over Wolves.  Newcastle finishing on a low note is a real shame, as they deserve so many plaudits for the outstanding season they have had.  Mixing it up with the elite right from the off, I was not alone in predicting at the start that they would struggle...and then dismissing their early form as never going to last.  Last it did, almost right to the end, and to finish ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool is a quite fantastic achievement, even being in with a shot of 3rd right up until the final game.  Alan Pardew thoroughly deserves his award as Manager of the Year and it will be interesting to see what the Toon Army do over the summer with regard to the inevitable offers that will come in for their great and good.

Wigan as well deserve immense credit, their late season form has been nothing short of miraculous.  I have stated before my annoyance at their continued Premier League status - if their own fans don't care enough to turn up, why the hell should any the rest of us give a shit - but the dramatic run of their's demands recognition.  They live to fight another day and in my household the clashes with Southampton next year are going to be instant argument-makers.

All in all it's been one hell of a season, surely one of the most enjoyable and incident packed that the Premier League has ever served up.  It's a shame it's over but the fun does not stop on SubPlease...Later this week I'll be revealing the winners of the 2011/12 Subbies, so we can reflect back on some of the finest moments, goals, controversies, players and, yes, animal pitch invaders.