Not this season

Supporting Liverpool has been pretty much easy going for Ottawacker Jr. By that, I mean since he has been following the Mighty Reds, it has been pretty much unbridled success. Not for him the dark days of Hodgson, the end of the Houllier and Benitez eras, the slow-motion landslide towards administration under the Gillett and Hicks kleptocracy.

So today's failure to win the Premier League hit him a little hard - well, for a while, anyway. It was a tough one to swallow - but I, fortunately, have developed a foolproof system. As I explained to him post-match, it is not the disappointment that gets you - it's the hope. Remove all hope - and you remove much of the pain. Simples.

Except, of course, it isn't like that at all: it still is a huge disappointment. The difference is that I can intellectualize it and remain very proud.

Having been painted into a corner by much of Little England, this was an opportunity to come out swinging. We did, and fell just short. No shame in that. We' re still a proud Anglo-Celtic city/people - and would much rather be competing toe-to-toe with the financial dopers than not. You can't compete without losing every now and again.

So what about the winners? Well, Manchester City are an exceptional side and are worthy winners of the title. Well done to them. I'd like to see them compete on an even field though - which I suppose they do in the Champions League, in that each country's sportswashers/financial dopers/legal team are in it (i.e. PSG, Red Bull, Barça/Real Madrid, Chelsea, etc.) - and see what happens. I imagine it won't be too long till it all comes crashing down... although City's legal team seem to have more ability than UEFA's and the FA's.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Only the Champions League final left now in an epic season. And then I can get back to living.