Stick to Telecom and United Preview

I woke up this morning expecting a quite pleasant Saturday full of food and football yet lacking in the nervousness that accompanies watching my team play. But very soon, Saturday turned sour. Firstly, it was and still is raining where I live. That's not supposed to happen. Its title may suggest otherwise, but Sunday is the time for rain, at least in my eyes anyway. But the second and more upsetting reason for my Saturday blues comes with the news that BT Sport have acquired sole rights to broadcasting the Champions League. And that sucks.

It may not be perfect, but the current set up for watching European football is one I quite enjoy. I don't have Sky so I can only view one Champions League game per week. That sounds bad at first but it does mean that when Arsenal are on telly, it's quite an event. I'll plan my meals in advance so I can dine in front of the TV with minimum mess. Then when the third ad break in fifteen minutes of build up (I said it wasn't perfect) finally finishes and that song kicks in, I'm really rather excited. At half time I get to see all the goals from other games and it being the World's premier club competition, those goals are often rather good. All in all, it's enjoyable. And of course, I get to watch the Arsenal.

But now times are a'changing. BT have paid around a squillion pounds and from 2015 to 2018, they will have a complete monopoly on showing European football. And seeing as I, like many other, do not have BT Sport, I won't be able to see nearly as many of Europe's big games. If I want anything at all, I'll have to sign up for something I don't want or need and to see the games that count, I'll have to pay. Perhaps I'm being melodramatic but this seems like a dark day for football followers in this country, akin to the time when the Premier League disappeared from the BBC altogether in 2001.

Luckily it's only a three year deal and you'd hope that ITV will do everything possible to regain their rights to these games when the bidding process comes around again. But those three years are going to be so, so dull. Des Lynam he aint, but I'd sure as hell prefer ITV's Adrian Chiles to Tim Lovejoy of BT Sport when it comes to presenting the Champions League. And just because they were good players, it doesn't mean that Jamie Carragher or Michael Owen are particularly good pundits. And Jake. Oh Jake. I loved you on F1. Please come back.

But that's a while away. I'll review my opinions when the finer details of BT's coverage come to light. In other news, we play Man United away tomorrow. Whichever way you look at it, it's a big game. It may not have the grudge factor that existed in the Ferguson era but it's still a fixture that means a lot to everyone involved.

Team news is fairly positive. Mathieu Flamini will play, barring any last minute alien abductions or injury inducing sneezes. I started this sentence with that aim of saying 'He'll slot in in place of...' but we've been playing in such a way that no-one had singled themselves out as a candidate to be dropped. If anyone has been slacking in midfield recently, it'd be Mesut Ozil and yet he's played a part in our crucial last two goals. He may be a bit of a luxury player at times, but his defensive work is not to be sniffed at and he will not be dropped for such a big game. He's too good.

I think we're classed as favourites for this game but it's hard to accept that tag. Yes we're on a fantastic run, especially away from home, but United have been settling at last in the month just gone and are starting to look ever so slightly ominous. Like a small tsunami picking up speed. Even so I don't think they will ultimately pose any risk to the Japanese coast. They're not a fantastic side but going to Old Trafford will never be easy, whoever's in the dugout. 

Speaking of United managers, it seems like Alex Ferguson's book is one great big wind up. He's rubbed just about everyone up the wrong way with his frankly ludicrous sense of self importance. Of course he was unrivaled in his success and I don't want to ignore United's trophy count during his reign but he was not the messiah. He built teams that won but could he claim to have ever claim to have created a truly brilliant side of the ilk of The Invincibles or Pep Guardiola's Barcelona? I'm not so sure. His teams never played great, great football like those two.

People he's criticised include his greatest captain Roy Keane, football's best known name David Beckham and our very own Aaron Ramsey who 'made the wrong choice' in turning down United. As Saj Chowdry of the BBC alluded to, a win would be all the more satisfying in light of those comments. Snippets from the book make it seem cringe worthy, so blindly arrogant Ferguson comes across.

In terms of how we line up tomorrow, I wouldn't expect major variation. Only Flamini returns and considering that he offers very little going forward, I think he may start from the bench. We'll be going out to win the game, as we have done on every occasion for nine months or so now and the fresh legs of Flamini at a later stage of the game, perhaps if we're holding a narrow lead, could be very useful. 

Anyway, I do think we have a good chance. And gloriously, we can't be deposed from top spot even if we suffer a horrific six goal loss and have a man sent off. But that doesn't happen these days.

Here's to a win and the imminent retirement of Tim Lovejoy from the public eye. For now.