What’s football without a good sing song? Absolutely nothing.
According to the media, footballers live like kings, cashing salary cheques the size of Neville Southall’s gut. But the real kings of the football ground are the terrace overlords who write the anthems that echo off the advertising hoardings like hymns off cathedral walls.
Brazil playing Italy at the Emirates on Tuesday was the best friendly for as long as memory serves. Media-bashing of these midweek matches has become commonplace but games like this bring balance to the argument.
Football, as a spectator sport, is surely best when skill is being showcased like it was by the South Americans during the first half.
Elano, Mark Hughes may have noticed, is a brilliant player. He scored the first of two special goals with his Eastlands team-mate Robinho adding a stunning solo second.
Out of the many facets of modern football there has almost always been a particular constant over the last ten years, and that is the regularity and on occasion ferocity of contempt aimed at a certain David Beckham.
Criticism and all round 'stick' has forever been linked with team sports, this is a part of what supporters bring to a live game. We can be very fickle at times, though, and as much as is taken in criticism by players and managers, it will usually be counter-balanced by encouragement and adulation.
Some people said the draw for the second round of the Champions League was an exciting one. The thing is, some people are idiots. The fact that many of the best teams were paired against each other only means that the latter stages will be bereft of the highest quality. Nowhere is this more apparent than the Manchester United-Inter Milan tie.
Both Man U and Inter look set to be deservedly crowned champions of their respective domestic competitions. Either way we will be denied one of the most exciting teams in the tournament in the quater-finals, with the loss of an array of attacking talent.
There was only one game in Portugal this weekend as Porto took on Benfica in front of a massive 50,110.
The Dragons and the Eagles began the match as the top two in the league and finished it as the top two, although Benfica will feel they were robbed of first place by one of the worst refereeing decisions of the season.