By Paul Frederickson
THE GOOD
He has had a season of footballing hell, and I am sure that no one expected him to have the week that he has but dare we say it, Fernando Torres appears back on track. The former darling of Liverpool must surely be starting to win the hearts of Chelsea fans after scoring the sealing goal in the Champions League Semi-final against Barcelona mid-week. He maintained the fury over the weekend with a superb hatrick in the local derby versus strugglers Queens Park Rangers in Chelsea's 6-1 win. Worth every cent I hear some Chelsea fans say!
Honorable mention: Barcelona's resounding response to their Champion's League elimination, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 7-0 away at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas.
THE BAD
Tottenham Hotspurs were 11 points clear of fourth position, comfortably ensconced in the automatic Champion's League spot and then Harrygate took place. The manager of Tottenham, Harry Redknapp, faced court on charges of taxation fraud in which he was found innocent. If this was not enough of a distraction he was then linked, and continues to be, with the vacant England Manager role. Evidence of the distraction was Tottenham's one win out of their last nine since the speculation.
Now Mr Redknapp has received bad news with rising speculation that Roy Hodsgon may be edging him for the coveted England role. Luckily for Tottenham, even with the bad run, they won against Blackburn two nil over the weekend keeping their diminishing Champion's League hopes alive.
Bad news: Aston Villa are now well and truly in the relegation mud heap, casting doubts on Brett Holman's scheduled summer transfer.
THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY
They have been the perennial pin up boys of Asian football, but like every team at one point Japan's Gamba Osaka are rebuilding and the act of rebuilding has seen the team fall to unprecedented lows this season. The latest round of the J-League highlighted Gamba Osaka's plight as they were crushed five nil away to Kashima Antlers. One of the conceded goals is as funny as any of the zany Japanese game shows that are favored in Japan! Gamba Osaka are currently sitting in the relegation zone after eight matches, even this early in the season the alarm bells must be ringing.
What are your thoughts? What were your weekend's Good, the Bad and the Downright ugly?
