Barcelona give the Reds the Blues... again.

Aston Villa crashed out of the Europa league in consecutive seasons to Rapid Vienna, and during their second conquest of Villa Park a banner was unveiled which more aptly describes the situation at Wembley last night: 'The Nightmare Returns'. Despite lining up with only two natural defenders in their side, Barcelona limited United to a sparse collection of half-chances, one of which was taken emphatically by a mercilessly Wayne Rooney, who like so many of Sir Alex's players can hold his head high and positively state that he gave all he had to give. The first half was an even contest between two well matched sides, the current Kings of European football lost their shape and conceded possession more times in one forty-five minutes than they had all season. For the first time weaknesses were exposed, particularly down the right flank guarded by a reluctant Alves against a rampant Partice Evra. Park and Giggs began to dominate the midfield battle and until Pedro's sucker-punch opening goal Vidic and Ferdinand looked comfortable with the task which faced them.

Nobody can criticise United's willingness to attack and determination as a unit, but the quality of Barca's finishing was majestic. Having been a revelation this season at Old Trafford, Javier Hernandez crashed back down to earth as his apparent inability to stay onside allowed a second half onslaught, and the Catalan front three grabbed all the goals with Messi and Villa adding to Pedro's first half slot. Messi's genius apparently has no bounds in a Barcelona shirt, and even the tactical mind of Ferguson failed to deliver an answer to the little Argentine conundrum. His goal was the pick of incredible moments, and Pepe Guardiola can take plaudits for restoring order to his side at half time with Xavi and Iniesta dictating the pace allowing Messi to drive forward from deep. Although there were some rather exaggerated statistics on ITV's coverage of the game which claimed that Barcelona had 16 attempts of United's goals, at least half of which must be fictional, any suggestion that they did not dominate the second half is futile. United lost their legs after an hour of non-stop pressurising and chasing the 'Nightmare' around, and when players with the calibre of Giggs and Fabio are substituted because of sheer tiredness and strain on their bodies, the opposition must be pretty special. Barcelona did not look at all phased by the Wembley occasion as they stepped onto the pitch led by the great man Xavi, who has tamed every midfield of the whole host of European giants which Barcelona have left lying in their wake. United won't stop until they have ended the Nou Camp  dynasty, and the final was an amazing advert for European and English football. Despite a few rolls and rants from game spoilers such as Busquets and Mascherano, Barcelona won it the right way, if there is such a thing. Their fluent, fluid attacking football and patience in possession was like a footballing dream, and with such a display it is difficult to imagine when their European rivals will wake up from the Catalan 'Nightmare'.

So ends another year of Premiership madness, the best in years if we can all look beyond the nostalgia of the past. First a few words for the unlucky ones among the top twenty, the sides who by hook or by crook will face the tiresome test of the Championship next season. The seasons' entertainers, Blackpool with their fluid and entertaining football were sadly found wanting on the final day of the season in the Theatre of Dreams, or the Theatre of unfulfilled nightmares for so many vising fans. Charlie Adam's wand of a left foot and Ian Holloway's unshakeable determination to take the fight to the Football Association won the hearts of so many, and surely all of us have an endearing memory of the Tangerines after such a fantastic year. Birmingham on the other hand represent the other side of the coin. This years Carling Cup winners showed the suffocating defensive impregnability of a top half side, but their lack of fire power came at the price of a season outside of the nation's top flight and an ultimatum to one of football's good guys Alex McLeish. For West Ham one has to feel even more sympathetic. An upholder of tradition, and advocate of attractive football, under the stewardship of Avram Grant and the watchful gaze of Gold and Sullivan, the club has gone to rack and ruin after promising so much. Suddenly the question has radicalised from 'will we be able to fill the Olympic Stadium' to 'Will we get much for Scotty Parker' and 'Is there really any integrity left at Upton Park' in light of Avram Grant's disrespectful dismissal in an unused room at the DW Stadium.

The DW Stadium, such a contrast in terms of ownership and history. A club that by its own admission does not have an appropriate fanbase to support such status, yet year upon year with the backing of a fine Chairman in Dave Whelan, Wigan just always dodge the bullet. The work of Charles N'Zogbia at one end and the exploits of Ali Al-Habsi at the other keep the Latics in the Premiership for a seventh consecutive year. Martinez's men so nearly stayed in Britain's top divison at the expense of Wolves, who encapsulated their own season on the final day by doing their level best to throw their own Premier League status away against fellow relegation candidates Blackburn. Under exciting new ownership, Blackburn were disappointed to find themselve scrapping for survival on the last day of the season, but their physical prowess came good in the concluding stages and in truth they were too strong for the sides in chase. Thankfully for Wolves their performances in the West Midlands stood them in good stead, taking 11 points out of a potential 18 from Villa, Blues and Albion, the highlight for them coming in the penultimate showdown at Molineux with a 3-1 victory against West Brom. WBA in their return season experienced stared motionlessly into the abyss in January 2011, and Roberto Di Matteo felt the force of the relegation threatened Chairman. Fortunately for the Albion, the gamble proved to be the best decision taken by a top flight side all year, with successor Roy Hodgson avenging his own Liverpool hell by leading the Hawthorns side to 11^th in the table. Hodgson however left his own successor Kenny Dalglish with no more desirable situation than the one he inherited in West Bromwich. Kenny, the King of the Kop led Hodgson’s bottom half outfit, with a little help from Uruguayan genius Luis Suarez to 6^th in the table, and the Anfield side lost their momentum just in time to avoid the poisoned chalice of the Europa League. However, despite the fairest side in the England’s best efforts to get themselves disqualified, it is Fulham who find themselves drafted into the second string UEFA competition under the management of Mark Hughes, who has quietly gone about his business at Craven Cottage since his dismissal from Eastlands. Fulham will of course be joined by another team with a manager on a mission; Tony Pulis has been eager to prove that his side had been unfairly labelled a route one band of thugs, and what better way that to lead them to an FA Cup Final?

Despite a fantastic season, Stoke were beaten by a merciless Man City side, whose manager Roberto Mancini registered his first trophy in English football. But goodness couldn’t Mancini do with a player like Mancini himself? Had it not been for City’s negative, unconfident approach in the first half of the season, we may well be here discussing an even more memorable rise to second of first in the league. Similarly we must move to North London for two sides who have under achieved for the exact opposite reason. Spurs can blame their inspired Champions League run for an eternity but it was their defence which sold a fabulous attacking side short, and as for Arsenal, the writing is on the wall for Wenger should he once again refuse to invest in his own weak defence. Arsenal as always have shown flashes of brilliance this year, defeating both European Cup finalists at the Emirates and proving that Robin van Persie is the most dangerous striker in the Premier League today after his return to fitness this calendar year. This accolade once belonged to two strikers now applying their trade (badly) at Stamford Bridge; Didier Drogba has spent the entire season looking as if he has eaten a wasps nest for dessert, whilst Fernando Torres looks like a man trying in vain to justify a £50 million price tag. In truth, second place to Manchester United is no shameful feat given the experience of Sir Alex, Giggs and Scholes, the fortress like spirit of Ferdinand and Vidic, and the potency of Rooney and Hernandez. United have the opportunity to prove their worth having been criticised profusely throughout the season in a Champions League showdown against Barcelona.

We must however consider who are the real winners of this rollercoaster season? The answer is of course Everton and Bolton. The only two sides who have neither over or under achieved, do not have a ridiculous European campaign to prepare for over the summer, and may well be about to make a windfall on replaceable players such as Baines and Cahill, due to the desperation of the elite sides to bolster their soft-boiled defences. And who are the real losers? It’s difficult to call any side about to face another Premier League season a loser, but Aston Villa will feel that 6^th place to 9^th is a retraction from European hopefulness to mid-table mediocrity, even though the season has been used productively to bring through a number of talented youth prospects. Sunderland will begrudge Villa for the signing of Darren Bent, although Steve Bruce is bound to enjoy spending the fortune this summer on a strike partner for the revelation Asamoah Gyan and seeing a number of first team players return from injury. Finally, Sunderland’s North East neighbours face their own striking crisis, and have an equally full bank account after the astronomical sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January 2011. The second season after their shock exit from the Premier League may prove to be a vital one for Newcastle; will they once again challenge the cream of English football, or will they kid themselves into believing that they are too big for their boots, and potentially suffer the same fate as last year’s over-achievers Birmingham City?