Blogging: A slight return

So here I am: back from my honeymoon which, as it happens, was my first extended break from blogging since I started this here blog. I spent a glorious three weeks in a land where everyone supports Manchester United. No, I didn't honeymoon in Godalming but rather Vietnam.

And what a lot has happened since I've been away. Some bad, some some sad and some beautiful.

The deaths of Gary Speed and Socrates were disturbing and upsetting in different ways. Many have written eloquently and touchingly about both men so I will not add words to those tributes - all I shall say is that both, in their own way, are embodiments of why I still love football.

The European Champions League group stage - so often derided as a convoluted process to ensure that the giants of European football get through to the knockout stage - threw up genuine stories. Manchester United, Manchester City, Porto, Valencia and Borussia Dortmund were all expected to get through to the next stage and happily didn't make it through. For the good of both the Champions League and the Europa League, some of those find themselves in the Europa League. It will be good to see Manchester United take on Ajax - that has a premium ring to it and should ignite interest in the Europa League.

It is also pleasing to see the likes of Apoel Nicosia, Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, and FC Basel (for now at least) find themselves in the next stage. It would have been joyous if Ajax had joined them. A change is as good as a rest and, this year, there is a change to the Champions League.

That both Chelsea and Arsenal have given us new narratives in the Champions League has added to the enjoyment of the season: the tedious AVB out stories were kyboshed by their perfomance on the Champions League whilst Arsenal's excellent performance in the competition has gone hand in hand with a resurgence in the league.

The draw for the European Championships seemed to be met with both positivity and negativity. Some thought the draw was easy, others thought it was too hard. I suppose I will take the goldilocks version and say that it is a fair group. It could have been better (France are a nightmare) and it could have been worse (France could have been joined by Portugal and Spain).

Wayne Rooney will now only miss two games at Euro 2012. I am delighted for him and for England. I still think it sets an appalling example for the FA to have fought this - particularly as they weren't so kind to Rooney earlier in the year when he swore down a camera.

Finally, Barcelona won the Club World Championships. Hardly a surprise but Xavi's touch, in the build up to Lionel Messi's first goal, was a thing of utter beauty. At points, as ever, Barcelona were dizzying and poor old Santos couldn't get near them. Too many commentators wrote off Neymar - who, I thought, had a good game given that his team barely had the ball. He is one of football's true creative geniuses and he'll be wowing the same commentators soon enough.

So there we are - barely any football discussed. Is Jones the new Hierro? Is Messi better than Maradona? Can Suarez recalibrate his shooting two inches? Is Silva the best player in the Premiership? Is Carrick still the most under-rated player in England?

Ah my pretties - we'll discuss all of those and many more in the coming days.

RCM