Inter, Champions League, Dowie

Looks like my prediction from yesterday's blog came to fruition in the big game at Chelsea last night, not in the score (I went for 2-2 aet) but in the realisation that Inter are no mugs. They played a superb game and thoroughly deserved to go through for me, Sneijder was outstanding, Eto'o and Milto always dangerous and they defended just as well as you would expect any Mourinho side to do. Despite his subdued touchline performance and absence at the final whistle, he'll be one smug bastard this morning, and as Gooner I really don't fancy getting them in the quarter final draw. He did a terrific job at Chelsea and it was probably his own success that cost him his job in the end, the expectations were lifted and anything other than perfection was not tolerated by Roman and the board. Sure he had a lot of money to spend, but there is something undeniable and infectious about his personality, you really get the impression that he and his players are like brothers, or something gay like that. While Inter march on, Chelsea are left to asses the damage of another season without that elusive European crown. Ancelotti is a good boss and speculation that he will be sacked is pretty unlikely, but if he ends the season without the league then the big impatient boss man might get a little trigger happy. Scolari only lasted 6 months, why would Carlo be any different? And then you look at the team - Terry, Lampard, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba, Deco - all these guys are/were great players but too many look past their best. Was this the last chance for these ageing superstars? I've long thought that they need some fresh faces in the club, get some talented youngsters in there, because the much lauded young academy has produced no-one of any note. Where do they go from here?

Inter join Lyon, Arsenal, Man Utd, Bayern and CSKA in Friday's quarter final draw, along with probably Barca and Bordeaux, who have to see off Stuttgart and Olympiakos this evening. That seems a distinctly unfamiliar looking lineup to me, we're so used to seeing Liverpool and Chelsea in the last 8. We have 2 sides and surprisingly France will be the others with 2 sides (come on Bordeaux, don't make me look foolish now...) and we miss the more traditional European giants in Milan and Madrid. With my Arsenal hat on, I'll say right off the bat I don't want to play Utd. I just hold no hope whatsoever that we can beat an English team over 2 legs, we've lost to all 3 of the big boys at some stage in the last 5/6 years. Inter and Barca would be the next ones to avoid, and then the dangerous Bayern, then the 2 Frenchies, which leaves everyone wanting to draw CSKA Moscow. The surprise package of the tournament this year, they impressively dispatched of Sevilla last night and got a draw at Old Trafford in the group stage. It will be a long away trip and playing a fresh team who have just started their season, but I'd rather have that on my plate than the Camp Nou.

Finally, it seems that Ian Dowie will be appointed the new Hull manager today in what is a completely unsurprising appointment. Dowie has hardly been much of a success since getting into football management, getting sacked practically everywhere he's been. For Hull it's a perfect scenario. I'd be gobsmacked if the deal was anything other than until the end of the season, where if they stay up they look like geniuses, and if the go down it's a quick (and cheap) cut and run job on Dowie, then they can spend the time bringing in a long termer like Southgate, Curbs or Coppell. Sneaky. Take her easy.