With more than a third of the season left to be played, it would be wrong to suggest the Premier League title is anywhere close to being concluded.
While I very much agree with those saying the crown is now Arsenal’s to lose, the other horse in this race happens to be Manchester City, which means there is always room for a big twist in the tale.
However, while the title race does have some life left in it, I think most neutrals will agree with me when I say the real, arse-clenching excitement is taking place further down the league.
While the title race does have some life left in it, the real, arse-clenching excitement is taking place further down the league
In what looks like it could well become one of the most surreal relegation battles of all time, no less than nine teams are in with a realistic chance of earning themselves a ticket to the Championship for next season.
In 11th place and with a comfortable 38 points, we have Aston Villa, who will absolutely not be going down. But from that point though, it is anyone’s game, with just a handful of points separating Crystal Palace in 12th and Southampton at the bottom.
By this stage of the season you would traditionally have one, if not two, teams that look doomed; a couple of clubs who have given up the ghost and are merely biding their time until their relegation becomes a formality.
And then you would have another three or four teams fighting not to join them in swapping the glitz of the top flight for slightly less glamourous fixtures against the likes of Rotherham United and Plymouth Argyle.
This season, however, there are no certainties for the drop. In fact it is very much a case of any three from nine. And I mean ‘any’. Because if you take a look at those nine threatened teams, there isn’t a single one you can point at and say ‘oh, they will probably survive’.
The bottom section of the table really is a smorgasbord of inconsistency and mediocrity. Some are pulling off much-needed and unexpected wins, only to go on to lose their next game against a team they could and should be beating. Others are seemingly in freefall, like four-defeats-in-a-row Crystal Palace and one-point-from-15 Leicester City.
In fact, instead of the gap between 12th and 20th widening in recent weeks, it has actually got tighter to the extent that a couple of wins in a row for Southampton could easily see them leap from bottom to top of this particular pile; while Palace or Leicester, given their current form, could soon be propping up everyone else.
This unprecedented tightness is only serving to make things all the more fascinating, which is why I think many of us will be keeping a keener eye on the relegation battle than the title race as the season reaches its climax.
I’m not even going to contemplate which three of this unremarkable bunch are going to be making the drop because, as I stated earlier, they all have more than enough potential to jump on the relegation bandwagon.
One or two may go on a little run over the next couple of months and pull themselves a clear of the pack. But equally I wouldn’t be surprised if the battle goes down to the wire with six or even seven teams fighting for survival come the last day of the season. Maybe even all nine.
Now I want that to happen...
Caps off to Cristiano
Last Thursday night, Cristiano Rolando became the most capped male footballer in the history of the international game.
The 38-year-old legend made his 197th appearance for Portugal in their 4-0 win over Liechtenstein, scoring twice in the process.
That really is a remarkable achievement that deserves a huge deal of respect whether or not you are a fan of the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star.
As the player has expressed his desire to play for his country as long as he is wanted, and given that new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has insisted age is no barrier to selection, you would imagine appearance number 200 is only round the corner.
And from there, well, only an idiot would bet against him pushing on further and further and hitting a landmark that may well never be beaten.
Cap number 250 may be out of reach, but then again, given the player’s incredible levels of fitness and passion for playing, you can never say never.
Do the right thing, Glazers
As the Glazer family sits back to consider the bids they have received for Manchester United, they need to do one thing more than anything else – think of the fans for once in their generally selfish lives.
From the day they took over the club, the Americans have been hugely unpopular custodians of this proud British sporting institution, milking it for their own benefit at every available opportunity.
Now they have a chance, a final chance, to repair some of the damage they have done by ensuring that any deal doesn’t only line their pockets (which it inevitably and unavoidably will) but also leaves the club in the right hands.
That means not in the hands of anyone looking to engage in a little light sportfishing. And not in the hands of a person or entity that is only interested in United as a money-generating beast.
The new owners of this club should only be interested in ensuring it is as successful on the pitch as humanly possible while simultaneously being run sensibly and with financial stability in mind.
If any sort of deal does go through (and let’s not forget there is always the possibility the current owners may decide to hold on to their prized asset in the hope it continues to appreciate) the Glazers are going to come out of it with a disgustingly huge pile of cash to stuff under their respective mattresses.
So instead of taking the deal which works best for them on a pocket-lining basis, they should take the deal which works best for the club and its vast army of loyal supporters.
If that means the Americans walk away with a few hundred million less than they could have made, then so be it.
Who am I kidding? They are going to milk the Red Devil cow for every last cent, aren’t they?
Qatarchester United it is then.
E-mail: James@quizando.com
Twitter: @Maltablade