Weekend review - what we know and what we don't

This weekend has officially confirmed a few things we already knew in the world of football. Burnley will be relegated, Rangers will lift the SPL trophy and Wayne Rooney has been the best player in the Premier League this year. But there are also many more scores to be settled before we wrap up this season and look forward to the World Cup.

Rooney was always going to win the PFA award and rightly so. I personally thought it was wrong that Florent Malouda wasn't nominated but then I realised that the other nominations were just to fill in space and it didn't matter who else was shortlisted because Rooney was always going to win. The Manchester United man has been fantastic and as an England fan I can only hope that his fitness gets better in time for the tournament and that he plays like he has been for Man Utd.
I found it strange that Milner won young player of the year, not because he didn't deserve it but because it feels like he'd been around for years!

Burnley's fate was sealed at home to Liverpool yesterday, but in reality it was a foregone conclusion, maybe from when Brian Laws was appointed manager, although chairman Barry Kilby admitted he was dealt a bad hand. And it all looked so rosy when they beat Man Utd 1-0 in August.

Hats off to Rangers for winning the SPL. Walter Smith's men ran away with it and showed once again that organisation can triumph over free flowing football, the kind that Mowbray brought to Celtic before he was sacked. We'll find out who will win the next Organisation vs Pretty Football showdown when Barcelona play Inter on Wednesday.

Congratulations must go to Norwich and Bournemouth after getting promoted from League 1 and League 2 respectively. Who would of thought it after Norwich's 7-1 defeat first game of the season and Bournemouth's financial ruins last campaign? But Paul Lambert and Eddie Howe have both done brilliant jobs and good luck to them next season.

What's not yet confirmed but is certain barring a miracle, is that Hull, who lost at home to Sunderland on Sunday, are relegated and taking a financial mess down with them. Iain Dowie didn't really stand a chance and I'm not sorry to see them go and I don't think most neutrals would be either. They lost all their box office when Phil Brown went, although there is still a chance that he could be back again. I'm pleased West Ham will stay up because they are a club with a rich history who deserve to be in the top flight, plus they have a footballing genius for a manager. Nice touch when Scott Parker led the players in a hug with Zola after his goal on Saturday. A nod must also go to straight-talking Mick McCarthy and Wolves as well, looks like fielding a poor side against Utd worked, I don't agree with today's calls that Wolves can push for silverwear now though.

What of course is not done and dusted is the title race and the race for fourth. Stoke did not have a Kalou at Chelsea, who weren't flattered by seven goals and Tottenham could not keep up their run at Old Trafford, leaving it all to play for on Sunday. Questions have been raised about whether Liverpool would lie down for Chelsea to stop Utd getting an unprecedented 19th league title and maybe Steve Bruce would do the same for his old manager, but let's be honest, it's a professional game and that won't happen. Look at Liverpool v Blackburn in 1995, they won 3-0 on the last day and Blackburn only won the league because Utd couldn't beat West Ham.
Liverpool have got their own prize to play for anyway, with fourth place very much open up. Tottenham are in the box seat but still have Man City to play while Villa, fresh from a stroke of luck that reignited some Old Firm flames yesterday, also have City in the run in. Liverpool would have wanted to quietly go about their business but that won't happen as Chelsea travel to Anfield Sunday lunchtime.

Its another big one next week, but there's some Champions League semi-finals first, where English football fans can sit back and relax and enjoy what will hopefully be some fantastic football.

JT