One of the bitterest pills to swallow this season

Having watched last night’s Champions League semi final, the fact we went out last round is even more frustrating. Watching Lyon capitulate at home to Bayern only leaves you thinking what could have been and in this case the likely answer would have been a third straight Champions League final.

I will take nothing away from Bayern Munich as they do actually have a better team than I thought but as good as their squad is luck has played a huge part in them reaching the finals this season. I could be here all day describing every moment where fortune has favoured them from offside goals to soft red cards.

And of course the first thing anyone will say is we had our fair share of luck in the Champions League especially with John Terry missing his penalty in the 2008 final but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept.

As lucky as Bayern have been we were equally at fault for letting them get past us, from Gary Neville’s hand ball that lead to Ribery’s deflected free kick to Evra’s lack of concentration in allowing Olic to score in the dying minutes of the first leg.

I still maintain that if Rafael had remained on the field we would have seen the game out and made it through to play a mediocre Lyon side but we were as much at fault for Bayern winning as they were.

Next season I hope these momentary lapses in concentration will not play such a major effect and that in watching Bayern steam into the final, the team will be fired up to get to the next season’s final next themselves.