It's getting tight at the top

The run in to the end of the season seems to start earlier and earlier each year.

I'm not really complaining, after all, the excitement is intoxicating and it gives every game an edge and a sense of danger. But I wonder if it takes away from the beauty of the game?

I mean that in a sense it reduces the last third of the season to a nail biting experience where you are fearful of losing and relieved at winning. It's all about a point here and a point there, goal difference and holding ones nerve. And what happens is that the games get scrappier and scrappier.

We lose the beautiful, flowing games where the skill of the team translates into the kind of passing game that we all enjoy and love. Where creativity and fun seem to be as important as winning. Where winning is the just reward for playing well, and the manner of the victory is still important.

Maybe I'm supporting the wrong team, maybe Wenger has got it right and is more interested in playing beautiful football than winning trophies.

Nah, bring on the grinding one nil victory and bring on the Premiership Trophy.

How to defrost a freezer the quick way

Just thought I'd pass on this tip.

Next time you want to defrost your freezer, start by arming yourself with a desk fan. Any size will do,but something like 9" is ideal. Then, when you have emptied everything out of it and switched the power (or pressed the defrost button) put the fan in front of the open freezer, and switch it on.

That's it.

A heavily frosted freezer will take approximately one hour to complete, so make sure you keep on top of emptying your water collection vessel.

The fan keeps pushing warm air into the freezer which melts the ice, without this airflow the air stays cold which keeps the ice cold.

Simple, but very effective.

Is Minecraft the most addictive game in the world?

Apparently, yes.

My three children, 12, 11 and 7 years old, the older two boys, cannot stop playing with it. It starts 1st thing in the morning with the first one up asking to get on Minecraft, then the others one after the other. Bizarre. The threat of taking it away from them is enough to guarantee good behaviour.

They all have their own worlds, but equally play together or on their own. They are constantly building new houses,underground world, flying spaceships, extensive waterworks of canals and pools, cottages, castles, theme parks and mazes.

All of this in the simplest of games, with the simplest of rules.

So, move over Angry Birds Minecraft probably is the most addictive game in the world.

A games that had everything

Hats off to Chelsea this evening for their triumph in the Champions League knockout stage against Napoli.

It was a game that had it all really, what I consider to be one of those great nights of European Football.

Chelsea, having lost fairly comprehensively away from home in the first leg, but getting the valuable away goal. A new (temporary) manager and a few blips in their home league form. Napoli coming here knowing that they would probably need a goal to settle things. Controversy surrounding Chelsea's senior players who having been out of favour with their last manager have been accused of undermining him to get him sacked, and who have now been restored to the starting lineup.

And the match didn't disappoint. A slow start by the home side, who looked like the away side for the first 20 minutes or so. Chances for Napoli that went begging. Brought to life at the half hour mark by a superbly worked goal for Drogba getting in front of his defender to head home. Game on.

Who else but Chelsea Captain John Terry gets the second from a cheaply won corner. At this point Chelsea are through. So Napoli come back at them and get their just rewards with a cracking volley that makes it 2:1 on the night and 3:4 on aggregate. Napoli in ascendency now.

Chelsea respond in kind and win a penalty courtesy of a handball in the Napoli box, up steps Frank Lampard (another of the senior players) and he smashes it past the keeper 15 minutes from the end to make the tie all square at 4 all.

By now the game had lost all shape and the play sureged from end to end, with no-one able to break the deadlock. At full time it was still a draw, so we went into 30 minutes of extra time.

And the drama wasn't over either as John Terry was off, and both teams went for it as they had nothing to lose. It swung on way, then the other until from a cross from Drogba is crashed into the net by Ivanovic and it's Chelsea ahead again.

Sustained pressure from Napoli after that, but Chelsea doggedly hold out and are through to the last 8.

And, breathe in, breathe out and relax.