THE Football Association got what they wanted but it did not quite rise to the occasion did it?

I am talking about the first FA Cup Final at the new £757 million Wembley Stadium of course between the so-called top two sides in English football and what a dire spectacle it turned out to be.

Don't get me wrong Wembley looked fantastic but the match itself bored me to tears. Both sides looked content to just sit off each other and wait for their one opportunity, and in the end Chelsea nicked it in trademark fashion.

United particularly disappointed me. I have always respected Sir Alex Ferguson for the attacking style of football he gets his team playing but last Saturday that was virtually non-existent. Cristiano Ronaldo never really got into the game and only Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes posed any threat.

As for Chelsea, they disappoint me more and more every time I watch them. People used to say George Graham's Arsenal side used to be painful to watch but Jose Mourinho's Blues are not too far away from topping them.

Yes they get results but after spending hundreds of millions of pounds you would have thought they would be able to provide a little bit of entertainment at the same time.

I feel sorry for the poor fans that spent their hard-earned cash to attend the historic occasion. As for all the dignitaries who sat behind the two benches and did not return to their seats until five or ten minutes after half-time - shame on you!

I know it was a bad game but their actions were disrespectful both to the fans that could not get tickets and wanted to go, and the competition itself.

o o o ANOTHER big final this week came in the Champions League where Liverpool lost 2-1 to AC Milan.

I had an inkling that the Italians would come out on top and the match just further proved how desperate Liverpool are for more quality in the final third.

Dirk Kuyt is decent but their other forward-thinking players are clearly not good enough to lead the Reds to a Premiership title.

Jermaine Pennant shows flashes of excellence but needs more consistency, Harry Kewell spends most of his time in the treatment room and Boudewijn Zenden, Peter Crouch, and Craig Bellamy are average.

On the positive side for Reds' fans, Liverpool are solid at the back and very strong in midfield. Xavi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard provide a fantastic combination in the middle of the park, especially when the Englishman is given more freedom to go forward.

All the Merseysiders need now is a bit of pace and guile on the flanks and a top-class striker to break the stronghold of Manchester United and Chelsea.

o o o TOMORROW I will be travelling to Wembley to watch Yeovil Town take on Blackpool in the Coca-Cola League One play-off final.

Having reported on them for four years, it is hard not to still have a slight soft spot for the Glovers, who always treated me well and helped give me such great experience in regards to my career.

The Somerset outfit is a role model for other clubs to follow and its achievements over the last few years have to be respected.

However, I cannot help but approach tomorrow with a bit of trepidation. Although I will be delighted for the good people who work at the club if they win, I cannot help but feel concerned about the consequences.

The step from non-League to League Two and then League One is big but nowhere near the size of the stride from League One to the Championship.

It would be sad to see the Glovers go up, only to struggle to punch above their weight and go into free-fall. I am sure I am not the only one concerned about this and that the club's fantastic board of directors is already putting plans into place to guard against such an occurrence.