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I am not a prophet - nor would I ever claim to be one. I am, however, a passionate and concerned supporter of the game who can't help feeling the wrong team is celebrating.

 

Three men are chiefly responsible for Chelsea becoming champions of England. They are Carlo Ancelotti, Didier Drogba and Simon Beck. If the final name on the list is unfamiliar, it should be. Yet Mr. Beck's role is as important as any of Drogba's Golden Boot winning 29-goal haul.

 

Allow me to refresh your memory. In my blog of April 5, I bemoaned the fact Drogba's blatantly offside winning goal against Manchester United was allowed to stand. Simon Beck was the assistant referee who, unbelievably, failed to raise his flag.

 

Wrong decision by the assistant

 

Of course - now you remember! Chelsea's win at Old Trafford put the Blues in the driving seat with five games to go. "What if they pip United to the title by a single point?" I wrote at the time. Both teams won four of their five remaining matches. The rest is the latest chapter of Premiership history.

 

Beck and match referee Mike Dean were swiftly removed, temporarily, from EPL duties for their crucial error. I'm sure both have also been removed, permanently, from Sir Alex Ferguson's Christmas card list.

 

Don't get me wrong. I am no fan of United, nor of Ferguson's outspoken criticism of match officials. I believe they have a job to do and generally execute those duties with efficiency under incredible pressure. Lest we forget, without them there would be no game at all.

 

If we believe all teams must take the rough with the smooth, let's accentuate the positive. Ancelotti should be rightly praised for achieving what no one except The Special One could manage. To win the EPL title at the first attempt in a foreign country is a magnificent feat.

 

Many believed the Italian tactician would bring with him a defence-first style from Milan. Nothing could be farther from the truth. His team racked up an incredible 103 goals - dwarfing the 72 scored by Chelsea in each of Jose Mourinho's title winning years.

 

On six separate occasions Chelsea hammered opponents by at least a five-goal margin. Drogba led the line superbly but was ably supported by Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. Was Chelsea that much better, or were they simply playing less able opponents?

 

The answer, inevitably, is somewhere in between. My overriding sense, however, is that outside the top ten the Premier League was stocked with relegation candidates. The fact that four clubs comfortably avoided relegation with less than 40 points illustrates the point.

 

Those who went down were hopeless cases. Burnley never had the quality to survive more than one season anymore than Hull City was going to escape a second time. Portsmouth's disgraceful mismanagement sealed their fate but Pompey was doomed even without the docking of points.

 

Spurs claim 4th place

 

The big winners, other than Chelsea, were Tottenham. Spurs won the 'other' race for fourth place and a shot at Champions League football next season. The battle for the coveted spot was in some ways more exciting than the two-horse race at the top.

 

In the final analysis, Tottenham deserved the prize. Late season victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City kept their rivals at bay, but I believe City will be a major player next term. The dominance of the Big Four has finally been broken and the game can only benefit as a result.

 

The big losers, without question, were Liverpool. Twelve months ago Rafa Benitez' team ran Manchester United a close second but this season has been a disaster. Failing to progress beyond the Champions League group stages and finishing a distant 7th is well below expectations.

 

The ramifications, I believe, are only just beginning. Benitez will surely move on to pastures new as will some of his biggest stars. Fernando Torres is looking forward to a successful World Cup campaign with Spain. Will he really have the appetite to play for Liverpool in the Europa League next term?

 

Perhaps - if he was playing for Fulham. Special praise for Roy Hodgson who has demonstrated what can be achieved on a relative shoestring budget. Guiding the team to EPL stability is one thing. Inspiring his players to the Europa League Cup Final is a minor miracle.

 

Every team could benefit from Hodgson's steady hand. Perhaps even Newcastle United, which is on the way back after just one season away. One hopes the Magpies have learned their lesson - no team is too big to be relegated from the world's most competitive and most watched League.

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