For Manchester United fans everywhere.

Not to gloat too early about having pipped Arsenal to the head of the league table for a few hours!

Thankfully Arsenal thrashed Everton with one man down on Saturday but it was amazing how quickly a one point lead got to the head of the Man United coach, talking about how his team had the edge because of the number of goals they had scored. It will be amazing if Arsenal win the league with such a new side this year of course. On paper Man U have the better and certainly the more expensive team but it is going to be a great race in 2008 with at least four teams capable of making it, but it will probably be between the two greats of Man United and Arsenal this year.

Less financial crowing from the UK

Hard to believe or even remember maybe but this year started with the UK boasting about how it was the world’s top financial centre than to its not too regulated regulation, and has now ended with its sad government having to guarantee a cool 56 billion of deposits after the first run on a bank in the UK since the 19th century. There is more gloom to come and Malta will be affected, its tourism and its property market too, or at least the over supplied bits of it, and the litter of flats at Lm60,000 which are over priced by a third.

For the oil companies some more caution

Well, we have amazingly nearly reached that 100-dollar a barrel threshold, and yet certain oil companies did not do as well as hoped. BP’s profits went down massively due to leaks in Alaska et al and also had to pay over 300 million dollars to authorities in the United States for manipulating the US propane gas market or so it was alleged. Their once celebrated chief executive Lord Browne also had to go and his successor is about to start pruning. It is going to be a painful year for many employees in many supposedly top companies this year.

For many celebrities, and not just Man United players, to show a little more etiquette

Britney Spears for some very laddish behaviour in 2007, but hopefully she will put her problems behind her this year and put herself and her children on an even keel. The gorgeous Amy Winehouse and her husband really went to the brink this year too. Charlotte Church’s boyfriend showered passengers on a train from Cardiff with alcohol and four letter words and he is to be in court in January. Kiefer Sutherland is spending Christmas behind bars. On a more positive note from the man who said he is not in football for the money on the farewell show of Parkinson, and castigated aspiring footballing child hopefuls for only thinking of how much they would earn if they were successful in football. David Beckham treated his three sons to a personal delivery of their Christmas gifts from the UK’s top Santa impersonator. The cost was 250,000 pounds.

To make our detention centres much, much more humane

If the Daphne article is all true and immigrants don’t even get supply of socks, shoes et al we really are an embarrassment as a nation. A tsunami hits and we send out thousands. A tiny wave of poverty on our front door and we treat people like animals, worse really. I think all our political classes and the Church together should be a lot braver next year and work together to show up how embarrassing we are as a nation in this regard. It is sad that we are encouraging ignorance instead of eliminating it!

For the Americans not to start any more wars

Thankfully the British are slowly withdrawing from Iraq, but Afghanistan is boiling up again. Bush rumbled on about the threat from Iran and seems to be itching for an excuse to attack but the real danger is in Pakistan. The assassination of Bhutto is very, very scary for us all in the Western free world. If the terrorists get hold of a country with nuclear weapons then we really the picnic is over. The plight of Pakistan should worry us all.

For ex husbands and wives to behave with more dignity

The wife of Paul Mcartney and countless others are making marriage look like a gold digger’s paradise. No wonder marriages are on the decline. And one remarkable lady is trying to grab her husband’s fortune even though they signed a pre nuptial agreement that neither would because both were wealthy. Her grounds...wait for it...because he had undeclared funds. No what millionaire doesn’t? Thierry Henry, former Arsenal star, left his ex model wife with two fifths of his 25 million fortune. I wonder what she is planning for 2008? And who says looks don’t help?

And for partners everywhere to do the same…be role models for a little more dignity, less bitching and more sobriety wherever in the world you hail from

Kylie Minogue survived breast cancer and unnecessarily rebranded her lover from her rock to her love rat. Kate Moss finally kicked out bad boy Doherty. Timberlake dumped Diaz, we think, and all over the world love which makes the world go round continued to be the news item which most of us are fascinated by. So wishing you all a lot of love and loving in 2008, but be careful of those Russians! British courts are filling up with claims from wives who try to take their husbands fortunes after very short internet initiated marriages. Perhaps that is why in divorce free Malta men are not so cautious. No divorce means no easy pay offs!

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