Football Focus

[Alan Medic]

You beat Celtic once out of 4 this season in the league. I presume you won the league because you are better at beating crap teams. More experience of them I suppose!

[????]

"Avram Grant: Millwall Legend"...banner on plane over Wigan's ground. Cheers 'Wall....not long now ;-)

[SCSB79]

Ha ha - that old chestnut.. there are plenty other games, 34 to be exact that have to be taken care of to win the league.

Celtic took 7 points from us, we took 4 from them. When put like that is not really that big a deal in the whole grand scheme of things.

I'd take losing to them every league game if it meant we won the league in the end as ultimately that's the big prize.

[Alan Medic]

Actually I doubt very much you would. The SPL is not the big prize. Winning an old firm match is in Glasgow.

[SimonM]

The Premier League relegation battle is quite extraordinary this year. When did it last go into the final day with two relegation places still not settled and, in theory at least, the possibility of a team reaching 42 points and still going down?

Yes, the SPL is very much a two horse year after year. How very unlike our own dear Premier League eh? :))

[Atticus]

The difference being, only 2 clubs across the border have money and the spoild have been split between them. South of the border, Chelsea, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs have all spent a bucket load over the last few years, yet only two clubs have triumphed.

[Atticus]

Without trying to sound patronising, I feel very sorry for West Ham fans. They are a great club with real tradition and support, yet they've been worked over by very poor management, Karen Brady et al, you should be fired!

[SCSB79]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Actually I doubt very much you would. The SPL is

> not the big prize. Winning an old firm match is in

> Glasgow.

Ask MM if he is happy that Celtic got 7 points against Rangers this season and ended up in 2nd place.

I very much doubt he will say yes.

[Alan Medic]

Boy they do have class at West Ham. Sack the manager at full time when you are relegated. Tossers.

[malumbu]

Did anyone else hear the commentary on Radio 5 in the latter stages of the Wigan match, amazing stuff as both sides went full on for it and the commentators managed to get a great impression of this. It wont be half as good condensed into 10 minutes on MOTD tonight. Glad Simon picked up how fascinating the relegation battle is this year (much more interesting than winning the SPL, can't you guys use the thread that I started for you on this?). And when was the last time none of the prem relegation places were not decided until the last day? And who stayed up?

Continuing on the SE London theme, why the Millwall reference at West Am (OK they may not like West Ham, but they don't like anyone!) and who has that sort of spare dosh to pay for a light plane (apart from David Gower).

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Bad luck Quids. Still, we can have a few bets next season.

[Bluerevolution]

Truly am gutted for West Ham see you season after next.

Well, I have been quiet !

[????]

Maybe...I'm a *bit* worried about our finances.....I think we may be some time

5th time for me, I'm getting blase about the relegation thing

And despite being a forum confessed blubber....NOT FOR FOOTBALL (Bobby M allowed)

[maxxi]

To paraphrase "It's gotta happen every few years. Cleans out the bad blood." Pete Clemenza.

Your car Mr Grant... Oh driver? Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

[Jah Lush]

Good grief! We won at Anfield. That's a real rarity and one to be treasured. Are Liverpool now contriving not to get into the Europa League? We'll see about that. Spurs will probably lose at home to Birmingham next weekend to continue our poor run of results against teams in the lower half of the table.

[Sandperson]

19.

That is all.

:))

[Sandperson]

How did they get away with this?

Anfield Road End during YNWA:

Nice!

[murphy]

So who do you want to join West Ham? My choices would be Blackburn - idiotic owners, low crowds, and Birmingham - dour football. Wigan try to play good football, Blackpool have had a go and deserve another chance, Wolves - don't mind.

West Ham owners once again show real class by sacking Grant in the tunnel a couple of minutes after the game.

Congrats to City and Utd. Not the best Man Utd team, but maybe one of the stongest squads Utd have ever had, think I read somewhere that in 93/94 Utd won the title using 14 players and that this year it was 27.

Aresnal well and truly lost their nerve and imploded, might not even finish 3rd, time to buy a bit of character not just technical ability.

[mockney piers]

I quite like Martinez so would like to see them stay up and have never had much issue with Wigan.

Obviously given the choice Bolton, though the maths seem to be conspiring to deny me that one.

Yeah, I'd go along with Birmingham and Blackburn, mainly by elimination.

Blackpool stay for guts and style (if not resilience). Close between the brummy teams though as I can't stand McCarthy, but I think I'm just more indifferent to Birmingham's charms, manager notwithstanding.

[Bluerevolution]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> 19.

>

> That is all.

>

> :))

The average IQ of a ManUre supporter?

[kpc]

Having witnessed Birmingham's non-performance yesterday (which many are saying is the worst they can remember and there's a lot of bad games to choose from), I think we are favourites to go down. Regardless of the outcome at WHL on Sunday, I suspect it will be McLeish's last game in charge - at least there would be a kind of symmetry to this as his first match in charge was a 3-2 win at WHL. He has great dignity and character, but these characteristics do not win you points on the pitch. I will be sad to see him go as an individual, but the dire quality of the football speaks for itself.

Wigan will pick up points at Stoke who will just want the season over after Saturday and another game against Man Citeh tomorrow.

Blackpool will lose at Old Trafford and go down. Their open style of play is dictated by the fact that they do not know how to defend.

Oh well, the Championship and Europa League beckon.

[mockney piers]

"He has great dignity and character, but these characteristics do not win you points on the pitch"

Likewise Avram Grant. A pretty decent fella that, as quids says, was completely out of his depth. I have more issue with the management and directors than I do him. Firstly it was a weird appointment that most suspected would not work, and secondly they should have done something when the first point was obvious to everyone.

Oh well, Selhurst Park and 'life outside premiership' thread here we come....woo.

blimey if you google 'life outside the premiership' EDF is number one hit!!

['bout now]

Relegated yet again, I thought I might have been used to it by now but I'm not. What makes it so effing painful is that the root cause of this is Gold, Sullivan and Brady. I'm fed up of seeing Brady on TV and hearing about her column, fed up of Sullivan and Gold bleating on about how broke the club is and how they are doing us a favour by taking on such a "difficult" task. If you don't want to do it (and don't think you can trouser a load of cash in the process) then fuck off. Sacking Grant (months too late) was the act of a couple of venal tools, who no doubt had it written into Grants contract that any severance would not be paid should WHUFC be relegated. Nasty and shifty.

The silver lining? My new boss is the co-owner of Crystal Palace, so with any luck I might get a comfy seat at Selhurst Park next season.

Oh and well done United and City. Do you think City get the FA cup next year in a BOGOF deal?

[kpc]

Having experienced the Gold/Sullivan/Brady act at Birmingham, I think that relegation is actually part of the Gold/Sullivan business plan for cutting costs as this is the cheaper option for off-loading the higher earners at the club. But equally, they will want promotion back to the PL, but with a squad earning ?20-25k per week - and they will remind you on many occasions that this is over the top for the Championship and a sign of their commitment. They will also point out that they are "not taking any money out of the club" (ahem), all the time saying that they are seeking new partners to invest in the club alongside them.

I sympathise.

[mockney piers]

Cheers kpc. They are pretty nasty bunch aren't they.

This has made me chuckle.

1/3 Steve McLaren

7/1 Chris Hughton

7/1 Kevin Keen

9/1 Neil Warnock

10/1 Sam Allardyce

12/1 Slaven Bilic

14/1 Martin O'Neill

14/1 Brendan Rodger

I can only imagine one or two of those names (well one in particular) has been included for comedic effect.

Will Steve McLaren (heaven forbid) adopt an amusing mockney accent if he gets the job?]

Bilic would be cool.