EPL Talk » West Bromwich Albion

Premiership Final Day Preview

Paul Bestall — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:44:09 +0000

Ready For Sunday then?

So, how’s your nerves? Sky Sports News have today been running an article about stress relief for fans for Sunday. Tips included having a hot bath, avoiding alcohol and meditating to stay relaxed in the build up to the final round of matches in the Premiership. Which will be no help to any of the fans who’s nerves are probably already shredded about Sunday. For the first time in the UK, we’re going to have 4 games broadcasted from the Premiership simultaneously with streams coming in from Hull, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham, which worries me about the potential for an RSI based injury.

The trapdoor to the Championship is wide open, beckoning 2 teams to join West Bromwich Albion in relegation despair. Poor WBA, such lovely football, but no cutting edge, what they’d give for a 15 goal a season striker, it would have made all the difference to such a good football side as daft as that sounds. At 6pm, we will know which of the four candidates will have joined them, with each team’s destiny entirely in their own hands, but for Middlesbrough, it just looks too big a job.

Turning around a 5 goal deficit on Hull City, couple with a Newcastle defeat, is the Boro’s only hope. It’s not impossible to imagine Manchester United putting 3 past Hull, but to win 2-0 at West Ham? That’s a tough ask for most sides, but is it impossible to achieve? Come the last day, nothing would surprise me anymore. Can a team who’ve only scored 27 goals get at least 2 away from home and hope that results in two other games go their way?

Most eyes are going to be on the K>C Stadium, to see exactly which team Ferguson sends out to face Hull City. I’m annoyed by the accusations of a “weakened” Manchester United side taking the field, a side that will probably feature Neville, Ferdinand, Nani, Fletcher,Giggs and Tevez. Disgraceful isn’t it to pick such inexperienced players as those. It’s a side track issue that shouldn’t be even a discussion point; all of those players would walk into every other side outside the top 4 without question.

Newcastle need to worry about themselves at Villa Park, if they don’t win then it could possibly not matter. They have to win and hope for the best, but it’s a massive ask of a team that has only won 2 games this year. Defenders are dropping like flies, Owen isn’t fit, Andy Carroll is definitely out and a couple of youth team players may be on the bench. It all looks hopeless, yet I can’t condemn them fully, something just won’t allow me to say they’re down. It looks impossible but with all of the potential relegation sides in such poor form, it’s too close to call.

Finally, Sunderland, who have just drifted into this situation from seemingly nowhere. Keane walked out when he was rightly questioned over his signings by the majority investor, Ellis Short, over just what value for money they were getting. When someone pays £6 million for Teemu Tainio, you’ve got to ask questions haven’t you? Of all the sides at the bottom, they’ve spent the most, yet got worse so have the most to lose in my opinion, by being relegated some Sunday.

I’m going to be here all the way through on Sunday, so if you can’t get to watch any of the games, hopefully you’ll join us here on epltalk.com, and I’ll try to keep pace with events for us all. Let’s hope we’ve we have a fantastic last day and may the best teams stay up!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Join the live blog on Sunday at 10:45am ET/3:45pm BST for the Premier League finale hosted by Paul Bestall. Celebrate the final day of the relegation battle with one eye on the television set, and the other eye on your computer as you participate in the online experience with football fans from around the world.

Sunderland’s Defeat Sets Up Sensational Sunday Showdown

Paul Bestall — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:52:07 +0000

All they needed was a win to make sure they were free of being dragged in to the final day relegation battle against a side guaranteed Premiership Football for next season but Portsmouth proved a bridge too far for Sunderland. They will now go in to Sunday’s final round of matches knowing whatever happens they have to match Newcastle United and Hull City’s results come 6pm to have any chance of survival. It sets up a tremendous day that gives us a parallel with the final day of the 2006-2007 season when Shefffield United, West Ham United or Wigan Athletic were set to be relegated depending on the results.

Thankfully as far as I’m aware we won’t be having any legal challenges after the final whistle this season but I won’t be counting my chickens just yet. Whilst we will miss anything like the titanic clash between Sheffield United and Wigan on the final day, we know now that 3 matches will have a direct effect on the Premiership relegation issues. Someone will go down to join West Bromwich and Middlesbrough, unless Middlesbrough put 4 past West Ham at Upton Park and Hull and Newcastle United lose.

The interesting thing here now is that we could face the fact that the powers that be will be now be faced with showing 3 games simultaneously as events unfold in Hull, Birmingham and Sunderland. God knows what they’ll do if Middlesbough do go 2 goals up against the Hammers.

The permutations that could effect the final day seem to be most I’ve seen since the Premiership started back in 1992 and I can’t honestly say who will stay up. I’m going to try and work out who needs what for Sunday.

So Middlesbrough will survive if Hull and Newcastle lose and they win as well as making up the 4 goals they need on Hull City.

Newcastle will stay up if they win or draw and Hull City lose.If Hull draw, they need to win.

Hull will stay up if they match Newcastle and Middlesbrough’s results, regardless of the score.

Sunderland will stay up if they match Newcastle and Hull’s result.They will be relegated if they lose or draw and Newcastle United and Hull City win.

Ok, so have we got that then? Form wise it’s hard to separate the 4 teams above West Bromich either.Based on the each of the 4 sides last ten games, it’s tough to see any of them winning on the final day, but ironically, Sunderland and Middlesbrough’s only win in the last ten was against Hull City. Newcastle’s only win in the last ten games was against Middlesbrough and Hull’s only win was away at Fulham.

Newcastle United Last 10. W1 D3 L6 F 7 A15 7 Points
Middlesbrough Last 10. W1 D3 L6 F7 A19 7 Points
Hull City Last 10. W1 D2 L7 F5 A13 6 Points
Sunderland Last 10. W1 D2 L7 F4 A 16 6 Points

Going on that form you’d have to say that it wouldn’t beyond the realms of imagination to see all 4 sides lose on the final day and stay exactly where they are. Whilst I doubt that scenario could happen, days like this are what keeps us coming back for more. I wish the fans of all 4 sides the very best of luck and may the best, or least worse side stay up.

Keep your radio’s at your ears, get the mobile phone fully juiced and make sure if you’re at the game you’ve a reliable friend sat at home who can tell you exactly what’s happening at any ground at any given time.For the rest of us lucky enough not to be involved, I just hope we have a cracking day and we’ll see exactly who will be playing Premiership football next season at 6pm Sunday.

Newcastle United Begin To Make Excuses Already

Paul Bestall — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:48:20 +0000

Why do managers always complain about opponents resting players on the last game of the season? Alan Shearer became the latest to ignore 37 games in a season when he admitted he was worried that Manchester United and Chelsea will rest players for the last round of Premiership matches. Yes they’re playing Hull City and Sunderland, Newcastle’s relegation rivals, but the Geordies aren’t 3rd bottom out of bad luck.

They’ve been dreadful all season, in fact it’s a miracle they’ve managed to take it to the final game. Forget Middlesbrough and Southgate’s insipid “it’s not impossible” comments over the weekend. Boro are down and Southgate has to hold his hands up and take the blame, completely out of his depth, Saturday’s crowd of 27,621 said it all about how the Boro fans felt towards him. There is one place left in the relegation battle and it’s going to come down to one of 3 teams, Hull City, Newcastle United and Sunderland.

Surely Shearer must realise how foolish he sounds, clutching at straws after Newcastle’s worst season since 1988-1989, which also saw them relegated out of the top flight. Manchester United could play 11 clowns against Hull City and lose, but it won’t cover up the fact that Newcastle have been dreadful all season. By saying he’s worried about who United pick on Sunday, it just sounds a little bit silly. They’ve a Champions League final 3 days later, they’ve won the Premiership again, so why not let a few squad players have a run out. It’s not like they’re going to play 11 players who will be making their debuts in the Premiership is it.

The conspiracy theorists are already unpicking the relationship between Sir Alex Ferguson and Phil Brown, looking at the fact they actually are good friends and Ferguson helped Brown get the managers job at Derby County. That Shearer turned Ferguson down twice as a player, that another of Fergie’s mates, Sam Allardyce, also Phil Browns mentor, was crudely booted out by Newcastle United. Add in to that the derision that Manchester United fans have towards Newcastle and Shearer’s media friends are having a field day.

All this seems to miss out the fact that Newcastle will still have to get something out of Sunday’s game, have won 2 games in 19 and only taken 12 points this year. After beating Middlesbrough last week, they returned to form by losing to Fulham, who are 7th. Some fans were disgusted they could have lost to Fulham, but I suggest they look at the league table.You’ve won two home games in 6 months Newcastle, so how they thought they’ve beat high flying Fulham is beyond me. Yet they travel to Aston Villa, a side managed by one of Alan’s buddies, who are dreadful form themselves. Will Shearer be complaining if Villa field a weakened side? Of course he won’t but his supporters in the media will overlook that fact.

By beginning to make excuses already, Shearer is perhaps readying the fans for Sunday and the underlying fact that relegation is 90 minutes away. A win on the road is something Newcastle can just about remember, but they’ve only done it twice this season, at Portsmouth and at West Bromwich. Forget the conspiracy theories, this is a side who have only beaten the two teams below them this year.

A side that goes into Sunday’s game with 3 defenders, a club with only one left back who’s injured, with no players who’s contracts includes terms for wage reductions if they’re relegated, a side with a midfielder so dislikable even his reflection looks away.With no real sell-able playing assets, no bright youth system and the transfer kitty looking empty already, relegation could destroy Newcastle United.

The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter who plays in the last game of the season, it’s how you’ve done over 38 games, not the last one. Newcastle may yet stay up, but if they don’t, it’s because they’ve not been good enough over the whole season and not Sundays final 90 minutes.

A Game Neither Newcastle United Or Middlesbrough Can Afford To Lose

Paul Bestall — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:10:48 +0000

When the fixture list was released back in June 2008, no doubt the fans of both Newcastle and Middlesbrough hadn’t a thought that they’d be facing a six pointer to try and save their Premiership survival with today’s clash. Yet here they are, staring down the barrel of relegation with West Bromich coming up close behind and it would seem a choice between any three from 5 clubs.

Defeat tonight for either side could condemn them to relegation with the only hope of Sunderland and Hull City’s continual free fall to even give them a glimmer of hope for staying up. Hull City, West Brom and Sunderland will be hoping for a draw, both the Boro and the Magpies will be desperate for a win. The form book shows that between them, they’ve gathered 6 points between them in their last 6 games, 4 for Boro and 2 for Newcastle. In a nutshell, both sides are showing relegation form and a win for either side seems a bridge too far.

A draw would seem to be the obvious result, but wouldn’t benefit either side. Newcastle’s remaining games are against Fulham, chasing European competition, at home and then an away trip to another side in dreadful form, Aston Villa. Middlesbrough have Aston Villa at home, then travel to West Ham United who have hit a blip at the wrong time both on and off the field.

Honestly though, if I had to hang my hat on either side getting anything tonight, you’d have to fancy Middlesbrough. Sure they’ve been bad this season, but they’ve had a fair run of bad luck and haven’t really got the results that some of their performances deserved. Newcastle have been simply awful all season, a side bereft of fight, tactics and performances and don’t look like they’d be able to beat an egg at the moment. If Newcastle go down, they’ll not return to the Premiership for a long time, Boro at least have some assets that they can cash in on to try and regenerate the side for a promotion push. Let’s not forget that Newcastle United do not have any player on a contract reduction clause and their biggest playing assets are all out of contract in the Summer. Leeds United part two beckons for the Geordies if they fall through the trap door.

This is clearly the biggest Tyne-Tees derby in almost 20 years, but financially, this is the biggest derby in both clubs history. The pressure and the fear that the league table shows the players every time they see it will be playing on every single players nerves, making sick to the pit of their stomach. Those kind of nerves can destroy even the best of players. Newcastle United players will be hoping the club haven’t given them any free flags, after the curse of the flags in last weeks Champions League Semi-Finals.

The Geordie and Boro fans are both sounding downbeat about their chances of winning tonight, though thankfully certain Newcastle fans who keep claiming the Premier League needs Newcastle United in it seem to have got quieter and quieter as the realisation of reality has finally sunk in. Both sides are full of overpaid, under performing players, but maybe tonight someone can finally give their long suffering fans some value for money probably in a red shirt.

EPL Great Escapes

Tom Mallows — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:45:01 +0000

It’s that time of year again, where nerves are shredded, nails are bitten and the relegation trapdoor gets ever closer.

But for those fans of teams at the bottom of the EPL there is hope.

I had a dig round the archives and have found some examples of teams who looked dead and buried, but somehow found Premier League salvation.

Feel free to add your examples – I would be interested to hear your experiences of ‘great escapes’.

But for now here is a few I found (in no particular order!):

Everton 1993-94
A 3-0 defeat to Leeds the previous week had plunged Everton into the drop zone and Mike Walker’s men went into the last game of the season at home to Wimbledon knowing that even a win might not be good enough.
Things got worse for the Toffees when the Crazy Gang went 2-0 up after just 20 minutes. Everton battled their way back to level terms through a Graham Stuart penalty and a Barry Horne stunner, but with nine minutes of the season to go they were still down.
Salvation arrived however in the shape of former Chelsea man Stuart, who sidefooted home his second of the game to save the Blues and condemn Sheffield United, who were losing at Chelsea, to the drop.

Oldham 1992-93
Joe Royle’s Oldham had to win three games in seven days and hope either Crystal Palace or Sheffield United lost their last two fixtures in order to stay up. The problem was that the first of those three games was away to Aston Villa, who had to win to keep their title challenge alive. Oldham stunned Ron Atkinson’s men by grabbing the only goal which handed Man United the title and gave them hope of survival.
When a resurgent Sheff United won at Everton on the Tuesday, the survival battle was down to two – Oldham or Palace. A day later Royle’s men beat Liverpool 3-2 at Boundary Park, while Palace drew 0-0 at Manchester City – setting up a last day scrap. If Oldham won and Palace lost, Oldham were safe and Palace were down. On the final day Palace lost 3-0 away at Arsenal meaning a win for Oldham over Southampton would see them safe. It would become an early Premier League classic which swung either way but one that Oldham eventually triumphed 4-3 – despite Matt Le Tissier grabbing a hat-trick. Oldham were back from the brink while Palace were down and stunned.

West Brom 2004/05
The Baggies defied the odds in 2005 by becoming the first-ever Premier League side to be bottom at Christmas and avoid the drop.
An excellent performance and point at Old Trafford in the penultimate week of the season set up a last day decider where three out of four sides could go down. Even then The Baggies knew a win might not be enough and began the final day in the relegation zone. They claimed a 2-0 win over Portsmouth at The Hawthorns thanks to goals from Geoff Horsfield and on-loan Kieran Richardson. Elsewhere Charlton’s late 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace relegated The Eagles and defeats for Norwich and Southampton also condemned them to the drop.

West Ham 2006/07
In a season dogged by controversy West Ham somehow avoided the drop thanks to a last day win at over Man United at Old Trafford. But that isn’t the only story. The controversial signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano the previous August broke Premier League rules over third party ownership yet the Hammers avoided a points deduction. With Alan Pardew’s men staring relegation in the face Tevez proved the inspiration for a late surge of form which dragged them to safety and relegated Sheffield United, who lost 2-1 at home to Wigan on the last day. The Blades later sued The Hammers, claiming the illegal signing of Tevez was the main reason they stayed up at their expense. The claim was later settled out of court with West Ham agreeing to pay compensation.

Coventry 1996/97
Going into the last game of the 1996/97 season, Coventry were sitting in the final relegation spot of the Premiership and travelled to Spurs needing to win. Goals from Dion Dublin and Paul Williams gave The Sky Blues a 2-0 lead before Paul McVeigh’s effort on the stroke of half-time reduced the deficit. The hero of the day though was veteran ‘keeper Steve Ogrizovic who made some fantastic late saves as Coventry held on for the win which kept them up and relegated Sunderland

Everton (again) 1997/98
Everton once again found themselves needing a result on the last day against Coventry to keep them up. Needing to better Bolton’s result against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge them Toffees made the perfect start when Gareth Farrelly half-volleyed home from 25 yards. Dion Dublin’s late header made it a nervy finish at Goodison but two late goals for Chelsea condemned Bolton and kept Everton up on goal difference.

Fulham 2007/08
Fulham looked destined for the drop after a 3-1 defeat to Sunderland at the start of April. With three out of their four remaining games away from home, and the home clash being against Liverpool, the writing was on the wall – especially as Roy Hodgson’s men hadn’t won away from Craven Cottage since September 2006.
But three away wins, at Reading, Man City and Portsmouth on the final day, completed a miraculous escape, sending Reading and Birmingham down instead.