Two goal records were broken this year, one for a specific player, and one for a league as a whole. Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid broke the single season goal record for La Liga in only his second season at Real Madrid. The previous record was 38 goals in one season. Going into the last game, Ronaldo had tied that record. After scoring two goals in the last game of the season (Real went on to win 8-1), he moved up to 40 goals. So overall, he scored 40 goals in a 38 game season. That is quite outstanding, averaging more than 1 goal a game. Plus, you have to think about the fact that he didn't play in all 38 games. I'm sure in the future, we'll continue to see outstanding things from this man.
Another record broken in the last week of a season, except now we move the England. In the Premier League, there were 1,031 total goals scored this season after Week 37. With one week left, the record of 1,060 was most assuredly in reaching grasp. But for the record to be broken, there had to be an average of 3 goals scored in each game. With only stoppage time left in most of the games, 29 goals had been scored. That meant with only stoppage time left, they had tied the record. But, the Premier League has been very exciting this year, and this was no different. 3 goals in stoppage time gave this season a total of 1,063 goals. The final goal of the season was Roman Pavlyuchenko's winner against Birmingham City which is famous for something else as well. This goal gave Birmingham a loss instead of a draw, which ultimately led them to the relegation zone, and back down to the Championship. The Premier League was extremely exciting this year, and I'm looking forward to it being even more entertaining next season.
So, this poses a question, what led to so many goals this season? Is it a lack of defense, or has attacking power grown to be unstoppable? What do you think? Let me know!
Showing posts with label EPL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPL. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Ancelloti No Longer a Blue!
Roman Abramovich made the decision that Ancelloti can do nothing more for Chelsea F.C. After winning no silverware this year, and barely finishing 2nd place, Roman decided that Chelsea needed a new manager. Carlo Ancelloti has just finished his second year as coach of Chelsea, which is the longest a coach has been there in recent years.
In the 2009/10 season, Ancelloti led Chelsea to a double, winning the League and the FA Cup, something they had never done before. They won the league scoring over 100 goals. Didier Drogba, Chelsea striker, received the Golden Boot and Petr Cech, Chelsea goalkeeper received the Golden Glove. The 2009/10 season was very successful for the club.
During the summer, Chelsea let go of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, Juliano Belleti, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, and many more. They brought in only four players to counter all the releases, bringing in Yossi Benayoun, Ramires, and others. In my opinion, this is where Chelsea's downfall began. This is where the domino's began to fall. By letting go of three key midfielder players, and only bringing in two, they lost a man in their depth at midfield. And what happened mid-season? Yossi Benayoun suffers a major injury, as well as Frank Lampard. Now, you really wish you still had the hustler Joe Cole, the powerhouse Ballack, and the crafty Deco.
Over the winter transfer window, Roman brings out the big bucks. He buys Benefica defender David Luiz and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. So far, and this post was written the day Ancelloti was let go, Torres has scored one goal in a Chelsea jersey. David Luiz has scored more goals than he has. Now, I'm not doubting Torres' abilities, the man is absolutely amazing. However, I for one believe that it will take time for Torres to become comfortable with the Chelsea attacking style. Chelsea likes to hold possession and make their goals as fluent as possible. Liverpool were very "jerky", and when Torres was healthy, much of their attack was giving him the ball in either a long ball or through ball and letting him do his thing.
Now, I'm 100% sure that either Chelsea or Torres will tweak their style just a little to accomodate the other effectively and precisely. If Torres can effectively use the other amazing players that help him on the attack, they will be unstoppable. However, this syncing did not happen in the 4 months he's been there, and no one should have expected it too. Now, he's got a long summer, and this will give them time to slow down, and become accustomed with each other as a team.
It seems as if things simply just "went wrong" for Carlo this year. Injuries, and a lot of missed chances failed to give Chelsea any silverware this year. However, no one should forget the high points of Chelsea's season.
Up until Week 15, Chelsea was in 1st place. After a winless six weeks, they dropped as far as 5th. They bounced between 5th and 4th up until Week 28. 5th place...a week later, 4th place...2 weeks later, 3rd place...4 weeks later, 2nd place. In Week 36, they had the chance of the season to secure the Barclay's Premier League title. But, they were stopped short by Manchester United, and the title went out of reach. Prior to that game, they were on a 10 game non-losing streak, and a 6 game winning streak. Chelsea F.C. overall have a good season, but it just wasn't quite enough, and they decided a managerial change was in order.
Next season, I don't believe Chelsea need to spend a lot of money. One quality midfielder will do the trick. They have a lot of youth coming back from loans (Mancienne, Kakuta, Sturridge) and should look forward to next year, and simply look back at this season as a "bump in the road".
Ancelloti did a fabulous job as Chelsea's manager, and I wish him luck in wherever he plans on going next.
What do you think on Chelsea's season and the removal of Ancelloti?
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| Ancelloti will no longer coach Chelsea FC |
During the summer, Chelsea let go of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, Juliano Belleti, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, and many more. They brought in only four players to counter all the releases, bringing in Yossi Benayoun, Ramires, and others. In my opinion, this is where Chelsea's downfall began. This is where the domino's began to fall. By letting go of three key midfielder players, and only bringing in two, they lost a man in their depth at midfield. And what happened mid-season? Yossi Benayoun suffers a major injury, as well as Frank Lampard. Now, you really wish you still had the hustler Joe Cole, the powerhouse Ballack, and the crafty Deco.
Over the winter transfer window, Roman brings out the big bucks. He buys Benefica defender David Luiz and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. So far, and this post was written the day Ancelloti was let go, Torres has scored one goal in a Chelsea jersey. David Luiz has scored more goals than he has. Now, I'm not doubting Torres' abilities, the man is absolutely amazing. However, I for one believe that it will take time for Torres to become comfortable with the Chelsea attacking style. Chelsea likes to hold possession and make their goals as fluent as possible. Liverpool were very "jerky", and when Torres was healthy, much of their attack was giving him the ball in either a long ball or through ball and letting him do his thing.
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| Fernando Torres Chelsea Striker |
It seems as if things simply just "went wrong" for Carlo this year. Injuries, and a lot of missed chances failed to give Chelsea any silverware this year. However, no one should forget the high points of Chelsea's season.
Up until Week 15, Chelsea was in 1st place. After a winless six weeks, they dropped as far as 5th. They bounced between 5th and 4th up until Week 28. 5th place...a week later, 4th place...2 weeks later, 3rd place...4 weeks later, 2nd place. In Week 36, they had the chance of the season to secure the Barclay's Premier League title. But, they were stopped short by Manchester United, and the title went out of reach. Prior to that game, they were on a 10 game non-losing streak, and a 6 game winning streak. Chelsea F.C. overall have a good season, but it just wasn't quite enough, and they decided a managerial change was in order.
Next season, I don't believe Chelsea need to spend a lot of money. One quality midfielder will do the trick. They have a lot of youth coming back from loans (Mancienne, Kakuta, Sturridge) and should look forward to next year, and simply look back at this season as a "bump in the road".
Ancelloti did a fabulous job as Chelsea's manager, and I wish him luck in wherever he plans on going next.
What do you think on Chelsea's season and the removal of Ancelloti?
2010-11 English Premier League Wrap Up
Manchester United won their 19th Premier League title in the 2010-11 season. With this title, they pass up Liverpool for the most titles in English history. Chelsea F.C. finished second, which wasn't good enough for them and so, they let go of their Italian manager, Carlo Ancelloti. Manchester City finished third, only behind Chelsea on goal difference, and Arsenal finished fourth. These four teams qualify for Champions League football next season. Tottenham Hotspur finished 5th and qualify for Europa League play.
Birmingham City, Blackpool, and West Ham have all been relegated from the Premier League, the three teams that will take their place are QPR, Norwich City, and one of the following: Swansea City, Cardiff City, Reading, or Nottingham Forest.
Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City each scored 20 goals this season, the most of any players. So no one received the Golden Boot this year. Nani, also of Manchester United had the most assists with 18.
The PFA (Proffesional Football Association) awards for this season are as follows:
Player of the Year: Gareth Bale, Tottenham
Young Player of the Year: Jack Wilshere, Arsenal
Fans Player of the Year: Raul Meireles
Team of the Year:
Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)
Defence: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Midfield: Nani (Manchester United), Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere (both Arsenal), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
Attack: Carlos Tévez (Manchester City), Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)
The FWA (Football Writer's Association) awarded their Footballer of the Year award to Scott Parker, West Ham.
Barclays Premier League Awards are as follows:
Golden Boot: No one (Berbatov and Tevez each scored 20 goals)
Golden Glove: Joe Hart, Manchester City
Player of the Year: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
Manager of the Year: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
The Fair Play Award has not yet been awarded.
I'm very much looking forward to next season, and I can't wait to see if all of the teams that vow to win the League next season can step up their game over the summer and give Manchester United some challenge.
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| Manchester United; Champions of England for the 19th time |
Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City each scored 20 goals this season, the most of any players. So no one received the Golden Boot this year. Nani, also of Manchester United had the most assists with 18.
The PFA (Proffesional Football Association) awards for this season are as follows:
Player of the Year: Gareth Bale, Tottenham
Young Player of the Year: Jack Wilshere, Arsenal
Fans Player of the Year: Raul Meireles
Team of the Year:
Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)
Defence: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Midfield: Nani (Manchester United), Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere (both Arsenal), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
Attack: Carlos Tévez (Manchester City), Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)
The FWA (Football Writer's Association) awarded their Footballer of the Year award to Scott Parker, West Ham.
Barclays Premier League Awards are as follows:
Golden Boot: No one (Berbatov and Tevez each scored 20 goals)
Golden Glove: Joe Hart, Manchester City
Player of the Year: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
Manager of the Year: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
The Fair Play Award has not yet been awarded.
I'm very much looking forward to next season, and I can't wait to see if all of the teams that vow to win the League next season can step up their game over the summer and give Manchester United some challenge.
Friday, May 20, 2011
My Prediction at EPL Final Table
- Manchester United 78
- Chelsea 74
- Manchester City 69
- Arsenal 68
- Tottenham 62
- Liverpool 59
- Everton 52
- Fulham 49
- Stoke City 49
- West Brom 49
- Bolton 47
- Sunderland 47
- Aston Villa 46
- Newcastle 45
- Wolves 43
- Blackburn 40
- Blackpool 40
- Birmingham 39
- Wigan 39
- West Ham 33
Fighting in the rest of the Table: EPL
Not only is the relegation zone going to come down to the final match, but many other places in the table will be decided on the final game of the season. Here's a breakdown of the rest of the teams (excluding the teams fighting against relegation; those reviewed in the previous post) and their potential spots following Gameweek 38.
1 Manchester United: (Home vs Blackpool)
Manchester United have secured the title after drawing with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in Week 37. They lead Chelsea 6 points going into the last weekend.
2 Chelsea: (Away vs. Everton)
Chelsea cannot pass Manchester United to become champions. However, Manchester City statistically still have a chance to move into second. Chelsea lead them by 3 points and have a +12 goal difference better. So, in order for Chelsea to drop to 3rd, Manchester City needs to win, Chelsea need to lose, and in one game, Manchester City needs to gain 13 more goals on goal difference then Chelsea. For example, Chelsea needs to lose 6-0, and Man City needs to win 7-0.
3 Man City: (Away vs. Bolton)
Manchester City have a mathematical chance to hop to 2nd place (explained above), but it is very unlikely. The real thing to worry about is Arsenal who are behind them by only one point. Manchester City need to win to secure 3rd place. Anything else could potentially drop them to 4th.
4 Arsenal: (Away vs. Fulham)
Arsenal are far clear of 5th place Tottenham, and can only go up from the last week. They trail Man City by one point. Arsenal cannot lose if they want to go up a place. Winning, and anything but a Man City win will advance them. Also, if Man City lose, and Arsenal draw, Arsenal will become 3rd place on goal difference.
5 Tottenham: (Home vs. Birmingham)
Tottenham have no chance in catching 4th place Arsenal. Liverpool trail them by one point. If they win, they will secure 5th place, and Europa League football. Anything else will give Liverpool a chance to hop ahead of them.
6 Liverpool: (Away vs. Aston Villa)
Liverpool are in the same situation as Arsenal, except with Tottenham. A win would be ideal, but it can be done with a draw. They lead Tottenham on goal difference, so if Tottenham lose, and Liverpool get some sort of points, Liverpool will take 5th place.
7 Everton: (Home vs. Chelsea)
Everton cannot catch 6th place Liverpool. However, Fulham trails them by 3 points. So as long as Everton takes points from their next game against Chelsea, they will secure 7th place. Fulham leads Everton on goal difference, so a loss will give Fulham a decent chance at hopping over them.
8 Fulham: (Home vs. Arsenal)
Fulham have a chance at catching Everton as explained above. But they only lead Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two points. Also, they only lead Newcastle and Aston Villa by three points. As long as Fulham win, they will secure 8th place. Even drawing will give them a very good chance at keeping their place. All of the other teams have atleast a 7 goal less goal difference, so goal difference should go in their favor if it comes to that.
9 Stoke City: (Home vs. Wigan)
Stoke City are two points behind Fulham. A victory, and a Fulham loss will boost them ahead of them. Stoke have the same amount of points as both Bolton and West Brom. Also, Newcastle and Aston Villa trail by one point, and Sunderland by two. If any of these teams acquire more points then Stoke this week, they will advance ahead of them.
10 Bolton: (Home vs. Manchester City)
Bolton trail Fulham by two points. A win, and a Fulham loss will boost them ahead of them. However, 4 teams are within two points of them, plus Stoke are only ahead of them on goal difference, which is one goal more. Any teams below Bolton gaining more points then Bolton, will give them a very good chance of advancing past them. And Bolton are playing Manchester City, which will be a very tough opponent.
11 West Brom: (Away vs. Newcastle)
West Brom are tied with Stoke City and Bolton on points, but trail on goal difference. They're ahead of Newcastle and Aston Villa by one point, and Sunderland by two. A victory will secure atleast 11th place, and they have a chance to rise a few places in the table if things go right for them. A draw or loss is unpredictable, and they could drop as low as 14th.
12 Newcastle: (Home vs. West Brom)
Newcastle trail Fulham by three points. They trail Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two points. They lead Aston Villa on goal difference, and lead Sunderland by one point. A win will secure them atleast 12th, and could potentially rise them to 8th. A draw or loss could go anyway, and they could drop as low as 14th.
13 Aston Villa: (Home vs. Liverpool)
Aston Villa trail Fulham by three points, Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two, and Newcastle on an 11 point goal difference. They lead Sunderland by one point. Aston Villa can secure 13th place with a win, and could potentially raise them to 8th. A draw or loss is unpredictable, and could lower them to 14th. If they draw, and Sunderland draw or lose, they will stay at 13th.
14 Sunderland: (Away vs. West Ham)
Sunderland do not have to worry about dropping places, they lead Wolves and Blackburn by 4 points. However, with a victory, they could potentially go up the table as far as 9th place. It's very unlikely, but possible. They only trail Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two. They trail Newcastle and Aston Villa by one.
SUMMARY: Teams in parenthesis are teams that could get that spot
1st place - Secured (Man U)
2nd place - (Chelsea and Man City)
3rd place - (Man City and Arsenal)
5th place - (Tottenham and Liverpool)
7th place - (Everton and Fulham)
8th place - (Fulham, Stoke, Bolton, West Brom, Newcastle, and Aston Villa)
9th thru 14th - (completely up for grabs between Fulham, Stoke, Bolton, West Brom, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sunderland)
15th thru 19th - (completely up for grabs between Blackburn, Wolves, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan)
20th place - Secured (West Ham)
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| Sir Alex Ferguson will be delighted to receive the Title once again |
Manchester United have secured the title after drawing with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in Week 37. They lead Chelsea 6 points going into the last weekend.
2 Chelsea: (Away vs. Everton)
Chelsea cannot pass Manchester United to become champions. However, Manchester City statistically still have a chance to move into second. Chelsea lead them by 3 points and have a +12 goal difference better. So, in order for Chelsea to drop to 3rd, Manchester City needs to win, Chelsea need to lose, and in one game, Manchester City needs to gain 13 more goals on goal difference then Chelsea. For example, Chelsea needs to lose 6-0, and Man City needs to win 7-0.
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| Roberto Mancini, manager of Man City Qualified for Champions League, and won FA Cup this season |
Manchester City have a mathematical chance to hop to 2nd place (explained above), but it is very unlikely. The real thing to worry about is Arsenal who are behind them by only one point. Manchester City need to win to secure 3rd place. Anything else could potentially drop them to 4th.
4 Arsenal: (Away vs. Fulham)
Arsenal are far clear of 5th place Tottenham, and can only go up from the last week. They trail Man City by one point. Arsenal cannot lose if they want to go up a place. Winning, and anything but a Man City win will advance them. Also, if Man City lose, and Arsenal draw, Arsenal will become 3rd place on goal difference.
5 Tottenham: (Home vs. Birmingham)
Tottenham have no chance in catching 4th place Arsenal. Liverpool trail them by one point. If they win, they will secure 5th place, and Europa League football. Anything else will give Liverpool a chance to hop ahead of them.
6 Liverpool: (Away vs. Aston Villa)
Liverpool are in the same situation as Arsenal, except with Tottenham. A win would be ideal, but it can be done with a draw. They lead Tottenham on goal difference, so if Tottenham lose, and Liverpool get some sort of points, Liverpool will take 5th place.
7 Everton: (Home vs. Chelsea)
Everton cannot catch 6th place Liverpool. However, Fulham trails them by 3 points. So as long as Everton takes points from their next game against Chelsea, they will secure 7th place. Fulham leads Everton on goal difference, so a loss will give Fulham a decent chance at hopping over them.
8 Fulham: (Home vs. Arsenal)
Fulham have a chance at catching Everton as explained above. But they only lead Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two points. Also, they only lead Newcastle and Aston Villa by three points. As long as Fulham win, they will secure 8th place. Even drawing will give them a very good chance at keeping their place. All of the other teams have atleast a 7 goal less goal difference, so goal difference should go in their favor if it comes to that.
9 Stoke City: (Home vs. Wigan)
Stoke City are two points behind Fulham. A victory, and a Fulham loss will boost them ahead of them. Stoke have the same amount of points as both Bolton and West Brom. Also, Newcastle and Aston Villa trail by one point, and Sunderland by two. If any of these teams acquire more points then Stoke this week, they will advance ahead of them.
10 Bolton: (Home vs. Manchester City)
Bolton trail Fulham by two points. A win, and a Fulham loss will boost them ahead of them. However, 4 teams are within two points of them, plus Stoke are only ahead of them on goal difference, which is one goal more. Any teams below Bolton gaining more points then Bolton, will give them a very good chance of advancing past them. And Bolton are playing Manchester City, which will be a very tough opponent.
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| Peter Odemwingie West Brom's Star Striker |
West Brom are tied with Stoke City and Bolton on points, but trail on goal difference. They're ahead of Newcastle and Aston Villa by one point, and Sunderland by two. A victory will secure atleast 11th place, and they have a chance to rise a few places in the table if things go right for them. A draw or loss is unpredictable, and they could drop as low as 14th.
12 Newcastle: (Home vs. West Brom)
Newcastle trail Fulham by three points. They trail Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two points. They lead Aston Villa on goal difference, and lead Sunderland by one point. A win will secure them atleast 12th, and could potentially rise them to 8th. A draw or loss could go anyway, and they could drop as low as 14th.
13 Aston Villa: (Home vs. Liverpool)
Aston Villa trail Fulham by three points, Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two, and Newcastle on an 11 point goal difference. They lead Sunderland by one point. Aston Villa can secure 13th place with a win, and could potentially raise them to 8th. A draw or loss is unpredictable, and could lower them to 14th. If they draw, and Sunderland draw or lose, they will stay at 13th.
14 Sunderland: (Away vs. West Ham)
Sunderland do not have to worry about dropping places, they lead Wolves and Blackburn by 4 points. However, with a victory, they could potentially go up the table as far as 9th place. It's very unlikely, but possible. They only trail Stoke, Bolton, and West Brom by two. They trail Newcastle and Aston Villa by one.
SUMMARY: Teams in parenthesis are teams that could get that spot
1st place - Secured (Man U)
2nd place - (Chelsea and Man City)
3rd place - (Man City and Arsenal)
5th place - (Tottenham and Liverpool)
7th place - (Everton and Fulham)
8th place - (Fulham, Stoke, Bolton, West Brom, Newcastle, and Aston Villa)
9th thru 14th - (completely up for grabs between Fulham, Stoke, Bolton, West Brom, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sunderland)
15th thru 19th - (completely up for grabs between Blackburn, Wolves, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan)
20th place - Secured (West Ham)
EPL: Relegation Frenzy!
Relegation Zone Trouble In EPL:
One game remains in the EPL season, one game only. That allows for all teams to gain a potential of either 3, 1, or 0 points more then they already have. Manchester United have already claimed the title, leading 2nd place Chelsea by 6 points going into the final weekend. However, the bottom end of the table isn't so easily assured. 5 teams are within spitting distance of relegation. One team, West Ham United, can't possibly climb out of the relegation zone, and therefore are doomed to be relegated. That leaves two spots left in the relegation zone, with 5 teams all within 1 point of each other. Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton, and Blackburn. Going into the weekend, Wigan, Birmingham City, and Blackpool are with 39 points each. The other two have 40 points a piece. Now let's look at each of these teams situations individually shall we.
Blackpool:
Blackpool were written off as a certainty in relegation this year. No one expected anything at all from this team. They aren't big, they aren't popular, and for Pete's sake, they wash their own training jerseys. Their stadium seats a measly 16,200 fans. This is the first season in which they have participated in the Premier League. However, this weekend, they will fight to make Blackpool history, and prove to the world that they are ready for top-class football. Ian Holloway came to the club at the beginning of last season, and has turned this club around since then. He made a record signing for Charlie Adam, their star midfielder, and got them to 6th place in the Championship, their highest ever. They won in a playoff, and were promoted to the Premier League. This season, they have made great strides, and it is shown by how addicted their fans are to this club. This season, they achieved victory against Liverpool (both times they played them), Tottenham Hotspur, and Bolton Wanderers. Of course, they won more games than that, these are just important ones. For their last game of the season, they couldn't have been unluckier. They are playing the champions, Manchester United at Old Trafford. But, everyone in the Blackpool community, and all of the club believe that they can pull out a necessary victory in their time of need.
Wigan Athletic:
After appointing Roberto Martinez as manager a few years ago, things were supposed to look bright for Wigan. This season has definitely not been in their favor. First game of the season: Wigan lose to Blackpool 4 - 0. Next weekend, they lose to Chelsea 6-0. Starting out with a -10 goal difference isn't ideal. By February, Wigan were in last place in the Premier League. However, these last 8 weeks have shown promise. They've only lost 2 of their last 8 games, and have taken 12 points out of a possible 24. That may not seem like alot, but when your near the bottom of the table, every point counts. Confidence was reassured last weekend when Wigan defeated West Ham United 3-2 off of a Charles N'Zogbia goal in extra time. That result assured West Ham of relegation, and boosted Wigan closer to fresh air out of the relegation zone. The problem for Wigan this season has been a lack of goals. Their Premier League leader is Charles N'Zogbia, with only 9 goals. N'Zogbia has 10 goals in all competitions. This weekend, they are playing Stoke City away from home. When they played them earlier this season, Wigan drew with Stoke 2-2. This time, Wigan will need a victory if they are going to avoid relegation.
Birmingham City:
Ever since week one, Birmingham has been fighting relegation. Three years ago, they were relegated from the Premier League. They certainly don't want to be repeating that, so they will do whatever it takes. Birmingham City has shown promise in the past two years. Immediately after being relegated from the Premier League, they won promotion from the Championship back into the EPL. Last season, they finished 9th on the table, their best finish in 51 years. Also, this year, they defeated Arsenal 2-1 to win the League Cup during mid-season. The team has a lot of talent, including players on loan. Alexander Hleb of Barcelona, Obafemi Martins of Rubin Kazan, and David Bentley of Tottenham Hotspur. One of their wingers, Sebastian Larsson, is a very crafty Swedish player. The team is full of talent, but they will need to pull all of the talent together in their next game to make sure they stay out of relegation. The last 6 weeks have left them with 1 draw and 5 losses. Their last game will be away against Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham are fighting to hold 5th place in the league, so this will not be an easy fixture for Birmingham, especially away at White Hart Lane.
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Two years ago, Wolves were promoted to the Premier League. This is the first time they had done this since the 1988-89 season. Last season, they finished fifteenth in the table, avoiding relegation. This was the first time they had secured more than one consecutive season in the EPL since 1981. Even though they made a record signing of striker Kevin Doyle, their strongest point was their defense. This season has shown many more weak points. Wolves were 15th in the league after 5 games, and two weeks later, would drop to 19th, where they would stay for much of the season. The first 9 weeks only allowed for one victory, three draws, and five losses. However, there have been some high points in the season for them. They defeated Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Also, the last two weeks have ended in a 3-1 victory. This is a good sign going into the last week where they will be playing fellow "relegation fearer", Blackburn Rovers.
Blackburn Rovers:
Blackburn have enjoyed Premier League football for about 10 years now. This season marked their 70th total year in top-flight football. However this year, hasn't been so happy. Blackburn have only won one game since January. You would think by getting previous striker Roque Santa Cruz on loan from Manchester City would help, but this hasn't shown to improve Blackburn's form. Their top scorer, Nikola Kalinic has only scored 5 Premier League Goals. With great players like Morten Gamst Pedersen and Brett Emerton, you would believe that Blackburn are capable of much more then they've been putting out lately. Things look bright for Blackburn though, three key players, Chris Samba, Jermaine Jones, and Junior Holiett have all been cleared of injuries and are expected to appear against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The winner of the game secures a non-relegation spot, and maybe even a draw would secure both of their places in the EPL next season.
With all the hectic nerves going into this weekend, one can only hope that this race to avoid relegation is one of great excitement, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the outcome.
One game remains in the EPL season, one game only. That allows for all teams to gain a potential of either 3, 1, or 0 points more then they already have. Manchester United have already claimed the title, leading 2nd place Chelsea by 6 points going into the final weekend. However, the bottom end of the table isn't so easily assured. 5 teams are within spitting distance of relegation. One team, West Ham United, can't possibly climb out of the relegation zone, and therefore are doomed to be relegated. That leaves two spots left in the relegation zone, with 5 teams all within 1 point of each other. Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton, and Blackburn. Going into the weekend, Wigan, Birmingham City, and Blackpool are with 39 points each. The other two have 40 points a piece. Now let's look at each of these teams situations individually shall we.
Blackpool:
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| Ian Holloway; manager of spirited Blackpool |
Wigan Athletic:
After appointing Roberto Martinez as manager a few years ago, things were supposed to look bright for Wigan. This season has definitely not been in their favor. First game of the season: Wigan lose to Blackpool 4 - 0. Next weekend, they lose to Chelsea 6-0. Starting out with a -10 goal difference isn't ideal. By February, Wigan were in last place in the Premier League. However, these last 8 weeks have shown promise. They've only lost 2 of their last 8 games, and have taken 12 points out of a possible 24. That may not seem like alot, but when your near the bottom of the table, every point counts. Confidence was reassured last weekend when Wigan defeated West Ham United 3-2 off of a Charles N'Zogbia goal in extra time. That result assured West Ham of relegation, and boosted Wigan closer to fresh air out of the relegation zone. The problem for Wigan this season has been a lack of goals. Their Premier League leader is Charles N'Zogbia, with only 9 goals. N'Zogbia has 10 goals in all competitions. This weekend, they are playing Stoke City away from home. When they played them earlier this season, Wigan drew with Stoke 2-2. This time, Wigan will need a victory if they are going to avoid relegation.
Birmingham City:
Ever since week one, Birmingham has been fighting relegation. Three years ago, they were relegated from the Premier League. They certainly don't want to be repeating that, so they will do whatever it takes. Birmingham City has shown promise in the past two years. Immediately after being relegated from the Premier League, they won promotion from the Championship back into the EPL. Last season, they finished 9th on the table, their best finish in 51 years. Also, this year, they defeated Arsenal 2-1 to win the League Cup during mid-season. The team has a lot of talent, including players on loan. Alexander Hleb of Barcelona, Obafemi Martins of Rubin Kazan, and David Bentley of Tottenham Hotspur. One of their wingers, Sebastian Larsson, is a very crafty Swedish player. The team is full of talent, but they will need to pull all of the talent together in their next game to make sure they stay out of relegation. The last 6 weeks have left them with 1 draw and 5 losses. Their last game will be away against Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham are fighting to hold 5th place in the league, so this will not be an easy fixture for Birmingham, especially away at White Hart Lane.
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Two years ago, Wolves were promoted to the Premier League. This is the first time they had done this since the 1988-89 season. Last season, they finished fifteenth in the table, avoiding relegation. This was the first time they had secured more than one consecutive season in the EPL since 1981. Even though they made a record signing of striker Kevin Doyle, their strongest point was their defense. This season has shown many more weak points. Wolves were 15th in the league after 5 games, and two weeks later, would drop to 19th, where they would stay for much of the season. The first 9 weeks only allowed for one victory, three draws, and five losses. However, there have been some high points in the season for them. They defeated Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Also, the last two weeks have ended in a 3-1 victory. This is a good sign going into the last week where they will be playing fellow "relegation fearer", Blackburn Rovers.
Blackburn Rovers:
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| Nikola Kalinic; Blackburn's top scorer |
With all the hectic nerves going into this weekend, one can only hope that this race to avoid relegation is one of great excitement, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the outcome.
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