The best last day of the season for sometime? Definitely.
Survival Sunday is upon us. It's a wonderful day for top flight English football. All games are played at the same time for the only day of the season. There is real excitement and tension at either ends of the table with the title and top 4 still to be decided and the 3rd relegation spot still yet to be settled.
The situation is this.
If City win at home (where they've won 17 of 18 this season) against a battling QPR side (rancid away from Loftus Road this season) then the first title in the Premiership era (and for 44 years) will be theirs.
There's the hype of it being a 'grudge match' for Mark Hughes after his 'unethical'?! dismissal from the club half way through the 2009/10 season. Fergie wishes Sparky was playing against the club he once
managed, but instead it will be Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cisse and Jay Bothroyd standing in the way of the Champions to be...
Ferguson hopes that mirrors will help his United team lift the trophy. "If you analyse Mark Hughes as a player and manager, all his teams seem to mirror him.
"He was a warrior as a player and I wish he was playing. If his team can mirror him then you never know." Mirror, mirror on the wall. The City fans will be going wild with excitement if their team take an early lead, but the longer it remains goaless the more the tension, and nerves will rise. An early goal and the game and title is over, if QPR keep them quiet for an hour it could be a very intense finale.
United will do their best to batter Martin O'Neil's Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (which shouldn't be too hard seeing as Sunderland seemed to have reverted to how they played under Steve Bruce in the past month or so). The United game will only add pressure to the City match. These City players don't have the Premier League winners experience that United have, but it shouldn't really matter, QPR at home is an easy fixture to finish up with, and if you'd said to Roberto Mancini 8 games ago all they had to do on the last day is beat the R's at home, he would have licked his lips and flicked his quiff in delight.
Tottenham, Newcastle and Arsenal are all playing out their own mini-drama in the battle for the 3rd automatic Champions League spot (if Chelsea win against Bayern in a just over a week then 4th place won't mean dick). 4th place will probably be enough as Bayern should beat Chelsea at home in the final May 17th, but it's not worth the risk (and extra games, of finishing fourth and going through the preliminary rounds of the Champions League qualifying.
Tottenham will play Fulham at home, they should smash the Cottagers who have nothing at stake. The Yids start the day in fourth but will hope to pip north London rivals Arsenal to 3rd to avoid more piss taking about the 'mind the gap' banter earlier in the season.
Arsenal will play WBA for the England's managers last game in charge. West Brom aren't too bad at home against Arsenal and the Gunners might slip up here and end up in 4th. Maybe a big performance from the West Brom players as a thank you and fair well to their gaffa, as well as a thank god that we don't have to get drilled so hard in practice from now on! Wenger has looked nervous all season and I'm sure he'll be clutching his stomach at some stage as he sits in his sleeping bag jacket on the bench at the Hawthornes. The result against Norwich last week could haunt the Arsenal, who will be playing for their dark tinted spec wearing assistant Pat Rice who is retiring as an Arsenal legend after this game.
Everton will host the other contenders Newcastle, who will fancy scoring at Goodison with Cisse and Ba up top, but will be weary of David Moyes side who hit form late every year and look strong at home. This could be the last time Newcastle's team plays together before they get pillaged in the summer by 'big' clubs. Cabaye, Tiote, Ba, Krul, Cisse and Ben Arfa will be monitored closely by multiple clubs this summer who know that Mike Ashley has no problem selling his best assets, and Pardew, the recently voted manager of the year, has already admitted some players may go this summer. Newcastle have to win, and hope for a slip up from either London club, unlikely.
At the bottom Owen Coyle will be kicking every ball on the side lines (in his full kit with trainers - ODD LOOK!) as Bolton take on Stoke at home. The Potters lost on the last day of last season to allow Wigan to stay up and the Trotters will hope for a repeat of that. The 2 late goals conceded to West Brom last week will have kept Coyle up all night this week, but they know that QPR will probably get mullered at the Ethiad so know a win will see them through. I fancy Stoke to do a number on them here, even though half the team is already on the beach, and one of their most motivated players of late has been Ricardo Fuller (which is saying something!!!) I'd prefer QPR to stay up because I love the home support at Loftus Road, it's small, compact and a real football ground. Bolton have been crap all season and without the awful Fabrice Muamba situation I don't think many would have much sympathy for them if they did get the drop. Coyle also talks like he needs a drink and has peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth which irritates me wildly in his post and pre-match interviews so I'd prefer to listen to Mark Hughes' drivel next season over Coyles'. He has a good reputation as a manager and is well liked in football circles, but I'm not sure why, he hasn't done a particularly good job at the Reebok and the off the field drama of this season has detracted a bit from the poor on the field performances, style of play and results.
So... for me, this is how I'd like it to finish...
At the top...
1. Manchester City
2. Manchester United
3. Tottenham Hotspur
4. Arsenal (with Chelsea winning the Champions League so Arsenal don't qualify for the Champions League)
5. Newcastle
At the bottom...
Relegated - Bolton
Safe - QPR
It will probably end up completely different to this, but wouldn't be the worst bet in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment