It all comes down to this. On the final day of the season, with the English Premier League title on the line , Chelsea will host Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge. They sit top of the table with 83 points, so three points from a victory will clinch it for them. If they draw or lose, however, Manchester United could sneak by them. The Red Devils host Stoke at Old Trafford, and are only one point back of Chelsea. A draw does them no good thanks to Chelsea's superior goal differential, but if they win and the Blues drop points, it will be United who are champions of England. Adding to the drama, all of Sunday's games take place at the same time, 11 a.m. Eastern/8 a.m. Pacific. I'll be live-blogging both the Manchester United and Chelsea games and throwing in updates from other ones from time to time. Come join me here then to see how the EPL title is decided!
Showing posts with label Wigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wigan. Show all posts
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Monday, December 08, 2008
Farewell for now, Roy
Photo: Former Sunderland manager Roy Keane [Getty Images via The Independent]
It was rather surprising to see Manchester United legend Roy Keane step down [ESPN Soccernet] from managing Sunderland last week. Keane achieved some outstanding success with the Black Cats, even though many don't seem to acknowledge that at the moment. When he took the team over in August 2006, they were sitting in the relegation zone of the Championship (for non-English football fans, that's the level below the Premier League). In that season, he took them from the bottom to the top, and earned not only promotion to the Premiership, but also the Championship title. He was named Manager of the Year at the Championship level, and deservingly so.
Keane also had success with Sunderland in the Premier League last season and managed to keep them out of the relegation zone for much of the year. They pulled off a 15th-place finish, which is rather good for a just-promoted side (see County, Derby for an example of how a poor team does when promoted). The other two promoted sides were the aforementioned Derby County FC and Birmingham City, and both went right back to the Championship. Sunderland also finished ahead of Reading (18th, also relegated), Fulham and Bolton, all established clubs with a good deal of Premier League experience. That's impressive in my books.
This season didn't start as well for Keane and the Black Cats, and they were 18th in the standings when he left. Keane's decision to leave is still surprising, though, as there was and is still plenty of hope for the survival of Sunderland. With 15 points going into this weekend's match against Manchester United, they were tied with Tottenham Hotspur (also undergoing a wretched run of form) and always-struggling Newcastle United, three points back of West Ham and Manchester City and four points behind Stoke, Wigan and Middlesbrough. There's a lot of football left to be played, and Sunderland have the quality players to compete with many of those clubs. I would not be surprised at all to see them stay up, even without Keane.
The question has to be asked as to if Keane left on his own, or if he was pushed out by backroom intrigue. The statements and such that have come out have described the parting as "amicable", but the same Soccernet story that used that term mentioned that Keane was "locked in talks with chairman Niall Quinn". There have also been suggestions raised that new Sunderland majority investor Ellis Short, an American businessman, was not happy with Keane [Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet].It's tough to tell from the outside, but that suggests that there might have been a bit of a push.
That's not to say that Keane was perfect. Assuredly, he made mistakes and errors in his managerial career, much as he did during his playing career (Alf-Inge Haland, anyone?). There were poor transfer market decisions and curious squad rotation moves. There was perhaps even a sense that he couldn't get through to today's players, as they didn't meet the incredible standards he set for himself (read his excellent autobiography with Eamon Dunphy if you want some insight on his character). Those are errors common to any manager learning on the job, though, especially in a league of the calibre of the Premier League. Keane showed a lot of potential during his brief stay at Sunderland, and he will be remembered for bringing the Black Cats back to the top. He left with class and dignity and took the blame himself rather than throwing the organization under the bus. Today, he announced that he does want to return to management [The Independent at some point in the future; hopefully, he'll be given another chance and learn from his mistakes.
Related:
- Norman Hubbard has a good column comparing Keane and former teammate Paul Ince, now an embattled manager at Blackburn (who are 19th in the Premier League) [ESPN Soccernet]
- Rob Shepherd has a nice piece on how Keane's failure was his inability to connect with today's players and his lack of subtlety. [News of the World (yes, it's a rubbish paper, but the sports section's all right)]
- Ian O'Doherty has an interesting analysis of Keane [The Belfast Telegraph]
- Paul Ince tells James Ducker that the critics are out to get him and Keane thanks to their successful playing careers at Manchester United. That's perhaps not as far-fetched as it sounds, especially with Keane: he's such a controversial figure thanks to the Haland debacle and the 2002 World Cup controversy that he's made a lot of enemies in the media over the years. [The Times of London]
- Scott Wilson has an interesting Dickensian twist on the situation, with the ghosts of Sunderland past, present and future paying Keane a visit. [The Northern Echo]
Sunday, May 11, 2008
EPL: Manchester United v. Wigan: Live Blog
It's for all the marbles this time, as the final wave of EPL matches kick off across England and fans around the world set up camp on their couches, chairs and bar stools. By the end of the day, all will be decided, including the title race, the quest for European spots and the battle to avoid relegation. I'll be keeping track of the United - Wigan match mostly, but will fill in updates from the other important matches as they come. Feel free to leave thoughts or updates from other games in the comments. Here we go!
0:00: The Score is having feed issues on their UK end, so we're treated to more commentary from James Sharman (insightful) and Brian Budd (not so much). At least Budd's supporting United today: however, that somewhat speaks to his ridiculous nature, as he's usually a Liverpool fan, and Scousers and Mancunians tend to mix like sodium and water. I'd never support the Scouse, unless they were playing a team I hate more or a victory for them would aid United in turn.
5:00: Budd actually just made a good point about how important communication is among the back four and the goalkeeper. From my soccer experience, good communication helps more than any number of skills, but you rarely hear it mentioned on broadcasts.
10:00: Funnily enough, they just cut to the Chelsea game for a second and it illustrated the communication aspect perfectly: John Terry didn't talk with his own keeper, Petr Cech, and wound up getting hit in the head and knocked out of the match as a result. That's a big loss for Chelsea.
18:00: Still no sign of a video feed, but the match is still 0-0. I've got the lineups from the ManUtd.com match tracker. Here they are:
United:
Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Park; Tevez, Rooney.
Bench: Silvestre, Saha, Hargreaves, Giggs, Kuszczak.
Wigan:
Kirkland; Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa; Valencia, Palacios, Brown, Koumas; Bent, Heskey.
Bench: Skoko, Sibierski, Taylor, Pollitt, King.
22:00: Rooney's obviously a surprise inclusion here, as he was only supposed to crack the bench at best. Choosing Ji-Sung Park over Ryan Giggs is also a bit of an unexpected move, although he has been in good form lately. United have a lot of potential impact on that bench.
29:00: This is ridiculous: almost half an hour in and still no sign of the feed. I don't blame The Score, as the problem's apparently on the English end, and they just buy the feed. Sharman's understandably apologetic as well. United are producing some good chances, according to the match tracker, and Kirkland just made a great stop off a Ronaldo blast.
33:00: Still no video feed: what a time for this to happen! At least my own supplies are holding out: I'm double-fisting black coffee and Dark Scottish Ale (in honour of gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson) at the moment, as well as eating homemade breakfast burritos, which helps to alleviate the pain.
35:00: Bloody hell! We just got video and it's 1-0 United, with the first image we saw that of Ronaldo celebrating. According to the match tracker, Boyce brought down Rooney in the box and Ronaldo converted the ensuing penalty brilliantly for his 41st goal of the year in all competitions. Fantastic, but I would have loved to see it. At least the feed's working now...
37:00: And the ever-dangerous Marcus Bent just slotted a 12-yard volley into the United side netting. That was close. United have to work on their aerial defence.
38:00: Hellfire and brimstone, the feed's gone and died again. A quick switch to the Chelsea match (Setanta) reveals that it's still 0-0.
42:00: We have our feed back, just in time for a United corner. The ball falls to Rooney, but he fails to accomplish much with it due to the maze of players in the way.
43:00: Updates from the relegation race and the Chelsea match: Derby 0, Reading 1; Birmingham 1, Blackburn 0; Portsmouth 0, Fulham 0; Chelsea 0, Bolton 0.
44:00: Thus, at the moment, Fulham and Birmingham would both go down to the Championship, while Reading and Bolton would survive. See my post from last night for the various possible scenarios.'
46:00: And here we are at halftime. Apparently, there's some controversy, not over the penalty awarded by referee Steve Bennett, but over the lack of an earlier penalty off a supposed handball by Rio Ferdinand. Hard to comment without seeing it.
Halftime: A quick update on the European qualification situation. There's only one UEFA Cup spot available through the league, as the Carling Cup winner (Tottenham Hotspur) and FA Cup finalists (Portsmouth and Cardiff City) haven't automatically qualified. Thus, only the team that finishes fifth will grab a spot. At the moment, that's Everton, with 62 points. If they get anything today from their home match against Newcastle United at Goodison Park, they'll lock up the spot: they're currently up 1-0. The other contenders are Aston Villa, three points back on 59 but with equal goal differential (+20) heading in. They're currently tied 1-1 away against West Ham United. If they win and Everton lose, they'll take the spot on goal differential. The scores of the other matches remain the same as at my last update. Also, Wigan surprisingly outshot United 8-5 in the first half.
Halftime: They just showed another video of John Terry's injury, and it looks bad. Sharman and Budd speculated that it might be a broken arm or a separated shoulder, either of which could keep him out of May 21's Champions League final against United in Moscow.
46:00: And here we go again! No changes for the second half by either side. The weather seems to be getting worse: the announcers talked about lightning during the break, and rain's pouring down on the pitch. The match is slightly delayed, as it's supposed to begin at the same second as Chelsea-Bolton down in London: thus, the announcers are joking about synchronized swimming.
46:00: And they kick off. This pitch really isn't looking good, and as the Score guys pointed out at the break, that probably will help Wigan: it's difficult to play technical football on a soaking-wet pitch.
47:00: Park goes down just outside the area, setting up a free kick for Ronaldo. He brilliantly curves it over the wall, but it's punched clear by Kirkland. Carrick can't do much with the ensuing corner.
53:00: Scholes is taken down viciously in the box by Bramble, who doesn't get any part of the ball, but no penalty is called despite United's appeals. A good corner from Park, but Ronaldo heads just wide. That's at least his third great chance of the day.
56:00: Rooney makes a great inside-outside move on his defender and gets a powerful shot away, but Kirkland makes a tremendous fingertip save. United don't do much with the ensuing corner, but they do earn another one.
57:00: Another wasted corner from United.
57:00: The announcers just made a great point: United aren't too likely to sit on this lead, as many other sides would do. That's wise in my mind: too many late goals have doomed 1-0 leads.
58:00: Rooney gets in behind the defenders and appeals for a handball, but the call goes against him.
59:00: Park does a great job to set up Tevez, but he's denied by Kirkland, who is singlehandedly keeping Wigan in it so far. Wigan are sitting back and hoping for a counterattack chance.
63:00: Out-of-town Scoreboard: Andriy Shevchenko, the almost-useless Ukrainian striker, has scored a vital goal for Chelsea to give them a 1-0 lead at the Bridge. At the moment, United will triumph on goal difference, but anything can still happen. Reading have second and third goals at Derby, which will help their battle to stay afloat. Blackburn have drawn level with Birmingham, making it more unlikely that the Blues will stay up, and Newcastle have tied their match with Everton, but Everton will still claim the last UEFA Cup spot at the moment. Villa are now up 2-1 against West Ham, but that game won't matter unless Newcastle beat Everton.
69:00: United substitutions: Hargreaves on, Scholes off, and Giggs on, Park off. With that, Giggs ties Sir Bobby Charlton's club record of 758 appearances in a United shirt, which he'll likely break in Moscow. A truly impressive record for a deserving man, and one of the best wingers to ever play the game. It speaks to his quality that he was able to put up so many starts in an era where United have enjoyed both great success and great depth.
72:00: A clever free kick sees Rooney played in behind the defence, but Wigan are aware and clear for a corner. Wigan head the first corner out for another one, but Vidic makes a great run on the second attempt, fights off Heskey and heads just wide. United have had a tremendous amount of chances, but haven't been able to put them away.
75:00: A quarter of an hour to go, but it will feel like eternity for United fans. In other scores, Birmingham have pulled ahead 2-1 and Fulham are up 1-0 at Portsmouth. This scoreline would see Reading and Birmingham both go down despite their victories. Everton and Chelsea both still lead. Also, in a result sure to bring a smile to the face of United fans everywhere, Middlesbrough are demolishing Manchester City 5-0 at the Riverside.
77:00: Oh, that was a vicious challenge for the ball by Valencia, who nailed Vidic in the back in an attempt to claim an aerial ball. He gets a yellow card for his trouble. Vidic is obviously somewhat fragile at the moment, but he seems to be all right. Ferguson is furious.
80:00: Ten minutes to go. United are defending valiantly, but Wigan seem to have much of the momentum now. I'd like to see a more aggressive United here: a one-goal lead is never enough for comfort.
80:00: RYAN GIGGS! As I wrote that last post, he snuck through the middle, took a pass, and drilled it by Kirkland. On a day where he ties one of the most sacred club records, he's proved that he still has what it takes to be a productive member of one of the world's top sides. The man is absolutely clutch: you can add that to his list of key goals, topped by the marvelous 1999 FA Cup winner in extra time against Arsenal and the 90th minute equalizer against Juventus in that same year. Atrocious defending by Wigan: they left Giggs completely unmarked between their central defenders, and he made the absolute most of the opportunity.
85:00: This should be enough to see United win the title. The air seems to have gone out of Wigan, and United are controlling the play and the possession. Despite Soccernet's prediction, it looks as if the Red Devils will retain their trophy.
87:00: A dangerous Wigan corner, headed back by a United player but cleared off the line by Ryan Giggs. He's proving to be valuable at both ends.
88:00: Wigan are again going for it, but Sibierski's header is punched clear by Van der Sar.
90:00: Out-of-town scoreboard: Reading 4, Derby 0; Chelsea 1, Bolton 0; Fulham 1, Portsmouth 0; Everton 3, Newcastle 1; West Ham United 2, Aston Villa 2; Middlesbrough 8, Man City 1.
90:00: 3 minutes of added time. A Heskey header is saved on the line by Van der Sar.
90:00: And the final whistle! As the announcer called it, "It has been one of the great finishes in the Barclay's Premier League." A fantastic victory for United, and symbolic goals from both the old and new generation of wingers. Wigan put in a valiant effort, and their heart cannot be questioned, but United were the better side. In the end, Chelsea gave up a late equalizer at the Bridge to Bolton, so the title wasn't decided on goal differential at all. The Blues put up a great fight down the stretch after everyone had counted them out, but in the end, the most consistently dominant team won. That's the Red Devils' tenth Premier League title (amazing, considering that the league only formed in 1992) and 17th English top-tier title overall, one short of Liverpool's record.
All the games are wrapped up now, and it's a perfect day for United supporters: not only has their side retained their title, but City went down to a miserable 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. Fulham hung on for an away win at Portsmouth, so Reading and Birmingham are each relegated despite 4-0 and 4-1 wins respectively. Everton also won, so they claim the final UEFA Cup spot. That's it for this post: thanks for reading!
0:00: The Score is having feed issues on their UK end, so we're treated to more commentary from James Sharman (insightful) and Brian Budd (not so much). At least Budd's supporting United today: however, that somewhat speaks to his ridiculous nature, as he's usually a Liverpool fan, and Scousers and Mancunians tend to mix like sodium and water. I'd never support the Scouse, unless they were playing a team I hate more or a victory for them would aid United in turn.
5:00: Budd actually just made a good point about how important communication is among the back four and the goalkeeper. From my soccer experience, good communication helps more than any number of skills, but you rarely hear it mentioned on broadcasts.
10:00: Funnily enough, they just cut to the Chelsea game for a second and it illustrated the communication aspect perfectly: John Terry didn't talk with his own keeper, Petr Cech, and wound up getting hit in the head and knocked out of the match as a result. That's a big loss for Chelsea.
18:00: Still no sign of a video feed, but the match is still 0-0. I've got the lineups from the ManUtd.com match tracker. Here they are:
United:
Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Park; Tevez, Rooney.
Bench: Silvestre, Saha, Hargreaves, Giggs, Kuszczak.
Wigan:
Kirkland; Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa; Valencia, Palacios, Brown, Koumas; Bent, Heskey.
Bench: Skoko, Sibierski, Taylor, Pollitt, King.
22:00: Rooney's obviously a surprise inclusion here, as he was only supposed to crack the bench at best. Choosing Ji-Sung Park over Ryan Giggs is also a bit of an unexpected move, although he has been in good form lately. United have a lot of potential impact on that bench.
29:00: This is ridiculous: almost half an hour in and still no sign of the feed. I don't blame The Score, as the problem's apparently on the English end, and they just buy the feed. Sharman's understandably apologetic as well. United are producing some good chances, according to the match tracker, and Kirkland just made a great stop off a Ronaldo blast.
33:00: Still no video feed: what a time for this to happen! At least my own supplies are holding out: I'm double-fisting black coffee and Dark Scottish Ale (in honour of gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson) at the moment, as well as eating homemade breakfast burritos, which helps to alleviate the pain.
35:00: Bloody hell! We just got video and it's 1-0 United, with the first image we saw that of Ronaldo celebrating. According to the match tracker, Boyce brought down Rooney in the box and Ronaldo converted the ensuing penalty brilliantly for his 41st goal of the year in all competitions. Fantastic, but I would have loved to see it. At least the feed's working now...
37:00: And the ever-dangerous Marcus Bent just slotted a 12-yard volley into the United side netting. That was close. United have to work on their aerial defence.
38:00: Hellfire and brimstone, the feed's gone and died again. A quick switch to the Chelsea match (Setanta) reveals that it's still 0-0.
42:00: We have our feed back, just in time for a United corner. The ball falls to Rooney, but he fails to accomplish much with it due to the maze of players in the way.
43:00: Updates from the relegation race and the Chelsea match: Derby 0, Reading 1; Birmingham 1, Blackburn 0; Portsmouth 0, Fulham 0; Chelsea 0, Bolton 0.
44:00: Thus, at the moment, Fulham and Birmingham would both go down to the Championship, while Reading and Bolton would survive. See my post from last night for the various possible scenarios.'
46:00: And here we are at halftime. Apparently, there's some controversy, not over the penalty awarded by referee Steve Bennett, but over the lack of an earlier penalty off a supposed handball by Rio Ferdinand. Hard to comment without seeing it.
Halftime: A quick update on the European qualification situation. There's only one UEFA Cup spot available through the league, as the Carling Cup winner (Tottenham Hotspur) and FA Cup finalists (Portsmouth and Cardiff City) haven't automatically qualified. Thus, only the team that finishes fifth will grab a spot. At the moment, that's Everton, with 62 points. If they get anything today from their home match against Newcastle United at Goodison Park, they'll lock up the spot: they're currently up 1-0. The other contenders are Aston Villa, three points back on 59 but with equal goal differential (+20) heading in. They're currently tied 1-1 away against West Ham United. If they win and Everton lose, they'll take the spot on goal differential. The scores of the other matches remain the same as at my last update. Also, Wigan surprisingly outshot United 8-5 in the first half.
Halftime: They just showed another video of John Terry's injury, and it looks bad. Sharman and Budd speculated that it might be a broken arm or a separated shoulder, either of which could keep him out of May 21's Champions League final against United in Moscow.
46:00: And here we go again! No changes for the second half by either side. The weather seems to be getting worse: the announcers talked about lightning during the break, and rain's pouring down on the pitch. The match is slightly delayed, as it's supposed to begin at the same second as Chelsea-Bolton down in London: thus, the announcers are joking about synchronized swimming.
46:00: And they kick off. This pitch really isn't looking good, and as the Score guys pointed out at the break, that probably will help Wigan: it's difficult to play technical football on a soaking-wet pitch.
47:00: Park goes down just outside the area, setting up a free kick for Ronaldo. He brilliantly curves it over the wall, but it's punched clear by Kirkland. Carrick can't do much with the ensuing corner.
53:00: Scholes is taken down viciously in the box by Bramble, who doesn't get any part of the ball, but no penalty is called despite United's appeals. A good corner from Park, but Ronaldo heads just wide. That's at least his third great chance of the day.
56:00: Rooney makes a great inside-outside move on his defender and gets a powerful shot away, but Kirkland makes a tremendous fingertip save. United don't do much with the ensuing corner, but they do earn another one.
57:00: Another wasted corner from United.
57:00: The announcers just made a great point: United aren't too likely to sit on this lead, as many other sides would do. That's wise in my mind: too many late goals have doomed 1-0 leads.
58:00: Rooney gets in behind the defenders and appeals for a handball, but the call goes against him.
59:00: Park does a great job to set up Tevez, but he's denied by Kirkland, who is singlehandedly keeping Wigan in it so far. Wigan are sitting back and hoping for a counterattack chance.
63:00: Out-of-town Scoreboard: Andriy Shevchenko, the almost-useless Ukrainian striker, has scored a vital goal for Chelsea to give them a 1-0 lead at the Bridge. At the moment, United will triumph on goal difference, but anything can still happen. Reading have second and third goals at Derby, which will help their battle to stay afloat. Blackburn have drawn level with Birmingham, making it more unlikely that the Blues will stay up, and Newcastle have tied their match with Everton, but Everton will still claim the last UEFA Cup spot at the moment. Villa are now up 2-1 against West Ham, but that game won't matter unless Newcastle beat Everton.
69:00: United substitutions: Hargreaves on, Scholes off, and Giggs on, Park off. With that, Giggs ties Sir Bobby Charlton's club record of 758 appearances in a United shirt, which he'll likely break in Moscow. A truly impressive record for a deserving man, and one of the best wingers to ever play the game. It speaks to his quality that he was able to put up so many starts in an era where United have enjoyed both great success and great depth.
72:00: A clever free kick sees Rooney played in behind the defence, but Wigan are aware and clear for a corner. Wigan head the first corner out for another one, but Vidic makes a great run on the second attempt, fights off Heskey and heads just wide. United have had a tremendous amount of chances, but haven't been able to put them away.
75:00: A quarter of an hour to go, but it will feel like eternity for United fans. In other scores, Birmingham have pulled ahead 2-1 and Fulham are up 1-0 at Portsmouth. This scoreline would see Reading and Birmingham both go down despite their victories. Everton and Chelsea both still lead. Also, in a result sure to bring a smile to the face of United fans everywhere, Middlesbrough are demolishing Manchester City 5-0 at the Riverside.
77:00: Oh, that was a vicious challenge for the ball by Valencia, who nailed Vidic in the back in an attempt to claim an aerial ball. He gets a yellow card for his trouble. Vidic is obviously somewhat fragile at the moment, but he seems to be all right. Ferguson is furious.
80:00: Ten minutes to go. United are defending valiantly, but Wigan seem to have much of the momentum now. I'd like to see a more aggressive United here: a one-goal lead is never enough for comfort.
80:00: RYAN GIGGS! As I wrote that last post, he snuck through the middle, took a pass, and drilled it by Kirkland. On a day where he ties one of the most sacred club records, he's proved that he still has what it takes to be a productive member of one of the world's top sides. The man is absolutely clutch: you can add that to his list of key goals, topped by the marvelous 1999 FA Cup winner in extra time against Arsenal and the 90th minute equalizer against Juventus in that same year. Atrocious defending by Wigan: they left Giggs completely unmarked between their central defenders, and he made the absolute most of the opportunity.
85:00: This should be enough to see United win the title. The air seems to have gone out of Wigan, and United are controlling the play and the possession. Despite Soccernet's prediction, it looks as if the Red Devils will retain their trophy.
87:00: A dangerous Wigan corner, headed back by a United player but cleared off the line by Ryan Giggs. He's proving to be valuable at both ends.
88:00: Wigan are again going for it, but Sibierski's header is punched clear by Van der Sar.
90:00: Out-of-town scoreboard: Reading 4, Derby 0; Chelsea 1, Bolton 0; Fulham 1, Portsmouth 0; Everton 3, Newcastle 1; West Ham United 2, Aston Villa 2; Middlesbrough 8, Man City 1.
90:00: 3 minutes of added time. A Heskey header is saved on the line by Van der Sar.
90:00: And the final whistle! As the announcer called it, "It has been one of the great finishes in the Barclay's Premier League." A fantastic victory for United, and symbolic goals from both the old and new generation of wingers. Wigan put in a valiant effort, and their heart cannot be questioned, but United were the better side. In the end, Chelsea gave up a late equalizer at the Bridge to Bolton, so the title wasn't decided on goal differential at all. The Blues put up a great fight down the stretch after everyone had counted them out, but in the end, the most consistently dominant team won. That's the Red Devils' tenth Premier League title (amazing, considering that the league only formed in 1992) and 17th English top-tier title overall, one short of Liverpool's record.
All the games are wrapped up now, and it's a perfect day for United supporters: not only has their side retained their title, but City went down to a miserable 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. Fulham hung on for an away win at Portsmouth, so Reading and Birmingham are each relegated despite 4-0 and 4-1 wins respectively. Everton also won, so they claim the final UEFA Cup spot. That's it for this post: thanks for reading!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
EPL: Stage set for Sunday showdown
For once, the English Premier League has gone right down to the wire, with the championship, European places and the relegation battle all to be decided on the final day of the season. At the top, Manchester United and Chelsea are even on 84 points, but United have a vastly superior goal differential (+56 to +39). Thus, if United can secure an away victory against Wigan at the JJB Stadium, they will claim the title and Chelsea's game at home against Bolton will be meaningless. The Red Devils should be in good shape in their bid to claim a tenth Premier League title, as they look to have regained their form of old after last week's brilliant 4-1 victory over West Ham United, where they prevailed despite being limited to ten men after Nani's first-half suspension. However, Chelsea have also been hot lately, and they eked out a narrow 2-1 victory over United two weeks ago at the Bridge.
United received some good news on the injury side this week, as Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic is likely to be available. Vidic, who missed last week's match with a concussion suffered against Chelsea, is a key figure for the Reds: he, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Wes Brown have formed the most consistently effective defence in the Premiership this season, conceding a league-low 22 goals. United's offence has also been the best in the league, finding the net 78 times over the season: five more than second-best Arsenal and 14 more than sixth-best Chelsea. The Red Devils may get an offensive boost as well, as striker Wayne Rooney could be able to start on the bench. Rooney's been trying to recover from a hip injury for the last few weeks, and having him back would certainly be a boost.
The United lineup will be interesting to watch. Last week, Owen Hargreaves was again used as a right back, with Wes Brown shifted into the centre to cover for Vidic. With Vidic's return, there's a sudden competition for spots in the midfield, with Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Hargreaves, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ji-Sung Park all looking for spots. The matter is only minorly less complicated by Nani's absence. I'd love to see Sir Alex Ferguson trot out a 4-5-1 here, pushing up Giggs and Ronaldo on the wings to help central attacker Tevez, and having Scholes and Carrick closely support from the midfield while Hargreaves plays the covering role he's so adept at. What's probably more likely is a traditional 4-4-2, though, with Ronaldo playing forward alongside Tevez, Park filling in on the wing and one of Hargreaves or Carrick starting on the bench.
Wigan have also been in good form lately, as they're undefeated in their last five matches. Former United star Steve Bruce has had an excellent season as the Lactics' manager, and they currently sit a respectable 13th in the table, not bad at all for a side that only earned promotion in 2005. They'll certainly give it their all on Sunday, and it won't be easy for United. A full-out win will likely be necessary, as Chelsea are almost certain to prevail at the Bridge against Bolton.
I'll be live-blogging the United match tomorrow, so check in here for updates. In a brilliant Premier League strategy, all the games take place at the same time (10 a.m. Eastern), so everything will happen at once: thus, I'll be updating the crucial other scores as well.
The battle at the bottom end of the table is also quite compelling. Derby County, the worst team in the history of the Premiership are already relegated with 11 points, but Birmingham (32 points), Reading (33) and Fulham (33) are all in severe danger, and two of the three are likely to go down. Bolton, on 36 points, are also mathematically threatened, but their -18 goal differential should see them clear, as Reading have a -29 mark and Fulham are -23: in order for the Trotters to go down, Reading and Fulham would have to win big and Chelsea would have to defeat Bolton handily.
Birmingham will be in tough, as they host the ninth-place Blackburn Rovers. Their survival would be ensured if they eke out a win and both Fulham and Reading lose or tie. However, their solid goal differential (-19) means that a draw with Blackburn combined with losses from both Fulham and Reading would also see them through.
Reading are also in severe danger. Their horrible goal differential, fed by several painful defeats this year, means that they're likely to go down if they and Fulham finish with the same results in Sunday's matches. Reading are away against Derby, a match that they should easily win: however, they'll really need to pile on the goals in case Fulham also win.
Fulham are also away, against eighth-place Portsmouth at Fratton Park. They're in good form coming in after a victory over Birmingham last week. On paper, this is a tougher matchup. However, they may be aided if Portsmouth decide to rest some veterans ahead of next Saturday's F.A. Cup final at Wembley. Personally, though, I think there's a good chance Reading will beat Derby and Fulham may slip up against Pompey, seeing them and Birmingham join Derby in the procession to the Championship.
One of the greatest things about the Premiership is the relegation race. It avoids the tanking for high draft picks that is so common in North American professional sports, and instead means that every team has something to play for for most of the season. Between the overall title, the European spots and relegation, there are surprisingly few meaningless games, the bane of any sport. In fact, the relegation battle is often more interesting than the title race, which frequently is wrapped up by this point. The significant financial rewards from maintaining Premiership status as opposed to returning to the Championship add further incentive to the fire: ESPN Soccernet's Phil Holland has stated that a club can make 60 million pounds in guaranteed revenue from just one season in the Premiership, which tends to multiply over time due to increased attendance and sponsorship numbers.
I'd love to see some North American leagues adopt a similar system: wouldn't it be great to see the worst MLS team drop down to the USL, or the Vancouver Whitecaps or Montreal Impact earn promotion? Similarly, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be tearing it up in the AHL next season instead of winning the Stamkos derby. Obviously, there are some issues that would need to be addressed, as many of the current minor-league clubs are mere feeder-franchises, but it would forever eliminate the issues of tanking to get draft picks and make games between teams in the lower halves of leagues near the end of the season both more watchable and interesting.
United received some good news on the injury side this week, as Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic is likely to be available. Vidic, who missed last week's match with a concussion suffered against Chelsea, is a key figure for the Reds: he, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Wes Brown have formed the most consistently effective defence in the Premiership this season, conceding a league-low 22 goals. United's offence has also been the best in the league, finding the net 78 times over the season: five more than second-best Arsenal and 14 more than sixth-best Chelsea. The Red Devils may get an offensive boost as well, as striker Wayne Rooney could be able to start on the bench. Rooney's been trying to recover from a hip injury for the last few weeks, and having him back would certainly be a boost.
The United lineup will be interesting to watch. Last week, Owen Hargreaves was again used as a right back, with Wes Brown shifted into the centre to cover for Vidic. With Vidic's return, there's a sudden competition for spots in the midfield, with Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Hargreaves, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ji-Sung Park all looking for spots. The matter is only minorly less complicated by Nani's absence. I'd love to see Sir Alex Ferguson trot out a 4-5-1 here, pushing up Giggs and Ronaldo on the wings to help central attacker Tevez, and having Scholes and Carrick closely support from the midfield while Hargreaves plays the covering role he's so adept at. What's probably more likely is a traditional 4-4-2, though, with Ronaldo playing forward alongside Tevez, Park filling in on the wing and one of Hargreaves or Carrick starting on the bench.
Wigan have also been in good form lately, as they're undefeated in their last five matches. Former United star Steve Bruce has had an excellent season as the Lactics' manager, and they currently sit a respectable 13th in the table, not bad at all for a side that only earned promotion in 2005. They'll certainly give it their all on Sunday, and it won't be easy for United. A full-out win will likely be necessary, as Chelsea are almost certain to prevail at the Bridge against Bolton.
I'll be live-blogging the United match tomorrow, so check in here for updates. In a brilliant Premier League strategy, all the games take place at the same time (10 a.m. Eastern), so everything will happen at once: thus, I'll be updating the crucial other scores as well.
The battle at the bottom end of the table is also quite compelling. Derby County, the worst team in the history of the Premiership are already relegated with 11 points, but Birmingham (32 points), Reading (33) and Fulham (33) are all in severe danger, and two of the three are likely to go down. Bolton, on 36 points, are also mathematically threatened, but their -18 goal differential should see them clear, as Reading have a -29 mark and Fulham are -23: in order for the Trotters to go down, Reading and Fulham would have to win big and Chelsea would have to defeat Bolton handily.
Birmingham will be in tough, as they host the ninth-place Blackburn Rovers. Their survival would be ensured if they eke out a win and both Fulham and Reading lose or tie. However, their solid goal differential (-19) means that a draw with Blackburn combined with losses from both Fulham and Reading would also see them through.
Reading are also in severe danger. Their horrible goal differential, fed by several painful defeats this year, means that they're likely to go down if they and Fulham finish with the same results in Sunday's matches. Reading are away against Derby, a match that they should easily win: however, they'll really need to pile on the goals in case Fulham also win.
Fulham are also away, against eighth-place Portsmouth at Fratton Park. They're in good form coming in after a victory over Birmingham last week. On paper, this is a tougher matchup. However, they may be aided if Portsmouth decide to rest some veterans ahead of next Saturday's F.A. Cup final at Wembley. Personally, though, I think there's a good chance Reading will beat Derby and Fulham may slip up against Pompey, seeing them and Birmingham join Derby in the procession to the Championship.
One of the greatest things about the Premiership is the relegation race. It avoids the tanking for high draft picks that is so common in North American professional sports, and instead means that every team has something to play for for most of the season. Between the overall title, the European spots and relegation, there are surprisingly few meaningless games, the bane of any sport. In fact, the relegation battle is often more interesting than the title race, which frequently is wrapped up by this point. The significant financial rewards from maintaining Premiership status as opposed to returning to the Championship add further incentive to the fire: ESPN Soccernet's Phil Holland has stated that a club can make 60 million pounds in guaranteed revenue from just one season in the Premiership, which tends to multiply over time due to increased attendance and sponsorship numbers.
I'd love to see some North American leagues adopt a similar system: wouldn't it be great to see the worst MLS team drop down to the USL, or the Vancouver Whitecaps or Montreal Impact earn promotion? Similarly, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be tearing it up in the AHL next season instead of winning the Stamkos derby. Obviously, there are some issues that would need to be addressed, as many of the current minor-league clubs are mere feeder-franchises, but it would forever eliminate the issues of tanking to get draft picks and make games between teams in the lower halves of leagues near the end of the season both more watchable and interesting.
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