Dusseldorf is a good place, had a couple of fun nights out in Altstadt.
Wigan Athletic
- Thread starter Chopper3000
- Start date
I would have loved to have checked out Germany just once in my life. But.....................today i ask the question.......................
Who shall be the team to claim the 4th spot in the BPL and who do you want ?
I also ask you the question(s) who do you think deserves and will be the 4th team in the BPL ? You are pulling for TOTTENHAM right ?
I am a Spurs fan, yes. Who WILL come 4th will be the Arsenal, they will pound Newcastle into dust so it doesn't matter what we do with Sunderland. Which will probably be 0-0 anyway.
As for deserve, after 38 games the table never lies, and it's only immature dickheads in pubs (and Scousers on the RAWK forum) that think otherwise. The team finishes 4th will be the team that deserves it. We were 7 points clear of them after the derby. Then we dropped 8 points in the next 4 games. More fools us.
"BPL" LOL
ukey:I am a Spurs fan, yes. Who WILL come 4th will be the Arsenal, they will pound Newcastle into dust so it doesn't matter what we do with Sunderland. Which will probably be 0-0 anyway.
As for deserve, after 38 games the table never lies, and it's only immature dickheads in pubs (and Scousers on the RAWK forum) that think otherwise. The team finishes 4th will be the team that deserves it. We were 7 points clear of them after the derby. Then we dropped 8 points in the next 4 games. More fools us.
"BPL" LOL
Yea, but sometimes teams play to the level of their competition so you never know what could happen. Big difference in points i see in the standings between NEWCASTLE and ARSENAL and though i am not familiar, you know way more so it will be another WIGAN type upset for NEWCASTLE. Will or would the weather have made a difference ?
Yea, i wasn't sure at first what BPL was. BRITISH PETROLEUM went through my mind for a minute as i am used to the ENGLISH PREMIERE LEAGUE as compared to BARCLAY'S PREMIERE LEAGUE. Same thing right ?
I know it's getting close to football time and here in the USA where i'm at it's 9:30am.
Let me put it this way :
(1) Arsenal are playing for a win to guarantee the final Champions League berth. Newcastle are playing for nothing.
(2) Newcastle have lost their last two home games 3-1 and 6-0.
The official title of the league is the FA Barclays Premier League. But to us it's just "the Premier League." There's only one. Even Scots know when somebody says "Premier League" they mean THE Premier League, not the SPL. That's why they even say SPL on their programs.
It's not as bad when a non-native does it, but when an English person refers to the EPL or BPL I want to punch them. I mean, nobody says "Italian Serie A" or "Spanish La Liga" do they? I also think people that type "ECL" instead of "Champions League" are just cockends that have to abbreviate everything to look cool. When football fans talk about football, they never say "I think Bayern will win the ECL" so I don't know why anybody would write it as such.
Thanks for the info again as usual ! So get this.................5 minutes before the games were to begin here on television, our cable froze up so nevery station i turn to is a frozen picture with no sound. My neighbor has the same problem. Techicians are out fixing the problem. So i can't watch the games damn.....i went on the Premiere League website and see both games are scoreless. There is hope !
So my question is.................................is this big for Everton and a major blow to Wigan after Roberto Marrtinez was just named manager of Everton ? Poor Wigan, but at least they won the FA Cup trophy.
It's incredibly difficult to say how Everton will do under Martinez or indeed anybody other than David Moyes, because it's been so long since they've operated under anybody else. I think they've chosen the right man however, as Martinez - like Moyes - has over-achieved on the resources available to him. Moyes was very adroit at signing players you'd never heard of, and making them work very well in his setup, but equally adapting well once important players moved on. Look at how well Everton have performed this season without the talismanic Tim Cahill. Under Moyes they've bought well and it paid off with a couple of European adventures, an FA Cup final and even getting into the Champions League qualifying round - the year after they sold Wayne Rooney and finishing above Liverpool, no less. As they have done this year.
Martinez has been doing effectively the same job on a lower scale, if you like. Wigan have perennially been one of the smallest clubs in the Premier League and had to survive off unknowns, youngsters and rejects. Shaun Maloney could have been written off as a never-was, but he's been great for them. Callum McManaman looks like he's well on the road to becoming a handy player after a bit of a rocky start, and they'll do well to keep him. Kone was an inspired signing. Ultimately leaving was the right move for Roberto as it's truly time for a new change, his status as an over-achiever and a man for whom players seem to love playing for makes Everton very much a hand-in-glove situation, and leaving the DW now means he's a hero forever to Wigan fans. I think he'll do alright at Everton, but if it's true that Kenwright is thinking "Champions League" I hope he's a patient man.
As for Wigan, it's hard to say. Honestly, so many clubs have gone into rapid decline upon a managerial departure - Wolves with McCarthy, Charlton with Curbishley, Hull with Phil Brown - that you never really know how hard it could hit them. I know people will argue that they came up (and stayed up) with Paul Jewell and that they never went down under Steve Bruce either, but it's a different kettle of fish trying to come straight back up from the Championship. Some teams spend years bouncing up and down, as West Brom did, but there are a hell of a lot that go down - even after a long stay in the Prem, like Latics - and never come back up or go into free fall. Just look at Coventry, Wimbledon (now MK Dons), Forest and Leeds. Southampton and QPR both endured lengthy stays in the second tier, some clubs have dropped even further and even out of the Football League altogether. The Championship is a crazy, unpredictable league where few teams ever dominate and have an entire season of great form, and even into March and April it's never too late for a change of fortunes to affect your season one way or another. It's usually impossible to say how a club will do "down there" at the best of times, never mind in the midst of managerial uncertainty.
Martinez has been doing effectively the same job on a lower scale, if you like. Wigan have perennially been one of the smallest clubs in the Premier League and had to survive off unknowns, youngsters and rejects. Shaun Maloney could have been written off as a never-was, but he's been great for them. Callum McManaman looks like he's well on the road to becoming a handy player after a bit of a rocky start, and they'll do well to keep him. Kone was an inspired signing. Ultimately leaving was the right move for Roberto as it's truly time for a new change, his status as an over-achiever and a man for whom players seem to love playing for makes Everton very much a hand-in-glove situation, and leaving the DW now means he's a hero forever to Wigan fans. I think he'll do alright at Everton, but if it's true that Kenwright is thinking "Champions League" I hope he's a patient man.
As for Wigan, it's hard to say. Honestly, so many clubs have gone into rapid decline upon a managerial departure - Wolves with McCarthy, Charlton with Curbishley, Hull with Phil Brown - that you never really know how hard it could hit them. I know people will argue that they came up (and stayed up) with Paul Jewell and that they never went down under Steve Bruce either, but it's a different kettle of fish trying to come straight back up from the Championship. Some teams spend years bouncing up and down, as West Brom did, but there are a hell of a lot that go down - even after a long stay in the Prem, like Latics - and never come back up or go into free fall. Just look at Coventry, Wimbledon (now MK Dons), Forest and Leeds. Southampton and QPR both endured lengthy stays in the second tier, some clubs have dropped even further and even out of the Football League altogether. The Championship is a crazy, unpredictable league where few teams ever dominate and have an entire season of great form, and even into March and April it's never too late for a change of fortunes to affect your season one way or another. It's usually impossible to say how a club will do "down there" at the best of times, never mind in the midst of managerial uncertainty.
Have to feel good for Martinez as he goes to a team that at the least is pretty good, right ? Gotta love a coach that gets the most out of his players and has their respect.
Also....................how do teams that are relegated get promoted to the Premiere League ? Is it the same way they are sent down as in points in whatever division they are in compared to the bottom three in the Premiere League ?
The top two teams in the table in The Championship (stupid fucking name for the second tier) go up to the Premier League automatically. The teams finishing 3rd-6th then enter "the play-offs" which involve two-legged semi finals where they play home and away, then the winners meet in a final in a big showcase affair at Wembley.
More often than not (over the last ten years, at least) the team that finishes 3rd does go on to finish the job in the play-offs, though this year's final (which I yapped about here) saw Crystal Palace who came 5th beat Watford who came 3rd. As well as the special heartbreak reserved for teams that narrowly miss out on automatic promotion and then go close but fail in the play-offs as well, Watford have to live with the fact that in their last game of the regular season they completely screwed up, losing 2-1 at home to Leeds (who scored in the last minute) when a win would have seen them go up in 2nd place instead of Hull, who had already finished their last game with a 2-2 draw with Cardiff (champions).
The best bit of drama though came in Watford's favour in between those two bits of heartbreak. In the second leg of the semi with Leicester they were 2-1 up on the day but the score was 2-2 on aggregate, and the away goal would take Leicester through to the final. Leicester got a penalty in the last minute which if scored, would seal the win. Manuel Almunia (who had been taken off injured in the fateful Leeds game) saved the penalty... and Watford promptly went up the other end and scored, winning the game 3-1, the semi 3-2 and breaking Leicester hearts.
Maybe these teams that missed out will benefit the next time knowing what needs to be done and not take anything for granted. Gotta feel for Leicester. Games with a play-off type atmosphere....would love to watch these games ! As always, thanks for the info !
I certainly felt for Leicester, one of my best mates is a Leicester fan.
Interesting. Here is a look at how teams fared that either :
a) came third and then failed in the Play-Offs or ;
b) lost the Play-Off final
... the next season, and also if they were subsequently promoted.
IPSWICH - came 3rd in 2005 - finished 15th in 2006 - never subsequently promoted.
PRESTON - Play-Off runners-up 2005 - finished 4th in 2006 (out of Play-Offs in semis) - never subsequently promoted, relegated to League 1 in 2011.
LEEDS - Play-Off runners-up 2006 - finished 24 (AND RELEGATED TO LEAGUE 1) in 2007 - never subsequently promoted to Prem although have returned to the Championship.
WEST BROM - Play-Off runners-up 2007 - finished TOP in 2008 and were promoted. Then relegated. Then promoted again. Still in the Prem.
BRISTOL CITY - Play-Off runners-up 2008 - finished 10th in 2009 - never subsequently promoted. Relegated in 2013.
SHEFFIELD UNITED - came 3rd AND Play-Off runners-up in 2009 - finished 8th in 2010 - never subsequently promoted. Relegated in 2011.
FOREST - came 3rd in 2010 - finished 6th in 2011 (out of Play-Offs in semis) - never subsequently promoted.
CARDIFF - Play-Off runners up in 2010 - finished 4th in 2011 and 6th in 2012 (out of Play-Offs in semis both times) - PROMOTED AS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IN 2013
READING - Play-Off runners up in 2011 - finished TOP in 2012 and were promoted. Relegated in 2013.
BLACKPOOL - Play-Off runners up in 2012 - finished 15th in 2013.
So, out of the last 7 beaten Play-Off finalists before Watford, 2 have shown the resolve to come back straight away and finish the job the season after. However, a large number of clubs have touched the brass ring but been unable to grab it, and amazingly half of the ten teams listed above that came so close to making it into the elite, were actually relegated within a couple of years of such near-success. They refer to the Play-Off final as worth millions of pounds, and while the commentators always like to console fans of the losers by saying "their time will come," statistically speaking, most teams will only get a very occasional chance to capture lightening in a bottle.
The Championship, a wildly unpredictable division.
Interesting. Here is a look at how teams fared that either :
a) came third and then failed in the Play-Offs or ;
b) lost the Play-Off final
... the next season, and also if they were subsequently promoted.
IPSWICH - came 3rd in 2005 - finished 15th in 2006 - never subsequently promoted.
PRESTON - Play-Off runners-up 2005 - finished 4th in 2006 (out of Play-Offs in semis) - never subsequently promoted, relegated to League 1 in 2011.
LEEDS - Play-Off runners-up 2006 - finished 24 (AND RELEGATED TO LEAGUE 1) in 2007 - never subsequently promoted to Prem although have returned to the Championship.
WEST BROM - Play-Off runners-up 2007 - finished TOP in 2008 and were promoted. Then relegated. Then promoted again. Still in the Prem.
BRISTOL CITY - Play-Off runners-up 2008 - finished 10th in 2009 - never subsequently promoted. Relegated in 2013.
SHEFFIELD UNITED - came 3rd AND Play-Off runners-up in 2009 - finished 8th in 2010 - never subsequently promoted. Relegated in 2011.
FOREST - came 3rd in 2010 - finished 6th in 2011 (out of Play-Offs in semis) - never subsequently promoted.
CARDIFF - Play-Off runners up in 2010 - finished 4th in 2011 and 6th in 2012 (out of Play-Offs in semis both times) - PROMOTED AS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IN 2013
READING - Play-Off runners up in 2011 - finished TOP in 2012 and were promoted. Relegated in 2013.
BLACKPOOL - Play-Off runners up in 2012 - finished 15th in 2013.
So, out of the last 7 beaten Play-Off finalists before Watford, 2 have shown the resolve to come back straight away and finish the job the season after. However, a large number of clubs have touched the brass ring but been unable to grab it, and amazingly half of the ten teams listed above that came so close to making it into the elite, were actually relegated within a couple of years of such near-success. They refer to the Play-Off final as worth millions of pounds, and while the commentators always like to console fans of the losers by saying "their time will come," statistically speaking, most teams will only get a very occasional chance to capture lightening in a bottle.
The Championship, a wildly unpredictable division.
No need to rub it in mate, I'm still hurting here!
Can't compare to the letdown of the 92-93 season, surely?
tartanterrier
Is somewhere outhere.
I feel even more sorry for Wigan now that they have Owen Coyle as boss.As soon as a better job comes,he'll be off leaving the Latics in a bad way just like he did with Burnley when he moved to Bolton.
I hope Martinez does well at Everton - He deserves it
I hope Martinez does well at Everton - He deserves it
hurt so much more. Although 92/3 was a let down being defending champions we at least stayed in the league. We never fully adapted to the change in the backpass rule after we won the one first division and that was our downfall. That and selling Cantona didnt help either. But to go from play off finals to administration and relegation the next season and to start with -15 points all the while our crook of a chairman was lining his own pockets and running the club to the ground hurts so much more
Incidentally, do you know how that deal went down? Howard Wilkinson rang up Martin Edwards while Ferguson was in the office with a view to asking Edwards about buying Dennis Irwin, and when Fergie twigged who it was on the phone, he scribbled a note and passed it to Edwards that said "Ask him about Cantona." Unbelievable.
yeah thats true, although i think it was the chairman of Leeds Bill Fotherby who made the call, not Wilkison. But either way that has to be one of the best/worst pieces of transfer business in the premier league history!
Whilst Cantona did help in winning the league for Leeds that year, he wasnt as instrumental as some say, he had joined after Christmas when we were already top of the league, and he only scored three goals in that season. But it was what he went on to do after he left that makes it such a great deal by man utd. The thing is, although he was obviously world class, i dont think he would have gone on to be as successful if he had stayed at Leeds. Wilkison was already starting to show signs of tactical naivety, and was starting to be left behind by other younger managers at the dawn of the premier league. Fergison was one of the few who was able to evolve with the game, and used Cantona to his full potential.
