For what has been labeled the most unpredictable and tightest season in recent history, the only anti-climax is that Man United and West Ham United were respectively crowned champions and relegated last week. While the former United succeeded because of a unified resoluteness that saw them defy critics, the latter flimsily surrendered winning positions, more tellingly last week when they sealed their fate in the match against Wigan.
Thanks to that last ditch victory courtesy of some N’Zogbia magic, Wigan live to fight another day against FA Cup finalists Stoke City. With four other teams separated by just one point, for once center stage will be occupied by the strugglers in the finely poised table below:
Team GF GD PTS
15. Blackburn 43 -14 40
16. Wolves 44 -19 40
17. Birmingham 36 -20 39
18. Blackpool 53 -21 39
19. Wigan 39 -22 39
20. West Ham 43 -24 33
Center Stage
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Wolves v Blackburn Rovers
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City
Manchester United v Blackpool
Wigan will be hoping that a Stoke City side that looked more like the walking wounded at the end of the FA Cup final will be missing many of their stars, and will be under the same hangover that clouded Birmingham’s season after a rare Wembley visit. Wigan will need to show a lot more fight than they have shown all season in order to stand a chance. Arguably the league’s most unpredictable side, it would be crazy to bet against Wigan until one can see which side they chose to show on Sunday.
Victory over Stoke will give Wigan the chance they need to leapfrog Birmingham into safety if the latter fails to find the better of a Spurs side that will be fighting to retain direct entry into the Europa League. Birmingham’s tie is on paper the toughest given that Spurs also has lost only once at home for the best home record in the league after Manchester United. Birmingham on the other hand has won only twice away from home all season.
Blackpool also hoping to leapfrog Birmingham into safety will be hoping to get a better result than Wigan when they visit the Champions, unbeaten at home all season. Blackpool’s hope will be that the eagerly anticipated Champions League final will distract United from continuing a record breaking run of consecutive home victories. However, United’s recent thrashing of Schalke with a shadow side will give Blackpool no consolation.
Wolves hosting Blackburn is promising to be a real cup final! For all the satisfaction Blackburn must have felt in settling for a draw against the champions last week, they should be worried about a resurgent Wolves side that gives away very little at home. It is also very unlikely that McCarthy will roll the dice and settle for a draw given that Blackburn with a better goal difference will have more to gain. If any two of Birmingham, Blackpool or Wigan win their games, a draw would relegate Wolves, while a win by all three would see both Wolves and Blackburn relegated with a draw.
It is so tight; relegation could be determined by goal difference or even goals scored (GF). If Wolves or Blackburn win, the loser would be relegated with the last relegation place going to the team with the worst goal difference - or even goals scored - out of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan. Given that they are currently separated by just two goals, if Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan all lose then the two with the worst goal difference - or goals scored - will go down.
If I had to predict which two from this lot will go down, I would have to go for Wigan and Birmingham. However, I have a strong feeling Blackburn and Wigan could just swap places in a measure of justice against the new Blackburn owners who unjustifiably sacked Sam Allardyce.
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