The Mother of All Relegation Dogfights
posted by The Blue Devil @ 1:40 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Monday, May 07, 2012
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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124 Comments:
Congratulations to the Happy Hammers who are into the Play-off Finals at Wembley after completing a 5-0 aggregate win over Blackpool today.
Sorry - that would be Cardiff. Blackpool take a slender 0-1 lead to Brum for the second leg on Wednesday afternoon.
So these are the facts: If Wigan win, their Premier League status is secure for another season. If they draw, only a last-day goal-difference turnaround of quite ludicrous proportions will relegate them. If they lose it'll go to the final day, when they've got the most winnable fixture of any relegation-threatened side. They aren't yet safe, but they're not far off.
If Blackburn win, and then win again at Chelsea on Sunday, they might just avoid relegation. If they drop any points at all in either game, they are doomed.
The final-day relegation-region fixtures look like this:
Chelsea v Blackburn
Manchester City v QPR
Stoke v Bolton
Wigan v Wolves
Both managers have issued their team sheets right at the deadline, so they know how important tactics are tonight. Here they are then:
Blackburn: Robinson, Orr, Dann, Givet, Martin Olsson, Hoilett, Dunn, Lowe, Pedersen, Modeste, Yakubu. Subs: Kean, Formica, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Rochina, Marcus Olsson, Goodwillie.
Wigan: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour, Moses, Di Santo, Maloney. Subs: Pollitt, Crusat, Ben Watson, Gomez, Sammon, Rodallega, Diame.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg.
Teams coming out of the tunnel at Ewood Park now. The battles begins!
Steve Keane has set out with three out and out strikers. He knows that his side need three points and also need goals. If they were to beat Wigan here 3-0, they'd still be three points back but the two teams would be even on -25 GD.
Unfortunately, Wigan have made the brighter start through the tricky DiSanto down the left side.
They're going to have to feed the Yak this afternoon big time!
That's marvelous - play has stopped because a chicken with a Blackburn scarf on has wandered onto the pitch. Al Habsi has caught it - probably the best handling he's displayed all season.
Oh - DiSanto was in on goal but Robbo did well with the slight curling effort.
DiSanto got to the corner there. He's had the freedom of Ewood Park so far.
No doubt about it - Wigan are outplaying the home side.
Good afternoon BD.How are you today?
COME ON YOU LATICS!
I am delighted for Jonno that his Hammers are in the final and not Evil Cardiff
Blackburn is making Wigan lookm like Barca. They sure seem to be doing everything to make sure Roberto's lads play to their style.
Corner for Blackburn here - too long from Pedersen.
Useless effort from David Dunn. Miles over. As if they will score three shooting like that
David Dunn has a crack from distance there - threatens the peanut seller.
Afternoon, MUR - thanks for joining in!
I thought Victor Moses was fouled in the D.
This does not have the feel of a 3-0 Blackburn win, the only relevant scoreline.
Thanks BD. Great to be here. No wonder why Victor Moses didn't get the caa. It's that muppet , Clattenburg.
It looks more like a 3-0 Wigan win.
Crosssed straight to Robbo.
Rovers look like a Joke . I'm surprised it's still 0-0.
I really thought that they'd give it a go from the off with the three strikers on but if anything Wigan have had the best chances.
Brilliant skill by Victor Moses and Robbo saves at the near post. Corner to Wigan
Robbo saves from Moses at an acute angle. Scott Dann was completely skinned there. He's clearly given up the fight.
Wigan take a short corner and are dominating possession. They looked like a Spanish style team with all that short passing. Rovers looked clueless again.
I think Dann was clueless.
Woy should give Victor Moses a chance, at least on current form.
I reckon that Keane should have played the chicken instead. He/she seemed to have better form on the ball (see my comment of 3:09 EST.
Clumsy foul by McCarthy. This is probably Rovers' first chance of the match.
A shocking free kick from Pedersen. Is he aiming to hit the full moon.
The Yak is furious with that Pedersen effort - he wanted a nice chip into his head.
There was a lovely full moon on Saturday night - did you see it?
BOOM BOOM BD. Definitely true,
Keane looks damp and miserable. I reckon the post-match sacking press conference has already been scheduled.
Un fortunately it was overcast on Saturday in San Antonio . Melanie saw it for a few seconds. Jacquelyn saw it in Harlingen.
Ta, MUR!
I would not be surprised.Avram was relegated after a loss to Wigan this weekend last year, so why not Steve Keane this year.
Steve Keane may be reassigned to work the chicken coops.
Rovers look like a lower division team in a cup tie hanging on for dear life.
Useless Rovers throw that Wigan deflect off of Rovers for their own throw.
Just too long for McCarthy ffrom Beausejour after a superb run from Victor Moses, who is like a conductor at an orchestra.
What was up with Robbo? He lost the cross as Victor Moses headed down, but nobody was there to tap home and Rovers cleared.
A poor corner and Rovers counter through Yak until he is fouled by MacArthur, who is lectured by Kermit.
Keane could hardly do worse as a fowler.
Rovers fans should chant
STEVE KEANE FOR SCOTLAND.
Why do I think that Robbo is destined to end up back at Elland Road next season? I'd prefer the Yak.
He actually did a good job as assistant manager at Fulham and at Rovers under Fat Sam.He just couldn't make the jump to head manager.
Figueroa fouls Hoilett just outside the box and it is another shocking free kick from Pedersen
Rovers fans look resigned to their fate.
My word - Pedersen is making a mess of every set piece that he's had. What on earth is he thinking with that free kick?
They do - I expect some crying kiddies at the end.
I'm off to set up my class. Back in a tick.
I think you would be better off with Yak. I think Paddy Kenny would be more likely to go to ER than Robbo. I see him going to a lower level EPL side , possibly Sotton.
Cheers BD. See you later.
I think a draw would relegate Rovers . Good riddance.
Marcus Olsson is on for the injured David Dunn. Now the Olsson twins are on the field.
two minutes of stoppage time.
Rovers clear another Wigan attack as Moses was running the show yet again.
Halftime and 0-0 at a rainy, windy Ewood Park.
So Blackburn are 45 minutes away from the Championship. A draw does indeed relegate them. I can't really see any other result, unless Steve Keane has Karim Benzema on the bench somehow.
He is more likely to have Karim Benzema's rat on the bench. The Olsson twins are now out on the pitch. Will that help?
Webbie is the lucky one. Fourth official on a drab dreary night in a drab dreary town.
Radoslay Petrovic is on for GivetPedersen was giving Petrovis instructions. Do as I say, not say as I do. I hope he wasn't giving advice on how to take set pieces, and the second half is underway.
Hoilett wins a Rovers corner. He and the Yak are the only Rovers who can say they have a credible season.
A poor cross by Pedersen that is deflected for a corner. A spell of pressure from the corner resul;ts in a weak punch from Al Habsi and ends in a useless cross from Pedersen.
I hope Wigan score eight in the second half.
Al Habsi easily gathers a long free kick from Rovers.
Beausejour has a shot deflected for a corner.
McCarthy volleys wide after the corner was poorly headed out.
I'm back for a tick before I have to head off to class.
One of the Olsson twins wins a Rovers corner.They nearly score as Wigan had to block two shots.
Welcome back, BD.
I wonder if Mary Kate and Ashley would do a better job as Olsson twins for Rovers than Marcus and Martin.
It was Beausejour who headed off the line from the Rovers corner.
That's quite possible. Their heads are certainly big enough to block a few shots. I'd like to see that.
Blackburn have had only two shots on target . They need more goals than they have had shots in order to have a chance of surviving.
Oh - Moses could have put the final nail in the Blackburn coffin there on the volley. Tough skill.
BOOM BOOM. They would be great at set pieces.
A trip to Ewood Park for Leeds next season.
A scramble in the box produces the first real crowd reaction in a while.
A scramble in the box off the Rovers free kick and Wigan counter. Never a penalty. I did not see who went in the book for Rovers.
It was Petrovic as Wigan attempted to break.
Rovers had a chance off a corner earlier in the hlaf that was headed off the line by Beausejour.
A herad injury for Modeste. Is his night over?
Another free kick for Rovers .It curled on the wet pitch and Al Habsi did well to gather cleanly.If he were English he would probably be in the England squad for the Euros.
Great defending on Caldwell as Rivers appeared to be through on goal.
Great Wigan attack that was wasted by a horrible shot from Di Santo.
A long predictable Rovers free kick is easily dealt with by the Latics.
A long predictable Rovers free kick is easily dealt with by the Latics.
Pedersen is called for a foul on Shaun Maloney just outside the box and is booked.
The free kick from Maloney is into the wall and deflected for a corner.
The corner went out of play and Robbo sprints to restart play.
Modeste shoots straight at Al Habsi off the goal kick.
Victor Moses is booked for diving in the box and rightly so.
The rain showers have now turned into a monsoon at Ewood Park.
The players should try low , hard shots in these conditions. It will be virtually impossioble for the keepr to hold a shot in these rapidly deteriorating conditions.
Rovers best bet is for the match to be abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.
Robbo takes a long free kic from midfield and Scott Dann is called for pushing.
Usless cross from Di Santo.
Great run by Hoilett and Al Habsi fumbles out for a Rovers corner that is easily cleared.
Al Habsi fumbles a low, hard cross from one of the Olsson twins, but gathers at the second attempt
BRILLIANT! David Goodwillie is on for Bradley Orr.
A superb triple save from Robbo to kepp Rovers in the match. The best was the first from Victor Moses.
Robbo does well to prevent Wigan from winning a corner.
That should have been the lead to Wigan as Shaun Maloney headed over , unmarked in the six yard box, from a superb cross by Emmerson Boyce.
The replay shows that Maloney put Victor Moses through and that Robbo saved a rocket from Mose, the rebound from Maloney, and the next rebound from Moses.
Connor Sammon is on for Di Santo ,who did not have one of his better matches.
A cross from Victor Moses is chested out for a corner.
GOAL !!! 0-1 WIGAN AND ACARAZ HEADS IN THE CORNER. ROBBO DOVE , BUT PALMED IT IN THE GOAL
That goal had been threatening to come on the last few possessions.
Rivers are two miunutes plus stoppage time away from the Championship while Wigan is the same amount of time away from securing their EPL status for at least another season.
Rovers fans look too stunned to cry.
Three minutes of stoppage time.
Rovers appear to have given up the fight.
Now Good willie is lectured by Kermit.
That's it wigan win 0-1 at Ewood Park and Robers have been offiacially relegated.Goiod riddance if I may say so and Wigan have secured their EPL staus and deservedly so with some superb displays the past few weeks.
Robbo shows class by applauding Rovers fans and shaking hands with those that invaded the pitch. They respond by patting him opn the back while the rest of his teammates deserted him. Wigan players jumped for joy while Keane and his players were stunned.
That leaves Bolton and Evil QPR fighting for that last spot. Bolton must win at Stoke to secure relegation and then hope QPR lose at the Etyihad whioch they probably will. That is it for me.
CHEERS!
Cheers, MUR - thanks for the commentary. That's Wigan safe and Blackburn gone through the trap door then. Bolton v. QPR on Sunday - QPR certainly have the more difficult task but I somehow fancy them. Wish Sparky were still playing.
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