Sorrow for Birmingham and Blackpool but joy for St George

Super Sunday?  Oh yes…

The final day of the Premier League season didn’t disappoint, with more twists and turns than the off-spring of a helter skelter and a big dipper.

The day started with any of five teams with a possibility of joining West Ham in the Championship next year.  Two places were up for grabs and all five were willing to scrap to the last to ensure they did not fill one of them.

Blackpool always looked likely to go, with an away match against the Champions, Manchester United, on the final day.  Soon after half time though, an unlikely escape looked on the cards as goals from Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher gave them a 2-1 lead.

After 45 minutes it was Wolves, courtesy of a startling 3-0 reverse against relegation rivals Blackburn, and Wigan, goalless in their game at Stoke, who filled the relegation spots. At various times through this pulsating afternoon 4 of the 5 occupied relegation spots. Once Jason Roberts scored for Blackburn after 22 minutes they were never in any danger.  Hugo Rodellega scored the all important goal for Wigan which ensured their safety leaving Blackpool (whose afternoon turned from half time delirium to full time misery on the back of a 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford) and Birmingham falling through the trap door.  Wolves who had trailed so heavily leaving them perilously close - such was the closeness of this contest that goal difference was a serious contender to relegate the club – received, one can only assume, the hair dryer of all hair dryers from Mick McCarthy and it duly paid off.  Stephen Hunts fine goal after 87 minutes kept them clear. 

By the end of the 90 minutes Birmingham’s fate has been sealed by a thumping Roman Pavlachenko strike which consigned them to a 2-1 defeat to Spurs and relegation.

It was a truly scintillating afternoon and one which goes some way in demonstrating just how entertaining the Premier League can be.  It seems a shame that we are rarely, if ever, treated to such a close fight at the other end of the table. I for one would love to see a final day scrap between United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the resurgent Man City all vying for the Champions spot on the last day.  Maybe next year I guess!

All three relegated teams have significant work to do to achieve automatic promotion next year from an incredibly difficult league.  Blackpool may have planned for a single season and however disappointed they may be to have lost their Premier League status have not spent wildly in trying to maintain it.  Yes, wages may have increased but there would have been relegation clauses built into any improved contracts they committed to and they may not feel the pinch quite as much as the other two.  There will be inevitable personnel changes such has the impact of players such as Charlie Adam been this term but they should have enough to mount a challenge next year.  Neither West Ham or Birmingham would have felt any danger about this season and now find themselves with steep challenges ahead.  With higher wages than Blackpool and with unsettled players keen to remain at the highest level they too will feel a serious pinch next year.  It is estimated that relegation means a revenue loss of around £25m and that is hard to swallow.  Sadly for all three for every Newcastle or West Brom who bounced straight back after relegation, there is a Norwich, Charlton or Leeds who spend seasons trying to get back to the top and fall further in their attempts.

It’s easy to sympathise with the supporters of these clubs for whom every defeat would have felt like a hard kick in the unmentionables.  Any supporter who has felt the pain of relegation can’t fail but relive it with every crying child on Survival Sunday.  For the clubs involved the truth is probably harder to take.  If you finish in the bottom 3 at the end of the season, even if it’s a close run thing as it was this year, it’s because you’ve not been good enough. 

At the other end of the table and for those teams whose safety was ensured some months ago, the latest managerial casualty took the form of Cheslea’s Carlo Ancellotti.  A trophyless season for the Blues made the dismissal sadly inevitable for the wealthy West Londoners.  It’s a direct message to whoever takes the helm – second place in the Premier League and a quarter final in the Champions League is not enough.  It will be a brave man who takes the role on but with the talents available to them expectations will be high that the Premier League trophy will be regained and the long awaited Champions League success will follow. 

And so the Premier League ends for another year.  The managerial merry-go-round is warming up and agents up and down the land are watching their charges go off on their summer holidays whilst they try and secure valuable contracts for them to return to.  Just one Premier League space remains for next season now and that will be taken by Swansea or Reading who meet at Wembley next Monday.  My advice (for what its worth) for whoever wins and takes that spot along with QPR and Norwich – Buckle up guys, its going to be a hell of a ride!

De Ja Vu for De Gale

After all the trash talk and bad mouthing between James DeGale and George Groves “The Grudge” match finally came about at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.   Both had started boxing at the same amateur boxing club in West London as youngsters and DeGale always saw a defeat by Groves in the amateur ranks as the unacceptable stain on his otherwise unblemished record.  Both boxers dismissed the others chances with many believing that DeGale would prove superior in their long awaited re-match. 

DeGale seemed surprised by Groves strength and ability to take a punch and the latters footwork gave him time and space to avoid punches and land some good shots himself. 

The fight was a good advert for British boxing and had as much good about it as the last heavily built up clash between two British fighters, namely David Haye and Audley Harrison, had bad.  Both DeGale and Groves were fearless and by the end of 12 gruelling rounds both were cut and both were going all out to win the contest.  Personally I had DeGale ahead although it was close.  Not for the first time in my time watching boxing, the judges opinion differed from mine.  One scored the fight 115 each and the other two scored it 115-114 in favour of Groves.  As the decision was announced DeGale leapt forward in anticipation of being named as the winner when the ring announcer said “..and still undefeated” clearly forgetting that Groves was also undefeated upon entering the ring.  He looked stunned when Groves was called and Groves and his entourage, including the aforementioned Haye were understandably jubilant. 

DeGale will feel aggrieved that the decision went against him and will feel that he made most of the running in the fight whereas Groves was the more defensive, although this would do a disservice to Groves who fought an intelligent tactical fight, knowing how to attack DeGale and when to take evasive action.  He came under heavy pressure at times but rarely looked shaken and doggedly stuck to his plan.  DeGale was dominant at times but was guilty of failing to make that dominance pay and Groves looked stronger as the fight developed.

There was plenty of ill-feeling during the bout but it never went beyond comments made by both at the end of each round.

DeGale had genuine ambition to add a World title to his Olympic gold but that aim will have to wait while he gets his career back on track after this setback.  Groves finds himself with a big scalp and his team will have to find the right opponent to further his title ambitions.   It’s inevitable that, at some stage down the line, these two fighters will meet again and the trash talk and bad mouthing will restart but a rematch will be a riveting watch just as this one was.  I can’t wait.  

The trash talk for Haye’s next bout, against Wladimir Klitscho in Hamburg on July 3^rd will, will now restart in earnest and I look forward to updating you between then and now as to exactly what Haye claims he will do to the big Russian next.