Ready For Next Season

Here are the final outcomes of season 2010-11.

Premier League
Champions - Manchester United
Champions League Qualifiers - Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal
Europa League Qualifiers - Tottenham Hotspuds, Birmingham City, Stoke City, Fulham
Relegated - Birmingham City, Blackpool, West Ham United

Championship
Champions - Queens Park Rangers
Promoted - Norwich City, Swansea City
Relegated - Preston North End, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe

League One
Champions - Brighton And Hove Albion
Promoted - Southampton, Peterborough Town
Relegated - Dagenham And Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town

League Two
Champions - Chesterfield
Promoted - Bury, Wycombe Wanderers, Stevenage
Relegated - Lincoln City, Stockport County

Conference
Champions - Crawley Town
Promoted - AFC Wimbledon
Relegated - Southport, Altrincham, Eastbourne, Histon

Blogger??

For some reason I can sign in and create, edit and post new stuff but it won't let me comment on my own posts?
As soon as I go to the comments page I'm signed out and I can't even post as an anonymous user, if I sign in at that point it takes me back to the main post and if I try to comment it's the same thing all over again .... I suppose I'll sort it out eventually?

Just found this in the "known problems" section of Blogger help -
"We're investigating an issue which is preventing login and comment posting for some users, and hope to have a fix released shortly.
Thanks for your patience in the meantime. — latest update on Tuesday, May 24, 2011"

Obviously "shortly" means sometime in the next few weeks :(

Sorted

So the last promotion spot for next season has been sorted, Swansea are back in the big time for the first time in nearly 30 years and the first Welsh team ever in the Premiership.
Although Swansea have looked very good when I've seen them they must be favourites for relegation already as I don't think they have the finances to compete next season, their current team is a collection of home growns, Spaniards from the Martinez days and League and Prem cast-offs who seemed to gel together pretty well.
Ex Chelsea striker Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick today and seems to have finally found a home after being on loan for most of his career, it'll be nice to see former Southend star Mark Gower finally make the Premiership although he's nearing the end of his career along with ex Hammer Leon Britton.

... At least Liverpool get to play abroad next season ... :)

Champions League Final

Barcelona won .... here's the best of the jokes!!

At least Ryan Giggs managed to remain anonymous for 90 minutes last night.

My wife said to me this morning, "Man U were shit last night"
I was really upset 5 minutes is a personal best for me?

Mrs Giggs wants to know if anyone can vouch for the whereabouts of her husband, between the hours of 7.45 and 9.45pm last night.

Allardyce

The latest favourite for the Hammers hot seat is now Sam Allardyce.
Although I think big Sam is a good manager I'm not sure he fits with the West Ham style, but if he is the man and we go through next season with a trail of 1-0 wins and get promotion maybe we won't mind :)
Big Sam has been unfairly treated at his last two posts so I have sympathy for him, he really wasn't given a chance at Newcastle and I assume he just didn't get on with the Indian chicken farmers at Blackburn.
I don't think it's a done deal yet but he is a better choice than recent favourites Jones and Warnock, although I'd still prefer O'Neill.

Getting Worried

I have heard that the West Ham owners have made Dave Jones their preferred choice, although they have today denied making any approach.
This guy seems to have less charisma than Avram Grant so I'm not sure how he's going to inspire anyone? His managerial record is nothing to write home about either, yes he took Wolves up after spending a lot of money then took them straight down again and 4 years of promise at Cardiff have seen them blow out every year.
There are dozens of better candidates out there (is he cheap?), and if the story that Ancelotti would consider the job is true then he must be a better option than Jones?
We really need someone to bring through some of the young talent without fiddling with them too much.

High Brow Jokes

Obvious joke of the week.

Eyebrows were raised over the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

Best Chelsea joke of the season -

A Man walks up to the scouse salesperson - "I would like to return an item I brought from you several months ago, I have the receipt and all the paperwork"
- "Sir, we have a no return policy, I'm sorry I can't help you"
- "But I've spent way too much on it, it never functions, I've moved it everywhere, it doesn't fit in with anything else, it's waste of time and space, you misled me and overcharged me for it!!"
- "For the last time Mr Ancelotti ...... "

End Of Season Report

Well at least I got one prediction right this season and sadly it means it's goodbye to Blackpool and Birmingham who join my Hammers in the Championship (Division 2) next season :(
A few twists and turns at the end of the day, I was actually sitting in a boozer/restaraunt while most of this was going on and could just see a telly in the distance but heard the big cheer when Blackpool took the lead at Old Trafford, as I left Man U had just gone 3-2 up so it was looking like that was it for Blackpool.
As I turned on the radio in the car Birmingham equalised against Tottenham and Wigan scored at Stoke meaning Wolves were now in the final drop position.
Just as I was getting home Wolves scored again which pushed Birmingham back into the bottom 3 then a few minutes later another Tottenham goal made sure.
Elsewhere Man City secured 3rd place, Kenny Dalglish continued his 100% losing streak since signing a new contract, Arsenal scraped a point at Fulham, Newcastle blew a 3 goal lead at home to West Brom and then there was the Hammers :(
Probably our most embarrassing defeat of the season? the pressure was off Grant was gone they should have put on a good display to end the year but losing to a crap Sunderland side 3-0 at home is just a total disgrace.

I've just read that the Chelsea manager's position is now up for grabs so if anyone sees Avram Grant near Stamford Bridge you know what to do :)

Fever Pitch And The 1988-89 Season

I picked up a copy of Fever Pitch at a boot sale recently for 10p (one of those ones they give away with the Sun) and despite the fact that I have never have or will be an Arseanl fan it brought back some great memories of "that" match, the league decider between Liverpool and Arsenal in May 1989.
I remember the week well Arsenal had managed to blow the lead in the championship and if Liverpool could beat West Ham on the Tuesday night they would go top by 3 points, if West ham had managed an unlikely win we would have stayed up.
As it turned out it was a disaster and 3 goals in the last 10 minutes gave Liverpool a undeserved 5-1 win leading to our relegation and the unfair sacking of long serving manager John Lyall (which was the beginning of West Ham joining all the other teams who sacked managers on a regular basis).
That 5-1 win also meant that the Friday night decider would need Arsenal to win 2-0 at Anfield to overtake Liverpool.
1989 was of course the season of the Hillsborough tragedy so a lot of people were hoping for a league and cup double for Liverpool, they had won the cup the week before.
I have a long standing dislike of Liverpool so I was happy to cheer on the Gooners for this one, and as the match turned out it was one of the greatest matches ever.
Liverpool's style at the time was usually to pass the ball around the back four then kick it back to the goalie for most of the match (the backpass rule didn't exist at the time) and when the other team had fallen asleep they would hit them on the break, so the chances of Arsenal winning by 2 were slim.
Arsenal pressed them for most of the match never allowing them to settle on the ball, impressive tactics by George Graham.
Alan Smith put Arsenal in front midway through the second half but as 90 minutes came up it looked Liverpool had done enough then in the last minute of injury time Arsenal broke and Michael Thomas grabbed the second goal, brilliant stuff.
The film captures that moment brilliantly, I've been at West Ham matches where we've snatched a last minute winner and that feeling of it's like slow motion and you hold your breath as the ball goes over the line.

Interesting to look at the league table for that season, these were the days when leagues had sensible names like division 1 to 4.
Luton and Wimbledon were in the first division which was funny considering they played in the conference play off yesterday (yeah I know it's a different Wimbledon).
Only 8 of this seasons Premier league teams were in the top division then -
1 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 6 Tottenham 8 Everton 11 Manchester United 17 Aston Villa 19 West Ham United 20 Newcastle United.
Chelsea, Man City, Blackburn, West Brom, Sunderland, Stoke and Birmingham were all in division 2.
Wolves, Fulham, Bolton, Wigan and Blackpool were in Division 3

Predictions (Week 36)

The Final predictions competition .... ever.
They think it's all over ... it is now!!

A few things still to be settled, 3rd place between Man City and Arsenal, the unwanted 5th spot between the Spuds and Liverpool and of course 2 more relegation spots up for grabs between Blackburn, Wolves, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan.

If these predictions are correct (unlikely) then it's goodbye to Blackpool and Birmingham.
The Wolves v Blackburn game should be the big match but if Man U and Tottenham are professional it won't matter although both of those have reasons to field weakened teams, Man U already have the Premier league in the bag and won't want to risk any injuries before next weeks Gary Neville testimonial (and next Saturday's game), Tottenham had stated they didn't really want the Europa league spot although 'arry has changed his mind again this week.

3rd spot this year means not having to risk a tricky qualifying game so both City and Arseanal will hope for that, City should scrape it as they travel to neighbours Bolton who seem to be already on their summer holidays, where Wenger's lot go to Fulham who could still finish 7th which isn't bad for a team who have struggled a bit this season.

Aston Villa v Liverpool 1-1
Bolton v Man City 1-2
Everton v Chelsea 1-1
Fulham v Arsenal 2-2
Man Utd v Blackpool 4-0
Newcastle v West Brom 2-2
Stoke v Wigan 1-3
Tottenham v Birmingham 2-0
West Ham v Sunderland 3-0
Wolves v Blackburn 3-2

Good Sign?

That's nice the Villa fans have displayed this flag of Martin O'Neill in West Ham colours :)
Hope they are right, although O'Neill will probably have other things on his mind this week with a tribunal starting on Thursday over his leaving Villa Park.

You Gotta Laugh

Alright I've heard a ton of jokes this week all very predictable :(
This one made me laugh though -

Anyone had any luck with their tickets for Olympic stadium ??
I did, I got 55,000 tickets for West Ham v Doncaster.

Can't Keep A Good Man Down :)

Anyone Fancy A Managers Job?

I'd forgotten how many so called "experienced managers" were currently on the dole, mainly because they are a bunch of failures I guess.
Here are the latest favourites to take over from Avram Grant and take the poisoned chalice that is the West Ham managers job, once upon a time this could be viewed as a safe job but with the latest bunch of clowns running the show it could be a very short appointment.

Chris Hughton - Born in the area and played for us, very unlucky to be sacked by Newcastle and has the experience of the championship. Not my ideal choice but a lot better than most of the others on this list.

Steve McLaren - I think he's already ruled himself out, thank god :)

Malky MacKay - Current Watford manager, has not really done anything yet?

Martin O'Neill - Would be my choice but I doubt he'd want the job after the January fiasco.

Neil Warnock - You must be joking?

Kevin Keen - Liked him as a player but not really made a case for taking the bigger job, unless we stick ten past Sunderland next week :)

Gus Poyet - Can't see him leaving Brighton yet.

Sam Allardyce - Good manager but not suited to us.

Paulo Di Canio - Hammers legend but no managerial experience, would inspire but I doubt he'd have the knowledge or temprement?

Roberto Di Matteo - No more Chelsea rejects please.

Roy Keane - Great player, crap manager.

Martin Jol - If everyone else turned us down I'd take him, the Spuds connection bothers me.

Paul Lambert - The new Alex Ferguson, would be mad to leave Norwich.

Alan Curbishley - It was wrong the first time round, please don't go there again.

Slaven Bilic - Another former Hammer and big success with Croatia, a lack of club experience though and still the Croatian manager.

Ray Wilkins - Someone's having a laugh putting him on the list.

Wally Downes - Not sure he'll keep the coach job let alone be upgraded?

Julian Dicks - Another Hammer legend and has actually stated he wants the job, hasn't been much of a success at his current job managing Grays Athletic so managing West Ham is way beyond him.

Have seen many others listed and talked about but they just aren't worth a mention, can't believe Paul Ince would want to be anywhere near Upton Park but he did say last season he fancied returning as manager? even Avram would be more popular :)

Avram Grant Millwall Legend

I agree :(
Although with his Jewish roots I reckon he's pretty popular at White Fart Lane now, along with Robbie Keane .. job done.
Time to go now Avram and take Brady with you.

As I write this it seems he's gone already!! wonder who's going to be next on the conveyor belt of managers were hiring, I miss the old days when we only had 5 managers in 88 years, we are now looking for the 5th in the last 3 years :(

The End Is Near ... Live

Sitting here on the computer listening to West Ham v Wigan nerves shredded :)
An odd selection from Grant with youngsters Jordan Spence and Zavon Hines playing along with Jack Collison finally back, Parker Cole and Sears are on the bench along with wanker Keane.
4.13 pm and so far it's all going our way, Demba Ba has just scored for us and Fulham are a goal up at Birmingham .. so far so good :)
Tottenham are winning at Liverpool and Villa are a goal up at Arsenal.
4.15 pm - Arsenal are 2 goals down to Villa Darren Bent with both, proving again that if Wenger wasn't so scared of spending money it could have been a very different season for Arsenal, the 24 million spent on Bent might have been chicken feed if his goals had won them trophies this year.
4.26 pm - 2-0 oh yeah dream time :) Tomkins or Ba? scored it's a goal who cares, c'mon Fulham get another goal.
4.55 pm - Half time and so far it's as good as it can get, but I know if Birmingham score the Hammers and Wigan both go down so it's still nerve wracking stuff.
The Hammers kids are up for the challenge so finally it's looking like a good call from Grant, and even if things don't go our way maybe they might stay and be the base for our team after the "bigger" names go off to grab some premier league money.
5.07 pm = Brede Hangeland my hero :) Fulham 2 up, the miracle is still on.
5.13 pm - Penalty at Anfield, and it's for the Spuds!! didn't expect that away teams don't get penalties at Anfield .. 2-0 to them!
5.16 pm - SHIT! Nzogbia scores from a free kick, 2-1 now fingernails are disappearing.
5.20 pm - Spector off and Parker returns, is he fit? worth the risk I reckon to calm us down.
5.30 pm - Feeling absolutely gutted 2-2, credit to the Millwall fan who paid for the light aircraft to fly over the ground just as Wigan scored trailing the banner "Avram Grant Millwall legend", that's fucking annoying but quality and lightened my mood. Sounds like Scott Parker isn't fit and the gamble has backfired.
5.38 pm - Keane is warming up :( we need to score now to keep him there, Birmingham down to ten men against Fulham but at the moment that doesn't matter.
The only thing you can say about being a West Ham fan it's never dull! we don't do mid table obscurity.
5.42 pm - Keane is on, last chance to redeem yourself Robbie make us all eat our words please.
5.48 pm - Arsenal pull one back, still 2-2 at the WC stadium
5.52 pm - A minute to go, Fulham have done their bit we haven't so far.
5.53 pm - That's it it's all over Wigan have scored, start the riot .........
Millwall here we come :(

To be Updated

Another Bad Day

Hugely disappointing day, glad that Man U won the league but annoyed they didn't smash Blackburn and settled for the point they needed, wins for Blackpool and Wolves mean only a freaky set of results can save the Hammers now :(
Even if we win our last 2 games the chances of Fulham winning at Birmingham tomorrow are slim to non existant so relegation should be confirmed by 5.45 tomorrow evening .... Bollocks!!

The FA Cup final was another dull Wembley final with Man City deserving the win without ever looking that good, Stoke suffered the cup final nerves and never got going.
Slightly controversial as Yoyo Toure should have been sent off for the horrible challenge on Wilkinson before scoring the winner, to even it out Huth was lucky to still be on the pitch as well.

Predictions (Week 35)

A must win weekend for me and West Ham, and just to make it more stressfull Virgin have buggered up my internet connection and every webpage takes about 10 minutes to load and they say it won't be fixed until the 16th!!
Hopefully with enough irate callers like me they will get it fixed quicker?

A weird weekend with the FA Cup final being played as well as league fixtures? I can't remember that ever happening before and coincidently Man City were due to play Stoke which they have re-arranged for next week (can't check which day as that page won't load) but an early chance for revenge for the losers.
So hoping this actually posts here is this weeks predictions, hoping for a win to take it to a last week title decider :)

- - Saturday - -
Blackburn v Man Utd 1-2
Blackpool v Bolton 2-2
Sunderland v Wolves 1-1
West Brom v Everton 1-1
- - Sunday - -
Chelsea v Newcastle 2-0
Arsenal v Aston Villa 2-1
Birmingham v Fulham 2-1
Liverpool v Tottenham 2-0
Wigan v West Ham 0-1
- - Tues/Wed ? - -
Man City v Stoke 3-1

Robbie Savage

Quite sad that Robbie Savage has quit football although he has probably timed it right, One of the few "characters" in British football.
Like most people I hated him for a number of years but he won me over with one incident in the 1999 league cup final between Savage's Leicester and Tottenham, horrible little twat Justin Edingburgh liked to go round kicking people and crying when he was tackled, so after Savage went through him with a tackle Edingburgh took a swipe at Savage and Savage went down like a sack of spuds and Edingburgh was sent off, his wink when he was lying on the ground was a classic moment :)
Although I'm no fan of divers that one seemed justified and made me laugh so much I forgave him.
Playing for Blackburn he was excellent just for the amount of effort he put in, I would really have liked to have seen him playing for the Hammers at the time!! the type of player who motivates the crowd if he was on your team you would love him, while the opposition would totally hate him.
Hopefully he'll keep up the radio and TV work as he's always entertaining :)

Keane

I'm beginning to think it was all a cunning plan by the Spuds to help with their ongoing appeal for the Olympic stadium? "hey Robbie we're gonna send you to West Ham for a couple of months and you can score a goal early on to win them over then miss a pile of sitters later on in vital matches so they get relegated, then we can claim the stadium should only go to a Premier league club".

I'll hold on to the fact I told most of my Hammer mates when we signed him on loan that it was a mistake as he's way past his sell by date.

Prove me wrong Robbie by getting a hat-trick in each of the next 2 games, although if Avram has got any sense? you won't be near the squad again.

Predictions (Week 34)

3 Weeks to go and the score is - Lee 9 Longy 9 Draws 5.

The big game this week is obviously West Ham vs Blackburn :) if we lose this one I think that will be it :(
Also there is another game that might be of interest the Man Utd vs Chelsea title decider :) a win for United will leave them needing just a point, but a win for Chelsea throws it wide open.
Bonus game this week is the possible 4th place decider? depending on what happens Saturday, if City lose at Everton and Tottenham beat Blackpool 4th place could still be on for the Spuds so it might be an important match, if City win on Saturday I reckon Tottenham will field the reserves against City as I'm sure they don't want to end up in the Europa league and would gladly let Liverpool have that honour?

-- Saturday --
Aston Villa v Wigan 2-0
Bolton v Sunderland 2-1
Everton v Man City 2-0
Newcastle v Birmingham 1-1
West Ham v Blackburn 5-0
Tottenham v Blackpool 3-2
-- Sunday --
Wolves v West Brom 1-1
Stoke v Arsenal 0-1
Man Utd v Chelsea 2-1
-- Monday --
Fulham v Liverpool 2-2
-- Tuesday --
Man City v Tottenham 3-1

Norwich

Congratulations to Norwich on their promotion back to the Premier league :)
Paul Lambert has performed miracles since arriving there and should be manager of the season.
At the start of last season Norwich had just been relegated into the third tier and were beaten 7-1 at home by Lambert's Colchester on the opening day, Norwich quickly tapped him up (which they were later fined for) to become their new manager, which has got to be one of the best decisions ever unless your a Colchester fan.
Norwich might even go up as champions if QPR get their points deduction? which will make Longy happy :)

Arse

So Arsenal's most high profile fan has bitten the dust.
It was rumoured that the American's were alerted to the world hide'n'seek champions whereabouts after he was heard cheering Arsenal's win over Man Utd, and they realised no one in their right mind would be doing that? so it was worth investigating.

I'm a bit annoyed that the sad death of boxing legend Henry Cooper has been overshadowed by this, when I was a kid everyone liked our 'enery :(