It’s that time of year again; days get longer and emotions are high. Come late April/early May you see all manner of different contrasting emotions and at the risk of using cringeworthy, pre-digested mantras, it really is what makes football special.
So what has been special about football as a whole this season? The grim reality is, not an awful lot. In the same way each year in the Chinese calendar has difference animal representations (year of the rat etc) it has been the season of comprehensive title victories, predictable positioning and very few shocks, twists or turns.
In fact, of all the major and more peripheral leagues in Europe, the Portuguese top flight seems to be the only league with potential for what is now becoming known as an Aguero moment (anyone scratching their heads, picture that eventful day on the final day of last season) with the two horse race between SL Benfica and FC Porto.
It has been an underwhelming time, with Manchester United can able to secure their 20th league title bizarrely early, one that has been coming since their city and domestic rivals, Manchester City, lost months ago to Southampton.
A league below them, Cardiff City went up as champions last weekend through a mix of consistency their end and externally, the other promotion pushers have faltered along the way countless time, The Red Dragons were the only team who seemed to want to go up. Other teams must have wished they sold their history in exchange for financial backing years ago.
Celtic secured another SPL title last weekend, however that is as surprising as a Joey Barton Twitter rant. Juventus will surely secure a successive Scudetto in Italy, Bayern were ruthless in their pursuit of the Bundesliga in a focused charge following disappointment of second place at seemingly everything last season. Finally, the two horse race that is La Liga, Mourinho’s Madrid horse was limp all season and Barcelona will secure the title any day now.
Concentrating on the Premier League, the race for 4th is interesting only to those associated with the clubs pushing for the places. To an outsider, the inconsistency Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs makes some wonder who really deserve the Champions League Place.
The conclusion being, the same as every year really, that the place to see the top drama lies at the bottom of the division. With Reading and QPR doomed to the Championship, they may be joined by Wigan, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Stoke or Newcastle. This is where we see true grit, passion and intensity. It has always been the same.
Last weekend’s results keep this mini-battle interesting. QPR and Stoke played out that famous old term, a relegation six-pointer.
The facts are these, Stoke won 2-0 and the way both clubs go about their way, with QPR’s sense of self-importance at the players they bring in and the wages some players are on. Plus Stoke’s gruelling, sometimes unbearable style of player has meant both teams have gained few admirers among the big boys and few would shed tears if either went down.
Reading have not gained much dislike, unfortunately, they have perhaps shown on this occasion they were not cut out to grace the top flight. It is among 18th-15th positions where the question marks really start. Many would have tipped Sunderland for the drop under Martin O’Neill, since the controversial appointment of Paulo Di Canio, the Black Cats have followed their new manager’s first command; to forget his politics and focus only on football.
Wins against Everton yesterday and that monumental win at St. James’ Park against Newcastle have raised a new found belief of survival in that area of the North East. Newcastle themselves have picked up since their early season woeful form, although previous recent seasons have showed the Toon Army that they are by no means to big to be relegated.
Spring is when traditionally Wigan start to wake up. The bad news for Roberto Martinez is that as well as their run of form not being quite as explosive as last season’s, also Villa have picked up form, not least their vital win at the Britannia against Stoke recently.
There is something rather frantic about the closing months of the season at the bottom end of the table. Teams start to play well and find new belief in staying up, which fans must get excited about but also take with a pinch of salt, questioning where their team’s performances were in the early part of the season.
Teams like Swansea and Norwich can count themselves lucky they have probably accumulated enough points to stay a third year in the league, both teams on poor form, it is not so much second season syndrome, more like season over syndrome.
The fact is, neutrals like the emotions that come with a relegation dogfight. There is something sadistically entertaining about it. We have all watched the final day; goal alerts, swapping back and for to games.
One team in ecstasy at the end and another game shots of players sitting helplessly on the pitch like toddlers learning and failing to walk, shots of disbelieving fans with tears in their eyes. It must be easy to forget that relegation is a continuous process, a punishment for poor form over a season as a whole, as opposed to that final day of the season.
It may not even come to the last day, with two of the bottom three a certainty for the drop, it remains to be seen now what the remainder of the season will bring. All that is clear, is that (speaking on behalf of the neutrals) with Wigan still due to play the F.A Cup final, the relegation mess is anyone’s guess.
What’s your take? Who’s going down this year?
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