Last season

I know it's been a long time since it finished, but now I am compelled to give my overview of the football season. These thoughts have been rumbling around since before the Premiership finished, but I just never found the time or other matters seemed more worthy of writing about. So I would have justified at the end of the Premier Season, then the Spanish La Liga season, then the Copa America has come around and after that started, now the Asian Cup. The football never stops.
I've alread talked about Newcastle so I'll move on to this season's Premiership's closest escapes. Chris Hutchings begins a new era at Wigan after succeeding Paul Jewell as manager. You would have thought Wigan would have sought not to repeat Bradford's recent history. Several years ago, Jewell kept Bradford in the Premiership with a last day win. He has now done the same thing with Wigan. As with Bradford, he resigned soon after keeping them up. Hutchings was chosen to be his replacement, as with Wigan now. Hutchings, in his 137 day reign at Valley Parade, was one of three managers who failed to keep Bradford up the following season, the club instaed finishing bottom of the Premiership. It has been in decline ever since, haveing near brushes with liquidation. Next season, Bradford will be entering English football's fourth tier. Will this be Wigan's fate?
As for West Ham, it is sheer hypocrisy for some managers, chairmen and commentators to say West Ham's survival is tainted. I suppose they are using the old adage: say something enough times and it becomes true. The High Court will adjudicate today on the consequences for West Ham which is another pressing reason to do this.
"There's no justice, there's no justice," carped Dave Whelan, as his Wigan sent Sheffield United down. Well there is, just not the kind of justice he approves of. The disciplinary panel should have got their act together long before their ruling (sometime in February, say, after the transfer to Liverpool of Javier Mascherano exposed things). Furthermore, mentioning the reason (one of several it must be said) that they did not deduct points because it would almost certainly relegate West Ham was exceptionally provocative, but they did slap a 5.5 million pound fine on the Hammers, which is unprecedented. The whingers say it's cheap at the price of staying in the Premiership which receives amassive cash injection next season, so would they be happy if the fine was 30 million pounds, but still no points deducted? Yes five and half million smackers is a good price for an Argentinian World Cup forward, but it must be remembered that Carlos Tevez's and Mascherano's arrival at West Ham on mysterious contracts was disruptive to team ethic, though the players were absent of blame and this contributed to West Ham's slump into the relegation zone. The players had a material impact on West Ham's fall as well as Tevez having a material impact on West Ham's rise.
Would the 'Gang of Four' (Sheffield United, Wigan, Charlton and Fulham) have taken action if the Hammers were comfortably mid-table, purely on principle? Of course not, by their own admission. And if West Ham were relegated, would the court case go ahead? Obviously not, again by their own admission. Don't talk about justice and principles Whelan, talk about naked self-interest. Anyway, West Ham finished 15th which is the lowest extremity of mid-table and on 41 points, which - taking into account goal difference - is effectively two points clear of Sheffield United. So a panel can retrospectively take away two points and West Ham can still stay up. The only justice that Whelan and the other clubs want is something that suits them. Though Wigan and Fulham survived, they have to stay in the pact with Sheffield United and Charlton out of solidarity for fear of damage to their reputations if they dropped the matter. They have an ally in Middlesborough, the last club to be deducted points for breaking the rules (and relegated as a result), but isn't it cosy that the Boro chairman is friends with Dave Whelan?
It must be remembered in all this that West Ham broke rule U18 in theory, not in practice (so far). Can someone be sent to prison just for being able to rob a bank, though refraining from doing so? The police would be suspicious but the bank would be unharmed. The greatest harm to the Premier League is the grubby court case brought by the Gang of Four plus Middlesborough. Irrespective that West Ham were thrashed 3-0 by the Blades and 4-0 by the Addicks at a critical point of the season, it seems results on the pitch are not enough when big money is at stake. Going back in history it's doesn't hold a candle to Arsenal in the 1920s bribing the authorities to not be relegated thereby laying the foundations of their future success, but as I said, justice isn't the reason here.
This whole farrago puts into the shade West Ham's miraculous playing escape though finishing with one less point than when they were last relegated. Charlton seemed likely to stay up but fell short and West Ham didn't. Winning seven games out of nine is phenomenal, with completion of crazy league doubles over Arsenal and Manchester United among them. Sir Alex Ferguson was criticised for putting out a weakened team, but he had a greater priority in the FA Cup the next week than helping send West Ham down. And his team had oodles of chances anyway but failed to put them away. On a side note, it also means that, despite being frozen out after seeking a mid-season transfer to Charlton, Teddy Sheringham does not have a relegation black mark on his glorious CV.
When Tottenhm beat West Ham 4-3 when the Hammers were leading 3-2 in the 89th minute, one football writer commented that on Spurs' equalising third goal Alan Curbishley spun away from the pitchside in dismay, throwing his water bottle high up in the air. The writer then, with poetic licence, said that when the bottle landed, West Ham had one foot in the Championship. At the time, many would have been inclined to agree, but they were proved wrong. For this was the moment that afterwards West Ham went on their amazing run. A first away win of the season at Blackburn in their next game was clouded by controversy. Bobby Zamora's goalbound effort was ironically cleared off the line by an offside Tevez, but still given as a goal based on the crucial opinion of the linesman, Jim Devine. As another football writer said of the Gang of Four's anti-West Ham crusade, they might as well serve a writ on Devine. To paraphrase an irate chairman, if there's any justice, West Ham will be playing in the Premiership next season.
Now that they have changed his contract by effectively ripping up the old one, it's a bit cheeky that West Ham might get a massive windfall should Carlos Tevez be snapped up. It's been bitty though. Who would Scarface rather play for - a team in the Champions League or a club he has been with one season and won't even be in the UEFA Cup next season? He should not bad-mouth Curbishley to justify his move to Hammers' fans.
You would have thought West Ham would lie low after getting away from relegation but their massive spending spree suggests otherwise. And they are not the only ones. The sound of warchests being opened is everywhere. Even Derby County are breaking the bank with a record signing of 3.5 million pounds but that is small beer compared to others. So many clubs are spending on great players that there's going to be massive disappointment for many even if the Premiership will become more exciting. For Portsmouth to spending twenty million pounds so far would have been unthinkable a few years ago and other small clubs are heavily investing. I guess that's what a one billion pound television contract gets you.
Fulham's ground of Craven Cottage fully deserves its name after the shabby treatment of Chris Coleman. He's gone to manage recently relegated Real Sociedad but his reputation is more one of keeping small clubs up than taking them up. His crime was not just the results on the pitch but to criticise the board for lack of funds. Then his successor gets lavished with massive investment. Their ambition was to be the Manchester United of the south; instead that title went to their west London rivals, Chelsea.
After Arsenal's crisp 'to me, to you' one-touch passing, there follows an elaborate courtesy ritual when they get a sniff of goal. It's "no, no, after you," "oh no, no no, no, after you," "goodness no, after you," by which time defenders have rushed back in force, goalkeepers have blocked or deflected it and fans are exasperated. But what else can one expect from sophisticated continentals. Thierry Henry grew tired of his team not getting to the point too and has hopped off to Barcelona so the finals choker can realise his dream of winning the European Cup, even though his new team have fallen at the last-16 stage for two of the past three seasons and four years ago were beaten on aggregate by Celtic in the UEFA Cup 1-0. Arsenal's style will always be appreciated most by those who aren't Arsenal fans.
I can't analyse very team. That would take forever. But I had to get these thoughts down on the blog and now I have. Phew!