I must be going soft...starting to feel for WHU fans. Play offs are horrible if you were in with a chance of auto, though great if you get a chance when auto wasn't an option.
Agree. Want him to suffer like we did with Derby. Just nice to watch it thinking that could have been us!
Really don't understand all the West Ham bashing, especially criticism of the way they play. Yes, they're direct, but they are also aggressive and have bags of quality. Besides, we didn't mind kicking it long to Ricky when it suited us (after all, he pretty much won every ball sent his way all season). I'll grant you the owners are a couple of sleaze-bags, but the fans don't get to choose the owners. We didn't choose Cortese and Herr Liebher, we just got lucky.
Archers I don't have a problem with the fans but some of the comments from fat Sam and Nolan really annoyed me.
Sure Sam's annoying. But just like Gus Poyet, he's a character. All the comments were just part of the rich tapestry of a truly thrilling couple of seasons.
Depends if it's your manager/chairman shooting their mouth off. Let's face it, we smile (and hope) when Cortese says he wants Champions League, but would mock if another Championship chairman did the same.
I wouldn't put anything past Cortese. We have a chairman who looks like Al Pacino in "The Godfather", who's gonna mess with him?
Summary for tonights game Cardiff have a poor recent home record 0-3, 0-0, 2-2, 0-0, 1-1, 2-0, and 1-1—ie PL7 W1 D5 L1. Clearly they are not prolific scorers at home. 2. However, Cardiff in their last 13 CH games since March 7th have PL 13 W5 D7 L1 - so they are hard to beat as they proved when they took Liverpool to penalties in the CC Final which they lost. 3. Big Sam will know all about star Cardiff MF Whittingham [13 goals] who makes the Welsh side tick. 4. On the very first day of the season, West Ham were very unlucky to lose at home to a very late goal against Cardiff. The Hammers now have a much changed side without players like Piquione, and Sears who played [badly] that day. A week after their CC Wembley defeat Cardiff were beaten 2-0 at home by West Ham. 5. West Ham have easily the best away record in the CH, with 45 away pts and they lost only 4 of their 23 matches ‘on the road’. 6. 38% [equivalent to 13/8] of first leg play offs are drawn. Big Sam may go 4-5-1 to choke Cardiff, ensure that Whittingham’s threat is nullified, and be happy to take a draw. A bit like Monday’s Manchester Derby, this looks likely to be tense, tight, and low scoring. Glad we aren't involved cos WE ARE SOUTHAMPTON AND WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!
I'd rather West Ham went up. They're a premier league club, like us. Blackpool and Cardiff are tinpot and If Brum don't go up I win £100 off a friend.
The problem here is that NC keeps setting targets and we keep nearly reaching them, Runners-up is good, Promotion is great, but it would be nice to be Number One for once!
They're a Championship club 100%, because it's where they deserve to play. If Cardiff go up, they deserve to be their, no-one has a divine right to be there becasue of the past, it's how they do know that matters and if West Ham lose, they don't deserve to be in the Prem do they?
Great point SF4L. I'm sure people said and are saying that about Wigan and others. History is great but it's now that counts!
I want West Ham to win, but not the final. I'd like to see Whittingham at Saints with Cork and Spiderman. Like others, Blackpool would be entertaining again if they come up, and they have that element of surprise about them. Sit back and enjoy the ride stress free, ahhhhh.
Right well hacked off now! Full page article from Fat Sam in the Standard tonight saying what a good record he has in play offs and congratulating Hodgson on the England job. Last week he wrote reams congratulating Reading on their promotion but this week we don't even rate a mention, no words of praise nothing. Total tosser! Hope they get stuffed!!
