Gotta feel for Brighton. Should have gone up automatically but now look as though they're in big trouble, 4 players injured in the same game. Never agreed with playoffs and this is why
Great atmosphere inside Hillsborough, but yeah, I agree and so feel for Brighton. Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood have a done a great job there.
What's the point of playing a 46 game season to have it decided in 1 unlucky game. How many points did Brighton finish above wednesday
So apparently the Terry contract is for a "different role" - perhaps coach, player coach or something else, so there's still hope that we've seen the last of him!
Play-offs really are harsh on the team that finishes 3rd, especially in Brighton's case where they played Boro on the final day in a match that decided who went up automatically... To be that close to promotion and then know that you have to prosper over a two-legged contest plus a final at Wembley in order to go up must be mentally draining as well as the physical aspects. Hope Brighton turn it around, would love to see Hughton back in the Prem.
The 3rd placed team usually have a psychological disadvantage. Brighton missed out narrowly on automatic promotion and have to motivate themselves to perform well in three more games. Wednesday are cock- a -hoop at the chance of promotion from 6th place. It's a huge opportunity for a team who have performed indifferently over 46 games. It showed tonight. One team grabs a lifeline; the other is still cursing their missed chance.
Nothing much changes does it? We welcome back old friends Burnley to the PL and not such friends Middlesborough. Two of the teams in a group which are not quite good enough to stay long in the PL but too good to stay in the Championship. Others include Norwich and Newcastle and Aston Villa. I don't know how to categorise these teams and how the supporters must feel with these bouts of high elation followed by miserable depression a short time later. I can clearly see Burnley going down again soon along with Middlesborough I also must admit to never really understanding the play off rules because if a team which finishes 6th after all the matches have been played it's clear it won't be good enough to survive in the PL. Why not revert to the old system of three up to replace the three down?
To keep interest going until the end of the season and therefore generate more revenue through gate receipts, TV etc. With 3 up, 3 down, 10 or more clubs in a 24 team league can effectively have their season over in March. The days have gone when fans would turn up for meaningless fixtures. Clubs like Sheff Wed, Ipswich, Birmingham etc - who are nowhere near top 3, but never in danger of going down - would really suffer. The playoffs are unfair, but the leagues are much healthier for having them.
I actually think that Boro and Burnley stand a decent chance of staying up next season, Watford and Bournemouth have both done it this season, and clubs like West Brom and Palace who were previously labelled yo-yo clubs have both now established themselves.
I'm fairly confident Palace are going down next year. On a woeful run of form and Pards is overdue one of his meltdowns. The more impressive feat is what Swansea have achieved, establishing themselves without ever having had much prior experience of the big leagues - a few years ago they'd have been delighted to be in the Championship, now they're disappointed with lower mid-table of the prem.
Agreed WY. I'd have to describe Leicester's season as exceptional, Spurs as excellent, Arsenal as normal, City and Utd as unsatisfactory, Liverpool as average, WHU and Southampton as excellent, Chelsea as "Should be", Swansea as good, Stoke as quite good, Everton as dismal, Watford as good, Palace and West Brom as normal along with Sunderland. Newcastle dismal, Norwich as unlucky and Villa as a downright pathetic load of rubbish.
I've never really got what Pardew brings to the party, to be honest. He was harshly treated at Newcastle, as is par for the course, as the problems were more widespread than just the manager. I don't see what would prompt a club to bring him in, though. His teams don't do that well and his off-field reputation isn't great, either.
