What a difference 29 games makes..

It seems an eternity since the season started and our nerves were frayed as we waited with baited breath to see how we’d fare against Man United.

It was a time when uncertainty was rife in terms of how we’d cope, would Mike be up to his old tricks, who the hell was this Ben Arfa bloke and no-one even knew a Tiote from a Toyota.

There have been pivotal moments throughout the season.

Some are glorious highs such as demolishing Villa 6-0, hammering the Mackems 5-1 and the 4-4 fight back against Arsenal. Those matches will certainly live long in the memory but there have been downers as well. The De Jong tackle and losing Ben Arfa, the Blackpool loss and the drubbing handed out by Bolton.

At one stage we had a cheeky aspiration of looking to qualify for the Europa league which was above and beyond our wildest expectations of a league finish all the way back in mid-August.

We’ve said goodbye to a man we’d all come to respect.

We’ve said goodbye to a man we’d all hoped to prolong our respect for.

We’ve welcomed a man who has maintained the squad’s unity when it could have fallen apart.

We’ve seen some sublime football. We’ve seen some ****e as well.

We’re still not safe but I’d have ripped your arm off if you’d said we’d have been in this position at the moment with the final run in to come.

Onwards we go to garner the points required to ensure that come mid-August 2011; we’re waiting with baited breath to see how we fare against anyone in this league with one differing factor. We won’t fear them now because on our day we can compete.

Bring on Stoke this weekend and even in our fragile state with injuries and niggles to key players I still see us able to give them a game and come away with the 3 points.

If I didn't think it was possible to happen then I'd give up supporting football.

 

Great article.

We are close to relegation, but are one of the furthest away as well. 5 points is loads in this game, make it 6 with our goal difference. We need another 6 points, meaning teams below us need 12 just to catch us up. Would rather have the points.

Here's for a rollercoaster run in, I'm all strapped in.

 

Trust Newcastle to get promoted to a Premiership thats so tight where even in 9th we can get relegated still

 

People say that teams have got better blah blah. Bollocks, we are ****ing 10th with Leon Best and Lovenkrands upfront, the league is **** and so is every single team in it bar two. Its entertaining because its so ****.

It would be OK if everyone was good and we saw decent football but we don't.

 

Exactly. The Premier League has gone back to the way it was, the best League in the world because it's ****. This is how it was in the 90s, and I think it's thanks in part to bastards like Allardyce and Mourinho being out of it. Even Bolton are entertaining these days, it's brilliant.

 

By the way Leazes, who were the two teams you were excluding? Because for me the two best teams are second and fourth. Man U's team is ****, Fergie just has them over-achieving again.

 

Arsenal and Newcastle

 

Good call.

 

I take it when you say Arsenal you in fact mean Blackpool?

 

The scottish league has 2 average teams and the rest even ****ter and their league is still ****

 

Or practically the France national squad.

 

The standard of football is poor in England as its mostly 'hoofball'. Since Carroll left I think we have played the ball more on the ground and I for one enjoy this. Its more entertaining and I might add a bit more relaxing when we knock it about a bit as you know that they say, "if you don't have the ball you can't score'

 

It's been the weirdest season I can recall - there are no results that you can 'bank on' as everybodys form has been so erratic...it has made for interesting viewing though - I wouldn't describe the Premier League as **** because that wouldn't leave a strong enough word for the SPL!

 

If someone said to me we'd have 36 points after 29 games i'd have taken it in a flash!