Some have gone as far as to claim that fifteen teams could be relegated from the Premier League this season, especially with West Brom, Hull and Stoke all putting up a decent fight. Clubs seem to be scrambling over each other to avoid sitting in the drop zone, with Tottenham still bottom of the table despite a recent resurgence. [Read the rest of this entry »]

To say that Tottenham’s match against Bolton on Sunday is must-win would be an understatement. Not for a long time has victory been so important in the league, for a number of reasons. The pressure on manager Juande Ramos is immense, and a failure to win could see him axed or even walk out of White Hart Lane. Spurs are also without a win in the Premier League this term, following a 2-1 defeat at Stoke, and one of the Potters players is none too happy with a certain Tottenham defender. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Yesterday must have been a pretty weird day for wee Davie Moyes. First Alan Wiley, the myopic ref who made a pig’s ear of the Stoke v Everton game at the weekend, phoned him to admit that he had made a hash of the penalty decision which turned Moyes’ hair an even more irate shade of orange. Then, hours later, poor Moyes – no doubt buoyed by the call with Wiley – gets smacked with an FA disciplinary charge for his antics during the game. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Everton gaffer Davie Moyes had a good moan at ref Alan Wiley at Stoke yesterday. The Scot first registered his frustration through the fourth official, was then sent to the stands, and finally, he admitted: [Read the rest of this entry »]

Every week, we invite you to read the thoughts of Roy Keane on the latest footballing issues of the day. The former Manchester United midfielder is the very definition of someone shooting from the hip, talking in very much the same style as the way he used to play the beautiful game. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The answer is that they’re all interested in signing a certain striker from Valencia. If the player is that good, you have to question why Los Che are considering farming him out on loan to a Premier League club, and the fact that Stoke and Hull have been linked to the forward may suggest that he’s not exactly on a par with Fernando Torres. [Read the rest of this entry »]

There should be a rule that stops people naming teams as ‘a dark horse’ when it’s clear as mud that they’re a talented side that are expected to go well next season. While it might be a reflection that the Premier League has become increasingly easy to call, it’s a shame that former pros that are paid a bucketload of money to talk in a bland fashion about the game can’t come up with anything better than the below. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The way that the Potters are carrying on, you might be forgiven for thinking they’re allowed to field two keepers between the sticks next season. Perhaps they’ll need to in order to stay up! Stoke missed out on Scott Carson, who instead chose to play for West Brom, although they now appear to be lining up a couple of decent alternatives instead. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Quality over quantity appears to be the motto for Tony Pulis, who is looking to add a pretty decent striker to his Stoke City squad. This guy could easily hit double figures for the Potters next season. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Sadly for Potters fans, it’s not Jonathan Woodgate and Craig Gordon. However, it’s clear that Stoke are assembling a substantial list of players that they want to sign over the next few weeks, including [Read the rest of this entry »]

Arsenal begin the season by hosting West Brom, Liverpool travel to Sunderland, Tottenham make the long trip to Middlesbrough. Yes it’s fixture list day! You can spend the whole day debating possible debauched weekends up north or when your play your local rivals.
[Read the rest of this entry »]

That’s the question that many people will be asking after the Tigers landed promotion on Saturday afternoon, thanks to an amazing strike from Dean Windass. The 39-year-old has been an influential figure for City this season, yet it’s hard to imagine him or many of his team-mates cutting it in the Premier League.

Not that Hull are too bothered right now, with the BBC reporting that chairman Paul Duffen is experiencing a ‘life-changing’ moment, having seen the club go from relegation fodder to promotion contenders in the space of a season.

Duffen, who took over last year, told BBC Look North: “I’ll have a chance to reflect properly in the summer.

“It is life changing for the city and for all sorts of people. It’s something that needs a bit of sober reflection.”

Will Hull ‘do a Derby’ next season and accrue only a handful of points or will some sound investment, allied to a good working relationship between board and manager, ensure that the Tigers finish seventeenth or better? They are already at a disadvantage due to the fact that they have less time to sign new players compared to West Brom, Stoke and every other club in the Premier League. It’s going to be a long hard season for the promoted trio but the fans must be in dreamland right now.

After all, the Blues have quality all over the park. Chelsea’s second string would probably finish sixth or seventh in the Premier League, so why have Avram Grant’s expectations been exceeded by his team’s strong finish to the season, which could mean a domestic-European double this season?

Look at the players he has at his disposal! Perhaps Arsene Wenger should be the man that is making the below sort of quotes, considering the smaller squad and the terrible luck with injuries that Arsenal have experienced in the past few months. To hear Grant speak (through the medium of Sky Sports), anyone would think he was manager of Aston Villa or Everton.

“From day one our target was to be in the Champions League final and to improve our game,” he said.

“We’ve done more than I even expected, so we want to believe the season will end well and we will fight to the last minute.

“United have had a fantastic season. They’ve been champions many times before but this year we have given them a good battle and it is not finished yet.

“Even if they win the title on goal difference you must give my team respect.”

Hmmm, can’t see many neutrals ‘respecting’ Chelsea FC for their achievements, particularly as their success is down to a Russian billionaire deciding to pick them as his pet project and investing hundreds of millions to ensure that they become one of the world’s leading clubs and brands. Surely, Everton, Villa, Portsmouth and Sunderland deserve more respect for having decent seasons, while Stoke and West Brom should also be praised for scrambling out of the Championship without having a bottomless pit of cash.

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Quite why Milan Mandaric wasn’t at the Britannia Stadium to watch his Leicester City team draw 0-0 with Stoke is a puzzle in itself. After all, Potters chairman Peter Coates travels the length and breadth of the country to watch his team in action, collaborating with manager Tony Pulis every other day. It appears to be quite the opposite at the Walkers Stadium, where the Foxes chairman describes his role at Leicester as a ‘project’ and appears to be unconvinced that Ian Holloway is the man to take the club forward.

Sky Sports report that the former Portsmouth chairman is fuming after seeing Leicester get out of the Championship, but not in the way he intended. Poor Milan, he’s not going to make a profit out of selling the club at this rate. Get the violins out for this likeable fellow.

“It is not an easy moment. It is one I have never experienced before in any project, whether business or football,” Mandaric, speaking from the United States, told Sky Sports News.

“It is a dreadful experience. It is a shame. I feel let down and right now I am not a very happy man.

“You don’t have to be Einstein. If you look at the support I have given to my managers and my players, both financially and morally, and what do you get in response?

“You expect rewards and results. We didn’t get it and you have to feel let down.”

Perhaps Mandaric let himself down at Leicester. After all, there was a distinct lack of continuity, with four managers taking charge at various points in the season. Who knows whether the club would have found themselves in this position if he’d stuck with Martin Allen for a few more months.

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They’ll be dancing in the streets of Hanley and Newcastle-under-Lyme after Stoke City bagged themselves the second automatic promotion spot on Sunday. The Potters have done magnificently this season, coming from behind on several occasions to land wins or draws against Championship opponents and it’s hard to argue that they don’t deserve their place in the Premier League next season.

Quite whether they’ll stay there for longer than a season is another matter. Many have commented that this season’s Championship has been bereft of quality, with West Brom winning the league with the lowest points total for over two decades. Not that the Baggies or Stoke care at this particular moment in time, with the BBC reporting Tony Pulis, the manager of the latter, in a bullish mood.

“I have to say a special ‘thank you’ to the chairman. Peter showed a lot of character to buy this club and spent a lot of money on it.

“This is a great day for this club and an opportunity for us to build and push on for next year.”

However, the fun starts next week when Pulis and Coates have to start planning for next season. With just eleven points on the board this season, Derby County have demonstrated how promotion to the top flight can go terribly wrong and while the Rams will be much richer for their season in the big time, it’s obvious that the promoted three will be desperate not to disgrace themselves in such a manner.

The new boys will take heart from Sunderland’s efforts this season, a team who were floundering in mid-table of the Championship when Roy Keane took over and have now completed a successful season of consolidation in the Premier League. Birmingham too have shown that the gulf between the teams at the bottom of the top flight and the top of the second division isn’t that great, while the Baggies and Potters will also be confident of finishing above at least one other team – the one who is promoted through the play-offs and has less time to prepare for the new campaign.

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There’s an almighty scrap at the top of the Championship to determine who will be playing Premier League football next season, which teams will the likes of West Brom and Stoke City be replacing? The bookmakers still don’t give Fulham much of a chance, despite their heroic comeback at Manchester City last weekend. A victory against fellow-strugglers Birmingham on Saturday would mean that their top flight safety could potentially be in their own hands!

Surely Reading fans are a touch on the concerned side, considering their team’s inability to score, let alone win a game. OK, so they managed a creditable 0-0 draw at Wigan last weekend, although the decision to bring back Leroy Lita from his loan spell at Charlton smacked of desperation, while the Daily Mirror report tension in the camp ahead of Saturday’s game against Spurs. The Royals record signing won’t play for his ’stupid team’ anymore apparently.

“It is not clever at all to suspend your own players, it is stupid,” said the 24-year-old. “The sanction is heavy – two weeks!

“I cannot understand their attitude. I refused to play with the reserves and they said: ‘Okay let us meet on Thursday’.

“But in the meantime I received a letter saying I am axed.

“They are not courageous enough to tell me things in the eyes, man to man, in five minutes.

“I am an adult, I can recognise when I make mistakes. I can also admit to people when I am wrong. The team needs all their players for the last two games.

“For sure my future is not with Reading.”

Not exactly what you need when you’re teetering on the edge of the drop zone, although perhaps this will galvanise the rest of the Reading squad, who face a last-day trip to Derby after the weekend game against Spurs. Bolton are in action at home to Sunderland and will at least have the comfort of the Black Cats having nothing to play for after their 3-2 win over Middlesbrough last weekend.

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Anthony Gardner is by no means the worst player in the Premier League but fans at White Hart Lane might suggest he is far too poor to be considered as anything other than fifth or sixth choice for a Tottenham berth.

West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are interested in 2m rated Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner, currently on loan at Everton from Spurs, he has failed to make an appearance for the Merseyside outfit. (various)

I guess the proof, if it was needed, that Gardner was not up to scratch in north London is the fact that his suitors are playing at Championship level? Can you believe he got an England cap, A dog will fly an unmanned spaceship into the heart of the sun whilst eating jaffa cakes before he wins a second England call-up!

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