[Archived] Play-offs

[Krillin]

Changed my mind now......I don't want Nob End to come up.

I'd forgotton how annoying it is that whenever Preston have an important game, they drag Tom Finney out to pap on about how things have changed.

He's been on every tv and radio station I've caught this morning saying the same old things he usually does.

I don't think I could stand a full season of 'playing in miner's boots', 'going to the game on the tram with the fans', or the classic 'crossing the ball so the laces faced the right way'.

'up the Irons!' (as Steve Harris would say.....)

[tashor]

I previously didn't want either wigan or preston to go up as I thought that this could reduce our crowd.

However I now believe this to be erroneous. The two will bring larger crowds to Ewood than teams from further away and local press, tv and radio will create a buzz that will help reduce the general disenchantment for football that is especially present in Blackburn.

I will also be able to get to more away games and guess which dingles will be the sad little boy sat in the corner at the party all alone silently sobbing to himself.

Nobenders for me.

[den]

and guess which dingles will be the sad little boy sat in the corner at the party all alone silently sobbing to himself.

Nobenders for me.

319535[/snapback]

There is that, yeah.

[Alex Rover]

The Prem is no place for teams like Preston. Well done the Irons. Plus as an honorary southerner I've another London away match to go to.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Sorry to say but without serious changes to that Hammers side they are guaranteed relegation fodder.Zamora looks half decent but the rest are nothing more than average at best.With West Hams reported debt to be at around 30 million, there looks to be very little chance of investment in the team on a scale clearly needed.

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Preston didn't look up to much either

[1864roverite]

oh dear Phil, your last post just came back and bitten you on the ar££e

nobeners were poor, whamfc were just a little bit better.

Listening to the celebrations brought back memories of Wembley but on looking at the overall picture, I agree, wham fc are going straight back down along with Wigan and Sunderland/West Brom

[LeChuck]

Sorry to say but without serious changes to that Hammers side they are guaranteed relegation fodder.Zamora looks half decent but the rest are nothing more than average at best.

319590[/snapback]

That's a bit harsh, Matthew Etherington for one is definitely Premiership class, Nigel Reo Coker has a big future too, I expect him to do well next season. Anton Ferdinand seems to be progressing well too so if they could get an experienced centre half alongside him I could see them being fairly solid.

I think this years lot could be the best for a while, Mick McCarthy is a top manager and will get the best out of what he has, if he can get in a few quality players then I expect them to be a well organised team with the ability to cause upsets.

Wigan reportedly have £40 million to spend and seem to favour attacking football, the problem they might have is attracting players to the club because they'll probably be the least fashionable of the lot. Still, I wouldn't put it past them to sign a few good players and stay up, similar to when Al Fayed bought Fulham's survival.

West Ham will probably depend the most upon how much money they get to spend. Alan Pardew has demanded that they don't finance their debts with the extra money and that it's given to him to spend. If he gets enough then I can see them staying up too, they'll find it relatively easy to attract players that are better than what they have because of their history and location.

None of that bodes well for us of course, makes it that more important that we get it right in the transfer market this summer...and the early signs aren't promising.

[BRFC4EVA]

Damn, i feel sorry for nob enders, wanted them to come up, im certainly not travelling all the bloody way to east london. Both would have been relegation fodder, but woulda been nice to fully dominate the prem with northern clubs!

[ABBEY]

dingle lol...den summed it up ....HAHAHAHA HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH MOBILE AND TEXTING HEE HEE

[rover6]

Oh great, the media darlings are back in the top flight. The army of Hammers supporting hacks are probably already preparing their 'Zamora for England' campaigns.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

I watched the match at a friend's house over a glass of beer and I was disappointed by the arrogance of Alan Pardew immediately after the game

He first pushed a cameraman away on the pitch and then when interviewed, Pardew had a pop at the interviewer, complaining that Sky were critical of West Ham's performance in their play-off final last season against Crystal Palace.

I know that Pardew was under a lot of pressure going into this match - his job perhaps depended on it. But I was disappointed by his hostile and arrogant demeanour on the pitch afterwards.

I strongly suspect that if Preston had been promoted today they would have gone straight back down. They fall well short of Premiership standard. West Ham may also struggle - unless their Chairman can dip his hand into his pocket for some new players.

Looking at some of the thuggish-looking Neanderthals celebrating in the Cardiff stands after the game, I rather hope that the cocky 'Ammers are relegated next season....

[colin]

No worries about West Ham going straight back down.

Christian Dailly is in their squad.

[ABBEY]

Oh great, the media darlings are back in the top flight. The army of Hammers supporting hacks are probably already preparing their 'Zamora for England' campaigns.

319655[/snapback]

cant be worse than the long streak of wet stuff crouch.

did i mention my mum in law or soon to be ex mum in law came to watch the game at ours today ......lol the look on her nobend face when i danced lol....priceless

the abuse i got off a coach full of nobenders who rang me back lol....priceless

wedensday night walking in the local and handing abuse out lol....priceless

ludo v man u ....priceless

[SouthAussieRover]

West Ham to win 3-0.

They can and they will because they were my first love when I was a youngster.

318411[/snapback]

Not quite the scoreline I wanted but the right result...

I'm forever blowing bubbles......

[philipl]

From the bits I've seen and read, that was not exactly a classic at Cardiff yesterday and Preston didn't turn up. I didn't have any money on my three way prediction- happily.

So Sullivan will stay at Brum (for the time being), a bunch of talented youngsters will stay at West Ham (for the time being) and Mr Brown and his board can celebrate having got his hands on:

£9m Estimated domestic TV income

£6.5m Estimated overseas TV rights (this incidentally confirms that the Prem controls these rights and that Glazer will have to fight the Prem even if he only wants freedom to exploit non-UK broadcast rights)

£350,000 per live TV appearance

£500,000 in central sponsorship

£1-2m in local sponsorships

£475,000 per league place

£14.4m over two seasons in parachute payments (if relegated, make that when relegated)

That makes yesterday's game worth a cool £30m

Probably more than £30m for although West Ham were already charging improbably high seat prices, those prices will probably go up and they can anticipate attendances rising from around 25,000 average to closer to 35,000 capacity. Plus a season's exposure in the Prem will boost the prices of the new generation of young Hammers stars when they have have to be sold following a probable relegation- Premiership football has staved off the Irons being melted down but won't exactly mean there is money for their clearly sub-Premiership standard squad to be renewed.

Edited May 31, 2005 by philipl

[whittle blue]

I went out and celebrated after yesterday's result.

Well done West Ham & ###### TO PRESTON

[Gareth]

I'm forever blowing bubbles......

319678[/snapback]

I bet Michael Jackson is a bit annoyed with you...

[RevidgeBlue]

I wanted Preston to go up if only for the fact they'd have been absolutely nailed on to go straight back down.

If Wigan are actually given a £25m transfer kitty by Whelan, I can't see any of the three promoted clubs being the usual automatic relegation fodder next season.

I think the likes of WBA,Portsmouth,Charlton,Fulham,ourselves and Newcastle will have to be very much on their mettle next season.

When he was here Souness constantly said that being in the Premiership for 5 years would be the making of us as a club. Unfortunately, unlike Bolton we've not moved on at all in that time.

Edited May 31, 2005 by RevidgeBlue

[Eddie]

Yes we have, we took about 5 steps forward very quickly and then over the past two seasons have probably taken three steps back. We are still in a good position for a club of our size and are in a position to push on and go somewhere. Bolton had a good season, but we will both start on 0 points next year and I have a feeling we will finish above them. That doesn't mean I think we'll be finishing in 5th.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Yes we have, we took about 5 steps forward very quickly and then over the past two seasons have probably taken three steps back. We are still in a good position for a club of our size and are in a position to push on and go somewhere. Bolton had a good season, but we will both start on 0 points next year and I have a feeling we will finish above them. That doesn't mean I think  we'll be finishing in 5th.

320051[/snapback]

Tend to disagree with you there Eddiea nd side with Revidge- more like we took 3 steps forward and 4 back, as IMO we are probably in a worse position now in terms of on the pitch in calibre of player, our dwindling crowd numbers and the hope for the future.

Add to this the factors of the Wigan being given the £25m kitty and now the Hammers Chairman pledging £20m for players and salaries sort of adds to the battle.

[S15]

I personally feel opinions will change after this summer, when we spend around £7-8m on players.

[Eddie]

I just feel like we have now made ourselves into a solid premiership team. It is true we lack the young and talented players we had when we came up but if we have a good summer in the transfer market we could go a long way towards making ourselves into a very good team. I'd rather be where we are now then 5 years ago.

[1864roverite]

I didnt hear it myself but apparently Rovers, Portsmouth and Wigan are Talk Sports favourites for the drop next season. Did anyone hear it on the radio or is my mate (manurefan) pulling my plonker ?

[tcj_jones]

According to Bet365 we are 7th favourite for relegation.

http://www.bet365.com/home/default.asp

West Ham are favourites for the drop and all three promoted clubs are expected to go back down.

Personally I wouldn't put money on any of the newly promoted clubs being relegated and think the likes of Fulham, Charlton, West Brom, Birmingham and ourselves, if we do not spend our suspected 6-8million wisely, will be amongst those fighting for survival.

It would appear that West Ham infact have a 20million wage and transfer budget for next season allowing them to double their wage bill and still retain 8million for transfers. Can anybody confirm for me that they do have a 6million wage budget currently?

link

Edited June 1, 2005 by tcj_jones

[Shaddy]

I didnt hear it myself but apparently Rovers, Portsmouth and Wigan are Talk Sports favourites for the drop next season. Did anyone hear it on the radio or is my mate (manurefan) pulling my plonker ?

320080[/snapback]

If they said that, they're plonkers. Don't bother with this sort of non-sense. All the clubs have yet to sort out their squads ahead of next season.