End of Season Footie

With Chav$ki already champions, and Brum, Brom and the Black Cats relegated, and Man Scum, Liverpool and West Ham have already qualified for Europe next year (the Champions League in the case of the first two and the UEFA Cup for the latter) the only unanswered questions to the start of next season are:

• 1. Who will claim the last Champions League spot or drop into the UEFA Cup (between the Gunners & Spurs)
• 2. Who will clinch the final UEFA cup place (between Blackburn, Bolton and Newcastle)
• 3. Who will come second and earn automatic qualification in the Champions League (between the Mighty Reds and Man Scum)

#1 can possibly be answered on the last day of the season: it would require Arsenal to win their game in hand and then their final game at home to Wigan, while their local rivals must get no more than a draw when Spurs visit Hammers at Upton Park. Any other permitation will not resolve this matter on the last day since Arsenal have to still play in the final, so 4th place might not be enough for Tottenham (should they make it).

#3 will only be answered in part on the final day, be it will decide who will benifit if the Gunners fail in Paris. With Liverpool only 1 point behind Scum (who have lost and drawn their last two games) and win for the Mighty Reds and no more thatn a draw for Scum will see them finish in second place. At that point only Arsenal can take away the automatic place away by winning in France.

Only #2 could be answered before the final game as Blackburn host Chav$ki today today. Blackburn only require 1 more win from their final two games (their last being at home to Man City) to secure 6th place. Where as Newcastle (who play Chav$ki) and Bolton (who play Middlesbrough and then Brum) would need them to lose one and do no more than draw the other, while winning their own games.

Personally I don't really care who claims the final spot, I don't like any team - well that's not entirely true, I can be a bit partial to Newcastle (but failing in Europe could mean that there may be an exit strategy for Micky Owen). As for the other two I don't like them primarily for their managers (Hughes 'cause he used to be Scum and Allardyce just generally).

Despite all that though, I'm hoping that Blackburn lose or draw today and Bolton win tomorrow, setting up a three-way fight that could end up being decided on goal difference or even goals scored.

If that were to happen then the qualifiers would be between Bolton and Newcastle since Blackburn would have no more than a +5GD with a 48GS, while Newcastle would have at least +5GD with at least 47GS, and Bolton would have a minimum of +9GD and +49GS. Assumming this scenario Bolton will most likely go through, simply because a win and a loss for Blackburn would require Newcastle to beat Chav$ki by four goals at Stamford Bridge, while hoping that Bolton win both their games by no more than one goal in each game!