Thread: The Final Weekend for The Premier League

Florent Malouda has admitted it would be “the worst blow” of his career if Chelsea failed to win the Premier League title.
The French winger has been one of the stars of the Blues’ season which sees them just one win from claiming their first league title since 2006.
Chelsea must keep their nerve to beat Wigan at Stamford Bridge tomorrow and Malouda said: “Nobody here even thinks about anything other than a victory. To fail would be a disaster.
“For me, it would be the worst blow in my career, but with our fans at Stamford Bridge behind us we believe that’s impossible.

Will Fergie do a Gordon Brown and refuse to hand over the trophy? Ten things we think about the final day of the season


1) If Manchester United fail to become the team with the most points tomorrow afternoon, will Sir Alex Ferguson - whose side were first last time and who play in red - follow another Scot's example and try to hang onto the trophy by forming a coalition with Arsenal?


2)Good job prospects for Roberto Martinez if Wigan manage a shock win at Chelsea. The last time Athletic got a result there was in their first-ever visit, an FA Cup third round replay on January 14 1980, when Tommy Gore's goal knocked out a Blues side then managed by Geoff Hurst. Fifteen months later later victorious Wigan manager Ian McNeil was back at the Bridge as assistant to new boss John Neal after the 1966 hero got the bullet.


3)If Chelsea do slip up, they'll be looking to the last day of the 1971/72 season for inspiration, when Leeds only had to draw at Wolves to grab the title but lost. Oh for the days when Leeds United amusingly blew it in the final match of the season.



4)Should United somehow manage to emerge with the trophy tomorrow afternoon, Liverpool's tally of 18 titles would be surpassed. Or would it? Two years ago, the official LFC website published an article claiming that since Liverpool won two unofficial 'war years' championships, when teams were comprised of league players from all clubs stationed nearby, their actual total was 20. Alas, this magnificently desperate exercise in straw-clutching has now been deleted.


5) Could Stoke still spoil things for United? Until their dismantling at the Bridge, their away form was among the league's best and they have got previous for ending Old Trafford title hopes, going to Manchester in midweek two weeks before the final day of 195/76 and winning 1-0 to all but hand Liverpool the prize.


6)Expect Carlo Ancelotti to keeping a close eye on the weather despite positive reports from the Met Office. In 2000, his Juventus side needed a draw in Perugia to close out the title, but a clear blue sky soon darkened and referee Pierluigi Collina was forced to delay the second half for 82 minutes when rain turned into a downpour complete with hail and lightning. Four minutes after the restart, defender Alessandro Callori scored the only goal, giving Lazio the championship. No side has ever surrendered the Premier League lead on the final day, but nevertheless Chelsea have good reason to be nervous when they look at the history books. They've won only one of the last five final day games in the Premier League, and three of their last five have ended 1-1.


7)The Blues need three goals to surpass Manchester United's record of 97 in a Premier League season and five would give them a ton, which hasn't been done in the top flight since 1961/62 - when Tottenham had four more games. The good news for Ancelotti's potential record-breakers: With Chris Kirkland injured, Martinez is torn between Vladimir Stojkovic , who's let in 12 goals in his five starts this season, and Mike Pollitt, who's done even worse with 15 shipped in five games. Wigan have lost their last five away and gone down by a combined 21-1 at the rest of this season's top five.


8)Even if Arsenal get the point they need to inflict it, Spurs fans can take heart that this season they postponed St Totteringham's Day - the cheeky celebration Gooners stage when they can no longer be caught in the league by their rivals - until the final day. That's a huge improvement on last season, when it fell on April 11, and 2007/08, when it arrived as early as March 9. If Spurs do manage to overhaul their rivals, it will be the first time since 1994/95 that they've cancelled St Totteringham's Day by finishing above them in the league.



9)Meanwhile Manchester City have won only two of their 12 final day Premier League games and scored just four goals in the last five final day matches. Which, with Aston Villa lurking, means fifth place isn't secure just yet. But City are still in the final Europa League qualifying round no matter whether they finish fifth or sixth - and the Abu Dhabi mob will hardly miss the £750,000 Premier League prize money.



10)No idea as to the identity of the pilot who could be shuttling the trophy between London and Manchester on Sunday afternoon. But if his CV includes a recent stint flying for UKIP, we'd suggest sending it by train.



By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

From Pulis warns players to be on their toes or face Chelsea repeat | Stoke City | Premier League | Stoke and Staffordshire sport

Stoke head north for tomorrow's game with the spectre of their 7-0 trouncing at Chelsea a fortnight ago still a painful memory.
But Pulis is hoping his players are all the better and stronger for the experience as they tackle a United side having to win to stand any chance of pipping Chelsea to the Premier League title. "It was a bad day at Chelsea and we have to take it on the chin," said Pulis.
"In the Premier League, we're going to get knocked down occasionally. The important thing is that you get up again. Our dressing-room spirit has never been in question, irrespective of what people might say.
"That dressing room has been very solid for quite a few years and there's been a great response from the players since Chelsea.
"To get beat 7-0 at Chelsea and then get two cleans sheets against two open and attacking teams like Everton and Fulham is a great achievement."
But Pulis has warned his players against lapsing towards the kind of shoulder-shrugging approach which caused them such a humiliation at Stamford Bridge.
"It's important we don't have that mentality," he cautioned, "because United are such a good side they will do what Chelsea did to us.
"We have to make sure we are right when that whistle goes, otherwise we'll get spanked again."

Every time I've seen Joe Hart this season he's been brilliant.

Deserves to go to South Africa, as James is a liability and too old.

I dont understand why Calamity James is going, I think Hart has more than proved he should get a chance

i go for terry to give away a penalty and get a red card and wigan to scrape a draw . and manu to beat stoke 2-1 in the last minute of extra time.
anything is possible in these two games .

All going according to the form book at the moment. Chelsea cruising against 10 men Wigan. Looks like it's theirs already.

Not exactly a dramatic final day. Still the second halves to play, but it looks like it's over.

Well done to Chelsea.

Well whoever can tell me who won the biggest wogball trophy known to civilized man gets a positive repo as I am down south not giving a fvck.

Has Sir Alex outlived his welcome finally?

Chelsea will win shortly, as they are 5-0 up vs Wigan.

Man U will finish a point behind, as they are 3-0 up against Stoke.

Chelsea now 6-0 up against Wigan.

Drogba just passed Rooney as highest goal scorer too...A very bad day for United.



And Sir Alex has had a bad season by his very high standards.

Looks like Dion Dublin wasn't too far away from his prediction then. 6-0 at the moment with 18 minutes to go but as he said, you never know!!!

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

And Sir Alex has had a bad season by his very high standards.

Well the the second most famous dog on this forum receives my repo and I am happy because I hate that fucking drug addict Rio Ferninhandjob even after the Scottish double standard bastart ignored the signs and the fucker will captain the evil empire to another failed attempt at trying to look English.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

And yeah, Rio is a joke

And all the money they tied into that big nosed spik when the united board knew he was lying including that hypocrite bigger nosed scottish twat that was only there because he was funded to be there.

Alex the most arrogant Scottish person who has trod this earth, fuck you and every Cantona that followed you as you are the the arsehole of this decade.

I hope they run that Scottish twat out of town as everytime I see the [at][at][at][at] on TV I want to smash something. To you Man U fans how the fuck can you still cheer the [at][at][at][at]?

As a Chelsea fan I just want to say :

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeefoooooooooooook in haaaaaaaa !!

Suck it up you red bastards !! 8 - 0

Rooney ? Isn't he that short American actor from way back ?

^ Big fan of Alex and Rio as well are you?.............Rooney is the only fooker left there thats worth the time of day even though he is a oblivious to anything outside of kicking a round ball around open spaces.

Happy that Spurs finish 4th, displeased by their performance yesterday. Yeah, I know, who cares? It's all about the money. Except maybe for Burnley, and it's a shame they won't be in the PL while certain crap teams will remain.

Originally Posted by Bogon

It felt a bit weird with no-one fighting to stay up on the last day or those last minute goals by a keeper or some obscure defender doing a Roy of the Rovers for his club.
Just didn't seem right that no-one was battling for a Europeon place or survival.
Anyways, cup next week, then off to Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're right, it was a really flat finale. The drama hinged on Wigan giving Chelsea, and Fulham giving Arse, a run for the money, and frankly that was never going to happen, was it.

Bit of a gaff in the Telegraph this morning :

Premier League 2009-10: how Chelsea beat Manchester United to the title

As Chelsea beat Stoke 8-0 to lift the 2009-10 Premier League trophy, John Ley looks at key moments of the season that affected the way they and closest rivals Manchester United fought out the title race.

Premier League 2009-10: how Chelsea beat Manchester United to the title - Telegraph

Ah well, yesterday was a long time ago I guess.

It was fuking fixed