one of the best prem seasons ever.

[ted1965]

We have had a wonderful season which will keep us smiling for the whole summer, though for me the Premiership has really come to life this season. Yes, because we were in it and therefore it meant much more to me game in game out but also because it has been truly exciting and competitive for once.

If you look at ourselves and the other two sides who were promoted all three have made an impact and none have been detached and dead in the water for months on end. Yes the Brazilians have looked dead for some time but they still have an outside chance of survival with 2 games remaining, when was the last time all three relegation places were still in the balance with 2 games to go. After Derby’s debacle and Watford’s plucky but negative showing the season before many so called experts had been predicting all three promoted clubs would have been down long before now and it was a season when the whole promotion issue could come under some kind of review. Instead we have proved ourselves more than adequate at this level and despite Hull’s decline in the second half of the season, they also competed well and gave something to the league. It looks now sadly that 2 out of the 3 promoted sides may go down but none have been disgraced and certainly showed that with the right attitude, organizational skills and a determination to compete can get you a lot further than anyone imagined.

The Championship, yes its now very much looking like Manchester United will retain it though again it’s been a lot more competitive than some years, they have looked vulnerable on many occasions, they have had to pull a number of rabbits from their hat to get themselves within a whisker of the league. In fact if you look at it, there ability to be more ruthless against the promoted sides has probably won them the league, we took 2 points from Liverpool and Hull also managed 1, that’s 6 points dropped and it looks pretty much like the difference between them come the last game. In many other seasons the top 2 would have taken 18 points from the promoted sides.

The performances of Fulham, West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa have been a revelation, Fulham were many pundits tips to be deep in trouble right now instead they have had one of their best seasons on the brink of actually making the new Europa League, it gives all clubs hope they can also emulate their efforts. Aston Villa fell away but for much of the season looked more than capable of breaking into the top 4 and a Champions league place, it’s refreshing to see the big 4 under some pressure for a change. Everton have also had an amazing season considering they have been without a recognised forward to much of it. As for West Ham many predicted a fire sale and disaster afterwards, instead they sold a couple of deadbeats for a lot of money and thrived under Zola.

Newcastle and Tottenham have also given smaller clubs much to cheer this season, both believing themselves to be just a step from greatness when the season began, both have been brought back down to earth with a bang. Tottenham have certainly improved under Harry but it was still heartening and put a huge smile on many faces seeing them struggling for so long. Then we come to the archetypal sleeping giant, Newcastle United still very much in the mire despite their win against Middlesboro, they have staggered out of the bottom three like a drunk attempting to find his way home in the early hours of Sunday morning, fell into a few shop doorways, urinated over their pants in a few alleys and even though the smell is sickening at times from up there it looks as though they may just stumble through their own door and lay safe in their own urine when it’s all done, though we may just get to see them in the gutter outside yet, yelling abuse at passing cars, who soak them with water proclaiming their love for anyone who looks kindly on them and generally making fools of themselves then pretending they can’t remember a thing next morning. They harbour ambitions of the top 4 and if you turn the league upside down they have achieved it, who would have thought when we played Bolton that the Geordies would finish below us and that they would have had twice as many managers as we’ve had away wins.

Manchester City have become the richest club in the world, money to burn and not frightened to make complete fools of themselves chasing anything that looks good in football shorts. They have attempted to capture some of the worlds best, though apart from Robihnio as yet none of been prepared to join and he is only prepared to play at home or when he’s in the mood. They are like a ten dollar whore who suddenly won the lottery, she still enjoys being a whore but she can’t yet attract better punters, she’s put lots of advertisements in the best magazines but sadly it’s still the ones she put in the local phone boxes that are getting the most replies.

It’s been one hell of a season and made 100 times more exciting because of how we have preformed. I really hope next season offers as much entertainment and that as we approach the last home game next year we will be feeling in the party mood and once more we can look back over the season and say, wow another fantastic ride and hopefully another large club with huge egos attached will be sat where Newcastle are now.

[stokelad84]

do your posts get longer as the season goes on?