When you get relegated from the Premier League, it’s not easy to get back there quickly. And sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better. Just ask Southampton, who are headed back to the top flight after seven years away – and after being in League One only last year. Or Coventry City, who’ve never reached the Championship play-offs since being relegated in 2001 and are now headed to League One after a disastrous 2011-12 campaign.

And because the Championship is always fiercely competitive, with several teams capable of making a promotion run, you must take your chances when they come. Just ask Preston and Sheffield United, who were both in the play-offs just three years ago but are now in League One. Or Nottingham Forest, who were in the play-offs in consecutive seasons but were near the danger zone much of this season.

For West Ham and Blackpool, opportunity awaits a week from Saturday, as they will face off in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. One side will celebrate a lucrative, immediate return to the top flight. The other, meanwhile, will be left to hope that their wait doesn’t turn into a prolonged one.

West Ham

In their quest to get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, West Ham replaced the sacked Avram Grant with an experienced manager in Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce‘s tenure didn‘t start well, as the Hammers opened with a home defeat to Cardiff. But their form picked up, and they spent most of the season in or around the automatic promotion places. In fact, they topped the table in January and February.

During that time at the top, they embarked on an unbeaten run that reached 11 matches. Unfortunately, that run consisted of only four wins and seven draws, including five straight stalemates in March. And despite a good finish, the mass of draws would prove costly. Red-hot Reading flew past them late in the season on the way to the title, and Southampton, who were top much of the season, secured second with a last-day rout of relegated Coventry City.

So, despite finishing with 86 points and the league’s fewest defeats with 8, the Hammers were the odd man out. In four of the previous five seasons, their point total would have been enough for automatic promotion. But this season, that total saw them finish two points behind Southampton and three behind Reading. However, they quickly put aside any disappointment, dispatching perennial playoff losers Cardiff City 5-0 on aggregate to reach the play-off final.

Big Sam isn’t known for producing prolific teams, but including the play-offs, the Hammers have scored 86 goals this season. At the same time, they were one of the strongest defensive sides in a goal-friendly league, finishing fourth in goals allowed with 48 and in clean sheets with 17.

A number of players with extensive Premier League experience, both new faces and old, have contributed to their promotion push.

Carlton Cole, with 14 goals, is once again atop the club‘s scoring charts, while midfielder Mark Noble, a stalwart in the side for the last several seasons, has been a regular scorer and provider. Meanwhile, former Bolton star Kevin Nolan, who left Newcastle last summer to join up with his former boss, is the club’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals, and former Portsmouth and Bolton star Matt Taylor, another summer signing, has had a productive season despite missing significant time due to injuries.

Defensively, Allardyce has recently gone with the trio of James Tomkins, Winston Reid, and former HSV man Guy Demel, who’s now fit after being sidelined for much of the season. And the trio has worked, as the Hammers have allowed only four goals in their last four matches. Of course, that’s partly due to longtime #1 keeper Robert Green, who has had another solid season.

Blackpool

There were many post-relegation changes for Blackpool as well, but keeping continuity in the right areas has helped fuel their push for a quick Premier League return.

Ian Holloway took the Seasiders to the promised land two years ago, and he has been the guiding force once again. Blackpool have had an up and down season, but they’re rounding into form at just the right time, just as they did two years ago.

Blackpool were fourth in the table with a third of the season remaining, but a run of only two wins in eight games saw them drop to eighth in late March. But they rallied, going unbeaten in their final seven matches of the season to pip Cardiff City to fifth on goal difference.

Finishing fifth instead of sixth might have helped their cause, as they were paired with Birmingham City, who finished only one point ahead of them, instead of West Ham. And after picking up only a point in two meetings against Birmingham during the season, Blackpool got the results when it really counted, eking out a 3-2 aggregate win thanks to a narrow 1-0 win at Bloomfield Road and a 2-2 draw at St. Andrew’s.

Blackpool weren’t fancied going into the play-offs two years ago, and the same can be said now. But many of this season’s key players either were a part of last season’s Premier League side or have Premier League experience, so they know what’s at stake.

In the summer, Charlie Adam, DJ Campbell, and David Vaughan all left for Premier League sides, and Luke Varney, a starter for much of last season, left for Portsmouth. But a solid core remained, and several of last season’s key players have remained in key roles this season, like midfielder Gary Taylor-Fletcher, who‘s had a very productive season, versatile defender Alex Baptiste, who leads the side in appearances, and left back Stephen Crainey, who actually leads the club in assists. Others have stepped into significant roles this season, like winger Matty Phillips, who scored what would prove to be a decisive goal against Birmingham.

Holloway has also made some quality signings, with the two most notable both having come from Birmingham. Former Rangers star Barry Ferguson signed in July after two seasons at Birmingham, and Holloway entrusted him with the armband from the start of the season. His experience and leadership has been key, and so have the goals of the ageless Kevin Phillips, who‘s still banging them in like he has for nearly two decades. The 38-year-old leads Blackpool with 16 goals this season, and if Blackpool are promoted and Phillips’s present one-year deal is extended, he’ll represent a fifth different club in the Premier League, following his stints with Sunderland, Southampton, Aston Villa, and Birmingham.

Final Outlook

There were high expectations on West Ham heading into the season, as they were considered favorites to win the Championship title this season. As they didn’t fulfill those expectations, despite a solid campaign, pressure and expectation for them to triumph at Wembley, are doubly high.

When it comes to consistency throughout the season, the Hammers were certainly the more consistent side, and their domination of Cardiff City in the semifinals was quite impressive. Also, when it comes to head-to-head results between the two finalists, the Hammers own two convincing wins in two matches against Blackpool this season, a 4-0 win at Upton Park in October and a 4-1 win at Bloomfield Road in February.

But previous meetings and form throughout the season don’t always matter in a match like this one, so even though the Hammers are clear favorites to win, Blackpool will fancy themselves to upset the odds in the play-off final once again.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This is a funny old time of year for any team in the Championship. Depending on how you’ve fared, you could be singing, crying, or just plain tearing your hair out. Any team from the Championship can be sorted into one of these categories:

1) Promoted – this is the holy grail of this league, you’re going to be playing Premier League football next season.

2) Qualified for Play-offs – this means that you have put in a great effort to win the league or come second for automatic promotion, but face a knockout competition between 4 teams to bag the third promotion spot.

3) Mid-table – not too bad, it’s a tough league, but next year you expect to mount a serious push for promotion.

4) Bottom-half –  possibly disappointed, looking for positives, changes in staff may be called for.

5) Relegated – says it all really. very hard to come straight back up when this happens.

I find myself in the second category, in the play-offs with Birmingham finishing a very surprising 4th this year. We have had so many off-field problems, that no-one expected Chris Hughton to get us to within touching distance of being promoted back into the Premiership at the first time of asking.

If someone said to me at the start of the season that we would finish in the top half of the table, I would have ripped their arm off and taken that. I was convinced that we were going to really struggle, and find ourselves in a relegation dog-fight. If the worst had happened, had we found ourselves in League 1, I’m not sure how long it would have taken for us to get back out.

Can you imagine the stick from all of those Villa fans across the way too? It would have been relentless.

Luckily, it hasn’t come to that, we have had an awesome season, one which should be plenty for all of us Blues considering the precarious position of the club.

The problem is that now we are in the play-offs and I can taste the Premier League, and we don’t get through the knockouts, I can’t help but think I’m going to feel disappointed. I know this is wrong, but when is anything ever right in football when your heart takes over? I know that finishing 4th is fine, there’s no shame in it. But I just can’t stop believing.

As it stands, the first game of the play-offs kicked off on Thursday night with West Ham beating Cardiff 2-0 away which puts them in the driving seat when they go back to the Boleyn Ground. Birmingham were drawn away against Blackpool, a tie that we made very hard for ourselves, and ended up losing 1-0.

That game, for me, was very infuriating. Now that finishing 4th is not enough, I was convinced that we could go to Bloomfield Road and get something. Not only get something, but make relative light work of it. I was mistaken. We really did not compete for anything, we didn’t offer anything going forward, and when the ball did manage to make it to the final third, Marlon King was invariably offside or gave the ball away.

One thing I’d like to point out, where were all of the Blackpool fans? the stadium was half empty with an attendance just short of 14,000. Bear in mind that there were about 3,000 Bluenoses there, who were making more noise than the other lot.

So will that teach me for getting too caught up in the hype? In a word, no.

We are due to welcome Blackpool to St. Andrews on Wednesday night, with a sell-out crowd. This place is a fortress when it’s rocking, we have only lost 1 game at home all season. The best home record in the league. Add this to the play-off confidence boost and I’m yet again convinced that we can turn them over, and make it through to the final.

This has more logic behind it than the first leg, but not too much more. Blackpool know that they have to come at us, and peg us back. They have the staff to more than capably do this too, with the likes of Dobbie and Ince. They really hurt us on Friday, we have to keep them quiet.

The crowd will be roaring, and pushing on a depleted Birmingham team, that will be chomping at the bit to get through to the final. A lovely quote from Ian Holloway after the first leg after hearing the noise that the 3,000 strong away support was making, “Cor they love their football those Brummies don’t they? Very passionate”.

All of this being said, I know deep down that I’ll be gutted if we get knocked out, even though I know that reaching this stage in the first place is a major achievement. But it doesn’t stop me dreaming.

Damn play-offs.

You can follow me on twitter: @gianni_saw or at my blog: onacoldwindynight.wordpress.com.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the money involved in football increases, so does each individual player’s salary. According to a study, a player at one of the top-flight teams in England earns £1.5 million a year. This compares to the £646,000 of six seasons ago.

The disparities of finance between the top division and lower league teams are still very obvious:

New figures show that:

• Average Premier League wages have reached £22,353 a week – before lucrative bonuses – or £1.16million a year.
• Average Championship earnings are £4,059 a week (£211,068 a year), less than a fifth of players one division above.
• In the bottom division, League Two, their weekly pay of £747 is not much more than the national average.
• League Two earnings are also 30 times smaller than those in the Premier League.

FA Premier League Salaries

It’s very difficult to find the exact wages of each Premier League, but, the English Premier League is constantly under the microscope when it comes to the wages that are paid by its clubs to managers and in particularly to players.

Now, top players in the football league were earning, in one year, what today’s stars earn in a week! A Premier League footballer earns on average £780,000 while a nurse takes home £23,500 and a teacher £30,000. Among the highest earners are Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who receives £250,000 a week, and Manchester City’s Carols Tevez, who gets £220,000.

The spiralling wages of star players is threatening to pull clubs and the league itself to the brink of bankruptcy, with salaries becoming uncontrollable.

The following is a round-up of the highest paid manager, goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker in the Premier League.

Highest Paid Manager: Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger is currently the highest paid manager in the English Premier League, with an weekly wage of around £115,000 per week.

This astonishing sum of money ranks him alongside some of the highest paid players.

Highest Paid Goalkeeper: Peter Cech

Chelsea’s 29-year-old Czech Republic international goalkeeper, Petr Cech is the English Premier League’s top earning stopper, with a weekly wage of around £96,000.

Highest Paid Defender: John Terry

The Chelsea and England captain John Terry is the highest earning defender in the English Premier League with a salary of around £130,000 a week.

Highest Paid Midfielder: Yaya Toure

Manchester City signed Yaya Toure from Barcelona in 2010 for around £24 million and promptly made him the highest paid midfielder in the Premier League, with a whooping £190,000 a week wage packet.

Highest Paid Striker: Wayne Rooney

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney unsurprisingly the English Premier League’s highest paid forward, with a massive £250,000 a week salary.

Reasons:

The arrival of the billionaires into the English Premier League, such as Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich and Manchester City’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has pushed the boundaries of wages beyond belief.

Top-flight earnings have shot up by more than 200 per cent since 2000 despite a world recession, leaving everyone else behind and reaching a level which has raised questions about the game’s financial sustainability. When bonuses from team and individual performances, image rights and other commercial endorsements are added, increasing the figures by up to 100 per cent, the gap is even wider. On top of this, the effects of the Sky TV deals with the Premier League are clear, making the competition the richest in the world.

The answer to ending ever increasing wages may well be a salary cap, similar to that which is imposed on certain sports in the US. There have been discussions about this very issue in recent times, but there has not been any concrete movement.
Lower Leagues Finances

Figures show that the increase in television revenues has also benefited players in the lower leagues.

The average salary for a Championship player is £250,000, while League One and League Two players can expect to bring in £80,000 and £65,000 a year respectively.

However the difference between these divisions and the top-flight are still huge. Naturally the better players will be played more money. But a £1,000,000 a year may be considered slightly over the top.

Especially considering the gap in quality between the bottom of the Premier League and Championship is becoming smaller. It is tempting to believe that is the case after seeing the three promoted clubs hit the ground running for the second successive season. With two of the three promoted clubs staying up in each of the past three seasons, it feels as if there is a trend emerging whereby the Premier League’s new entrants are no longer the cannon fodder the bookmakers and media have long thought them to be. Whether that is down to Championship clubs improving and approaching the top flight with bolder tactics or standards dropping among two thirds of the Premier League. In my opinion, it’s down to the Championship clubs improving.

Recently, Championship clubs have voted in favour of introducing a new financial fair play model. All but three of the npower Championship’s 24 clubs voted in favour of introducing the model, which is based on UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, and plans to curb Football League debt by limiting investment from owners and total spending.

Football League research has revealed that the 72 clubs that form the Championship, League One and League Two are on course to rack up a combined £2billion of debt unless spending and investment from ‘sugar daddy’ owners is curbed. The regulations will be introduced next season on a gradual basis, but sanctions for non-compliance will not be put in place until the 2014-15 season.

The money generated from any fine imposed will be shared among the clubs in the Championship who are compliant with the regulations. The initiative is seen as an important step to stopping Football League clubs going bust. Earlier this season Portsmouth went into administration and Football League chairman Greg Clarke predicts several clubs will go out of business if this scheme is not adopted.

The Football League has been consulting with the Premier League and the FA, they’re confident the initiative will get the official backing of both bodies. So potentially, this model could be seen in the English top division. If this happens, the league’s highest paid players may face a wage cut.

Having said this, if you look at the commercial revenues generated by US sports, it’s evident that football, a more global sport, has still some way to go before it can reach its financial peak. So expect the TV deals, player wages and ticket prices to keep rising.

For similar articles, visit my blog chrisslinnell.wordpress.com and follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisLFootball.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 2011-12 Championship league fixtures have come to an end and finally the automatic promotion positions have been confirmed. However, at the other end of the table, the relegation picture had been clear for some time. The bottom three teams can now begin preparation for a spell in League 1.

Below are the final league positions that really matter:

Reading - Champions
Southampton - Promoted

West Ham United - Play-Off semi-finalists
Birmingham City – Play-Off semi-finalists
Blackpool – Play-Off semi-finalists
Cardiff City – Play-Off semi-finalists

Portsmouth - Relegated
Coventry City - Relegated
Doncaster Rovers – Relegated

Promoted Sides:

Reading

Reading claimed the Championship title over a week ago, following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. The Royals boss, Brian McDermott, held back the tears as he watched his side lift the trophy for the second time following the achievements of Steve Coppell’s side in 2005/06. Following Reading’s heartbreak in last season’s Play-off final, the fans will be delighted with their clubs return to the top flight, after a four year absence.

Southampton

Yesterday, Southampton were promoted to the Premier League after beating Coventry City 4-0, ending their seven-year exile from the top flight. The comprehensive win, completed a fairy tale rise under manager Nigel Adkins which has seen the team transform from a League 1 outfit into a team fit for the Premier League. The promotion is their second in succession, after rising from League 1 last term with a second-placed finish, behind champions Brighton & Hove Albion. Clearly this a remarkable achievement for Adkins team, hopefully this form can be carried into the top flight next season.

Chances of Survival in the Premier League

This season, the promoted Swansea, Norwich have drastically exceeded expectations. Both teams sit in mid table positions, a situation they could only dreamed of 12 months ago. No doubt, Reading and Southampton will look to emulate this success. Both teams have the advantage of large financial backing. I expect both managers will look to bring in new talent once the transfer window opens in July. However, this alone will not ensure their survival come next term. QPR have been a clear example of this, despite amounts of spending, the London club have struggled for points this year against other top division teams. McDermott and Adkins will look to sustain the core of their team, whilst bringing in a few quality new players. The likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert will be vital for the Saints next season, whilst Reading will rely on Harte, Kebe and various other key players. As long as both teams move positively into next season’s fixtures, playing their own style of football, I’m confident they will do well.

Play-off Position Round-up

This season the play off finals will be a very tough contest. The road to Wembley now begins as Blackpool, Birmingham, West Ham and Cardiff will battle for the final chance of promotion to Premier Division.

West Ham United had to settle for third place even as a Carlton Cole brace sank Hull 2-1 at Upton Park in the final league game of the season.

Cardiff City wrapped up the final Play-Off spot, but made their fans sweat first before beating Crystal Palace 2-1.

Whilst, a 2-0 win, against Reading on the final day, lifted Birmingham into fourth place above Blackpool, who were held 2-2 at Millwall.

Personally, I would love to see Blackpool back in the Premier League. Ian Holloway is such an entertaining manager and this is even seen by the way his teams play on the pitch, pure attacking football! The Seasider’s were unlucky to be relegated a year ago as they suffered defeat to Man United on the final day of the season.

However, West Ham are the side most likely to go up. Sam Allardyce has arguably the strongest side of the six. The Hammer’s fans will be expecting play-off success.

Championship Play-off Semi Finals confirmed as follows -

1st legs

Cardiff City v West Ham United – Thursday 3rd May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

Blackpool v Birmingham City – Friday 4th May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

2nd legs

West Ham United v Cardiff City – Monday 7th May 2012 kick-off 4.30pm

Birmingham City v Blackpool – Wednesday 9th May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

Final

Teams TBC – Wembley 19^th May 2012

Relegated Sides:

Coventry and Portsmouth were both relegated to League 1 after losses last weekend. For Portsmouth, relegation is the latest chapter in a turbulent recent history and in a season in which the club has endured administration and a 10-point penalty. While it has been 29 years since the south coast club were in the third tier, Coventry, another club with off-field issues, were last in the old Third Division in 1964. Meanwhile Doncaster finished bottom of the league with just 36 points.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for these sides. In the last 5 seasons, many clubs have displayed the resilience to bounce back from relegation. Both Norwich and Southampton are the good examples of this. These sides have won consecutive promotions and now find themselves playing in the Premier League next season. If Portsmouth can sort out their financial issues I’m sure they will take a similar course. The clubs prestige and history will be enough to keep them afloat and see them through a tough year in League 1. Leeds, Charlton and Sheffield United are further examples of clubs that have ended a period of decline. These 3 teams have all recovered following a short spell in the lower leagues. They now find themselves climbing back up through the divisions. There’s no doubt fans of the newly relegated sides should be optimistic going into next season.

For similar articles, visit my blog chrisslinnell.wordpress.com and follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisLFootball.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This Premier League season has been a memorable one, with the title race again going down to the wire and potentially being settled by a Manchester derby, the new arrivals Norwich and Swansea reminding everyone that the gap in class between the Premier League and the Championship actually isn’t all that great, and the relegation battle is probably one of the tightest battles there has been in the Premier League since it’s inception 20 years ago.

With all of this going on, there has been one club that has really caught my eye this season, and most probably not for all the right reasons, that club is Aston Villa.

As a Birmingham supporter, this would probably seem a little bit strange. I mean, I always like to keep one eye on the Villa scores, and find myself quite often supporting anyone that they are up against. We all know that this is a little bit immature, but I like to wind up my Villa mates anyway. No harm done really.

But the connections between the club, and I don’t just mean the geographical proximity of the clubs, has naturally led me to follow them with avid interest for most of this season. Now that they are embroiled in a serious relegation dog fight, myself and other Birmingham fans have our Bluenoses pressed firmly up against those Villa windows, waiting to see what will come of their season.

This tiny obsession began when Alex McLeish scurried across no-man’s land, and was appointed as the Villa manager. I’m going to be really honest and say that at the time I was a little disappointed by his departure, even more so that he wanted to go to our rivals. I thought that he’d given us Blues some great times. Granted he got us relegated twice, but the first time I wouldn’t pin the blame firmly on him alone, and last season I accepted the bitter pill of relegation, even if I did call some his tactics and selections into question, with the sweet taste of the Carling Cup win, and the chance to go and play in Europe.

Trouble is though, I don’t know of any Villa fan that was happy to see him arrive, and after speaking to a few of them, it wasn’t just the Blues connection either.

Many Villa fans associated McLeish with a very dour brand of football, where his style of play wasn’t based around technical passing, using wide men, and playing attractive football, but more of a percentage game, and very quick to get the ball into the danger areas. It was about getting players to the ball, not the other way around.

This is not the Villa way, I’m told.

I also get told that his managerial record did not install a sense of belief either, and that when he managed Rangers, he was credited with one of their all-time worst league performances. I’m not sure if I should take this with a pinch of salt, because during his time at Rangers he also achieved a fair few major successes also. Not to mention that before Rangers, he’d had some success with Motherwell and Hibs.

Then I get reminded that McLeish had relegated Birmingham twice. Which in all fairness, you can’t really defend, he did.

Some of the football and tactics we saw at Birmingham were questionable when we were languishing in the drop zone of last season, and now I can see all of those symptoms and characteristics happening over at Villa Park. It’s almost like some foggy flashback! The only difference is that he made Birmingham quite a tough team to beat, it seems that Villa don’t even have that small bit of safety.

But what should Villa do? McLeish is on a 3 year deal that will cost a club that is already trying to cut its cloth accordingly, a large chunk of cash to pay off. Or, do they stick with a manager who is proven in getting relegated clubs promoted? Just in case?

It seems that there is no real strategy at Villa, no communication of what the plans are. The only real plan they seem to be talking about is cutting wage bills. I think that they thought that by offloading a few players, saving a few pennies, and taking the hit to sit mid-table for a few seasons before mounting a serious push for the top 6 as they enjoyed under Martin O’Neill.

What has actually happened is that they massively underestimated the impact of the wage cuts and player sales, and are now stuck fighting for survival. If the club is so strapped of cash-flow and investment, if they did go down, I can’t see them coming straight back up.

The board also, with their track record of managerial appointments isn’t exactly filling anyone with belief either. They wheeled out an old, ill, quite obviously past it Gerard Houllier, and then looked across the road at McLeish and conducted a relatively messy managerial transfer? This is a cause for concern.

I’m not defending McLeish with this piece, far from it. All I’m saying is that before you make McLeish your scapegoat, take a closer look at your club, and what is happening because after McLeish goes, if he goes, and you find yourselves with yet no more improvement, you will have no-one else to blame.

You can follow me on twitter: @gianni_saw / or at my blog: onacoldwindynight.wordpress.com

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Carlsberg’s Euro 2012 ad is titled “Wearing your passion with passion”. Luckily the ad itself is a lot better than the slogan. Check it out below:

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With 6 games to go in the season, the race for promotion to the riches of the Premier League is hotting up.

It is seemingly a three-horse race for the two automatic promotion places on offer. Southampton and Reading are the two clubs currently in the driving seat but a strong West Ham United side are lurking close behind in third.

The race for the Play-Offs also looks set for an intriguing finish as a number of sides look to seal their place in the top 6 and be in with a chance of promotion to the “big-time.” 3rd spot looks likely to be taken by one of the top 3 but the positions of 4th, 5th and 6th are still up for grabs with Birmingham, Blackpool and Brighton currently occupying these all important play-off spots.

The teams just outside of the play-offs such as Middlesbrough, Cardiff and perhaps even Hull will be looking to string together a few good results in the last six games to ensure that they get the chance to be in the play-offs. The big question on every fans lips is who will be in the Top 6 of the Championship come the 28th April when all the teams’ fates will be decided?

1st – SOUTHAMPTON
Manager: Nigel Adkins
Played: 40 Points: 78 GD: +34
Current Form: DWWWWL

The Saints have been the frontrunners nearly all season for automatic promotion and have set the pace right from the off. Unlike other sides in the promotion mix, they have been consistent from the start and are deservedly top of the Championship with six games to go. The question is can Southampton hold their nerve for the final run-in to complete unexpected back-to-back promotions and a return to the Barclays Premier League?

Their home form this season has been extraordinary having only dropped 8 points at St. Mary’s all season. This form coupled with a number of crucial goals from star-striker and top scorer Rickie Lambert has seen the South-Coast club stay ahead of the pack at the top of the Championship.

Southampton’s remaining fixtures don’t look tough on paper as they have to play rivals Portsmouth & Coventry who are threatened by relegation and Crystal Palace & Peterborough who are sitting in mid-table with nothing to play for. But no results are set in the stone and if they underestimate such opposition, Southampton could be left red-faced. A home clash against second-placed Reading on the superstitious date of Friday 13th April will have a huge bearing on the race for automatic promotion.

Our Prediction: We think that Southampton will have enough left in the tank to see out the remainder of the campaign and be sitting in one of those two automatic promotion places come the end of April. Adkins is a firm manager who won’t allow for any complacency in the final run-in and will still expect the best from his players to ensure that the Saints achieve their aim of promotion. There is no reason why Southampton can’t continue their excellent form which they have shown all season for the crucial final six games.

Rickie Lambert's goals have been instrumental in Southampton's promotion bid

2nd – READING
Manager: Brian McDermott
Played: 40 Points: 76 GD: +24
Current Form: WDWLWW

On the 21st January after a sloppy 1-0 home defeat to Hull, the Royals sat in eighth position in the league. However, three months later and Reading are flying after a remarkable transformation which has seen them claim a phenomenal 34 points out of a possible 39. Reading’s rich vein of form is in no doubt down to the players, who really stepped up to the mark in this crucial period, but also to their manager Brian McDermott who they managed to keep hold of despite strong speculation of interest from Premier League side Wolves. The much-admired manager then signed a new contract to keep him at the Madejski until 2015 as he made a statement committing himself to the Royals.

At the start of the season, many would never have said that Reading would be in such a strong position with a matter of games remaining as many questioned whether the squad would be strong enough to claim promotion back to the top-flight. However the likes of Noel Hunt, goalkeeper Adam Federici and veteran Ian Harte have all contributed towards Reading’s surge up the table in the past few months. Last Saturday’s crucial 4-2 win at Upton Park against third-placed West Ham really emphasised their dominance and the strides that they have made in order to be in contention for automatic promotion.

Our Prediction: Reading should feel confident of winning their three remaining home games but tough away games against Southampton, Brighton & Birmingham will be decisive in determining Reading’s fate. We think it will be close between West Ham and Reading as to who can grab that all important second place but we believe that West Ham won’t be able to claw back a four point deficit after defeat to the Royals on Saturday, and that Reading will be celebrating automatic promotion. We even think that Reading could overtake Southampton and pip the Saints to the title come the 28th April.

Brian McDermott has earned the plaudits this year but can he lead Reading to a return to the Premier League?

3rd – WEST HAM UNITED
Manager: Sam Allardyce
Played: 40 Points: 72 GD: +21
Current Form: DDDDWL

After a disappointing campaign last year that concluded with West Ham being humiliatingly relegated from the Premier League, everyone associated with the club was keen to see the Hammers return to their rightful place in the top division. They managed to secure a reputable, experienced manager in Sam Allardyce and brought in the likes of Matt Taylor & Kevin Nolan in the summer and Nicky Maynard & Ricardo Vaz Te in January to ensure that the aim of automatic promotion could be achieved.

However, despite all the money being ploughed in to the club from the backing of the owners, things haven’t gone as smoothly as many expected this season for the London-based club. Despite the Hammers sitting in the top two for most of the season, they now find themselves in third place and four points adrift of second placed Reading after a recent erratic run of form which has seen 5 consecutive frustrating draws.

There is no doubt that West Ham have the personnel capable of automatic promotion but in recent weeks they have struggled to string together a good run of results. If the Hammers are to stand any chance of overtaking Reading then they need to look at possibly gaining maximum points from all of their final remaining games which is a tough ask from the players.

Our Prediction: As disappointing as it will be for West Ham, we think that the Upton Park club will have to settle for third place in the Championship and look at gaining promotion through the play-offs, and they should be confident of booking their trip to Wembley for a chance to return to the top-flight.

The Hammers will have to work hard to secure automatic promotion as the play-offs look the most likely option.

4th – BIRMINGHAM CITY
Manager: Chris Hughton
Played: 40 Points: 66 GD: +23
Current Form: LWLDWW

Although Birmingham have played 55 games this season already due to League & Cup commitments, the Midlands club still remains on course for a stab at promotion in the play-offs, despite indifferent form at the start of the season. Since relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season in May, the future of the club has been clouded in uncertainty after money laundering from Carson Yeung and having to sell a number of its Premier League stars.

However, the club under the guidance of manager Chris Hughton has been able to compete successfully in the Championship with a small squad of players and are deservedly in the mix for a spot in the play-offs. Players such as a rejuvenated Marlon King, Chris Burke and talented youngster Nathan Redmond have all helped the Blues climb up the table. A win against Burnley in their game in hand last night helped to consolidate Birmingham’s position in the play-offs and moved them to only 6 points off third placed West Ham.

Our Prediction: We are more than certain that Birmingham City will be in the top-six come the end of April and we believe that they have enough in the tank to overcome the opposition in the play-offs and make it to the final at Wembley. Personally, we think a clash between West Ham & Birmingham City in the play-off final is looming but as we know anything can happen in football!

King has spearheaded Blues' attack this season and contributed with 16 goals.

5th – BLACKPOOL
Manager: Ian Holloway
Played: 40 Points: 63 GD: +13
Current Form: LLWDLW

Ian Holloway’s so-called “Tangerine Army” earned their praises last year after a hard-fought campaign last year saw them go down on the final day of the season to break the hearts of all Blackpool fans. However, ‘barmy’ manager Ian Holloway stayed with the club and has led them to be in the hunt for the play-offs with six games remaining as they look for an unlikely immediate return to the Premier League.

Vital goals this season from old-timer Kevin Phillips have helped the Seasiders to many crucial points along the course of this campaign as the likes of Matty Philips have also been give a chance to shine this season. Blackpool famously clinched promotion to the Premier League last time out with an epic performance in the play-offs but can they secure their place in the top-six once again to have a chance to repeat their heroics once again?

Our Prediction: Over course and distance this season, Blackpool have looked stronger than the likes of Brighton, Middlesbrough and Cardiff who are behind them in the table and waiting for the Seasiders to slip up. Therefore we think that come the end of the season, Blackpool will be in the top six and fighting for promotion via the play-offs.

Kevin Phillips has shown that he's still got the ability to score goals at the ripe age of 38.

6th – BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Manager: Gus Poyet
Played: 40 Points: 63 GD: +8
Current Form: DWLWDD

Considering this is Gus Poyet’s first managerial role, the Uruguayan is doing very well for himself after securing promotion from League One last year. Many expected the Seagulls to struggle in the Championship but Brighton have defied the odds and after just one loss in the League in 2012, Brighton have climbed up the table to leave themselves firmly in play-off contention with only a few matches to go.

However, the last six games will prove to be a serious test for Brighton’s promotion credentials as they have to face Reading, West Ham & Birmingham in the final run-in which could make or break their season.

Our Prediction: We think it will be close between Brighton and Cardiff but in the end the Seagulls fans will be celebrating come the end of the season as we believe that they will just pip Cardiff to 6th place.

Gus Poyet will be hoping that his side can hold their nerve and claim a spot in the play-offs.

7th – MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Played: 40 Points: 63 GD: +3
Current Form: LLDDDD

After a great start to the season, Boro were lying in 2nd position at the end of 2011 as hopes were high that the Yorskhire club could reclaim its place among the best in the Premier League. However,a dodgy 2012 so far has seen Middlesbrough slip back down the table as they now find themselves just outside the play-offs on goal difference after recent erratic form has seen the Northern club winless in 6 and facing the prospect of missing out on promotion after what seemed to be a promising start to the campaign.

Goals from Marvin Emnes have played a pivotal role in Boro’s success so far this campaign and the fans will need to see the Dutchman score a few more goals if they are to overtake Brighton and claim a spot in the play-offs.

Our Prediction: Unfortunately for Boro fans we think that Middlesbrough just won’t have enough left to secure that all important play-off spot as the club will ponder what could have been after a bright start to the season.

Emnes' goals have been crucial in this season's campaign.

8th – CARDIFF
Manager: Malky Mackay
Played: 40 Points: 61 GD: +7
Current Form: WLDDDD

In the past few years, Cardiff have been one of those sides that have always missed out on play-off glory as they are still looking for their ultimate quest to be part of one of the 20 sides in the Premier League. The Welsh club, who are now sitting in the shadow of their arch-rivals Swansea who are impressing in the top division, had hoped that they would be sitting higher in the league after a successful start to the campaign; but a run of just one win in 8 after the Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool has seen the Bluebirds slide from 4th to 8th in the league.

However, in spite of their recent miserable form, the side from South Wales are still in contention for a place in the play-offs as they only lie two points behind 5th placed Blackpool and are therefore still in with a shout of reaching the play-offs.

Our Prediction: Cardiff have an easier run-in of fixtures compared to many others as they don’t have to face any of the top-six in their final run of games and they will compete with Brighton for that last play-off spot. However, ultimately we think that they will just miss out on the play-offs as fans will have to wait another season for a chance at making it to the Premier League.

Cardiff's recent dip in form has made it difficult for Malky Mackay's men to achieve promotion.

So fundamentally, we believe that there will be no change to the current top six in the final six games as Southampton & Reading will gain automatic promotion to the Premier League and West Ham, Birmingham, Blackpool & Brighton will battle it out in the play-offs. Nonetheless, as we know a lot of things can change in six games and there are bound to be plenty of shocks and surprises still left in store as the Championship campaign reaches its all important climax.

Please let us know your thoughts on who you think will triumph and who will be in the top six come the end of the season.

This article was written by Alex Grove and originally published on The Tactician.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Wolves have quite literally taken the ‘Mick’ out of their own club following the sacking of Mick McCarthy after just over five and a half years in charge. A difficult season for McCarthy culminated in a crushing 5-1 home defeat to fierce Black Country rivals West Brom. It is a long established fact that in times of strife all road’s for accountability lead to the manager’s door and more often not results in his head swiftly rolling off the chopping block. It is quite simply the nature of the beast and McCarthy was well aware of that fact. Equally as true is the actuality that other stakeholders must also accept their portion of the blame. Noticeably the players of course, accompanied in their portioning of the blame for Wolves’ predicament by the Molineux board from whom there has been a significant element of mismanagement.

Wolves only preserved their Premiership status on a frantic final day of the season and by the absolute finest of margins to boot, a solitary goal. Evidence then, that despite being good enough to stay in top flight much investment was required in the following summer in order to firmly plant the club in the Premiership’s financially fertile ground.

Investment was exactly what followed, but rather than significantly improving a playing staff only just capable of 17^th place in the previous season, money was invested into increasing the capacity of the stadium from 29,195 to 31,700 initially, with an outlay of £18million, and an eventual cost of approximately £40million on completion increasing the capacity to 36,000. The development plans were initiated despite a declining average attendance, in a region heavily affected by the financial crisis, to a current Premiership low for Molineux of 25,636.

The Wolves board have decided to increase supply at significant financial cost when demand is declining, a demand that will surely wane even further if the club are relegated. Bigger is not always better, especially without a match going fan base to equal expansion. Ask fans of fellow midlands club Coventry City if they preferred Premiership days at Highfield Road or drab Championship (probably soon to be League One) encounters at the desolate quarter-full Ricoh Arena?

The answer would most likely be the former and would be coupled with a further question which Wolves as a club must also ask themselves; “where would that level of investment in the team rather than the stadium now see their club placed?” Furthermore, “How can we justify financial outlay on a stadium re-development if we are not assured of Premiership status?”

It seems ridiculous to think that anyone within the Wolves hierarchy would have surmised that the transfer window additions of a reserve Goalkeeper in Jason De Vries and a £4million centre-half from relegated Birmingham City in Roger Johnson would ensure Premiership status. Surely, Wolves missed a golden opportunity to invest significantly in the playing squad in order to manufacture a move up into the middle echelons of the Premiership? Indisputably Premiership consolidation is much more attractive to fans than a few extra (regularly empty) seats.

The postponement of the second phase of re-development in January perhaps suggests that the Wolves board now realise that fact too. The priority must lie in producing a capable and quality team before worrying about the stadium in which they play, especially when the stadium is not in need of immediate refurbishment or redevelopment. Molineux is a fine looking stadium with an ample capacity.

Had the money been put towards extensive team improvements in the summer Wolves may be in a wholly different situation now and an extended revenue boosting period in the Premiership may have lay before them. Whether McCarthy was the man to build a quality Wolves outfit capable of Premiership stability is far from certain. Wolves’ performances this season have been considerably below par on a regular basis suggesting possibly that McCarthy had taken the role as far as he could. Perhaps even more worrying is that McCarthy’s players often showed admirable endeavour but lacked the required quality for this level.

Nonetheless, Wolves’ owner Steve Morgan will now be hopeful his club can follow the example of rivals West Brom who last season benefited immensely from a change of manager at the exact same stage of the season. Alternatively, if the outcomes of the next 13 games conspire against Wolves, condemning them to relegation, then the Wolves’ board may regret their investment priorities.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Football wages are a ridiculously easy target – whether it’s the high wages paid by Chelsea and then Manchester City, the astronomical wage bills of Barcelona and Real Madrid fueled by unequal TV deals or the retirement homes that front as football clubs in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, football wages have steadily increased in the last 20-25 years.

But by how much? And is the growth spread evenly across all tiers of the game or concentrated at the highest level? You may already know the answer to that question, but even then the numbers below are eye-opening.

The data is taken from sportingintelligence.com (who have used their own research + an official PFA document detailing basic wages for the last 25 years) – here are some highlights:

The text below is taken from sportingintelligence.com – see source articles here and here:

• In 1984-85, top division players in England earned a basic average of £480 per week (£25,000 a year), which was more than double what the average worker earned, and which was three times as much as players earned in the Fourth Division. Today the difference is 30 times as much.
• In 1984-85, according to the PFA’s data, the average basic wage in the First Division – as the top division was then called – was £24,934 a year, or about two and a half times the average working man’s salary. With bonuses, it would have been around £36,000, perhaps more.
• In 2009-10, the average basic Premier League wage was £1.16m and the average take-home pay was £1.76m.
• In the Premier League, double-digit annual growth has been the norm in most years of the competition’s history. The biggest single leap was the 28.52 per cent year-on-year growth between 1996-97 and 1997-98. This was due to a new TV deal kicking in.
• TV cash has fueled players’ pay rises in the Premier League era. The first Premier League deal was over five years (1992-97), then next over four years (1997-2001), and the deals have been three years each since then (2001-04, 2004-07, 2007-10 and 2010-13 currently).
• The average annual basic salary in the Championship in 2009-10 was £211,068, in League One it was £73,320 and in League Two it was £38,844.
• Top division footballers now earn 46 times as much as they did in 1984-85
• Those in the Championship earn only 14 times as much as their counterparts.
• In League One the figure is six and a half times as much. In League Two the figure is 4.6 times as much.
• The average working man earns about three times as much.

Image from sportingintelligence.com.

Note: The numbers represent basic pay; wages typically increase by 50 to 100 per cent with appearance money and bonuses.

On the other hand, football ticket prices have increased by almost as much as 30 times in certain cases (looking at cheapest tickets / season tickets at Manchester United and London clubs).

And if you look at the commercial revenues generated by US sports, it’s evident that football, a more global sport, has still some way to go before it can reach it’s financial peak. So expect the TV deals, player wages and ticket prices to keep rising.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It has been 1305 days since Steve McClaren stood sombrely alone clutching the handle of an umbrella on a rain-sodden night at Wembley as the England national team failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships – beaten at home by Croatia. Many lessons were learnt that night, none more so for the man who failed to fulfil his obligation of qualifying for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland. As McClaren was sent packing by the bigwigs at the FA, he quietly re-established himself as a coach and is now back in the domestic English game hoping to propel Old Big Head’s Nottingham Forest back into the promise land.

It would be totally unfair, as to any previous Forest manager to make comparisons to the late great Brian Clough. The man who in the space of five years created arguably the greatest footballing miracle English football has ever seen by modelling a modest second division club to the kings of Europe, not once, but twice. There are not enough superlatives to portray how monumental an achievement that was but we are now living in a completely different era where money dictates the progression of the sport.

It has been 12 years since Forest were relegated from the Premier League. A period that has seen the club fall into the third tier of English football along with a number of disappointments in the play-offs. A far-cry from those glory days under Cloughie and his assistant Peter Taylor in the late seventies and early eighties.

Former manager Billy Davies flirted with promotion during his time. He has assembled a talented side mixed with discipline and a sprinkle of flair but just failed short of a successful promotion – leading to the termination of his contract last Sunday. Club Chairman Nigel Doughty had no hesitation in turning to McClaren as his successor and believes he is the man to gather the momentum to push them into the holy grail of England’s top-flight.

McClaren has been severely ridiculed by the English press and fans alike for the best part of four years since that dreadful night at Wembley. As the FA were left to pick up the broken pieces, as was McClaren who revaluated his career and took bold action by rebuilding his damaged stock.

He decided to dip his toe overseas with Dutch club FC Twente and within two seasons led them to their first Eredivisie title in 2010, thus becoming the first English manager to lead a club to a top tier domestic league title since Sir Bobby Robson with FC Porto in 1996. No mean feat by any stretch of the imagination to overcome the likes of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven or AZ Alkmaar yet the Yorkshireman assembled a side littered with top level attributes. Not to mention important changes in his personnel as the likes of Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautovic sought pastures new. McClaren himself has ambitions and upon leading Twente to their one and only league title, he opted to try his hand in Germany with Wolfsburg which would ultimately prove to be unsuccessful and was released from his duties earlier in the year.

Nevertheless despite that setback, Forest have hired a man who is undoubtedly a capable of fulfilling their aspirations. The 50-year old showed tremendous courage to at least have a crack in a progressive league such as the Bundesliga and although his time there was dreadfully flat, he will have learnt lessons from the experience. One thing that is striking about the man is his will to succeed and that will work in the favour of his new employers who possess a manager itching to redeem himself – especially in his homeland.

He was in high spirits during his inaugural press conference as Forest boss. It was clear by his beaming smile that he is honoured to be managing a club with such rich history and tradition – echoing it with a glint in his eye absorbing the prestige of the club as two European Cups sat not too far from him in the City Ground.

McClaren shaking hands with Forest Chief Executive Mark Arthur

Although he has taken a step-down from the top tier leagues in Europe, the man who once played at Forest’s local rivals Derby County had no hesitation in taking the job. He will implement his ethos into the club, which he hopes will get them back in the big time.

“I had no hesitation about managing in the Championship, it’s very competitive and very well respected abroad.”  he told the on looking press.

“I could have waited, I could have taken up offers I had from abroad, but I like a challenge. I am willing to take risks, that’s why I fall flat on my face sometimes.

“Getting Nottingham Forest into the Premier League is a big and difficult challenge, but I don’t fear it. English football is the best league, the best football, the most passionate, everyone from abroad wants to play here. It’s where you want to coach, manage or play.”

It is apparent a huge lure to the football club for McClaren was the history it beholds. He will be looking to use past glories as inspiration to re-establish Forest as a competitive force.

“I walk into Forest and the boardroom and there are two replica European Cups still there and all the trophies and you see in the pictures.”

“This club is very well known in Europe. People in Germany and Europe are texting me about what a great club it is. We need to embrace what is here. You can’t forget it, that is the inspiration, that is what can be achieved.

“It’s a great feeling, especially coming here. You can smell the history and tradition of this football club. I’ve been abroad for three years. I wanted to get back into English football.”

It is a prosperous challenge for McClaren to grasp and get his teeth into. The thrill of being back in the English game with such a renowned club is an exciting prospect for the former England coach and will look to steer The Reds back into the higher echelon of the Premier League.

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News