Just as the season draws to a close I think I’ve found the secret to Fulham’s away successes. Daddy Gatesy has been to three away games this season, with the Whites winning them all. Needless to say, I’ll be forcing him to attend EVERY away fixture next season.
After doing a Liverpool and coming out of the trap like a rare gas, all guns blazing, it turns out we didn’t really have to. Perhaps it was Brede’s first goal and the early pressure, but Brum looked happy to sit back and protect their better-than-the-teams-around-them goal difference for most of the game. The win means that we’ve now amassed a single more point than we managed last season, which considering our poor start to the season gives us something to look forward to next term.
And despite scoring a brace, giving my fantasy football team a billy load of points and keeping a clean sheet when having Salcido in the back four (something which I regard as a big achievement), our Brede still didn’t manage to make it into Garf Crooks team of the weekend. Instead Deadly Leadly got the nod, possibly for actually making an appearance for once. And that Garf is a little bit biased towards Spuds.
Talking of the Spuds, they visited Liverpool in their quest to grab themselves a Europa League spot for next season. And they put themselves in pole position for it with a comfortable 2-0 win against the reds.
Afterwards ‘Arry joked:
“I scared them to death by saying if we don’t win today we are top of the Fair Play League, and we’ll be coming back in two weeks, It’s true, we are top of the Fair Play League unfortunately, and it would mean we’d be playing in June – I wondered why Fulham got about eight bookings the other night!”
We’ll have it if you don’t want it ‘Arry…
The baggies kept our hopes of finishing 7th alive by beating Everton at the Hawthorns. Youssouf Mulumbu’s seventh goal of the season was enough for Uncle Roy’s side and will probably see them finish as the top side in the Midlands.
Just as we did the other week, Wolves put three past Sunderland at their gaff. It was Mick McCarthy’s first league win up at the Stadium of Light in 20 attempts, and
While it wasn’t a happy day for the Black Cats keeper, Mignolet, managed to concede the three goals to the only shots the visitors had on target. It was a big ask for Sunderland to get anything considering that they’ve only ever won 4 Premier League games they’ve played in May.
Like when we stayed up a few years back you had a feeling it was written in the stars after a few things went our way. The comeback at Man City being the main one. I get the feeling it could be happening at the DW Stadium too. Why else would the footballing Gods allow Wigan to score a winning goal with the last kick of the game?
Last year ‘stam survived on 35 points due to the teams below them being dross, and that dressed rehearsal served them well for finishing rock bottom this season. Despite receiving text messages on Sunday morning begging me to somehow ensure Fulham took all three points off Birmingham so they could do the rest themselves. That never quite worked for them.
Some people, who grew up in the East London slum and was tormented by the ‘Ammers all through school for supporting Fulham may take this opportunity to extract revenge upon a club sinking quickly without trace. I am that kind of person.
And though you’d think they’d done enough by final whistle for us to all gather round point and laugh at them for, it’s reported the board sacked Avram Grant in the tunnel following the game and in their end of season dinner held in Monday night (why have a end of season dinner before the seasons finished and after you’ve had a nightmare one?) there was reports of ‘tired and emotional’ players kicking off. Don’t they ooze class? Though I wonder, which club with a death wish is next in line to employ Grant?
Blackpool did their chances no harm by beating Bolton by the odd goal in seven, despite trailing. Though sitting in the drop zone at the moment a win away at Old Trafford next weekend could yet see them safe.
So it’s all going down to the last day of the season then with any two from Wigan, Brum, Wolves, Blackpool and Blackburn could join ‘stam in the relegation places come 6pm on Sunday afternoon. Who do you reckons going down?
Up top Man Yoo sealed their 19th league title with a score draw at Ewood Park. It was a drab game which both teams got from it. Though Steve Kean would later that evening be less pleased with how the day had unfolded.
Also up toward the top of the table the dictionary definition of a dead rubber was contested between that lot down the road and Newcastle. It ended all square, as all good dead rubbers should, and saw the visitors score their first goals at the Bridge since summer 2001. Arsenal continued to stutter towards the end of the season (what’s the odds they buck their ideas up for Sunday?) with a loss to Villa. Darren Bent has scored seven goals in his 16 appearances since moving to the Villains and has pretty much single handily pulled them away from danger. A brace from him and some help from the ref ensured they ambled back up the M1 with all three points and a big smile.
While we were all having a laugh riot in the League this weekend Man City were busy beating Stoke in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Yaya Toure was the fourth African to score at the new stadium and helped the blues lift the cup and their first silverware in a dogs age Somehow Huth got away with a tasty off the ball elbow, but that’s Stoke all over, right? For the fact fans out there it was also the first FA Cup since 1995 to not feature a single Frenchman. Ohh-la la!
With the boys sat in 8th place, Sunday brings Arsenal to the Cottage for the final game of the season gives us a slight chance of leap frogging Everton into 7th. And I’m taking a copy of both the league and fair play tables with me – just so I can attempt to keep track of what’s happening.
