Football Orphan: The New Invincibles?
Lee Clark is well on his way to becoming a top manager.
Last weekends action saw vital wins for Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal as they are desperately trying to keep the red-hot pace at the top of the Premier League. Blackburn, Wigan and Sunderland, and Fulham all threading water at the other end, picked up heartening points also. None of the above even came even close to the relief, delight and deserved celebration of Huddersfield Town as they beat Notts County 2-1 to surpass Nottingham Forest’s 42 game unbeaten run. The record remained untouched until the 2004 as “Arsenal Invincibles” claimed it for themselves, until they were toppled at the 49 game mark by bitter rivals Manchester United.
Ironically the man who stopped Forest’s unbeaten charge was the man currently assisting Huddersfield manager Lee Clark, Terry McDermott. Liverpool overcame Brian Clough’s men 2-0 at Anfield. Given that the Lee Clark’s team’s exceptional 43 game unbeaten run stretches over two seasons, taking in the bitter disappointment of play off heart-break is phenomenal. Manager Lee Clark who himself had two spells at hometown club Newcastle United where he worked under the tutelage of assistant McDermott, has produced a squad of players the envy of all of League 1 and most of the Championship.
Players such as Jordan Rhodes who gained his first international cap for Scotland last week has had scouts clambering over each other for a peek. Rhodes currently on a white-hot goal scoring streak for club and country, is certainly capable of mixing it at a higher level. The question is, who will be first to show their hand with an offer? It’s only a matter of time before the sharks start circling the water for the Huddersfield manager as the “Sack race” has yet to really gain any momentum. I hope for the sake of this small South Yorkshire club, who once won the old First Division title three times in a row, they can hold onto their prized assets for long enough succeed in promotion this season where they failed last campaign.
Football Orphan: Newcastle cut down Forest with last gasp winner.
Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
Newcastle United have never been a club to allow their supporters to sit comfortably for long. This was again the case last night at the City Ground as The Magpies eliminated Nottingham Forest from the Carling Cup, and heaped even more misery on to former England boss Steve McClaren. In a game that absolutely rained goals it was Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini who dramatically snatched a 4-3 victory for the Geordies in the 12oth minute of the game. Forest had equalised three times before the killer blow came, with virtually the last kick of the game. The result leaves McClaren’s team flailing in the bottom three of the Championship, after a disastrous loss to bitter rivals Derby County at the weekend. They have now been painfully dumped out of the League Cup in a season that had been originally filled with so much hope and expectation. The former England head coach will surely be his usual bullet proof self, and claim his team showed character, giving everything for the cause. There is little doubt in my mind that this is a sinking ship, with time fast approaching for McClaren to protect in his mind Nottingham Forest’s most “important” asset, himself.
Having been ordained “The Wally with the Brolly” while on England duty, McClaren went on to huge success in the Netherlands with Fc Twente before another low in his career with an ill-fated spell at Wolfsburg. It’s at Forest where he seems to have fit back into his calamitous ways again. It was reported that the Forest boss had walked out of the job he has only occupied for a few months just two weeks ago, due to a petty power struggle, which he feels his hands are tied when trying to run the club. One can only have guessed that these terms had been agreed upon when all of the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed as “The king of smug” swept through the City Ground for the obligatory press call, while unveiling of “The man who would lead Nottingham Forrest back to the promised land”.
It will be an interesting time ahead for the former Manchester United assistant. As is usually the case for McClaren, he allows no criticism to stick to him. He avoids tricky confrontation with well punctuated responses, as he deflects blame with the old “Group failure” mantra. With news filtering through that his old side Fc Twente are showing increasing interest is his services once again, it can only be a matter of time before he washes his hands of the great club that Brian Clough once lead to back to back European Cups. There is no doubt that ultimately McClaren will lay accountability at someone elses door, the single quality that prevails at every club the hapless coach has turned up is his ability to spin a situation so he surfaces without blame.
Football Orphan: Swans wing their way to Play off final at Wembley.
Stephen Dobbie celebrates Swansea's second goal at the Liberty stadium
Nottingham Forest suffered more play off heartache as they crashed out at the semi final stage for the fourth time in eight years. The midlands club eventually going down 3-1 on aggregate. Swanseagot off to a flyer going two nil up before half time as they continued their upward spiral towards the promised land. The Welsh club have played some of the division’s most aesthetically pleasing football and wouldn’t look out-of-place among some of the top flight elite.The Swans didn’t have it all their own way. Forest struck the woodwork on three occasions with Robert Earnshaw finally finding the back of the net only two minutes after having vacated the bench. The play offs are never far from drama and last night was no different. With only seconds left on the clock, Forest had been pushing for an equalizer the ball broke for Darren Pratley at the edge of his own box. With Forest keeper Lee Camp stranded in the Swansea half, Pratley expertly curved a superb pass into the Forest net from the half way line. Swansea can now look forward to a trip to Wembley and will now play the winner between Reading and Cardiff played later tonight.
Forest manager Billy Davies was his usual articulate self post match. The Scot was philosophical in defeat. To beaten at the same stage of the season two years running while operating the club with one hand behind his back must be heartbreaking. Forest must do everything in their power to back him, and try to make him stay. If they don’t retain his services for next season, all of the good work will be undone, and they could be looking at the wrong end of the table whilst trying to shake off a play off hangover.
Football Orphan: No last day drama in Championship finale.
Alejandro Faurlin collected what will easily be remembered as his most memorable winners medal today.
All the loose ends of The Championship were tied up today with only minor sub-plots to be resolved. The day began with the breaking news that the FA will not enforce a points deduction against QPR. Cue spectacular celebrations in West London. With automatic promotion and relegation confirmed it was only the final jostle for play off places to be settled. Reading, Cardiff and Swansea were booked and only the final standings to be confirmed.
Only a heavy defeat for Nottingham Forest coupled with a big win in Loftus Road for Leeds against QPR would have seen Forest ousted from the final play off place. It wasn’t to be as Forest lead Crystal Palace on a merry dance around Selhurst Park. Leeds caught QPR in party mode, beating them 2-1 and finishing a superb season which realistic fans would have snapped you hand off for at the start of the season.
Now that the regular season has drawn to a close, some fans will feel disappointment, while others breathe a sigh of relief. It will most likely be the supporters of the clubs of which out did all expectation who will be eager to get next season started. Personally I fall into the “sigh of relief” category. I for one will enjoy the off-season a little more than usual having watched my team struggle against relegation two seasons in a row. Surviving both times. Only just.
It’s time to sit back and watch as other supporters ease closer to cardiac arrest while Premier League and Champions League accelerates to a climax, but before that, the play offs kick off on Thursday. So pens out and diaries at the ready, Manchester United Vs Chelsea tomorrow, Thursday and Friday evening see play off semi final first legs begin, while Saturday is the FA Cup final at Wembley. Check the listings for other EPL games (of which there are many) which suit your preference. Is it any wonder that they give us a few weeks off to recover in the summer?
Football Orphan: Top teams fight to the finish, while trap door edges closer for northern clubs in Championship.
Easter Monday saw supporters of teams in the Championship whipped into a frenzied euphoria, or plunged into the depths of despair, and the campaign still has two games to go. QPR were pegged back to 1-1 by Hull City late on, but were still seconds from confirming promotion to the Premier League until Norwich got a winner six minutes into added on time to keep automatic promotion alive. Cardiff did their bit as they beat Preston North End to still have shout of that coveted automatic spot.
Some think they'll never get in, while other's can't wait to get out.
Nottingham Forest had a fantastic 3-2 away win at Bristol City to almost secure the last play-off place. Leeds suffered a near fatal blow to their play off chances, as they continued their end of season jitters, when they lost away from home to Crystal Palace. Swansea all but secured a playoff place cruising to a four-one victory over Ipswich Town.
Reading will have to settle for the play-offs as their fine form took an unbelievable u-turn when they let a two goal lead slip at home to Sheffield United, and have all but seen a direct route to the Premier League snuffed out. Sheffield United went on to win 3-2 at the Madejski Stadium. This is the kind of spirit that could have seen the Blades avoid relegation. The twist in the tale was that a Crystal Palace win against Leeds leaves them six points adrift of Palace and Doncaster, with a far inferior goal difference and almost certainly relegated. Scunthorpe who lost at home to play off chasing Millwall now find themselves in the same impossible situation, as time looks to have finally run out on survival hopes. That impressive away win leaves play-off chasing Millwall two points behind an in-form Forest. Truth be told, over a long 46 game league programme, there’s never a dull moment in this division.
Football Orphan: Lambert looks to guide Canaries through the Forest.
As we watch a thrilling season finale explode to an epic conclusion, this weekend promises to be an exceptional stepping stone on the way. We can look forward to Fa Cup semi finals, vital Premier league games and the main event, the Spanish Classico on Saturday evening.
It all starts with a bang with Championship promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest against Norwich City at Carrow Road tonight. It wasn’t that long ago that both of these Championship giants were plying their trade in League 1. Both made the step up to Championship football with relative ease. Forest missed out narrowly on a double promotion last season while Norwich are aiming to go one better this year with a consecutive promotion of their own.
QPR look odds on favourites to make a return to the top flight in top spot, but the second automatic place is wide open with Swansea, Cardiff City, Leeds and Reading along with tonight’s two teams also vying for a Premier League birth. This evening’s match promises to be the perfect kick off for the weekend’s action, as defeat will severely damage both sides’ end of season prospects. Nothing less than a win will do for both clubs.
Norwich have had an exceptional season under former Scottish international Paul Lambert. The ex-Wycombe Wanderers manager took over from Brian Gunn and guided the Canaries back to the championship at the first attempt. Forest on the other hand had multiple attempts to make the return. Once they secured their status in the second tier, an almost instant return to the Premier League was almost achieved, only falling to eventual winners Blackpool at the semi final stage of the play offs.
With all the loose ends of the Champions League quarter finals all tied up, it must feel like a million years since their own respective European exploits were in full flow. Trevor Francis header against Malmo for Forest, or the Jeremy Goss screamer when Norwich beat Bayern Munich in Germany. Like the old proverb goes, “The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step”.
Football Orphan 