Sometimes football is over analysed, stats heard this weekend ranged from 'Paul Robinson will be desperate to avoid conceding his 500th career goal' to 'no team has ever done the double over Liverpool and been relegated'. Well he did and Blackpool now have that badge of honour. The stat that only really matters is the ones that the league table provided us with at around 6pm yesterday.
Manchester United, they may not have been vintage this year as their 'low' points tally suggests but they were the best by a distance. Whether you believe that their low points tally is due to them not getting out of 2nd or sometimes 3rd gear, or whether you feel the league is closer, is irrelevant. United are deservedly champions and dropped only 2 points at home all season, not bad for an 'average' season.
Birmingham were relegated not because they relaxed after the cup final, not because they took their eye off the ball but they simply weren't good enough. Their bench yesterday consisted of a decent sub keeper, two full backs who have 35 appearances this season between them and an on loan striker who only ever gets cup starts and occasional league run outs for 10 minutes. The rest did not have a single league appearence between them. They simply couldn't cope with what the league threw at them.
Blackpool may look to games such as Blackburn away when they led 2-0, Man United at home where they again led 2-0 only to gain just one point in the first game and none in the latter. They may feel that they should have then defended for their lives on those occasions and tried to hold their lead. Blackpool simply wouldn't have been anywhere near safety had they not adopted the mentality and tactics they have throughout the season, so to suggest a change at times would've saved them is nonsense. They weren't good enough, defensively anyway, thats why they went down so to have sat back and invited pressure in games would have been suicide.
West Ham appointed Avram Grant, a manager who had an excellent reputation, but why did he? He took over at Chelsea, made no signings, he simply carried on with Mourinho's tactics and harnessed the anger the players felt at José's sacking. Terry, Lampard and the other senior players drove that team on, not Grant. He took over at penniless Portsmouth and got relegated comfortably and has managed the same at West Ham. Maybe now people will see his true 'talent'. The Hammers supporters also need to shoulder some blame, they feel they are a far bigger club than they are, without significant investment they won't ever be. They may point the finger at Grant, they may point the finger at the inexperienced Zola - his predecessor - but even Curbishley couldn't get them to the level the fans believe they belong.
A big reality check is needed for many, don't make excuses or lay blame at any individuals door, you simply weren't good enough,.
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