04/18/24
May 08, 2008
Wigan coach and former Man U captain Bruce vows 100% effort against former boss Ferguson.: The final games in the EPL will be played this Sunday. Chelsea and Man U are tied on points at the top of the league, with Man U holding a 17-goal advantage over Chelsea on goal difference. However, if Chelsea win, and Man U have anything less than a win against Wigan (who won the former League and European Cup honors with Man U), it will be the Blues taking the championship away from the current holders. All this, ahead of a Champions League final between Chelsea and Man U. It's all Man U's to lose. And it's happened before, exactly 40 years ago.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:18 PM - 9 comments
If this was Serie A, I might be concerned about some funny business, but I expect Wigan to give it their all.
posted by sbacharach at 04:26 PM on May 08, 2008
Wigan's last few results have made them safe. This would have been even better game had they been fighting to avoid the drop.
posted by owlhouse at 03:50 AM on May 09, 2008
Live on Sky Sports 1. What do you mean what's Sky Sports 1? My lot are struggling to avoid the drop. Even a win might not be enough. Looks like we're on our way back down to the Fizzypop League again. No one to blame but ourselves though.
posted by squealy at 06:40 AM on May 09, 2008
Every spot in the EPL table gets about 500,000 pounds prize money (2004-2006 numbers were the earliest I could find) more than the next spot below it. Wigan has some financial incentive there, if not pride and form, working in their favor, too.
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:40 AM on May 09, 2008
In Spain there has actually been a longstanding tradition of paying crappy teams with no other incentive, to win down the stretch against your rival. It is kind of a loophole, seeing as you don't pay a team to lose, but the newspapers in Spain tend to discuss it each year and debate whether it is a practice that should be cracked down upon or not.
posted by Chargdres at 10:21 AM on May 09, 2008
Just before Chelsea played Everton, a friend pointed out that the price of 10/1 being offered on them to nick the title from United seemed a bit premature. I agreed and took them for £20. As a Liverpool fan, I despise them both, but just for today "Come on, Chelsea!"
posted by JJ at 06:01 AM on May 11, 2008
Arse.
posted by JJ at 06:37 AM on May 12, 2008
I had 20 Australian on Derby to win, all up Portsmouth to win. You'd think after this season that I'd have learned my lesson. Still, having money at stake made the final day interesting. /that was a joke, Brum, Reading and Fulham fans.
posted by owlhouse at 07:19 AM on May 12, 2008
Oops. Correction: ... if Chelsea win, and Man U have anything less than a win against Wigan (who won the former League and European Cup honors with Man U) ... should read: ... if Chelsea win, and Man U have anything less than a win against Wigan (whose coach Steve Bruce won the Premier League plus domestic and Euro cup honors with Man U) ...