As the curtains sweep aside the dust of yet another eventful English Premier League season, along with it go the familiar faces of the now relegated.

Blackpool

Some things are just not meant to be. The Tangerines have undoubtedly been one of the most entertaining sides of the 2010-2011 season, scoring 55 goals, equal to 5th placed Tottenham. Unfortunately a strong attack needs a stronger defence, which Ian Holloway, much like Arsene Wenger, has been forced to accept with much regret.

Blackpool weren’t given the most comfortable of hands having to face the league title winners Manchester United for their last attempt at top-flight survival. Blackpool expectantly came out of the gates steaming with two great chances to rescue their Premier League campaign and it’s no surprise that both were delivered by Charlie Adam. Keith Southern fired wide within the first 30 seconds and only minutes later saw Gary Taylor-Fletcher miss a toenail touch which surely would have gained them a great start.

(more…)

Some fans have an abundance to chant about, others are simply content with the progress their teams have made and then there are the unfortunate fans. The one’s who will be watching their football on the ‘extra’ channels next season. The one’s who’ll be wearing jackets over their replica strip, avoiding heated debates and group banter in fear of being ridiculed for their now subdued support.

As the English Premier League season reaches 2 games till end and all the focus is on the top of the league table and what has looked like the position changing of a MotoGP, I thought I’d pay some attention to the table’s ‘Red Zone’. The last men standing.

Blackpool

Every season it seems that there is one team who climbs up out of the Championship gravel pit and comes slashing their way through the Premiership with immense vigor and bloodthirsty determination. Every season, that respective team also seems to come up a little short when the pressure of the league intensifies.

(more…)

Ex-South Africa striker Benni McCarthy has been fined £200 000.00 for failing to reach fitness targets again by his English Premier League club West Ham United.

McCarthy was deemed too large for a Premier League player, especially for a club fighting relegation, and was ordered to work on his fitness. Failure to meet his target would result in hefty financial penalties.

The former SA national team player did meet his target but was left out of the 25-man West Ham squad for the second half of the season.

Hammers boss Avram Grant believes the weight loss has slowed the striker. “He reached the targets but I think that affected his movement,” said Grant.

“He’s a very good player and one of the best finishers in training that I have ever seen, and I have had some good players. But now we need players with movement and the advantage of being quick, and we have others.”

(more…)

Former Bafana (South African) striker Benni McCarthy ia at war with West Ham United.

The 33-year-old striker has been left out of the Hammers 25-man squad for the rest of the Premier League season, meaning he is only free to play in FA Cup matches.

Furthermore, the struggling East London club has attempted to offer McCarthy a £1 million pay-off to voluntarily end his contract with the club.

But McCarthy, who stands to earn more than £2.7 million if he sees out the remaining 18-months of his Hammers contract, has rejected the club’s offer.

Benni’s Hammers tenure has been an abject failure. He has been cursed with fitness problems, and was lambasted by the club for being overweight.

(more…)

West Ham United smashed League Cup holders Manchester United 4 – 0 at Upton Park last night with Old Trafford reject Jonathan Spector scoring twice in snowy conditions.

With the crowd scarcely believing their eyes, striker Carlton Cole added two second half goals as the Premier League’s bottom team blew away United’s 29-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Arsenal overcame Wigan Athletic 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the other all-Premier League quarterfinal clash on a freezing night in the capital.

Birmingham City host top flight rivals Aston Villa, last season’s losing finalists, in a Midlands derby on Wednesday when Roy Keane’s struggling Championship (second division) side Ipswich Town are at home to West Bromwich Albion.

(more…)

The English Premier League club West Ham United have fired their manager Gianfranco Zola.

Zola was widely expected to leave Upton Park following a turbulent campaign which saw the club’s co-owner David Sullivan strongly criticise the Italian and his players following a series of disappointing results.

Former Chelsea star Zola just managed to keep his side in the top-flight, but they finished only one place above the relegation zone and he has paid the price for his faltering relationship with the club’s owners.

(more…)

Manchester City climbed back on the winning path on Monday with a 3 – 1 win against West Ham United thanks to a double from Carlos Tevez against his old team.

Tevez, whose goals helped West Ham avoid relegation in 2007 before he moved to Manchester United, scored after five and 61 minutes as City completed a deserved win.

Monday’s result rounded off an entertaining weekend of Premier League action with the 10 matches producing 37 goals.

Manchester United, 2-0 winners at Stoke City, top the table on 18 points, ahead on goal difference of Chelsea, who dropped points for the first time this season when they lost 3-1 at Wigan Athletic.

City’s win took them to 15 points, alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who had thumping victories over Burnley and Hull City respectively. Arsenal and Aston Villa have 12.

West Ham remained third-last with four points from six games.

(more…)