This season in the Premier League has perhaps been one of the most exciting ever. The title is closer than ever to being sown up by Manchester United, but the fight for Champions League places will wage until the end of the season, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Aston Villa all battling for the three remaining places.
But what is making this season so exciting is the race to avoid relegation at the bottom of the table. Teams from 11th place in the table all the way to the bottom are struggling to make sure that they have enough points to ensure playing top-flight football for another year.
The difference between the teams in the bottom half of the table is a paltry ten points, with teams scrapping every week for results. My team, Tottenham Hotspur, were tipped to challenge for a Champions League place at the beginning of the year, but we have been mired in the bottom of the table all year, and are still only in 14th place in the League.
Teams that have been in the top flight for a decade, such as Middlesborough, are currently in the relegation zone, and could see their run in the Premier League end this season, as well as Blackburn Rovers, another long-standing member of the Premier League.
Other teams that should have no danger in being relegated are in danger as well, namely Newcastle United, who have struggled mightily during the year.
Why is the difference so tight in the bottom of the table? There are two reasons. One, teams are more closely matched than ever before thanks to television revenues. In the past, teams that are promoted from the Championship have been quickly relegated, as they often did not have the players to compete with the Premier League and lacked the funding needed to buy players that could compete on this level. The teams that have been promoted this year have been better suited to compete in the Premier League — Hull City was even in 4th place as late as October in the League. Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion have also been highly competitive.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
Nah.
It was more exciting when the Big Four was a Big Six. Unfortunately the bubble burst spectacularly for Leeds United, and although my team, Newcastle, has somehow managed to avoid going into complete freefall there's no way we can even think about competing for the title again - in the foreseeable future, anyway, if not forever.
Look to Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester City to make things a bit more interesting in future seasons if they can achieve any sort of consistency. (Although I'm not holding my breath with regard to City. Note that the other two clubs have coaches they've kept faith with over many years. I can't see the Sky Blues' jumpy new foreign owners having that much patience if Hughes doesn't pull a few rabbits out of the hat fairly sharpish.) In the other direction, I'm wondering - if the rumours of Abramovich having taken a big hit in the financial crisis are true - whether Chelski might get the plug pulled on them - they could well do a Leeds if that happens.
The other point of keen interest is what will happen to Manchester United after Alex Ferguson retires - which he surely must do sometime in the next few years. The club will be hard put to find another coach who can even hope to match what he's achieved.
2 - Nickjett
Newcastle where lucky to keep a few of the premiership players when they went down, thats why it was easier than most to bounce back.
As for Leeds my club, they are on they way back up and will be competing in the prem next season, for sure!