<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-86704" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20090525_CMS_7831_championship-600x450_b89100f1.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=450" alt="championship" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/10/championship-600x450.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/10/championship-150x112.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/10/championship-300x225.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/10/championship.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure>
The weekend promised excitement, drama and last-minute heartache with several sides still fighting for survival at the season’s very end. Sunderland, Hull, Newcastle and Middlesbrough were all on the edge of the cliff. Some already hanging off the side. Others teetering on the brink. In the end, four losses would keep all sides in their places. Newcastle and Middlesbrough join West Brom in relegation to the Championship. Sunderland and Hull survive by the slimmest of margins.
Hull City: Early Form Rewarded
Hull’s explosive first half of the season (2o points from their first nine matches) was rewarded yesterday despite a 1-0 loss to Manchester United. The results of Newcastle and Middlesbrough allowed Hull supporters to forgive Phil Brown and Co. for the disastrous spell that eventually displaced their early good form. Hull only <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/8066370.stm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> one of their last 22 matches.
The Tigers defied expecation at the start of their campaign, recording wins against Fulham, Newcastle, Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and West Brom all before the end of October. They dazzled further in November when they scored three goals at Old Trafford. They still lost to hosts Manchester United, but after being 4-1 down at the half, scoring two more goals against the Champs and bringing a point within view, showed the true grit of Hull City.
A lengthy slump aside, Hull deserved to stay up after their fierce start to the season. Now the question is: can they find that form again next year?
Death By Own Goal
One devastating moment from yesterday’s <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/103308/Villa-send-limp-Newcastle-down-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">match</a> at Villa Park sums up Newcastle United’s season. Villa’s Gareth Barry took a speculative shot from distance, firing the ball into traffic. United’s Damien Duff stood his ground, but was crushed when the ball ricochetted off his shin and careened into the net.
1-0 was the final score. And since other results meant Newcastle only needed a draw to survive, that one moment encapsulates the pain and frustration forced upon supporters as Newcastle’s latest campaign comes to an ugly close.
The Magpies will go down after 16 years in the top flight. Though they’ve had their rough patches, Newcastle always seemed to climb out of trouble and endure. But too many managerial changes and not investing enough in defense led to the fall.
Shearer should not be criticized. If he’d had more time to work out a system with the players (and if he’d had the brilliant goalkeeping of Shay Given at his disposal), it might have been a different outcome.
Duff, gutted from yesterdays events, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/8067061.stm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vows</a> to stay with Newcastle and fight for their promotion next season. Newcastle faithful wait to hear what Shearer’s plans are.
Gareth Southgate’s Nightmare
Middlesbrough have had their troubles since their last promotion to the top flight in 1998. We smirk when we think of 2006, when a fan stormed the pitch and threw his season ticket at Steve McClaren in frustration. But despite various problems, Boro spent the last ten years making themselves a Premier League mainstay. They usually finished mid-table, but even when they dipped lower, they secured enough points to keep from sweating over the drop.
But this season the problems became insurmountable. Former Boro hitman, John Hendrie <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11680_5347611,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blames</a> poor transfer window moves and lack of firepower. Boro were the lowest scoring side in the league. Whatever the root cause, Boro simply could not climb out of the ditch they dug themselves.
But Gareth Southgate is expected to stay on as manager and despite the fear of losing some big players, Middlesbrough should have a good enough chance at returning to the top flight.
Sunderland Survive
The Blackcats put their old yo-yoing ways behind them as they prepare to enjoy a third consecutive season in the Premier League. Despite their survival, manager Ricky Sbragia stepped down after Sunderland’s loss to Chelsea. Read more <a href="http://epltalk.com/sbragia-quits-breaking-news/7758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Sbragia took over the post when Roy Keane left in December.
Sunderland <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUKTRE54O37Z20090525?rpc=401&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> today they will not be signing 27-year-old striker Djibril Cisse who spend the season on loan from Marseille. It will be intersting to see who Sunderland bring in to manage and play for the next season.
With Boro and Newcastle relegated, Sunderland will be the only side from the north east in the Premier League.
Conclusion
The season was very tight for a long time with many upsets and surprises. It took a while for the European hopefuls to pull away from the relegation zone denizens. Unlike last year, when Derby County clinched relegation early, this season’s bottom teams had their chances going into the final weekends. It is sad to see two mainstays go down, but that’s part of the life-cycle of the Premier League. Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley will come up to try and stake their claim on top flight football. Newcastle, Boro and others will fight in the Championship for a fresh chance to rise.
The rest of us will spend the summer scouring transfer rumors and analyzing friendlies and internationals while we wait for the league action to start anew.

The Premier League Relegation Battle: Life And Death At The Bottom

The Premier League Relegation Battle: Life And Death At The Bottom - World Soccer Talk

<div style="width: 470px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Ricky Sbragia has left his post as manager of Sunderland.</div>
It has been announced after Sunderland’s home defeat to Chelsea, Ricky Sbragia has stepped down -despite avoiding relegation.
Sbragia initially took over at the Stadium Of Light in December as caretaker manager in the wake of Roy Keane’s departure. Following a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, Sbragia went on to take&nbsp;seven points from the next three games – sticking four goals past West Brom and Hull respectively. After pressure from his players and fans alike Sbragia was appointed manager of Sunderland on an 18 month contract. Sunderland were promptly beaten 3-0 by Everton in his first game as manager.
Since his full time appointment, Sunderland have mustered a poor 14 points&nbsp;from 19 games – which is what led the club to fighting for their lives on the final day. I always felt that Sbragia was reluctant to take the job and appeared to have been pressured into it. During his caretaker spell he was always very coy about taking the job on full time and this was demonstrated in his post-match interiew after the victory at Hull. While providing his post-match&nbsp;reaction for&nbsp;British televeision one of his players is clearly heard shouting:&nbsp;‘give him the job’ – the Scot not only looked embarrassed, he looked uneasy. However, that could merely be my interpretation of events.
Todays announcement following the match came as no real surprise to me, and one assumes that the board if not the players were fully aware this was to be the former defender’s last game at the helm. Rumours of a full-take over by&nbsp;American investor Ellis Short have been&nbsp;rife over the last 24 hours and that the Short wanted his own man in charge.&nbsp;With that in mind&nbsp;a thought creeps in that maybe Sbragia&nbsp;didn’t jump, he was pushed –&nbsp; a&nbsp;day before his 53rd birthday.
The next seven days could big ones on Wierside as we await clarification as to how accurate the rumours of Short’s buyout of the club are. Once we have an idea of the shape of things at boardroom level at the club we might be able to profile the kind of man likley to take up reigns at the Stadium Of Light. That being said, there might be a new man in charge within the next few days anyhow.
Martin Jol and Steve Mclaren are already being linked to the Black Cats job but you would feel that Mclaren would be a somewhat unpopular choice. I have a strange feeling in my stomach&nbsp;(hopefully it isn’t something&nbsp;I have eaten!)&nbsp;that if the buyout rumours are true,&nbsp;even&nbsp;Niall Quinn may be a candidate for&nbsp;the job – particularly if Short wants someone he knows and trusts in charge.
As I update this post, Sbragia has since been quoted as saying the following:
“I spoke with chairman Niall Quinn this week and I think we need a bigger name to carry the club further. I’ve done everything I came to, I’ve kept the club in the Premier League. I would like to have done it better but I’m pleased we stayed up.”
&nbsp;The club have also released their own statement in the last hour, to read it&nbsp;please click here: <a href="http:\/\/www.safc.com/news/sunderland-afc-statement.html">http:\/\/www.safc.com/news/sunderland-afc-statement.html</a>

Sbragia QUITS - Breaking News - World Soccer Talk

Sbragia QUITS – Breaking News

<div style="width: 460px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Who will feel the effect most if they relegated to the Championship?</div>
With West Bromwich Albion’s fate sealed last week we can&nbsp;now prepare ourselves for a dramatic conclusion to the Premier League season on Sunday.&nbsp;The neutral (including yours truly)&nbsp;will relish it and will want to see as many twists and turns as possible. Anyone supporters&nbsp;involved will have struggled to sleep for a week.
We all have our own predictions as to who will go down and what the&nbsp;sequence of results to will be. What I wondered is what effect will relegation have on the clubs involved.
West Bromwich Albion – 31 points (already relegated)
Even the most&nbsp;biased of Baggies supporters could not have been surprised about the clubs fate this season. However there seems relatively little for the Hawthorns club to worry about. Brom perenially spend within their limits upon promotion and Tony Mowbray has followed similiar traits. Signings that broke the&nbsp;£1 Million mark included:&nbsp;Scott Carson (£3.5 million), Marek Cech (£1.4 million) ,Luke moore (£3 million), Zuiverloon (3.2 million) , Valero (4.7 million), Aboulaye&nbsp;Meitie (£2 million) and Roman bednar at &nbsp;£2.3 million.
Not taking into account players that left that Hawthorns, the Throstles have forked out around £20 million. No doubt&nbsp;a&nbsp; few of the above will leave to recoup some of this. It is also&nbsp;likely that some contracts will include a drop&nbsp;in wages upon relegation ,West Brom should be relatively comfortble providing they spend their parachute monies wisely next season and offload a few big-earners.
Middlesbrough – 32 points 
Although ‘Boro are technically £85 million in debt,&nbsp;the&nbsp;vast majority is&nbsp;owed to chairman Steve Gibson – which is the equivalent of owing your Dad 200 quid. Conisdering Gibson’s patience with Gareth Southgate it seems highly unlikey he will let the club suffer. However should ‘Boro&nbsp;suffer the drop (and it seems likely they will) they will have to get wheeling and dealing quickly. One of the first names out of the door will be Alfonso&nbsp;Alves, who&nbsp;was signed for a fee rumoured to be&nbsp;£12.7 million and one shudders to think what kind of wages the Brazillian is on at the Riverside. After breaking his foot against in the relegation six-pointer against Newcastle and a poor goals return for the club, ‘Boro may have to brace themselves for a big financial loss. The other big name out of the door, and the one Middlesbrough will miss most from an on-field perspective is Stewart Downing. A host of clubs will have relished the prospect of Boro’s demise in order to&nbsp;sign Downing&nbsp;and it is thought that Spurs will lead the chase after keeping tabs on the winger for considerable time. Boro will be hoping for auction fever&nbsp;from rival clubs&nbsp;in order to raise as much cash as possible. It will come as no surprise that Tuncay and&nbsp;David Wheater will also raise the&nbsp;eyebrow for a host of&nbsp;clubs, with Robert Huth also likely to be the subject of some interest.
Should Middlesborough fail to survive,&nbsp;the winds of change are likely to blow through this cold part of the country including&nbsp;the possibility of a&nbsp;new&nbsp;manager.&nbsp; With numerous players likely to leave&nbsp;and taking into account the squads lack of experience,&nbsp;‘Boro&nbsp;may well have to be happy with a season of stability next season rather than a promotion charge.
Newcastle – 34 Points
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. There may have been talks of a conspiracy theory in regard to the strength of Manchester United’s team selection at Hull. But based on perfomances alone, Newcastle are where they deserve to be. If Newcastle are relegated we will witness a real exodus from St James Park, which in turn demonstrates the extent of the problems the Magpies will face. The list of players likely to leave include: Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obamfemi Martins, Damien Duff, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Jose Enrique, Geremi,&nbsp;Gutierrez and possibly Steven Taylor. If things continue in the trational ways of the Tyneside soap-opera then you wouldn’t rule out yet further changes at either boardroom or management level. Chairman&nbsp;Mike Ashley has been ostracised from the club before and if he cannot either&nbsp;persuade Shearer to take the job permanently and/or the Toon don’t get off to a flyer in the championship he knows showing his face in the Sir John Hall stand would be a tad unwise.
Newcastle will have to do their best to wheel and deal as early as possible in order to get the new&nbsp;players to gel as a unit early in the forthcoming season. The first thing they need to do is oust Joe Kinnear from his role, he isn’t physically fit to do job, and if the club are indeed relegated the job starts the minute the final whistle is sounded on Sunday. Although sacking managers isn’t a sign of stability, do any of us genuinely think that Kinnear would stay in the job until the end of next season – fit or not? With expectations and pressure form the fans likley to be huge and the club not in the best of health financially, relegation would hit United very, very hard.
Hull City –&nbsp;35 Points
And to think the start Hull City had. The Tigers are clawing on&nbsp;for dear life in the Premier League and require one last roar this Sunday to ensure survival. Hull are likely to face a considerably weakened Manchester United team on Sunday which may give them half a chance of stealing a point. Whether any of that will come to fruition is another matter. Should Hull find themselves with an instant return to the Championship you would feel that financially the club will not suffer to the degree some of their rivals will. City were desperately unlucky to lose Jimmy Bullard so quickly after his £5 million move from Fulham and could find him leaving the club sooner rather than later at a cut-price fee.&nbsp; Bernard Mendy and Andy Dawson&nbsp;will also&nbsp;have attracted some attention, Giovvani’s early season exploits may tempt a rival club into a gamble. Hull however – are sound financially, have a good boardroom and a good manager in Phil Brown. Providing they can keep the nucleus of the squad together City should be&nbsp;stable and will look to try and bounce back at the first attempt.
Sunderland – 36&nbsp; Points
The fans and players alike pleaded for the board to give Ricky Sbragia the managers job on a permanent basis, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ now springs to mind. Should Sunderland fail to beat Chelsea in Guus Hiddink’s last league game in charge, the Mackems may need another black cat in the dressing room for luck. The club would appear financially sound given the money they have spent in the last few seasons however I would still expect a few to leave. Sunderland shouldn’t really be in this trouble given what they have spent over the last couple of seasons. If the club are confined to the Championship, it is likely they will look to offload the wages of Steed Malbranque and Craig Gordon. I cannot see Kenwyne Jones staying at the Stadium of Light, particularly with Tottenham knocking on Niall Quinn’s door. Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand will attract offers and no doubt the pair pick up a fair size wage packet each too. This being said, Ellis short is now linked to a buy out of the club followed by a change of manager and a £200 million transfer kitty – if Sunderland stay up and we are to beleive the tabloids.

Who Will Relegation Hit The Hardest? - World Soccer Talk

Who Will Relegation Hit The Hardest?

<div style="width: 369px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Ready For Sunday then?</div>
So, how’s your nerves? Sky Sports News have today been running an article about stress relief for fans for Sunday. Tips included having a hot bath, avoiding alcohol and meditating to stay relaxed in the build up to the final round of matches in the Premiership. Which will be no help to any of the fans who’s nerves are probably already shredded about Sunday. For the first time in the UK, we’re going to have 4 games broadcasted from the Premiership simultaneously with streams coming in from Hull, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham, which worries me about the potential for an RSI based injury.
The trapdoor to the Championship is wide open, beckoning 2 teams to join West Bromwich Albion in relegation despair. Poor WBA, such lovely football, but no cutting edge, what they’d give for a 15 goal a season striker, it would have made all the difference to such a good football side as daft as that sounds.&nbsp; At 6pm, we will know which of the four candidates will have joined them, with each team’s destiny entirely in their own hands, but for Middlesbrough, it just looks too big a job.
Turning around a 5 goal deficit on Hull City, couple with a Newcastle defeat, is the Boro’s only hope. It’s not impossible to imagine Manchester United putting 3 past Hull, but to win 2-0 at West Ham? That’s a tough ask for most sides, but is it impossible to achieve? Come the last day, nothing would surprise me anymore. Can a team who’ve only scored 27 goals get at least 2 away from home and hope that results in two other games go their way?
Most eyes are going to be on the K>C Stadium, to see exactly which team Ferguson sends out to face Hull City. I’m annoyed by the accusations of a “weakened” Manchester United side taking the field, a side that will probably feature Neville, Ferdinand, Nani, Fletcher,Giggs and Tevez. Disgraceful isn’t it to pick such inexperienced players as those. It’s a side track issue that shouldn’t be even a discussion point; all of those players would walk into every other side outside the top 4 without question.
Newcastle need to worry about themselves at Villa Park, if they don’t win then it could possibly not matter. They have to win and hope for the best, but it’s a massive ask of a team that has only won 2 games this year. Defenders are dropping like flies, Owen isn’t fit, Andy Carroll is definitely out and a couple of youth team players may be on the bench. It all looks hopeless, yet I can’t condemn them fully, something just won’t allow me to say they’re down. It looks impossible but with all of the potential relegation sides in such poor form, it’s too close to call.
Finally, Sunderland, who have just drifted into this situation from seemingly nowhere. Keane walked out when he was rightly questioned over his signings by the majority investor, Ellis Short, over just what value for money they were getting. When someone pays £6 million for Teemu Tainio, you’ve got to ask questions haven’t you? Of all the sides at the bottom, they’ve spent the most, yet got worse so have the most to lose in my opinion, by being relegated some Sunday.
I’m going to be here all the way through on Sunday, so if you can’t get to watch any of the games, hopefully you’ll join us here on epltalk.com, and I’ll try to keep pace with events for us all. Let’s hope we’ve we have a fantastic last day and may the best teams stay up!
EDITOR’S NOTE: <a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/live-blog-premier-league-final-day/7671" target="_blank">Join the live blog</a> on Sunday at 10:45am ET/3:45pm BST for the Premier League finale hosted by Paul Bestall. Celebrate the final day of the relegation battle with one eye on the television set, and the other eye on your computer as you participate in the online experience with football fans from around the world.

Premiership Final Day Preview - World Soccer Talk

Premiership Final Day Preview

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Is Roy Keane smirking right now? Is he rolling his eyes? Both?
For two years Sunderland was Roy Keane’s <a href="http:\/\/www.sportingo.com/football/a7771_roy-keanes-fire-can-salvage-sunderlands-season" target="_blank">baby</a>. He took the struggling side, nurtured it back to health and delivered it from the relegation zone of the Championship and back to the top flight. In every transfer window he made moves to improve the squad. Once back at the top, the goal was to dig Sunderland’s feet in and avoid the old yo-yo effect. Stay up. Stay up.
And while they only finished three points from the drop zone, Sunderland didn’t look in danger at the end of 2007/08 and 39 points was an amazing feat compared to their last Premier League finish: 15 points and 20th spot in 2006.
The season began as expected with a balance of wins, draws and losses and Sunderland enjoyed reaching as high as sixth in the League table. But six losses in seven matches led to Keane’s departure. Intense pressure from the board in light of the bad results was too much for Mr Keane. He <a href="http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/sunderland/article5285753.ece" target="_blank">resigned</a> in early December. Directly before a trip to Old Trafford to face his old club.
Now, I recognize it was Keane’s decision to leave, but doesn’t it seem painfully obvious that the board could have found a more constructive way to work through Sunderland’s problems? Unrelenting pressure at this level is inevitable, especially when the threat of relegation comes into the equation. But boards are too quick to come down on the manager rather than work with him through a rut. It is a foreign concept for boards to think, We’ve got the same goals, let’s fight through this together.
And while Roy Keane may not have been ready for the pressure of leading a struggling premiership side, this would have been an ideal time for Sunderland’s powers-that-be to show their support for the man’s learning process. One six-loss rut in the larger picture of all that Keane had done for Sunderland seems workable. Sure, if the results are not turned around in January, questions need to be asked and a sacking or a resignation may well be in order.
But clearly, Sunderland have gained nothing by letting Roy Keane go.
Interim manager Ricky Sbragia hasn’t turned Sunderland’s results around and now, unless they defeat Chelsea this weekend, their fate will rely on the outcomes of other matches. Newcastle at Villa and Hull hosting Manchester United.
Hull, who scored three goals on United at Old Trafford will put up a fight, and Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to rest his best for the upcoming Champions League final, having won the league already.
Newcastle have a mammoth task playing Villa away, especially with defender Sebastien Bassong suspended. But there’s nothing like facing relegation to inspire a side to glory.
Sunderland will be praying one of the two drop points. But there are no restfull nights in the Blackcats’ week ahead. And even if they survive, the fact that they are in this position in the last weekend is proof enough Keane’s departure didn’t do the club any favors.
Meanwhile, Roy Keane is probably pouring over the scouting reports, plotting his summer moves for Ipswich Town.
“I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side,” <a href="http:\/\/www.channel4.com/news/articles/sports/keane+appointed+ipswich+manager/3105572" target="_blank">said</a> Keane when appointed. If he returns to the top flight with Ipswich, prehaps he’ll be ready for the next bout of pressure. A good manager learns from past tribulations. Even if boards can’t.

Without Keane, Sunderland Flirt With Relegation - World Soccer Talk

Without Keane, Sunderland Flirt With Relegation

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When the fixture list was released back in June 2008, no doubt the fans of both Newcastle and Middlesbrough hadn’t a thought that they’d be facing a six pointer to try and save their Premiership survival with today’s clash.&nbsp; Yet here they are, staring down the barrel of relegation with West Bromich coming up close behind and it would seem a choice between any three from 5 clubs.
Defeat tonight for either side could condemn them to relegation with the only hope of Sunderland and Hull City’s continual free fall to even give them a glimmer of hope for staying up. Hull City, West Brom and Sunderland will be hoping for a draw, both the Boro and the Magpies will be desperate for a win. <a href="http:\/\/www.premierleague.com/page/FormGuide" target="_blank">The form book shows that between them, they’ve gathered 6 points between them in their last 6 games, 4 for Boro and 2 for Newcastle.</a> In a nutshell, both sides are showing relegation form and a win for either side seems a bridge too far.
A draw would seem to be the obvious result, but wouldn’t benefit either side. Newcastle’s remaining games are against Fulham, chasing European competition, at home and then an away trip to another side in dreadful form, Aston Villa. Middlesbrough have Aston Villa at home, then travel to West Ham United who have hit a blip at the wrong time both on and off the field.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090511_WST_7123_BoroBanner.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=333" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div>
Honestly though, if I had to hang my hat on either side getting anything tonight, you’d have to fancy Middlesbrough. Sure they’ve been bad this season, but they’ve had a fair run of bad luck and haven’t really got the results that some of their performances deserved. Newcastle have been simply awful all season, a side bereft of fight, tactics and performances and don’t look like they’d be able to beat an egg at the moment. If Newcastle go down, they’ll not return to the Premiership for a long time, Boro at least have some assets that they can cash in on to try and regenerate the side for a promotion push. Let’s not forget that Newcastle United do not have any player on a contract reduction clause and their biggest playing assets are all out of contract in the Summer. Leeds United part two beckons for the Geordies if they fall through the trap door.
This is clearly the biggest Tyne-Tees derby in almost 20 years, but financially, this is the biggest derby in both clubs history. The pressure and the fear that the league table shows the players every time they see it will be playing on every single players nerves, making sick to the pit of their stomach. Those kind of nerves can destroy even the best of players.&nbsp; Newcastle United players will be hoping the club haven’t given them any free flags, after the curse of the flags in last weeks Champions League Semi-Finals.
The Geordie and Boro fans are both sounding downbeat about their chances of winning tonight, though thankfully certain Newcastle fans who keep claiming the Premier League needs Newcastle United in it seem to have got quieter and quieter as the realisation of reality has finally sunk in. Both sides are full of overpaid, under performing players, but maybe tonight someone can finally give their long suffering fans some value for money probably in a red shirt.

A Game Neither Newcastle United Or Middlesbrough Can Afford To Lose - World Soccer Talk

A Game Neither Newcastle United Or Middlesbrough Can Afford To Lose

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The Premier League Relegation Battle: Life And Death At The Bottom

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Sbragia QUITS – Breaking News

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Who Will Relegation Hit The Hardest?

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Premiership Final Day Preview

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Without Keane, Sunderland Flirt With Relegation

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A Game Neither Newcastle United Or Middlesbrough Can Afford To Lose