Premier League
Final table
SURVIVAL Sunday lived up to its SkySports-hyped billing for once as the Premier League relegation battle went right to the wire.
In the end, Carling Cup winners Birmingham City and, perhaps inevitably, Blackpool were the teams to drop but only after a dramatic and constantly-changing couple of hours.
After a quiet opening in all of the games, Blackburn Rovers struck first against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers with Jason Roberts getting the goal.
But, at about the same time, Blackpool fell behind to champions Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning Wolves were still safe.
That had changed by half-time, though, as Charlie Adam curled in a wonderful free-kick to bring the Seasiders level and Wolves conceded another two goals to trail 3-0 at Molineux.
It meant that, as the sides went into break, Wolves were going down with Wigan Athletic who were drawing 0-0 with Stoke City while Blackburn, Blackpool and Birmingham were safe.
There was early drama in the second half, though, as goal-shy Birmingham went 1-0 down against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane thanks to Roman Pavlyuchenko's strike.
The Russian's goal meant that the Blues were heading down with Wigan and that Wolves were off the hook despite their embarrassing first half performance.
Indeed, Blackpool's situation briefly got even better when Gary Taylor-Fletcher gave Ian Holloway's men a 2-1 lead but the leaky Tangerines defence soon gave Anderson too much space to make it 2-2.
A 74th-minute Ian Evatt own goal sent Blackpool tumbling back into the bottom three and spoilsport substitute Michael Owen then made sure of the demotion by scoring a fourth Man United goal.
Brave Blackpool's attempts of staying up were over but, even going into the last 10 minutes of the season, the other place remained undecided.
Wolves had improved their chances of staying up by closing the gap to 3-1 behind against Blackburn after a clever free-kick which allowed Jamie O'Hara to stroke the ball home.
However, their dreadful first half performance still looked like it was going to cost them when Birmingham grabbed an equaliser through Craig Gardner and Hugo Rodallega headed Wigan into the lead at Stoke.
Wigan withstood some late pressure from the Potters and held on to ensure there will be a seventh consecutive season of Premier League football at the DW Stadium next season.
And, then, it all changed between the Midlands clubs. First, Wolves pulled another goal back through a fine Stephen Hunt curler meaning the Molineux club, despite losing, were staying up all of a sudden - above the Blues on goals scored.
Birmingham knew that they had to score themselves but, as their game went into stoppage time and the centre-backs were sent forward on a desperate mission, Spurs applied a sucker punch.
Pavlyuchenko scored his second goal of the game and Birmingham were condemned to the Championship alongside Blackpool and West Ham United.
Wigan had worked some final-day magic once again while Wolves had stayed up despite defeat against Blackburn, who were never in serious trouble.
Rather oddly, of course, Birmingham will be in the Europa League with their conquerors Tottenham after their Carling Cup win in February as they became the first club since Norwich City in 1985 to win a Cup and go down.
The last-day results confirmed that Spurs finished above Liverpool in fifth, having suffered just one defeat in the league at home all season, as the Reds lost 1-0 to Aston Villa.
Above that battle, Manchester City continued their strong finish to the season with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers to claim third place ahead of Arsenal.
Indeed, Roberto Mancini's FA Cup winners ended the season level on points with runners-up Chelsea after the Blues lost their ninth league game 1-0 at Everton who finished seventh.
That result proved terminal for Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked by owner Roman Abramovich barely an hour after the game had ended.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, with just two wins in their last 11 league games, only just rescued a point against Fulham thanks to Theo Walcott's late goal in a 2-2 draw.
And the fourth-placed finish for the Gunners means the London club will face a potentially tricky Champions League qualifier early next season.
The Championship
Final table
SWANSEA CITY will take on Reading in the Championship playoff final at Wembley after both clubs won the second leg of their semi finals to progress.
Both first-leg matches - Nottingham Forest v Swansea City and Reading v Cardiff City - had finished 0-0, leaving the two Welsh clubs with a clear advantage.
But, while Swansea coped with the pressure well, Cardiff could not and Dave Jones' men failed in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Swansea had survived playing the first leg with 10 men for virtually the whole game after Neil Taylor was sent off after 52 seconds.
Brendan Rogers' men seemed to cope quite well with their deficit in numbers in the first half but Billy Davies' Forest applied plenty of pressure after the break.
Their failure to make the breakthrough left Swansea confident that they would be able to win the tie at home in the second leg.
And it was no surprise to see the Swans make a cracking start in front of a lively atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium.
Leon Britton curled a brilliant opener before Stephen Dobbie sprinted past Guy Moussie to fire in a second.
However, the match was a much more even contest than the score suggested. Forest had two penalty appeals turned down and hit the woodwork three times through David McGoldrick, Lewis McGugan and Robbie Earnshaw.
Former Cardiff striker Earnshaw gave Forest the chance of forcing extra time with a goal 10 minutes before the end.
But it was confirmed that the Forest play-off hoodoo - four semi final defeats in four attempts - would continue when Darren Pratley scored from the half-way line with Lee Camp out of his goal.
Pratley's strike brought to an end a pulsating, quite breathtaking game which the other semi final could not match for drama.
After Cardiff had held Reading at home 0-0, the Bluebirds should have been favourites for the tie.
However, a poor late run of form in the season meant confidence was fragile and it took another hit when club captain Craig Bellamy was ruled out of the second leg altogether with a hamstring injury.
The Royals seized on Cardiff uncertainty as Shane Long put the Berkshire club ahead after a mix-up between Kevin McNaughton and his goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
Long scored a second on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot after Dekel Keinan had brought down Matt Mills with a shirt-tug.
And, with Cardiff struggling to make any impact, the tie was sealed in the closing minutes when Jobi McAnuff kept his balance to fire past Bywater after a 30-yard run.
Earlier, in the regular season, Queens Park Rangers had their promotion and league championship confirmed just minutes before their final league match.
Rangers had feared a points deduction after breaching regulations in the 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.
But, after one-day delay in the verdict from the hearing, the FA decided not to take any points away from Neil Warnock's men but to fine them £875,000 instead.
Norwich City will join QPR and either Reading or Swansea in the Premier League next year while Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and Preston North End were relegated to League One.
League One
Final Table
FREE-SCORING Peterborough United face Huddersfield Town in the League One playoff final at Old Trafford after both clubs scrambled through exciting semi finals.
Posh beat Milton Keynes Dons 2-0 at London Road to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg.
Craig Mackail-Smith scored his 34th goal of the season to add to Grant McCann's early free-kick as Darren Ferguson's men gave themselves a chance of an immediate promotion back to the Championship.
It was a far cry from the first leg at Stadium:mk where the home-side scored three goals in nine minutes at the start of the second-half to take control of the tie.
However, Posh remained in touch in that game thanks to Mackail-Smith's early goal and McCann's late penalty, leaving them only one goal down going into the decisive second-leg.
The second-leg was barely decisive in the other semi final as Lee Clark's Huddersfield and Lee Bradbury's Bournemouth went toe-to-toe until the very end.
After the first leg had finished 1-1, this dramatic tie remained on a knife-edge as two Steve Lovell goals helped the Cherries twice come from behind to force the match into extra time.
Lee Peltier and a Danny Ward penalty had given the Terriers the lead but the west Yorkshire club fell behind for the first time in the tie early in extra time when Danny Ings headed Marc Pugh's inch-perfect cross.
However, Bournemouth's joy was short-lived when Antony Kay replied with another header to make it 3-3 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.
Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men before the extra period was finished, Jason Pearce having been shown a straight red for a studs-up challenge, but Huddersfield could not take advantage.
And so, onto penalties which manager Clark had said his Huddersfield team had been practising.
The practice made perfect, so it seems, as the four Terriers players all scored while Bournemouth's Liam Feeney and Anton Robinson missed for the cruelest of exits. Huddersfield, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten league run to 27 games.
Another club who made a cruel exit in the regular season were Dagenham and Redbridge who, despite a tiny budget, still had hopes of survival going into the final day.
However, a 5-0 defeat at Peterborough on the final day ended the Daggers' dream as their hosts racked up their 106th league goal of the season.
Dagenham thus join Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town in League Two with Walsall and Notts County just surviving.
Gus Poyet's Brighton and Hove Albion had of course won the division ahead of second-placed Southampton who also gained automatic promotion.
League Two
Final Table
STEVENAGE have given themselves the chance of winning a second successive promotion in the League Two playoff final against Torquay United at Old Trafford.
The Boro, who won promotion as Blue Square Premier champions last season, have had a brilliant first year as a league club, knocking Newcastle United out of the FA Cup before finishing sixth.
That gave Graham Westley's men a playoff semi final place against Accrington Stanley who are also a fairly recent addition to the Football League.
But Stevenage proved stronger, taking advantage of two Stanley red cards to win the second-leg 1-0 for a 3-0 aggregate victory.
First half goals from Stacy Long and Joel Byrom had given Stevenage their comfortable first leg advantage but Stanley threatened a comeback at the Crown Ground.
That threat was ended once Joe Jacobson was sent off for a challenge on Lawrie Wilson and Sean McConville followed straightaway for an alleged punch.
Accrington's chances in the tie were effectively over and Chris Beardsley's late goal simply confirmed the Boro's progress.
Torquay, who were promoted from the Blue Square Premier themselves as recently as 2009, also enjoyed a relatively comfortable path to the final after a first-leg win against Shrewsbury.
The Gulls won 2-0 at Plainmoor thanks to first-half goals from Chris Zebroski and Eunan O'Kane, and a dominant display deserved even more goals.
The Shrews were well aware of their uphill task in the second leg and could not force an early breakthrough as the tie petered out as a contest.
It was a second disappointment for Shrewsbury in as many weeks after the Salop club only missed out on automatic promotion on the final day despite a 3-0 win over Oxford United.
That was because Wycombe Wanderers had held onto third spot with their own home win - a 3-1 success over Southend United - to join Chesterfield and Bury in League One next season.
But, while that came as no surprise, there was a shock at the other end of the table as Barnet pulled off a great escape.
The Bees won 1-0 at home to Port Vale thanks to Izale McLeod's penalty early in the second half while Lincoln City lost 3-0 against Aldershot at Sincil Bank to be relegated alongside Stockport County.
Blue Square Premier
Final Table
AFC WIMBLEDON reached the Football League just nine years after their formation following a dramatic penalty shootout win over Luton Town.
The Dons and the Hatters had finished in second and third in the final table so it was no surprise that they had beaten Fleetwood Town and Wrexham in the semi finals, respectively.
And, in the final itself at Eastlands, the two teams could not be separated after 120 minutes of action.
Dons' top scorer Danny Kedwell struck the decisive penalty, condemning Luton to a third successive season outside of the Football League.
For Wimbledon, though, this represents perhaps to end of the beginning of their task to regain their place at football's top table.
Their next aim: to get above Milton Keynes Dons - a task made all the more realistic by their rival's failure to progress through the League One playoffs. The two clubs are now just a single division apart.
Showing posts with label relegation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relegation. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Thursday, 19 May 2011
The Season 2010/11: Survival Sunday calculations
Premier League
Full Table
MANCHESTER UNITED secured an English-record 19th league title last weekend as a late Wayne Rooney penalty ensured the Red Devils came away with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men have finally overcome Liverpool's long-standing record thanks largely to a phenomenal home record in this season of 17 wins and a draw.
However, Man United's away record in the league has been less impressive with just five wins throughout the campaign - the same amount as Ian Holloway's Blackpool.
Ferguson's men produced another edgy away performance at Ewood Park, falling behind to a Brett Emerton first-half goal after a mix-up involving stand-in keeper Tomasz Kuszczak
But, Man United eased their way back into the contest and Rooney kept his cool to convert a 73rd-minute spot-kick and send the large travelling army of supporters into raptures.
Meanwhile, cross-city rivals Manchester City enjoyed the prelude to their FA Cup Final win over Stoke City by beating rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
A year ago, Peter Crouch scored the only goal as Spurs beat Man City late in the season to reach Europe's elite competition.
And Crouch was on target again in the repeat fixture - but, this time, he could only divert the ball into his own net, ensuring Roberto Mancini's men would finish somewhere in the top-four.
Indeed, Man City are now favourites to finish third after a second win over Stoke in a week took advantage of another Arsenal lapse after Arsene Wenger's men were beaten at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs had similarly been on an ill-timed poor run of form but Harry Redknapp's men at least beat a resurgent Liverpool team under Kenny Dalglish at Anfield to leapfrog their hosts into a Europa League spot.
And so, with most of the important matters at the top of the table already decided, attention will turn to an extraordinary situation at the bottom.
Five of the bottom six heading into Survival Sunday, as it stands, are separated by just a single point and many of the teams carry similar goal differences:
Selected final-day fixtures (kick-off: 4pm)
Manchester United v Blackpool
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers
Only West Ham United have been so far relegated after a dreadful campaign, neatly summed up by their penultimate match against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in which they gave away a 2-0 half-time lead.
That 3-2 win, thanks to two goals from Charles N'Zogbia and one from Connor Sammon, has given Wigan a chance of salvation heading into the last day.
However, as you can see, the permutations for each of the five teams involved are far from straightforward:
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Rovers will remain above Wolves on goal difference, and will be safe UNLESS Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan all win
Loss (40 points)
- Rovers will be relegated IF they suffer a particularly heavy loss AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan draw
- Rovers will also be relegated IF they lose by any score AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Wolves will remain below Blackburn on goal difference but will only be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
Loss (40 points)
- If Wolves lose by one goal, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by two or three-goal margins, they will be relegated IF Birmingham and Blackpool draw, OR one of those teams draws and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by four+ goals, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan get a draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Win (42 points)
- The Blues will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND both Blackpool and Wigan win by a greater margin than Birmingham
Draw (40 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan win. Also relegated IF one of Blackpool and Wigan wins UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan draw OR they suffer less severe defeats - Blackpool need to be one-goal better while Wigan need to be two-goals better off.
- Birmingham will also go down IF either Blackpool or Wigan draw AND the other escapes with the aforementioned narrower defeat than Blues
BLACKPOOL
Win (42 points)
- Blackpool will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Wigan both win. Note: Wigan require a greater margin of victory than Blackpool.
Draw (40 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated if Birmingham draw or win OR Wigan win UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated UNLESS Wigan also lose AND Birmingham lose by at least one more goal than Ian Holloway's men
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Win (42 points)
- Wigan will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Blackpool both also win
Draw (40 points)
- Wigan will be relegated IF both Birmingham and Blackpool draw
- Wigan will also be relegated IF one of Birmingham or Blackpool also draws UNLESS Wolves are beaten by four goals
Loss (39 points)
- Wigan will be relegated UNLESS both Birmingham and Blackpool lose by at least two goals more than the Latics
Full Table
MANCHESTER UNITED secured an English-record 19th league title last weekend as a late Wayne Rooney penalty ensured the Red Devils came away with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men have finally overcome Liverpool's long-standing record thanks largely to a phenomenal home record in this season of 17 wins and a draw.
However, Man United's away record in the league has been less impressive with just five wins throughout the campaign - the same amount as Ian Holloway's Blackpool.
Ferguson's men produced another edgy away performance at Ewood Park, falling behind to a Brett Emerton first-half goal after a mix-up involving stand-in keeper Tomasz Kuszczak
But, Man United eased their way back into the contest and Rooney kept his cool to convert a 73rd-minute spot-kick and send the large travelling army of supporters into raptures.
Meanwhile, cross-city rivals Manchester City enjoyed the prelude to their FA Cup Final win over Stoke City by beating rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
A year ago, Peter Crouch scored the only goal as Spurs beat Man City late in the season to reach Europe's elite competition.
And Crouch was on target again in the repeat fixture - but, this time, he could only divert the ball into his own net, ensuring Roberto Mancini's men would finish somewhere in the top-four.
Indeed, Man City are now favourites to finish third after a second win over Stoke in a week took advantage of another Arsenal lapse after Arsene Wenger's men were beaten at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs had similarly been on an ill-timed poor run of form but Harry Redknapp's men at least beat a resurgent Liverpool team under Kenny Dalglish at Anfield to leapfrog their hosts into a Europa League spot.
And so, with most of the important matters at the top of the table already decided, attention will turn to an extraordinary situation at the bottom.
Five of the bottom six heading into Survival Sunday, as it stands, are separated by just a single point and many of the teams carry similar goal differences:
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers | 37 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 43 | 57 | -14 | 40 | ||||
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wndrs | 37 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 44 | 63 | -19 | 40 | ||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 36 | 56 | -20 | 39 | ||||
| 18 | Blackpool | 37 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 53 | 74 | -21 | 39 | ||||
| 19 | Wigan Athletic | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 39 | 61 | -22 | 39 | ||||
| 20 | West Ham United (R) | 37 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 43 | 67 | -24 | 33 |
Selected final-day fixtures (kick-off: 4pm)
Manchester United v Blackpool
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers
Only West Ham United have been so far relegated after a dreadful campaign, neatly summed up by their penultimate match against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in which they gave away a 2-0 half-time lead.
That 3-2 win, thanks to two goals from Charles N'Zogbia and one from Connor Sammon, has given Wigan a chance of salvation heading into the last day.
However, as you can see, the permutations for each of the five teams involved are far from straightforward:
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Rovers will remain above Wolves on goal difference, and will be safe UNLESS Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan all win
Loss (40 points)
- Rovers will be relegated IF they suffer a particularly heavy loss AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan draw
- Rovers will also be relegated IF they lose by any score AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Wolves will remain below Blackburn on goal difference but will only be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
Loss (40 points)
- If Wolves lose by one goal, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by two or three-goal margins, they will be relegated IF Birmingham and Blackpool draw, OR one of those teams draws and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by four+ goals, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan get a draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Win (42 points)
- The Blues will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND both Blackpool and Wigan win by a greater margin than Birmingham
Draw (40 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan win. Also relegated IF one of Blackpool and Wigan wins UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan draw OR they suffer less severe defeats - Blackpool need to be one-goal better while Wigan need to be two-goals better off.
- Birmingham will also go down IF either Blackpool or Wigan draw AND the other escapes with the aforementioned narrower defeat than Blues
BLACKPOOL
Win (42 points)
- Blackpool will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Wigan both win. Note: Wigan require a greater margin of victory than Blackpool.
Draw (40 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated if Birmingham draw or win OR Wigan win UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated UNLESS Wigan also lose AND Birmingham lose by at least one more goal than Ian Holloway's men
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Win (42 points)
- Wigan will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Blackpool both also win
Draw (40 points)
- Wigan will be relegated IF both Birmingham and Blackpool draw
- Wigan will also be relegated IF one of Birmingham or Blackpool also draws UNLESS Wolves are beaten by four goals
Loss (39 points)
- Wigan will be relegated UNLESS both Birmingham and Blackpool lose by at least two goals more than the Latics
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Newcastle United relegation review 2008-09
There's a phrase which tells you that you should never meet your heroes because they will only disappoint you.
Well, I didn't have to meet the bunch of overpaid, over-hyped wasters in which I have invested all my hope to be let down by them.
I just watched them from Level 7 at St James Park all season with an increasingly desperate realisation that they weren't good enough.
After just seven wins (five at home) and 34 points, they were undoubtledly not good enough.
And to think the season started so optimistically after the late-season recovery under Kevin Keegan in 2007-08.
A point at Old Trafford was followed up by a tight home win against Bolton Wanderers and a fine attacking display in beating Coventry City 3-2 in the League Cup.
Little did we think that the 3-0 reverse at the Emirates against Arsenal, the third such defeat in 2008, would be the last match of Keegan's second spell as manager.
Rumours began circulating as early as Tuesday that Keegan had resigned, citing Mike Ashley's ridiculous management structure which placed the odious Dennis Wise and a casino boss Derek Llambias above him in the St James Park pecking order.
It also became apparent that James Milner had been allowed to leave for Aston Villa without his agreement and that many of the signings had been sanctioned by Wise, not Keegan.
On the Thursday of that week, the rumours became fact and Keegan, sticking by his principles, decided he had no choice but to abandon the club again.
A tumultuous day at St James Park included fan protests against the board while on the pitch United lost 2-1 at home to Hull, a result which would end up having far more significance than originally realised.
Further defeats against West Ham United (1-3 away), Spurs (1-2 home in the League Cup) and Blackburn (1-2 home) further eroded confidence before Ashley pulled the next rabbit out his hat by dragging Joe Kinnear in from the wilderness.
Kinnear had last managed four years previously when he was relieved of his position as Nottingham Forest headed down to League One.
But he started with two 2-2 draws, including a fighting display against Manchester City after Habib Beye suffered one of the worst red cards of the season thanks to the incompetence of referee Rob Styles.
This was followed, however, by a 2-1 loss away in Sunderland, the first away defeat in the derby since 1980 and the first in the top flight since 1967.
Kinnear recovered his position as United won two league matches in a row for the first time all season by beating West Brom and Aston Villa at home within a week.
But this was followed by five matches without a win, four of which were draws.
Two of the draws were credible stalemates away at Chelsea and Boro. But both the home draws against Wigan and Stoke involved surrendering leads in the last minute.
United enjoyed some good pre-Christmas form by beating Portsmouth 3-0 away in their longest trip of the season and then scoring in the last minute to beat Spurs 2-1.
It left the Toon in 12th place on Christmas morning but the league remained extremely tight.
And so, the annual Boxing Day loss to Wigan - followed up by the 5-1 home mauling against Liverpool - dragged United back into trouble.
It also signalled the end of Shay Given's Newcastle United career as he handed in a transfer request and moved to Manchester City.
Charles N'Zogbia also moved - to Wigan after a public falling-out with Kinnear with Ryan Taylor coming in the opposite direction.
Kevin Nolan and Peter Lovenkrands were also brought in the club.
The FA Cup brought little joy with defeat in a home replay against Hull City after a 0-0 draw at the KC Stadium.
This was followed by further league defeats at Blackburn Rovers, now managed by Fat Sam Allardyce, and Manchester City.
Then a second embarrassing derby defeat of the season was avoided only when Shola Ameobi converted a controversial penalty to equalise.
A win eventually arrived in the disposing of rock-bottom West Brom 3-2 away on a day when their defence turned out to be even worse than ours.
But the three points came at the cost of Kinnear's health as his well-known heart problem once again reared its ugly head.
Ashley, who had clearly not prepared for such an eventuality, placed Chris Hughton and another former failed Forest boss Colin Calderwood in charge.
But, after taking charge of the win at the Hawthorns, they oversaw just two further points from the next five matches.
Encouraging losses against Manchester United and Arsenal (when United should have been 2-0 ahead before collapsing after 60 minutes) were offset by a meek loss at Bolton (0-1) and more dropped points against Hull City (1-1).
Then, on the eve of April Fools Day, Newcastle United shocked the country once again by appointing Alan Shearer as their fourth manager of the season until the end of the campaign.
Shearer faced a tough first match against Chelsea and the same failings were evident.
Having got in level against top-four opposition for the third match, United went on to lose the second half.
A potentially crushing loss at Stoke City was avoided when Andy Carroll headed home with less than ten minutes to go to give Shearer his first point.
But a 1-0 loss at Spurs was followed by two further matches without a goal - a 0-0 stalemate against Portsmouth and a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool which could have been much worse.
An eight-day break allowed United to build up to their biggest match since 1992 - against Middlesbrough.
For once, the players performed with Mark Viduka in particularly inspired form to help United come from behind to beat Boro 3-1.
But still Newcastle went down. A tame 1-0 home loss against Fulham was followed up by a final-day whimper against Aston Villa by the same score.
Thanks to the constant favours of the other incompetent teams, an equaliser in either match would have kept Newcastle up.
But with a clueless board, an inexperienced manager and a bunch of gutless players, it was never going to happen.
The following players made more than nine appearances for the club during the 2008/09 relegation season:
(1) SHAY GIVEN 4.5/10 -
26 appearances
Unsurprisingly disgruntled with the 5-1 home defeat to Liverpool despite the latest of so many man-of-the-match performances over the years. But could also be seen as abandoning ship prematurely.
(2) FABRICIO COLOCCINI 1/10 -
37 appearances
An absolutely dreadful signing for £10m. Started reasonably in the opening matches but could not cope with the pressure of a relegation battle after his confidence was destroyed by that Liverpool defeat.
(3) JOSE ENRIQUE 4/10 -
27 appearances (including one as sub)
A much improved player this season with more attacking flair and defensive solidity. Still has the irritating tendency to waste some good positions with poor distribution, however.
(4) KEVIN NOLAN 2.5/10 -
10 appearances (including one as sub)
The highly-regarded signing of the ex-Bolton captain failed to improve United's woeful midfield running, except for the match against Boro. Overall, he replicated his performance at St James for Bolton early in the season (when he missed a penalty) over and over again. Ridiculous tackle in getting sent off against Everton.
(7) JOEY BARTON 1/10 -
9 appearances (including three as sub), 1 goal
In hindsight (which is a wonderful thing), should have been ditched after his brutal assault in Liverpool last Christmas. A thug who has been able to show little of his apparent talent since arriving at the club due to injury/suspension/jail terms. Stupidly sent off against Liverpool, denying him a chance to redeem himself in the run-in.
(8) DANNY GUTHRIE 3/10 -
26 appearances (including three as sub), 2 goals
possibly the best crosser of a ball at the club as demonstrated on the opening day for Martins' goal at Old Trafford and again at Boro. He is horribly inconsistent, though, and suffered the same malaise in being unable to pass the ball properly, especially against Portsmouth.
(9) OBAFEMI MARTINS 2/10 -
24 appearances (including three as sub), 8 goals
A terrible finisher as shown with his penalty against Arsenal, and his ballooned shots against Spurs, Portsmouth and Villa on the final day. Unforgivably, he went AWOL against Stoke away.
(10) MICHAEL OWEN 2.5/10 -
31 appearances (including seven as sub), 10 goals
Unlucky with injuries early in his Toon career and the saviour of last season with seven goals in the last nine matches. Also started this season well and ends the campaign as top scorer but he finished with one goal in 17 and, arguably, looked less and less interested as each game passed.
(11) DAMIEN DUFF 2.5/10 -
32 appearances (including two as sub), 3 goals.
Even discounting the own goal which sent us down, Duff has disappointed with his strange inability as a winger to cross and his weak shots. Scored what seemed like useful goals against Everton, Spurs and West Brom. Better than some midfielders on the books but that's not saying much.
(12) SEBASTIEN BASSONG 4.5/10 -
34 appearances (including four as sub)
A second successive relegation for the young Frenchman after going down with Metz last season. But this was barely merited for one of the more consistent performers this season. But he was sent off twice (harshly against Wigan) and seemed to get turned by his marker at times.
(13) STEVE HARPER 3/10 -
15 appearances
Unexpectedly became No1 after the depature of Given in January and did OK. But he has major weaknesses in that he struggles even more than Given to control his box on crosses and his distribution is too slow and frequently inaccurate.
(14) CHARLES N'ZOGBIA 2/10 -
22 appearances (including four as sub), 2 goals
Fell out with Joe Kinnear in dramatic style after being called 'Insomnia' in an interview. His languid style and lack of goals made this an easy accusation but he had regularly been played out of position at left back.
(16) RYAN TAYLOR 1.5/10 -
10 appearances (including two as sub)
Arrived with great expectations on set plays after four goals for Wigan against United. Another player who struggled to feel the pressure/live up to the hype, failing to deliver anything of Premier League standard, except possibly for the West Brom away win.
(18) JONAS GUTTIEREZ 2.5/10 -
33 appearances (including eight as sub)
A major problem when a winger who cannot cross or shoot ends up being a main hope. Provided three assists and no goals all season yet remained a talent simply for the face he was one of the few midfielders willing to run at the opposition.
(20) GEREMI 1/10 -
17 appearances (including four as sub)
An indictment of Sam Allardyce's reign. Big Fat Sam signed him last season and made him captain despite the fact that he can barely run. Incredibly, this season, he became slower. A disgrace to his profession.
(21) HABIB BEYE 4.5/10 -
24 appearances (including one as sub)
A cruel season for Beye - unfairly sent off against Manchester City (later rescinded), horribly injured against Wigan, terribly unlucky to score an own goal against Boro then unfortunate to miss the last day. Still highly regarded widely considered as the best defender at the club since Woodgate.
(22) NICKY BUTT 1/10 -
36 appearances
Quite simply, yesterday's man. He provided some of the worst attempts at long balls the club will have seen in its history. Also, let's not forget, costly at the back - conceded pens against Hull (h) and Everton (a), and that free-kick against the mackems, as well as being sent off against Blackburn.
(23) SHOLA AMEOBI 1.5/10 -
20 appearances (including six as sub), 4 goals
Looked to have recovered his standing yet again having been on loan in the Championship during 07/08 when he played with decent heart in the home wins against West Brom and Villa. Amazingly rewarded with a contract after which he reverted to type, producing a series of lazy performances summed up by his terrible shot against Villa (United's last of the season) and the basic mistake in failing to mark Faye at a corner v Stoke away.
(24) PETER LOVENKRANDS 2.5/10 -
11 appearances (including four as sub), 3 goals
Became somewhat of a cult hero after giving United the lead at home to Man Utd. Also scored some useful goals against West Brom and Middlesbrough. But he was anonymous when he started at Anfield and on the last day against Villa. Also the first to demand a move away from the club (via his agent's statement) after relegation.
(27) STEVEN TAYLOR 4/10 -
28 appearances (including two as sub), 4 goals
Improved his game in the second half of the season, cutting out many of his silly mistakes. Scored four goals (third-top scorer) from the back against Everton, West Brom, Hull and Boro. Produced a fantastic defensive performance against Arsenal before being forced off by injury when it all went wrong.
(36) MARK VIDUKA 2.5/10 -
11 appearances (including six as sub)
Failed to score all season and somehow made 11 appearances despite spending most of his time injured. Proved useful in the home wins against Spurs and Boro but will always be considered as a HUGE waste of space.
(39) ANDY CARROLL 2/10 -
16 appearances (including ten as sub), 3 goals
Often did well when he was called upon, saving draws against West Ham and at Stoke City. But still hard to tell in his overall performance whether he has the quality of a top-level striker.
Note:
Marks are capped at 5/10 as I cannot bear to give any player over half marks after this dreadful campaign.
Well, I didn't have to meet the bunch of overpaid, over-hyped wasters in which I have invested all my hope to be let down by them.
I just watched them from Level 7 at St James Park all season with an increasingly desperate realisation that they weren't good enough.
After just seven wins (five at home) and 34 points, they were undoubtledly not good enough.
And to think the season started so optimistically after the late-season recovery under Kevin Keegan in 2007-08.
A point at Old Trafford was followed up by a tight home win against Bolton Wanderers and a fine attacking display in beating Coventry City 3-2 in the League Cup.
Little did we think that the 3-0 reverse at the Emirates against Arsenal, the third such defeat in 2008, would be the last match of Keegan's second spell as manager.
Rumours began circulating as early as Tuesday that Keegan had resigned, citing Mike Ashley's ridiculous management structure which placed the odious Dennis Wise and a casino boss Derek Llambias above him in the St James Park pecking order.
It also became apparent that James Milner had been allowed to leave for Aston Villa without his agreement and that many of the signings had been sanctioned by Wise, not Keegan.
On the Thursday of that week, the rumours became fact and Keegan, sticking by his principles, decided he had no choice but to abandon the club again.
A tumultuous day at St James Park included fan protests against the board while on the pitch United lost 2-1 at home to Hull, a result which would end up having far more significance than originally realised.
Further defeats against West Ham United (1-3 away), Spurs (1-2 home in the League Cup) and Blackburn (1-2 home) further eroded confidence before Ashley pulled the next rabbit out his hat by dragging Joe Kinnear in from the wilderness.
Kinnear had last managed four years previously when he was relieved of his position as Nottingham Forest headed down to League One.
But he started with two 2-2 draws, including a fighting display against Manchester City after Habib Beye suffered one of the worst red cards of the season thanks to the incompetence of referee Rob Styles.
This was followed, however, by a 2-1 loss away in Sunderland, the first away defeat in the derby since 1980 and the first in the top flight since 1967.
Kinnear recovered his position as United won two league matches in a row for the first time all season by beating West Brom and Aston Villa at home within a week.
But this was followed by five matches without a win, four of which were draws.
Two of the draws were credible stalemates away at Chelsea and Boro. But both the home draws against Wigan and Stoke involved surrendering leads in the last minute.
United enjoyed some good pre-Christmas form by beating Portsmouth 3-0 away in their longest trip of the season and then scoring in the last minute to beat Spurs 2-1.
It left the Toon in 12th place on Christmas morning but the league remained extremely tight.
And so, the annual Boxing Day loss to Wigan - followed up by the 5-1 home mauling against Liverpool - dragged United back into trouble.
It also signalled the end of Shay Given's Newcastle United career as he handed in a transfer request and moved to Manchester City.
Charles N'Zogbia also moved - to Wigan after a public falling-out with Kinnear with Ryan Taylor coming in the opposite direction.
Kevin Nolan and Peter Lovenkrands were also brought in the club.
The FA Cup brought little joy with defeat in a home replay against Hull City after a 0-0 draw at the KC Stadium.
This was followed by further league defeats at Blackburn Rovers, now managed by Fat Sam Allardyce, and Manchester City.
Then a second embarrassing derby defeat of the season was avoided only when Shola Ameobi converted a controversial penalty to equalise.
A win eventually arrived in the disposing of rock-bottom West Brom 3-2 away on a day when their defence turned out to be even worse than ours.
But the three points came at the cost of Kinnear's health as his well-known heart problem once again reared its ugly head.
Ashley, who had clearly not prepared for such an eventuality, placed Chris Hughton and another former failed Forest boss Colin Calderwood in charge.
But, after taking charge of the win at the Hawthorns, they oversaw just two further points from the next five matches.
Encouraging losses against Manchester United and Arsenal (when United should have been 2-0 ahead before collapsing after 60 minutes) were offset by a meek loss at Bolton (0-1) and more dropped points against Hull City (1-1).
Then, on the eve of April Fools Day, Newcastle United shocked the country once again by appointing Alan Shearer as their fourth manager of the season until the end of the campaign.
Shearer faced a tough first match against Chelsea and the same failings were evident.
Having got in level against top-four opposition for the third match, United went on to lose the second half.
A potentially crushing loss at Stoke City was avoided when Andy Carroll headed home with less than ten minutes to go to give Shearer his first point.
But a 1-0 loss at Spurs was followed by two further matches without a goal - a 0-0 stalemate against Portsmouth and a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool which could have been much worse.
An eight-day break allowed United to build up to their biggest match since 1992 - against Middlesbrough.
For once, the players performed with Mark Viduka in particularly inspired form to help United come from behind to beat Boro 3-1.
But still Newcastle went down. A tame 1-0 home loss against Fulham was followed up by a final-day whimper against Aston Villa by the same score.
Thanks to the constant favours of the other incompetent teams, an equaliser in either match would have kept Newcastle up.
But with a clueless board, an inexperienced manager and a bunch of gutless players, it was never going to happen.
The following players made more than nine appearances for the club during the 2008/09 relegation season:
(1) SHAY GIVEN 4.5/10 -
26 appearances
Unsurprisingly disgruntled with the 5-1 home defeat to Liverpool despite the latest of so many man-of-the-match performances over the years. But could also be seen as abandoning ship prematurely.
(2) FABRICIO COLOCCINI 1/10 -
37 appearances
An absolutely dreadful signing for £10m. Started reasonably in the opening matches but could not cope with the pressure of a relegation battle after his confidence was destroyed by that Liverpool defeat.
(3) JOSE ENRIQUE 4/10 -
27 appearances (including one as sub)
A much improved player this season with more attacking flair and defensive solidity. Still has the irritating tendency to waste some good positions with poor distribution, however.
(4) KEVIN NOLAN 2.5/10 -
10 appearances (including one as sub)
The highly-regarded signing of the ex-Bolton captain failed to improve United's woeful midfield running, except for the match against Boro. Overall, he replicated his performance at St James for Bolton early in the season (when he missed a penalty) over and over again. Ridiculous tackle in getting sent off against Everton.
(7) JOEY BARTON 1/10 -
9 appearances (including three as sub), 1 goal
In hindsight (which is a wonderful thing), should have been ditched after his brutal assault in Liverpool last Christmas. A thug who has been able to show little of his apparent talent since arriving at the club due to injury/suspension/jail terms. Stupidly sent off against Liverpool, denying him a chance to redeem himself in the run-in.
(8) DANNY GUTHRIE 3/10 -
26 appearances (including three as sub), 2 goals
possibly the best crosser of a ball at the club as demonstrated on the opening day for Martins' goal at Old Trafford and again at Boro. He is horribly inconsistent, though, and suffered the same malaise in being unable to pass the ball properly, especially against Portsmouth.
(9) OBAFEMI MARTINS 2/10 -
24 appearances (including three as sub), 8 goals
A terrible finisher as shown with his penalty against Arsenal, and his ballooned shots against Spurs, Portsmouth and Villa on the final day. Unforgivably, he went AWOL against Stoke away.
(10) MICHAEL OWEN 2.5/10 -
31 appearances (including seven as sub), 10 goals
Unlucky with injuries early in his Toon career and the saviour of last season with seven goals in the last nine matches. Also started this season well and ends the campaign as top scorer but he finished with one goal in 17 and, arguably, looked less and less interested as each game passed.
(11) DAMIEN DUFF 2.5/10 -
32 appearances (including two as sub), 3 goals.
Even discounting the own goal which sent us down, Duff has disappointed with his strange inability as a winger to cross and his weak shots. Scored what seemed like useful goals against Everton, Spurs and West Brom. Better than some midfielders on the books but that's not saying much.
(12) SEBASTIEN BASSONG 4.5/10 -
34 appearances (including four as sub)
A second successive relegation for the young Frenchman after going down with Metz last season. But this was barely merited for one of the more consistent performers this season. But he was sent off twice (harshly against Wigan) and seemed to get turned by his marker at times.
(13) STEVE HARPER 3/10 -
15 appearances
Unexpectedly became No1 after the depature of Given in January and did OK. But he has major weaknesses in that he struggles even more than Given to control his box on crosses and his distribution is too slow and frequently inaccurate.
(14) CHARLES N'ZOGBIA 2/10 -
22 appearances (including four as sub), 2 goals
Fell out with Joe Kinnear in dramatic style after being called 'Insomnia' in an interview. His languid style and lack of goals made this an easy accusation but he had regularly been played out of position at left back.
(16) RYAN TAYLOR 1.5/10 -
10 appearances (including two as sub)
Arrived with great expectations on set plays after four goals for Wigan against United. Another player who struggled to feel the pressure/live up to the hype, failing to deliver anything of Premier League standard, except possibly for the West Brom away win.
(18) JONAS GUTTIEREZ 2.5/10 -
33 appearances (including eight as sub)
A major problem when a winger who cannot cross or shoot ends up being a main hope. Provided three assists and no goals all season yet remained a talent simply for the face he was one of the few midfielders willing to run at the opposition.
(20) GEREMI 1/10 -
17 appearances (including four as sub)
An indictment of Sam Allardyce's reign. Big Fat Sam signed him last season and made him captain despite the fact that he can barely run. Incredibly, this season, he became slower. A disgrace to his profession.
(21) HABIB BEYE 4.5/10 -
24 appearances (including one as sub)
A cruel season for Beye - unfairly sent off against Manchester City (later rescinded), horribly injured against Wigan, terribly unlucky to score an own goal against Boro then unfortunate to miss the last day. Still highly regarded widely considered as the best defender at the club since Woodgate.
(22) NICKY BUTT 1/10 -
36 appearances
Quite simply, yesterday's man. He provided some of the worst attempts at long balls the club will have seen in its history. Also, let's not forget, costly at the back - conceded pens against Hull (h) and Everton (a), and that free-kick against the mackems, as well as being sent off against Blackburn.
(23) SHOLA AMEOBI 1.5/10 -
20 appearances (including six as sub), 4 goals
Looked to have recovered his standing yet again having been on loan in the Championship during 07/08 when he played with decent heart in the home wins against West Brom and Villa. Amazingly rewarded with a contract after which he reverted to type, producing a series of lazy performances summed up by his terrible shot against Villa (United's last of the season) and the basic mistake in failing to mark Faye at a corner v Stoke away.
(24) PETER LOVENKRANDS 2.5/10 -
11 appearances (including four as sub), 3 goals
Became somewhat of a cult hero after giving United the lead at home to Man Utd. Also scored some useful goals against West Brom and Middlesbrough. But he was anonymous when he started at Anfield and on the last day against Villa. Also the first to demand a move away from the club (via his agent's statement) after relegation.
(27) STEVEN TAYLOR 4/10 -
28 appearances (including two as sub), 4 goals
Improved his game in the second half of the season, cutting out many of his silly mistakes. Scored four goals (third-top scorer) from the back against Everton, West Brom, Hull and Boro. Produced a fantastic defensive performance against Arsenal before being forced off by injury when it all went wrong.
(36) MARK VIDUKA 2.5/10 -
11 appearances (including six as sub)
Failed to score all season and somehow made 11 appearances despite spending most of his time injured. Proved useful in the home wins against Spurs and Boro but will always be considered as a HUGE waste of space.
(39) ANDY CARROLL 2/10 -
16 appearances (including ten as sub), 3 goals
Often did well when he was called upon, saving draws against West Ham and at Stoke City. But still hard to tell in his overall performance whether he has the quality of a top-level striker.
Note:
Marks are capped at 5/10 as I cannot bear to give any player over half marks after this dreadful campaign.
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