[mark20]

'My' team Coventry are still comfortably mid-table, albeit a few divisions lower than when I used to be more into it!
I've enjoyed following the Premiere League this season though, good to see Liverpool doing well after a good end to last season.
My Fantasy Football team seems very hit and miss, but it's a tight league so I've not lost hope yet. Does the loser get relegated to UKC next season?   

[cheque]

This season's Champion's League ball looks like a plastic floater you'd get from Skeggy. 



Man City- Schalke was amazing last night!

[cheque]

Right at the crunchy end of the season now!

Blades promoted, Leeds in the playoffs, Bradford down, Huddersfield down, Brighton still not out of trouble, Man U entertainingly crap (by their standards) again after a short blip, the tantalising prospect of the best Liverpool side for 30 years still finishing the season without a trophy... entertaining stuff all round!

After a long period in the automatic promotion places Mansfield have been trying their best to screw things up again recently but unusually every other team “in & around” us has been doing just as poorly and we only need a point in our last fixture (away at our only rivals for third place- you couldn’t wish for a more make-or-break fixture) to avoid the horror of the playoffs. If fixtures go against them then Notts County will be the second of our local rivals to drop down the Non-league trapdoor in as many seasons too...

Anyone else want to discuss their team’s fortunes?

[nai]

Birmingham City - spent most of the season looking like play off contenders but we knew what was coming, dodged a bullet only being docked nine points for our transfer dealings rather than 12-15.  Stayed up and showed some promise, really like Monk, perhaps we can push on next season but likley to be hamstrung by finances and the legacy of Harry's dodgy dealings again.

Highlight of the season is Wolves blowing a 2-0 lead in the FA Cup semi final, conceding an injury time penalty which was smashed home by a Blues fan.  Hardest celebration of the year that one.

Now if villa could lose the play off final on pens that'd be lovely and while I'd like Liverpool to get as close as possible before failing it's making me a but nervy, could do with them being put out of their misery but got a feeling they're going to win something.   Ajax are my European team and it'd be great to see them put one over all the money and eufa's attempts to keep the prizes for their elite.

[tomtom]

Hull City.

Our hated owners are still trying to flog the club - but no-one wants to buy at their price - meanwhile the parachute payments burn... A toxic atmosphere between owners and fans still pervades despite some concesssions from the owners to the fans wishes (at last).

In November we were bottom of the championship - and deservedly so. Some how we pulled things together and went on a 7 (maybe game winning streak and ended up just below the play offs. We've now dipped down a bit to be mid table. We should be lower - but others (Ipswich, Bolton) are just in even worse trouble....

We have one of the leagues stars (Jared Bowen) and he's scored 21 of our 62 goals... without him god knows where we'd be. Of course we will be without him next season when he goes somewhere thats not so batshit.

End of term report: 'kinnel - how did we end up mid table.

[nai]

(Jared Bowen) and he's scored 21 of our 62 goals... without him god knows where we'd be. Of course we will be without him next season when he goes somewhere thats not so batshit.

Likewise Che Adams will be missed next year, probably warming a Premier League bench somewhere in mid table down.

[cheque]

Ajax are my European team and it'd be great to see them put one over all the money and eufa's attempts to keep the prizes for their elite.

  I have a team in pretty much every European league and Ajax are the only one who are the only one who are any good (drawn to the underdogs I guess)- I had that weird navy blue away kit they won the Champions League in in the mid-90s when I was a kid. 

Can’t share your affection for Troy Deeney though.

It’s probably best not to think of where your best players will be next season for most of us- our top scorer is a Forest loanee (Des Walker’s son!) who’ll be gone whether we go up or not imagine. Our club is almost completely funded by the sell-on cash we get every time Sam Clucas moves on though... 

[nai]

Ajax are my European team and it'd be great to see them put one over all the money and eufa's attempts to keep the prizes for their elite.

  I have a team in pretty much every European league and Ajax are the only one who are the only one who are any good (drawn to the underdogs I guess)- I had that weird navy blue away kit they won the Champions League in in the mid-90s when I was a kid. 

I only have Ajax (although maybe I should count St Etienne...), simply because when I started supporting Blues we played in what was, or has become, known as the Penguin kit, with a single broad stripe on the front



and Ajax had a similar kit:

[mark20]

Looks like Coventry will miss out on the playoffs, and still don't have a stadium for next year 

I can't really claim to be a fan, but have been to a couple of Sheffield United matches recently, great atmosphere yesterday in particular. Not a bad team, lacking the last killer touch at times, but it seems to be the done thing at the moment to try and pass it all the way into the 6 yard box before shooting ?!

Looking forward to the Champions League semi finals this week - if you have a EE phone contract you can get BT Sport for free for 3 months

[cheque]

we only need a point in our last fixture (away at our only rivals for third place- you couldn’t wish for a more make-or-break fixture) to avoid the horror of the playoffs.

Well, despite having not lost more than twice in a row all season, been in the automatic promotion places almost continuously since Boxing Day and only needing a draw we finished the season with our third consecutive loss in this crunch fixture, conceding in the only goal in the second minute.  Glad I didn’t go now.

Now, on the back of this awful form and demoralisation we head into the playoffs to face knockout specialists Newport who’ve nicked the final spot in a late, against-all-odds surge... 

[nai]

Was following it and thinking of you, there were some dramatic twists at both ends.

Best of luck in the play offs, think you're still the team to beat, definitely looks tricky but runs of form have to come to an end at some point.

[Mike Tyson]

Two unbelievable nights of football. I watched the Liverpool match on the tele, what a ride that was. They dismantled Barcelona, and made Messi look pedestrian. Anfield must've been bouncing.

Only caught last 5 mins of Spurs match, which was all I needed! Well done to them, an all English final!

[cheque]

Bloody hell, football eh?

Amazing how much having the wind taken out of your sails can affect fixtures like this- you see most of the doomed team stood around despondent with a few of the mentally stronger ones shouting and trying to rally the others and see just how tough it is to do that when you're fighting against the tide and the group mentality has just gone in the wrong direction- this is exactly what Ter Stegen was doing just before that comical Liverpool winner went in. Liverpool really won it with their second goal in  terms of the Barca heads dropping and for Totts just getting the first was, amazingly, enough to turn that tide. Ajax have the excuse of being a very young side but for Barca you can only really point to players like Messi not having that experience of being in a team that's properly up against it enough- you see it when he plays for Argentina too.

The Liverpool victory illustrates how important home advantage is in these ties, both sides being overawed by the setting and mystique of the other club's ground but I really think Spurs' achievement is more impressive- they did it away, in half the time Liverpool had and with a thinner squad. We probably won't see half as many drooling articles about their performance, their history, etc etc  though and you can see it in the way the players and fans celebrated- the Liverpool crowd were obviously fucking psyched but they know the drill in terms of the pageantry, the mawkish songs over the PA etc. while the Spurs fans, players, staff and ex-substitutes (Jermaine Jenas) were almost paralysed with joy- being a fan, commentator or pundit for a Spurs game (or a game of most other British teams) just doesn't come with the same kit of ready-made emotions that it does for a Liverpool one.

Interesting to see if Arsenal and Chelsea are more invogorated by their fellow English clubs successes tonight or whether Valencia & Frankfurt have been inspired to turn their deficits around. 

[spidermonkey09]

Bloody hell, football eh?

Amazing how much having the wind taken out of your sails can affect fixtures like this- you see most of the doomed team stood around despondent with a few of the mentally stronger ones shouting and trying to rally the others and see just how tough it is to do that when you're fighting against the tide and the group mentality has just gone in the wrong direction- this is exactly what Ter Stegen was doing just before that comical Liverpool winner went in. Liverpool really won it with their second goal in  terms of the Barca heads dropping and for Totts just getting the first was, amazingly, enough to turn that tide. Ajax have the excuse of being a very young side but for Barca you can only really point to players like Messi not having that experience of being in a team that's properly up against it enough- you see it when he plays for Argentina too.

The Liverpool victory illustrates how important home advantage is in these ties, both sides being overawed by the setting and mystique of the other club's ground but I really think Spurs' achievement is more impressive- they did it away, in half the time Liverpool had and with a thinner squad. We probably won't see half as many drooling articles about their performance, their history, etc etc  though and you can see it in the way the players and fans celebrated- the Liverpool crowd were obviously fucking psyched but they know the drill in terms of the pageantry, the mawkish songs over the PA etc. while the Spurs fans, players, staff and ex-substitutes (Jermaine Jenas) were almost paralysed with joy- being a fan, commentator or pundit for a Spurs game (or a game of most other British teams) just doesn't come with the same kit of ready-made emotions that it does for a Liverpool one.

Interesting to see if Arsenal and Chelsea are more invogorated by their fellow English clubs successes tonight or whether Valencia & Frankfurt have been inspired to turn their deficits around. 

Both amazing games but would go the other way in terms of impressiveness; Ajax are a good side but they aren't Barcelona, and they choked; understandable for such a young side. I get the point about drooling articles but then scrolling my twitter account last night, which has lots of north London political journalist types on it, there was a fair amount of drooling there also! Really looking forward to the final; whoever wins it fully deserves it. Suspect Liverpool might blow them away and the occasion might get to Spurs a bit, like it did to Liverpool last year.

[tomtom]

Both semi final achievements were amazing. But I wonder if — for the neutral fan — the final might be a bit of a turn off. After all it’s a regular P.L. fixture... and whilst many neutrals would support an English side against non English opposition I doubt this will be the case here.

1:0 to Spurs in the second half of extra time... 😂

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Great short edits of both games, for anyone who didn't watch them 

Amazing.

[Falling Down]

Personally I'm really gutted that we (City) took an overly cautious approach in that first leg against Spurs.  I would have relished the last day of the League this Sunday (which is going to be nervy as hell) then a Champions League final vs Liverpool, especially if we beat Watford at Wembley next Saturday.  Still holding out for a treble but the Champs league feels like a missed opportunity.

[BuzyG]

Great short edits of both games, for anyone who didn't watch them 

Amazing.

Great links Dave. 
And what a match that Liverpool game was..
Bring it on Spurs.

[cheque]

Personally I'm really gutted that we (City) took an overly cautious approach in that first leg against Spurs.  I would have relished the last day of the League this Sunday (which is going to be nervy as hell) then a Champions League final vs Liverpool, especially if we beat Watford at Wembley next Saturday.  Still holding out for a treble but the Champs league feels like a missed opportunity.

  

It would be very interesting to see how City would have fared in their last two league matches if they’d have had to play Ajax twice inbetween. Liverpool have had an easier run-in but haven’t made it look easier, Spurs have obviously choked massively in the league recently and neither of those sides have had to play later stages of the domestic cups- Sarri made the good point yesterday that his lot had to beat both Champions League finalists and then play City for 120 minutes in the League Cup. Personally I can see Liverpool falling at the final hurdle against Wolves. City obviously have the best squad depth and are arguably the best team in the world but would they have been able to juggle all four competitions right up to the end? I would have loved to see them do it.

Back in the real world it was  Newport 1-1 Mansfield last night so all to play for in the home leg on Sunday. Not bad considering the last team to come away from their ground with a win was Man City. We beat them 3-0 & 5-0 in our last two meetings at the three-sided fortress that is The One Call Stadium Field Mill so hopefully we can reach the slightly more impressive Wembley!

[cowboyhat]

Yes Spurs have had a very lucky route to the final, haven't won many games.  Second in group by a margin.
Form says the Puds for that one.

The last four days in football, bloody hell.

[mark20]

Incredible week of football. I love watching the Champions League, in particular Liverpool who always seem to raise their game, that last YNWA nearly brought a tear to my eye!

[Falling Down]

I think my post might have read a little churlish.  I’m thrilled for Liverpool, and we end up winning tomorrow, then Liverpool winning the Champions League seems very fitting somehow.

Cheque - yeah I do wonder how we would have fared.  We only just scraped through Monday’s game.

What a week of football and we’ve still got tomorrow!

[cheque]

Back in the real world it was  Newport 1-1 Mansfield last night so all to play for in the home leg on Sunday. Not bad considering the last team to come away from their ground with a win was Man City. We beat them 3-0 & 5-0 in our last two meetings at the three-sided fortress that is The One Call Stadium Field Mill so hopefully we can reach the slightly more impressive Wembley!

Well it was 0-0 after extra time and we lost on penalties. Anyone who’s seen Stags play this season will have noticed that our first 11 is basically ten outfield players who look too fast and fit to be playing in League Two with a keeper behind them who looks too old and fat to be playing in League Two (this season the home keeper kit’s been all white and a bloke who sits near me calls him “that fat fucking polar bear”) so it’s easy to construct a narrative based on it coming down to our weak link but, although he didn’t save any penalties he’s actually been really good at the back end of this season and I think the blame has to lie just as much with our inability to take our chances in this last spell- bottling it basically. 

Our manager’s been sacked and our top scorer/ player of the season (who ironically missed the crucial pen) is back to Forest after his loan spell so the unravelling/ regeneration that will be familiar to supporters of other lower-league clubs has begun. I really felt like this season’s version was one of the best four (if not best two) teams in the division but who knows what next season’s will be like.

[cheque]

Final standings of the UKB fantasy league:



Not sure who everyone is on here but congratulations Ste Graham and in your face Adam Riches. 

[adamsriches]

Ouch - wish I'd paid more attention at the end of the season now.