Well, the 2011-2012 Premier League season is starting to come together with two teams already chosen for next season (Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City) and one team being sent down to the Championship (West Ham United).
Now, last post I made predictions about who would go down (still on target) - but now that the Championship Play-offs are in full swing - I feel as though it is time to see who are going to be joining QPR and the Canaries in the glittering lights of the Premier League.
As I write this post, Swansea City is leading 1-0 nothing through a well-worked goal by Leon Britton and I was putting my money on them all along. Swansea City have had, for most of the season a strong season and I honestly believe that Brendan Rodgers' side has the ability to go all the way. Billy Davies, Forest's manager, has been in this situation numerous times before with Preston North End, Derby County, and Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately for him, history is not on his side - and just as I write this, the Swans have gone up 2-0. Billy Davies just seems to not be up for the big games - as he demonstrated in the Premier League back in 2007-2008 when he lead Derby County to the worst ever showing in history. He faltered twice with Preston North End in the playoffs, and he has already faltered once with Forest. Now, it is looking like he is going to falter again - which I was going to call right from the beginning if I had gotten home on time.
On to the other match-up - Cardiff City vs. Reading. I feel as though this is the lesser of the two match-ups. I think it is really cool that there are two Welsh teams in the playoffs, and I really am excited about the prospect of a Welsh coming to the Premier League - but it is not going to be Cardiff City. Reading have been to the Premier League before and have the right combination to beat Cardiff City. As much as I would like to see Wembley blow up with a Cardiff/Swansea, Reading should have enough ability, and be able to go to on to play Swansea City.
Unfortunately for Reading, that will be as far as they go - Swansea City is simply too good, especially since they were able to withstand Nottingham Forest, a team with a similar style of play to Reading, even after the first leg in which they were down one man for 89 minutes. Next season, the Premier League will have it's first Welsh representative. Let's hope I am right.
Cheers Everyone! Next post is my take on the second-coming of Total Football.
No comments:
Post a Comment