ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Settling the nerves

I've just checked out our remaining fixtures again and it's reminded me as to how tough enough run in it could be. To try and settle my nerves a little I checked Portsmouth's and Villa's run ins, these clubs being our nearest rivals for fifth.

Portsmouth's are: West Ham (A) Newcastle (H) Man City (A) Blackburn (H) Boro (A) Fulham (A)

This set of games is almost as tough as our own and Portsmouth also now have one eye on the Cup Final. While I appreciate that players will be playing for places in the Cup Final squad between now and then, I think Harry would want a full and fit squad to choose from for the cup final and might rest players. The Cup Final is a rare opportunity for Portsmouth to win some silverware and I think it will grab their full attention,or at least distract them enough to allow us and Villa to take advantage.

Villa's games are: Bolton (H) Derby (A) Birmingham (H) Everton Wigan (H) West Ham (A)

This is obviously the easiest run in of all three clubs and I think that we have more to fear from Villa than Portsmouth. But, if some of these teams Villa are facing are still in with a shout of avoiding relegation then they might be tougher games than you would think. Villa, like ourselves, haven't got a huge squad and might not have the legs to overtake us.

So to our own games. Six points from Derby and Birmingham is a must for ourselves over the next week. And it is achievable. Chelsea have a run of games over the next couple of weeks so it is possible that we can take something from that game. The Villa game could be decisive but I would be happy with not losing ground to them depending on our results up to then. Arsenal and Newcastle are going to be genuinely tough games but we may just have done enough points at that stage to have fifth place sown up.

I know this all sounds a little fanciful but there would seem to be enough realism in it to settle my nerves for now. Ask me again Tuesday night after our game today and Pompey's on Tuesday and you might get a different answer.
Kieran Fitzgerald, Dublin Posted 06/04/2008 at 13:09:08

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Viv Sharma
1 Posted 05/04/2008 at 14:26:37

Apologies if this has been covered a hundred times but can someone please clear this up for us once and for all. We have just watched Pompey scrape a win to get to the FA Cup Final and we have been arguing all game about who to support!? If Pompey win the cup and pip us to fifth, would we still get a Uefa Cup spot in 6th? Anyone know?

Micky Norman
2 Posted 06/04/2008 at 13:59:09

If Pompey win the cup and finish 5th then 6th in the league gets a Uefa place

Garry Corgan
3 Posted 06/04/2008 at 14:13:11

Correct me if I?m wrong but if the team winning the FA cup had already qualified for the Uefa Cup by way of league position then previously the Uefa Cup place would have gone to the FA Cup runners up.

Only if both FA cup finalists had qualified for the Uefa Cup (or betters) through other means would the Uefa Cup place go to the league.

Neil Pearse
4 Posted 06/04/2008 at 14:39:26

Thanks Garry! A whole new meaning to the phrase ?nightmare scenario?. We are pipped to the Uefa Cup places by... Barnsley. (I?d almost rather be pipped by the RS.)

Mark Cassin
5 Posted 06/04/2008 at 08:28:26

5th Place Cemented?? After the panic after the derby and, as Alex Ferguson would say "squeaky bottom time" by some about Pompey catching us I had to laugh that Moyes compared Pompey's position to ours chasing Liverpool. Very positive! We now play Derby today and then away to Birmingham. Pompey have West Ham away on Tuesday and then are home to Newcastle. It is my belief that we will take maximum points and Pompey will take 1 point against the Hammers. This will put us out of sight of them - a prediction fair enough although Hammers and Geordies are playing better recently.

Portsmouth and the rest of them can only dream as in 2 games time we will be in 4th place 9 points ahead of Pompey with 4 games to play.

Viv Sharma
6 Posted 06/04/2008 at 15:46:15

Thanks Micky and Gerry for trying to clear that up.
Still don’t know what to believe, but the one thing Im sure of is that at ht, 0-0 with Derby is fucking appauling and if we dont romp home in the second half, there is a good chance our slump will cost us big time!!!!!!!!
Heres to a 4 goal second half spree god willing...

Brian Waring
7 Posted 06/04/2008 at 16:01:05

Yeah Mark, just like the predicted 6pts from Fulham and West Ham, made by some people. Let’s just take one game at a time.

Helen Pull
8 Posted 06/04/2008 at 18:54:54

The only thing you can guarantee about Everton is you can?t guarantee anything, Especially beating Birmingham :)

John Sreet
9 Posted 06/04/2008 at 19:06:37

As I understand it, Cardiff cannot represent England in the Uefa Cup so even if they win or lose, Uefa places now go down to sixth place

Gareth Holme
10 Posted 06/04/2008 at 19:16:17

Guys

This has been covered on other threads.

The FA Cup runners up only qualify for UEFA cup if the FA Cup winners have qualified for the Champions League. So if Portsmouth get 5th and win the cup, they will have only qualified for UEFA cup, not champs league, so the remaining spot will go to league 6th place rather than the cup runners up. Hope that makes sense.

The "nightmare scenario" we face is Portsmouth getting 5th place ahead of us, but losing the cup final (subject to whatever the FA decide regarding Cardiff being a Welsh club)

Ric Wallace
11 Posted 06/04/2008 at 21:18:05

Heard on radio before that now Cardiff are in the final of FA Cup it means 6th place in Prem will also get Europe as Cardiff are not allowed to represent a foreign league in European competitions. As 5th and 6th place look to be Pompey's and ours, surely it means we have at least secured Uefa cup football next season?

Keith Glazzard
12 Posted 07/04/2008 at 00:12:26

Forgive me for asking what may be a stupid question about Europe next season. Finish 4th or 5th and we know what happens (I think). We now know that Portsmouth play Cardiff in the FA Cup Final. Can that result have any consequences for us? And should our friendly neighbourhood Shitehawks win the penalty shootout cup, would this affect the 'English' entry to the ECL?

Alan Reddish
13 Posted 07/04/2008 at 20:07:24

I am not sure if this has been discussed already, but if the English and Welsh F.A. have denied Cardiff a UEFA cup spot (as seems to be the case according to most web sites, even though Platini has said he will put them in as a wild card if they win the cup, and fair play to him for that), does that mean Portsmouth have already qualified for that Uefa Cup place???

Machiel Barnard
14 Posted 08/04/2008 at 07:38:34

Please can someone explain to me the UEFA cup qualification process with the news that Cardiff can not qualify by being in the final of the FA cup? How many places are available now?