Wembley Warriors!

Promotion to the Premier League, as Cardiff will hopefully find out next season, does not automatically make you a Premier League team. For some teams they are back in the Championship before they come close and for others, Stoke perhaps, just as they have finally established themselves relegation comes a calling.

Amongst those who did not feel like a Premier League team on their introduction to England's top tier were Wigan Athletic. A small club, who rose from the 84th best team in England to 10th in just 10 years, they were never going to be well followed.

Coming from a Rugby League town and surrounded by Manchester and Liverpool, along with many other Lancastrian footballing strongholds, Athletic have struggled, even now in the Premier League, to be fashionable. But, after finishing 10th in their first season, Wigan are still in the Premier League 8 years on. They may battle most seasons  just to stay in and once again they could go down but the Latics are well and truly an established Premier League side.

The "Pie Eaters" now have some top quality players, Arouna Kone, Shaun Maloney and Jordi Gomez to name but a few, they play attractive passing football, have an intelligent manager with a strong philosophy and a chairman who genuinely cares about the club and town where the club is from. All of which sounds extremely likeable. However there are many who still look down their noses at the low attendances at the DW Stadium and use this as a reason to suggest Wigan should not be a Premier League team.

Wigan's average attendance is often less than a Championship side but when considering their rapid rise as a team, the history of rugby league in the town and the locality of famously bigger sides than themselves this is unsurprising- they simply grew in stature quicker than they could generate new fans. People criticised the club for underselling their tickets for the FA Cup Semi Final by 10,000 but no trains ran direct to Wigan from London after the final whistle and in a world of recession, expecting fans to travel down to London twice in a month is ludicrous.

The naysayers think Wigan's constant scrapping for survival on the last day suggests they do not belong in the top tier but the league table at the end of the season rarely lies, on top of which did Everton not go through a period of hanging on for dear life to stay up and that when they were a well and truly established side.

When people consider teams they don't support but have a soft spot for the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Swansea are often mentioned because of their passing style but Wigan are somehow left off this list. In modern football a 3-4-3 might be seen as a risk but that does not stop Roberto Martinez from playing it, and his players have adapted well, unlike the superstars at Manchester City who have failed to welcome Roberto Mancini's 3-5-2 formation.

It is truly amazing how much Wigan's players respect, not only their manager, but also their chairman whom many of them praised at the end of the match against Millwall on Saturday. And it's easy to see in the reaction of both Martinez and Whelan  how much the clubs success means to them- Martinez could barely stop smiling in the post match interview.

When Wigan return to Wembley, home of many rugby league successes for the town, to face Manchester City on May 11th many may turn their affection to Wigan but only because they envy City's success and won't want them winning. The truth is that we should be supporting Wigan because we have a soft spot for them.

Perhaps if Martinez can lead his side to a memorable and improbable FA Cup victory some will consider eating humble pie. And if so, I know a great place to get it from.

Doffing my Baseball Cap and Glasses

It seems the North West of the country is full of football teams easy to dislike; the Manchester clubs- for their success, Wigan- for seemingly no reason, Liverpool- for well, being Liverpool, Blackburn- because of their owners and of course Stoke City. I don't need to tell you why, you already hate them.

Tony Pulis' men go against all that we are told is the 'right way' to play football in this day and age. Barcelona are potentially the best team to ever play football as Stoke are the polar opposite it's fair to assume they are the worst.

After Stoke lost to Manchester United it seems that 'The Potters' are really staring down the barrel of relegation. The manager, Pulis, seems to be on the way out and many are glad. Pulis' style, or lack thereof, is pretty much to have his team hoof the ball  up to a tall striker and hope to cause havoc- it wins him few fans.

When Pulis leaves Stoke, and I believe he should whether his team stay up or not, he should actually be fondly remembered. He has done wonders to turn the team into an established Premier League side, has taken them to an FA Cup final, delivered European football and delivered players with reputations far beyond logical thinking.

Pulis, and his uncompromising style, demand our respect, not derision. I will doff my baseball cap and lift my glasses- relegation or not.

And the nominees are...

It's been a busy few weeks in the world of cinema, it's always the same this time of year. In the past month or so the silver screen has seen esteemed awards, in the shape of Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Oscars, go to the likes of Ben Affleck, Adele, Christopher Waltz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Emmanuelle Riva, Jennifer Lawrence and Ang Lee, to name but a few.

In football it's always a busy few weeks, recently we've had a slew of F.A cup shocks, fantastic Champions League games, some absolute 'thronkers', to borrow a phrase from Football Focus' Dan Walker, and of course the very first 'Pulled off at Half Time' Podcast, featuring me. But many people seem to have mixed up football's busy period with that of cinema with many starting to speculate on who will be this season's "Player of the Year." The confusion has come after yet another wonderful performance, and goals, from Gareth Bale against West Ham United on Monday. Added to the fact that the voting slips for football's end of season awards come out famously early, although not this early, and you've got a myriad of speculation.

It's clearly too early to be considering player of the year with many pivotal moments to come in the next 11 games. Now, obviously, I'm not suggesting the player who performs best in the next 11 games should win the award I simply mean the 'run in' may tip the scales towards one of the contenders.

All this got me thinking, in this mini season of 11 games who is the player who will be the most important?

And the nominations are...
In alphabetical order

Gareth Bale
The Welshman has been almost unstoppable recently, his 2 free kicks at home against Lyon and his top class goal against West Ham amongst his many match winning performances for Spurs, but the winger will have to keep up his current form if Spurs are to clinch a top 4 spot, with 2nd still up for grabs. The North London side have the hardest of run ins with home matches against Southampton and Sunderland the only 'easy' games on a list that includes the North London derby and away trips to Liverpool, Swansea, Chelsea and Stoke. Ironically a good end to the season for Bale may propel his side into the Champions League but may make the likes of Real Madrid more determined to stop him playing for Spurs next season.

Christian Benteke
Aston Villa have been absolutely awful for most of this season, with performances against Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United being some of the few exceptions (though they only won one of those matches), and find themselves in the relegation zone during Paul Lambert's first season in charge. Villa's young side have missed the experience of club captain Stylian Petrov, battling against leukaemia, and so their only hope of survival falls to the young Belgian striker Benteke who has so far bagged himself 15 goals.

Jussi Jaaskelainen
It seems odd that I would include a 'keeper' for a team seemingly on the way to mid-table obscurity on this list but the 'Hammers' are in a run that certainly suggests relegation form, winning twice and losing 8 times since beating surprisingly beating Chelsea on December 1st. If Jaaskelainen can continue his form from Monday's match against Spurs, as well as call on his previous experience of relegation fights with Bolton, then West Ham should be okay.

Arouna Kone
"Shock as Wigan win in late February" was never going to be a headline as Wigan brushed aside 10 man Reading at the weekend, after all the Latics are well known for their sudden revivals in the last third of the season. Roberto Martinez, and Paul Jewell before him, has become well versed in keeping his Wigan team in the Premier League, often on the last day of the season. The difference between this season and previous ones is Kone, a genuine match winning goal scorer, and the man who may well keep the 'Pie Eaters' up before their last day encounter with Aston Villa.

Wojciech Szczesny
The second goalkeeper on the list, and player who's name I looked at about 8 times before typing it correctly, Arsenal's custodian will be more important to his side's battle to be in the top 4 than the likes of Walcott, Podolski and Giroud. The 'Gunners' will always score goals but it is not so certain that they will stop them going in. The Pole is so important because Arsenal's other choices have had so little football and because the defence in front of him can be so shaky. In Szczseny can find his best form then Arsene Wenger's team could still pick up a trophy this season (I know and you know 4th place isn't a trophy but apparently Arsene doesn't).

John Terry 
Love him or hate him, and I loathe him, it's difficult to reject the importance of John Terry to Chelsea football club on the pitch, and in the dug out. "Captain, Leader, Legend" Terry has plenty of influence in the 'Blues' dressing room, which he's showed by helping get rid of Andre Villas Boas and guiding Roberto Di Matteo through his managerial stint to win the Champions League, and with the dressing room in current disarray he is the only man who can pull it together. 'J.T' is also important on the pitch which has become more and more evident during his run on the sideline through injury. Terry could be the man who performs miracles and leads Chelsea into the top 4 and F.A cup success- although he won't be able to get Fernando Torres to score.

And the winner is...

Yeah right, don't get ahead of yourself!

That's All Folks

So the dust has settled once again, although this time no smoke to clear from the cigar of a Chelsea manager- see June 1st 2009 for reference. And as last season it was all tied up with a lovely FA Cup win for Chelsea. This time though there is no English representation in the Champions League final so it'll be as far away as June 12th till we see some competitive football with Englishmen involved, can you last?

Reading over June 1st's post I notice that I alluded to Portsmouth possibly having some new money from new investors, oh the ironies of life. In fact I was of course wrong with many of the things I pointed out not even a year ago but then predicting the future has never been a skill of mine.

Back to today though and I must say congratulations to Chelsea, they fully deserve their double this season. Those in the past, not me, who have complained about Chelsea's lack of 'history' must now surely be silenced as their 'history' is now created in the present. Their league triumph was especially special, any team who scores over 100 league goals in a season truly deserves to win the league. It was also good to see a well contested final especially when, judging on the league season just gone, it could easily have been a battering.

Talking of a good old battering it would could not have been a more apt way to decribe the season Pompey and their fans must have been feeling this season, they have been utterly battered from pilar to post. And yet they came within the boot of Petr Cech of finishing the season as FA Cup winners. All this has meant their usually amazing fans have looked even more incredible this season and I for once shall miss them being in the Premierleague next season.

The first time I encountered Portsmouth fans in January 2003 at Old Trafford in an FA Cup third round match the season that they went on to win the Championship in. I was in awe at the size and noise of the crown for a mid-day Saturday afternoon kick off in the FA Cup. I thank them for that experience and honestly hope they some how make it back to the Premierleague in the near future only this time in a much better financial state.

And now it's time for me to wrap up the domestic season with a salute to my none PFA team of the year.

Goalkeeper; Where the PFA opted for Joe Hart, and rightly so, I'm going to go with a 'keeper' who has performed well- as he always does- but even more impressively due to his off field problems. It is Edwin van der Saar, coming back after injury and a serious illness to his wife to be as solid as ever.

Defence; My defence is made up of Leighton Baines, Michael Dawson, Vincent Kompany and Carlos Cuellar. It was a difficult choice and certainly many arguments could be made for the inclusion of player's such as Ledley King and James Collins. Baines has been integral to Everton's resurgence and is most likely to be Ashley Cole's understudy at the World Cup. Dawson has had an excellent season coming off the back of a pretty ordinary one last year, his next 12 months may be even bigger if he gets to pit his skills against the best in the world in South Africa and next seasons Champions League. Kompany moved from centre mid to centre back so effortlessly and nearly helped guide Manchester City into the top four, it was a big move for the Belgian as you can't help but think he'd be out at Eastlands next season if he was still in midfield. Carlos Cuellar was a rock at right back for Aston Villa's incredible defence this season in all three domestic competitions.

Midfield; Florent Malouda, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Pienaar. Malouda has gone from a player with lots of promise who underperformed to a player in his element who helped win a double with some truly inspirational displays. If any player shows the value of rolling back the years it is Paul Scholes, another season where he was written off as being past it turned into another season where United could barely do without him- his goal at Eastlands kept United in the title when all seemed lost, just a shame it was all lost in the end anyway. 22 goals from central midfield is almost all that needs to be said about Frank Lampard and yet he brings so much more than that- pure inspiration and a calm enough head to tell Drogba who's going to be taking the penalties (maybe should have chosen Drogba in the cup final). Pienaar has been linked to Manchester United and Arsenal only a week after the season has finished and based on some of his perfromances it's easy to see why. If Arteta, Jagielka, Fellaini and co had been around all season to help out Pienaar, Liverpool may well have found themselves not even in the Europa League next season.

Attack; "When the ball hits row Zed there's one thing you can bet, it's not Zamora" but the Fulham striker, despite an incredible season- especially in the Europa League- still misses out. Instead I've plumped for the strike force of Fernando Torres and Carlos Tevez. Liverpool have often been referred to as a two man team and yet with Gerrard having such an average season that seemed to become a one man team, which isn't too bad when that man is Fernando Torres, who managed 18 league goals despite all the injuries. Imagine a world where Carlos Tevez still played for United- they'd have become Champions and City may not have even been in the Europa League. Not because City are a one man team but because Tevez can galvinise any side with his juggernaut like energy.

The manager; Roy Hodgson might be a good shout but his LMA award rules him out as far as I'm concerned. Zola could be considered after having to deal with Moron Gold and Moron Sullivan, and he nearly sneaked it after bringing out coffee to the press outside his house last week. Tony Pullis could be an outside bet after being the only manager to improve a promoted teams points tally in their second season. But I'm going with the man who this season had the hardest job in football- Mr. Avram Grant!

So that's it for the domestic season! Dust settled and all! Time to pack your bags and jump on a plane, for South Africa is just around the corner- bloody big corner if you ask me!

Game Over?! Oh it's just about to start!

So as the dust settled and the smoke of Guus Hiddink's cigar cleared it was clear for all to see... the season was over! Not just here but everywhere, in Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland and Portugal, all over Europe seasons were coming to an end, be it leagues or cups that brought down the curtain. For some of the world's most famous and legendary players it was game over for good, as in Italy, Pavel Nedved, Luis Figo and most legendary of them all Paolo Maldini, retired. Heroes of their clubs and countries 3 men modern football could truly be proud to call it's own.

They'll no doubt be some one on Sky Sports News telling us exactly how many months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds till we next see the likes of Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard (we always go on about foreign players I thought I'd go a different way this time) but why should we care. Firstly we'll be seeing these three, and the other non-injured England players, twice in the next 10 days in World Cup qualifiers, first a horrible trip to Kazakhstan and then a home match against Andorra. Secondly who needs these overpaid and under performing (not so much since Capello but they've still won nothing with him) England seniors when we've got the overpaid but pretty good under 21s (still won nothing but we seem to think they're better) battling it out with the rest of Europe's kids to become the best under 21 team in our fair continent.

The third reason we shouldn't listen to SSN's detailed countdown to the season, which of course is so important to them because they don't have this weeks internationals, is that the best part of the season is about to begin, in fact in its own right this time of year is a different season... SILLY SEASON!!!! It began in earnest this morning with the news that Carlo Ancelotti has become the new Chelsea manager. But with Sunderland yet to have a new manager in place, though it may be that Wigan swap places, thus the Latics being the ones looking, and of course Celtic also looking for a man to beat Rangers, the managerial merry-go-round is far from over. But managers are pretty boring, it's all about who they want to buy that excites us all. The most intriguing of team will be the usual suspects no doubt.

Chelsea's millions along with their new manager and new direction has them linked with Kaka, Pirlo, Aguero, Adebayor, Tevez, Ribery and Villa, to name just a few. Manchester City's billions have seen them linked with far too many to name but pretty much everyone from Messi to Sidle is being linked. City are made more interesting by the fact this is their second season with money, and one where most have none, but their first in which they already have a squad with several quality players. It is the Chelseaesque balancing act that they must begin, where to buy quality players for big money without forgetting about those we already have. The must improve the defence, but what of those they have already bought such as Zabaleta and Bridge, those promising but inconsistent youngsters Richards and Onuoha or team captain but highly frustrating Richard Dunne.

Sunderland and possibly Portsmouth owned by new foreign money will be keen to push away from relegation candidates to mid-table or possibly a fight for Europe. Of course the newly promoted sides will look to spend some money to avoid relegation, but not so much as to bankrupt the team as they fly back down the leagues. Fulham will buy to prepare for the Europa League, but as usual will teams like Aston Villa really fight to win Europe's poorer competition, or will they keep dreaming of a top four finish. Liverpool and Arsenal, along with the already mentioned Chelsea will hope to buy big to catch Manchester United. Having said that, for all Arsene Wenger's brilliant management, buying players to catch the champions is not his forte, he will need to lose his stubbornness and buy experienced players. United though, whilst some thought will be on the chasing pack don't fool yourself into thinking Sir Alex will buy to keep them at bay, more likely it'll be to chase Barcelona.

In the world of Sunday League transfers and transfer budgets are not amongst our greatest of worries. For a team who's season ended playing wise several weeks ago a line was drawn under the sand on Sunday night at the end of season awards. A goalkeeper and a left back won the awards for the best players and rightly so. But it's not the awards that really mattered last night (they matter more today), but it was the joy of seeing some friends get together, party and thank thier manager for his hard work, a little like the Chelsea boys and that smoking Dutch man.

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot our friends at Sky! One last reason you shouldn't care about the countdown. And this might sound strange from such a massive football fan, is that we can celebrate the fact there's no more football. Open a beer, toast your team, sit back, relax and watch the beauty of Roger Federer's tennis or a Lion's rugby union match or of course that very British thing an Ashes's summer. Football will be back, but for now let's forget it!