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Eurgh.

into 1/10 to be next City boss after a flood of Moyes-type weighty bets appaz.

Stoke are gonna hammer Spurs. Peter Crouch is gonna score a hat-trick. All with his left foot. From 40 yards. He's gonna do the robot. Tom Huddlestone is gonna cry.

i must of missed this bit in every single piece i've read since wednesday

City 0 Wigan 3

Villa 0 Chelsea 2

Stoke 1 Spurs 1
Everton 2 West Ham 0
Fulham 1 Liverpool 2
Norwich 1 West Brom 1
QPR 0 Newcastle 1
Sunderland 1 Southampton 1
United 5 Swansea 0

Labour MP Liam Byrne left a note for his successor saying 'Dear chief secretary, I'm afraid to tell you there's no money left'

It would amazing if Fergie did that.

ex-captain, Chester City legend, all-round great guy. If anyone deserves a trophy it's him.

INJURIES
Wigan have several injuries, but all to borderline squad players and defenders. City have bigger worries. Aguero's nowhere near match-fit, Silva isn't 100%, Yaya will virtually be playing on one leg and other players are shot. Advantage Wigan.

STRIKER PROFLIGACY
City's big problem this season, they can't put the ball in the net. Lots of pretty football, but no-one clinical in the box. Aguero, 30 last season, has about 12. Dzeko's got 14. Tevez 13. Top sides need top strikers, and none of City's have done the business this season. Advantage Wigan.

MANCINI.
Gone. Fin. Told this week. Will be announced sooner rather than later. The players will know. The mood behind the scenes will be low. Can a manager really be motivated when he knows his P45's in the post? Advantage Wigan.

HIGH LINES
City struggle when sides press them high, as we've seen this season in games like Southampton home or away, Everton away, Spurs second half at WHL, Liverpool home and away. When City can't dictate the tempo of a game they get seriously rattled. Make no mistake about it, Wigan will dictate play here. Advantage Wigan.

PACE IN MIDFIELD
Simply, Wigan's midfield has more spunk about it than City's. All City do is break up play, feed, feed, tippy tappy, lose possession. Wigan have pace, on the ball and off it. Maloney and McManaman can kill City down the flaks, and Gomez has the killer ball in him. Advantage Wigan.

LITTLE TO LOSE
City royally ballsed up the title this year and were simply outclassed in Europe. They HAVE TO win the Cup. For Wigan, second place is no shame at all. All the pressure here's on one side. Advantage Wigan.

WHELAN HEADLINE
53 years ago a spritely young Dave Wigan had his leg snapped in the Cup Final, playing for Blackburn Rovers against Wolves. Not only was his game ended, but his career too, and with those days being before the introduction of subs, Blackburn had to play a man down and got royally spanked. This Cup Final's about Whelan. It's everything coming full circle, there's nothing City can to to stop fate in its tracks. Advantage Wigan.

THE PANTS CONUNDRUM
City have the elite goalkeeper in the country, by an absolute street. Best defence in the league for three years on the bounce, though admittedly he's been a bit overcomplacent at times this season. This year, Mancini promised backup keeper Costel Pantilimon the domestic cup games, and he's done very well, conceding few goals, but last night he revealed he's leaving the club. Do you still play him, or do you play the better keeper? Mancini's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Advantage Wigan.

TEMPTING FATE
Yaya Toure's already talking about a periood of City dominance in the pre-match build-up. Naive. In big games, the side who talk more normally end up with egg on their faces. Advantage Wigan.

FERGIE FACTOR
Let's make no bones about it, Fergie leaving Man United's the biggest possible news story that could happen any week. The whole country's talking about it. Rumour has it that it was Fergie's plan to release the news on Saturday morning, only for staff to leak it to the local news outlets after they found out. You wouldn't bet against old ginsoak having one last chuckle, as United's prawn sandwichers wish him goodbye with a resounding home win after City are embarrassed at the national stadium. Advantage Wigan.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME
City won the Cup two years ago. They'll probably get to a few more Finals. Without silverware for decades, but now Cup success along with the odd title will be expected. Whist always special for the fans, will it really be to the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva and, y'know...some of the other lads who've won Champions Leagues and World Cups? Wigan might not get to another Cup Final in our lifetime. This might represent many of their players only chance to win something. Advantage Wigan.

If you know your football, you'd have to say almost everything points towards it being Wigan's trophy.

After several years of successfully relieving the turf accountants of literally billions of pounds, today's my last hurrah. Gonna sting them one final time and not step foot in a bookies again (bar National day, obviously). The winnings are already assigned for a football tour of Europe next season, so thanks to good old Victor Chandler i'll be taking in places like the Dragao, De Kuip, San Mames, the Millerntor Stadion and Parc des Princes. Awooga indeed!

Bet 1) £50 on Wigan (draw or better) @ 5/2.

Bet 2) £32.50 on Wigan outright to win @ 9/1.

King Tipper.

moustache. Ticking another ground off today. Le Stade de Hainaut, Valenciennes v Rennes. Should be a cracker. Joie de vivre!

So proud <3

He's not really a hot property is he in terms of world managers, and they should be able to entice anyone with the money. He's done well getting average sides into the champions league but not winning much. He'd probably have been a better fit for us in that respect.

Also just think how boring that managerial duel would be. Moyes v Pellegrini. After these years of it being so hotly contested by two passionate, successful managers, to that!

would be great to see them taking on luton, hereford and grimsby next year

heartbreak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHeSSb8akHk&;

Why is Chelsea's mascot girl about 20?

Benteke scores. Fucking Villa.

Or maybe he does, I dunno

Fuck sake.

and then he breaks his leg or something

With his shins pads on of course!!

those anti-bants came off perfectly.

The guys on ESPN are getting soaked, ridiculous

Forza but does that a) Lift the Wigan players or b) Distract them?

Villa giving a fine display of shooting themselves in the foot.

Thought Villa played really well for the most part, looked poised to fucking batter us until Benteke got what he deserved.

A 4th win at Villa Park in 15-odd years after being going a goal and a man down ... Stupid me being concerned, eh?

and the win is very handy too.

As a matter of curiosity, are there any other League clubs who have their all-time top scorer still playing for them?

i missed something

After taking a 32 point lead after the first quarter, boosting it to 38 points by the main break, and then dropping THE WHOLE FUCKING LOT to be trailing by 2 points at the 3 minute mark in the final quarter, the Dockers came back booting a magnificent 5.3 to 0.4 across the remaining 25 minutes, to win by 27 points overall (100 - 73). A superb effort from Magic Sunny Walters (4.2) up forward, aided by some excellent footy from Johnson and Ibbotson in the mid-field. Another great show of talent from Luke McPharlin to shut down Collingwood's danger forward, Travis Cloke. The only sour note was Griffin going down clutching his knee — possibly a season-ending ACL injury.

Looking forward to next weekend's away game against Sydney. Before tonight I'd pretty much written Freo off on that one, but I can't help but wonder whether we might be a chance, what with Hill and Fyfe back in the side, and maybe Clarke too. If we do manage to achieve the impossible (beating Sydney in Sydney), it will go a long way towards shoring up our claim to top 4 status.

Wigan will win with a canter

i.e. Big Sam signing a new 2 year deal with West Ham, thus ruling himself out of the Real Madrid job.

http://www.whosay.com/m/juanmata?wsref=fb&code=Fkh5NzW

It needs to be a lot higher than this.

Are those the expensive seats?

whilst we've been playing dogshit, expect (hope) they will tire in the second half. They've got about 8 players sat ten yards outside their box waiting for our inevitable pass straight down the middle. If they had somebody playing ahead of Kone they'd be a really fearsome side.

Injury time winner I reckon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE13GJvMf3Q

definite second yellow

Red card was inevitable, but he doesn't deserve to be talked about in the same breath as Kevin Moran.

Now hang on for dear life for a few minutes (",)

twentynine will be delighted

genuinely thrilled for Wigan

Martinez has won more trophies than United's new manager!

I hope twentynine has an absolutely fucking mental one.

the crazy gang
dave whelan.

talk about martinez more

Wigan hugely deserved that. Martinez got it spot on tactically. Despite being a blustery old tit at times, am really pleased for Dave Whelan.

No one has said 'the magic of the cup' yet, what's going on?

Hard to feel hard done by, we barely turned up; didn't trouble their patched up defence much and it figures we'd get sunk by a classic Barry mispass. Barring one man they are a very likable club and I'm made up for twentynine and Martinez tbh, really am. What a moment for them.

That was the worst cup final since City were last in it.

The best final since the new Wembley was finished? Probably. Both teams at least tried to play football rather than withdrawing and lumping it long. Man City's big names were disappointing, and never looked like they were being allowed to enjoy themselves, but they contributed to to the match more than many will say.

Bit surprised at some of the bitterness of some Man Utd supporters. Bit small-time.

Up dancing and everything

I'm in work in town, and I thought it was oddly muted outside.

so happy for twentynine.

Well done to Wigan absolutely rinsed us.

I rarely bet, and when I do, this happens. Perhaps this forza guy knows what he's on about?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

https://twitter.com/Ankaman616/status/333314449077329920/photo/1

Beautiful day out, even bumped into the love of my life. ^.^

Rather touched some awesome DiSers are pleased for me ^ up there. You're lovely x

Last minute Porto winner. The manager and players looked, understandably, completely dejected at full time. Hoping that's how they stay, rather than doing a bit of a wounded animal thing.

Really fancy Wigan to get something at Arsenal on Tuesday now.

Well done to them. It's depressingly easy to nullify City at the moment.

Someone's thrown themselves in front of a train. Doubt Sky will be pushing the kick-off back today - missing our 12th man for the first half RAG CONSPIRACY

Still fully expect Spurs to win 4-1 though.

SCENES

Can't believe this is the third time that exact situation - saved penalty in stoppage time, team goes up the other end and scores - has happened in games like this in the last couple of weeks.

Excellent result in the playoffs - either get the team my work sponsors (Watford), the team from my adopted hometown of eight years (Brighton), or effectively my local team to where I grew up (Palace) go up to the Premier League.

what on earth is going on with all the missed penalties leading to goals down the other end, clearly Leicester learned nothing from Brentford's experience.

Chuffed for Watford, they were definitely the better side and if they go up and keep most of their loan players they'd probably have one of the more skilful midfields in the Premiership.

And Charlie Adam the complete thundercunt is sent off too :DDD

he always was good at saving penalties

I don't REALLY want there anything to play for next week (£50!)

ANOTHER late Spurs goal.

...is that wrong? At least we'll win some games in the Championship...also I live near Brighton and losing to them in a play-off final would involve me staying indoors and avoiding everyone I know for the whole of the next season!

with immediate effect.

but if we can hold on to this lead I won't care in the slightest. We have been so gash recently though, we barely deserve to stay up.

gets sent off. how apt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWD_Ivof3Wo

Ben Foster howler :D

really hope his next season isn't so injury disrupted

I SAY

I know it's not a great game, but even so.

... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCowxH0FGzQ

I actually just made a Gary Neville Goal-Gasm noise at that

we need a big change in footballing philosophy for next season though. The stat about us having the highest proportion of long balls in the division is pretty staggering considering some of the players we have. Can't see Ben Arfa and Cisse wanting to stay for much longer at a club that plays the way we do.

Pardew deserves a bit more time, god knows we need some long-term stability, but if he's not willing to do things differently then we'll just find ourselves in the same position again. Even last season, we played mediocre football a lot of the time but were just good/lucky at grinding results out.

the only teams that can now go down are Wigan, Villa and Sunderland?

real sad defeated relegation type performance

stopping a ball with his armpit there

rather than called a soft-brained bender or whatever it was, but would sacking Mancini really be that harsh?

I know and understand why City fans don't want to become an embarassing revolving door management hell hole, and that Mancini wasn't really given the players he wanted last summer, but just one real title challenge (albeit a deservedly victorious one) and no trips beyond the CL group stages (again, albeit despite coming up against strong opposition) in three years is not what I'd expect or be content with if I was the one pumping hundreds of millions of pounds into the club.

I can see why fans like him and would want him to stay- pretty charismatic, not afraid to rile the neighbours, was in charge during huge trophy wins and very special moments. But from the perspective of the people who are investing out of their own pocket, I'd not be impressed.

sounded a bit jaded imo.

that's nice

He's been a vital cog for them this season.

http://i.minus.com/iV7dVcBlRainq.gif

Certainly haven't done well in this thread have I.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/05/12/3974043/i-dont-care-if-arsenal-beat-us-4-0-pardew-elated-after-newcastle-?source=breakingnews&ICID=HP_BN_1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QX6QhEZ9Cvw#t=402s
looks about 2 inches taller too

Hoping for goals, but think its gonna be a bit shit right?

http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/8708759/late-drama-at-vicarage-road

think the money shot is about 1 min 5

What an absolute disaster for Ben Foster.

despite the leeds thing. he looks like loads of people i went to school with

can't get enough of harry slagging his players off

fans later said it was out of boredom