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Happy New Year everybody and best wishes for a soccerful 1999.
First of all, for reference, have a look at the latest available table condensed here to the bottom line statistic, which basically tells the story as we enter the New Year. Interestingly, every team has played 20 games and so no team has games in hand at the moment. This allows for a rare and exceptionally accurate picture, which is more often than not clouded by such issues. Remember that no trophies have been decided yet but we are about half way through the process. Aston Villa 39 The first point of note is that only 4 points separate the top 4 teams. This of course means that some huge league games are in the not too distant future when these teams play each other. Paradoxically, the situation at the bottom of the table appears very similar until you consider the vast difference between playing next year in European competition or being relegated to the First division. The point is that all games in the Premier League are huge and every three points is fought for in time honoured tradition. Naturally, "nobody" considered Charlton Athletic to be "serious" contenders a few short months ago when they topped the league and looked good. Now they have just embraced their more typecast role of relegation worriers having entered the bottom three. Does this mean it's easier or harder to visit Charlton and expect a result? Can anyone besides the outrageously arrogant seriously envisage going away to Nottingham Forrest or Blackburn Rovers or Everton and getting the three points easily? Who can predict with conviction the outcome of Leicester City versus Derby County (currently both with 28 points)? A 1-1 tie, I hear you say. This is what makes the English League top level the best in the world week in and week out. It is the consistency of unpredictability which makes the games absorbing. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Happy New Year and Other Stories in Soccer is owned by Joe Martin. Permission to republish Happy New Year and Other Stories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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