Royal Blue Jersey
Player Valuation: £35m
I mean, just look at the possible permutations:
Promotion
Before
2. Hull 78
3. Watford 77
Both Watford and Hull go behind; Watford's keeper is absolutely taken out by his own defender and is taken to hospital, so theres 16(!) minutes of injury time first half. Hull and Watford both equalise; Hull take the lead, which means they are guarenteed promotion if they hang on. They get a penalty in the 90th minute (Cardiff already down to 10 men) and already the fans come on the pitch, but they miss it - and Cardiff go up the other end and get a penalty! They score it, 2-2. The Watford game is going on still and they need a goal, but with everyone pushed forward Leeds break and make it 1-2.
After:
Hull 81
Watford 77
Play-Offs
Before
5. Palace 69 +10
6. Bolton 67 +8
7. Forest 67 +5
8. Leicester 65 +22
Leicester were playing Forest - East Midlands derby! - needing to win to stand any chance; Forest needed a win too. Bolton were playing Blackpool - Lancashire derby! - a win would virtually guarantee them playoffs and a draw would do so long as Forest and Leicester drew too. Palace were playing Peterborough, a point would probably be enough.
Bolton come from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 thinking they've got themselves a playoff place, but just as final whistle blows the news comes through that Leicester have won 2-3 with an injury time winner, meaning they miss out on goal difference. Palace, now not even needing a draw, end up winning 3-2 with a last minute goal as well.
After:
Palace 72 +11
Leicester 68 +23
Bolton 68 +8
Forest 67 +4
Relegation
Before
18. Huddersfield 57 -20
19. Millwall 56 -10
20. Sheff Wed 55 -10
21 Peterborough 54 -8
22 Barnsley 54 -14
Wolves went out with a whimper and were relegated alongside Bristol City. There were so many permutations regarding relegation; Barnsley v Huddersfield was crucial to the outcome of the whole scenario (Yorkshire derby - yet ANOTHER one!). Barnsley go 0-1 up; Huddersfield equalise. Barnsley take the lead again only for Huddersfield to equalise in the last 10 minutes, 2-2. Sheff Wed beat Middlesbrough comfortably (they were 2nd in the table in January, ended up finishing 16th and only 5pts off relegation, shows what a mad season it has been) 2-0 to secure their safety. Millwall get beat 1-0 and if Peterborough can win they will go above them and Barnsley into the safety of 19th place: despite taking the lead twice, they are pegged back twice. It's 2-2 after 90 minutes and that will be enough to take them above Barnsley on goal difference...but another injury time winner, this time Palace's, mean they are relegated. The cruellest/most brilliant stat of all is that last year, you only needed 41pts to survive: this season, it took 55. So you could've finished 13pts above safety last season and been relegated this one. What a season!
After:
18. Sheff Wed 58 -8
19. Huddersfield 58 -20
20. Millwall 56 -11
21. Barnsley 55 -14
22. Peterborough 54 -9
Promotion
Before
2. Hull 78
3. Watford 77
Both Watford and Hull go behind; Watford's keeper is absolutely taken out by his own defender and is taken to hospital, so theres 16(!) minutes of injury time first half. Hull and Watford both equalise; Hull take the lead, which means they are guarenteed promotion if they hang on. They get a penalty in the 90th minute (Cardiff already down to 10 men) and already the fans come on the pitch, but they miss it - and Cardiff go up the other end and get a penalty! They score it, 2-2. The Watford game is going on still and they need a goal, but with everyone pushed forward Leeds break and make it 1-2.
After:
Hull 81
Watford 77
Play-Offs
Before
5. Palace 69 +10
6. Bolton 67 +8
7. Forest 67 +5
8. Leicester 65 +22
Leicester were playing Forest - East Midlands derby! - needing to win to stand any chance; Forest needed a win too. Bolton were playing Blackpool - Lancashire derby! - a win would virtually guarantee them playoffs and a draw would do so long as Forest and Leicester drew too. Palace were playing Peterborough, a point would probably be enough.
Bolton come from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 thinking they've got themselves a playoff place, but just as final whistle blows the news comes through that Leicester have won 2-3 with an injury time winner, meaning they miss out on goal difference. Palace, now not even needing a draw, end up winning 3-2 with a last minute goal as well.
After:
Palace 72 +11
Leicester 68 +23
Bolton 68 +8
Forest 67 +4
Relegation
Before
18. Huddersfield 57 -20
19. Millwall 56 -10
20. Sheff Wed 55 -10
21 Peterborough 54 -8
22 Barnsley 54 -14
Wolves went out with a whimper and were relegated alongside Bristol City. There were so many permutations regarding relegation; Barnsley v Huddersfield was crucial to the outcome of the whole scenario (Yorkshire derby - yet ANOTHER one!). Barnsley go 0-1 up; Huddersfield equalise. Barnsley take the lead again only for Huddersfield to equalise in the last 10 minutes, 2-2. Sheff Wed beat Middlesbrough comfortably (they were 2nd in the table in January, ended up finishing 16th and only 5pts off relegation, shows what a mad season it has been) 2-0 to secure their safety. Millwall get beat 1-0 and if Peterborough can win they will go above them and Barnsley into the safety of 19th place: despite taking the lead twice, they are pegged back twice. It's 2-2 after 90 minutes and that will be enough to take them above Barnsley on goal difference...but another injury time winner, this time Palace's, mean they are relegated. The cruellest/most brilliant stat of all is that last year, you only needed 41pts to survive: this season, it took 55. So you could've finished 13pts above safety last season and been relegated this one. What a season!
After:
18. Sheff Wed 58 -8
19. Huddersfield 58 -20
20. Millwall 56 -11
21. Barnsley 55 -14
22. Peterborough 54 -9
