Match of the day 2007/2008 - Final Day Relegation Battle

Now my next upload is from the final day of the 2007/08 Premier League season the day that saw Manchester United win their 17th League title and 10th since the birth of the Premier League in 1992 after beating Wigan at the DW. But for many fans the excitement wasn't at the DW Stadium it was at the bottom of the table and the fight for survival as 3 teams Fulham, Birmingham and Reading duked it out to avoid 2 relegation spots only 1 would survive. The Cottagers went to Portsmouth who had 1 eye on Cardiff and the FA Cup Final the following Saturday knowing that if they won they would complete one of the best escapes in Premier League history. Anything less Reading who slipped below the drop line the previous week after registering a 6th straight match without a goal as they lost 1-0 at home to Tottenham would best placed to take advantage, the Royals were at Pride Park to face Derby who that season broke several unwanted records. But if both Fulham and Reading fail to win highly unlikely because Derby were hopeless that season I mean they were that bad then Birmingham still had a chance of getting out of it if they won at home against Blackburn. Enjoy this one folks this is a cracker.

[@DheloneZone259]

That Derby on 11 points caught me off guard

[@scientiaestpotentia2007]

Yeah it’s a record.

[@circle1552]

I remember the 07-08 season like it was yesterday and oh boy were Derby horrendous that season. Felt sorry for their fans.

[@corradomantovani477]

@@circle1552 I

[@glennchinyangarara8225]

Sheffield United broke their record for most premier league goals conceded in a season

[@Ultraway13]

So in 2007/08 Fulham were fighting for survival "only" to secure an Europa League spot the next season. And after that they played in UEL final. Crazy.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

some good signings and Roy Hodgson got them playing cohesively

[@zettahertzes]

Derby finished that season with only 11 points. 1W-8D-29L. They also went winless in 33 consecutive matches.

[@joecurran2811]

Fucking inexcusable that is.

[@zophori]

Their only win that season was at home against Newcastle United. Not to mention that Derby had a -69 goal difference that season

[@mattsmith4589]

That type of losing could make any man depressed

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@zophori sheffield united could blow that record away

[@zophori]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 They have already broken the record for most goals conceded in a 38 game season, and the most goals conceded at home in any era of the Premiership.

[@Charlie2008]

Can’t believe Fulham went from a relegation battle to European football

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

they bought very wisely in the summer following this Mark Schwartzer, Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson came in and they were very good defensively with Hughes and Hangerland

[@FilmdudeJC94]

And to a European Final, man what a time to be a Fulham fan during that period

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@FilmdudeJC94 they were superb at home as well in 08/09 Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United were beaten at craven cottage. In fact they took 4 points off arsenal that season because they drew 0-0 at the Emirates as well plus held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw there as well.

[@DidgeTheGooner]

Leicester did it to becoming Champions. Crazy

[@kcxy06]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 you are spot on. Roy Hodgson basically transformed Fulham. Summer 2008 was a really positive transformation, and Fulham went on to finish in the European places in 08/09 after surviving relegation on the final day in 07/08

[@charlesthebrick5251]

It’s Murphy’s Law that keeps Al Fayed in the Premier League 🔥

[@DC42087]

Watching in 240p is a struggle

[@peterruff5810]

All eyes years ago thought they was watching 4K Ultra HD.

[@weekendwarriorprospecting817]

Obviously uploaded on a potato 🥔

[@damienbrown6764]

Jesus Christ Roy has been old forever

[@declanthomas7159]

Derby really were shocking that season

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

shocking is being kind clueless, woeful, disgraceful, hopeless, brainless would be more specific

[@antcunningham1997]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 derby county 07 08 what a pathetic excuse of a team it was, no fight, no desire whatsoever.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@antcunningham1997 with this defeat they equalled Loughborough's now 122 year football league record of managing just a solitary win 1-0 at home to Newcastle throughout the season.

[@rohithraman6488]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 Allardyce should have been sacked for that alone tbh

[@Ramboost007]

There are always two or three teams in the Champions League every year that score more points in the group stage than Derby did all season

[@simonludlow8645]

Top class interview from Roy. Top professional

[@JohnGolf123]

As a Birmingham fan, it was always going to be difficult once Hodgson got Fulham firing, but after they beat us 2-0 a matter of weeks before the final day, it was game over as far as us staying up. It was our first season back in the PL after relegation, and we were woefully under strength, nothing like the team that came up in 2002.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

It was the Saturday before this that happened its on here if you can stomach reliving it

[@hakc97again]

Dunno how you managed to get results over both North London teams.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@hakc97again Spurs were very average that season that Larsson goal was a screamer but Birmingham had only themselves to blame blowing a 2-0 lead against a second string Liverpool side and failing to beat hapless Derby at home proved crucial

[@hakc97again]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 Martin Taylor cost us the league

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@hakc97again Not the KZbinr who has lots of old footy footage joking aside it was that miserable FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford that cost Arsenal the title because that was the trigger for the miserable 8 game run when they won only once the comeback v Bolton

[@jordanramsden9733]

Rest In Peace David Gold

[@OldAvenueRadioOAR]

Mauro Zarate… the true journeyman!

[@anthonyeconomou6954]

The was still playing for West Ham and Watford 10 years later 😂

[@cindershots]

This was great. Thanks for the upload

[@rocketking2589]

Such a shame to see how far Pompeii have fallen since leaving the Prem.

[@youngdolo8]

Your autocorrect has had a shocker there 😂

[@r3zaful]

What the actual fuck is pompei

[@weekendwarriorprospecting817]

I was left to my own devices 😂 And the walls came tumbling down on the city that we love. Great clouds all over the hill bringing darkness from above. 😂😂

[@quentinballard8321]

Did anyone else spot huhg Grant around 4:05 ?! He's a lifelong Fulham fan

[@alfiemoon2516]

Birmingham always seemed to be in a relegation battle until the very end I noticed. In the 2005/2006 season they got relegated with a game to spare and in the 2007/2008 season and 2010/2011 season they got relegated on the last day of the season

[@rohithraman6488]

2005, 2008 and 2011 for me are the three greatest last day relegation battles in my lifetime. 2022 was decent (the first time since 2011 that a team, in this case, Leeds, escaped relegation after starting the day in the bottom three) but those three that I mentioned previously were next level

[@nadavharari2071]

​@@rohithraman6488what you think about 2023?

[@TheScrabbleKing]

Also, really eventful afternoon for players named Murphy 👀

[@ThurstonWatt]

a team that couldn't score a goal in 7 games shouldn't have been ALLOWED to stay up. That's absolutely inept.

[@matthewerspamer6274]

The video quality is amazing wow

[@antcunningham1997]

Reading 07 08 even though they were harshly relegated at least that team showed fight, passion and desire. Derby 07 08 team showed no fight, no passion and went down in utterly embarrassing fashion.

[@tombardsley3081]

The team simply wasn’t ready for the premier league and didn’t have the quality. We got pretty lucky in the playoff final Vs West Brom who were dominating the game. The owners decided to put the club up for sale in the summer which therefore meant they gave no real backing to the manager when it came to transfers. We were beaten to players we wanted by the other promoted clubs eg both Kenwyne Jones and Craig Gordon. I disagree that they didn’t show fight. The team did try their best (they just weren’t good enough ability wise), unlike future bad prem teams eg Aston Villa in 15-16 who were an established premier league club but went down due to poor management and the players didn’t care. They really should have beaten Derby’s points record if not for Man City being generous.

[@antcunningham1997]

@@tombardsley3081 being a derby county fan, i was a season ticket holder that season, I was the worst season I'd have ever seen mate

[@tombardsley3081]

@@antcunningham1997 Derby fan too. I'm not saying it was a good season. It was terrible. I hated it especially as a teenager back then when the rest of your mates are football fans. Not to mention England's disaster of not qualifying for the Euros. I'm just saying there were a lot of circumstances around the club as to why we were so bad. The players weren't good enough, the manager didn't know if he was staying on or not and the preparation was poor. There are no excuses for the 2 teams I mentioned that were just as bad in seasons to come, especially Villa. I'd say last season is high up there as well, maybe worse cos the club could have disappeared

[@antcunningham1997]

@@tombardsley3081 true, and it's really sad to see how far derby county have fallen since then, league 1,I just hope that derby could return to the premier league one day

[@tombardsley3081]

@@antcunningham1997 we've got the infrastructure with the stadium, academy etc to be a premier league side again. We just need to use the resources wisely rather than unnecessarily overspending. Teams like Brighton and Brentford have proven you can do it sustainably through excellent recruitment and survive in the premier league as well despite having to sell key players at times.

[@mattieclose4659]

To this day I’m convinced if Portsmouth weren’t in the FA Cup final they’d have beaten Fulham and we’d have stayed up

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

who's your team in this battle

[@tr1ckus893]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 Reading I would assume

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@tr1ckus893 if it is Reading they only had themselves to blame their habit of not scoring combined with Fulham finding form under Hodgson cost them

[@mattieclose4659]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 oh ofc we could’ve done the job ourselves but would’ve been nice if Portsmouth could’ve done us a favour 😅

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@mattieclose4659 problem was they lost their goal touch at just the wrong time 6 games without a goal done them in

[@leopold7562]

I remember this season. Fulham were pretty much down with Derby when Hodgson took over as manager and he really sorted them out quickly. I suspected they’d go on a run when they turned around a 2-0 score in the last twenty odd minutes at the Etihad. When Kamara scored that third, I kicked my seat in frustration and left the stadium - the only time I’ve ever left a game early

[@awwwtomotive]

Reading & Birmingham: "I've Won... But At What Cost?"

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

they only had themselves to blame for their relegation

[@luuduonghy659]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547This would be Derby County last appearance at Premier League.

[@tomace4898]

Derby were embarrassing.

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

That's an understatement.

[@jordanramsden9733]

Do you have the relegation battle from 2008/09?

[@kcxy06]

That was epic, though had I known about it at the time I woulda felt so bad for Newcastle EDIT: I did feel bad for Newcastle when they were relegated in 2016... by a Sunderland win! (3-0 over Everton)

[@weekendwarriorprospecting817]

Hansen and Lawrenson were the worst pundits. They singlehandedly brought DEPRESSION to the uk.

[@rohithraman6488]

Considering Reading were playing Derby on the final day, and they only needed to score three more goals than they did that day, I'm sure Reading staying up was possible at the start of the day

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

on paper yes but Reading couldn't hit a barn door going into this one

[@antcunningham1997]

​@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 if I'm correct reading going into this derby county game had gone 6 games without a goal and had only secured 2 points at that time. That period no doubt proved so costly for reading as that was what got reading relegated

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@antcunningham1997 you are correct they lost to Fulham, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham plus drew with Wigan and Blackburn

[@weekendwarriorprospecting817]

It's like watching it through a frosted glass window 🪟 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@TheScrabbleKing]

I would love to know what they talked about on MOTD before this segment because that “Interesting.” at the beginning was ISTG the most condescending thing I’ve heard 😂😂

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

They were talking about the title race

[@HarryDay-tk9rv]

What did you record this on lol

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Idaho from The Amazing World of Gumball.

[@god0707]

When was Derby office down and out

[@SultanOladimeji-in1wv]

2 years later they reached the Europa League final through a Zoltan Gera winner Vs hamburg

[@cody2944]

Please Upload final day relegation battle 19 20 before midnight please

[@tom1921]

Man U were a devastating team that season. Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez - best front three ever.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

It wasn't just the front 3 all over the pitch united had it all

[@1assassyn]

that's not even the best front 3 to ever feature Ronaldo

[@fforfreedom8893]

Best ever front 3? What you smoking. Not even the best 3 in the last 10 years in the prem

[@IsmailAhmedCommentator]

@@fforfreedom8893Yeah cuz that was in 2008, it’s now 2023, that front 3 was 15 years ago.

[@fforfreedom8893]

@@IsmailAhmedCommentator The comment was made 5 months ago you drip lmao. He clearly thinks that's the best 3 of all time when in reality I can think of 3 better ones off the top of my head

[@jackbennett2269]

I Wonder if either Fulham or Portsmouth's owners wanted to stay up

[@danielandrews9028]

Now League One fixture for Reading vs Derby next season

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

Indeed how these 2 clubs have fallen

[@danielandrews9028]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 yeah most definitely mate

[@bungditdin8019]

They all went in the end, don’t know what they were so nervous about 😆

[@DavidsSkillsandStuff]

And they all came back for atleast one more season as well

[@youngdolo8]

You never want to be relegated, regardless of how good you'll be in the tier below.

[@mhdbh437]

Out of all the teams in the vid only Fulham are in the prem

[@AJYTFC]

Now the relegation battles are sorted with 4 games left . Except this season maybe.

[@addisonfung5009]

We have a Showdown of two teams. Leeds or Burnley will be relegated.

[@kcxy06]

@@addisonfung5009 Burnley were ultimately relegated

[@RacingAtHome]

And this one...

[@jamesw.t.9591]

You got it.

[@declangaming24]

How would of Derby results influence it they where already down

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

Well if Derby had beaten Reading and that was a gigantic if Birmingham would've stayed up if Fulham didn't beat Portsmouth because their goal difference was better than the other 2.

[@nadavharari2071]

​@@classicsportclassictiyl8547so actually Birmingham already relegated before that game, cause derby was shit

[@bungditdin8019]

That game is what cost Redknapp the England job. Hodgson keeps them up, does well, europa league final, goes to Liverpool, disaster, but been at a big team therefore the dumbarse FA think yes he’s our man

[@mattsmith4589]

14:15 😭😂💀💀😂😭 Oh hell no what those signs say!?! 😭😂😭😭

[@ksodz1397]

What's wrong with that

[@youngdolo8]

Wait... Gold and Sullivan owned Birmingham City as well?

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

yeah they owned it for years from 1993-2009

[@weekendwarriorprospecting817]

This video quality is ass! You can't even see where the ball is half the time 😢

[@onlyweatherlol93]

Bullard's cross........ MURPHY HEADEEEEEERRRRRRRRR 🤣🤣🤣

[@McSamwich91]

Why does Roy Hodgson look so paranoid

[@KismetMulhaneski-to3wg]

'Finished with his woman cus she couldn't help him with his mind. People think he's insane because he's frowning all the time... etc'

[@andersonbastanta5194]

Resmi " : Leipzig dapatkan Orjan Nyland dari Reading

[@bungditdin8019]

Hilarious that the only team left are Fulham… after years of yo-yoing

[@bighas96]

They were yo-yoing from 2018-2022 until now which they improved massively and in contention for european football

[@stay_l0811]

Go on Harry! Haha

[@roolaing]

Did McLeish get relegated twice with Birmingham?

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

yes he did 2010/11 after their form collapsed after winning the league cup. I think they won twice from their last 12 games which saw them go down.

[@roolaing]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 unbelievable. I remember them having a decent side that was horrible to play against, full of 'players with character', weird that you can win a cup and go down. Wigan being another example of course.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@roolaing injuries didn't help but they fell apart really one key match to that was ironically against Fulham. They could've been out of it if they won but they lost 2-0 and were woeful

[@roolaing]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 interesting! Yeah, small squads who start well often tail off. Blackpool were another example. Mid-table in January, then relegated.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

@@roolaing The thing about Birmingham was that they had a very strong CB partnership between Roger Johnson and Scott Dann but Dann got injured and that played a part

[@roolaing]

Daniel Murphy before he became a professional pessimist.

[@asmith3601]

This Derby team are my all-time benchmark for the worst promoted team ever.

[@bighas96]

Not only yours but every football fan am sure i mean 11 points all season jesus!!!!!!

[@tombardsley3081]

At least you didn’t say worst ever premier league team. Cos there are some other contenders that rival derby. Eg Villa in 15-16 and Huddersfield 18-19 - both of whom should have beaten derby’s points record. I’ll throw in Sheffield United in 20-21 as well.

[@jackbolland]

@@bighas96 4 of them came against newcastle believe it or not

[@asmith3601]

@@tombardsley3081 I completely forgot about that Huddersfield team. -54 goal difference, oof.

[@tombardsley3081]

@@asmith3601 yep and wolves gifting them 2 wins that season!

[@joanamariedioneo1188]

Portsmouth vs Fulham 0-1

[@5jsoccer]

13:56

[@cheesestring2032]

MURPHY🖤🩶

[@VirginiaMan]

3:05 DAMN DERBY WERE SHIT THAT SEASON

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

your being generous with that comment tbh they were several levels below that

[@ghosty9241]

nice potato graphics

[@febrmdhn]

Kala itu derby county menjadi tim EPL pertama yang menutup musim dengan point paling sedikit sepanjang sejarah EPL 11 Point 🤣