2017
Season 4 Division 2 Value Added
Internacional get the biggest gain, but Everton clinching the title gets the overall award. Shaktar and Inter Milan the biggest disappointments.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Average | Finish | VA | Skew | ||
| 3 | Everton | 90.0 | 89.5 | 91.0 | 90.0 | 88.0 | 89.7 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2 |
| 19 | SC Internacional | 88.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 0.9 |
| 5 | AS Roma | 91.0 | 90.5 | 91.0 | 90.5 | 84.0 | 89.4 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.667 |
| 15 | ACF Fiorentina | 88.0 | 89.0 | 89.5 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 88.1 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 0.667 |
| 12 | Genoa CFC | 89.0 | 88.5 | 89.0 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.3 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 |
| 7 | Wolfsburg | 89.0 | 89.0 | 89.5 | 92.0 | 86.0 | 89.1 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| 20 | Spartak Moskva | 88.0 | 86.5 | 88.5 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 87.1 | 16.0 | 4.0 | 0.25 |
| 18 | SL Benfica | 88.0 | 87.0 | 89.5 | 90.5 | 83.0 | 87.6 | 15.0 | 3.0 | 0.2 |
| 13 | Olympique Lyonnais | 88.0 | 88.5 | 88.5 | 89.5 | 87.0 | 88.3 | 12.0 | 1.0 | 0.083 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 89.5 | 86.0 | 87.9 | 17.0 | -1.0 | -0.06 |
| 10 | Sevilla | 88.0 | 88.5 | 90.0 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 | 11.0 | -1.0 | -0.09 |
| 17 | Newcastle United | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 88.5 | 86.0 | 87.8 | 19.0 | -2.0 | -0.11 |
| 6 | Ajax | 90.0 | 90.0 | 89.5 | 89.5 | 87.0 | 89.2 | 7.0 | -1.0 | -0.14 |
| 11 | Leverkusen | 90.0 | 88.0 | 91.5 | 89.5 | 84.0 | 88.6 | 13.0 | -2.0 | -0.15 |
| 14 | CSKA Moskva | 90.0 | 89.0 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 88.2 | 20.0 | -6.0 | -0.3 |
| 4 | Southampton | 89.0 | 89.0 | 91.0 | 91.0 | 87.0 | 89.4 | 6.0 | -2.0 | -0.33 |
| 9 | Fenerbahçe SK | 89.0 | 89.0 | 89.0 | 89.5 | 88.0 | 88.9 | 14.0 | -5.0 | -0.36 |
| 1 | Manchester United | 94.0 | 91.0 | 91.5 | 92.0 | 87.0 | 91.1 | 2.0 | -1.0 | -0.5 |
| 2 | Internazionale | 91.0 | 91.5 | 92.0 | 91.0 | 86.0 | 90.3 | 4.0 | -2.0 | -0.5 |
| 8 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 89.0 | 89.0 | 89.0 | 90.0 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 18.0 | -10.0 | -0.56 |
Season 4 Value Added Division 1
AC Milan out perform the rest, Napoli put in a good turn.
PSG and Man City the worse performers
This year I will rate teams by raw and skewed value added, which divides value added by finishing position. This works particularly well for judging performance above the level expected but less well for -ve scores .
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Average | Finish | VA | skew | ||
| 20 | AC Milan | 89.0 | 90.0 | 90.5 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 88.7 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 2.333 |
| 11 | SSC Napoli | 90.0 | 90.0 | 91.5 | 91.0 | 87.0 | 89.9 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 1.2 |
| 16 | FC Porto | 90.0 | 89.5 | 90.5 | 89.5 | 87.0 | 89.3 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 0.6 |
| 12 | Dortmund | 89.0 | 90.5 | 92.0 | 91.0 | 87.0 | 89.9 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 0.333 |
| 17 | Monchengladbach | 90.0 | 89.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 86.0 | 89.2 | 14.0 | 3.0 | 0.214 |
| 14 | Valencia CF | 90.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 90.0 | 88.0 | 89.8 | 13.0 | 1.0 | 0.077 |
| 18 | Atlético Madrid | 91.0 | 90.0 | 89.5 | 89.5 | 86.0 | 89.2 | 17.0 | 1.0 | 0.059 |
| 19 | Zenit | 91.0 | 89.0 | 89.0 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 89.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | 0.056 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 92.0 | 92.5 | 94.0 | 94.5 | 86.0 | 91.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 4 | Juventus | 94.0 | 92.5 | 91.5 | 92.5 | 88.0 | 91.7 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1 | Bayern | 92.0 | 93.0 | 94.0 | 98.0 | 90.0 | 93.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 96.0 | 93.0 | 93.5 | 97.5 | 85.0 | 93.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 92.0 | 90.5 | 92.0 | 90.5 | 87.0 | 90.4 | 8.0 | -1.0 | -0.13 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 90.0 | 92.0 | 90.0 | 92.5 | 86.0 | 90.1 | 11.0 | -2.0 | -0.18 |
| 15 | SS Lazio | 89.0 | 89.5 | 90.0 | 92.5 | 87.0 | 89.6 | 20.0 | -5.0 | -0.25 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 93.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 94.5 | 85.0 | 90.7 | 7.0 | -2.0 | -0.29 |
| 13 | Schalke | 89.0 | 90.5 | 91.0 | 92.5 | 86.0 | 89.8 | 19.0 | -6.0 | -0.32 |
| 10 | Arsenal | 89.0 | 90.0 | 91.5 | 91.5 | 88.0 | 90.0 | 15.0 | -5.0 | -0.33 |
| 6 | Paris Saint-Germain | 88.0 | 92.0 | 92.0 | 94.5 | 87.0 | 90.7 | 12.0 | -6.0 | -0.5 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 91.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 87.0 | 90.2 | 16.0 | -8.0 | -0.5 |
Managerial Stipulations- FINAL UPDATE
Rahul W makes his seasonal return to the blog!
With 10 games left in the season, I take a look at how the 27 managers who put forward managerial stipulations are going in the season, and whether they will keep their job or get the sack (and rate their chances too).
I did the same for the last season, when there were just 12 managers! Link below:
[smtop100.blogspot.sg/2016/08/m...](http://smtop100.blogspot.sg/2016/08/managerial-stipulations-how-are-things.html)
Note: I'm not sure if Youth Cup/World Club Cup count towards cup competitions as they are not official cups, so I consider them as not counting towards cup competitions for the purposes of this post.
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1. Sir Kevin Wallace - Boca Juniors
- Boca Juniors finish outside of promotional places in Division 3
In the scenario that Boca Juniors finish in 7th-20th position in the Season 4 campaign & therefore fail to achieve promotion back to Division 2, or should they fail to achieve promotion via the playoffs, Sir Kevin Wallace would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
Boca are currently flying in 2nd place in D3, with 48 points, In fact, they share the same number of wins, draw, losses, goals conceded and points; Sporting have scored 44 goals to Boca's 43. Tight! Just 10 points separate 1st from 10th, while Villarreal in 4th are just 2 points behind Boca. As such, a play-off spot at the minimum looks likely, but direct promotion could be anybody's game. On current form though, they look good for promotion and/or the title.
Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY
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2. DP 91 - Juventus
- Juventus finish below 8th in Division 1
- Juventus do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions
In the scenario that Juventus finish in 9th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, DP91 would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
The Turin giants are in the middle of nowhere in 4th, 13 points off 3rd placed Madrid and 9 points ahead of 5th placed Napoli, while they are 11 points ahead of 8th/9th placed Milan and Chelsea. It looks pretty clear that they will finish above 8th. In such a case the second clause is deemed void, but Juve lost to Bayern in the Shield quarters and to Man City in the Cup semi-final, while they play Milan in the Youth Cup Ro16, Bayern in the WCC quarters and Palermo (again!) in the SMFA Cup Ro16. DP is set to enjoy another term in Turin.
Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY
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3. James Foster - Standard Liege
- Standard Liege finish below 15th in Division 4
In the scenario that Standard Liege finish in 16th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, James Foster would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
A very cautious stipulation by James, Standard are flying in 4th with 46 points, 3 behind 3rd placed ASSE and 11 behind leaders Hellas. 4 ahead of 8th placed Dnipro, they look strong for direct promotion/play-offs though they have drawn 13 games and lost just 4. Though academic, they are 15 ahead of 15th/16th placed Monaco and Zagreb; James will enjoy another season in Belgium regardless of the division.
Prediction: Stay (9.5/10)- STAY
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- Malaga finish outside of promotional places in Division 5
In the scenario that Malaga CF finish in 8th-20th position in the Season 4 campaign & therefore fail to achieve promotion back to Division 4, or should they fail to achieve promotion via the playoffs, Greg Bilboa would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
A full 10 points behind 3rd/4th placed Santos and Dynamo Moscow, direct promotion looks a step too far for Greg to bridge. Which leaves them challenging for a play-off spot, but with just 2 points separating 6th to 10th, there are 5 teams challenging for 2 play-off spots realistically barring a collapse from the Top 5. Greg has his work cut out as he needs to secure a play-off spot under tough competition and then win the two play-off games to gain promotion and thus keep his job. He could do it, but the odds aren't high.
Prediction: Sack (3.5/10)- RESIGN
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5. Norman Little - Newcastle United
- Newcastle United finish below 12th position in Division 2.
In the scenario that Newcastle United finish in 13th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4 campaign, Norman Little would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
Newcastle are dead bottom in 20th. 6 behind 16th placed CSKA who are safe right now, 3 behind 18th placed Villa where he would not lose his job normally. 9 behind 12th Spartak, his and the team's safety looks a very difficult proposition. Norman is set to lose his job this season, while his side could well go down too.
Prediction: Sack (2.5/10)- SACK/RESIGN
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6. Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear - Liverpool
- Liverpool fall into the relegation zone 20-38 games or finish below 12th position at the end of the season in Division 1.
- Liverpool reaching any cup final will see the 13th-20th position finish requirement nulled.
In the scenario that Liverpool drop into the relegation zone at any point from game week 20-38 or finish in 13th-20th position in Division 1 at the end of the Season 4 campaign & additionally not make a cup final, Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
Liverpool made the Cup final v Man City, which means Gordon will enjoy another season at Liverpool. While they haven't dropped into the relegation zone at any point since GW20 (I think), they are currently 10th with 38 points, while 13th placed Porto are just 2 behind them. If not for the final, Liverpool's season would have become interesting, but as it stands, Gino could deliver silverware this season. In addition, Pool also made the WCC quarters where they face Merseyside rivals Everton and the Youth Cup Ro16 where they face Hamburg. They did lose in the 2nd round of the Shield to ASSE. But Liverpool's season could be brightened up after 7th Feb.
Prediction: Stay (10/10)- STAY
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7. Pat Roper - VFB Stuttgart
- VFB Stuttgart finish below 8th or fail to make a domestic cup final.
Stuttgart are currently 19th with 25 points, a full 13 behind 9th placed Marseille. 8 behind 16th placed Palace, Stuttgart may well go down, while Pat could lose his job directly or through the stipulation, as he's 3 behind 18th Udinese. Pat couldnt get past the Youth Cup group stage either, while he lost the Shield 4th Round to Villareal and the Cup quarters to Liverpool. A tough season all round.
Prediction: Sack (2/10)- NULL
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8. Feargal Hickey - Shakhtar Donetsk
- Shakhtar Donetsk finish below 7th in Division 2.
In the scenario that Shakhtar Donetsk finish in 8th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Feagal Hickey will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Shakhtar are currently 19th with 26 points, very similar to Stuttgart. With 7th placed Wolfsburg a whopping 20 above them, his stipulation is not going to be met. It's a tight relegation battle with them 4 behind 16th CSKA, and a point behind 18th Villa, but as it stands, Feargal could lose his job directly and through the stipulation, while his side may well go down to D3.
Prediction: Sack (1.5/10)- RESIGN
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9. Michael Bowes - Arsenal
- Arsenal finish below 12th in Division 1.
- Arsenal do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions
In the scenario that Arsenal finish in 13th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager Michael Bowes will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Arsenal lost in the first rounds of both the Cup (Sampdoria) and Shield (Ajax), while they didn't make it out of the SMFA Shield either. They also lost out to Lazio in the WCC. No cup final for Arsenal, while they are struggling in the league too. Currently 15th, they are 9 behind 12th placed PSG. Though Michael has pulled out all the stops to keep his job, D1 is a tough place and it looks like he will take on another job in the next season.
Prediction: Sack (4/10)- RESIGN
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10. André Libras-Boas - Hellas Verona
- Hellas Verona fail to achieve promotion from Division 4.
In the scenario that Hellas Verona finish in 8th-20th position in Division 4, or fail to achieve promotion from the playoffs in Season 4, manager André Libras-Boas will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
André went for a bold stipulation and is living up to it so far: Hellas have topped D4 with 57 points, 6 ahead of 2nd placed Sassuolo, while there is a 11 point gap to 4th placed Liege. Furthermore, there is a 13 point gap to 7th placed city rivals Chievo and 15 to 8th Dnipro. Hellas look good for the title as well as promotion barring a collapse: André will enjoy D3 football in all likelihood.
Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY
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11. Greg Owen - Wolfsburg
- Wolfsburg finish below 7th in Division 2.
- Wolfsburg do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions
In the scenario that Wolfsburg finish in 8th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4 & additionally do not make a final of any cup competition, manager Greg Owen will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
After being knocked out of all knockout competitions at the earliest opportunity, Wolfsburg's season has become interesting. In a highly competitive D2, only 3 separate 2nd placed United and 7th Wolfsburg. They are 3 ahead of 8th Genoa. Anything could happen, but Wolfsburg should have the firepower to finish in a playoff spot at the very least. Greg could either end up in D1 or lose his job, that's how tight this season is.
Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY
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12. Nathan Prince - Olympiacos
- Olympiacos finish below 10th in Division 4.
In the scenario that Olympiacos finish in 11th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, manager Nathan Prince will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
The Greek club are currently 5th with 45 points, 4 behind 3rd ASSE and 3 ahead of 8th Dnipro. 11th Dynamo Kiev are nine behind Olympiakos, so Nathan's job looks more or less secure, which should allow him to focus on a direct promotion/play-off spot for the rest of the season.
Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY
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13. Gareth Crisp - Athletic Bilbao
- Athletic Bilbao do not achieve a playoff position or better in Division 3.
In the scenario that Athletic Bilbao finish in 8th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Gareth Crisp will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
The Basque outfit are currently 6th in D3 with 42 points, 5 behind 3rd Swansea and 6 behind 1st/2nd Sporting and Boca. Of perhaps more importance, they are just 3 ahead of 8th Lokomotiv, so it's all to play for in Bilbao for the rest of the season. It's too close to call whether Gareth will be next season
Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY
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14. Heath Brown - PSV
- PSV finish below 10th in Division 3.
In the scenario that PSV finish in 11th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Heath Brown will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
The D3 mid-table is clogged up: just 8 points separate 8th from 17th. PSV are currently 13th with 33 points (12th to 16th all have 33 points). 10th Hamburg have 38, 5 more than PSV, so with all the competition, Heath has a tough job ahead of him if he wants to keep his job. He has a capable yet misfiring squad, but it's too close to call if he'll keep his job or not.
Prediction: Sack (5/10)- RESIGN
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15. Rahul W - Manchester United
- Manchester United finish below 10th in Division 2.
In the scenario that Manchester United finish in 11th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Rahul W will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
I gave myself a safety net for my stipulation as I didn't want to lose my job in case of a nightmare season after waiting for it for a bit more than 3 seasons. Currently 2nd with 49 points, only 8 points separate 2nd from 10th. But 11th placed Ajax are 14 behind us, which should ensure I keep my job at OT for another season. Everton are flying towards the title, 6 ahead of us, but who knows who else will directly promote this season?
Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY
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16. Brian Clough - FC Basel
- FC Basel finish below 10th in Division 3.
In the scenario that FC Basel finish in 11th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Brian Clough will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Basel are dead-last in 20th with 24 points. They're 14 behind 10th placed Hamburg- in all likeliness, Basel are likely to go down again, this time to D4. 4 behind 18th Udinese, 9 behind 16th Palace: Basel will likely go down, while Brian could lose his job in both ways.
Prediction: Sack (2/10)- RESIGN
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17. Lee Reynolds - Borussia Dortmund
- Borussia Dortmund finish below 10th in Division 1.
In the scenario that Borussia Dortmund finish in 11th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager Lee Reynolds will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Dortmund are 11th with 38 points, but are just 3 behind Napoli in 5th. Given the tight D1 mid-table, Dortmund could find themselves on the right side of 10 in a few games, given they're unbeaten in the last 6 games. Lee has a good chance of finishing in the top 10 but it will likely come down to the last few games.
Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY
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18. Warren Livesey - Olympique Lyonnais
- Olympique Lyonnais finish below 16th in Division 2.
In the scenario that Olympique Lyonnais finish in 17th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Warren Livesey will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Lyon are currently 17th on 28 points, but are just 4 points behind Benfica in 13th. It's a tight battle down the D2 table and the situation could change; it's too close to call at the moment. Lyon certainly look up for the fight. However given Warren left mid-season and Niall came in, it is unlikely this stipulation will be followed through if it fails.
Prediction: Stay (5/10)- NULL
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19. Rob Ryan - SSC Napoli
- SSC Napoli finish below 10th in Division 1.
- SSC Napoli do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions.
In the scenario that SSC Napoli finish in 11th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, Rob Ryan would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
Napoli are 5th in D1 with 41 points, heading the best of the rest in D1. But they are only 3 ahead of 11th placed Dortmund, which means Rob could find his side slip down the table with a loss of form. They did lose the Cup 1st round to Hamburg, the Shield 2nd round to Bayern and the WCC Ro16 to Bayern again, while they remain in the Youth Cup (Ro16 v Real Madrid) and the SMFA Shield Ro16 vs Guingamp. Their chances of making any final are slim though, which means Rob needs to stay in the top 10 of D1, a fairly plausible outcome.
Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY
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20. Tom Parfitt - Levante UD
- Levante UD fail to improve on Season 3 & finish below 15th in Division 5.
- Levante UD fail to improve upon their 40 points total from Season 3.
- Levante UD fail to improve on 33 goals scored from Season 3.
- Levante UD fail to improve on 46 goals conceded from Season 3.
- Levante UD fail to improve the goal difference of -13 from Season 3.
In the scenario that Levante UD finish in 16th-20th position in Division 5, or fail to improve upon the Season 3; points, goals for, against & difference tallies in Season 4, manager Tom Parfitt will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Tom has struggled with Levante for the past few seasons but his loyalty and commitment to the cause has kept him in the same job. In Season 4, he put forward an ambitious stipulation, which he is actually on course to fulfilling. Levante finished 16th in S3, but are currently 6th on 43 points, improving on their S3 total of 40. 16 points separate them from 16th which makes them likely to fulfil that part of the stipulation. Levante have scored 39 goals this season, improving on S3's total of 33, while they have conceded 33 this season. That means they cannot concede more than 13 goals in the last 10 games, a bit of a challenge. With a GD of +6, it is likely they will beat S3's GD of -13. They are on course to gaining a play-off spot (and maybe promotion?) but the stipulation of goals conceded will be the challenge in the last 10 games for Tom, if he wants to keep his job.
Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- RESIGN (conceded 47 goals)
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21. Alex McLean - Internazionale
- Internazionale fail to improve on Season 3 & finish below 12th in Division 2.
- Internazionale fail to improve on 44 goals scored from Season 3.
- Internazionale fail to improve on 43 goals conceded from Season 3.
- Internazionale fail to improve the goal difference of +1 from Season 3.
In the scenario that Internazionale finish in 13th-20th position in Division 2, or fail to improve upon the Season 3; goals for, against & difference tallies in Season 4, manager Alex McLean will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Along with Tom, Alex may have taken the toughest challenge possible for which credit must be given. While Inter finished 13th last season with 50 points, they are currently 3rd with 48 points, which means one win will see them overtake last season's point tally. 17 ahead of 13th placed Benfica, the place finish will also be bettered. Inter scored 44 goals last season; they are currently on 41; 4 goals will see that be achieved too. While they did concede 43 goals last season, it's 28 goals this season, which means they have to avoid conceding 15 goals in the next 10 games. Lastly, the GD of last season was +1, while it's +13 this season- looking good on that front too. But given the nature of the stipulations, things can change at any time, so Alex faces a task ahead of him. Like with Tom, the conceding goals stipulation will be the challenge.
Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY
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22. David Senior - Valencia
- Valencia finish below 16th in Division 1.
- Valencia fail to improve upon their Season 3 campaign.
In the scenario that Valencia finish in 17th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager David Senior will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100. In the scenario that Valencia do not improve upon their Season 3 campaign, the position of David Senior as manager will also be considered.
Valencia are currently 6th with 40 points, a full 16 ahead of 17th placed Zenit. That makes it very likely that he will keep his job for the next season. In addition, Valencia finished 16th last season which means David is on course to bettering Season 3. He needs 11 more points to overtake last season's tally of 50; with 10 games to go, that should be easily attainable.
Prediction: Stay (8/10)- STAY (but finished 13th with 49 points- position considered?)
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23. Michael Hudson - Torino
- Torino finish below 6th in Division 5.
In the scenario that Torino finish in 7th-20th position in Division 5, Season 4, manager Michael Hudson will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Torino are 5th at the moment, with 48 points, 5 ahead of 7th placed Malaga. As such, Michael has some breathing room, but a loss of form could add the pressure on him to keep his job. But it looks likely that he will keep his job.
Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY
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24. Gursimran Brar - Bayern
- Bayern finish below 8th in Division 1
- Bayern do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions
In the scenario that Bayern finish in 9th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, Gursimran Brar would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.
Bayern are leading the game world at the moment, with 74 points, 4 ahead of 2nd placed Barca. A whopping 35 points ahead of 9th placed Chelsea, Gursimran has mathematically secured his job at Munich for the next season and looks good for the title if he can keep up his form. He faces a critical two games now versus Real and Barcelona, which could close or open up the title race. Bayern did lose in the Cup 1st round to CSKA, but are in the Shield final vs Zenit which fulfils both stipulations. They are also in the WCC quarters v Juve and the SMFA Cup Ro16 vs Hannover. Munich could be celebrating come the end of the season.
Prediction: Stay (10/10)- STAY
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25. Mark Stewart - Hertha Berlin
- Hertha Berlin finish below 11th in Division 5.
In the scenario that Hertha Berlin finish in 11th-20th position in Division 5, Season 4, manager Mark Stewart will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Hertha are currently 10th, with 41 points, but they are crucially 6 ahead of 11th placed Koln. That gives them breathing space, and with just a 2 point gap to 6th Levante, they could finish off in the play-off spots. Mark should be able to keep his job barring a collapse.
Prediction: Stay (6/10)- STAY
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26. Barca Kes - Bordeaux
- Bordeaux finish below 15th in Division 4.
In the scenario that Bordeaux finish in 16th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, manager Barca Kes will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Bordeaux are currently 13th with 33 points, 2 ahead of 16th Zagreb. It's all tight to call at the moment whether Kes will survive his stipulation; only time will tell.
Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY
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27. The Linder - Crystal Palace
- Crystal Palace finish below 16th in Division 4.
In the scenario that Crystal Palace finish in 17th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager The Linder will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.
Palace are currently on 16th on 33 points, the same point tally as the four teams above them. 2 ahead of 17th Besiktas, it is a tight end-of-season run for Palace. They could finish anywhere in the lower half; too tight to call now. With a newsfeed ban, The Linder will have to work his socks out to keep his job.
Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY
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What do you guys think? Comment below :)
Few statistics regarding goals in the 4th regular season
Last night is finished the fourth regular season and I had a look regarding the goals.
The Division with most goals is Div.1 with 1.071 goal, followed by Div.5 with 966 and Div.3 for the podium with 972 goals.
Div.2 has done 938 goals, while Div.4 scored the last 881 goal for a total of 4.828 goals.
So we have:
Div.1 1071 22,18% (of the total goals in the season)
Div.2 938 19,42%
Div.3 972 20,13%
Div.4 881 18,24%
Div.5 966 20 %
tot. 4828 goals
We played 1900 games in the regular season (10 matches, 5 Divisions, 38 games) for an average of 2,54 goals each singolar game.
If we had 2,54 goals in each game means that any singolar team “should have scored” an average of 1,27 goal/game and close the season with 48,26 goals. The difference between 4828 and 4826 is because of the decimals.
The teams that leaded the goals show in their respective divisions:
Div.1 Bayern 103 (9,6% of the Div.goals) 2,70 goal/game
Div.2 Wolfsburg 62 (6,6%) 1,63
Div.3 Leicester City 67 (6,9%) 1,76
Div.4 Hellas Verona 66 (7,5%) 1,73
Div.5 Santos 72 (7,5%) 1,89
and who less:
Div.1 Shalke and Zenith 31 (2,9% each one,of the Div.goals) 0,81 goal/game
Div.2 Shakhtar Donetsk 34 (3,6%) 0,89
Div.3 Cruzeiro 34 (3,5%) 0,89
Div.4 W.H.U. and Lille 23 (2,6% each one) 0,60
Div.5 RSC Anderlecht 24 (2,4%) 0,63
West Ham United, Lille and RSC Anderlecht scored less than an half of the average.
Regarding the goal difference:
Div.1 Bayern +74 Lazio -46
8 teams with a plus 12 team with a minus in the goals difference
Div.2 Manchester United +21 CSKA Moskva -19
11 teams with a plus 9 teams with a minus
Div.3 Sporting CP +22 Stuttgart -19
10 teams with a plus 10 teams with a minus
Div.4 Hellas Verona +36 Montpellier HSC -25
9 teams with a plus 11 teams with a minus
Div.5 Dynamo Moskva +23 West Bromwich Albion -41
11 teams with a plus 9 teams with a minus
No team has finished the regolar season in perfect balance between goal scored and got.
How much did effect each goal?
Div.1 Borussia Dortmund 40 goals 53 points 1,32 point/goal
Div.2 Everton 49 72 1,47
Div.3 Cruzeiro 34 47 1,38
Div.4 Lille 23 41 1,78 very “heavy” goal but too few to safe.
Div.5 Dynamo Moskva 54 71 1,31
A lot of goals for few points:
Div.1 Lazio 47 goals 22 points 2,13 goals for a point
Div.2 CSKA Moskva 39 34 1,14
Div.3 Stuttgart 36 30 1.20
Div.4 Az Alkmaar 56 52 1,07
Div.5 West Bromwich Albion 37 21 1,76
Best scorer in each division:
Messi 31 goals as much as Shalke and Zenith. 8 goals more (with 3 games less) than Lille and West Ham United.
Yilmaz 23
Ibarbo 19
Dzsudzsak 20
Damiao 21
Why all this? because if my team would have scored just a goal more two games to the end of the regular season, when we lost at home for 1-0, well, we would have been celebrating the promotion right now. One damn goal!
Sorry for any possible mistake.
Marco
Division 4 - Match Day 38 Preview
Thursday sees the final games of Season being played out and with still so much to be resolved will it be Escape to Victory or Lost in Space for the clubs and managers fighting for glory and survival, to give an insight into the possible possibilities here is the final preview of this seasons run in.
Division 1
When most expected the title to have been put to bed by now we go into the last day with Bayern 91pts and reigning Champs Barcelona 89pts taking it to the death.
Bayerns lead has been whittled down to 2pt over the past two weeks and Barca must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t capitalise more on Bayerns slip up at Man City as the Spaniards only managed to draw at Liverpool, this leaves Barca needing the Germans to lose whilst they in turn win on the final day, a draw for Bayern should be enough as they currently hold an 8 goal advantage should it come down to goal difference.
Fixtures in the tussle at the top
Bayern v Lazio
Barcelona v Valencia
It’s been known for a long time but confirmation that both of the above will be joined by Real and Juve in next seasons Champions Cup.
Chelsea 55pts, Milan 54pts and Napoli 54pts have secured league qualification to the SMFA Shield but will be scrapping to secure 5thspot which could be an SMFA Cup place should either Bayern, Barca or Real win this seasons competition.
Spurs 52pts also have a chance of stealing that spot at the death whilst Dortmund also on 52pts would need a to overturn a goal difference deficit of 8 goals to Chelsea.
Fixtures in the battle for 5th Place.
Chelsea v Arsenal
Milan v Spurs
Napoli v Zenit
Real v Dortmund
Spurs and Dortmund must be mindful that they need to secure league qualification for the SMFA Shield with Liverpool 50pts, Porto 50pts, Valencia 49pts and PSG 47pts all still in with a chance of muscling in, however with Bayern and Liverpool having won the domestic cups that makes an extra 2 league qualification places, another place will be made available courtesy of this seasons SMFA Cup outcome, whoever wins it, this would mean all of the above qualifying.
Fixtures in the race for League qualification to the SMFA Shield.
Milan v Spurs
Real v Dortmund
Juventus v Liverpool
Porto v Schalke
Barcelona v Valencia
Atletico v PSG
A further place could be available depending on the winners of this seasons SMFA Shield, basically if anyone wins it except Lazio, those in with a shout being Monchengladbach 39pts, and Arsenal 37pts
Fixtures for the possible wild card ticket into the SMFA Shield
Monchengladbach v Man City
Chelsea v Arsenal
On to the tussle at the base of the table, with Lazio and Schalke now condemned to Div 2 football the fight to avoid joining them is now between Zenit 33pts, Atletico 34pts, Man City 35pts and Arsenal 37pts, the Gunners had looked safe but still could be pulled down on the last day.
Fixtures in the fight to climb out of the trap door.
Napoli v Zenit
Atletico v PSG
Monchengladbach v Man City
Chelsea v Arsenal
Division 2
The fight for the title goes to the last day between Everton 72pts and Roma 70pts, the other promoted side Man Utd will have to content themselves with having achieved Div 1 football again next season at the first time of asking.
Fixtures in the race for the title
Man Utd v Everton
Roma v Ajax
Inter, Wolfsburg and Southampton have all booked their tickets for the play-off lottery with the final place going to either Genoa 55pts, Ajax 53pts, Internacional 53pts and Fiorentina 53pts.
Fixtures in the struggle to make the play offs.
Sevilla v Genoa
Roma v Ajax
Wolfsburg v Internacional
Spartak v Fiorentina
At the bottom all is decided with CSKA, Newcastle, Shakhtar and Villa all now confirmed as Div 3 clubs for next season.
Division 3
With Sporting 69pts and Swansea 68pts having secured promotion they now go into the last game of the season battling to take home the title
Fixtures in the title smack down.
Sporting v Loko
Sunderland v Swansea
Boca 61pts would need a goal difference miracle to make promotion whilst Villarreal 64pts and Leicester 61pts are both truly in the frame for the last promotion place whilst all are assured of at least a place in the play-offs.
Fixtures in the promotion punch up.
Villarreal v Basel
Leicester v Athletic Club
(Sao Paulo v Boca)
Athletic Club and Sunderland make up the balance of the numbers in this seasons play-off bingo.
In the basement Udinese have joined Stuttgart and Basel in sliding out of the division with the final place being avoided by Stoke 39pts and Palace 41pts.
Fixtures in the trap door shuffle.
Udinese v Stoke
Palace v Galatasaray
Division 4
Hellas have secured promotion, the title, a 2 week vacation in Bermuda and are now sat at home with their slippers on smoking fat cigars whilst Sassuolo 63pts, St Etienne 61pts, Liege 60pts and Sampdoria 60pts fight it out for the other two promotion spots.
Fixtures in the promotion squabble.
Liege v Sassuolo
Chievo v St Etienne
River Plate v Sampdoria
All of the promotion protagonists plus Chievo are assured of a play-off spot with the final spot being fought over by Olympiacos 54pts, Dnipro 53pts and AZ 52pts.
Fixtures in the play-off party.
Kyiv v Olympiacos
Lille v Dnipro
AZ v Zagreb
With West Ham and Montpellier doomed Lille 40pts, River Plate 40pts, Feyenoord 42pts, Bordeaux 43pts, Monaco 43pts and Kyiv 43pts must take it to the wire to decide their fate.
Fixtures in the relegation rough up.
Lille v Dnipro
River Plate v Sampdoria
Feyenoord v Monaco
Bordeaux v Hoffenheim
Kyiv v Olympiacos
Division 5
In the division where nobody seems to want it Dynamo 70pts and Celta Vigo 68pts seem to have reluctantly accepted promotion whilst they still can’t decide on who will have the title and are still prepared to offer the chance of winning it to Santos 67pts.
Fixtures in the title two step.
Santos v Dynamo
Augsburg v Celta Vigo
Whilst in with a chance of the crown Santos haven’t yet secured promotion and have Celtic 64pts chomping at their heels.
Fixtures in the promotion polka.
Santos v Dynamo
Celtic v Malaga
Whichever of the above doesn’t find Wonkas golden ticket to Div 4 will be joined on the play-off roulette wheel by Torino with Hertha 57pts, Rubin Kazan 56pts, Malaga 54pts and Levante 53pts all vying for the chance to put their future on black or red.
Fixtures in the play-off pile up.
Rubin Kazan v Hertha
Celtic v Malaga
Levante v Flamengo
At the foot The Baggies have had a while to practise stirring their wooden spoon and will be looking to give their fans something to cheer about in the final fixture at home to Bremen.
FENERBAHCE ARE SAFE
VS
After last night's 1-3 win over Aston Villa, The Fannybashers are now safe from relegation. Honda set up Yilmaz on 2 minutes who unleashed a rocket of a shot over the goalkeeper, bagging his 23rd goal of the season. Yilmaz is the leading scorer this year and its unlikely he will be caught. The closest anyone is to his tally of 23 is, Fredy Guarin with 14. Yilmaz is a real contender for Division 2's player of the season with not only his goal tally, but also he has the most MOTM, sitting on 12 with his nearest rival being, Perrin of, Genoa. But their is only one game left.
Honda added a second goal for the Yellow Canaries in the 29th minute with a low curling shot into the bottom Corner, and then he added a third to complete his own brace with a beautiful floated ball into the top corner this time.
Dzeko got the last of the goals but this time for Ben's Aston Villa as he blasted it past Cassilla on the 61st minute. The goal only proved as an early consolation for them as that was the final score and unfortunately relegated them back to division three.
Fenerbahce will be experimenting on Thursday's game to give some of the players that have not really featured a run out.
Ans that's all from MuFfSrEdRaW T.V tonight!
Milan - TREBLE CHAMPIONS
AC Milan fans, players and staff alike have vowed to party all the way to Rome (they face Lazio tomorrow) as their remarkable season continues - after Milan single handily won the World Cup at the beginning of Season 4, they have followed it up with DOUBLE success in the Milan Cup and now the Copa del Duomo - a trophy they won tonight convincingly destroying Inter for the 3rd time in a week to take the coveted trophy.
 |
| The Coppa del Duomo on display outside its home |
TREBLE CHAMPIONS
Balotelli now has a World Cup winners medal, Milan Cup medal and Copa del Duomo to bot. :)
Season 4 - Match Day 37 Preview
With only two games to go Match Day 37 is likely to close a lot of open issues and to try to make things clearer here the if's, but's and maybe's following this Sundays fixtures.
Division 1
Barca have reduced the gap at the top to 3pts with just 2 games left to play, Bayern however have a goal difference advantage of 13 which could be worth an extra point come the 90th minute of match day 38. The Spaniards visit Liverpool this Sunday whilst the Germans are also in England to play Man City.
With Real and Juve having firmed up their final leagues positions of 3rd and 4th respectively the battle for the SMFA Shield places below them continues at a pace.
Chelsea can clinch their spot with victory away to Dortmund whilst Spurs would all but be assured of a place with a win at home to Napoli. Meanwhile Milan, Napoli and Dortmund will also be looking for 3pts to take them to the brink of qualification.
Below them Liverpool, Valencia, Porto and PSG will be looking to capitalise on any slip ups above them.
At the foot of the table Schalke will join Lazio in Div 2 next season if they lose away to fellow strugglers Zenit, a draw may not be enough to keep their survival hopes alive if Man City get an unlikely win against Bayern.
Atletico will be looking for victory at Arsenal and be hoping that Bayern do the expected against City, they will also be hoping for a stalemate between Schalke and Zenit.
As mentioned Zenit will relegate Schalke if they come out on top in their game and will also be hoping for a Bayern victory.
Failure to get any sort of result for Man City will see them drop into the bottom four and face a last day survival battle.
With Arsenal now safe the only other club in in danger are Monchengladbach though victory away to PSG would see them safe.
Division 2
With promotion now secured for Everton, Roma and Man Utd the attention turns to the title which could be Evertons if they win at home to Spartak and Roma fail to win at Sevilla.
Man Utd will hope that both suffer defeats and for a victory away to Genoa to have a last day chance of taking the title.
In the race for the play-off places Wolfsburg could book their ticket with a win at Inter whilst a win for Southampton at home to Lyon would also see them take a seat.
Inter will be looking to turn over the Wolves or at least match Internacionals result at home to Ajax to join the play-off party.
A Genoa victory against Man Utd will see them home and dry if Internacional fail to secure 3pts.
Other than Internacional the hopes of Sevilla, Ajax and Fiorentina of making the play-offs also lie in those above them slipping up whilst they in turn win.
At the bottom both Villa and Shakhtar must win on Sunday to avoid the drop and joining Newcastle and CSKA, Shakthar host the Geordies whilst Villa welcome Fenerbahce.
A win may not be enough for Shakthar if Benfica gain at least a point away to Leverkusen.
Although unlikely to be dragged down a point for Spartak and Fenerbahce against Everton and Villa respectively would see them safe.
Division 3
Both Sporting and Swansea secured promotion on Thursday and are now fighting over the title which will go to the Portuguese club if they win at Galatasaray, the Swans would steal the advantage if the Turks win and they come out on top at home to Boca.
A victory for the Welsh club would see Villarreal promoted if they gain at least a point away to Athletic Club.
Boca will be hoping that Villarreal slip up and that they can turn over Swansea whilst Leicester will be hoping both suffer defeats whilst seeing off Loko in their visit to Moscow.
Athletic Clubs slim hopes of making automatic promotion rest on all the other protagonists above them losing whilst they in turn must see off Villarreal.
All of the above however are assured of at least a play-off spot with Sunderland, Loko and Marseille thrashing it out for the final spot. Sunderland could seal that with a win away to Stuttgart, Loko and Marseille will be looking for the Germans to pull off a shock whilst securing wins against Leicester and PSV.
Whilst Hamburg and Cruzeiro still have a mathematical chance of sneaking a spot this will end if any of the main contenders gain at least a point in their fixtures.
Both Basel and Udinese could join Stuttgart in Div 4 next season if they fail to gain 3pts at home against Hamburg and Sao Paulo. They would also be relegated if both Galatasaray and Palace gain at least a point in their games against Sporting and Stoke.
Stoke in turn need to beat Palace to pull themselves out of the bottom four at the expense of the Londoners, 3pts for Palace however would see them safe.
Galatasaray must put a big dent in Sportings title hopes with a win to guarantee themselves Div 3 football next season.
Besiktas are outsiders for the drop but a win at home to Cruzeiro would end any doubts.
Division 4
With Hellas Verona claiming the title on Thursday there is still the matter of the other two promotion places to be resolved.
Sassuolo could secure their place with victory at Kyiv whilst St Etienne will need a win at home to River Plate and for Sampdoria to lose as they host Bordeaux.
Sampdoria will jump into the auto spots if Sassuolo lose or St Etienne fail to win whilst Liege and Chievo Verona will be hoping they all go down and they in turn are victorious away at Dnipro and Monaco.
A point for Chievo and Dnipro would at least secure their play-off spots and would be joined by Olympiacos if they take 3pts in their home clash with AZ.
A win for Dnipro at Liege would see them leap frog the Greeks if they lose.
Hoffenheims hopes of making the play-off mix strangely depend on fellow contenders AZ beating Olympiacos whilst they in turn must beat Feyenoord at home.
In the basement West Ham are now confirmed as down and will be joined by Montpellier if they lose away at Zagreb.
River Plate could also go through the trap door if they lose to St Etienne and Bordeaux secure at least a point at Sampdoria.
Lille must win at West Ham to maintain their survival battle, a defeat and victories for Bordeaux, Feyenoord and Kyiv would see the French club relegated.
Just outside the bottom four Bordeaux will be looking to beat Sampdoria whilst Feyenoord need a result against Hoffenheim to keep their heads above the relegation quick sand.
A point for Kyiv against Sassuolo would see them confirm their status for next season.
Division 5
The ever changing picture at the top of Div 5 changed yet again on Thursday with Santos taking poll position from Dynamo, both have 67pts with a slim gap in goal difference which guarantees that the title can’t be decided on Sunday however wins for both against fellow promotion contenders Celta Vigo and Celtic would see them both or either in Div 4 next season.
Wins for Celta and Celtic would take everything down to the wire, all of the above are assured of at least a play-off spot together with Torino.
The final spot is being contended for by 7 clubs but Hertha and Malaga could finish the chase if the win against Twente and Flamengo and Rubin lose at Espanyol.
Hopes for Levante, Brugge, Independiente and Espanyol would end if they fail to secure 3pts in their fixtures at Koln, Torino, Bremen and Rubin.
At the bottom West Brom confirmed their wooden spoon status on Thursday by managing only a draw at home to Kolne.
Season 4 - Match Day 36 preview
With just 3 games to go little is decided across the divisions by way of promotion and relegation but rest assured we'll keep you up to speed with our ongoing weekly reviews during the run in.
Division 1
With 3 games left and 5pts the difference Bayern could be crowned Champions if they win at home to PSG and Barca fail to take 3pts in their home fixture against Juve. A draw for the Germans would in reality be enough if the Catalans lose due to their far superior goal difference.
Bayern, Barca and Real who all feature in this seasons semi-finals are joined in having qualified for next seasons Champions Cup by Juve, a further CC place will be available to the 5th place team should any of the aforementioned trio lift the trophy this season but the other semi-finalist Liverpool will be hoping to book their ticket into the tournament by winning it this time around.
Only 3pts separate eight teams vying for that 5th place, those being Chelsea, Dortmund, Liverpool, Spurs, Valencia, Milan, Napoli and Porto, add to that group PSG for those contending the 6 automatic Champions Shield Places.
With Liverpool and Bayern having won the League Cup and Shield respectively qualification for the CS places could extend to 9 places (all of the above) courtesy of the Champions Cup outcome.
In the basement Lazio as feared have had their relegation confirmed and nothing but a win away to Napoli will prevent them from finishing bottom.
Above Lazio only 3pts separate Schalke in 19th and Monchengladbach in 15th with Atletico, Zenit and Man City sandwiched in between. With none of the bottom clubs facing each other on Thursday all will live to fight at least one more game day.
Whilst Arsenal aren’t mathematically safe they will be breathing soundly and victory at Monchengladbach would secure their status next season due to goal difference.
Division 2
All still to play for in the fight for promotion with Everton stealing the initiative to head the table, Div 1 football beckons both they and Roma if either at least match Wolfsburgs result against Southampton on Thursday.
Man Utd however would need a win, a Wolfsburg defeat and Inter to fail to win for them to make the rise. Naturally Wolfsburg and Inter will be looking for Man Utd to slip up whilst Southampton must overcome The Wolves and hope for results above them to go in their favour to retain their automatic promotion hopes.
Whilst Wolfsburg and Inter are decent bets to be assured of at least a play-off place the other contenders for a place in the lottery are Southampton, Internacional, Genoa, Sevilla, Fiorentina and Ajax but Thursday may thin out the pack somewhat.
At the bottom thin is the operative word when it comes to chances of avoiding the drop. With Newcastle already confirmed as down Shakhtar, Villa and CSKA will all be confirmed as joining them if they lose on Thursday.
Shakthar are down regardless of their result at Fenerbahce if Benfica win at Villa, a result which see the Midlanders through the trap door too. CSKA meanwhile have a stiff challenge as they host high flying Everton.
Division 3
Sporting could seal promotion with victory at home to Stoke if both Villarreal and Boca fail to secure 3pts in their fixtures at home to Loko and Stuttgart respectively. A draw would be enough for the Portuguese outfit if Villarreal and Boca both lose as it would for Swansea in second if they continue their good form with a win at Sao Paulo.
The final automatic promotion place can’t be decided on Thursay with both Villarreal and Boca locked on 60pts, Leicester trail them by 5pts and Athletic Club by 6pts, both will be hoping to capitalise on any slip up to make a last minute push for Div 2.
These two however will be also looking at assuring their play-off places with Sunderland, Loko, and Marseille vying with them for the four places, Hamburg, Cruzeiro and Sao Paulo still have an outside chance of making it too.
With Stuttgart already relegated Udinese could join them with defeat at Palace as could Basel at Cruzeiro, both these two look doomed but will still not have given up the chase.
Above them Stoke currently 4th from bottom are only 4pts behind PSV in 13th, they, Besiktas, Galatasary and Palace are likely to scrap it out until Week 37 at the earliest to decide which of them also faces Div 4 football next season.
Division 4
Already promoted Hellas Verona will be looking to take the title by gaining at least a point away to Lille.
The battle to join Hellas is tight with only 5pts separating Sassuolo in 2nd with Chievo Verona in 6th, St Etienne, Liege and Sampdoria being sandwiched in between.
All of these look likely to at least make the play-offs with Dnipro Olympiacos and AZ following close enough to have a realistic chance of making the cut.
At the foot defeat for West Ham at Chievo or victory for Bordeaux at home to St Etienne will see them down, even a draw for the Frenchmen would seal the Hammers fate due to their goal difference. A similar fate awaits Montpellier and River Plate if they lose at home to Olympiacos and Dnipro respectively.
Lille currently 4th from bottom are currently in good form and only 3pts behind Kyiv in 12th, between them lay Bordeaux, Monaco, Feyenoord and Zagreb, all will be desperate for 3pts on Thursday to increase their hopes of survival.
Division 5
With 3 to play only 6pts separate the top 5 of Moscow, Santos, Celta Vigo, Celtic and Torino, none can confirm promotion this Thursday but all will be desperate for victory, the game between Celtic and Celta Vigo is crucial and will go a long way to making the promotion shake up a lot clearer.
Below the promotion protagonists Hertha, Malaga, Levante, Rubin Kazan, Brugge and Independiente are all in with a shout and scrapping to the death to make it into the play-off bingo call.
At the foot West Broms wooden spoon will be confirmed with anything less than victory at home to Cologne or if Anderlecht win at Santos.