Sorry, but just to come back one last time:dsr wrote:Anybody who loses to Birmingham plays badly. They've been so abysmal lately, that losing to them is nearly as bad as losing to Rotherham. And losing to Birmingham who are playing a man short, that's really really really bad.
As for the integrity of the league, it's just a difference of opinion as to the importance. Mourinho has threatened to play the youth team against Palace on the last day of the season. It could conceivably matter to us - if Palace got an easy win against United's scrubs and sent us down as a result, you wouldn't think there was anything unfair?
(A Huddersfield fan has pointed out, presumably accurately, that on 9 occasions (mostly cup) Wagner has dropped his entire first XI. When the first XI were reinstated for the next game, they won 1 out of 9. They would definitely be better trying to get the players fitter.)
Birmingham were always likely to put in a much improved performance for Redknapp's first home game, but in any case the stats I provided from the BBC, don't suggest that Huddersfield played badly.
And you still haven't addressed the point that Villa didn't turn up at Blackburn, or suggested how you can stop a team doing this, or prove they have done it?
As for Palace beating a weakened Utd. My original point would stand. It would be our own fault for not having the job done before the last game, and thus allowing this scenario to affect us. Conversely, does it occur to you that we might play out a draw with WHU on the last day to guarantee survival for both clubs? Would that be wrong? Surely both teams would have earned that right over the previous 37 games?