latest news
Toffee Crumbs Of Comfort For Spurs
Do the statistics give any hope to Spurs? We look at the bottom three on October 1 over the previous six seasons and discover that all but one of the rock-bottom clubs have gone down. But the exception was Everton, who kept faith with their manager...
OCTOBER 1, 2007
Bottom three clubs: Derby (5), Bolton (5), Tottenham (6).
Relegated clubs: Derby, Birmingham and Reading.
All three managers of the clubs in the bottom three at the start of October had lost their jobs by the end of November. By that time it was too late for Derby but the Trotters eventually survived by a point thanks to the ineptitude of Reading and Birmingham, while Spurs recovered to mid-table under Juande Ramos.
OCTOBER 1, 2006
Bottom three clubs: Charlton (3), Watford (3), Sheffield United (5).
Relegated clubs: Watford, Charlton and Sheffield United.
Charlton boss Iain Dowie would be gone by the end of November but they would be relegated along with a Watford side woefully inadequate for the task of survival. The Blades of course would eventually be demoted too thanks to the combination of horrendous late-season form and - according to an independent panel at least - Carlos Tevez' efforts for West Ham.
OCTOBER 1, 2005
Bottom three clubs: Everton (3), West Brom (5), Fulham (5).
Relegated clubs: Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham.
All three managers of October 1's bottom three clubs kept their jobs, with David Moyes and Chris Coleman eventually leading their clubs to mid-table after faith from their boards. Faith backfired in the Baggies' case - mostly because Bryan Robson is a singularly awful manager.
OCTOBER 1, 2004
Bottom three clubs: Crystal Palace (2), Norwich (4), West Brom (4).
Relegated clubs: Southampton, Norwich and Crystal Palace.
Baggies' boss Gary Megson would lose his job by the end of the month and Robson would keep them in the Premiership with just 34 points after a ridiculously exciting run-in which found them the least-bad of four terrible clubs.
OCTOBER 1, 2003
Bottom three clubs: Wolves (2), Newcastle (3), Leeds Utd (5).
Relegated clubs: Wolves, Leeds and Leicester City.
Juande Ramos could take heart from the fact that Newcastle kept faith with Bobby Robson (this year at least) and the Toon eventually finished the season in fifth. An imploding Leeds sacked Peter Reid in November and went down along with a poor Wolves side and a Leicester team relying on Les Ferdinand and Paul Dickov for goals.
OCTOBER 1, 2002
Bottom three clubs: West Ham (5), Charlton (7), Southampton (7).
Relegated clubs: Sunderland, West Brom and West Ham.
Glenn Roeder, Alan Curbishey and Gordon Strachan all kept their jobs and the latter two managers led their teams to mid-table while Sunderland and West Brom fell apart in spectacular fashion. Roeder's Hammers went down with 42 points - a total that last season would have seen them finish 13th.
Sarah Winterburn
