Article
Jewell slams Premier League over West Ham punishment
WIGAN, England (AFP) - Wigan manager Paul Jewell slammed the Premier League's decision not to deduct points from West Ham for their controversial signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in the wake of his team's 3-0 defeat to the Hammers.
Goals from Luis Boa Morte, Yossi Benayoun and Marlon Harewood at the JJB Stadium on Saturday boosted West Ham's hopes of surviving in the Premiership, while increasing Wigan's relegation worries.
It also came a day after the Premier League handed West Ham a 5.5 million pounds fine, instead of a points deduction, for irregularities over the signings of Tevez and Mascherano last August.
The Premier League decision was certainly not well received at Wigan, especially after the emphatic West Ham victory dramatically altered the relegation fight at the foot of the division.
"I don't want this to sound like sour grapes," said Jewell. "And I don't want anyone to get relegated because of an administrative mistake.
"But I knew for a fact when they said they would have the hearing with two or three games to go that there wouldn't be points deducted.
"I asked the question before the game, what would happen if I played Antonio Valencia who is suspended for today? I would have played him if I could have got away with a half million pound fine because this game is worth more than 5.5 million pounds to us.
"If it had been Wigan or Watford, or if West Ham were down already, they would have had points taken off them. One of the reasons they gave (for no point deduction) was it was because of the fans. What does that mean!
"Their fans have been fantastic, they are tremendous supporters, but what does that mean? If you have got a big fan base you can't get points deducted?
"I know it was the previous regime that did it (signed Tevez) but this regime continue to play him! I think everyone in this room would have been amazed if there had been anything other than a fine."
Predictably, West Ham manager Alan Curbishley did not share Jewell's sentiments and was clearly relieved at the outcome of the hearing and his team's visit to the JJB Stadium.
He said: "It was out of my hands, whatever decision was made. If points had been deducted, what could we do? But the 5.5 million pounds didn't go down too well either! I'm glad I don't have to pay it.
"But Eggert (Magnusson, West Ham chairman) and myself came to the club and these things were done before. There was a responsibility there and the Premier League have said this is not going to happen again."
Although the victory did not lift his team out of the bottom three, it has handed them great momentum as they face their final two games at home to Bolton and away to Manchester United on the final weekend of the season.
"I've been saying we need 38 points to give us a chance," said Curbishley, whose team are now three points shy of that target. "That's still the case and, on 38 points, we would still be relying on other things happening. But with the momentum, and the way we are playing, why can't we get more points?
"I've been saying since we lost to Spurs, we needed to win the majority of our games and we probably still need to pick up the majority of points from the next two games, but we have given ourselves a chance."
Despite their appalling performance, Wigan still have their fate in their own hands as victories in their final two matches would keep them in the Premiership.
"We are struggling right now and we are running out of games," said the Wigan manager. "But the funny thing is, it is still in our own hands. But if we play like that we will be relegated, make no mistake.
"We have to believe we can do better, and I know we can, but that performance won't win us another corner, let alone three points!"
Info
Goals
0 - 1 |
30' L. Boa Morte
|
|
0 - 2 |
57' Y. Benayoun
|
|
0 - 3 |
82' M. Harewood
|
Comments (0)