Premier League Preview, Part Two

Let's hear it for the underdogs!

Part Two deals with the teams more concerned with relegation as opposed to Europe.

11. West Ham United – Once again, they’ll be anchored in mid-table. Saddled with a huge wage budget, players who don’t care, and an unambitious manager, this will be another season of mind-numbing monotony for West Ham. Youth players Freddie Sears and James Tomkins could provide some excitement, though.

12. Blackburn – Paul Ince, as the Premeir Legaue first black British manager, will have a hard job to repeat Mark Hughes’ heroics, espescially without the departed David Bentley. A season of consolidation is in order, espescially as Ince hasn’t made any signings, and star striker Roque Santa Cruz is being courted by Alex Ferguson.

13. Sunderland – Roy Keane appears to have learned from his transfer mistakes last year, and has signed a batch of decent, mid-table players. Just how he copes with El-Hadji Diouf will be thrilling. There will be a few scares, but Sunderland will be safe by St. Patrick’s Day.

14. Wigan Athletic – They may have finished in the same place last year, but this year will be much more comfortable for The Latics. Backed by the bottom half’s best defence, and an exciting, powerful midfield, Wigan should enjoy a comfortable season. More goals are needed, and they might not come from Egypt’s Amr Zaki, who has a great scoring record in Africa.

15. Middlesbrough – How many more seasons like this can Middlesbrough put up with? Two unkown signings could turn out to be great, but probably won’t. Gareth Southgate desperately needs to do something up north, as the last two years have had no dizzying highs, or sickening lows. Another year of mid- to lower-table mediocrity awaits.

16. Fulham- Roy Hodgson has made good additions to his squad, though they won’t be enough to lift Fulham, the perennial under-achievers, out of the relegation mire. If the signings click, and with a bit of luck, they could haul themselves into mid-table at the expense of any team up to West Ham.

17. West Bromwich Albion – Having lost their two best players – Kevin Phillips and Zoltan Gera – the Albion will find life hard in the top flight. Again. They were the Championship’s best footballing side, though they won’t get the same time and space in the Premier League. Expect this squad to go down if they don’t sign a decent defender or two.

18. Bolton Wanderers -  Gary Megson has gambled in the transfer market, shelling out £10 million for the poor Johan Elmander. The other signings have been equally uninspiring, and after last season’s near miss, Bolton will bite the dust this year, as the squad is very thin and lacks quality.

19. Stoke City – A dreadful footballing side, they won’t have much of a chance with their pre-historic football style. Thomas Sorensen and Dave Kitson add expereince and Premier League quality in key areas, but this team is far too poor to even have a chance of survival. If they survive, they could become the next Bolton, due to their combative style of play and reliance on set-pieces.

20. Hull City – While they won’t “do a Derby”, this team is going straight back down. They’re a side full of experienced, creaking pros, and inexperienced lower-league players. Phil Brown is a clever young manager who learned well form Sam Allardyce, and they will probably mount a good Championship challenge nex year.

And, for fun, here’s who I think will win the Cups (but probably won’t!):

F.A. Cup: Manchester United
League Cup: Everton
Champions League: Inter Milan
UEFA Cup: Sevilla

By: Ciarán Leinster

Keep an eye out for more football material by Ciaran throughout the season.

If you have your own 2 cents to throw in, throw ‘em to emily@spunout.ie, and they’ll be published online in a flash!