Andrew McCarten
The 2010/11 season of the English Premier League has widely been hailed as the most competitive and entertaining edition since the league’s inception in 1992. Manchester United continue to prove they are the club to match under Sir Alex Ferguson, but Arsene Wenger’s vision of beautiful football on a sensible budget seems to be close to completion with Arsenal. Manchester City have made strides again, and look certain of Champions League football despite having dropped out of the title race, while defending champions Chelsea have struggled recently, and could face a fight from Tottenham Hotspur, last year’s fourth place finishers, to secure a top four finish. Liverpool have been resurgent under Kenny Dalglish, and Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers are both threatening to book a place in Europe.
This season has been a financially lucrative year for all 20 clubs, but next year is set to be even more competitive and dramatic with the likely addition of newly-rich Queens Park Rangers from the Championship, with fallen giants Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, and 2001 Champions League semi-finalists Leeds United in contention for promotion. Either Cardiff City or Swansea City are both very likely to take the second automatic promotion spot, finally giving Wales a representative (or two) in the top flight. Thus missing out on the cash-laden league next year will be a missed opportunity for three clubs.
Relegation is often described as a “slow burn” process, one which gradually eats away at morale and confidence. Inside Futbol take a look at those involved in the scrap towards the bottom of the table, and their chances of staying up:
West Ham United – Last season: 17th Premier League
The East London club rejoined the Premier League in 2005 via the playoffs, and since then have been inconsistent, showing flashes of brilliance and even European form, juggling between top-half finishes and last-day drama, finishing 17th last year. A terrible start to the season saw the Hammers lose their first four, and after five matches the Upton Park outfit propped up the table with a single point. Manager Avram Grant has, at times, looked certain to be sacked, but vice-chairman Karen Brady and the board have yet to pull the trigger.
The January transfer window saw West Ham bag Robbie Keane (on loan/permanent deal if they stay up) from Tottenham, sign Gary O’Neil from Middlesbrough, striker Demba Ba from Hoffenheim, and Wayne Bridge on loan from Manchester City. Cup results have been positive, but it is the league where struggles continue, despite a morale boosting win over Liverpool. The Irons’ last three matches are home to Blackburn Rovers, away to Wigan Athletic, and home to Sunderland. Expect them all to mean a lot to their survival chances.
Heat Level: The house is well and truly on fire and the emergency effort to put it out will take a huge struggle.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Last season: 15th Premier League
Perhaps the most unlucky club this seasons in terms of points lost, Mick McCarthy’s men have shown unmeasurable resolve, heart, and total committment to their cause which has earned them the scalps of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and most notably Manchester United, ending their unbeaten run. However, it has been against lesser opposition where the focus seems to have been lost, with the 1-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers being the perfect example; Wolves looked set to earn a valuable point at the Reebok, until an errant backpass in the 94th minute from Ronald Zubar saw Daniel Sturridge strike to leave the Old Gold with nothing to take back to Molineux except a deep sense of frustration.
Kevin Doyle has again impressed up front, but a lack of service has seen him score only three times in the league. Steven Fletcher and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake each have four, though more firepower will be necessary to climb out of the bottom three. The signing of Adam Hammill from Barnsley, and Jamie O’Hara on loan from Tottenham have provided depth and some new energy, but all will have to step up to ensure another season in the top flight. Relegation could prove disastrous, with Doyle, Matt Jarvis, and Stephen Hunt all not short on suitors.
Heat Level: Stomping on the rug desperately, but the smoke is starting to get dangerous.
Wigan Athletic – Last season: 16th Premier League
Relegation for the Latics would come as no surprise considering their recent finishes, with the side often near the bottom of the pile. Roberto Martinez’ team have struggled for goals, with the joint-second worst goal difference, having only scored 27 at the time of writing. Their away form has also left a lot to be desired, where the majority of their results have been losses.
Ali Al Habsi has been preferred in goal to Chris Kirkland, and despite some impressive performances the barrage both have faced would be a tough task for any number 1. Hugo Rodallega has again shone, and should hit double figures for the second year running. But aside from the striker, Wigan have been starved of goals without a real second threat to partner the Colombian. Victor Moses’s inexperience, in addition to injury problems, has resulted in just two goals for the former Crystal Palace hotshot, while Franco Di Santo seems to have lost all of the promise he showed as a young gun at Chelsea, failing to find the net in 17 matches in the league this season; in fact, the Argentine has not netted at all this year, including appearances in the FA Cup and League Cup.
Conor Sammon was prolific for Kilmarnock in this year’s Scottish Premier League, scoring an amazing 18 times in just 27 matches, and was duly signed on deadline day to bolster the squad’s attacking options. He is, however, yet to make an appearance, and it remains to be seen if he can continue his hot streak in a league with a much higher standard of defensive play. Wigan will have to score goals and tighten up at the back, especially away from home, to earn enough points to stay up and on current form this looks a tough challenge indeed.
Heat Level: Fire department is on the way, but with chairman Dave Whelan publicly backing Martinez even in the event of relegation, the managerial merry-go-round might not make a stop in Wigan.
West Bromwich Albion – Last season: 2nd The Championship
Under the leadership of Roberto Di Matteo, it looked as if West Brom’s yo-yo routine might have finally been coming to an end. An opening day 6-0 loss to Chelsea was not a dream beginning by any means, but September saw the Baggies draw with Tottenham before beating Birmingham City, Manchester City, and Arsenal, all while playing attacking, attractive football and earning Di Matteo the Manager of the Month accolade. Peter Odemwingie has proved to be one of the best buys of the summer transfer market, with nine goals in 21 starts for the Nigerian, with the forward leading the way for the club. But it hasn’t been all Odemwingie: seven other players have at least two goals, and a further five have one each.
However, a worrying run with wins hard to come by sees the Baggies again drawn into the fight and facing another campaign in the Championship. With Di Matteo out and Roy Hogdson, fresh from his nightmare spell with Liverpool at Anfield, now in, the pressure is on to get results and points. Chris Brunt, now 26, is into double figures with assists and has been one of the Premier League’s best creative players. If relegated, Brunt may seek to leave the Hawthorns which would have a host of English and European clubs on alert.
Heat Level: It has been getting hotter and hotter in the Hawthorns’s kitchen.
Aston Villa – Last season: 6th Premier League
It was all supposed to be so different for Aston Villa this year. After a sixth place finish last season under Martin O’Neill, the trouble began when James Milner finally completed his drawn-out move to Manchester City, which caused O’Neill to walk. Frenchman Gerard Houllier took over amidst talk of a “revolution” at Villa Park, with attractive football and Europe beckoning; but the Midlands side went out to Rapid Vienna in the Europa League Third Qualifying Round, and a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle United did not help either.
Villa have been extremely inconsistent; with players like Brad Friedel, Richard Dunne, Stephen Warnock, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Stewart Downing and Luke Young, the club had the firepower to be comfortably top-half, regardless of the loss of Milner. The emergence of Ciaran Clark and Marc Albrighton, along with the capture of Darren Bent from Sunderland, has brought renewed belief, but nothing is guaranteed in the Premier League. Jean Makoun and Kyle Walker have both added verve and acumen to the side, and it seems Houllier may finally be putting his imprint on the team. Next year much more will be expected, but there is still work to do.
Heat Level: Cooling off, but still a chance of getting burned.
Birmingham City – Last season: 9th Premier League
After an impressive campaign which saw the Blues finish ninth last year, Alex McLeish’s side have struggled to find the form which saw them closer to European football than relegation in 2009/10. It could be a case of “Reading syndrome” for the Blues, were they to be relegated following such a successful return season in the Premier League. Ben Foster has been inspired in goal, proving he can be a number 1 in the Premier League after mostly sitting on the bench at Manchester United. The loan captures of Alexander Hleb, David Bentley, and Obafemi Martins greatly bolster the attack; Martins is a proven goalscorer, Bentley can be a menace on the wing, and Hleb’s Arsenal pedigree means he can pull the strings in midfield. Roger Johnson and Liam Ridgewell combine for a solid partnership in the centre of defence, and Stephen Carr has rolled back the years at right back.
Nikola Zigic seems to be finally shaking off his dull form from earlier in the year, but the fact remains that between himself and Cameron Jerome the duo have only managed eight goals so far. The majority of their remaining fixtures are winnable, or at least present opportunities to rack up points, but the Blues will have to find the net more often if they don’t want their stellar defence having to play in the Championship next year, especially after winning the Carling Cup. The Europa League would not be quite so tempting were it combined with second tier football.
Heat Level: Everyone is sweating a little bit.
Everton – Last Season: 8th Premier League
After finishing eighth last term, Everton missed out on European football and took a step back under long-time boss David Moyes. This season has seen another retreat from the league’s elite with Everton very much in the thick of a relegation fight, although there have been positives along the way. The rapid emergence of Irish youngster Seamus Coleman, who joined from Sligo Rovers less than two years ago for just £150,000, has proved to be more than a bargain. The enterprising Sligo native has been a right back throughout his career, but this year Moyes has deployed him as a right winger to great success, leading to comparisons with Gareth Bale.
Despite some bright performances, Everton have often failed to secure all three points by squandering leads. Tim Howard is one of the league’s best, and Leighton Baines and Phil Neville provide a solid base on the edges of defence. The seemingly ageless Tim Cahill continues to lead the front line, but fellow frontmen Jermaine Beckford and Louis Saha have failed to provide goals. Another striker will be a top priority in the summer, but for now Moyes will look to salvage at least a top-half finish for the Toffees, and will do well to fight off interest from a host of clubs for Jack Rodwell.
Heat Level: Uncomfortably hot, but should be okay.
Fulham – Last season: 12th Premier League
After almost completing a miraculous run in Europe last season, narrowly losing the Europa League final to Atletico Madrid, Fulham have come down to earth this year. Mark Hughes took over for the departed Roy Hodgson, and similarly to his time at Manchester City the team’s form has been somewhat erratic. A 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the second game of the season showed fight and promise, but Fulham are among the bottom three in terms of goals for, despite their good record of keeping them out at the other end.
David Stockdale filled in well for seven matches between the sticks when Mark Schwarzer was injured, and his non-move to Arsenal was a big plus for the Cottagers. Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland have played well, while Danny Murphy, Simon Davies, and Damien Duff have been influential in the midfield, but again it has fallen to Clint Dempsey to score all of the goals, with the American netting more than Diomansy Kamara, Zoltan Gera, and Andy Johnson combined. Relegation would mean another unsuccessful stop for Mark Hughes, but the SW6 club should have enough quality to stay up.
Heat Level: Sweating buckets.
Blackpool – Last season: 6th The Championship
Blackpool can rightfully lay claim to being the most entertaining and original club the Premier League has seen. The term “breath of fresh air” has been thrown around, but it cannot be understated how much manager Ian Holloway has done with so little. Just getting into the league itself was a massive achievement, with many expecting Blackpool to go back down, perhaps even with Derby County-like incompetence. But the Tangerines have consistently taken points off of bottom-half teams, as well as doing the double over Liverpool.
Holloway’s rag-tag bunch is led by Charlie Adam, who was denied his dream move to Liverpool in January. He will most likely move on in the summer; the Scottish international struggled to even make an impact at Rangers, but Blackpool could make more than twenty times the amount they paid for the Scot, with the Anfield club his main suitors. DJ Campbell has been a revelation too, scoring goals in crucial matches and bringing his team-mates into the attack with clever link-up play. Theirs has been a team of heros with Ian Evatt, Stephen Crainey, and Luke Varney in particular impressive performers. Holloway has been charismatic throughout, and perhaps his enthusiasm alone will be enough to keep the pre-season favourites for relegation playing top flight football come 2012.
Heat Level: Getting hotter, but the fire is still a block away.
