by Kunle Demuren
This is Part 3 of 4 of our preview of the English Premier League season (see Part 1 and Part 2 here). We will proceed in reverse predicted order of finish, 5 teams per day, until all 20 teams have been covered.
10. West Bromwich Albion
West Brom’s revival under Roy Hodgson last season is a testament to his talents as a manager, after his disastrous reign at Liverpool. Before his hiring in February, West Brom were facing relegation, by the end of the season, they were comfortably in 11th. Much depends on striker Peter Odemwingie maintaining the form that saw him score 15 goals (and provide 9 assists) last season, although the addition of Shane Long from Reading will also add bite to their attack. Hodgson should improve their defending with his emphasis on maintaining a team’s shape, which was a major problem under Roberto di Matteo. Further, if Owen Hargreaves, acquired on a free transfer from Manchester United, can get fit and stay fit, he will add some serious quality in midfield to go along with captain Chris Brunt’s passing ability. Based on Hodgson’s previous work in taking Fulham into the Europa League, West Brom fans should expect this season to be one of consolidation, before a major push for European qualification next season.
9. Fulham
Fulham might have managed to actually upgrade their manager this offseason, since after Mark Hughes’ surprise resignation, they hired Martin Jol, the former Ajax and Spurs manager. Jol nearly took Spurs into the Champions League, with a less talented squad than the one Harry Redknapp managed the feat with two seasons ago. Hughes did leave a very solid team, one that should stay close to last year’s league position. If Bobby Zamora can stay fit for the entire season, he should combine well with Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey to improve Fulham’s dismal-at-times goalscoring last season, and Jol should bring a more attacking outlook to Craven Cottage. The only reason that Fulham fans should expect a slight dip is the fact that Fulham will have Europa League fixtures to contend with, which might stretch their squad much more than the teams above them. John Arne Riise adds Premier League experience and depth to Fulham’s left side, and the young Swiss midfielder Pajtim Kasami, signed from Palermo, may develop into a long-term replacement for Danny Murphy, but he will need time to get used to the English game. Overall, if Fulham are knocked out early in the Europa League, they may improve on this position, otherwise, expect a slight backslide this season due to depth issues.
8. Sunderland
Sunderland had a rather exciting transfer window, outbidding the new riches at Liverpool for young English striker Connor Wickham, as well as signing half of Manchester United’s reserve back four (John O’ Shea and Wes Brown), Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan, winger Sebastian Larsson and midfielder Craig Gardner from Birmingham City, and South Korean striker Ji-Dong Won. All these signings should improve the depth of the squad and hopefully prevent the kind of midseason swoon that saw them go from a potential European place to nearly dropping into a relegation battle (from February to April, they won once in eleven matches). Wickham and Won will need time to adjust to the increased difficulty of the Premier League and develop a rapport with likely strike partner Asamoah Gyan. The team is well-equipped for a run at the FA or Carling Cup, but otherwise the initial struggle that one expects with integrating a lot of new signings into the team should see them finish just short of a European place.
7. Everton
Observing Everton’s performances over the last few seasons, one might be hesitant to pick them to finish so high, since it seems whether through injuries or just bad play, they can only play one-half of a season at the level that they should be capable of. Everton’s fortunes this season will ride primarily on the performance of their emerging players, since at the time of writing they have not brought in any new players. Big things are expected of 17-year-old central midfielder Ross Barkley, coming back from a horrific injury early last season, and winger Magaye Gueye, who made a few first-team appearances at the end of last season. Putting Everton in seventh may be a bit optimistic, but David Moyes has worked well with limited resources over the past few years, and with some luck they could end up in Europe. Jermaine Beckford will have to demonstrate that the form he showed at the end of last season was not a fluke, since it appears that the funds to sign a top attacking player will not materialize, and Louis Saha cannot seem to stay fit. If a top player like defenders Phil Jagielka or Leighton Baines, or a big prospect like Jack Rodwell, is sold, improvements may be possible. If Moyes becomes disillusioned by the demands of working for a club with not enough income to push on, however, and another club with funds and looking for a manager swoops in, Everton could be in deep trouble.
6. Tottenham Hotspur
It is telling that Spurs’ league campaign dipped a bit with participation in the Champions League, even with a squad as deep as theirs; the Europa League can be far more taxing. The signing of Brad Friedel should reduce goalkeeping comedy at considerably, as he should not commit egregious errors like Heurelho Gomes has done so often. Beyond that, Spurs signed two prospects for the future, Cristian Ceballos from Barcelona’s academy (18 years old), and Souleymane Coulibaly (16), who lit up this summer’s U-17 World Cup with 9 goals in 4 games. Spurs fans will do well to remember the caveats of signing a player after one good international tournament (this piece explains some of the pitfalls); thus neither should be expected to majorly contribute this season. This may be a bit of a problem if Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch continue the anonymity they showed last season; beyond Rafael van der Vaart’s 13 goals and Roman Pavyluchenko’s 10, no other Spurs player was in double figures. Spurs’ position right now is also precarious because of the speculation surrounding their playmaker Luka Modric’s potential move to Chelsea. If Modric is sold, Harry Redknapp may be able to afford another striker and a potential replacement, but Modric has become so essential to holding Spurs together and driving their play that his loss may doom their season, especially if players like Niko Kranjcar don’t step up to fill the gaps and they make a deep Europa League run.
No comments:
Post a Comment