Premiership relegation battle

[fitzyjr]

whose going down this season. give your teams and the reason. my guess:
middlesborough- they won't survive without king viduka at the helm.
derby- i dont think they have what it takes to be at the top level
wigan- i don't know how they survived the drop this year, but they dont seem to be doing much in the transfer market so i think they're going down.

[passinginterest]

Derby - just don't have the quality
Fulham - Their time has come and Sanchez will probably be exposed
Birmingham - Just see them struggling

Middlesborough, Man City, Blackburn, Sunderland and West Ham not safe either.

[Cymro]

Wigan-Got out of jail last year but will be incredibly lucky to do so again.
Derby-Earnshaw will get them goals but still they can but finish in the bottom three.
Sunderland-just no good at Premiership level, a bit of cash and Roy Keane won't really change that. Probably do better than last time though :D

Other candidates to go down-

Reading-if they hang on to their best players eg Doyle and Shorey they should stay up. However I expect Doyle to leave them in Jan if he keeps going at his rate and Reading could well struggle the year after next.
Fulham-Should have enough quality but will have to suffer a few anxious moments.
Bolton-Really see them struggling without big Sam, but there are worse sides in the Premiership so they will scrape home. Like Reading they might struggle in 2009 though.

On account of their money, I've tipped West Ham and Man City to stay in the top half. However, throwing money at something doesn't always get it to work, so they could well find themselves in a rut if the new signings flop together.

[jebus]

Wigan and Bolton will be shown up under new managers, and Derby haven't the finances to improve their team to the standard required to survive in the Premiership. I don't think Sunderland or West Ham will struggle this year to be honest, mid-table for the both of them

[Cymro]

Wigan and Bolton will be shown up under new managers, and Derby haven't the finances to improve their team to the standard required to survive in the Premiership. I don't think Sunderland or West Ham will struggle this year to be honest, mid-table for the both of them

Sunderland's signings haven't exactly blown me away. They were in for Nugent but for now wouldn't I be right in saying Russell Anderson has been their biggest signing so far?

They're much like Derby really, can't see them having enough to stay up but would be happy for their fans if they did after their last two shots at the Premiership.

[jebus]

Sunderland's signings haven't exactly blown me away. They were in for Nugent but for now wouldn't I be right in saying Russell Anderson has been their biggest signing so far?

They're much like Derby really, can't see them having enough to stay up but would be happy for their fans if they did after their last two shots at the Premiership.

Difference though is that even if Sunderland don't get the players they want this summer, and are stuggling alongside Derby come January, they will have enough money to throw at the problem and try and pull themselves out I reckon

[Cymro]

Difference though is that even if Sunderland don't get the players they want this summer, and are stuggling alongside Derby come January, they will have enough money to throw at the problem and try and pull themselves out I reckon

If that were the case would it work? It barely worked for West Ham, and they were spending Chelsea-style amounts of money-Lucas Neill 70K a week anyone? Could Sunderland afford that much?

I think if they are to stay up they'll need to do what Portsmouth, Reading and Wigan did in their first seasons in the Premiership where everyone wrote them off-get a good start, that sets the tone. A bad start will leave them with very little chance of avoiding the drop.

I would say Derby, Wigan and Sunderland have to be favourites for relegation based on current squads. I fully expect at least two of those to go down. One could survive with some shrewd management and tactics, a la Bolton for the last umpteen years, or with excellent team spirit a la Reading last year, but I would be very surprised if two of the three did not come from those I mentioned.

[fitzyjr]

hw is evry1 overluking middlesborough for relegation. gareth southgate barely had what it took to keep thewm up last year, and that was with viduka. the only team id put more likely to go down is derby, but everyone sees that happening.

[Cymro]

Middlesbrough finished 12th last season, meaning there were 5 teams worse than them that didn't get relegated. Despite Viduka leaving, you'd put money on at least two of those 5 going down instead of Boro, and I think we're all agreed Derby will struggle a bit.......:(

[rambler14]

I'd go with Middlesbourough, Derby and Wigan

[red rovers]

i would say birmingham and middlesbrough will go and the 18th place will go to either bolton wigan or derby

[Cymro]

Sunderland linked with Michael Chopra for £5m. I know I'm a Swansea fan but Chopra has to be the most over-rated player ever. Not the best of signings at that price in my opinion, Nugent even at £6m is much much better as he's proven over several seasons in the Championship and not just one.

[red rovers]

Sunderland linked with Michael Chopra for £5m. I know I'm a Swansea fan but Chopra has to be the most over-rated player ever. Not the best of signings at that price in my opinion, Nugent even at £6m is much much better as he's proven over several seasons in the Championship and not just one.

I think Chopra was very good last season 22 goals in 42 games not bad at all :).And besides Nugents record with preston is not the best I have ever seen.Will be good to see how he does at Porthsmouth.

[sfc red]

hw is evry1 overluking middlesborough for relegation. gareth southgate barely had what it took to keep thewm up last year, and that was with viduka. the only team id put more likely to go down is derby, but everyone sees that happening.


Do you speak the English?

[galwayhoop]

Wigan and Bolton will be shown up under new managers, and Derby haven't the finances to improve their team to the standard required to survive in the Premiership.

along with middlesborough and it will be 3 from that 4.

[fitzyjr]

Do you speak the English?

my bad. i keep writing in text format. its a force of habit.

and Red Rover, chopra is absolutely class. i may be saying that because im a cardiff fan, but it is true. why wont sunderland go find some other striker, fowler and byrne wont be good enough to keep cardiff up- presuming they even get fowler.

[Cymro]

I think Chopra was very good last season 22 goals in 42 games not bad at all :).And besides Nugents record with preston is not the best I have ever seen.Will be good to see how he does at Porthsmouth.

I'm not really arguing with Chopra's record last season, more the fact that it was only one season and he failed to make the grade at Newcastle.

I personally don't think he's worth £5m more like £1m.

[fitzyjr]

hes worth at least five million. last year he had cardiff top of the championship before christmas. then he stopped scoring and they dropped down alot. hes a good player, just might not be suitable for the premiership. we'll just have to wait and see

[Cymro]

Could have been a fluke half season. Players like Francis Jeffers were once worth well over £5m.

Can't really judge on the basis of a good six months, the same applies to Cardiff who could well be in relegation trouble next year.

[red rovers]

and Red Rover, chopra is absolutely class.

that is what i said.i said i think chopra was very good last season 22 goals in 42 games not bad at all:).

[endabob1]

Chopra's not a premiership player, very surprised at that move
To go down
Fulham
Wigan (although Kounas is a good buy)
Derby

Honourable mention for 'Boro who will run them close, expect Reading to struggle this season too, second season syndrome and all that.
Bolton, SundIreland & Birmingham shuold just about have enough to stay up.

[red rovers]

To go down
Fulham
Wigan
Derby

have to disagree boro,birmiham and bolton to go down

[OwlsFan]

Sunderland, Derby and Wigan.

[fitzyjr]

that is what i said.i said i think chopra was very good last season 22 goals in 42 games not bad at all:).

yeah, my bad red rover. i wrote down the wrong name.