Your Exhaustive Premier League Preview
Your Exhaustive Premier League Preview
By Andy Brunning
With the start of the new Premier League season imminent, we take a look at some of the comings and goings in the transfer window, and at which teams will be contesting for the title, as well as those contesting the relegation places.
ARSENAL:
In: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson, Gervinho.
Out:Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Cruise, Mark Randall, Gael Clichy, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Samir Nasri(?).
It has been, by and large, a summer of discontent for Arsenal fans. The cloud of having won no silverware since 2005 hangs over Arsene Wenger like a dark cloud threatening to burst, and the fans’ clamour for new signings has gone unappeased despite the board’s frequent insistence that a plentiful budget is at the French manager’s disposal. The Gunners have yet to lose any big name players, bar the sale of Gael Clichy to Manchester City, but the perpetual tug of war over Cesc Fabregas with Barcelona seems to be finally reaching a conclusion, with an offer worth around £35 million reportedly accepted.
Fabregas is not the sole player looking to quit the club – Samir Nasri has also made it clear that he is open to a move away, and though interest from Manchester United seems to have faded after a rumoured £20 million bid in July, a move to Manchester City now looks to be in the offing, with Wenger having confirmed that talks are taking place between the two clubs.
The signings coming into the club have also failed to stoke much enthusiasm amongst supporters. Gervinho has, at least, impressed in the French league, moving to Arsenal on the back of an 18 goal season for Lille; but, as Marouane Chamakh will attest, the Premier League is an entirely different beast. Carl Jenkinson’s signing from Charlton Athletic appears to be an attempted cheap fix for continued defensive woes; woes that Jenkinson does not look like immediately improving if the own goal in a preseason friendly versus FC Cologne is anything to go by. The capture of Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton is more promising, with the England U20 international being rated amongst the country’s best young talents.
Overall, on current evidence it is hard to see Arsenal challenging for the title in the coming season; however, many wrote off their chances last season, and then only their post Carling Cup collapse in the last quarter saw them slide to fourth place. If the money from the sales of Fabregas and Nasri is reinvested, and more defensive reinforcements are recruited, they could yet cause the title-chasers a headache.
ASTON VILLA:
In: Shay Given, Charles N’Zogbia.
Out: Robert Pires, Mustapha Salifou, Nigel Reo-Coker, Isaiah Osbourne, John Carew, Harry Forrester, Brad Friedel, Ashley Young, Stewart Downing.
Due to his continuing health problems, manager Gerard Houllier stepped down at the conclusion of last season, and in his place Villa took the curious decision of appointing Alec McLeish, manager of arch-rivals and recently relegated Birmingham City, as his replacement. However, judging from the atmosphere at pre-season friendlies, animosity towards McLeish seems to have abated – though no doubt the Scotsman will be hoping for an assured start to the season to ensure no premature return of ill-feeling.
The summer transfer window has become something of a dreaded harbringer for Villa fans over the past few years. Two years ago, it was Gareth Barry leaving for Manchester City, last year it was James Milner following suit, and this year both Stewart Downing and Ashley Young have left the club, to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. Brad Friedel, too, has followed them through the door (to Tottenham), but at least in his stead the club have made the astute signing of Shay Given from Manchester City.
However, bar the arrival of Charles N’Zogbia from Wigan, other signings have been thin on the ground, with the board seemingly reluctant to reinvest more of the money gained from the sales of Downing and Young. They will be hoping that, in Mark Albrighton, who impressed in the early part of last season, they have a natural replacement for Young, yet still it could be argued that strength and depth in their squad is lacking in most areas, and the club will be hoping for a largely injury free season. Whilst they are unlikely to get sucked into the relegation fight, they are also unlikely to punch much above mid-table.
BLACKBURN:
In: Miles Anderson, David Goodwillie.
Out: Frank Fielding, Maceo Rigters, Phil Jones, Zurab Khizanishvilli, Aaron Doran, Benjani, Jason Brown.
In November of last season, Indian poultry giant Venky’s became the first Indian company to own a Premier League club, sailing in on bold claims of European football and silverware, and transfer links to illustrious names such as Ronaldinho and David Beckham. They then promptly sacked manager Sam Allardyce, appointed the inexperienced and unproven Steve Kean as his long term replacement, and provided little in the way of transfer funds. Currently Venky’s initial vision for the future of the club is about as far as it is possible to get from the truth of the situation; certainly, the reality is far from the fantasy football ideal they seem to have naïvely assumed.
The sale of Phil Jones to Manchester United for £16.5 million may have raised Rovers fans hopes that the money would be reinvested in the team – however, as yet, big name signings are still notably absent. Roque Santa Cruz, signed on loan from Manchester City in January, did nothing whilst at the club to prove that he isn’t secretly fashioned from porcelain, spending most of his loan spell injured, and is unlikely to return to Rovers for the new season. David Goodwillie may be a useful buy if he can replicate his SPL form in the Premier League, but Blackburn desperately need more reinforcements to avoid being dragged down into another relegation scrap this season. If Chris Samba’s oft mooted move to Arsenal comes to fruition before the transfer window slams shut, Blackburn could well be in dire straits come next May.
BOLTON:
In: Chris Eagles, Tyrone Mears, Darren Pratley.
Out: Jlloyd Samuel, Tamir Cohen, Gavin McCann, Johan Elmander, Ali Al-Habsi, Danny Ward, Matthew Taylor, Joey O’Brien
Bolton finished last season in 14th place, a position that somewhat belied the progress that they have made under Owen Coyle. However, this season promises to be tougher, with their main strike duo from last season now absent. Johan Elmander departed for Galatasaray upon the expiration of his contract, and Daniel Sturridge returned to Chelsea after his highly successful loan spell, where he looks likely to push for a first team position this term.
Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears have been brought in from Coyle’s former club Burnley, and Darren Pratley from newly promoted Swansea, but Bolton seem to have been cursed by injury woes before the season has even gotten underway. First Lee Chong-Yung and then new signing Mears both broke legs in pre-season games, and with US midfielder Stuart Holden already on the sidelines with ligament damage, it would appear that Coyle has some work to do in the transfer market.
A priority for Bolton will be to secure a strike partner for Kevin Davies, so that he does not have to shoulder the goal-scoring load alone. It is likely that Coyle will try to work the loan market again, as he did so astutely with Sturridge, and in the season previous with Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. If he can succeed, Bolton will be looking to better last season’s finish, though with other clubs around them strengthening, they may struggle to do so.
CHELSEA:
In: Roman Lukaku, Oriol Romeu.
Out: Jan Sebek, Michael Woods, Carl Magnay, Danny Philliskirk, Jacopo Sala, Fabio Borini, Nemanja Matic, Yuri Zhirkov, Jack Cork, Michael Mancienne.
The dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti at the conclusion of last season, whilst not unexpected, seemed somewhat harsh given that, only a year before, he had won the double for Roman Abramovich’s team. His sacking continued Chelsea’s revolving door policy when it comes to managers, appointing five new managers in the past four years alone, a record that has led former incumbent Guus Hiddink to urge Abramovich to adopt a more sensible approach.
Latest incumbent Andre Villas-Boas takes over at Chelsea after a Europa League winning season with FC Porto; there is also the minor fact that Villas-Boas was formally Jose Mourinho’s assistant during the ‘Special One’s’ time at Chelsea. This, of course, has lead to a torrent of comparisons in the press – no pressure on Villas-Boas to succeed, then.
The loss of Michel Essien to injury for six months, after he ruptured ligaments, led to the signing of young defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu from Barcelona as cover for the Ghanaian. The deal for the Spain U20 international includes an option for Barcelona to re-sign the player over the next two years, however, so it is most certainly a signing for the short, rather than long term. The oft courted Roman Lukaku, the highly rated Belgian teenage striker, also finally agreed a deal to join Chelsea, putting to an end months of speculation.
What will probably be Villas-Boas’ biggest task for the coming season is identifying a system in which Fernando Torres can thrive. Ancelotti’s attempts to accommodate the £50 million man proved unsuccessful, but if Chelsea can find a way to spur the striker back into form, he could fire their title bid. Daniel Sturridge’s return from a loan spell at Bolton means the young English forward will also be fighting for a first team spot, and the youngster has looked impressive in pre-season, scoring freely. Anything less than challenging for the title and a lengthy run in the Champions League will be seen as a failure in Abramovich’s eyes, so the pressure is on Villas-Boas to get results.
EVERTON:
In: None.
Out: Ian Turner, Hope Akpan, Kieran Agard, James Vaughan.
Another forgettable transfer window for Everton supporters, with as yet no new signings made due to the club’s lack of funds. The flip side of the coin is that they have (so far) managed to hold on to Phil Jagielka, who has been targeted by Arsenal, and Jack Rodwell. Whilst the reality that the club needs to sell in order to buy does mean that reinforcements are unlikely, the Toffees still have a strong midfield including Fellaini and Arteta, though much will depend on their ability to avoid injury – both were frequently sidelined last season.
Regarding injuries, there is already bad news for Everton in the shape of Seamus Coleman tearing ankle ligaments in preseason – no timescale has been put on the Republic of Ireland international’s recovery, but he could be out of action for as long as six months. The news will come as a blow as Coleman was one of Everton’s standout players last season, establishing himself as a first team regular after his signing for a meagre £150,000. Mikel Arteta will also be spending the opening weekend in the stands due to a foot injury, but should return for the following weekend.
Everton will be hoping to avoid a start like last season’s, which was their worst in over a decade, leaving them bottom of the Premier League table at the end of September. The likelihood is that David Moyes will once again manage to accomplish enough with the limited resources available to ensure a mid-table finish, but the Merseyside club are unlikely to be challenging for the Europa League places come the season’s end.
FULHAM:
In: Dan Burn, John Arne Riise, Marcel Gecov, Pajtim Kasami.
Out: John Pantsil, Zoltan Gera, Pascal Zuberbuhler, Matthew Saunders, Eddie Johnson, Diomansy Kamara, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Jonathan Greening.
The story of Fulham’s summer was Mark Hughes’ shock resignation at the beginning of June after less than a year in charge, and barely a month after suggesting he was open to talks on a new contract. Martin Jol was swiftly appointed in his stead, and has since brought in Swiss U21 international midfielder Pajtim Kasami and veteran defender John Arne Riise.
The new signings bolster a side that was already performing well towards the end of last season under Hughes, securing a top ten finish in the league with victory over Arsenal on the last day. Having qualified for the Europa League via through the Fair Play rankings last season, however, the success of their Premier League campaign may depend on how the squad is able to cope with the greater number of games. The loss of Bobby Zamora to a broken leg in the first half of last season leeched Fulham’s attacking potency, so they will be hoping that their front-man can avoid any serious injuries this season – if he does, and shows the form he is capable of, Fulham could end the season challenging for the Europa League spots.
LIVERPOOL:
In: Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Alexander Doni.
Out: Nikola Saric, Dean Bouzanis, Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic, Thomas Ince.
Kenny Dalglish has been splashing the cash for Liverpool over the summer in a bid to return the club to the upper echelons of the Premier League. The signings of Jordan Henderson, Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam, thought to be for a combined fee in excess of £40 million, is a clear statement of intent from the Merseysiders, and harks back to the policy of signing young British talent Dalglish employed in his previous spell as manager.
Whether Dalglish’s methods in the transfer market will still bear fruit more than 20 years later remains to be seen. Henderson impressed for Sunderland in the first half of last season, but tailed off after his first England call-up, and has looked less convincing since. Meanwhile, Stewart Downing has been one of England’s ‘nearly men’ for several years – often touted as the solution to the problematic left midfield position, but never delivering when called upon. Dalglish will be hoping that Liverpool will provide the stage that both need to thrive. Charlie Adam, meanwhile, almost succeeded in single-handedly keeping Blackpool afloat in the Premier League last season, and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to playing in a more balanced side.
The players already at the club are also showing signs of forming a more coherent unit. January signings Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez should pose a formidable front line; Suarez, in particular, came into form towards the end of last season, and his goals could help Liverpool break back into the top four after two seasons of disappointment.
MAN CITY:
In: Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic, Costel Pantillimon.
Out: James Poole, Shaleum Logan, Javan Vidal, Felipe Caicedo, Andrew Tutte, Scott Kay, Donal McDermott, Patrick Viera, Jerome Boateng, Shay Given, Jo.
Manchester City have been showing little sign of a let up in spending, once again opening the cheque book to bring in Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and Costel Pantillimon for a combined total of over £50 million. Finally there is a trophy in the cabinet, and the promised land of the Champions League awaits; City fans can also realistically expect to be challenging for the Premier League title in the coming season, a far cry from the League One club that they were merely twelve years ago.
It’s not all good news for City, with Carlos Tevez still intent on quitting the club in order to spend more time with his family in South America. A proposed move to Corinthians fell through, however, and it seems increasingly likely that Tevez will at least start the season still a City player. A possible partnership with Aguero would be a tantalising possibility if this remains the case. Meanwhile, Mario Balotelli is still brilliantly unpredictable, inconsistent, and petulant, but if Mancini get can the volatile Italian’s co-operation for more than a few games at a time, City will have a fearsome strikeforce at their disposal.
Other reported transfer targets for City, Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder, could yet join the club, and either would greatly reinforce their title ambitions. And though they may fall short realising their championship aspirations this season, with their immense financial reserves it seems only a matter of time before they are fulfilled; though if there is one thing to be learned from Chelsea’s previous attempts, it is that money alone cannot buy success in the Champions League, and this may prove their greater challenge.
MAN UTD:
In: Phil Jones, David De Gea, Ashley Young.
Out: Joe Dudgeon, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, Edwin Van Der Sar, Conor Devlin, Nicky Ajose, Wes Brown, John O’Shea, Oliver Gill, Gabriel Obertan.
It has been, to an extent, a summer of rebuilding for Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson. With the long dynasties of Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes coming to an end, and Ryan Giggs in the twilight of his career, a host of younger players have been shuffled into the side, and those already at the club look set to play a more central role in the coming campaign. Meanwhile, veteran pair Wes Brown and John O’Shea have been offloaded to Sunderland to make space in the squad for the new recruits, and Gabriel Obertan has departed to Newcastle after failing to make an impact in his two years at United. Injury prone Owen Hargreaves has also left after his contract expired.
The Spanish U21 goalkeeper David De Gea looks set to take on van der Sar’s mantle ahead of Anders Lindegaard. The young signing from Athletico Madrid looked a little nervy in his first competitive game against Manchester City in the charity shield, but van der Sar’s are big boots to fill, and the club will be hoping he will grow into them over the course of the season. The signing of Phil Jones from Blackburn is also one for the future, as this season at least he is unlikely to be part of Fergson’s first choice centre back pairing.
The Red Devils will undoubtedly be challenging for the title come the end of the season, with their squad, whilst young, looking stronger than it perhaps did a year ago.
NEWCASTLE:
In: Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan.
Out: Ben Tozer, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Routledge.
After a respectable 12th placed finish last time around, Newcastle could be in for a rockier ride this time around. The loss of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January, coupled with the departure of Kevin Nolan, and possible departures of Jose Enrique and Joey Barton, could leave their squad looking depleted of proven Premier League ability, and could leave them spending more time looking down at the relegation places rather than up towards the safety of mid-table.
With that said, the return of Hatem Ben Arfa, who spent most of last season recovering from a broken leg sustained only a few games into his Newcastle career, will provide a welcome boost to the side, and new signing Demba Ba also showed at West Ham that he is more than capable of finding the back of the net. Gabriel Obertan is more of a ‘taking a chance’ signing; the Frenchman showed intial promise during his Manchester United career, but earlier this year he was a part of the team of reserves that infamously barely managed a 1-0 victory over non-league Crawley Town. Since that game, Obertan’s first team prospects looked minimal, and it is little surprise that Sir Alex Ferguson has seen fit to move him on. However, given regular game time, Newcastle will be hoping that he can prove the doubters wrong.
The Magpies are unlikely to be contending with a serious relegation battle at any point during the season, though the money spent by the teams in their immediate vicinity means that they will do well to better last season’s result.
NORWICH
In: Steve Morrison, Richie De Laet (loan), Elliott Bennett, Bradley Johnson, James Vaughan, Antony Pilkington, Kyle Naughton (loan).
Out: Jens Berthel Askou, Matthew Gill, Samuel Habergham, Luke Daley, Owen Tudor Jones.
Norwich will be setting out their stall to avoid immediate relegation this season, and so far over the summer manager Paul Lambert has done a good job with limited resources. The loan signings of Richie De Laet and Kyle Naughton, from Manchester United and Tottenham respectively, should be able to step into the defence and do a decent job – and hopefully one that stops them leaking too many goals. Whilst the players signed are not ones that are particularly established in the Premier League (perhaps with the exception of James Vaughan from Everton), Norwich have done a good job of strengthening their side in all areas.
Whether or not their strengthening will pay off, time will tell. They will be hoping for more success than in their last, ill fated Premier League campaign, which they finished with the worst goal difference in the league (conceding 77), and failing to win a single away fixture.
QPR:
In: Jay Bothroyd, Kieran Dyer, Danny Gabbidon, DJ Campbell.
Out: Georgios Tofas, Gavin Mahon, Josh Parker, Mikele Leigertwood, Romone Rose, Lee Brown, Joe Oastler.
The news of the summer so far for QPR fans is the retention of their star player Adel Taarabt. The Moroccan bamboozled defences in the Championship last season, finishing the season with 19 league goals from midfield, and if he can perform similarly on a bigger stage, it will be a big boost to QPR’s chances of staying up. Taarabt failed to make a mark on the Spurs first team during his time at White Hart Lane, but admittedly was never given an extended run, and so now the onus will be on him to prove he has what it takes.
Despite the turmoil over the club’s ownership, with Bernie Eccleston confirming the board are in talks over a potential takeover, manager Neil Warnock has still managed to be relatively active in the transfer market. Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell come in to considerably bolster the club’s attacking options, and with Campbell in particular scoring 13 league goals for Blackpool last season, coming by goals should not prove to be a problem. The worth of the signing of Kieran Dyer will be less certain, owing to his frequent injury problems, but if used sparingly he could provide additional options in midfield.
Much of the success of QPR’s season will, inevitably, depend upon the impact of Taarabt. Against the teams higher in the table, it is likely that he will go missing, but if he makes his ability count against the teams battling to stay up with QPR, then it could be vital.
STOKE:
In: Jonathan Woodgate, Matthew Upson.
Out: Ibrahima Sonko, Abdoulaye Faye, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Carl Dickinson.
Thus far rumours have been swirling around Stoke’s Britannia Stadium regarding potential signings, but Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate are so far the only players to put pen to paper. The latter was released by Spurs due to his repeated injury problems, and how well he fares with these in the coming season will dictate how good a signing he turns out to be, but that he is on a ‘pay as you play’ deal at least means that Stoke do not stand to lose money.
A potential move for West Ham’s striker Carlton Cole fell through after Stoke chairman Peter Coates justifiably questioned the occasional England striker’s fitness; the official line is that ‘personal terms failed to be agreed’, but there is general speculation that Cole took offence at Coates’ comments. Stoke also made a combined offer to Tottenham for Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch, but the deal seems to be a non-starter with Spurs holding out for a higher fee.
Before the end of the window, boss Tony Pulis will most likely want to supplement his limited attacking options, especially since Stoke could well carve out a long run in the Europa League leading to extra fixtures. However, they at least look well equipped to survive another Premier League season, and push on from last season’s 13th place finish.
SUNDERLAND:
In: Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson, Keiren Westwood, Ahmed Elmohamady, Wes Brown, John O’Shea, David Vaughan, Oumare Tounkara (loan).
Out: Jordan Henderson, David Healy, Nathan Luscombe, Robbie Weir, Michael Kay, Jean-Yves Mvoto, Steed Malbranque.
Sunderland certainly haven’t been shy when it comes to recruiting new players; in fact, they’ve signed nearly enough for an entire new team over the course of the summer, funded mainly by the departure of Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for around £20 million. Steve Bruce is also still scouring the market, with rumours that Niko Krancjar of Spurs will be brought in on a loan deal before the conclusion of the transfer window.
The players brought in could make Sunderland serious challengers for the Europa league spots this season. The loss of Darren Bent to Aston Villa last January may have had fans thinking that their team would struggle in his absence; however, Asamoah Gyan stepped seamlessly into his place, and with promising youngster Connor Wickham signed from Ipswich over the summer, they should be confident of having a potent attack. Defender Wes Brown and utility man John O’Shea will also add experience to the back line, with Craig Gardner and Sebastian Larsson likely to be immediate shoe-ins in midfield. Their final placing of 10th in the league last season was somewhat deceptive; in the final weeks of the season, they spent several games without any recognised strikers fully fit. Avoiding such problems this time around, they should certainly better their previous placing.
SWANSEA:
In: Danny Graham, Steven Caulker (loan), Jose Moreira, Leroy Lita, Wayne Routledge.
Out: Kerry Morgan, Albert Serran, Dorus de Vries, Yves Ma-Kalambay, Jamie Grimes, Cedric van der Gun, Darren Pratley, Gorka Pintado.
This year’s surprise inclusion; like Blackpool last year, few would have envisioned the Swans gaining promotion to the Premier League from the Championship, and similarly few will rate their chances of being able to stay afloat for more than the course of this season. They will also become the first Welsh team to play in the league since its formation in 1992.
Swansea’s business in the transfer market has been steady, if unspectacular, with the majority of the players brought in originating from Championship clubs. Danny Graham, from Watford, will share goal-scoring duties with Scott Sinclair, who hit the back of the net 19 times last season, and Leroy Lita, who netted 12 goals at Middlesbrough. Meanwhile, Wayne Routledge joins from Newcastle, and will be looking to prove a talent that has never quite flourished at Premier League level, previous spells with Tottenham and Aston Villa also proving unsuccessful. Steven Caulker also joins from Spurs on loan, and if the young defender plays well may form an important part of their defensive line. Recent links to Liverpool’s Daniel Ayala could come to fruition, further boosting their defensive personnel.
Swansea will undoubtedly be amongst the bookmakers’ favourites for relegation, though they could well be a surprise package. Their strike-force is up to the task, but their campaign may depend on how few goals their defence can leak, the point on which Blackpool’s campaign ultimately faltered last season.
TOTTENHAM:
In: Brad Friedel, Soleymane Coulibaly, Cristian Ceballos.
Out: Jamie O’Hara, Jonathan Woodgate.
Luka Modric has ensured a nervous wait for the new season amongst Spurs supporters. As yet, his much mooted potential move to Chelsea is yet to become reality, and with chairman Daniel Levy taking a hard line on keeping the Croatian from Chelsea’s clutches, they will be hoping that the transfer window closes with Modric still a Tottenham player. Perhaps surprisingly, there has been little activity around Gareth Bale despite his heroics in the Champions League, a fact that Tottenham will be all too happy with.
However, there is a sense that so far over the summer, the club have stood still whilst others have forged into the distance. Liverpool and Manchester City, the clubs they are most likely to be competing with this season, have both bolstered their rosters considerable, whilst the only notable signing Spurs have made is that of Brad Friedel. The American will offer good back-up to the unpredictable Gomes, perhaps even taking the Brazilian’s place if he repeats last season’s at times comedic antics, but at 40 years of age he isn’t getting any younger, and is nothing more than a short term fix.
Despite having an array of attacking options, the general feeling is that Spurs desperately need to sign a goalscorer. The Spurs strikeforce largely failed to fire last season, with none of their four forwards breaking into double figures. So far they have been linked with several players across Europe, but it is looking likely that the team that lines up on the opening day of the season will be no different to the one that ended the previous season. If this remains the case, Spurs may once again struggle in their bid to finish in the top four, especially with the extra games that the Europa League will entail.
WEST BROM:
In: Billy Jones, Gareth McAuley, Ben Foster (loan), Zoltan Gera, Shane Long.
Out: Dean Kiely, Ryan Allsop, Abdoulaye Meite, Scott Carson, Gianni Zuiverloon, Marcus Haber, Borja Valero, Giles Barnes.
Roy Hodgson has quietly been going about rebuilding his reputation at West Brom, after a nightmare spell at Liverpool. They comfortably avoided being dragged into the relegation dogfight last time around, finishing 11th in the table. However, Peter Odemwingie’s 15 goal haul for the season played a large part in this, and the recent signing of Shane Long from Reading will ease the pressure on the Nigerian’s shoulders (if, that is, Long performs in the Premier League).
Of the other players that have come in, the departure of the at times calamitous Scott Carson, and his replacement with loanee Ben Foster from relegated Birmingham is an excellent fit for both parties; meanwhile, the signing of Hungarian Zoltan Gera, a favourite of Hodgson’s from his time at Fulham, will also give the Baggies’ midfield a boost. Whether or not they can better last season’s finish is debatable, but that said, Hodgson’s record after taking over from Roberto Di Mateo in January, of only two losses in 12 games, suggests that given a full season, he could well inspire the team to overachieve in the same way that Fulham did under his guidance two years ago.
WIGAN:
In: Adam Dawson, Ali Al-Habsi, David Jones.
Out: Stephen Caldwell, Charles N’Zogbia, Antonio Amaya.
Roberto Martinez’s Wigan have been the plucky survivors for the past couple of seasons, flirting dangerously with relegation. Last season, they escaped on the final day with a win against Stoke, and Latics fans will be hoping for a less tense conclusion this time around.
However, the loss of Charles N’Zogbia will be keenly felt at the club. The French midfielder almost single-handedly kept the Latics in the Premier League last season, scoring 5 goals in the last 6 games, and finishing the season as Wigan’s top scorer with 10 goals. Wigan are not a team with a lot of star names, and with no replacement for N’Zogbia signed as yet, it is hard to see who will step into his place. Victor Moses has stagnated since his move from Crystal Palace in early 2010, when he was earmarked as the hottest property in the Championship. Injuries have played their part, but as yet he is yet to show that this tag was justified; however, in N’Zogbia’s absence, he should have a chance to start more games this season and prove the doubters wrong.
Once again it seems that Wigan will be relying on the newly promoted teams not having what it takes to eke out an extended stay in the division – it is likely that their safety will not be assured until late in the season, if at all. Without any new signings, relegation could be a real possibility.
WOLVES:
In: Jamie O’Hara, Dorus de Vries, Roger Johnson.
Out: Nathan Rooney, Marcus Hahnemann, John Dunleavy, David Johns, Greg Halford, Adriano Basso.
It has been a quiet summer for Mick McCarthy’s men; their first team will remain largely the same, with Jamie O’Hara joining on a permanent deal from Tottenham after his successful loan spell last season. His continued presence will improve the quality of the Wolves midfield, but it is hard not to feel that the midlands team are living dangerously by not strengthening more over the summer.
Their one other signing of note is Roger Johnson from relegated Birmingham, who has signed a four year deal, and they will hope will help shore up their at times shaky defence. Meanwhile, Wolves’ record £7 million signing from Burnley last summer, Stephen Fletcher, was coming into form towards the end of last season, managing ten league goals overall, and if he can continue this form into the new season he will provide some much needed firepower.
Of course, the lack of any other signings does little to suggest that Wolves will not be amongst the league’s relegation fodder, and it is likely to be another season of frustration for McCarthy. The pinnacle of their ambitions will be a mid-table finish, but in reality they are likely to spend much of the season hovering around the relegation zone.
