Relegation Candidates For The Coming Season?

Raskolnikov

While the top three finishes in the Premier League seem to be a foregone conclusion before a ball has even been kicked, what'll happen at the other end is less predictable. The three newcomers, Crystal Palace, Norwich and West Bromich Albion will all really struggle to stay up this season and likewise, some of the established teams are going to have a fight on their hands.

1. Crystal Palace are my favourites to finish bottom. Dowie has done fantastically in getting an average first division team promoted but he's had little or nothing to spend and his existing squad is desperately weak looking.

2. Norwich will also struggle, I feel their squad while being stronger than Palace's is still in a whole different league to that of other Premiership teams.

3. Man City, Keegan's attacking mentality will be the downfall of City this season. While they have some quality players in Anelka and Wight-Philips, I don't think it'll be enough to save them this time around.

Scraping to stave off relegation will be Everton, WBA and Postsmouth.

AngelofFire

Everton,Norwich and westbrom.

jesus_thats_gre

Everton please god!

Big Ears

Palace , Man City and Bolton .

gimmick

Everton / Palace / Man City

Norwich will finish 14th ish. Worthington is a class manager.

PHB

I think Man City have a good chance at a good mid table position, same with Norwich.
Palace are going all the way back down

Iago

I think Palace will stay up, WBA are really going to struggle, Everton will struggle unless they sell Rooney and get some much needed transfer money..

I think Portsmouth and Norwich will be contending for the final relagation spot will Palace just about finishing ahead of them

Dewey

Damn you Raskolnikov, i was going to post this but you got in there before me.

Anyway.......I think Everton will be Relegated because with the lack of players they are bringing in. so far they have bid £6million for Smith who jhas joined Man United and a £2.5million for Savage over the corse of 4 years depending if they stay in the Premiership.lol.
Unsworth is gone to Bolton and Razankis(sp) wants out and it looks like Rooney will reject the new contract(if you belive the papers). Plus there is alot of bad going on's in the board room so they are my pick to be relagated along with Palace and.......West Brom. I think Man City will do well and finsh in the top half of the table.

kida

Man City, Norwich and Spurs

Spurs and city will both do a Leeds. When things start going wrong they won't have the bottle - City have been threatening to do it for a while and wasn't impressed with Santini with France.

and Norwich are too nice - they haven't the steel to stay up. Both WBA and Palace will be close though.

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by kida
Man City, Norwich and Spurs

Spurs and city will both do a Leeds. When things start going wrong they won't have the bottle - City have been threatening to do it for a while and wasn't impressed with Santini with France.

and Norwich are too nice - they haven't the steel to stay up. Both WBA and Palace will be close though.

I think you're way off with Spurs there! Look at the strength of the Spurs squad then take a look at the Palace squad, there isn't a player of Premiership quality there. I'd even go as far as saying that Palace are even weaker than Wolves when they went up.

kida

Its just a gut feeling I have. Look at the quality of Leeds squad last season vs some of the teams that stayed up.

sikes

as a spurs fan, i honestly can't see us going down..i know i am biased but hey!! last season we had pleat who played right wingers on the left, defenders in midfield and strikers in midfield..and managed 14th.

the deadwood is out and we have bought promising players in the last 7 moths..defoe / davis / mendes / robinson with 3 or 4 more to come.

you can't judge a coaches performance in a sequence of 5 games..his record as french coach was the best in their history (afaik)...in club management he has been very successful taking lyon to the championship etc

think i will wait til the beginning of the seaon to predict but everton, crystal palace and norwich are the ones who look likely to me

Dr Bolouswki

City's biggest problem last season was defence, and Keegan has brough in Thatcher and Danny mills - both tough players with almost un-interrupted careers in the top flight.... also, David James, despite his failings, still commands the confidence of Erickson, who I'd imagine knows a bit about football...

I can't imagine City, who were in the top 6 last season until the disasterous run that started in November, are going to experience the same run of form again. Keep in mind also that their home form (new stadium) was what really let them down. They also played well against the big guns. Yes we are infuriatingly crap at times, but I don't see a relegation dog fight - more likely to finish somewhere between 12th and 8th with Keegan sacked/resigning at the end of the season.

Relegation? Norwich and palace haven't a hope = 3rd spot will be one of everton (trouble at all levels) blackburn and west brom.

eirebhoy

I don't see how Norwich haven't a hope yet WBA, who finished 8 points behind them last season, will be fighting for the 3rd relegation spot. WBA could obviously finish ahead of Norwich but Norwich not having a hope is a bit premature.

Dr Bolouswki

it's simply that norwich have no experience of the premiership - it counts for a lot...

Jivin Turkey

Originally posted by Killah_B
I can't imagine City, who were in the top 6 last season until the disasterous run that started in November, are going to experience the same run of form again.

I wouldnt put a "disastrous run" that lasted for 7 months of the season down to form. Surely the 3 months that got them there was more form than the following 7.

Big Nelly

Palace, Norwich and WBA.....I see WBA with the best chance of stayin up! portsmouth cud go down but I just tink the 3 new boys have 2 weak of a team!

Nuttzz

Palace are cannon fodder, I can see them gone by March 1st

Davey Devil

Blackburn are my bankers this year. They were awful last season, they have brought in the mighty Paul Dickov this season and De Pedro who got sent off in his first friendly match. Souness has the worst man managment skills of any Premiership manager since Hoddle. He's the type of manager who goes out training with the players and still thinks he is better than them. Barry Ferguson is the only man that can save them and personally I don't think he's up to it.