Post by ---------a on Aug 5, 2007 10:45:50 GMT -1
my prediction for the final positions in the league next season:
1. Sheffield United - They havent lost too many players, i've always thought they're backline isnt too bad, players like kenny, morgan and killgallon are stand out in this division, the midfield has been strengthened with hendrie and beattie and sharp upront along with hulse and stead will score goals for fun, i fully expect them to win the league.
2. Watford - They're success in the championship last time around was a suprise to some, but they havent really lost any players since then and have added some great experienced pro's like mart poom and matt jackson on the defensive side, meanwhile jobi macanuff in midfield can look forward to a fresh start and i think he'll shine, maybe one more striker could be added with the expected money they'll should get for bouazza and they will be looking good.
3. Southampton - I'll be bold here, and slightly biased, the capture of saganowski on a permanent basis to go alongside rasiak, jones and wright - phillips will see us score plently of goals again this season. Midfield is also strong with the likes of viafara, skacel, surman and the new signing of safri who will look to boss the midfield and hammill on loan from liveprool (who looks immense),, but of course our weakness will be a very leaky defence, with the loss of bale and baird we've replaced with loan signings of vignal and bennett who can do an equaly good job, sign a half decent centre back and i think we can finish 3rd, if not than we could be looking around mid table.
4. Wolves - some say that they will be champions but i personally feel that they over achieved last season, however this doesnt mean to say they can have another good season. all be it a young squad i can see the manager doing what he did with sunderland when they were promoted, installing belief and spirit in the players. Gray and ward will add some experience in the defence and with murray in goal they have a good base to build around. Expecting kightly and olifinjana to have good seasons in midfield again and the young strikers keogh elliott and eastwood to be causing some trickery, they are a little bit of automatic promotion i feel.
5. Charlton - I can see them being the weakest out of the three relegated purely because theyve lost better players. Upfront Iwelumo has only proved himself in one season and todorov can be injury prone, however if he can remain injury free i fully expect him to score alot of goals. Some of their other signings have said 'average' to me which is why i expect them to struggle a bit more than the watford and shef u, however their manager and backbone of their squad is still very decent at this level and they wont be taken lightly.
6. Leicester - New belief and inspiration has been installed within the club recently with the new chairman and manager and i expect this to rub off on the players and fans alike. I like the signing of clemence in midfield and n'gotty in defence as these are the players you'd be wanting to sign in a promotion push - good solid experienced pros. DJ Campbell, cort, hume and fryatt will get enough goals to steal a play off place, but theyve signed alot of players and will need time to gel, so i cant see them finishing above this position.
the others...
7. West Brom
8. Stoke
9. Cardiff
10. Ipswich
11. Preston
12. Plymouth
13. Crystal Palace
14. Sheffield Wednesday
15. QPR
16. Coventry
17. Norwich
18. Burnley
19. Hull
20. Bristol City
21. Colchester
22. Barnsley
23. Blackpool
24. Scunthorpe
1. Sheffield United - They havent lost too many players, i've always thought they're backline isnt too bad, players like kenny, morgan and killgallon are stand out in this division, the midfield has been strengthened with hendrie and beattie and sharp upront along with hulse and stead will score goals for fun, i fully expect them to win the league.
2. Watford - They're success in the championship last time around was a suprise to some, but they havent really lost any players since then and have added some great experienced pro's like mart poom and matt jackson on the defensive side, meanwhile jobi macanuff in midfield can look forward to a fresh start and i think he'll shine, maybe one more striker could be added with the expected money they'll should get for bouazza and they will be looking good.
3. Southampton - I'll be bold here, and slightly biased, the capture of saganowski on a permanent basis to go alongside rasiak, jones and wright - phillips will see us score plently of goals again this season. Midfield is also strong with the likes of viafara, skacel, surman and the new signing of safri who will look to boss the midfield and hammill on loan from liveprool (who looks immense),, but of course our weakness will be a very leaky defence, with the loss of bale and baird we've replaced with loan signings of vignal and bennett who can do an equaly good job, sign a half decent centre back and i think we can finish 3rd, if not than we could be looking around mid table.
4. Wolves - some say that they will be champions but i personally feel that they over achieved last season, however this doesnt mean to say they can have another good season. all be it a young squad i can see the manager doing what he did with sunderland when they were promoted, installing belief and spirit in the players. Gray and ward will add some experience in the defence and with murray in goal they have a good base to build around. Expecting kightly and olifinjana to have good seasons in midfield again and the young strikers keogh elliott and eastwood to be causing some trickery, they are a little bit of automatic promotion i feel.
5. Charlton - I can see them being the weakest out of the three relegated purely because theyve lost better players. Upfront Iwelumo has only proved himself in one season and todorov can be injury prone, however if he can remain injury free i fully expect him to score alot of goals. Some of their other signings have said 'average' to me which is why i expect them to struggle a bit more than the watford and shef u, however their manager and backbone of their squad is still very decent at this level and they wont be taken lightly.
6. Leicester - New belief and inspiration has been installed within the club recently with the new chairman and manager and i expect this to rub off on the players and fans alike. I like the signing of clemence in midfield and n'gotty in defence as these are the players you'd be wanting to sign in a promotion push - good solid experienced pros. DJ Campbell, cort, hume and fryatt will get enough goals to steal a play off place, but theyve signed alot of players and will need time to gel, so i cant see them finishing above this position.
the others...
7. West Brom
8. Stoke
9. Cardiff
10. Ipswich
11. Preston
12. Plymouth
13. Crystal Palace
14. Sheffield Wednesday
15. QPR
16. Coventry
17. Norwich
18. Burnley
19. Hull
20. Bristol City
21. Colchester
22. Barnsley
23. Blackpool
24. Scunthorpe
