EPL Talk » west brom

Who Will Relegation Hit The Hardest?

Christopher Walker — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:54:55 +0000

Who will feel the effect most if they relegated to the Championship?

With West Bromwich Albion’s fate sealed last week we can now prepare ourselves for a dramatic conclusion to the Premier League season on Sunday. The neutral (including yours truly) will relish it and will want to see as many twists and turns as possible. Anyone supporters involved will have struggled to sleep for a week.

We all have our own predictions as to who will go down and what the sequence of results to will be. What I wondered is what effect will relegation have on the clubs involved.

West Bromwich Albion – 31 points (already relegated)

Even the most biased of Baggies supporters could not have been surprised about the clubs fate this season. However there seems relatively little for the Hawthorns club to worry about. Brom perenially spend within their limits upon promotion and Tony Mowbray has followed similiar traits. Signings that broke the £1 Million mark included: Scott Carson (£3.5 million), Marek Cech (£1.4 million) ,Luke moore (£3 million), Zuiverloon (3.2 million) , Valero (4.7 million), Aboulaye Meitie (£2 million) and Roman bednar at £2.3 million.

Not taking into account players that left that Hawthorns, the Throstles have forked out around £20 million. No doubt a few of the above will leave to recoup some of this. It is also likely that some contracts will include a drop in wages upon relegation ,West Brom should be relatively comfortble providing they spend their parachute monies wisely next season and offload a few big-earners.

Middlesbrough – 32 points

Although ‘Boro are technically £85 million in debt, the vast majority is owed to chairman Steve Gibson – which is the equivalent of owing your Dad 200 quid. Conisdering Gibson’s patience with Gareth Southgate it seems highly unlikey he will let the club suffer. However should ‘Boro suffer the drop (and it seems likely they will) they will have to get wheeling and dealing quickly. One of the first names out of the door will be Alfonso Alves, who was signed for a fee rumoured to be £12.7 million and one shudders to think what kind of wages the Brazillian is on at the Riverside. After breaking his foot against in the relegation six-pointer against Newcastle and a poor goals return for the club, ‘Boro may have to brace themselves for a big financial loss. The other big name out of the door, and the one Middlesbrough will miss most from an on-field perspective is Stewart Downing. A host of clubs will have relished the prospect of Boro’s demise in order to sign Downing and it is thought that Spurs will lead the chase after keeping tabs on the winger for considerable time. Boro will be hoping for auction fever from rival clubs in order to raise as much cash as possible. It will come as no surprise that Tuncay and David Wheater will also raise the eyebrow for a host of clubs, with Robert Huth also likely to be the subject of some interest.

Should Middlesborough fail to survive, the winds of change are likely to blow through this cold part of the country including the possibility of a new manager. With numerous players likely to leave and taking into account the squads lack of experience, ’Boro may well have to be happy with a season of stability next season rather than a promotion charge.

Newcastle – 34 Points

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. There may have been talks of a conspiracy theory in regard to the strength of Manchester United’s team selection at Hull. But based on perfomances alone, Newcastle are where they deserve to be. If Newcastle are relegated we will witness a real exodus from St James Park, which in turn demonstrates the extent of the problems the Magpies will face. The list of players likely to leave include: Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obamfemi Martins, Damien Duff, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Gutierrez and possibly Steven Taylor. If things continue in the trational ways of the Tyneside soap-opera then you wouldn’t rule out yet further changes at either boardroom or management level. Chairman Mike Ashley has been ostracised from the club before and if he cannot either persuade Shearer to take the job permanently and/or the Toon don’t get off to a flyer in the championship he knows showing his face in the Sir John Hall stand would be a tad unwise.

Newcastle will have to do their best to wheel and deal as early as possible in order to get the new players to gel as a unit early in the forthcoming season. The first thing they need to do is oust Joe Kinnear from his role, he isn’t physically fit to do job, and if the club are indeed relegated the job starts the minute the final whistle is sounded on Sunday. Although sacking managers isn’t a sign of stability, do any of us genuinely think that Kinnear would stay in the job until the end of next season – fit or not? With expectations and pressure form the fans likley to be huge and the club not in the best of health financially, relegation would hit United very, very hard.

Hull City - 35 Points

And to think the start Hull City had. The Tigers are clawing on for dear life in the Premier League and require one last roar this Sunday to ensure survival. Hull are likely to face a considerably weakened Manchester United team on Sunday which may give them half a chance of stealing a point. Whether any of that will come to fruition is another matter. Should Hull find themselves with an instant return to the Championship you would feel that financially the club will not suffer to the degree some of their rivals will. City were desperately unlucky to lose Jimmy Bullard so quickly after his £5 million move from Fulham and could find him leaving the club sooner rather than later at a cut-price fee. Bernard Mendy and Andy Dawson will also have attracted some attention, Giovvani’s early season exploits may tempt a rival club into a gamble. Hull however – are sound financially, have a good boardroom and a good manager in Phil Brown. Providing they can keep the nucleus of the squad together City should be stable and will look to try and bounce back at the first attempt.

Sunderland – 36 Points

The fans and players alike pleaded for the board to give Ricky Sbragia the managers job on a permanent basis, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ now springs to mind. Should Sunderland fail to beat Chelsea in Guus Hiddink’s last league game in charge, the Mackems may need another black cat in the dressing room for luck. The club would appear financially sound given the money they have spent in the last few seasons however I would still expect a few to leave. Sunderland shouldn’t really be in this trouble given what they have spent over the last couple of seasons. If the club are confined to the Championship, it is likely they will look to offload the wages of Steed Malbranque and Craig Gordon. I cannot see Kenwyne Jones staying at the Stadium of Light, particularly with Tottenham knocking on Niall Quinn’s door. Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand will attract offers and no doubt the pair pick up a fair size wage packet each too. This being said, Ellis short is now linked to a buy out of the club followed by a change of manager and a £200 million transfer kitty – if Sunderland stay up and we are to beleive the tabloids.

Welcome back West Brom

David Schiavone — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:06:05 +0000

Will the Baggies bounce back?

The predicted great escape was sadly not to be for West Bromwich Albion, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool condemned Tony Mowbray’s side to life in the Championship. It seemed a late run of form was going to provide the springboard for the Baggies to perform another miraculous feat, ala 2007, but it was too little too late for them as relegation was confirmed on Sunday.

This season West Brom have spent most of their time languishing in or around the relegation zone and the inevitable was surely just a matter of time. In the summer Mowbray did not strengthen the squad adequately enough, the most significant being Gianni Zuiverloon, Scott Carson, Abdoulaye Meite and Borja Valero.

Scott Carson has looked a shadow of the player once tipped as the future England number one. His clear lack of concentration has cost the Baggies a fair number of points and it seems he consistently makes thoughtless decisions.Zuiverloon on the other hand has been impressive in the right back slot, attracting interest from Paris Saint German. Playing in a defence, which has shipped goals for fun, it is a credit to the young Dutchman that he is attracting such interest.

Credit must also go to two stalwarts of the Hawthorns, Jonathan Greening and Chris Brunt. Greening, the club captain has put in some marvellous performances this season, controlling the centre of midfield and driving his team forward. Chris Brunt has show he has some ability when striking a ball from a set piece, coupled with his rampaging runs down the right flank, he has shown his value to the team.

Borja Valero has also been a solid buy, signed for £4.8 million, a significant amount for the club. Valero can pass with artfulness similar to countryman Cesc Fabregas while reading the game like a seasoned pro. January signing Juan Carlos Menseguez has also caught the eye in recent weeks, and although only on loan, he may well return for next season.

Tony Mowbray has a young and extremely talented squad with bags of potential. He has a footballing philosophy that must be commended, not giving way to calls from the masses to drop his way of playing. The style shown by his team have earned them many admirers and respect from many, but the downside is the lack of defensive cohesion. This twinned with Scott Carson’s shaky performances have led to 60 goals conceded in the Premier League, a number that is not good enough.

One saving grace is the financial situation at the Hawthorns, with 16,000 supporters having already renewed their season tickets for next season. The club will find itself on a sure footing during their time out of the lucrative Premier League. It also seems most of the squad can be kept together, “We don’t have to sell players because we don’t have any debt at club,” said Mowbray. A statement backed up by chairman Jeremy Peace, “We can keep players we want. Their salaries are affected by what league they’re in.”

Most would agree, although West Brom are destined for the Championship, they play a brand of football that is most welcome in the Premier League and will be welcomed back with open arms come next May.

Key Relegation Battles This Weekend

Christopher Walker — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:39:30 +0000

While this weekend could be the last stand for West Brom, there are four other key battles on show

I have spent this morning perusing the remaining fixtures for the relegation threatened teams and it appears that everything seems to point to the round of matches starting Saturday 9th May to Monday 11th May. As I have written before I am often against the over hyping of the run in especially with nine points to play for. However with eight of the threatened teams about to do battle with each other the relegation picture could become that bit clearer.

West Brom Vs Wigan

The baggies could finally receive the Coup de Grâce on Saturday. A loss at home to Athletic coupled with a point for Hull on the same day will seal their fate. Should both Hull and Sunderland win then a mathematical miracle to catch Hull will be needed, including a maximum point return from their last three games and the recovery of goal difference deficit of eight to level with the Tigers.

Blackburn Vs Portsmouth

Within two months of each other both clubs sacked their managers in a bid to avoid the dreaded drop and so far it appears to have worked. Paul Hart’s charges need one win to seal survival, Big Sam’s battling Blackburn need four points. With Rover’s travelling to Chelsea for a date with Guus Hiddink the week after and Porstmouth facing a massive battle with Sunderland both teams should be going all out for this.

Bolton Vs Sunderland

While Wanderers look likely to survive, needing just three points to be sure of safety. Ricky Sbragia’s Sunderland appear to be in relative free-fall. The Black Cats have won just three league encounters since the turn of the year and a win at the Reebok would be the ideal tonic before facing Portsmouth and Chelsea respectively. Megson’ men will not make this easy, they have their own need for a win to guarantee another season in the top-flight. Should Sunderland fail to emerge victorious here or at FrattonPark next week, it could well come down to the last game against Chelsea. One faint ray of hope shining on the Stadium Of Light that day is the possibility Chelsea could field a weakened side, bearing in mind a date at Wembley for the FA Cup Final and a possible Champions League final.

Hull Vs Stoke

The tale of two cities sees pre-season relegation favourites clash at the KC. While the Potters are the third team needing just one victory to continue an unlikely Premier League story at the Britannia after enjoying a decent run of results, Hull appear to have climbed up a cliff and promptly dived off it head first. Just a solitary league win since prevailing over Middlesbrough in December is leaving the Tigers clawing on for dear life. What may favour them is the wretched form of Newcastle and Boro but this cannot be relied on. Phil Brown will have no doubt targeted six points from this game and a trip to Bolton with SirAlex Ferguson’s league leaders being the final visitors the KC this campaign.

Newcastle Vs Middlesbrough (Monday)

Probably the biggest game of them all when the teams occupying the final two relegation places do battle at St James Park.

Newcastle’s tenure under Alan Shearer was never destined to yield many points in the first five games. Three losses to in form Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs have left the Magpies in yet more trouble but even the former England striker could have seen those three results coming.

The games that have really caused the Shearer sleepless nights have been Stoke away and Portsmouth at home. Granted Stoke have a strong record, conceding only 15 and losing just four. But given the run of games that Newcastle have that was an opportunity missed to gain 3 points. Last week’s stalemate with Pompey will have done little to lift the mood at St James Park, Newcastle have only scored once in five games and only gained two points in the process.

It’s not exactly been luxury for the visitors either, a meagre two wins in ten games has seen ‘Boro looking like relegation fodder. The confidence bred by the recent home win against relegation rivals hull was soon blown away by defeats to Man United and Arsenal. This Tyne-Tees derby has been targeted by Southgate as a must win and no wonder, their last two games are against Villa and West Ham.

Do or die for West Brom

Randy Capps — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:05:02 +0000

With 24 more points available in the 2008-2009 season, I hesitate to say that next weekend’s match with Stoke City is a must-win for West Bromwich Albion for its hopes for avoiding the drop.

But it really is.

The Baggies are rooted to the bottom of the table with 24 points with eight matches to go and any hopes for survival start at The Hawthorns on April 4 against the Potters.

Why is this match so important? It’s one of the best chances at three points left on the schedule.

West Brom’s remaining games

April 4 – Stoke City
April 11 – at Portsmouth
April 18 – at Manchester City
April 25- Sunderland
May 2 – at Tottenham
May 9 - Wigan
May 16 – Liverpool
May 24 – at Blackburn Rovers

As you can see, the push for the finish line is not exactly littered with chances for West Brom. But a win against Stoke – and it would be the first in six years – would serve as a confidence booster ahead of a relegation six-pointer at Fratton Park against Pompey the following weekend.

Midfielder Robert Koren hasn’t given up on his team’s chances of survival, telling the official team Web site on Tuesday that, “the next game against Stoke is very important. If we can get three points I think the fight will be open again.”

I tend to agree. Getting points on the road against Man City, Spurs or Blackburn will be tough. But three points at home after the international break will breathe life into a season that’s a bit lacking in that department at the moment.

It will probably take somewhere in the neighborhood of 37 points to stay up this season, so the Baggies have quite a bit of work to do.

But after Fulham’s great escape last year, anything is possible.

A win against the Potters keeps hope alive.

Anything less, and the trap door opens a bit wider.

Middlesbrough Are In Freefall

Paul Bestall — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:59:59 +0000

Why can everyone else see Middlesbrough’s problems but Steve Gibson? Whilst his support for Southgate is edifying, it worries me that the Chairman seems so detached from the situation Boro are in by continuing to back Southgate over the evidence of results, performances and the fans. Yet by backing Southgate, Steve Gibson is in danger of losing the support of the fans at the Riverside.” The magic wand in our situation is not sacking Gareth Southgate, but if I was to sack Gareth Southgate at this stage, how would it help the situation” I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news Mr Gibson, but teams that sack managers tend to hit a real vein of form for the next 8 games. Middlesbrough only have 8 games left. Portsmouth have so far collected 8 in 5 matches after removing Tony Adams. That could be enough to save your Premiership status.

Before the last home game, Season ticket holders in the South East block were contacted to ask them not to make noise unless the team were attacking or stand up during games at the Riverside, a bizarre decision that had me scratching my head. When you’ve a stadium full of fans who aren’t happy with the manager and his tactics, pointing the finger of blame at fans smacks of desperation. Southgate himself had a go at the fans after the lucky draw against Portsmouth after they chanted “We’ve only got one player” highlighting Tuncay’s efforts in comparison to his team mates.

“Some chants were disrespectful. The crowd had a right to laud his efforts but we win and lose as a team, the other lads may not have been as eye catching but they made important saves, blocks and interceptions” Continuing on his blame shifting, Southgate claimed it was “Hurtful to some of the other players, We survive as a club and a town by pulling together.”

It comes to something when a football manager tries to put such positive spin on Middlesbrough’s dire run by accusing the fans of being disrespectful and upsetting players. It reminds me of Steve Mclaren’s hellish period in charge of England, when he consistently tried to spin dreadful performances, such as drawing away in Israel and at home to Macedonia as good results. Southgate must be living in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks the fans can have the wool pulled over their eyes by being blamed for a run that has seen them pick up just 10 points in 18 games.Tony Adams was sacked by Portsmouth after collecting 13 points in 16 games. Make of that what you will.

The fans want to know how can they beat Liverpool but lose to Stoke and I can’t explain it. Fair enough, the win against Liverpool was fortunate, as the Reds had chance after chance after chance and just couldn’t score and that win is the only reason they’re not joint bottom of the Premiership with West Brom. I honestly can’t see Middlesbrough getting the two wins they need to even get of the bottom 3 in their next 4 matches with tough trips to Bolton and Arsenal, they need maximum points in home games against Hull City and Fulham.

West Brom look dead and buried unless they hit title winning form and the trap door is opening under Middlesbrough. With Gibson refusing to act now, it looks as if Boro are destined to join them unless a footballing miracle occurs. Yet, with relegation a real possibility, is Gibson going to remove Southgate in the Summer? Relegation would see them lose Downing, Tuncay and probably O’Neill to remove all the flair and guile that the side currently have. What quality of player can Southgate attract to the Riverside? His transfer record doesn’t hold much hope for anyone of genuine quality joining Boro whilst he’s in charge. Afonso Alves looks a worse buy every game he plays, a white elephant that cost £12 million pounds. A promotion charge under Southgate looks as far away as Michael Owen staying at Newcastle United.

Sometimes a Chairmans support for a manager can be positive, but sometimes it can smack of sheer bloody mindedness and unfortunately for Middesbrough fans, Steve Gibson’s stance falls into the latter. For Middlesbrough’s fans, the chairman needs to stop hoping for something to happen and keep Middlesbrough in Premiership, unfortunately without Gareth Southgate, otherwise I fear the Boro are doomed.