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EPL Preview : Part Five

Published by Ian John on August 13, 2010

West Bromwich Albion
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo
Players In: Gabriel Tamas (Auxerre), Pablo Ibanez (Atletico Madrid), Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers)
Players Out: Robert Koren (Released), Jonathan Greening (Fulham), Borja Valero (Villarreal on loan), Luke Daniels (Bristol Rovers-loan)

There’s nothing inherently to dislike about West Bromwich Albion as a football fan, though for their fans, the fact that they are yet to make the step from being a yo-yo club – too good for the Championship but not quite up to decent Premier League standard- must drive them barmy. Roberto Di Matteo is a decent manager who follows admirable football principles. Steven Reid will be a decent addition and Pablo Ibanez could also be a shrewd signing but there isn’t the depth in the squad to suggest that they will be anything but struggling against the drop once again this time around.

+Points – Pablo is a decent defender, as is Tamas and Reid is a decent acquisition-if he can stay fit- but there isn’t the depth or level of talent throughout the squad to sustain anything more than a fight against the drop. They’ll win many fans with their style of play and Di Matteo is a shrewd manager who will get the best out of his team.

-Points – The squad just lacks the depth and quality needed to sustain a challenge in the top flight and the additions made won’t really affect that. West Brom also have the biggest reputation of being the ‘in-between’ club. Too good for the Championship, but not quite good enough for the Premier League and Di Matteo’s biggest challenge may well be to change that for the better.

West Ham United
Manager: Avram Grant
Players In: Pablo Barrera (Nacional), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Lazio), Frederic Piquionne (Lyon), Tal Ben-Haim (Portsmouth-loan)
Players Out: Bondz N’Gala (Plymouth), Josh Payne (Doncaster)

Well, the new ownership team of Sullivan and Gold have made their choice. The likeable Gianfranco Zola has been axed and jowelly botox-failure and Mourinho acolyte Avram Grant has taken over. Given their problems West Ham may not be the ideal Premier League team of choice, but compared to Portsmouth, Grant will find West Ham a study in stability. He’s brought in some solid signings too, Barrera, Piquionne, Hitzlsperger and Ben-Haim are solid performers who should add some much needed depth. They’ve also kept hold of Scott Parker which may prove to be the best piece of business the club has made all summer. The Hammers are one of the most difficult sides to judge – they are capable of pushing on into the top half, or being inept and relegation candidates but in the end, I think they will probably be somewhere in between the two.

+Points – Scott Parker stayed and that is a huge boost to the hammers. The new signings will strengthen the squad markedly and add much needed depth. They’ve certainly improved their squad over last season and as such should be in a much better position at the end of the season.

-Points – Gold and Sullivan don’t really imbue me with any great deal of optimism for the long term future of West Ham. They lack the funds to take the club much further and have spent most of their tenure complaining at the level of player’s wages at the club and just how appallingly run it has been in the past. If the club don’t make a huge improvement this season, then the new owners must look at themselves as much as their overpaid players and new manager.

Wigan Athletic
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Players In: Mauro Boselli (Estudiantes), James McArthur (Hamilton Academicals), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Bruges)
Players Out: Titus Bramble (Sunderland), Tomasz Cywka (Derby County)

Wigan owner Dave Whelan seems to pride himself in the straight talking manner for which his Yorkshire-born comrades are famous. However the fact remains that despite the interesting signing of Mauro Boselli, Wigan don’t look particularly well equipped to improve on last season’s struggles. Roberto Martinez does try to play the game the right way but the deficiencies in his team were cruelly exposed several times last season, especially by Chelsea who thumped eight past them near the end of last season. Boselli will have to have a big impact if Wigan are to improve this season and I fear that this may be the year when Whelan’s Wigan drop through the trap doors and back into the Championship.

+Points – Boselli could be the goalscorer that the club has needed and holding on to Rodallega will help. Kirkland, when fit, could be the best English keeper and in Mayner Figueroa they have a talented defender.

-Points- The squad lacks talent and at times they have been cruelly exposed by some of the bigger Premier League sides. This looks like very much being another season of struggle for Wigan and their likable Spanish manager.

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Players In: Stephen Hunt, Steve Mouyokolo (both from Hull City), Steven Fletcher (Burnley), Jelle Van Damme (Anderlecht)
Players Out: Andrew Surman (Norwich), Chris Iwelumo (Burnley), Jason Shackell (Barnsley), George Friend (Doncaster), Mark Little (Peterborough)

Mick McCarthy has, for some, spent the pre-season amusing English world cup fans with his punditry on the BBC. The nasal whine that could so easily have annoyed the population actually turned McCarthy into a genuinely funny pundit who was astute and comical in equal measure. He may have a face that can see around corners, but McCarthy has also proved himself a shrewd manager at this level, something Roy Keane can’t say, and his signings this pre-season for Wolves have been imaginative and improved the squad at Molyneux well. Wolves may be the tip to go down for many but I think this Wolves team is better than the one last year and I think they’ll surprise many and stay up and stay up without too much difficulty.

+Points – A decent squad has been well supplemented by the signing of Hunt, Fletcher and Van Damme in particular. Wolves seem to be getting the nucleus of a talented young squad together and McCarthy’s men should not struggle in the Premier League quite as much as they did last season at times.

-Points – There still isn’t enough money available for McCarthy to shop at the higher end of the market, until that changes it is hard to see how the club is going to make any more steps forward given the level they are currently playing at.

So here are my tips in summary:
Champions : Manchester United
Champions League places : Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool
UEFA Cup Spots : Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Everton
Relegated : Wigan Athletic, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool

And now let battle commence!
Image Courtesy of ***Hora Cero*** on flickr.com

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