England Preview: Part 3

As we continue the wonderful world of the Premiership, 5 more teams come up on my radar. Will anyone crack the top 10? Lets find out.

Middlesbrough: In the wake of Stevie McClaren’s shock move to become England gaffer, the logical choice as a successor would be the usual suspects – Terry Venables, Alan Curbishley, etc. What does chairman Steve Gibson do? He gives the establishment a bit of the ol’ raspberry. Naming former captain and coaching virgin Gareth Southgate is about the least likely thing one might have conjured in their minds when McClaren headed off manage England. In and of itself, I think the move is a decent choice, considering he has the locker room’s respect and is widely known as a pretty good tactician. The downside of this is that many quality players might be hesitant to move to ‘Boro given that an experienced boss is not present. So far, this theory is being proven right with the lack of business in the summer transfer market. As with a number of the teams, I cannot speak intelligently of the players themselves, so I’ll go at this just looking at the unit as a whole. They are extremely average. I can’t say I enjoyed watching a Boro match last year and that is why. Unfortunately, I did not have access to the amazing UEFA Cup run so perhaps some of you may think I’m being harsh as far as their entertainment value. We shall see. Prediction: 12th. Southgate will be a worthy manager, I suspect.


Newcastle United: If you are looking for a club that hasn’t won jack shit since 1955, then this is your team. United just seem to have a black cloud hanging over their heads. Whether it be getting tantalizingly close to a league championship that matters (that 1993 1st Division title doesn’t count) or losing countless FA Cup Finals, nothing can seem to shake this penchant for choking when it counts. Bad luck also seems to follow Newcastle. The boy wonder, Michael Owen, has come back to England to once again rain down goals on the Premiership while playing for The Magpies. Unfortunately, he’ll see less than 2 hours playing time in the entire calendar year of 2006 with the massive injuries he has sustained. This leaves the club woefully short on strikers, as their roster is basically reduced to two up front: Ameobi and Luque. Newcastle is trying to land Obafemi Martins from Inter and Dirk Kuyt from Feyenoord, but have come up short in the bidding and/or negotiations. If they don’t rectify this situation, United is going to have a long, goal-deprived season. One coup that boss Glenn Roeder and Co. have pulled off is the relatively cheap move to bring Chelsea winger Damian Duff to St. James Park. This is a particularly good signing in that it gives Newcastle someone with pace on the left to play opposite of Nolberto Solano on the right wing. This could potentially give Roeder an option of playing a 4-5-1 with either Ameobi or Luque up front with Duff and Solano charging up the flanks. If they can’t get another striker in, this might be their only choice. The back line, however, gives me zero hope with this side. The almost weekly ineptitude displayed by “The 3 B’s,” Babayaro, Bramble, and Boumsong, was embarrassing. Unless they get their proverbial crap together, net minder Shay Given will have another torturous season in goal. Given single handedly kept Newcastle in any sort of a respectable form throughout the year and had my vote as one of the top 3 keepers in the league. I somehow envision an overall consistent season from The Magpies in the end. Prediction: 7th.

Portsmouth: One of the more entertaining stories to follow last season was the departure and return of ‘Appy ‘Arry Redknapp. If you would have asked anybody last November where Pompey was ending up for this season, 99.9% would have said the Coca-Cola Championship. Then, dramatically, as if a light switch were flicked on, Portsmouth, with the return of Redknapp, new signings in the winter transfer market Mendes and Routledge, gained a brand new sense of confidence, which swarmed over the team. It all seemed to take form immediately after the amazing Pedro Mendes volley that beat David James (who joins the club this season) and Man City last March. Amazingly, Pompey ran off one of the best forms in the league over the last month and a half of the season, saving their Premiership life for another season. I think Pompey is primed for a decent year, with the optimism that can only spring from escaping the drop in the manner they did. Prediction: 13th.

Reading/Sheffield United: I’m going to write about these 2 promoted clubs together, because I don’t know an awful lot about them. What I do know is that Reading stormed through the Championship last year the way Sunderland did the year prior. Does this mean Reading will suffer in the Premiership the same way? I doubt it, as The Royal Blue have a decent amount of cash to spend and can make a decent run in the transfer market. I am particularly looking forward to seeing how Americans Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann acquit themselves in the Premier League. They have a real opportunity to really cement the idea that we can play over there just fine. McBride, Bocanegra, and Friedel have been the mantle carriers long enough. Time for some new blood to enter. As far as Reading goes this season, I believe they will be the Wigan of this year. Prediction: 11th. As far as Sheffield United are concerned, I know precisely squat. I do know that boss Neil Warnock is one of the most aggressive, outspoken, maniacal gaffers in the game. The entertainment value from him alone is worth watching this team. As far as the squad goes, I’m not sure they have what it takes to stay up. Prediction: 18th. Relegated on the final day of the season.