August 13 2004

Premiership

The moment is nearly upon us, we are part of the Premiership once again, for the fourth time of asking.

Everton

Last Season: 13th

In: Marcus Bent (Ipswich), Tim Cahill (Millwall), Eddie Bosnar (Sturm Graz)

Out: Tomasz Radzinski, Tobias Linderoth, Niclas Alexandersson, Scott Gemmill, Paul Gerrard, Joey Jones, Steven Schmacher, Steve Simonsen, Micheal Symes, David Unsworth, Scott Brown, Craig Garside, Alan Moogan, Brian Moogan, Alex Nyarko

Player to Watch: Wayne Rooney

My Prediction: 17th

Total Points: Between 35-40

How Many Points will we get : 4/6 – Everton are our first home game, and we seem to well at Goodison, so I think that 4 points is a “conservative” estimate.

Everton lurch from one crisis to another. Moyes is trying his best to diffuse the Wayne Rooney situation, Kenwright is facing a takeover, the directors are all directionless and the plans for a new stadium now being shelved, after Liverpool rejecting a ground share and Evertons own ground plans being refused by the City council.

On the pitch things haven’t fared much better. Everton were in a downward spiral last season and with only 1 win in their last 10 games, should count themselves fortunate that they had enough points by March to remain in the top flight.

Injuries to key players such as Richard Wright and Duncan Ferguson plagued the Toffees and with Wayne Rooney literally keeping them up on his own last year, the omens do not look good.

Especially now that Rooney is out injured and will not play any part in the opening month of the season. It could be October by the time he returns. Good news for us, as they are our second game of the season. But one side of Liverpool really is singing the blues at the moment.

Everton is an anagram of Not Ever. This season certainly could amount to just that. Not ever improving, not ever getting relegated. Not ever being exciting either.

Summer spending has been small, Tim Cahill plumped for the move north so he can play in the Premiership, Ex Palace striker Marcus Bent also joining as well, from Ipswich. Aussie Eddie Bosnar, who gained Champions League experience with Sturm Graz, has also become part of Moyes squad.

But this is all, and with the rumoured financial issues at Goodison Park, many players have departed. Notable departures of Linderoth, Alexandersson and Radzinski will leave holes in an already average outfit.

It is clear that Everton cannot suffer another season of injuries. With Rooney out already before the season has started, I cant see where the inspiration is coming from. Thomas Gravesen is a good player, and can make a difference. But with poorer players around him this time, it could be a tall order. Goals will be a problem. Kevin Campbell and Duncan Ferguson will need to stay injury free, if they are going to have a chance. Rooney will also need to come back strong too; his energy and exuberance will be required.

With all this doom and gloom, how can they stay up? Simple, there are worse teams than Everton in the top flight. They will only just scrape safety, possibly on the last day of the season, but they have more class than the previous teams mentioned above, which will see them survive for another year. Whether Moyes or indeed Rooney will be at Everton come the end of the season, is another matter entirely.

Fulham

Last Season: 9th

In: Tomasz Radzinski (Everton), Claus Jensen (Charlton), Pape Bouba Diop (Lens), Andy Cole (Blackburn), Billy McKinlay (Leicester)

Out: Sean Davis, Mark Hudson, Jon Harley, Barry Hayles, Steve Marlet (Loan), Dave Beasent, Tom Davis, Loui Fazackerley, Andrejs Stolcers

Player to Watch: Claus Jensen

My Prediction: 16th

Total Points: Between 40-42

How Many Points will we get: 6/6 – Fulham are not good travellers, and we must beat them to stand a chance of staying up and possibly to distance ourselves from the relegation dogfight.

Last seasons real surprise package, Fulham shot up the table due to the goals of Louis Saha. This season, they will have to start in similar form, if they are going to avoid getting sucked into the battle near the bottom.

Fulham are unlike the other teams mentioned so far, as they wont have any problems scoring goals. Andy Colt and Tomasz Radzinski have been recruited, and despite both players not being quite at their best over the last 2 years, there is no doubt that they can be, on their day, ruthless strikers who will score against any defence.

Midfield as well they have become particularly strong, Pape Bouba Diop and Clause Jensen will beef up a midfield, which already sports that talents of Steed Malbranque and Luis Boa Morte. Although he will be unavailable for the 1st 6 weeks of the season, due to playing in the Olympics.

Its keeping the ball out of their own net, where the issue will lie. While Van Der Sar is a good keeper, he cant do it alone and a defence of Bonnisel, Goma, Pearce and Volz does not send shivers down many spines.

While there have been some good solid signings by Fulham, the loss of Sean Davis will be felt, and Chris Coleman has trimmed the squad by removing some of the dead wood.

But while they lack the strength in depth, their first team should be able to carry them through the season. Cookie will have to ride his luck with injuries, but as long as he can keep fit, they should stay up.

A repeat of last season is very unlikely. But the Cookie won’t crumble. Coleman has fashioned a side in his own image, hard, uncompromising and effective. It will be enough to see them through.

Crystal Palace

Last Season: 6th in the First Division – Play-off Winners

In: Mark Hudson (Fulham), Julian Speroni (Dundee), Joonas Kolkka (B M’Gladbach), Sandor Torghelle (MTK Hungaria), Emmerson Boyce (Luton), Gabor Kiraly (unconfirmed- Hertha Berlin)

Out: Jamie Smith, Julian Gray, Curtis Fleming

Player to Watch: Sandor Torghelle

My Prediction: 15th

Total Points: Between 42-45 Points

None of us will forget that day in Cardiff. But Iain Dowie will complete the miracle and become a Saint himself in the process. As the movie said, to become a Saint, you need to do 3 miracles. Dowie has done 2 already, avoiding relegation to Division 2 (or League 1) and getting promotion to the Promised Land of the Premiership. Now he will complete his ascendance into Sainthood by performing miracle 3, keeping us in the Premiership.

Hold on I hear you cry, is this not the ramblings of a biased and overoptimistic season ticket holder? Well not really. There are 5 reasons why I think we will stay up. They are all above.

Ok, we don’t have many players laced with Premiership experience. But as teams found last season, this did not stop Portsmouth. Bolton take risks in the transfer market and some pay off, some don’t. Generally though, they are beginning to challenge the bigger sides in this league and still pick up points along the way.

Iain Dowie has worked wonders since coming last December. The players that he has at his disposal were clearly under achieving, a situation put right in a matter of weeks, by changing the training regime.

But can the players who responded so well last season, do so again? I think yes (Well I would, wouldn’t I!!). Some of them have a real point to prove. Danny Granville is a good example of this. Let go from Leeds, Man City and Chelsea, Danny has played in a European final as well, but never been consistent enough to remain in the top flight. He will want to prove to everyone this season, what a good player he can be, especially to Dowie, who has shown much faith in him. Mark Hudson will want to let Fulham rue the day he was allowed to make the permanent move to Selhurst Park, especially after doing so well on loan last season. Dougie Freedman and Neil Shipperley, who were robbed of playing in the Premiership last time with us, will want to make the most of this season, Doogie most of all, as he needs 8 more goals to become a centurion marksman at the club. Something we have not seen for 12 years.

We have got talented youngsters too, Danny Butterfield and Wayne Routledge spring to mind immediately. Butterfield has missed so far only 1 game in 2 seasons (that was a suspension) and Routledge has the ability to go on to earn International colours.

Speaking of Internationals, we have some of those too; Aki Rhihilaati, Michael Hughes and Tony Popovic regularly turn out for their countries.

The close season has seen many successes too. Not only have we managed to get all of the coaching staff and the above mentioned players to sign new contracts, but we are attracting some real talent too. Joonas Kolkka looks a real threat. An out and out winger, he will need to get involved in the games more but he can cross with pinpoint precision. Sandor Torghelle will be a huge star as well. 6 foot tall, and with a real work ethic, he could become a huge hit, providing he settles. Emmerson Boyce looks like a real find and as a free transfer, could be the surprise of all of the signings. So assured in Preseason, he really does look the part. New Goalkeeper Julian Speroni also has settled in well since moving from Dundee. Whether Gabor Kiraly has signed or not, is still under speculation but he would also be a good addition to the squad. He has over 50 caps for Hungary, and with 200 Bundesliga games under his belt for Hertha Berlin, has some pedigree.

Goals will not be an issue either. Last Seasons top goal scorer Andy Johnson has fearsome pace and maybe wont get 32 goals like last year, but will certainly worry opposition defences again and get his fair share. Sandor Torghelle, will be an unknown quantity but so far, looks like being a solid signing. Even if both these players fail to perform, Freedman and Shipperley are waiting in the wings to add to their Premiership tallies, gained with other clubs.

But the one factor that we have, which no other team has got, is our fixture list. With only Chelsea between now and end of October, we can seriously go into every game and come out with a point in a lot of them, and the others will end in victories. We could have 20+ by the end of October. What price relegation then?

Iain Dowie has fashioned a team, with a blend of youth and experience, but all willing to give 100% to the shirt and ready to have a go. This is the best prepared Palace side I have seen tackle the Premiership yet (and I have seen a few!) and I have no doubt in my mind that we will stay up. The miracle will be complete.