May 16 2006

The Football League

For the definitive review of every Championship team during the season, read the Saint's verdict.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

This season: 7th

Last Season: 9th

Manager: Glenn Hoddle

One to watch: Kenny Miller

My Prediction: 3rd - Playoffs

How will we do? – 2/6

How did we do? – 1/6

What I said: “I see us having real problems against them and can only see draws, rather than victories as Molineux is our first away trip and it is no easy place to go to get points. Which is why Wolves will ultimately fall short of the big prize of automatic promotion, but could go all the way in the playoffs. Only a foolish man would bet against them”

So it was a foolish man who said they would reach the playoffs. Glenn Hoddle can be grateful as 2 seasons in the Championship is too long for Wolves fans, who were only getting used to the Premiership before they were relegated after just one season.

Wolves main issue was not turning enough draws into victories. 19 draws was only one less then Preston, but they lost 11, meant that with only 16 wins, their final total was always going to be just short of making the playoffs.

As I predicted, we would have a hard time against them and they beat us with a late goal from Carl Cort at Molineux and then managed a draw at Selhurst. But Wolves had a season that was not as patchy as ours, yet contrived to draw matches when they should have won, and snatched defeats when really they should have gotten all 3 points.

Maybe their form had to do with what went on off the pitch, rather than on it. Wolves star players just didn’t turn it on regularly enough and Kenny Miller managed 10 goals, rather than the 20 that you could expect from him. Colin Cameron went out on loan and Viorel Ganea, Ki-Hyun Seol and Mark Kennedy flattered to deceive, as Wolves just never got going.

Henri Camera finally moved on in August, while injuries to Miller and Olofinyana were just the tip of an iceberg that never seemed to recover. Only Joleon Lescott played the whole season and too many players played under half a season. There was talent there, but not on the pitch often enough.

Wolves fans will be disappointed and now with Miller moving on, may struggle to score goals next season. Glenn Hoddle may find that his number could be up as despite making his team very difficult to beat, they just don’t win often enough.

Coventry City

This season: 8th

Last Season: 19th

Manager: Micky Adams

One to watch: Claus Jorgensen

My Prediction: 19th

How will we do? – 6/6

How did we do? – 6/6

What I said: “Again, a lack of depth will be the problem this season and as some teams find a new stadium strange and this could play a part in their lowly placing. All teams need a good home record and without this, the Sky Blues are set for another season of struggle”

Where 2005 was a bad year all round for Coventry, 2006 should be a much better one. The Sky Blues found some rhythm towards the 2nd half of this season and their run of 4 matches in April took them from the mid table pack up to 8th place. A long way off the play-offs but the performances will give all fans heart looking to next season.

Micky Adams took over after the reign of Peter Reid ended with Coventry near the bottom of the division and looking hopeless. Adams came in a steadied the ship,with Coventry avoiding relegation by 2 points last season. This season, with a new stadium and renewed hope, fans were looking for a better campaign.

But, as so often when a team gets a new home, it started badly. 2 wins in the league in the first 2 months meant that Coventry found themselves in the bottom half of the table again and this form continued as while Coventry found form in the league at home, their abysmal away record in 2005 betrayed them and it was not a merry Christmas in the Adams’ household as at the end of December there was only 7 victories to cheer, 4 of them coming in December.

2006 marked a change as only Reading managed to inflict a defeat, while a 6-1 win against Derby signalled that there were better things to come. Only 4 more defeats during the season saw Coventry rise into the top half by the end of April and while the defeats might have occasionally been heavy (conceding 4 to Watford and Crewe), there is cause that the good times are returning to the Midlands.

Their side was settled and players like Micheal Doyle, Gary McSheffrey and Dele Adebola had a huge impact. With 27 goals between them, Adebola and McSheffrey were a real handful and had they started the season better, Coventry might have been in with a shout of the playoffs.

Micky Adams is definitely getting it right in the Midlands and next season, could be Coventrys’ best yet. With their main players not seeking moves anywhere, if Adams is given some money to spend, next season they could reach the playoffs. Adams made the most of the loan market bringing in players like Martin Fulop, Willo Flood and adding experience in the form of Dennis Wise and Don Hutchison. Adams can only do miracles for so long, without any money.

We were fortunate that we got to play them twice (three including the League Cup) by November. Arguably we performed at the Ricoh to our very best as we thumped them 4-1, while in the home match Coventry fell victim to that rarest of strikes, a bullet from Wayne Andrews! But there is no doubt that we played them at the right time, they are a different proposition now. Next season looks bright for the Sky Blues.

Norwich City

Final Placing: 9th

Last Season: 19th - Premiership

Manager: Nigel Worthington

One to watch: Dean Ashton

My Prediction: 2nd - Promoted

How will we do? : 4/6

How did we do? : 4/6

What I said: “My only concern is that if Damien Francis moves on, a key player will be lost and Norwich may find it difficult to fill that gap. I forsee that we will beat Norwich at home, while our first weekend away trip, as it was last season will bring a draw”

I might have got the prognosis right, but the prediction wrong. Norwich suffered like all the relegated sides and paid the price for it in January, as they lost star striker Dean Ashton to West Ham. Nigel Worthington is a canny boss though and he should be around next season to mount another challenge to get back into the Premiership.

The suffering began in August, when Norwich failed to win a league match. 3 draws and 3 defeats was not the start the Canaries fans were looking for. They might have had to play us, Southampton and Leeds in this month, but Norwich had to then begin their season with a handicap, as they didn’t win their first match until September 10th.

A better September was followed by a poor October and November and December showed signs that Norwich could mount a promotion challenge, but January saw no victories and being dumped out of the FA Cup, was enough for Dean Ashton. Their FA Cup conquerors, West Ham came calling and with £7.25 million Pounds, left East Anglia with their 10 goal hitman. To his credit, Worthington didn’t waste time and added Robert Earnshaw to replace Ashton, while he found other recruits in Johnatan Johanssen,Calum Davenport and Zesh Rehman over the course of the season to bolster Norwichs’ ailing squad.

Despite losing against Ipswich in the derby match at the start of February, Norwich recorded some wins although it was always tempered with a defeat along the way. It would be a case of win 2, draw 1 and then lose 1.

As I predicted, we would beat them at home (and how, winning 4-1!) while both teams were finding their feet in the division as we, like last season, drew 1-1 at Carrow Road.

Norwich just never got going this season. Players like Darren Huckerby did not the same impact as he did when Norwich won the Championship, while Leon Mackenzie suffered with injuries. Norwich did not have a single player in their outfield that played more than 40 league games and this could have been their downfall. They had a big enough squad and Worthington added well during the season, but Norwich never troubled the top half all season and their final position of 8th was their seasons highest.

Worthington knows that come the summer, he should have a settled squad and should make a better job of it next time around. Yet a better start will be required, otherwise the knives could be out in East Anglia and I just don’t mean Delias’ kitchen ones!