August 13 2004

Premiership

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

Southampton

Last Season: 12th

In: Peter Crouch (Aston Villa), Mikeal Nilsson (Halmstad), Kenwyne Jones (Washington Connection), Jelle Van Damme (Ajax)

Out: Stephen Crainey, Jamie Gleeson, Stephen Hunt, Mike Williamson, Austin Delgado

Player to Watch: James Beattie

My Prediction: 11th

Total Points: Between 48-52

How Many Points will we get: 3/6

Despite a lot of change last season, Southampton came out on the slide, after a great start see them in the top 7 for a lot of the season. Much will depend on the form on Kevin Phillips and James Beattie, who are the source of all of Southamptons goals. Indeed, Southamptons big achievement this summer will be ensuring that this partnership remains intact. Newcastle has been leading the overtures for Beattie, as a long term replacement for Alan Shearer.

Summer signings have been few, but there is no doubting the quality of what they have signed. Swedish International midfielder Mikael Nilsson and Jelle Van Damme of Ajax have a pedigree already, while Peter Crouch, much maligned, will be a player who can net the crucial goals to get points for the Saints this season, after his move from Aston Villa.

Paul Sturrock, who led Plymouth to the Division 3 title and had them top of Division 2, when he quit to move to the St Mary’s Stadium, will face a tough challenge this season. He only had 11 games to prove himself and he only managed to bring home 4 wins in his time there so far. Should the Saints being poorly and find themselves in the lower reaches of the division at Christmas, the axe could fall on Sturrock.

But I cant see that happening. They are well organised and have good consistent players such as Jason Dodd and Anders Svennson. While Antii Niemi is surely the in-form Premiership keeper. The Finn, who performed heroics the last 2 seasons since joining from Hearts, will be a key man again this season, if Saints are to get the points they need to move up the table.

Beattie, however, still is the player to watch. He can score simple or extravagant goals, works hard and never gives up. He will be the danger man. With Kevin Phillips as his sidekick, Southampton have a pair of strikers who can wreak real havoc.

I foresee another good season for the Saints, who may not rise to the heights of last season, will end up mid-table again, but the relegation battles of the past, could be long forgotten now.

We will get 3 points off Saints this year. St Mary’s is a hard place to go, so I cant see us getting anything there. At home will be our best chance, and if Popovic and Hudson can tame the forwards, we can get the win.

Sturrocks’ biggest challenge will be keeping his squad injury free.

Tottenham

Last Season: 14th

In: Pedro Mendes (FC Porto),Paul Robinson (Leeds), Thimothee Atouba (Basle),Sean Davis (Fulham),Erik Edman (Heerenveen), Marton Fulop (MTK Hungaria),Leigh Mills (Swindon)

Out: Helder Postiga, Sergei Rebrov, Christian Ziege, Darren Anderton, Danny Foster, Shwan Jalal, Lars Hirschfield, Gustavo Poyet, Steven Carr

Player to Watch: Simon Davies

My Prediction: 10th

Total Points: Between 48-52

How Many Points will we get: 2 points

Last season was a turbulent one for Spurs, and best forgotten. There are brighter days ahead at White Hart Lane. It was clear from the moment that the season ended, a new broom was needed. In fact, possibly more than one. The brooms in question were first Frank Arnesen and then Jacques Santini, who took up the reigns soon after France were knocked out of Euro 2004 by Greece.

It would be easy to harp on about the problems that they had last season. With the new set up at Spurs, the management structure has gone to a continental style. Arnesen will be there to oversee the scouting and general duties around the club, while Santini will be dealing with First team affairs. It will be very useful to Spurs, who had become stagnated in their search for new talent.

Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy has always backed his managers. So much so, that even before the season was officially over, he had parted with £1.5 Million to sign Paul Robinson from Leeds. The young England International will be severely tested this season and should enhance his reputation. Other notable signings, however have gone undisclosed or been free signings. Sean Davis being the biggest name to arrive from Fulham. His presence will be needed in midfield. An area which Spurs have clearly underperformed in.

Indeed, the new revolution at Tottenham has seen many of the established names leave in the close season. Ziege, Poyet, Anderton and Rebrov have been taking from the club and not giving anything back. Spurs are well rid of these players. Maybe they all need new starts, but somehow I don’t think we will hear much about them, now that they have left.

Pedro Mendes should also give the midfield more bite. Signed as a makeweight which took the disappointed Helder Postiga back to FC Porto, he will be relied upon to stop up the midfield alongside Jamie Redknapp, who fingers crossed, has seen the back of his horrendous injury problems.

The troublesome left back position, which is usually filled by the average Mauricio Taricco, will most likely be filled by Erik Edman, a Swedish International Defender. He should give balance to a defence which has always looked vulnerable, when the Argentinean has been employed there.

Santini will have found the sale of Steven Carr a blow, but not totally irreplaceable as Stephen Kelly, who made his debut last season, could well replace him. Kelly is also looking to occupy Carrs’ place in the Eire side as well and he is a number of promising youngsters at the club, Simon Davies being the pick of all of them, and he is my man to watch this season. With other players such as Johnnie Jackson, Ledley King and Anthony Gardener, the future is very bright at White Hart Lane.

How will we do against them? Well I think that we can get 2 draws. Spurs are going through change and may well find themselves struggling up to Christmas, if the new players and managers have not got to grips with all the changes that have occurred. We play them twice in the space of 3 weeks between December and January so we will to be at our best, to take points off them.

Santini has much experience and will get it right, but there may be a bedding down period first. I expect Spurs to go on a run, much like ourselves from about February onwards and they will really be an exciting proposition, should Santini get it right. The Cups can provide a source of success but Spurs and their fans will be a much happier bunch at the end of this season, than they were last.

Charlton Athletic

Last Season: 7th

In: Danny Murphy (Liverpool),Dennis Rommedahl (PSV), Talal El Karkouri (PSG), Stephan Andersen (AB Copenhagen), Bryan Hughes (Birmingham), Francis Jeffers (Arsenal)

Out: Claus Jensen, Stephen Hughes, Paul Rachubka (Loan), Micheal Turner (loan), Adrian Deane, Sergio Leite, Gary Rowett, Richard Rufus

Player to Watch: Dennis Rommedahl

My Prediction: 9th

Total Points: Between 48-52

How Many Points will we get : 2/6

Charlton have finally stepped out of the relegation fodder and now occupy the safer mid-table spots in the Premiership. It is hard to believe that this is their 5th consecutive Premiership season, but they are the model which we at Palace need to emulate. In fact, any club coming into the Premiership needs to be looking at Charlton and try to copy their formula for success.

Last season Charlton were unlikely challengers for a Champions League place. However, soon as injuries and the sale of Scott Parker took its toll, Charlton started slipping down the league. 7th place is still a great achievement, for a club that was all but dead some 10 years ago.

The club is well run and in Alan Curbishley, have one of the longer serving managers in the Premiership. He has gone all out this season to bring quality to the Valley, and he has now done this in astonishing fashion by bringing in some big names, from clubs which have big histories.

Francis Jeffers, Danny Murphy and Dennis Rommedahl are all performers at the highest level. Murphy and Rommedahl on the national and more importantly International stage, Jeffers will certainly beef up a forward line that threatens goals and he will be looking to relaunch his career, which has decidedly gone awry at Arsenal.

Now Paolo Di Canio has gone back to Italy, much will depend on Jeffers and Euell to score the goals. However my man to watch is the person who will be supplying the ammunition for them, Dennis Rommedahl.

The Danes arrival will be one eagerly awaited by Addicks fans and he will be one of the quickest players in the league. Fast and with a great distribution, he will, if given time and space change the outcome of any game this season. He makes up a new look midfield for Charlton with Murphy, Holland and Bryan Hughes joining him.

Charlton have a notoriously small squad, but it keeps on achieving. Curbishley has had to deal with the loss of Rufus and Rowett through retirement, so his signing of Moroccan International Talal El Karkouri will plug that hole.

Charlton are the one of the few clubs that has spent money in this close season, and as usual, have spent very prudently. Around £9 million pounds has been invested since Scott Parkers departure and while Charlton will finish near the top of the 2nd Tier of the Premiership, will not see much of an improvement on last season.

We will be able to compete against them. I predict 2 points here, as Charlton are difficult to beat and we will be relishing playing them again. The memories of them chanting “We’ll never play you again” still rings in my ears and I for one, cannot wait to see us give them a hell of a game at Selhurst. Just let s hope we don’t need to win the last game of the season to stay up, as Charlton would like nothing better, to send us back down to where we came from.