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Last season, West Ham were everyone's favourites for the drop-down to Division 1, as they struggled to win even a handful of games before the dreaded date of December 25th, rooted to the bottom of the league.
Prior to the season's big kick-off with their game away to Man United, West Brom were everyone's instant favourites for the drop as they entered Premiership football for the very-first time - and then left it again, after putting up a fair-fight for survival.
If you're gonna look towards this coming-season's candidates for the drop, Portsmouth and Wolves are instantly gonna be the first names on your list. But, after some of the 'impressive' transfers Harry Redknapp and Wolves appear to have made, they do appear to have a decent-chance, at such an early stage...
On the top of my list, however, you'll find Leeds United, who, to be fair, appear to just keep on sinking, lower-and-lower, in their 'Life-after-O'Leary'.
So-many pre-season games played, and not a single win within even one of them! Burnley, Bristol City (then again, they're not so-bad! ;D ), a few others and now even Shelbourne - an IRISH side - and I can't see it getting any better for them come Saturday afternoon in a game with Sir Bobby Robson's 'uprising' Newcastle United.
Losing Jonothan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Robbie Fowler, Robbie Keane, Harry Kewell... - and the list goes on! - can't have helped their downward-slide, especially now that Mark Viduka could be next on the leavers' list.
And as for replacements... Well, there's hardly much for any Leeds fan to smile-about (...not that Northerners do that kind of thing, anyway!), with nothing but the free-transfer of a second-string Chelsea player (Jody Morris), and loan-signings of Frenchman who haven't really "shone" in the European game for some-time.
Didier Domi certainly had his moments during his time at St. James Park, but do Patrice Sakho and some-bloke-called-"Camara" really make up for the loss of some of England and Australia's finest young talents?!?
Peter Reid's best-bet for survival is to breed new, young-players into the first-team - which made O'Leary an instant-hit all those years ago.
Simon Johnson and Indian Harpal Singh are obvious choices, but monkey-eared "Reidy" still needs to find some more, somewhere.
Jody Morris may not be all-that-bad, but when you 'only' sign new players on-loan, you never quite have full-control of him, with PSG or Marseille still holding his registration and the right to suddenly call-them-back, whenever they feel like, cup-tie him up, and whatever, really!
Youth is the key, here, now the club appears to have no money.
But a team of youngsters and "odd" loan-signings will need time to gel...
Will Peter Reid have enough before his side find themselves down in the Football League, where they so-nearly were, last season??
Prior to the season's big kick-off with their game away to Man United, West Brom were everyone's instant favourites for the drop as they entered Premiership football for the very-first time - and then left it again, after putting up a fair-fight for survival.
If you're gonna look towards this coming-season's candidates for the drop, Portsmouth and Wolves are instantly gonna be the first names on your list. But, after some of the 'impressive' transfers Harry Redknapp and Wolves appear to have made, they do appear to have a decent-chance, at such an early stage...
On the top of my list, however, you'll find Leeds United, who, to be fair, appear to just keep on sinking, lower-and-lower, in their 'Life-after-O'Leary'.
So-many pre-season games played, and not a single win within even one of them! Burnley, Bristol City (then again, they're not so-bad! ;D ), a few others and now even Shelbourne - an IRISH side - and I can't see it getting any better for them come Saturday afternoon in a game with Sir Bobby Robson's 'uprising' Newcastle United.
Losing Jonothan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Robbie Fowler, Robbie Keane, Harry Kewell... - and the list goes on! - can't have helped their downward-slide, especially now that Mark Viduka could be next on the leavers' list.
And as for replacements... Well, there's hardly much for any Leeds fan to smile-about (...not that Northerners do that kind of thing, anyway!), with nothing but the free-transfer of a second-string Chelsea player (Jody Morris), and loan-signings of Frenchman who haven't really "shone" in the European game for some-time.
Didier Domi certainly had his moments during his time at St. James Park, but do Patrice Sakho and some-bloke-called-"Camara" really make up for the loss of some of England and Australia's finest young talents?!?
Peter Reid's best-bet for survival is to breed new, young-players into the first-team - which made O'Leary an instant-hit all those years ago.
Simon Johnson and Indian Harpal Singh are obvious choices, but monkey-eared "Reidy" still needs to find some more, somewhere.
Jody Morris may not be all-that-bad, but when you 'only' sign new players on-loan, you never quite have full-control of him, with PSG or Marseille still holding his registration and the right to suddenly call-them-back, whenever they feel like, cup-tie him up, and whatever, really!
Youth is the key, here, now the club appears to have no money.
But a team of youngsters and "odd" loan-signings will need time to gel...
Will Peter Reid have enough before his side find themselves down in the Football League, where they so-nearly were, last season??
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and theyve loaned pennant according to a load of sites and reidy.
I don't think Leeds will go down now but they will struggle still.
I think it will be 18.Birmingham
19.Portsmouth
20.Wolves
I think it will be 18.Birmingham
19.Portsmouth
20.Wolves
Chrissy.P wrote:
> I think it will be 18.Birmingham
Thats almost funny :)
> I think it will be 18.Birmingham
Thats almost funny :)
Chrissy.P wrote:
> Well there doing ok at the moment against Newcastle its 1-1 Shearer
> penalty and Viduka.
2-1 now, Alan Smith.
> Well there doing ok at the moment against Newcastle its 1-1 Shearer
> penalty and Viduka.
2-1 now, Alan Smith.
rabid wrote:
> The surprise team to fall into the drop zone and remain there could
> well be Aston Villa, they narrowly escaped last season and have only
> bought in 2 players of medicore ability, at the absolute best Villa
> are looking at 17th place, but i would not be remotely surprised to
> see Villa relegated.
>
Can't see it happening, even though we are not playing very well. It will all be down to how well we play at home, as our away from is shambolic.
> The surprise team to fall into the drop zone and remain there could
> well be Aston Villa, they narrowly escaped last season and have only
> bought in 2 players of medicore ability, at the absolute best Villa
> are looking at 17th place, but i would not be remotely surprised to
> see Villa relegated.
>
Can't see it happening, even though we are not playing very well. It will all be down to how well we play at home, as our away from is shambolic.
O' Leary is a good manager, and seeing how he did at Leeds Utd, should strengthen the team with some youth players and do well. (If he's lucky!)
Anyone know of any good youth players at Villa, apart from Hitzelsperger?
Anyone know of any good youth players at Villa, apart from Hitzelsperger?
3 words
Sakho. Is. God.
And Smith leaving? More chance of Old Trafford being filled with Mancunians.
Sakho. Is. God.
And Smith leaving? More chance of Old Trafford being filled with Mancunians.
If someone comes up with the dosh, he'll leave. Leeds Utd are at least £60m in the crap.
I very much doubt Alan Smith would even consider leaving Leeds while they're still in the Premiership.
With Mark Viduka still in with a slight chance of leaving the club, and players like Harry Kewell already gone over the summer; just as long as he can keep his disciplinary level down this season, he's got a great chance at being the "Hero" of Leeds' turn-around season.
We know he CAN score goals, but with other big-name players in the way, he's often been shown a seat on the sub's bench, rather than getting the place in the first-team he deserves.
I also heard a while ago that "forgotten-man" Michael Bridges is intending to make this season 'his own', also.
He's worked with Peter Reid before, at Sunderland, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get the chance to rediscover his goal-scoring form this season, after what he did at Roker Park to earn his move to Elland Road in the first place.
And some Leeds fans even believe that Lamine Sakho could be the ideal replacement for Harry Kewell!
...I haven't even seen the highlights of the "surprise" Newcastle game, though.
With Mark Viduka still in with a slight chance of leaving the club, and players like Harry Kewell already gone over the summer; just as long as he can keep his disciplinary level down this season, he's got a great chance at being the "Hero" of Leeds' turn-around season.
We know he CAN score goals, but with other big-name players in the way, he's often been shown a seat on the sub's bench, rather than getting the place in the first-team he deserves.
I also heard a while ago that "forgotten-man" Michael Bridges is intending to make this season 'his own', also.
He's worked with Peter Reid before, at Sunderland, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get the chance to rediscover his goal-scoring form this season, after what he did at Roker Park to earn his move to Elland Road in the first place.
And some Leeds fans even believe that Lamine Sakho could be the ideal replacement for Harry Kewell!
...I haven't even seen the highlights of the "surprise" Newcastle game, though.
I genuinely think that Bridges can make this season his breakthrough after his long injury lay-off after major cruciate ligament damage. If he sees the form that made Leeds Utd sign him from Sunderland again, and teams up with Smith and Viduka as a strikeforce, Leeds Utd can be safe. It would be the stuff that legends are made of.
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