FFS: The "R-word" spectre rears its ugly head (albeit as an outside bet)

[ImperialWhite]

http://www.bettingpro.com/category/Football/Barclays-Premier-League-2010-2011-relegation-preview-201007260091/

Newcastle United 10/3 to be relegated with money also coming for Fulham after Roy Hodgson's departure

Betclic are offering all Bettingpro readers a no-lose bet on the 2010/2011 Premier League Season. Deposit twenty pounds and if you lose they will give you your stake back.

There are only four teams (Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal) that can win the 2010/11 Premier League, although there are at least ten sides who can be relegated from the top flight next season.

It's nearly always the case that the team promoted from the Championship through the play-offs is the one installed as strong favourite to last just a season in the Premier League and Blackpool are no exception. The Tangerines are 2/7 (Sky Bet) to finish 18th or lower this season and it will be interesting to see whether they change their attacking style of play.

Every other team that features in the Premier League relegation market can be backed at even money or bigger and that includes West Brom. The Baggies seemed to have spent the past few seasons oscillating between top flight and Championship, with Roberto Di Matteo's team on offer at evens with Ladbrokes that this trend continues.

However, the third promoted team are available at much bigger odds to go down. Newcastle United (10/3 Sporting Bet) won the Championship at a canter last season and are expected to fare a good deal better this season than they did during the 2008/9 campaign. Much depends on what defensive reinforcements are brought in by Chris Hughton.

In addition to this trio, we have the usual suspects and Wigan Athletic (9/4 Victor Chandler) could be a team that struggles if the promoted clubs punch above their weight. Roberto Martinez shows no sign of dispensing with the entertaining brand of football which saw them lose 20 of their 38 Premier League matches last season and they face Tottenham and Chelsea in August.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (9/4 Sky Bet) will probably need to score more goals in order to stay afloat this term, while Bolton (11/2 Coral) supporters hope that Owen Coyle can ensure top flight safety without reverting the style of football that was disparaged under Gary Megson. Not that Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce will make any apologies for Rovers' direct style, although the team's poor run of results during pre-season makes them an interesting prospect at 7/1 (Blue Square).

The bookies are probably being a touch generous with the 11/2 (Coral) on offer about West Ham, who are still short of money despite installing Avram Grant as manager. Stoke City (6/1 Sporting Bet) have more in the coffers and should be OK, while Birmingham City (7/1 Sky Bet) should also have cash to spend if the going gets tough.

Indeed, it could be Fulham that have a tough campaign, especially as the Cottagers are still to appoint a new manager after the departure of Roy Hodgson. We shouldn't forget  that the west London side were staring relegation in the face before Hodgson turned fortunes around and 8/1 (Victor Chandler) could be a price worth taking.

[Burt]

Whilst I can't see us having a blinder, I would still like to think that there will be 3 clubs worse than us this season...

[Lighthouse]

Well despite what others may think our present squad is poor up front and in central midfield. If BZ is unavailable then like last season we will struggle to score any goals. Murphy is past his best and gives the ball away far too often now. Etuhu is too slow to cover and frankly we will be among the  favourites to struggle until we can bring in players to cover.

A new manager who has some pull and a few good players in would transform our odds.

[Jimpav]

We are relegation fodder until we get the right manager in but as the saying goes:

"There is always someone worse of than you"

[ImperialWhite]

As they point out - there loads of teams should consider themselves as potential relegation fodder. In fact, I'd argue that all of the teams outside of the 'big seven' (i.e. Man U down to Everton/Villa) could face the drop - us included. I think it will be very much a two tiered league this season (a bit like 08/09, when we were 7th).

I think LH summed it up very well - although we do have some good players (Schwarzer, Hangeland, et al.) we also have many areas of weakness and/or lack of cover. Our success came largely from excellent coaching, and a playing style and ethic which suited our players and got the best out of them.

Therefore we need a new manager, asap:
a) to plug gaps in our squad (until AJ returns we're ludicrously short up front, for instance.)
b) stop our betetr players leaving.
c) continue the good work of Roy with regards to coaching/tactical set up.

That said...Blackpool going down is a given, and even with a shocking manager could we not better two teams from West Brom, Wigan, West Ham, Wolves etc...

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

We'll finish 10th, apparently.

[beijing ben]

As they point out - there loads of teams should consider themselves as potential relegation fodder. In fact, I'd argue that all of the teams outside of the 'big seven' (i.e. Man U down to Everton/Villa) could face the drop - us included. I think it will be very much a two tiered league this season (a bit like 08/09, when we were 7th).

I think LH summed it up very well - although we do have some good players (Schwarzer, Hangeland, et al.) we also have many areas of weakness and/or lack of cover. Our success came largely from excellent coaching, and a playing style and ethic which suited our players and got the best out of them.

Therefore we need a new manager, asap:
a) to plug gaps in our squad (until AJ returns we're ludicrously short up front, for instance.)
b) stop our betetr players leaving.
c) continue the good work of Roy with regards to coaching/tactical set up.

That said...Blackpool going down is a given, and even with a shocking manager could we not better two teams from West Brom, Wigan, West Ham, Wolves etc...

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

We'll finish 10th, apparently.

We can definitely finish above Blackpool and Wigan. Hopefully West Ham will sell all their players likie they promised they would...

[HatterDon]

this really is a concern. If we sign a manager TOMORROW, he has barely two weeks to get ready for Bolton. That's not enough time to assess the talent he has, let alone to determine what areas he needs to shore up and what talent is available. We're not in Europe, so we don't have that allure this season, and we also don't have Roy.

A nagging feeling I have is that if MAF doesn't sign anyone until September, he won't have to pony up all the dosh that he reportedly was going to provide Jol with for transfers this summer. He can keep Ray Lew in charge long enough to make the team still attractive at that point. Having said that, WE NEED NEW PLAYERS IN THE SQUAD. Our first team squad is aging and time is taking its toll.

As far as "there's several sides worse than us" that's true. That was also the case for Newcastle two seasons ago as well as for West Ham the last time they were relegated. On paper, each team should have finished no lower than 12th, but managerial screwups and a general air of "who the @#$ is in charge around here put paid to them both.

If we open the season with no manager and no transfers in other than Senderos, then I'll be hoping against hope for 15th in the table.