The bottom of the Premier League is still incredibly tight. Unlike previous seasons, no single Premiership team is being cut adrift and no club is more than just one win away from dragging themselves out of the relegation zone. According to bet365 this is how the table will finish up, I have added a few thoughts of my own too:
20th Wigan – 8/15 to drop
Personally I would be gutted to see Wigan relegated, Roberto Martinez seems a really decent guy and they are playing some attractive football at times. Their January signings however hardly fill me with confidence and I can’t see Conor Sammon scoring the goals they need to stay up.
Potential Saviour – Charles N’Zogbia
Bouncebackability – 8 (out of 10) – I can’t see them losing many other than N’Zogs and Rodellega so I reckon they have a decent chance of bouncing back.
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19th West Ham – 4/6 to drop
I disagree with the bookies here and think that West Ham will put together another miraculous escape. Victor Obinna is crucial and if they keep him fit he will score lots of goals, Robbie Keane will work and chip in with a few, and Scott Parker is also a fine player to have in a relegation battle. Defensively they are pretty poor and they have a tendency to leak goals, and this could be their downfall. Always entertaining however, I personally think they will survive by outscoring the opposition.
Potential Saviour – Scott Parker
Bouncebackability – 9 (dependent on finances). If the financial side of things is not secure they could implode very easily, however if (and its a big if) Gold and Sullivan can steady the ship I think they would be left with enough to bounce back.
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18th Wolves – 4/5 to drop
Wolves getting relegated seems unavoidable, good wins over Liverpool at Anfield and beating Chelsea, Man City and Man United at home showed they can be a real tough nut to crack, but I don’t think they have enough to stay up. Mick McCarthy is another manager I personally like, however if they do go down I think it might be time for them to look for a new face to bring them back and help them build a Premiership team.
Potential Saviour – Matt Jarvis is their class act.
Bouncebackability – 6 – The team they survived with last year was average at best and realistically it isn’t much better than many Championship clubs now, and if they lose Jarvis, Doyle and Hunt it could be difficult for them to bounce straight back.
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17th Blackpool – 11/8 to drop
It seemed unthinkable before Christmas but things are falling apart for the Seasiders. Holloway’s resignation was rejected so that is a positive, but he is a character that could easily walk away over something else. The recent turnaround at home against the Champions elect could easily be the turning point in their season, confidence could drop through the floor. Hopefully they will survive but I fear next season relegation is a near certainty without major investment.
Potential Saviour – Charlie Adam
Bouncebackability – 5 – The similarities with Hull go beyond colour of kit, what class they do have will depart and I don’t think they will have the finances to compete high up in the Championship right away, there will also be a few clubs trying to line up Ian Holloway should they leave us after 1 season.
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16th WBA – 6/4 to drop
After a great start to the season they are on the slide and I think they will actually go down at the expense of West Ham. Odemwingie is their only goal scorer really and an injury to him would be catastrophic. Chris Brunt looks an excellent player for them, but I am really not sure they have enough to turn around their recent slide. A lot lies on the shoulders of recent loan signing Carlos Vela, if he can provide goals, they have a chance in my mind.
Potential Saviour – Carlos Vela
Bouncebackability – 10 – Is there really any doubt? WBA are THE perenial yoyo club, they are extremely well run financially and have a group of players who will most likely be willing to play in the Championship with them, as well as an excellent young manager who I think will stay with the Baggies.
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15th Birmingham – 7/2 to drop
Their current league position suggests they are in trouble, but I think they will soon climb the table. They struggle for goals, but I think the signing of Obafemi Martins is a particularly shrewd bit of business that will definitely help them. They are generally well organised at the back and extremely strong at home and I can’t help but feel currently they are in a bit of a false league position.
Potential Saviour – Obafemi Martins, all they really miss is goals, and Martins will provide them.
Bouncebackability – 8 – They have money and will be able to hang on too many players should they get relegated and should also be able to strengthen further. They may not make it automatically, but playoffs I believe would be highly likely.
There we go then, according to bet365, that is how the bottom of the table will look and I can’t say that I disagree with the exception of swapping West Ham and West Brom. I personally will miss Wolves and Wigan, but I think they have a huge job on too survive.
Double your desposit on the Premier League relegation market!
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Article originally written by Joe T for FootballTransferTavern.com