The title of this post just rolls off the tongue doesn't it. I thought it would be a good time to review what's happened in the EPL so far and give some predictions about what might happen, and I wanted to get this in before Barclays goes bankrupt(that's kind of a joke). I'll do the bottom half of the table this Thursday, and the top half next Thursday.20. Tottenham- The problems at Tottenham could fill the "T" volume of Encyclopaedia Britannica. They were forced to sell last season's prolific strike partnership, and waited too long in bringing in a striker to partner with Bent. Modric hasn't yet adapted to the Prem's physical nature, while Bentley has shown why he's better being the big fish in a small pond. Their back line can't seem to stay healthy and they have yet to win a Premiership game. Ramos is a proven winner, but seems to do a better job in Cup competitions than domestic football(soccer). Tottenham still have time to find their chemistry and turn it around and while they are too good to go down, this will not be the season they challenge the Big Four. The fact that Martin Jol's Hamburg is in first place in the Bundesliga does not help.
19. Stoke- They should soon replace Tottenham as the last place team. Rory Delap's throw-ins are their best offensive weapon, and they are a Championship version of Bolton. Kitson has yet to get going, but even if he becomes the player who shone at Reading it will not be enough. Their lone victory against Aston Villa was as lucky as lucky gets.
18. Newcastle- You have a better chance of predicting the stock market than where Newcastle will end up. With Owen, Martins, Duff, N'Zogbia, Geremi and Given in the squad there is enough talent on the pitch(field), when these players are actually healthy. Off the pitch(field) things are much worse. The constant undermining of Kevin Keegan by the board room forced him to leave the club. With the current structure nobody wanted to take the job, and when they finally found someone in Joe Kinnear, it turned out he had a two match ban for calling a referee "Coco the Clown"(that's what passes for an insult in England). The fans though that Ashley would bring the club to greatness, and now he's viewed as the Cockney Clown. The club should be sold by the end of the year, and it's likely that the new owners will bring back Kevin Keegan as manager. Stability will help the players, manager and fans. They will have a battle, but should survive the relegation battle.17. Fulham- One week they defeat Arsenal, another week they lose to West Brom. If Andy Johnson can stay healthy(a big IF), he should be able to keep them out of the drop zone. The January transfer window will be very important, because while they may not add to their team, they also don't want to lose ground to those around them. They need points on the road.
16. Bolton- Bolton have gotten back to their long ball game, but Gary Megson may not be able to save them two seasons in a row. Elmander has looked good when he's fit, but it's unlikely they have any more money for changes in January. They have already lost to Fulham and Newcastle, and drawn with WBA. They should join fellow long ballers Stoke in the Championship next season.
15. Everton- Another team that was expected to challenge the Big Four, and is now closer to the Bottom Three. Everton had a terrible transfer window, and Fellaini has yet to live up to his price tag. Their once solid defense has yet to keep a clean sheet, and they were dumped out of the UEFA Cup. Moyes has signed a new deal, and many expect the club to be sold to yet another billionaire. If Pienaar, Cahill and Arteta can stay fit, along with a couple January signings, this team should shoot up and finish in the top half of the table.
14. Sunderland- This team could also be called Manchester United Jr. with all the former Reds that Roy Keane has recruited. With Kenwyne Jones and Michael Chopra out they have had a shortage of goals, but Djibril Cisse should take advantage of his second chance in the Prem. New signing Chimbonda, Ferdinand and McCartney should see their back line stiffen, while Malbranque and Tainio will add some creativity to the midfield Strong performances against Arsenal and Liverpool shows that they are not to be taken lightly. Their manager will instill a toughness in them, and this should see them survive the relegation battle and finish somewhere in the bottom half of the table.13. Wigan- Steve Bruce's switch from Birmingham to Wigan helped the latter stay up, while the former was relegated. As a former defender, Bruce's side have only given up more than one goal once this season and have two clean sheets. They kept Chelsea to a single goal, defeated Man City and demolished Hull. Zaki and Heskey are an impressive strike partnership, and Bruce should be able to keep his talented squad up.
12. Middlesbrough- It is incredible that Boro is still in the Premiership, but they may not be so lucky this season. Their victories over Tottenham, Stoke and Wigan have all come on goals in the last five minutes. They have not conceded more than two goals in a game, but haven't scored more than that either. Mido, Alves and Aliadiere will have to score a lot more goals, or else Boro will be going down.
11. Manchester City- With all the players they have added, and those who are rumored to join the club in January, City will finish in the top half of the table and challenge for a UEFA Cup place. Wright-Phillips has settled in quickly with his former club, while Kompany looks good on the other side of the ball. Robinho and Jo have been more sporadic, but if they both hit their best form it will mean trouble for other teams. There are some questions if the change in ownership, influx of new players and speculation about Hughes' job will destabilize the club, but they have been inconsistent. This should fade as they spend more time playing with each other, but if wholesale changes are made in January it could be a step back. City also have players flying all around the globe for World Cup Qualifiers, and have high hopes in the UEFA Cup, so they will need to rely on depth and avoid injuries.
