Relegation

Although I think all the new teams will struggle and rightly should be all odds on. They are a couple of interesting bets on teams that struggled last season.

Man City 10/1 Corals
Blackburn 12/1 Tote.

Take away City's early form and they would have been relegated. I get vibes that something is not right there and Keegan will have less money this season to spend.

Blackburn finished quite well, but they always looked a bottom half team last season to me. Again I don't think Souness has alot of cash to spend after a big spree last season. No matter how many players they bought Duff could not be replaced.

What do others think?

[PAULM03]

in short, i think you're right.

Past seasons show that we can expect at least 1 promoted side to stay up which leaves a nice spot for man city, blackburn or fulham (who are also at 10s with willhill).

[PompeyPunt]

Haven't looked at the prices yet, but we will struggle next season.

For the later part of the season, our best players were Smertin and Lua Lua, both who will not be returning next season

And our only signing to date so far is Andy Griffin

You will get decent odds for most teams to go down who were in the premiership last season though, simply because of the weakness of the promoted sides.

[Carl]

No way we will go down.
Weve got the money to spend this year already got two new faces and Two very long term injured players back(Tommo and Fergie).
With Matteo all but signed we have only spent 150,000 so far and weve got £4,000,000 to spen this summer plus we have got one of the best upcoming strikers there is(stead) so now weve got rid of the deadwood we WILL NOT be even close this year to relegation.
Top 10 easy

[GETT1NLOTS]

I have to agree with Herp and Pompey.

Blackburn look a decent side to me for next season and their form is good enough (long term injured players returning aside) to convince me they will be ok.

Portsmouth will need excellent home form to stay up next year and only some clever loan or Bosman deals (by the master wheeler dealer) will see them ok.

What odds are Portmouth to go down BTW?

[Carl]

just check gett1n fecking 2/1 pompey to go down

[GETT1NLOTS]

No value in that then.

I should have kept my mouth shut before betting, Corals cut MCity odds to a more realistic 7/1.

I have noticed Charlton odds for top 6 are now 7/1, more realistic than 20/1.

I fancy Man City to struggle, Keegan wont get much money and will probably walk out on them.

They have too many players who underperform.

[Winrew]

Cant see Blackburn going down,i think they just need to get shot of Yorke...I,ll tip them to get into Europe ( did this last year aswell:o ).

Always liked Souness as a player and a manager.
As for City...i cant honestly see Keegan hanging around all season,although i thought he would do a runner last season.
I cannot see how they struggle with the team they have,especially young Sean Wright Phillips.

Fulham at 10/1 for relegation is great value and for anyone with access to Betfair you will be able to lay this off for a guaranteed profit before the season even starts

The Fulham squad is much weaker than last season (the loss of Saha, and Sean Davis and rumoured departure of Steed Malbranque are not being replaced with similar quality - likely signings include Gary Speed, Tomas Radzinski , Amdy Faye and possibly Andy Cole)

To put this price into perspective, at this stage last year Fulham were just 2/1 for the drop - I would expect Fulham to be trading at this sort of price for most of the season as a bottom 6 struggle unfolds.

Everything coming out of Everton is negative right now, the chairman has just resigned after only 6 weeks, they are desperate to ground share with Liverpool's proposed new stadium for financial reasons, and their only summer signing so far is Marcus Bent and some foreign lad. Nobody seems to be queing up to stay either.

11/2 @ Paddy Power for relegation looks decent value for a team that has flirted with relegation a few times in recent years.

I'm surprised it took this long before Everton were mentioned.
I really fear relegation this season.Gravesen,Radzinski both want to leave Unsworth has already gone and as for Rooney the best we can hope for is a big cheque
Ferguson and Campbell are both on 40k a week and the club want to pay off the contracts to reduce the wage bill.
I'm no rocket scientist but that leaves no strikers and a big hole in midfield,Unsworth never mind he can be replaced.
35 million in debt,probably going to lose star player little cash to spend. 100-30 reasonable price?
I can see a smaller scale Leeds crisis. anyone else?
100-30 at bet365 seemed about right to me.I can't see many goals from Everton next season and the defense MAN CITY 5 EVERTON 1 last game of the season need i say more:banghead

[swampster]

Everton now 4.8 on the exchanges. I've got on Leeds @ 15.00 to go down, could be another Sheff Weds in the making...

I'm not saying i think they will , but 25/1 for Birmingham (& Heskey) looks worth a couple of quid to me ? couple of key injuries and they could easily get dragged into it........

I'm not saying i think they will , but 25/1 for Birmingham (& Heskey) looks worth a couple of quid to me

I will give you 125/1

[Paul Ross]

Birmingham were bottom 3 of my ratings all season last season and that was simply because they don't attack enough.

Can they work so hard again without pushing forward as last season ? Ipswich had a miracle season and went down the folliwng season, 25/1 for Birmingham to go down is a very big price in my opinion.

[dave]

Last season I tipped Birmigham to finish 6th, and while they didn't manage that they did get 10th, only 6 points away from 6th.

I really rate Birmingham, and I cannot see them coming remotely close to relegation.

I won't be predicting top 6 again, because I think other sides have improved more than them, but I don't think that they will be lower than 12th - they have too many good players. (Famous last words)

Agrree with Dave, I think they are certainly 5th-6th-7th contenders easily.

[cero]

There's a bigger growth in mediocre sides in the Premiership every season i.m.o. Agree with all the shouts on City especially - the side hit the wall a long time ago i.m.o and with the chronic lack of organisation they'll struggle again. Keegan's filled the side with too many players who've been at the top and are winding down (McManaman, Fowler, Bosvelt etc.). How much ambition can some of these players have to drive City to a higher level?

Very similar to Souness bringing over Yorke, maybe Cole, to Blackburn. Perhaps its the style of management & professionalism of some of the older players that keeps them motivated (or money )? But some of the "coasters" have undermined City and Blackburn for a long time i.m.o.

Bolton have managed to make the blend well between the veteren greats and others - & it'll be interesting to see how Middlesbrough go on with a lot of older players coming in.

Birmingham should be OK i.m.o. They have good organisation and more attacking options now.

Of the others, Everton stand out because of the reasons RooneyMagic has written. The squad has stood still for ages and the quality it has could be frittered away. Perhaps Portsmouth also - depends if they can repeat the good home form.