My Premiership bottom 10 for 2006

I’m following up on my Premiership top 10 list recently with the bottom 10.

The bar has been raised significantly in the Premiership's top 5. Unfortunately, the bottom 10 has fallen even further behind.

My bottom 10, in descending order:

11th – Middlesbrough losing Zenden has dropped them from the top 10 for sure. They hold the 11th spot tediously, as the summer transfer window’s closure approaches they will have to spend to stay here.

12th – Charlton Athletic will more or less hold their ground but they don’t have a lot of depth. In their favor Charlton play well as a team, but are prone to defensive breakdowns. In total Charlton leaked 58 goals last season and until that changes neither will their position in the table.

13th - Until Aston Villa has a striker scoring more than 7 goals in 30+ appearances the team won’t improve. This will probably be Angel’s last chance; Aston Villa had other players step up to deliver goals last season, 10th was an overachievement.

14th – Blackburn Rovers have an impressive player in Mort Gamst Pederson. Blackburn gave up a modest 43 goals last season, in small part due to the defensive help of Paul Dickov. But they only scored 32 goals in large part due to Dickov who contributed a meager 9 in 29 appearances. Unless that improves Blackburn won’t.

15th – Birmingham City have not made any significant transfers and will probably fall behind to what seems like the theme of this article: lack of goals. Emile Heskey scored 10 in 30+ games. But Birmingham City are without another player in the Premiership top 25 top scorers list from last season.

16th – Portsmouth will more or less stay even because they have creativity and talent in midfield and can score a few goals. They leaked goals to the tune of 59 last season and some were so hapless that it looked like the Portsmouth back four competing a three legged race. That can’t continue, but it might just and Portsmouth are not clear of relegation by any stretch.

17th- Wigan Athletic are the best team promoted. They clearly looked the best prepared last season for the Premiership and come in with a squad that can hold itself pretty well under pressure. If they can hold their form early in the season and gain confidence, they will survive.

18th- Sunderland probably have the best chance of surviving. A host of signings came ahead of the season but that may prove a problem. A promoted team that doesn’t start well often goes back down. Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has an uphill climb.

19th – Fulham likely to lose Boa Morte and likely to be relegated either way. I think losing Edwin van der Sar was enough to tip the balance. Fulham lack the stability, player for player, to cope with giving up more goals.

20th – West Ham United are prone to a bad performance and don’t have a Joe Cole or Jermain Defoe to make plays and score. In the end, West Ham have a midfield that simply has too many questions to answer. That inevitably means more pressure on the back line; too much pressure to survive.