Two of next season's relegation spots filled already?

rockthereebok · Post by **rockthereebok** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:34 am

Working on the basis that the play-off winner will go straight back down (especially if it's Cardiff or Blackpool) it seems Newcastle want to get in on the act too. According to various reports, including this Guardian one, they'll have no money to spend. Given the squad is full of players who weren't good enough for the Premier League two seasons ago and a bunch of cheap signings aimed at getting them out of the Championship, surely they won't have enough to stay up. Hell, throw West Brom into the mix and we might be safe already...

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:39 am

Perhaps, perchance, they've just learnt a hard lesson, and will not come flying back into the Premier League screaming "look at us, we've got oodles of cash and can afford ridiculous wages.".

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:40 am

Newcastle may do better with stable management, lack of director-level farce and so on.

West Brom and whoever wins the play-offs will almost certainly struggle.

And you can throw Wigan and the Golden Shower into the mix as well.

But that should be the bottom five sorted...

H. Pedersen · Post by **H. Pedersen** » Mon May 10, 2010 12:05 pm

Let's not get too optimistic here. Newcastle will have overcome some of the problems that resulted in their relegation in the first place. They have settled on a manager who did well in the Championship. New signings who were poor in 08-09 will have had time to settle or rediscover form against lower opposition. In terms of signing Bosmans or loans, their name and fan base will give them an edge over other lower-level Premiership clubs. Write them off at your peril.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Mon May 10, 2010 1:09 pm

I don't think I'll be getting ready for an angst free season just yet.

Two of last seasons promotees have stayed up - in the end fairly comfortably.

jimbo · Post by **jimbo** » Mon May 10, 2010 2:10 pm

Worthy4England wrote:I don't think I'll be getting ready for an angst free season just yet.

Two of last seasons promotees have stayed up - in the end fairly comfortably.

I was thinking along these lines. We've got rid three incredibly poor teams in Hull, Burnley and Pompey, the likes of which we won't be seeing next year. You'd expect most teams to kick on such as West Ham, ourselves and Wigan, and Newcastle and West Brom will be much stronger opposition than the sides they are replacing. Hard to call at the moment IMO.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Mon May 10, 2010 3:26 pm

Fail to see how Leicester are viewed as having a better chance than Cardiff. In reality the teams in the playoffs don't seem to have enough quality to stay up, though Forrest do have decent backing. I think Newcastle have to look to West Ham when they got promoted with a far worse team on paper and finished top half. The 'look at those fans stuck with you, this club deserves to be here, go and argument means if they start well they have a good chance, equally poor start and it's back to two years ago. Plus no pennies means relying on Carroll, Lovenkradz and Ameobi plus whatever knock offs they can get scoring the goals. West Brom have goals in the, and i wouldn't write them off. I think Wigan will struggle, don't think Martinez is particularly good in the market, and they've said they won't stand in they way of the likes of N'Zogbia (expensive Spurs signing if ever there was one, especially now he's 'English') and Rodallega leaving if they want. Wolves don't score enough. West Ham could go either way. Reckon we'll be OK, Coyle gets teams winning at home, and we've got so much more quality than Burnley had I think we'll grab enough away to be OK.

fatshaft · Post by **fatshaft** » Mon May 10, 2010 4:00 pm

jimbo wrote:
Worthy4England wrote:I don't think I'll be getting ready for an angst free season just yet.

Two of last seasons promotees have stayed up - in the end fairly comfortably.
I was thinking along these lines. We've got rid three incredibly poor teams in Hull, Burnley and Pompey, the likes of which we won't be seeing next year. You'd expect most teams to kick on such as West Ham, ourselves and Wigan, and Newcastle and West Brom will be much stronger opposition than the sides they are replacing. Hard to call at the moment IMO.

I'm with Jimbo, this will be the hardest season for a few years, Cardiff/Blackpool would/will struggle, but I don't think there will be any other automatic candidates.

Tombwfc · Post by **Tombwfc** » Tue May 11, 2010 1:16 am

If Chris Hughton lasts a month I will be amazed.

I suspect he's the type of fella Ashley has no real faith in, but now feels he has to give him a token chance.

Lennon'sEleven · Post by **Lennon'sEleven** » Tue May 11, 2010 11:50 am

The more West Brom go up and down, the more money they collect in Premier League and parachute payments.

They might be getting to a stage where they can splash a bit of it.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Tue May 11, 2010 11:59 am

rockthereebok wrote:Working on the basis that the play-off winner will go straight back down (especially if it's Cardiff or Blackpool) it seems Newcastle want to get in on the act too. According to various reports, including this Guardian one, they'll have no money to spend. Given the squad is full of players who weren't good enough for the Premier League two seasons ago and a bunch of cheap signings aimed at getting them out of the Championship, surely they won't have enough to stay up. Hell, throw West Brom into the mix and we might be safe already...

I remember the days when we were newly promoted and we used to get soooooooooooooo cross when people wrote us off before we'd even started - calling them arrogant pricks - and we'd show 'em etc....

not saying it won't happen - but it sounds incredibly smug and arrogant - and I'd rather not be in that club.

Gary the Enfield · Post by **Gary the Enfield** » Tue May 11, 2010 1:13 pm

We were the play off winners who stayed up. I'm with the bish on this one.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Tue May 11, 2010 1:23 pm

Gary the Enfield wrote:We were the play off winners who stayed up. I'm with the bish on this one.

There's a difference between writing somebody off, and saying they are favourites to go down. In order to stay up, you need good players, a manager who can get the best of what he has, money, and a good start. I can't see any of the play-off teams having enough of the first three to stay up. Blackpool don't have the players, and whilst Olly is great TV, he's surprised many by how well he has done this year, does he have the nous to manage in the Prem? Leicester are well organised, Mandaric might splash out a bit, but they just don't have the players. They're a promoted League One team running on adrenaline and a good manager. Cardiff have the manager, and a lot of the players, but no cash at all. Forest have a manager who's failed miserably before after claiming it was too soon for his side to go up, he's said that again this year, though, of the four, they looked the best placed in terms of resources, he's spent a lot of money, and spent it on an expensively shite front line. A good start, particularly if many of your players are new to the prem is crucial, a win to settle the nerves and make them feel like they belong. If whichever one comes up can get a start like we had, like Hull had, like Burnley had, they have a chance, but I'd still have money on 'em going down.