Why Blackpool Won’t Win the League: 2010-11 English Premiership Preview

By Christopher Boulay

Last year, Chelsea edged Manchester United for their fourth Premier League title, and also accomplished a double by winning the FA Cup as well. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are joining the two clubs in UEFA Champions League play, and Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool will be headed to the Europa League.

Also, the Premier League welcomes back West Bromwich Albion for what seems to be the 140^th time, along with Newcastle United, after a short stay in the Championship. Blackpool is the other new face this season, after they were promoted by winning the Championship playoffs. They come to the Premier League for the first time, and the first time being at the top of the English Football Pyramid since the 1970-71 season.

We say goodbye to Portsmouth, Burnley and Hull City, but could see one or two of them again in a year’s time.

Will this year be any different? Will Chelsea reign supreme again? Will Manchester City realize that they have the talent to make the top four? Will Newcastle manage to stay afloat?

Here are the predictions for each team:

Arsenal
2009-10 Finish: 75 points, 3rd Place
Outlook: Arsene Wenger has done a spectacular job keeping this club at the level they have over the past few seasons. The team has almost no resemblance to the one that won the league in such impressive fashion in 2003-04. Arsenal have been hit with injuries over the past couple season as bad as anyone else in English football. They have been more fortunate than good over the past few seasons, and their luck looks to be running out. The Gunners have definite scoring talent, but they certainly lack in defense. That, and the fact that their captain, Cesc Fabregas, doesn’t even seem to want to stay at The Emirates may have the club on the verge of taking a step back. Champions League football is still possible, but with how strong the teams are getting at the top, it could be too much to ask for this club.
Projected Finish: 5^th

Aston Villa
2009-10 Finish: 64 points, 6th Place
Outlook: While I was formulating how the season would end in my mind, I thought very highly of Villa. That is until they lost their manager Martin O’Neill five days before the league starts, and the suits running the club seem fine with letting their club hemorrhage players. They are still a club that deserves to be in the top half of the table, but if they lose Milner (which looks like a near guarantee), there will be no European competition for the Birmingham-based outfit this time around. They will need another no-nonsense manager like O’Neill, and quick, if they want to salvage their situation and continue to stay relevant in the top half of the table.
Projected Finish: 9^th

Birmingham City
2009-10 Finish: 50 points, 9th Place
Outlook: The club spent their first season in the Premiership after a short stint in The Championship and finished an extremely impressive ninth place. Manager Alex McLeish looks to improve on their best finish in 51 years, and should be able to do so. After losing Joe Hart when his loan spell expired with the club, they were able to nab Ben Foster from Manchester United to compete with Northern Irish international Maik Taylor. They now have two formidable ‘keepers for the upcoming campaign. This club will be tough to beat, and just might outdo their crosstown rivals this season.
Projected Finish: 8^th

Blackburn Rovers
2009-10 Finish: 50 points, 10th Place
Outlook: Big Sam Allardyce was able to guide Blackburn to a respectable tenth last season, but it may be difficult for them to do much to improve the squad any further. If Blackburn is going to stay competitive, Steven N’Zonzi will have to have a huge year, and this big ask may still not be enough. Expect Blackburn to be stagnant at best.
Projected Finish: 11^th

Blackpool
2009-10 Finish: (Promoted via The Championship Play-off) 70 Points, 6th Place
Outlook: As a football supporter, it is always nice to see a club that are nothing short of minnows come up from The Championship to have at it with the big boys. The downside is that they are almost guaranteed of falling as quickly as they rose. Ian Holloway will be quite entertaining for the Premier League fans, but The Seasiders will most likely be able to match that entertainment factor. This is what happens when you get a shock promotion and are completely incapable of improving your side. Only one signing has been completed by Holloway, that being Israeli international and former Maccabi Haifa center back Dekel Keinan. It will be a joy for the Blackpool faithful to see their club up, and they should do better than 2007-08 Derby County, but not by much.
Projected Finish: 20^th (Relegated to The Championship)

Bolton Wanderers
2009-10 Finish: 39 Points, 14th Place
Outlook: Bolton has strengthened their squad this off-season in some respects, but even with Martin Petrov and Ivan Klasnic lending their strength to manager Owen Coyle’s squad, this club still will be in the throes of the relegation battle. But with how well Coyle did with the club last season, and the experience of some of the more high profile players like goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, defender Andy O’Brien and midfielder Stuart Holden; Bolton won’t be ready to say goodbye to the Premier League just yet.
Projected Finish: 17^th

Chelsea
2009-10 Finish: 86 Points, 1st Place (Titleholders)
Outlook: What can be said that hasn’t been said already about Chelsea? Okay, okay, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Fulham supporters, you are missing the point. This team, like them or not, is pretty spectacular. They held off Manchester United on the last day of the season for the title, and look primed to do it again. But be wary Chelsea faithful, this could be the last of those glorious titles for a very long while. The squad is aging fast, and unless Ancelotti wants to go the way of Jose Mourinho (still in a bit of disbelief that any club would be willing to get rid of “The Special One”), he will have to start making moves, and fast. Yossi Benayoun is a great replacement for Joe Cole, but his age doesn’t bode well for trying to inject more youth into the squad. Chelsea takes the title again in the 11^th hour.
Projected Finish: 1^st (Titleholders)

Everton
2009-10 Finish: 61 Points, 8th Place
Outlook: Is David Moyes a brilliant manager for a bad team, or is he an average manager for a promising one? This question has to be asked, and it seems more and more that the answer is the latter. Everton has come so close to being a regular player for European competition for years now, yet they just can’t seem to find a way to stay there. One great signing Everton accomplished this off-season was swooping for Leeds United’s epic goalscorer Jermaine Beckford. But, this could be the last shot for Moyes. The Toffees seem to love him, but don’t they deserve better? With the goalkeeping brick wall that is American Tim Howard, and the solid midfield containing Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Phil Neville and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, it is an absolute shame that this team isn’t better than they are. Everton underachieves yet again, and the door hits Moyes on the way out.
Projected Finish: 10^th

Fulham
2009-10 Finish: 46 Points, 12th Place
Outlook: Roy Hodgson’s off to Liverpool. Can Fulham continue their solid showings year-in and year-out? Time will tell, but landing Mark Hughes was a great start to making sure their upward climb continues. Philippe Senderos is the biggest name coming in, but The Cottagers didn’t lose too much regarding first team players. This club could very well be fighting for a place in Europe this season. Even if they fail to do that, Fulham is getting better.
Projected Finish: 7^th

Liverpool
2009-10 Finish: 63 Points, 7th Place
Outlook: Oh, the Reds. Worst finish since 1999. Rafa’s long gone. So what do they do? Hire club-saver Roy Hodgson. Then sign Joe Cole who was shunned by Chelsea, Serbian talisman Milan Jovanovic, Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton and Danny Wilson, the Scottish youngster who is being compared to Jock Stein. Not too shabby! Liverpool needed changes, and they have gotten them. Don’t think this is their year to win the title, as the last 15+ were supposed to be, but they will be in the mix for Champions League football. The club still has Pepe Reina who, if you have lived under a rock, is one of the top keepers in the league. This, along with a healthy Fernando Torres (which is no guarantee) and Steven Gerrard getting back to what he does best – make everything click from the midfield on up – Liverpool will be as tough to beat as anyone.
Projected Finish: 4^th

Manchester City
2009-10 Finish: 67 Points, 5th Place
Outlook: The Gallagher brothers have to be absolutely furious. Their club gets bought up and made the richest club in the universe, the owners shell out silly money, and this club still can’t get into the top four, let alone win the league…which they were allegedly supposed to do. Blame Spurs. Or blame yourselves, whichever works. Just more proof that money can’t buy happiness. Ask Real Madrid if you still aren’t sure. City will be shedding contracts and already are bringing in what seems to be an army of new transfers. Looks like the formula isn’t going to work this season, either. Watch them tumble back a little bit, in what will be a very, very tough and close race for the top four again.
Projected Finish: 6^th

Manchester United
2009-10 Finish: 85 Points, 2nd Place
Outlook: So close, yet so far. The Red Devils just missed out on their record 19^th title by one point, thanks to Chelsea’s 8-0 annihilation of Wigan on the final day. But Sir Alex, who is considered to be the greatest manager in the world by many (mostly United fans), always has tricks up his sleeves. One, is Mexican wunderkind Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who already is scoring constantly for United. They will certainly compete for the title, as they usually do. But Chelsea may have a little more on them this time around. United isn’t going anywhere, though. If they can’t do it this year, they probably will next year. And if they can do it this year, they probably will next year. It’s a win-win for United supporters, and it’s pure agony for the rest of England.
Projected Finish: 2^nd

Newcastle United
2009-10 Finish: (Promoted as The Championship Titleholders) 102 Points, 1st Place
Outlook: Wait, Newcastle wasn’t around last season? For shame. Goes to show how delicate finances can be, as it can take a top-division power like Newcastle and wear them down to relegation fodder. But the Magpies wasted absolutely no time getting back up, destroying everything in their wake in their quest for promotion. It doesn’t matter who it is, you get 102 points in any league that you aren’t controlling with a video game controller, and everyone needs to take notice. Newcastle is back, and they’re pissed off. This club shouldn’t come close to relegation, but they probably wont come close to Europe either. Baby steps, Tynesiders. The addition of Sol Campbell adds some great experience to the back line, which can only help. Owner Mike Ashley won’t make the same mistakes again, and this club will be around for a long, long time.
Projected Finish: 13^th

Stoke City
2009-10 Finish: 47 Points, 11th Place
Outlook: Tony Pulis has turned out to be a pretty solid choice as manager of Stoke City, even if he does get in the occasional fight with his star striker. With that said, 11^th place was overachieving for a side that isn’t soaked with talent. To add to it, Stoke really did nothing this off-season to improve the squad. Their only transfer in is Belgian teenager Florent Cuvelier. He won’t be ready for a few years. Pulis will have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to improve on last season. In the end, they could be relegated, but expect them to survive….but not comfortably.
Projected Finish: 16^th

Sunderland Athletic
2009-10 Finish: 44 Points, 13th Place
Outlook: Darren Bent needs love. He scored 24 goals in the Premiership last season. That is only behind United’s Wayne Rooney and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba. Not bad company. Only thing is, he doesn’t have much help around him, hence the 13^th place finish. After being omitted from England’s World Cup squad, he will have a chip on his shoulder the size of the Chunnel, so be wary when you have to play the Black Cats. They will have some pretty decent scorelines. That being said, I previously mentioned that Sunderland isn’t very good. I stand by that. They did bring in a slew of players this summer, namely Ghanaian defender John Mensah. It will help solve the issues in the back and give ‘keeper Craig Gordon some much needed cover, but it probably won’t be enough to improve the squad. This club is pretty scrappy, and anytime you have to go up against a 20+ goal scorer, you aren’t going to have a good time. But Sunderland just isn’t good enough to crack mid table.
Projected Finish: 15th

Tottenham Hotspur
2009-10 Finish: 70 Points, 4th Place
Outlook: Last season went about as well for Spurs supporters as they could imagine. Well, I guess if that 3-0 loss to their arch-rivals Arsenal early in the campaign never happened, it would have been better. But I digress. Spurs are now in the Champions League for the first time ever, so it is certainly an exciting time for the North London club. They have one of the best managers in England at the helm in Harry Redknapp, and have kept last year’s team together, for the most part. The biggest issue that Spurs may run into is the fact that they have only added Sandro, a 21 year-old Brazilian defensive midfielder. But with over two weeks left in the window, and Redknapp hesitant to buy until he knows if they will be in the group stages of the Champions League or not, Spurs can still improve their situation. They may find the Champions League difficult in their first attempt at it, but if they can keep focused on the league, they will fight for a top four spot.
Projected Finish: 3^rd

West Bromwich Albion
2009-10 Finish: (Promoted as The Championship Runner-up) 91 Points, 2nd Place
Outlook: The most frustrating team in English football. Any level. This club is too good for The Championship, and not nearly good enough for the Premier League. This season shouldn’t be any different. The Baggies have been relegated from the Premiership three times since 2003. That’s just bad…or respectable, depending on your standards. Regardless, the club signed Welsh international ‘keeper Boaz Myhill as insurance for club captain Scott Carson, as well as former Irish international midfielder Steven Reid. But it should be a swift fall back down to The Championship for The Baggies.
Projected Finish: 19^th, (Relegated to The Championship)

West Ham United
2009-10 Finish: 35 Points, 17th Place
Outlook: Last season was quite scary for anyone who identifies with The Hammers. Financial trouble, near relegation, and a thin squad made quite a few hearts stop. But after the firing of manager Gianfranco Zola, and the subsequent hiring of Avram Grant, things could be looking up at the Boleyn Ground. The signing of former Portsmouth striker Frederic Piquionne, along with Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim and midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger; West Ham looks primed to climb up the table. Barring something drastic, West Ham shouldn’t have to worry about relegation this season; instead they can look to solidifying their place among the more comfortable clubs in the league.
Projected Finish: 14^th

Wigan Athletic
2009-10 Finish: 36 Points, 16th Place
Outlook: What a rough season for Wigan last term. A 9-1 destruction by Tottenham – where the club actually refunded supporters’ tickets – to an 8-0 loss to Chelsea on the last day to hand them the title. Tough breaks, but Wigan still managed to stay up, with much of the credit to be given to manager Roberto Martinez. To add to it, Hugo Rodallega may finally have some help up front. Martinez signed Argentine Mauro Boselli from Estudiantes for $9.8 million. He has already made an impact scoring two goals in his debut. This should help even out that -42 goal differential that nearly condemned Wigan to The Championship last season. With this addition, and a few more, Wigan should be able to improve this season, even if it is marginal. Watch out, the Latics may surprise.
Projected Finish: 12^th

Wolverhampton Wanderers
2009-10 Finish: 38 Points, 15th Place
Outlook: Wolves finished a not-so-awful 15^th last season, but this season could prove to be much tougher. They have attempted to improve their squad over the course of the transfer window, but it may not prove to be enough, especially with how much stronger West Ham, Wigan and Newcastle look this season. If they want to stay up, Marcus Hahnemann will have to continue to be out of this world for Wolves, and the strike force of Andy Keogh, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Stephen Fletcher and Kevin Doyle will have to be lights out. Sadly, this just might be another team that Mick McCarthy can’t find a way to win with. Wolves can avoid relegation fate, but they will have to play much better than last season.
Projected Finish: 18^th (Relegated to The Championship)

Predicted Final Premiership Table:

Chelsea
Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool
————
Arsenal
Manchester City
————
Fulham
Birmingham City
Aston Villa
Everton
Blackburn Rovers
Wigan Athletic
Newcastle United
West Ham United
Sunderland Athletic
Stoke City
Bolton Wanderers
————–
Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Bromwich Albion
Blackpool

Remember, games start up this Saturday at 7:45 a.m. ET with Tottenham v. Manchester City.

Written By Christopher Boulay (9 Posts)

Chris is a 22 year-old senior at Central Connecticut State University, majoring in Journalism. He has covered NCAA soccer extensively with his university’s publication, The Recorder. Currently, he is trying to become a full-time soccer journalist. He is a writer for multiple soccer sites, and has a great passion for the beautiful game all around the world. He’s a huge supporter of Liverpool F.C., as well as a supporter of the US, Italian and Lithuanian National Teams. He will be a supporter of the Montreal Impact once they are admitted to the MLS, so he can actually see their matches. You can follow his soccer updates at twitter.com/chrismboulay.