Premier League Team Capsules, Part 3
By Sam McPhee
The final installment of the EPL team capsules finishing with Sunderland through Wolves & concluding with a prediction of how I personally think the clubs will finish.
Sunderland
Sunderland is a team that on paper has some pretty good quality players but as a whole generally didn’t play well over the course of last season. Steve Bruce often uses Man U castoffs or loan signees to help bolster his side & this year is no different with again having former Red Devils in Phillip Bardsley in defense, Fraizer Campbell in attack & Kieran Richardson providing speed & skill on the flanks (although he played at left back this past Saturday) & now is taking the 19-year old Man U youngster Danny Welbeck on loan for the season. Bruce also has the promising midfield starlets of Lee Cattermole & Jordan Henderson to throw against opponents but they’re probably a few years away from their reaching their full potential. John Mensah was bought from Lyon after playing on loan the second half of the season at the Stadium of Light & Nedum Onuoha was taken on loan from Man City to help out at the back. So, Sunderland has the makings of a decent side but as with many teams it’s a question of them playing well as a team rather than the level of their individual skills.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs will be looking to build on their Champions’ League placing of last year & depose arch-rivals Arsenal as the power club in North London. Spurs have no shortage of options up front with Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, back from his loan at Celtic & Russian hitman Roman Pavlyuchenko. Add-in precocious Mexican starlet, Giovanni & Harry Redknapp has plenty to choose from for his frontline. Not to mention the lightning quick Aaron Lennon on the wings & the Croats Niko Kranjcar & Luka Modrić providing the skill in midfield. However, Jonathan Woodgate’s health in defense is always in question as he is notoriously injury-prone as has been Ledley King the last couple years. But young defender Michael Dawson has emerged to help the Spurs backline but don’t be surprised if Redknapp brings in another defender & in fact, is currently rumored to be in talks with former Chelsea & Arsenal captain, William Gallas to come in to give increased defensive options.
West Bromwich Albion
Despite having one-time England left back Nicky Shorey on the roster & Czech international Roman Bednar & former England U-21 starlets in goalkeeper Scott Carson & winger James Morrison, West Brom, simply put, don’t have enough quality to remain in the EPL & will likely be headed straight back for the drop. West Brom is a club that has players that are very good lower league players (e.g. Simon Cox, Jerome Thomas, etc.) but the gulf in skill will likely come out when faced with EPL opposition week in & week out.
West Ham United
The Hammers looked awful on opening day & despite having England internationals Robert Green & Matthew Upson look, at least initially, to be in for a relegation fight during the upcoming season. Can Upson recover from his World Cup disgrace? He was one of the players that was highly criticized & heavily blamed for Germany’s 4-1 demolition of England in the World Cup. Despite bringing in Kiwi Winston Reid who impressed at the World Cup & former Lyon forward Frédéric Piquionne on loan, West Ham is another club who may have unfinished business in the transfer market before the window closes.
Wigan Athletic
Wigan also looks to be set for another battle in the relegation mire. Manager Roberto Martinez has good players but many players are young & unproven (such as Victor Moses & Ben Watson). Others are serviceable but not stellar (Chris Kirkland in goal, Hendry Thomas in midfield & Hugo Rodallega in attack) & serviceable isn’t good enough to play & win in the EPL over the long haul & as the Latics’ opening day thrashing at the hands of Blackpool showed, if you have an off day in the EPL you can get hammered even by a fellow relegation candidate.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves)
Wolves’ roster reads like a Who’s Who? of players you once saw on a lower league club’s register (e.g. Steven Fletcher, Greg Halford, Matthew Jarvis & David Jones) or guys that are vaguely familiar because they were once on the books of big clubs as youth players (i.e. former Man U starlet Sylvain Ebanks-Blake) & sprinkled in with a handful of internationals (Algeria’s Adlène Guedioura, Belgium’s Jelle Van Damme & USA’s Marcus Hahnemann). This hodge podge of players will likely see Wolves dragged back into the quagmire that is attempting-to-avoid-relegation but with Mick McCarthy’s playing style being on the dour, defensive 1st-side, & if the aging Hahnemann can repeat his form of last year in goal, it may be enough to see Wolves emerge from the fight to remain in the EPL yet again.
PREDICTED FINISH
1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Everton
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Aston Villa
9. Fulham
10. Bolton Wanderers
11. Birmingham City
12. Blackburn Rovers
13. Sunderland
14. Newcastle United
15. Stoke City
16. Wolves
17. West Ham United
18. Wigan Athletic
19. West Bromwich Albion
20. Blackpool