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2010/2011 Season Preview
Topic Started: Aug 3 2010, 09:45 AM (189 Views)
andyjgray
Martin Grainger
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Hi guys,

I have produced a season preview as the big kick off is fast approaching! Thought people might want to have a look and see my thoughts and give some feedback!!

Obviously it is all down to opinion and it's pretty much impossible to successfully predict where every team will finish, but I have done a lot of research into each team and their players to watch etc!

See what you guys think, it would be interesting to hear what everyone else thinks on who will finish where

Cheers!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/426714-...ue-preview-1011
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willvbcfc
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Gil Merrick
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I mostly agree on your assessments, though for ease of reading, I'd perhaps consider putting each team in the order in which you think they will finish in the table.

Really don't think Blackburn will be top 10 and I reckon Stoke could be in trouble this season. They might be for the drop.

And being my usual persnickety self... you've spelled Jordon Mutch incorrectly.

Overall, a very good read.
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Blacksmith
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Jeff Hall
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This is what the Guardian has to say:

Quote:
 
Premier League preview No3: Birmingham City
Alex McLeish will do well to fashion another top-half finish but Blues have enough to avoid 'second-season' syndrome

Guardian writers' prediction: 13th (NB: this is not necessarily Stuart James's prediction, but the average of our writers' tips)

Last season's position: 9th

Odds to win the league: 750-1

Few Premier League managers will have as tough a task as Alex McLeish when it comes to trying to improve on last season. Widely tipped to be relegated after winning promotion from the Championship, McLeish's Birmingham City side surprised everyone by going on a 12-match unbeaten run (15 in all competitions) in the middle of a season that ended with the club occupying ninth place, their highest league finish in 51 years.

Many people, including a good few Bluenoses for that matter, will think that a place in the top 10 is as good as it gets for Birmingham but Carson Yeung, the Hong Kong-based businessman who assumed control at St Andrew's last October, clearly has other ideas. "Last season, you have to respect what we did," said Yeung in an interview with the Birmingham Mail last week. "But in the coming season, we want to be doing even better."

Yeung talked about assembling what he described as his "target team", which would include another striker, a midfielder, a left-back and a right-back to go along with the earlier acquisitions of the Serbia international Nikola Zigic, the goalkeeper Ben Foster and Spanish youngster Enric Vallès. All of which sounds great in theory, although after the famous £40m spending spree that was promised in January failed to materialise, Birmingham fans could be forgiven for reminding Yeung that actions speak louder than words.

So, for the moment, let's deal with those that have arrived. Zigic, who comes with a proven track record as well as some very long legs, has the makings of being a good signing. The same goes for Foster, who it is easy to forget only 12 months ago was being tipped to succeed Edwin van der Sar at Old Trafford as well as be the No1 goalkeeper for England at the World Cup. By Foster's own admission, he "dropped a few clangers" last season, but Birmingham seems like a good move to get his career back on track. Valles, meanwhile, has impressed in pre-season but looks to be one for the future.

McLeish, however, has made no secret of the need to bring in more players. The Birmingham manager has been quick to point out that, with Christian Benítez departing after his season-long loan expired and Joe Hart returning to Manchester City, Zigic and Foster are replacements, rather than additions to the squad. Although few Birmingham supporters will shed a tear about losing Benítez, whose lack of goals was always going to be a problem, Hart will be missed after an outstanding season at St Andrew's.

One of the cornerstones of Birmingham's success last season was their home form, and McLeish will once again look to make St Andrew's an intimidating place for visitors. After defeats to Aston Villa and Bolton in September, Birmingham remained unbeaten at home for the remainder of the campaign and conceded only 13 goals there in total, a remarkable record that owed much to the excellent partnership in central defence between Scott Dann and Roger Johnson but also the work ethic McLeish fostered throughout the side, none of which looks like changing.

Whether a few of the more experienced players who carried Birmingham forward last season can continue to excel remains to be seen. Barry Ferguson was outstanding in central midfield and his decision to retire from international football can only be beneficial to Birmingham, while there is no reason to suppose Stephen Carr is on his last legs despite the fact he turns 34 later this month. It will, however, be interesting to see how Lee Bowyer fares. Brilliant in the first half of the season, when he scored five times in the league, Bowyer faded a little after Christmas and failed to add another goal to his tally.

Indeed scoring goals is a problem for Birmingham full stop. Cameron Jerome got into double figures but no one else was close to him. Zigic should offer a more potent threat, although McLeish would ideally like to bring in another forward to play with him – a younger version of Kevin Phillips, who is still at the club, would be perfect. Some more penetration on the flanks would also not go amiss. James McFadden has been disappointing on the left, Sebastian Larsson has gone backwards and Keith Fahey remains a work in progress, making it no surprise that Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia has been targeted.

Otherwise there is not too much that McLeish needs to fix and little reason to believe that Birmingham will fall victims to second-season syndrome or, put another way, 'do a Reading'. Birmingham ought to be able to compete with clubs like Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Stoke City, all of whom I expect to survive. Just don't ask me to say with any conviction what position any of them will finish in.
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beegeeblueboy
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Bob Latchford
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andyjgray
Aug 3 2010, 10:45 AM
Hi guys,

I have produced a season preview as the big kick off is fast approaching! Thought people might want to have a look and see my thoughts and give some feedback!!

Obviously it is all down to opinion and it's pretty much impossible to successfully predict where every team will finish, but I have done a lot of research into each team and their players to watch etc!

See what you guys think, it would be interesting to hear what everyone else thinks on who will finish where

Cheers!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/426714-...ue-preview-1011

Key Man - Nikola Zigic

One to Watch - Moussaba Dembele
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beegeeblueboy
Aug 3 2010, 11:38 AM
andyjgray,Aug 3 2010
10:45 AM
Hi guys,

One to Watch - Moussaba Dembele

Have I missed something?
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