Premier League 2008/2009 Preview Part.4 (N-S)

15 Aug, 2008 Jonathan F England, Europe, Latest, Premier League

Just-Football continues its team-by-team preview of the 2008/2009 English Premier League season with a look at:

Newcastle United

(Last season – 12th)

There was a period of time around February last season when Newcastle United were doing so badly it looked as though they might even go down. After the sacking of Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan was brought back from his Soccer Circus in Glasgow to take the helm at what was rapidly turning into another circus based on Tyneside. Though the story was coloured as the triumphant return of King Kev it did not quite turn out that way, and it took Keegan ten games to register his first win. They hovered above the relegation zone for some time.

In that rocky first few months back in charge Keegan tried all manner of different lineups, tactics and personnel before settling on a 4-3-3 formation with a three pronged strikeforce of Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka and Michael Owen. Employing this fresh approach the Magpies hit form. With eight games remaining the trio hit eleven goals and performances picked up well enough that Newcastle finished 12th.

Heading into 2008/2009 Newcastle have strengthened their midfield with deals for Danny Guthrie and Jonas Gutierrez, while Fabricio Coloccini has signed to shore up the defence. Fringe players like Peter Ramage and those who never quite made it like David Rozenhal and Emre have been moved on.

The Newcastle squad appears strong in some areas but distinctly lacking in others. The forward quartet of Owen, Martins, Viduka and Alan Smith is one of the strongest in the league (though the latter looks set to leave after being booed by his own fans during pre-season). Keegan also has adequate options at centre back. Coloccini will fight for his place along with Steven Taylor, Claudio Cacapa (hapless at times last year), Sebastien Bassong and Abdouleye Faye.

Despite this, in areas such as full back and midfield the squad looks pretty thin. Take the centre of midfield for example. Joey Barton, fresh out of prison, is facing a lengthy suspension. This leaves just Guthrie, Nicky Butt and Geremi. James Milner can play in there but is often utilised down the right. Habib Beye and Jose Enrique are the only recognised full backs; injury to either of them would force Keegan to ask Charles N’Zogbia or Geremi to fill in. They could do with a creative midfielder a la Beardsley.

Newcastle’s season could also hinge on Keegan’s state of mind. Not the most stable of characters, a string of poor results could see that downtrodden, resigned, I’ve-tried-my-best-but-its-not-good-enough look creep back onto his face – a look that usually means he’s out of there. European football might just be out of their grasp this year, but they can expect to be challenging in the top half.

Ins: Danny Guthrie (Liverpool, undisclosed), Jonas Gutierrez (Real Mallorca, undisclosed), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna, £10m).
Outs: Emre (Fenerbahce, undisclosed), David Rozehnal (Lazio, £2.9m), Peter Ramage (QPR, free).

Portsmouth

(Last season – 8th)

Since Harry Redknapp rejoined Portsmouth from bitter rivals Southampton back in December 2005 Pompey have gone from strength to strength. Like a man who cheats on his wife with the girl next door before realising the error of his ways, Redknapp retreated sheepishly back to marital bliss at Fratton Park and has spent the last few seasons regaling his true love with gifts to make her forget the initial pain and rejection. In 2005/2006 he kept them in the Premier League by a narrow margin, before finishing 9th the next year and 8th the season just gone. His finest present to them came in the form of the FA Cup back in May, their first major trophy in 58 years.

With cup success comes a place in the UEFA Cup this season, and of course increased expectations from the fans. Going into 2008/2009 both of these factors could prove poisoned chalices. Firstly, a UEFA Cup spot brings with it a more crammed fixture list. In the past, clubs without a squad big enough to cope with the chockablock programme have failed to find the right balance and league form suffered as a result. Just ask Bolton. Do Portsmouth have the bodies to cope with an increased number of games?

In attempts to make sure the answer to that question is positive Redknapp, never one to shy away from a transfer deal, has brought in Younes Kaboul, Peter Crouch, Glen Little, Ben Sahar and Jerome Thomas. To balance the books Sulley Muntari was sold to Inter Milan. Based on the sheer numbers available to Redknapp in pre-season and their performance against Manchester United in the Community Shield, their squad balance and ability looks to be just fine. They have a solid defence, England’s best goalkeeper, a midfield that blends power with potency and in Jermain Defoe and Crouch, a strikeforce with the potential for bags of goals. David Nugent and Kanu will provide able backup.

The second issue, regarding fan expectations, is an intriguing one. Towards the end of last season when the club were quite obviously winding down their efforts in the league and preparing for the FA Cup final, performances dropped dramatically. They took one point from their last five games. After a 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn sections of the crowd booed the team off. Redknapp got very angry and lashed out. Buoyed by the joy of winning a trophy, the prospect of European football and some exciting signings exactly where do fans envisage the club can go from here? Could Pompey genuinely challenge for a top six place? And if not will 8th or below be considered good enough? Portsmouth’s worst enemy could turn out to be their own inflated expectations.

With a home game against the champions sandwiched between trips to Everton and Chelsea their start to the season could barely be more challenging and it will be interesting
to see just how they cope. One thing is for sure though, Portsmouth are a different animal from the one they were three years ago, and a top ten finish should be well within their capabilities.

Ins: Peter Crouch (Liverpool, £11m), Ben Sahar (Chelsea, loan), Glen Little (Reading, free), Omar Alieu Koroma (Banjul Hawks, undisclosed), Younes Kaboul (Tottenham, undisclosed), Jerome Thomas (Charlton Athletic, loan).
Outs: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, £12.7m), Omar Alieu Koroma (Norwich, loan), Joel Ward (Bournamouth, loan), Asmir Begovic (Yeovil, loan).

Stoke City

(Last season – promoted)

For the first time in twenty-four years Stoke City will participate in top-flight football this season having won promotion from the Championship back in May. Tony Pulis worked wonders at the Britannia Stadium to help secure Stoke’s passage to the Premier League, and deserves an immense amount of praise for his achievements. The worry for Stoke though is that, after the climax to a season that brought such pleasure, they now face a season full of pain. A look at their odds for survival reflects what pretty much everyone feels about their chances of making this stay in the Premiership anything more than but a brief sojourn. At 2/5, the bookies give them next no chance. But can Stoke defy the odds like Wigan and Reading have done in the past and stay up? Or will this prove to be a season of nothing more than parachute payments and increased TV revenue?

Given the relative paucity of their squad when compared to the other nineteen teams it is going to be very difficult indeed. You need not even assess the quality of their squad before realising the magnitude of the task ahead. A mere glance at the spending power of those teams who fought relegation last year will suffice. Fulham have spent upwards of £28 million revamping their squad. Bolton around £20m. Sunderland too. The outlay needed to try and even keep up with those who finished near the bottom of the league is substantial. Stoke have spent about £12 million, but it might not be enough.

The calibre of player Tony Pulis has brought in this summer is not particularly bad, but you struggle to envisage the likes of Amdy Faye, Dave Kitson and Seyi Olofinjana ruffling the feathers of the Premiership’s elite. Kitson, who felt Just-Football’s wrath with his defeatist comments about the FA Cup last season, scored 10 goals in 36 appearances last season but will likely need to improve on that if Stoke are to have the firepower to avoid the drop. Olofinjana is a solid, physical player who fits the Potters’ recent prototype of brutish players very well, but it remains to be seen if he possesses the dynamism to dominate Premiership midfields.

Two of Stoke’s key men last season were Liam Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller, who bagged 29 league goals between them. The likelihood of them achieving a similar tally in 2008/2009 appears very unlikely; Fuller for example scored just once in 31 appearances when he played Premier League football for Portsmouth. Lawrence, a right winger with a deft touch and a crisp shot, will be Stoke’s main creative outlet. Ryan Shawcross was another outstanding performer during the Potter’s promotion campaign and it will be interesting to see how the talented young centre back adapts to the Premiership.

Last season Stoke battered and bruised their way to promotion from the Championship, and many felt their style of play was a bit on the ugly side. This does not matter, it got them results. In the Premier League however you cannot survive on blood and guts alone. You need skill to go along with brawn, and right now it looks as though Tony Pulis’ men lack the craft to be able to outplay teams and score enough goals. It will be extremely tough for them to stay up you feel.

Ins: Seyi George Olofinjana (Wolves, £3m), Dave Kitson (Reading, £5.5m), Abdoulaye Faye (Newcastle, £2.25m), Amdy Faye (Charlton, undisclosed).
Outs: Marlon Broomes (Blackpool, free).

Sunderland

(Last season – 15th)

Sunderland were the only promoted club to stay up last season, finishing three points above the dropzone in 15th. This summer, in his attempts to improve the squad and ensure the club push higher up the table, manager Roy Keane has bought Tottenham’s reserve team. Well not quite, but three of his six summer signings were Juande Ramos cast-offs and in Younes Kaboul the Black Cats tried but failed to bring in another. Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque and Teemu Tainio have all swapped the white of Spurs for the red and white of Sunderland though, as well as El Hadji Diouf, David Meyler and Nick Colgan.

Sunderland in 2008/2009 are a strange animal. Most clubs who survive their first Premier League season after promotion from the Championship are happy to settle for another season of safety, with dreams of a mid-table finish at best. Sunderland though are not most clubs. With a 49,000 seater stadium, large fanbase, supremely ambitious manager and a board unafraid to splash the cash, the Wearside club have set their sights much higher than just simply aiming for 15th again and want much more. Upon arriving at the club both Diouf and Tainio expressed the feeling reciprocated by many; that a top-half finish is the minimum expectation. “I know what this club is capable of, and as long as the players believe in themselves this season, there’s no reason why we can’t finish in the top 10 or maybe even the top-eight,” stated Diouf, a sentiment echoed by club captain Dean Whitehead. “We want a top-half finish.”

Based on the strength of the playing squad a top ten finish is maybe a possibility but not something that can be taken for granted. Both defensively and in attack they still have plenty of room for improvement. Chimbonda is a good defensive signing that should help strengthen that area, but Sunderland could use another centre back to complement the likes of Nyron Nosworthy, Whitehead and Paul McShane. Keane’s side conceded 59 goals in the last league campaign and shipping such a tally again is unlikely to see them into the top ten. In attack too they could use a proven goalscorer. The Black Cats had the third worst scoring record in the Premiership last year and though Kenwyne Jones and Michael
Chopra are capable players, neither will get you twenty goals a season. Last year Chopra bagged just six.

In midfield Sunderland look like they have the necessary creativity and guile to at least make chances for the strikers, and this is arguably their strongest area. Kieran Richardson and Andy Reid may be desperately inconsistent, but both showed glimpses of their talent last season. Reid offers awareness and an eye for a pass, Richardson more directness and pace. Along with the cutting edge offered by Diouf and Malbranque, Keane’s side should guarantee enough ingenuity so as not to struggle.

Overall, while a top ten finish for the Black Cats looks optimistic, under Keane’s leadership the group of players he has brought together should have no trouble ensuring survival. Its just that for the fans that might not be enough.

Ins: Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham, undisclosed), David Meyler (Cork City, undisclosed), Nick Colgan (Ipswich, free), Teemu Tainio (Tottenham, undisclosed), El Hadji Diouf (Bolton, £2.5m), Steed Malbranque (Tottenham, undisclosed).
Outs: Andrew Cole (Nottingham Forest, free), Greg Halford (Sheffield United, loan), Ian Harte and Stephen Wright (both released), Ross Wallace (Preston, loan).

England, English Premier League, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Previews, Stoke City, Sunderland, Transfer News

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About Jonathan F

The boss of this here... Creator and Editor of Just-Football.com and world football analyst, watcher, freelancer and all-round enthusiast. Write for FourFourTwo, have also written for ITV, When Saturday Comes and others. Open to offers.

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