BPL Pre-Season Preview (2)

Middlesbrough

Player Watch:

1. Jonathan Woodgate: Defender

- Had an impressive 2006/2007 campaign on loan from Real Madrid to fill the void left when Gareth Southgate turned manager before signing on a permanent deal. Is good enough for an England call-up but his proneness to injury will be cause for worry for club and country.

2. Ayegbeni Yakubu: Striker

- Has always been their main threat in attack with his strength and relative pace. Will be their main goal-getter if Tuncay Sanli is not able to live up to his billing. Could be tempted by a move to a better club as Middlesbrough is likely to underachieve this season.

3. Jeremie Aliadiere: Forward

- The only reason he is in this is because it will be interesting to see if he can prove himself here, as he will be given regular playing time as compared to his time in Arsenal. Hanging around Henry, Van Persie and Bergkamp should have done some good to him. Time will tell.

Lacks: Poor away performance (could be down to manager), depth of squad

Strengths: Quality of first team

Prediction: Tough call, could be challenging for a UEFA Cup place or scrapping for relegation

Reasons: Inexperience of manager as proven last year

Chicken Soup for the Team: His experience last season could have done some good for Southgate. It is the time to prove himself

Parting Shot: The entire season rests on two issues – whether they can hold on to Yakubu, and if Southgate has improved.

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Birmingham

Player Watch:

1. Olivier Kapo: Midfielder

- Vastly experienced player at 27 years old, he can operate on the flanks or in the middle. His time at Juventus and Auxerre will prove to be invaluable. The question is whether he can withstand the physicality of the English game.

2. Radhi Jaidi: Defender

- A proven player at Bolton, he will be their stalwart at the back. Big, powerful and strong in the air, he is very adept for the English game. His only short-coming is his inability to deal with pacy/nippy forwards.

3. Fabrice Muamba: Midfielder

- The engine of the team. Had an impressive season that resulted in Birmingham’s promotion and him being name Young Player of the Year. The England U-19 international will be moving onto a higher standard of play and it will be interesting to see if he can make a name for himself.

Lacks: Safe pair of hands between the posts

Strengths: Good manager, solid backbone of team

Prediction: I see a good season ahead of them. Europe could be a possibility if the players can put good performances together

Reasons: Good mix of experience, youth and good management

Chicken Soup for the Team: Nothing much to be improved upon relative to the players they have on paper and the manager. They just need to build a working team.

Parting Shot: Carson Yueng’s boasts of Champions League maybe far fetched, but UEFA could be a possibility in the near future if the club moves in the right direction. Mido and Ghaly’s possible arrival could be the catalyst for a UEFA spot.

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Portsmouth

Player Watch:

1. David James: Goalkeeper

- At 37 years of age, he is certainly no oldie. Has proven time and time again he can be a saviour in his own right, but is prone to silly mistakes (which I must admit, has toned down quite a bit). Impressive in the pre-season Barclays Asia Cup tournament and if he can bring on that sort of performances into the new season, it will be a good one for Portsmouth.

2. Sol Campbell: Defender

- Man-mountain aka Judas is contemplating a starting place in the England setup. He forms part of a reasonably sound back-four that could be the key towards Portsmouth’s success. Commanding and experienced, he has to work well with Distin for Portsmouth to make any European challenge.

3. Lomana LuaLua: Forward

- His languid style often leaves defenders in a daze, and has popped up on a few occasions to come up with brilliant match winners. His strength is his innovation, but his weakness is his inconsistency. Portsmouth forward-line is already quite power-packed but it will be a definite added bonus if LuaLua can be a consistent innovator.

Lacks: Pure goal-getter, could materialize in David Nugent

Strengths: Good defense

Prediction: Their inconsistency, especially away from home, makes it a tough call. But I would have to say that on paper, they are good enough to compete for a UEFA Cup place.

Reasons: Solid defense, and good team on paper. But inconsistency could undo them.

Chicken Soup for the Team: Being able to replicate the performances in training onto the football pitch especially when away from home.

Parting Shot: Once again a very good team on paper, but they have to sort out the inconsistency before they want to look at bigger things.

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Everton

Player Watch:

1. Joseph Yobo: Defender

- The only notable player in the entire defensive setup. Is arguably too good for a team like Everton. Had good performances last season but to put the entire defense on his (albeit) broad shoulders is asking too much.

2. Tim Cahill: Midfielder

- Always popping up to score important goals, this Aussie is the Dennis-the-Menace of Everton. His movement around the pitch makes him a hard man to pick up throughout the match, and it is very often when the opponent loses focus is where he scores the all important goal. Has to avoid injuries if he wants to make a substantial impact.

3. Andy Johnson: Forward

- He seems to be taking up the mantle left behind by the older and much slower Michael Owen. Good pace and off-the-ball movement and has more creativity than Owen when it comes to one-on-one situations with defenders, could work on his finishing to make himself a complete article.

Lacks: A proper defense, depth in the forwards department

Strengths: Home games, tradition

Prediction: Would most likely be scrapping for survival

Reasons: Slow and ageing defense may not be able to keep up with the speed of the modern game

Chicken Soup for the Team: Purchase defenders, David Moyes HAS to improve.

Parting Shot: If David Moyes delivers another mediocre season, it could be time for him to move on as he is unable to deliver to a club with rich tradition.

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Blackburn

Player Watch:

1. Brad Friedel: Goalkeeper

- I would rate him top 5 goalies in the Barclays Premier League. Was a vital figure in Blackburn’s push for a UEFA Cup slot last season and will surely be a key figure for the next campaign.

2. Morten Gamst Pedersen: Midfielder

- The creative force in the team who is also a deadball specialist. Was missing for a sizable portion of the season and his fitness would be vital this time round as Rovers aim to make in 2 European seasons in a row.

3. Maceo Rigters: Forward

- Exciting times for this young man who can only benefit from playing under Mark Hughes and together with Benni McCarthy. Had brilliant performances in the U-21 Championships and is definitely one to look out for this season for Rovers.

Lacks: Pace in defense

Strengths: Going forward

Prediction: Would most probably end up around 10^th place.

Reasons: They have not progressed in comparison to West Ham, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Bolton and Newcastle and would probably lose out to them. Formidable forward-line is not reciprocated in defense which I feel would ultimately be their undoing.

Chicken Soup for the Team: Has a good set of midfielders that could help make up for their weaknesses.

Parting Shot: Sparky would have to sort out his defensive shortcomings or it will be a Europe-less season for him.

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My belief is that this season will see close battles from 19^th to 15^th place, from 14^th to 6^th place, 3rd to 5th place and for the Championship. This bunch just makes up the thrilling fight for a UEFA Cup slot and it will be a great battle. The weakest of the 5 teams discussed here is Everton and it will be unlikely that they would be much of a feature for a place in Europe this season and could even be involved in the relegation dog-fight. My picks of the lot is definitely Portsmouth and Birmingham who both have impressive teams on paper. If they can sort this potential into good team displays, UEFA could be beckoning.

Next up, the 5 teams that will probably make a strong challenge for UEFA Cup slots next season. Till next time, keep it real.