Any Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

All five West Midlands sides have had contrasting fortunes throughout the 2010/2011 season and there is still plenty to play for.

The West Midlands has certainly proven to be a hotbed for football this season as there are currently four teams from the patch in the Barclays Premier League.

Here are my thoughts on the season so far and what the future holds for each of our sides.

Aston Villa

It has not been the best of seasons at Villa Park and fans of Aston Villa will be hoping this season was just a blip. They will also be praying their side end up as the top dogs of the West Midlands this season.

Question marks were raised when Gerard Houllier was appointed as Martin O’ Neill’s successor. Now there are definitely question marks as to whether Houllier will remain manager after the Frenchman was admitted to hospital with chest pains earlier this month.

Health and family are more important than football and if it means Houllier has to stand down due to health issues, then this would be the right call in my view. But who would replace him?

It will no doubt be an interesting summer for Villa both on and off the field. It does seem inevitable Ashley Young will be on his way out of Villa Park but I’m sure he will not be the only one leaving Villa in the summer.

The 2010/2011 season has been a disappointing one for everyone associated with Villa and the team have flirted dangerously with relegation. But results have improved recently despite losing at The Hawthorns against West Brom.

Darren Bent’s goals have been crucial and the likes of Young, Stewart Downing and Nigel Reo Coker have improved as the season has gone on.

Mark Albrighton has been a revelation for Villa this season and he has a bright future ahead of him. I find it hard to believe why he has not been starting games in recent times.

Villa do need to start building a squad around the likes of Bent and Albrighton. If they can bring in at least four/six quality players in the summer, then they may find themselves challenging for a Europa League spot.  

Plenty of work to be done in the summer but there is no doubt Villa have the potential to go onto bigger and better things.

Birmingham City

If you said to any Blues fan at the beginning of the season they would win the Carling Cup and they would be four points above the relegation zone with three games to play, they will have taken it.

Birmingham need at least one more win to guarantee their survival and if they can win either up at Newcastle or at home to Fulham, then Blues will stay up.

The last two seasons have been nothing but remarkable for Alex McLeish and Birmingham. Next season will be a test for Blues since they will be in the Europa League and the Premier League provided they stay in the top flight.

Buying players is a must for the St. Andrews outfit this summer. If they are able to attract quality players, then Birmingham might just have a 2011/2012 season to remember.

Getting a striker is a must. Even though his work rate is superb Cameron Jerome has not scored enough goals, Kevin Phillips is not getting any younger, Matt Derbyshire has not been given enough opportunities and Obafemi Martins has been injury plagued since joining the Blues on-loan from Rubin Kazan.

Ideally Birmingham should go for someone who has had experience of playing in the Premier League and has scored goals on regular basis. But who do you get? Realistically who can Blues go for? I’d be interested to hear from Blues fans.

Scott Dann has been sorely missed and he will be like a new signing once he gets back to full fitness. Four/six good signings in the summer and I can see Birmingham having a decent 2011/2012 season.

West Bromwich Albion

The aim at the start of the season was to survive in the top flight. Three games to go and West Brom find themselves 11^th in the Premier League with 43 points.Mission accomplished.

It has been nothing but a roller coaster of a season for Albion.West Brom have had many highs and lows during the 2010/2011 season but at the end of the day they will be playing Premier League football next season.

At one point,West Bromwere as high as fourth in the league and everything seemed to be rosy at The Hawthorns. But one turning point of the season came at Bloomfield Road as the Baggies lost 2-1. Two men sent off and a defeat. That was the start of Albion being in freefall.

After suffering 13 defeats in 18 games in all competitions since the away game at Blackpool, Roberto di Matteo was sent packing his Baggies. It was a shock decision and I was one of those who thought Jeremy Peace made the wrong decision.

Roberto’s dismissal was a real surprise despite the club being in freefall. However the chairman could not have appointed a better successor to di Matteo in Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson failed to deliver at Liverpool but I was very pleased with the appointment of Hodgson being Albion’s new Head Coach. But no doubt Roywill have been tearing his hair out after the 3-3 home draw against West Ham.

The former Fulham manager nonetheless has turned West Brom into a tough nut to crack and Albion have only lost one game in the last nine.

Defensively, the Baggies have improved considerably and the team effort/spirit is nothing but sensational. A top half finish would be a fine achievement and everyone associated with West Brom will be hoping this is the time Albion can finally establish themselves as a Premier League club.

Peter Odemwingie has to be a contender for bargain of the season. 14 goals in his first season in the Premier League. Not bad at all and he might score more goals before the end of the season.

Wolves

Where do you start with Wolves? They have been able to beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United and yet Wolves have struggled to beat the teams in and around them.

Mick McCarthy’s side have struggled with their defence throughout the season and January was a perfect time to strengthen their defence. But it wasn’t to be and their defensive frailties came about again when Michael Mancienne was at fault for Birmingham’s equaliser in the weekend.

Losing Kevin Doyle was a blow and the fans have questioned McCarthy’s team selections in recent weeks. What has happened to Adam Hammill and why is Mancienne in the starting XI.

Wolves could have done with having more Premier League experienced players in their squad. Most of the players in the current squad have plied their trade in the Championship.

McCarthy has done a decent job at Molineux but I just feel he missed a golden opportunity in January to strengthen the squad. This may well come back to haunt him and Wolves come the end of the season.

It is getting to a point now where the games against West Brom, Sunderland and Blackburn are must-win games. If Wolves fail to get a minimum five points then it could be curtains to their Premier League status.

There is still hope but Wolves must start winning games.

Walsall

And finally we come onto Walsall. They may not be in the Premier League but they themselves have had a roller coaster season. But it is not over yet.

With one game to go, either Dagenham and Redbridge,Walsall or Notts County will be relegated to League 2 on Saturday.Walsall have a tough trip as they face Southampton. The Saints will be playing Championship football next season after they were promoted on Monday. So perhaps this could play into Walsall’s hands on Saturday.

The Saddlers seemed destined for League 2 after the sacking of Chris Hutchings in January of this year. But Dean Smith has done terrifically well and Walsall are now above the relegation zone by one point.

Every Walsall fan will have snatched your hand off in January if you said to them, they would be one place and one point above the relegation zone with one game to go.

Walsall can still pull off the Great Escape but they will need to be at their best if they are to get a result at St. Mary’s on Saturday.

It Really Is Squeaky Bum Time!

Its fair to say the 2010/2011 Barclays Premier League season has been proven to be a great advert for English football. With the smaller teams upsetting the big boys of the Premier League, this season has no doubt been unpredictable.

Manchester United look well on their way to claim a record 19^th league title but at the other end of the table it is still all to play for. Normally at this stage of the season we would be able to name at least one/two teams who will for sure be relegated.

But its still so tight in the relegation scrap and we still don’t know who will fall through the Premier League trap door.

As much as the title chase may be intriguing, so is the battle to avoid relegation. Below is my prediction as to how the bottom half of the table will look at the end of the season and my thoughts on those who are involved in the relegation scrap.

Position		Games played	Points	Goal Difference
11	Stoke	38	47	-2
12	Sunderland	38	46	-11
13	Birmingham	38	45	-12
14	Fulham	38	42	-2
15	Newcastle	38	42	-5
16	Wolves	38	38	-24
17	Wigan	38	38	-25
18	Blackburn	38	36	-21
19	West Ham	38	36	-25
20	Blackpool	38	34	-30

West Ham United

Considering the players they have got in their squad, West Ham should not be where they are. With the likes of Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Carlton Cole, Mark Noble and Frederic Piquionne, The Hammers should at least be in mid-table.

Once Thomas Hitzslsperger came back into the first-team fold after his long lay-off, West Ham’s form all of a sudden picked up and they looked as if they were recovering from their poor start to the season.

But since losing 4-2 at home to Manchester United, West Ham have been in dreadful form and I do not fancy their chances of getting anything from Manchester City. However the remaining three games after the City game are do or die.

Blackburn at home,Wigan away and Sunderland at home are games where West Ham should be looking to pick up points. Seven points from the last three fixtures should be the target and it could be just about enough.

The game against Blackburn is a must-win for Avram Grant’s side and The Hammers will see this game as an opportunity to grab three crucial points. Blackburn themselves are in free-fall and I cannot see where Rovers’ next win will come from.

Can West Ham stay up? On current from no but if they do pick up at least seven points from the last three games then they can just about survive.

Wolves

What is it about Wolves this season? They have beaten Manchester United and Chelsea at home and yet they have been unable to beat teams in and around them.

Had Mick McCarthy’s men beaten sides around them, Wolves would not find themselves in the relegation zone.

It was a case of two more dropped points for Wolves as Fulham equalised late on to earn a 1-1 draw. There have been instances where the Molineux side have dropped points and they cannot afford to drop more points from now till the end of the season.

Losing Kevin Doyle was a massive blow and the remaining four games could not be any bigger for Wolves.

Two Midlands derbies coming up against Birmingham and West Brom and Wolves need to be picking up points from those games.

Also the game against Blackburn on the final day of the season could prove to be a decider to see which of the two sides will be relegated.

Wolves have got winnable games coming up but if they are to stand a chance of surviving then they need to win at least two out of the remaining four games after Tuesday’s game against Stoke City.

Wigan Athletic

Similar to Wolves,Wiganare a Jekyll and Hyde team. Sometimes they can brilliant and sometimes they can be shocking.

Wigan’s latest defeat came on Saturday as they lost 4-2 away at Sunderland. Sunderland are in my view safe after that win.

Despite taking the lead through Mohammed Diame’s sizzler, the Latics failed to hang on and that result saw Wigan move back into the relegation zone.

If Wiganwere to get relegated, there will be clubs who will want to prize Charles N’Zogbia and Hugo Rodallega away from the DW. Survival is key forWiganif they want to keep hold of their big players.

Looking at Wigan’s last four games, the stand-out fixture is on May 15 as they are home to fellow relegation strugglers West Ham. Providing results go their way and Wigan beat West Ham, the Latics could send The Hammers down.

But Wigan themselves need to pick up points and they have got some tough games left. Home against Everton is no home gimme and Everton themselves are in fine form.

Aston Villa’s recent form has been encouraging and you are always in for a tough game at Stoke.  

Blackpool

Ian Holloway’s Blackpool have no doubt been a breath of fresh air to this years Premier League and many neutrals would love to see the Seasiders stay up.

Similarly to Hull and Burnley, Blackpool had a fantastic first half to the season. But the second half has seen Blackpool in freefall and they are only above the bottom three on goal difference.

The home games against Stoke and Bolton are must-win in my opinion as I cannot see them getting anything at Spurs and runaway leaders Manchester United. Blackpoolwill not want to be going to Old Trafford on the final day of the season knowing they need to get a result.

But if Blackpool do beat Stoke and Bolton, then they definitely stand a chance of surviving. The Tangerines have relied heavily on Charlie Adam this year and without him Blackpool would be relegated by now. You can say the same about West Ham and Scott Parker.

No one gave the Bloomfield Road outfit a prayer at the beginning of the season but Blackpool are still in contention to do the unthinkable.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn have been struggling for form in 2011 and I wonder whether that coincides with sacking of Sam Allardyce. His style of football might not be great to watch but had Sam been left in charge, I reckon Rovers would not be where they are right now.

If Blackburn do get relegated, then I feel the Indian owners do need to look at themselves and they may regret getting rid of Allardyce.

With the quality of players at the club, Blackburn should not be in relegation trouble. Their form however in the second half of the season has been shocking and the players only have themselves to blame for that.

Blackburn’s remaining away fixtures could not be any bigger as they face West Ham and Wolves. Fail to get anything from those games and Blackburn could be saying bye bye to the Premiership. 

The game at Upton Park on May 7 will be make or break for Blackburn and West Ham. Whoever wins that game may be the team who avoids the drop. But at the minute I do fear for Blackburn as I cannot see where their next win will come from.

Birmingham City

2011 Carling Cup winners Birmingham City only need one more win in my view to guarantee themselves Premier League football next season.

The Blues got a crucial home win against Sunderland before they suffered losses against Chelsea and Liverpool. It was always going to be a tall order for Alex McLeish’s side to get results at Stamford Bridge and Anfield but crucially Birmingham still find themselves four points above the relegation zone.

Birmingham have the chance to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three on Sunday as they take on Wolves in a Midlands derby. If they beat Wolves, Birmingham will go past the forty point mark and surely that will seal there survival.

Blues do have two winnable home games against Wolves and Fulham and I can see Birmingham getting points out of both of them.

The likes of West Ham, Wolves and Wigan would like to be in Birmingham’s position knowing they only need a couple of points to confirm their Premier League status. 

If Birmingham can get their survival confirmed by the time they travel to Spurs on the final day of the season, then it will have been another successful season for the St. Andrews outfit. And to put the icing on the cake they will be playing Europa League football next season.

Stoke City

If there is one team promoted sides can learn from in trying to establish yourself as a Premier League club then it is Stoke City.

Tony Pulis has done a terrific job at the Britannia and like Birmingham, Stoke only need one more win to guarantee their survival.

There are fans who still feel Stoke are a long ball team. With the height and threat of Kenwyne Jones you will see Stoke pumping long balls to the frontman.

But with Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant and Jon Walters on board, Stoke do have flair players in their squad. They are playing some good football and they simply tore Bolton apart in the FA Cup Semi-Finals.

I firmly believe Stoke will not be dragged into the relegation battle even though they are 14^th in the league. They have winnable fixtures coming up and they should end up safe in mid-table.

Elsewhere

Had Bobby Zamora not suffered a long lay off as well as Moussa Dembele, Fulham would probably be in the top half of the table.

Mark Hughes has done a decent job at Fulham and I can see them staying up without any problems. Win against Bolton on Wednesday and Fulham will get past the forty point mark.

And if Hughes is backed in the summer, Fulham could be in for a decent 2011/2012 season and they may well be chasing a Europa League spot.

West Bromwich Albion have vastly improved under Roy Hodgson and have only suffered one defeat in their last eight games.

I was one of those who thought Roberto di Matteo should not have been relieved of his duties. But to be fair to Jeremy Peace he could not have chosen a better successor to di Matteo and since Hodgson has been in charge,West Brom have become more difficult to beat.

The Baggies are six points clear of the relegation zone and two/three more points will see Albion safe.

One team who are now safe are Aston Villa. About a month ago, Villa were down in the dumps and in relegation trouble but results have picked up in recent times.

Ashley Young seems to be re-discovering his best form, Stewart Downing appears to be a rejuvenated player and Darren Bent is scoring the goals.

Villa have had barren spells this season but despite this they can still finish in the top half of the table.

I wish Gerard Houllier a speedy recovery and hopefully he will be back in management asap. If the Frenchman is given the money in the summer and he spends it well, then Aston Villa could be in contention for a Europa League spot next season.

Sunderland are also safe after a much needed win against Wigan. The Black Cats were in total freefall prior to the game against the Latics and selling Darren Bent was a turning point in Sunderland’s season.

But beating Wigan was just what Steve Bruce and his side needed. Injuries have played a part in Sunderland’s recent rotten form and injuries to strikers have not helped either.

It promises to be an intriguing end to the Premier League relegation battle and it could go down to the final game of the season to decide who will be relegated.

Home form crucial for Albion

If West Bromwich Albion are to stand any chance of surviving in the Premiership then their home form will be vital.

Albion’s season starts this weekend at home against Sunderland and a win would be the ideal tonic to banish thoughts of their 6-0 drubbing away at Chelsea last weekend.  

A win would also be a perfect way to kick off their home campaign and give the Baggies fans something to cheer about.

West Brom fans will have been disappointed with the 6-0 scoreline but Albion’s season will not be decided when playing against Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal etc.

Fixtures against the likes of Blackpool, Bolton, Wigan, Newcastle, West Ham, Fulham and Wolves will determine whether the Baggies can stay up.

If Albion do end up victorious over the teams who will be fighting it out to survive, then they will definitely finish above the relegation zone. Easier said then done!

With Peter Odemwingie and Somen Tchoyi now seemingly West Brom players, at least Roberto Di Matteo has more attacking options available to him for future games this season.

Odemwingie in my opinion was one of Nigeria’s best players at this years World Cup and he is very quick. At £2.5 million he could prove to be bargain for the Baggies.

I have not seen Somen Tchoyi play so I would be interested to hear from Albion fans about their thoughts on the Cameroon winger.

It will be interesting to see how quick both Odemwingie and Tchoyi settle in at The Hawthorns and whether they can adapt to the Premiership.

I’m sure many West Brom fans would agree with me that the Baggies do need at least one more striker. Whether it be a permanent buy or someone coming in on loan I don’t know. 

Di Matteo will be looking to bring in some players on loan to strengthen the current squad before the transfer window closes.

Looking ahead to the Sunderland game, the Baggies will without question want to put in a good performance and put the defeat against Chelsea behind them.

However beating Sunderland will not be easy as some fans are making out. The Black Cats will be looking to finish in the top half of the Premiership and they have a quality striker in Darren Bent.

The former Spurs striker was in red hot from for Steve Bruce’s side last season and was unlucky not to make the 23 man England squad for the World Cup.

Bent will fancy his chances of scoring against Albion after the Baggies debacle last weekend.

There will be a couple of things I will be looking out for in the starting XI against Sunderland. Firstly will Di Matteo keep faith with Scott Carson or will he put Boaz Myhill between the sticks? Secondly will Jonas Olsson start and thirdly will Roman Bednar make way for new recruit Peter Odemwingie?

Let’s just see what happens. Hopefully West Brom will be celebrating their first win of the season come 5pm on Saturday.