Monday 25 April 2011

Premiership Table Since 1 January 2011

Pos
Team (As 21 May)
P
W
D
L
GD
Pts

1
Man Utd
19
12
3
4
17
39

2
Chelsea
18
11
4
3
19
37

3
Liverpool
19
11
3
5
18
36
4
Arsenal
18
8
7
3
11
31
5
Man City
17
9
3
5
9
30

6
Fulham
18
8
4
6
10
29

7
Everton
18
7
5
6
6
26

8
Tottenham
18
6
8
4
2
26

9
Aston Villa
18
6
7
5
2
25

10
West Brom
18
6
6
6
10
24

11
Newcastle
18
5
8
5
2
23

12
Stoke
18
6
4
8
-1
22

13
Wolves
18
6
4
8
-7
22

14
Birmingham
19
5
5
9
-17
20

15
Wigan
18
4
7
7
-8
19

16
Bolton
17
5
2
10
-8
17

17
Sunderland
17
5
2
10
-13
17

18
West Ham
17
4
4
9
-10
16

19
Blackburn
17
3
6
8
-9
15

20
Blackpool
20
3
5
12
-18
14

7 comments:

  1. Some things to note from this table:

    First is the freefall of Blackpool. They have just taken just 9 points from 17 games, leaving them rock bottom since January, despite having played more than any other team. Similarly, Blackburn find themselves four or more points adrift of their fellow relegation battlers. They still have to play Man Utd - as well as facing away games against rivals West Ham and Wolves, they are in big trouble!

    At the top Liverpool are clearly in great form. There is a considerable gap between the top 4 and the rest, which leaves Man City and Tottenham trailing behind. Where both, particularly Man City, were in the title race in December, now fourth spot seems to be the best either can achieve, with Spurs even looking anxiously over their shoulders at an in-form Liverpool.

    At the bottom, the relegation battlers are mostly still hovering around the 40-point end-of-season mark, with still little to separate them. This means that West Ham, despite being 15th on this table, remain bottom of the league having been there at Christmas.

    Also worthy of mention is Mark Hughes and Fulham, who have improved in 2011 to ease away from trouble.

    Effects of the January transfer window:

    Well Liverpool seem to have been the big winners after their much-publicised activity in the window. They have done very well in acquiring Suarez and Carroll and it appears that selling Fernando Torres was the best thing that could have happened for the club, and at the right time too. Another important January acquisition for them, of course, was Kenny Dalglish.

    Elsewhere Aston Villa, despite the continued criticism of Gerard Houllier, have climbed out of danger, thanks in part to their January dealings. Darren Bent has scored 7 in 12 matches for them, while loan signing Kyle Walker has added some much-needed pace to the back line, a big problem for the team earlier in the season.

    One particular deal which does not seem to have worked out is Man City's £27m man Edin Dzeko, who scored his first goal for the club against Blackburn this evening. An expensive signing, which at this point seems little more than a 'vanity signing' for City to flex their muscles, has, if anything, disrupted the continuity of the team, with Mancini struggling to find a place for him. Mancini prefers a 4-3-3 formation with Tevez up top, leaving little room for Dzeko, and forcing Mancini to alter his preferred set-up to accommodate him. Man City are better without him and do not need him.

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  2. Added to that the sale of Darren Bent hasn't helped Sunderland much, despite the sum they received, and came at a pretty bad time with the injuries they've had.

    And also contrasting fortunes for new managers. West Brom look to be safe after losing just one out of their last nine, while Blackburn are going the other way. They took 21 points from 17 games before Allardyce was given the boot and look at them now (Kean's total record is 14 points from 17). Love him or hate him, Big Sam knows how to keep a club in the Premiership.

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  3. I think Blackburn will be relegated, and it's really too bad for the club and fans. I like them in the Premier League.

    However, the idiots at Venky's need to learn their lesson and subsequently get out of football forever. Blackburn's fans should be incensed at what a handful of clueless individuals is doing with their club.

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  4. Djeko will be fine, overall he has something like five in 15, not bad for a player adapting to a new team, new country, new lifestyle. What is he, 24? Expect him to start scoring regularly next season. Reminds me of Drogba's start at Chelsea. Tevez can probably move to the left of the three without any discernible dent on his goal threat. By the way I think it's more of a 4-2-3-1, with Toure or Silva playing attacking midfield. Very adaptable though.

    Good points about Bent, Villa and Sunderland. Think he's brillliant, scores goals everywhere he goes - worth every penny as unlike Djeko needed no time to adapt.

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  5. Yeah you are right about dzeko - age and settling. he also doesn't strike me as a wannabe prima-donner like so many other big money names who fail.

    Yet with Dzeko's chances increasingly limited as the weeks went on, and people caring less and less about the transfer fee as he stops making the news, it seems a "we've got £30m, we'll sign Dzeko rather than seriously thinking how we can improve the squad" move. He could indeed do well, his best chances are that may just be if Tevez leaves though.

    In truth there are no real surprises to this table. Yet again we have to congratulate Everton, Moyes again really has done a fine job with a squad so short of funds compared with their rivals, and with all the injuries they've had too. Among others, Leon Osman and Phil Neville have had outstanding seasons.

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  6. You could be right, he might thrive if Tevez left, but I think in general people are too eager for star strikers, players like Torres, Drogba and Rooney who play every game and bag 20+ goals. This season United have shown a group of forwards all chipping in really helps - Berbatov has been used sparingly as Hernandez has now settled, while Rooney has often been played deeper in Europe, negating his goal-threat somewhat.

    As long as Mancini can keep his strikers happy (not easy when one of them is Mario Balotelli and another is potentially Emmanuel Adebayor), he's got a great strike force there. Each one different, which is a plus.

    Finally, big fan of Everton, glad they're back in their rightful spot, seventh. Feel a little sorry for them that this has been their glass ceiling for a few years now - can Moyes be expected to inch them into fourth without spending copious amounts? Do they even have this ambition? Perhaps they're taking a long-term look at it, if they can consistently play Europa League football they can slowly build into a top four side - it's the only way it could be done without big cash injections a la Man City.

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