So we are almost at the halfway point in the season and its really anyones guess as to what the final table will look like.
All of the "big four" have been very inconsistent and are drawing too many games which they probably should be winning and are not breaking away from the pack as some predicted they might. This inconsistency has now allowed Aston Villa to move up into third place in the league and they have a great chance of breaking the top and eliminating one of the top 4 down into the new europa league.
Below the top five clubs here is Hull City sitting pretty in sixth place after an outstanding start to the season. Everyone keeps waiting for their bubble to burst and for them to fall down the league but they have shown tremendous character to keep up their form and despite a dissapointing defeat at home to sunderland i fully expect them to keep going and challenge for a european place.
But from 7th position downwards in the league it seems to change just about every week. Currently, any team outside the top 5 clubs seems capable of beating anyone else and the clubs are so bunched together that Fulham in 8th find themselves just 6pts above the relegation zone. Just one win can sometimes elevate a club a full six positions in the table. A winning run may see a club dreaming of europe but a few defeats and you might be fearing the drop.
The fact that the league is so close this season makes the sacking of some managers quite surprising. Bolton Fans were calling for the head of Gary Megson earlier this season when the club were languishing in the bottom 3. The board however, did not have a knee jerk reaction and sack him, he was allowed time and turned things around and bolton are now in the top half of the table and are also playing better football than they have been over the last few years.
We have seen Roy Keane leave sunderland while they were 18th in the league and all of their fans fearing the drop but under their caretaker manager, 2 wins on he bounce has shot them up to 13th. Blackburn also dropped into a difficult situation but a change of manager has also seen a change in their fortunes after the team put on a real performance under big sam. Neither of these teams however, were in any serious trouble and all their managers would have needed was one good result and all would be fine again. Mark Hughes at Manchester City is also under considerable pressure and there has also been talk of pressure on Adams at Portsmouth and Zola at West Ham. I am hoping the Chairmen of these clubs do not lose patience and sack their managers as it will do nothing but destablize the clubs when they have so much time to turn things around.
This season certainly looks to be one of the most exciting for a long time, no one knows who will win the league, who will get the last CL place or europa league places and its anyones guess as to who will go down with even west brom now in with a fighting chance.
So fellow Fm scouters, it is hard to say now, and when everything is so close, but What do you think will happen:
Who are the most likely candidates for relegation?
Which manages will get the sack?
Which clubs can make a push for the european places?
Can Aston Villa break the top 4?
and finally, who will win the title?
All of the "big four" have been very inconsistent and are drawing too many games which they probably should be winning and are not breaking away from the pack as some predicted they might. This inconsistency has now allowed Aston Villa to move up into third place in the league and they have a great chance of breaking the top and eliminating one of the top 4 down into the new europa league.
Below the top five clubs here is Hull City sitting pretty in sixth place after an outstanding start to the season. Everyone keeps waiting for their bubble to burst and for them to fall down the league but they have shown tremendous character to keep up their form and despite a dissapointing defeat at home to sunderland i fully expect them to keep going and challenge for a european place.
But from 7th position downwards in the league it seems to change just about every week. Currently, any team outside the top 5 clubs seems capable of beating anyone else and the clubs are so bunched together that Fulham in 8th find themselves just 6pts above the relegation zone. Just one win can sometimes elevate a club a full six positions in the table. A winning run may see a club dreaming of europe but a few defeats and you might be fearing the drop.
The fact that the league is so close this season makes the sacking of some managers quite surprising. Bolton Fans were calling for the head of Gary Megson earlier this season when the club were languishing in the bottom 3. The board however, did not have a knee jerk reaction and sack him, he was allowed time and turned things around and bolton are now in the top half of the table and are also playing better football than they have been over the last few years.
We have seen Roy Keane leave sunderland while they were 18th in the league and all of their fans fearing the drop but under their caretaker manager, 2 wins on he bounce has shot them up to 13th. Blackburn also dropped into a difficult situation but a change of manager has also seen a change in their fortunes after the team put on a real performance under big sam. Neither of these teams however, were in any serious trouble and all their managers would have needed was one good result and all would be fine again. Mark Hughes at Manchester City is also under considerable pressure and there has also been talk of pressure on Adams at Portsmouth and Zola at West Ham. I am hoping the Chairmen of these clubs do not lose patience and sack their managers as it will do nothing but destablize the clubs when they have so much time to turn things around.
This season certainly looks to be one of the most exciting for a long time, no one knows who will win the league, who will get the last CL place or europa league places and its anyones guess as to who will go down with even west brom now in with a fighting chance.
So fellow Fm scouters, it is hard to say now, and when everything is so close, but What do you think will happen:
Who are the most likely candidates for relegation?
Which manages will get the sack?
Which clubs can make a push for the european places?
Can Aston Villa break the top 4?
and finally, who will win the title?
