AlexWilkes
03 Jul 2005, 08:43 AM
2005-06 Premiership season begins in 1 month's time. The 14th campaign of England's super league is sure to be just as thrilling as the first 13. At the end of it one team will win the title, and at least 4 others will qualify for European competition. 3 unlucky teams will drop out of the Premiership. But who will those teams be?
PREMIERSHIP TITLE: Chelsea look more than capable of repeating the title success they achieved in 2004-05 after gaining 95 points, losing just 1 game and conceding just 15 goals. But will they face stiffer competition this time round? Arsenal and Manchester United never really looked like overtaking the Blues last season but will they do it this time round? Or will the title go to an unfancied team?
EUROPEAN PLACES: 3 other Premiership teams go into the Champions League with the Premiership champions. Last season Chelsea were joined by the 2 obvious other teams Arsenal and Manchester United but the 4th team was unfancied Everton. Only 5th placed team will certainly get a UEFA Cup place but the 6th and 7th placed teams could depending on who wins the F.A Cup and League Cup. Who will the other European places go to this season?
RELEGATION: 3 unlucky teams will go down from the Premiership next May. Newly promoted sides usually have a tough time of it, as they did last season. 2004-05 could also be big battle for teams who just avoided relegation last time round. Or could a fallen giant suffer relegation in 2005-06?
PROMOTION: The 3 teams relegated from last season's Premiership will surely be in the hunt for promotion - Crystal Palace, Norwich, Southampton. Ipswich, who have come within a whisker of promotion for the last 2 seasons, should also begin the 2005-06 seasons as promotion favourites. After losing just 1 game in 5 months under Glenn Hoddle (even if 15 of 25 games were draws), Wolves should be capable of at least a playoff place in 2005-06 if they can start converting some of their draws into wins. Or could one of the promotion places be claimed by a team who battled relegation in 2004-05, or even a team who has just won promotion from League One?
PREMIERSHIP TITLE: Chelsea look more than capable of repeating the title success they achieved in 2004-05 after gaining 95 points, losing just 1 game and conceding just 15 goals. But will they face stiffer competition this time round? Arsenal and Manchester United never really looked like overtaking the Blues last season but will they do it this time round? Or will the title go to an unfancied team?
EUROPEAN PLACES: 3 other Premiership teams go into the Champions League with the Premiership champions. Last season Chelsea were joined by the 2 obvious other teams Arsenal and Manchester United but the 4th team was unfancied Everton. Only 5th placed team will certainly get a UEFA Cup place but the 6th and 7th placed teams could depending on who wins the F.A Cup and League Cup. Who will the other European places go to this season?
RELEGATION: 3 unlucky teams will go down from the Premiership next May. Newly promoted sides usually have a tough time of it, as they did last season. 2004-05 could also be big battle for teams who just avoided relegation last time round. Or could a fallen giant suffer relegation in 2005-06?
PROMOTION: The 3 teams relegated from last season's Premiership will surely be in the hunt for promotion - Crystal Palace, Norwich, Southampton. Ipswich, who have come within a whisker of promotion for the last 2 seasons, should also begin the 2005-06 seasons as promotion favourites. After losing just 1 game in 5 months under Glenn Hoddle (even if 15 of 25 games were draws), Wolves should be capable of at least a playoff place in 2005-06 if they can start converting some of their draws into wins. Or could one of the promotion places be claimed by a team who battled relegation in 2004-05, or even a team who has just won promotion from League One?