Who is coming up to the Premiership in 2004?

[RoverMax]

Well, since there is a thread about going down, I figured I would start one about coming up.

I think West Ham United will definitely come back up. After that, I am not really sure. I am looking for WBA to may challenge, as well as Reading, Sheffield United, etc.

I am going to play it safe and just say West Ham United will come back up. It should be interesting to see who else comes up though.

[Scouse]

my predictions:

Ipswich
West Brom
Sheff Utd

[jlmatthews]

West Ham, Derby, Crystal Palace.

[phillips10]

Sunderland, Sheffield United and Cardiff!..

[whirlwind]

I wouldn't want to venture a guess regarding West Ham until I knew which players were staying and which weren't. If Joe Cole, Freddie Kanoute, Jermaine Dafoe, and David James stay...they'll go up. If not... who knows?

I think Sunderland won't be coming back up for some time. Sheffield United and Reading, probably.

[DevilDave]

I'm not going to predict West Brom will bounce back for sure, but IMHO, we're halfway there.

Last season, we had a hard-working defensive system that, one or two games aside, proved to be a match for the mid-table and some of the better teams in the Premiership. But the Albion's problem was as plain as the light of day... NO GOALS.

If we do something in the transfer market and with our current players to resolve the goal drought, the Baggies could well be "Boinging" back up. :D

[miko]

My predictions:
West Ham
Norwich
Wigan

[Fusion City]

Ipswich,West Ham,Sunderland

[superdave]

Originally posted by DevilDave
Last season, we had a hard-working defensive system that, one or two games aside, proved to be a match for the mid-table and some of the better teams in the Premiership. But the Albion's problem was as plain as the light of day... NO GOALS.

If WBA can sign a one-dimensional striker like Clint Mathis (not him, specifically, but a player with the same strengths and limits), they might well boing.

My impression is that it's way too early for this thread. Teams like Reading...are they going to sign anyone of quality? If they can add a key player or two, I think they can make it. They have a very impressive "trajectory," making the playoffs with ease in their first season up.

[Father Ted]

It is much easier to predict the top two teams who will go up. As for the third, it's almost like a lottery. Any one of 4 teams at the end of the regular season can go up.

Now for an interesting research stat. Has there ever been a year when none of the teams relegated was promoted back the following year?
Or has there ever been a case when all 3 relegated teams were promoted back the following year?

[Fireball_Dan]

Originally posted by superdave
If WBA can sign a one-dimensional striker like Clint Mathis (not him, specifically, but a player with the same strengths and limits), they might well boing.

My impression is that it's way too early for this thread. Teams like Reading...are they going to sign anyone of quality? If they can add a key player or two, I think they can make it. They have a very impressive "trajectory," making the playoffs with ease in their first season up.

Didn't Ablion do that last year with Lee Hughes?

[Fireball_Dan]

West Ham, Sheffield United, and Sunderland

[Roonaldo]

West Ham, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest