Football Dispatch

Weekend Football
10 August 2008
by Jerrad Peters

The return of Premier League football is less than two weeks away. With that in mind, football journalist Jerrad Peters will evaluate each of the 20 clubs in the top flight before the new season kicks-off on August 16th. Clubs will be presented in alphabetical order. On August 15, he will present his final prognostication, ranking each club from places 1 through 20. Email any comments to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Fulham
Manager: Roy Hodgson
Grounds: Craven Cottage
Championships: 0

Manager’s dilemma
When Roy Hodgson replaced Lawrie Sanchez at Craven Cottage on December 30, 2007, he took control of a club which had won just twice in the Premier League and, at 19th place in the table, appeared destined for the drop. However, three straight wins to conclude the 2007-08 season saved Fulham’s place in the top flight and earned Hodgson the chance to start fresh in August. His first objective will be to avoid the slow, debilitating starts that have been a Fulham trademark in the past. If he can produce four or five wins by Christmastime, the stretch drive will be considerably more comfortable in south-west London.

Bread & butter
It’s not much to cling to, but this is a squad which is difficult to put away. A trip to the Cottage is rarely an easy excursion for any club; and in the likes of Aaron Hughes and Jimmy Bullard, Fulham have the type of players who can get the opponent off their game. On five occasions last season, the Cottagers earned score draws in which they scored two goals or more. Those points kept them in the hunt in April and May and ultimately saved their season.

Key addition
Fulham will be the fourth stop of Andy Johnson’s professional career. The 27-year-old established himself as one of the most consistent goal-scorers in English football while with Crystal Palace from 2002-2006. And while he only mustered 17 league goals over two seasons at Everton, Johnson’s offensive instincts are undeniable. He has been capped eight times for England and will be hoping to impress Fabio Capello with a good start to the new campaign.

Projection
For the first time in three years, Fulham will avoid the springtime relegation battle. In Johnson and Bobby Zamora, Hodgson has brought in a respectable striking tandem, while Zoltan Gera will be a nice addition in the midfield. Mark Schwarzer will finally add some stability to the goalkeeping position and John Paintsil will bolster a questionable defensive corps. Expect a finish in the third quarter of the table.

Probable formation to start the season
Schwarzer
Volz, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky
Davies, Gera, Bullard, Dempsey
Johnson, Zamora

Hull City
Manager: Phil Brown
Grounds: KC Stadium
Championships: 0

Manager’s dilemma
Hull City took the express route from the brink of oblivion to the Premier League. In five seasons, the Tigers climbed four rungs of the English football structure – culminating in a 1-0 win over Bristol City in the Championship play-off final on May 24. In so doing, they did not consolidate their position at any level. Survival in the top-flight will be of secondary importance in 2008-09. Manager Phil Brown will be more concerned with laying the groundwork for a competitive, Championship-level club in the years to come.

Bread & butter
The Tigers were the most balanced side to earn promotion to the Premier League in May. Only Leicester and Crystal Palace allowed fewer than Hull’s 47-goals last season; and only Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion scored more than their 65. In Boaz Myhill, they have a good, young goalkeeper with international experience. At the back, Bernard Mendy and Anthony Gardner will complement the likes of Andy Dawson and Michael Turner. The midfield consists of two, natural wingers. And up front, Caleb Folan and Craig Fagan will be tutored by the veteran Dean Windass. Brown has a role for each player; and each player functions in the position where he is most comfortable.

Key addition
When Geovanni arrived at KC Stadium of July 4, he instantly became the most talented player at the club. A versatile attacker, he can play at either wing or in support of a lone striker. With last year’s top scorer Frazier Campbell recalled to Manchester United, the 28-year-old will be called upon to compensate for the loss of offense.

Projection
This is a very good Championship side. And while they will be sure to provide value for money as far as entertainment is concerned, survival isn’t in the cards.

Probable formation to start the season
Myhill
Mendy, Gardner, Turner, Dawson
Garcia, Ashbee, Boateng, Halmosi
Geovanni
Folan

Liverpool
Manager: Rafael Benitez
Grounds: Anfield
Championships: 18

Manager’s dilemma
In the four seasons of Rafael Benitez’ tenure at Anfield, Liverpool have never finished higher than third-place, have recorded more than 80-points on only one occasion, and have never come within fewer than nine points of the title. They have also been to a pair of Champions’ League finals and won the F.A. Cup in 2006. Still, to say that the Spaniard prefers cup wins to league success might be an oversimplification. He merely knows how to win knockout competitions and clearly has no clue when it comes to the 38-match domestic schedule. His decision to allow Javier Mascherano’s participation in the Olympic Games was mind-boggling and only reinforced the growing belief that, under his guidance, Liverpool will not win a 19th championship.

Bread & butter
Last season, Liverpool played their best football in February and March. Over the two months, they lost just a single match and scored three goals or more on five occasions. The partnership of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres blossomed. Playing just behind the Spain striker, Gerrard buzzed about the attacking third and provided countless opportunities for his colleague. The two, and central defender Jamie Carragher, form one of the best spines in English football.

Key addition
It didn’t take long for Benitez to realize that none of Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, or Andriy Voronin could form an effective partnership with Torres. Enter Robbie Keane. The 28-year-old will play in support of the 33-goal scorer, allowing Gerrard to reassume his more natural, central role. In effect, the arrival of Keane will bring the best out of three players – himself, Torres, and Gerrard.

Projection
Liverpool will not lose a lot of matches in the centre of the park. Their vulnerability at the wide positions, however, will prove their undoing. Full-backs Philip Degen, Steve Finnan, Andrea Dossena, Fabio Aurelio, and Alvaro Arbeloa are simply not good enough to counter the likes of Theo Walcott, Joe Cole, and Cristiano Ronaldo. And on the left and right wings, the question-marks are even more visible. A second-place finish would be an accomplishment. But that might be stretching it.

Probable formation to start the season
Reina
Degen, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio
Gerrard, Mascherano
Kuyt, Keane, Babel
Torres

Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Jerrad Peters covers football for the Winnipeg Free Press, Soccer Three-Sixty magazine, ESPN Soccernet, and Soccer365.com. His work has also appeared on TheMirror.co.uk, Canadian-soccer.com, Footy247.co.uk, Foot2ball.com, and Squadinfo.com.

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