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West Ham |
Wigan
Soccer: The Premiership: West Ham, Wigan
West Ham
Last year: 6th, Championship
Ground: Upton Park
Capacity: 35,500
Manager: Alan Pardew
(22 months, W41, 027, L28)
We say: 20th 5000-1
MAY’S Play-Off final win brought peace to the boardroom, the
team and the terraces at Upton Park, after two years of
internal warfare brought on by the drop in 2003.
But will the Hammers remain happy with life in the
Premiership after August’s somewhat gentle reintroduction?
The jury’s still out, especially as no big-name signing has
so far arrived in East London to lift them above the mundane
melee of a season-long relegation battle.
However, Alan Pardew has moved to address one of the most
obvious weaknesses of his team — a lack of pace at left-back
- in buying Paul Konchesky and Clive Clarke, while Welsh
international Danny Gabbidon could be a star buy.
The verdict: only a proven striker, to feed on the
inspiration of Sheringham, Benayoun and Etherington, will
keep the Irons up.
Wigan
Last year: 2nd, Championship
Ground: JJB Stadium
Capacity: 25,000
Manager: Paul Jewell
(50 months, W97, 058, L48)
We say: 19th 5000-1
AFTER reaching the promised land of the Premiership in
just their 26th year as a league club, Latics owner Dave
Whelan gave Paul Jewell a huge war chest to keep them there.
However, the allure of joining the Championship runners-up
was not enough to tempt Scott Parker to the JJB, and Jewell
has had trouble persuading Nathan Ellington to ink a new
contract, although Henri Camara has finally agreed to join.
Three defenders in Ryan Taylor, Pascal Chimbonda and
Stephane Henchoz, and keeper Mike Pollitt have joined this
summer ahead of a schedule that will likely start and finish
with defeats by Chelsea and Arsenal.
Although Jimmy Bullard and Graham Kavanagh won’t be bossed
around too often in midfield now Norwich have relented over
Damien Francis, it’s a big ask for Wigan to do enough in
between to stay up.
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