The Relegation Battle: The Lowdown and Prediction

With just 10 games remaining in the Premiership season it seems the perfect time to access the ongoing relegation battle.

As Manchester United roar away with the title at the top end of the table this season, team such as Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, two sides who have has their own battles with United in the past, scrap for survival.

Newly promoted sides Stoke City and West Brom are fighting at the wrong end, while Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough and Paul Hart’s Portsmouth make up the six fighting in the bottom half.

Hull City, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur all look to have survived this season at least, as the bottom six now battle it out for those three relegation spots.

Not since the Premiership season of 2004/2005 has a relegation battle looked so intriguing in England's top flight.

That particular season West Bromich Albion made the great escape on the final day with victory over Portsmouth, as Southampton, Norwich City and Crystal Palace dropped down to the Championship.

Four years on and not much has changed.


West Bromwich Albion

The Baggies, who like in 2004 found themselves bottom at Christmas are attempting the second great escape, this time under the reigns of Tony Mowbray.

The Hawthorns club's attacking style looked a noble move at the start of the season, but with just ten games remaining the lack of a plan B should confirm the clubs relegation to the Championship.

Recent results haven't been kind either with just a single win coming in the league this year, form of a side in desperate trouble.

History tells them that only one side has avoided relegation to the Premiership after being bottom at Christmas, but of course it was themselves who achieved the feat.

They are an entertaining side to watch, but with little protection at the back, it’s going to be back to the drawing board for Mowbray.

Prediction: A battling finish, but relegation none the less.


Stoke City

It may not have been pretty, but one thing Stoke City have done this season is win games.

Their ability to grind out results has been priceless to them this season, something that West Brom especially haven’t been able to grasp.

There home form has been the route of their success with just three defeats all season at the Britannia Stadium, an incredible achievement for a relegation threatened side.

They have a two-point cushion at the moment, and with several of the teams around them to face thing are going to be tricky.

The problem has of course been on the road where not a single win has been recorded all season.

Now to stay up its not absolutely necessary that Stoke record that elusive away win, but their fans will live in knowledge that if they do, safety is all but assured.

The signing of James Beattie for me all but confirmed their safety, he knows the way to goal having made his name in the strips of Southampton, and with a proven goal-scorer in the ranks you always have a chance.

Even without an away win Stoke should grind out enough points, that when it comes to the Emirates Stadium on the final day of the season, they're not sweating on survival.

Prediction: Comfortable safety for the Potters.


Portsmouth

The change of manager at Fratton Park has produced some points in the short term on the south coast, but in terms of the rest of the season things look gloomy for Portsmouth.

The appointment of Paul Hart as the new manager for the rest of the season strikes me as the club desperate for a leader, and in Hart they have a very honest manager, but one whose experience is nothing short of wafer thin.

Spells lower down the leagues and in youth football is all Hart has on his CV, and as crucial as that experience is to his development as a manager and coach the step up to the Premiership is massive comparing to those previous jobs.

They still have to face four of the sides around them in the relegation zone so they have it in their own hands, but with limited attacking options and a hapless defense I can't see anything more than relegation to the Championship.

Prediction: Portsmouth's heart will be beating no longer-Relegation.


Newcastle United

The reputation of one of the most respected clubs in the league has been well an truly tarnished this season, and if thing don’t change relegation could be in the offing, to cap an awful season for the Magpies.

Whether it’s been the sacking of Kevin Keegan, Mike Ashley wanting to sell up or Charles N’Zogbia throwing a strop, Newcastle haven’t been out of the news all season, and things could begin to get worse.

The manner at which the club has been run has finally spilled onto the pitch, and it’s had dire consequences for the club’s league position.

Joe Kineer has had an almost impossible job trying to keep the club afloat, but he had succeeded in his short spell.

Without him however, probably for the rest of the season things look bad at St James' Park.

Chris Hughton has virtually no experience at this level having stood in as Tottenham manager on only a few occasions, hardly enough to keep a club like Newcastle afloat.

The only saving grace might be the return from injury for striker Michael Owen, who was a constant source of goals earlier in the season.

He was even touted with deserving an England recall, as his early season form kept Newcastle in mid-table, but since his injury they've slipped down the league.

It's hard to see them surviving if Owen doesn't come into some sort of form, as the rest of the team is drained of confidence.

It looks as though it will be between themselves, and their other North East rivals for the final relegation spot, and the duo’s meeting in early May is sure to decide both teams fortunes.

Prediction: Final day survival

Blackburn Rovers

I'm almost certain that without Roque Santa Cruz, Blackburn would have been relegated already this season.

He's the difference for the team right now, and although he's not scoring goals as regularly as last season his influence on the side is unrivaled.

Sam Allardyce has come in and got the side grinding out results, something Paul Ince simply couldn't do.

It's a key quality of any team scrapping down at the bottom, to pick up vital wins without playing well, Allardyce did it for years with Bolton, and now he's starting the trend with Rovers.

I have full confidence that they'll climb out of the bottom three, and if they can keep hold of the Paraguay master then they can build for next season.

Even in the precarious position that they are, I don’t think there is many people who think they will still go down, and I'm certainly not one of them

Prediction: Comfortable Safety

Middlesbrough

Just like in 1997 when Boro' were last relegated, they had an impressive cup run to fall back on as their league form disintegrated under Bryan Robson.

This season, although there cup run was ended at Goodison Park on Sunday they've enjoyed a decent run, something that Gareth Southgate admitted it was a positive influence on the team.

Many managers would have argued that the cup run would have been a distraction from the league, in which Boro' find themselves in the bottom three.

But Southgate, maybe naively put plenty of emphasis on the cup run and encouraged his team to press on in the competition.

Now they have the league to focus on, the side need to buck up their ideas, because even though they’re playing some brilliant football the results just aren't following.

The win over Liverpool last weekend would have done wonders for confidence as the side returned to winning ways, but further results have to follow.

It's the team’s firepower I worry about mainly.

Brazilian Alfonso Alves has scored just two goals this year, and since his £12 million move to the Riverside he's hardly adapted well to the frantic pace of the Premiership.

With just 20 goals scored all season they’re the lowest scoring side inside the top five divisions in England, a clear sign of where things need to improve.

Prediction: Heartbreak for the young manager, relegation.