English Premier League: Club-by-Club Review of 2007-2008

. Out of all the people I regularly talk to about football, I was the only one who predicted a huge struggle for Bolton at the start of the season, and while it is nice to be proved right every now and again, conversely, I have previously waxed critical on Gary Megson being a terrible manager.

So when Megson pitched up at Bolton, I couldn't believe my eyes. Then it turned he wasn't so terrible after all! Curiouser and curiouser.

Megson somehow managed to keep them up in the final few weeks, as well as overseeing a credible UEFA Cup run that included knocking out Atletico Madrid. No really, read it again, I swear it's true. 6/10

 

17. Fulham. Recent EPL years have seen more Great Escapes than a dozen Christmas tv schedules put together.

For Portsmouth, then West Ham, now read Fulham.

Lawrie Sanchez was as terrible as most right minded people thought he would be, but not to worry, Fulham had a trick up their sleeve, and an English one at that!

Possibly the only manager in history to have managed Inter Milan, Finland, and Fulham (even accounting for computer games), Roy Hodgson proved to be quite the miracle worker, helped by the merlin-like skills of Jimmy Bullard. You couldn't make it up. 7/10 (1 for August to March, 6 for April and May)

 

18. Reading. Steve Coppell is a funny sort of bloke, and a funny sort of manager. He seems to move from genius to disaster from one season to the next, with this the fourth relegation of his management career.

Last season he trusted his squad and got his rewards, this time, maybe he trusted them a little too much.

Doyle, Nicky Shorey et al all failed to reproduce previous heroics, and began to look like the average players most of them probably are.

Expect an exodus as EPL teams look twice at this season in the summer, and knowing Coppell, if he hangs around, they will probably come straight back up. 4/10

 

19. Birmingham City. Birmingham are one of those clubs who find themselves in a strange position in the modern football landscape.

Too big and rich for the football league, but not rich enough for the EPL. They go down, spend a few quid that most don't have, come back up, then realise that everyone else has bigger pots of cash and find themselves going back down again.

Alex McCleish's reputation doesn't appear to have been majorly damaged, and in truth they made a small improvement under him in terms of points per game, but the fans must surely be fed up with being a permanent yo-yo. One last flick back up next season lads, honest... 5/10

 

20. Derby County. What more is there to say?

Nothing I guess, beware Stoke and the rest, as the big lottery hand used to say, "It Could Be Yooooouuuuuuu." 1/10 (1 for the fans, who had to endure it, and did so in good humour and voice)

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