This season’s English Premier League, (EPL), is closer than ever and the struggle to avoid relegation from the EPL into the Championship is preying on the minds of most fans and fascinating football observers around the world. There are twenty clubs in the EPL and the bottom three will be relegated at the end of the season in May.
As Safe as Ever?
The Big Four clubs are almost guaranteed to survive every season because of their vast wealth and the quality of their players. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have never been relegated from the EPL and are certain to survive this season. Three other clubs have never been relegated from the EPL; Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Villa started the season very well and has had spells in the top four, so it is also safe from relegation.
Everton fans were very concerned at the beginning of the season that their squad was too small and lacking quality then an injury crisis that hit all of their strikers in mid-season deepened the crisis. However, the Toffees have battled away and confounded the critics. They have enough points in the bag and enough steel in the spine to survive again.
Spurs are more worried. They are still feeling the effect of “the Magic Juande” and “Harry Houdini” hasn’t yet pulled off another great escape. Former manager Juande Ramos revolutionized the club and sadly it did more harm than good with the club losing game after game and its players turning from stars to has-beens in a matter of weeks. His replacement, Harry Redknapp, has turned things around but there are still a lot of holes to fill and the Spurs ship may still sink yet.
Everton fans were very concerned at the beginning of the season that their squad was too small and lacking quality then an injury crisis that hit all of their strikers in mid-season deepened the crisis. However, the Toffees have battled away and confounded the critics. They have enough points in the bag and enough steel in the spine to survive again.
Spurs are more worried. They are still feeling the effect of “the Magic Juande” and “Harry Houdini” hasn’t yet pulled off another great escape. Former manager Juande Ramos revolutionized the club and sadly it did more harm than good with the club losing game after game and its players turning from stars to has-beens in a matter of weeks. His replacement, Harry Redknapp, has turned things around but there are still a lot of holes to fill and the Spurs ship may still sink yet.
The Likely Victims
The three clubs who were promoted last season- Hull City, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion- were tipped by many for relegation at the start of the season and it may well happen. Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Sunderland are also under threat. However, the big fish are not safe. Newcastle United and Manchester City are both huge clubs with great traditions and a huge fan base but both have struggled this season.
United fans have seen a lot of change in the last few years and new manager Joe Kinnear and his assistants may have just done enough to ensure survival. City was taken over by Arab billionaires and became the richest club in the world but on the pitch the players have looked like paupers at times and they may face the disastrous prospect of relegation. All eyes will be on the struggle for survival for the next few months.
Questions
Understanding the Story
1. How many clubs are in the EPL?
2. How many clubs are relegated each season?
3. How many clubs have never been relegated from the EPL?
4. Name them.
5. Which three clubs were promoted to the EPL last season?
Vocabulary
Match the words and phrases in bold in the story to the meanings below
1. able to be seen
2. very poor people
3. strength of character
4. don’t have enough
5. confused and greatly surprised
What do you think?
Which three teams will be relegated this season?
Answers
Understanding the Story
1. Twenty
2. Three
3. Seven
4. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur
5. Hull City, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion
Vocabulary
1. apparent
2. paupers
3. steel in the spine
4. lacking
5. confounded
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