The Editor has informed me that she has received over forty e-mails from irate ‘Blue Noses' complaining about my negative predictions about Birmingham City. R Rawlings of Erdington, ‘Brummie Boy' of Tamworth and H Coleman of Hagley are amongst a raft of disciples demanding that I apologise for my unflattering assessment. Whilst this proves that this magazine's circulation (certainly its website) reaches far beyond the second city itself, only the Hagley fan indicated that he was a regular visitor to St Andrews this season. Why is this?
Surely the Blues deserve better support having performed so well. My other thought is why don't the aggrieved make the discussion more interactive and use the ‘Given' blog on the website to articulate their torrents of abuse? I digress. In reply, I am not sorry that the Blues have already passed the golden forty points total and guaranteed their top flight status for the 2010/11 campaign. It is true though that I am pleasantly surprised that they have consolidated their position without a massive transfer investment in the January window. I still maintain that Jerome, Ridgewell, Benitez, Johnson, Dann lack the quality to be consistently influential in the Premiership and that the cruel and unforgiving passing of time is eroding the cutting edge of the likes of Bowyer, Ferguson and Philips. This is a tremendous and heartening story of over-achievement and McLeish must take considerable credit for what he has master-minded. Joe Hart, an excellent young goalkeeper on loan from Manchester City has been a defensive beacon and a formidable part of this unlikely success story. Unfortunately his loan is not necessarily renewable so his presence cannot be assured at Saint Andrews beyond May 2010. Otherwise next season will provide few easy challenges and (mindful of a recent tepid surrender at Sunderland) maybe my reservations will come to fruition if the major and costly squad overhaul that I advocate is once again ignored.

Having lost the home fixture by four goals to nil, I saw struggling Sheffield Wednesday battle bravely at the Hawthorns in March, my heroes undone only by a brilliant late goal of high pedigree from Koren. The Albion remain the second best team in the Championship, outshone only by Newcastle. Pretty much as predicted then! I'm afraid I don't offer apologies for being utterly smug either! Incidentally, correspondents from Harborne, Edgbaston and Coventry have commented on my apparent need to mention a team from South Yorkshire in what is supposed to be a primarily West Midland based column. It's always in context, guys!

On that theme, having seen both Newcastle and WBA play against the Wednesday, I cannot see the Geordies struggling next year at the higher level. Even with only modest reinforcement I believe that they are well prepared and classy enough to operate all next campaign outside of the bottom six. Not so, the Albion. Sadly, they are already well established as the perennial ‘yo-yo' side, too good for the Championship and yet woefully weak in the company of the elite. Jumping ahead, it appears a thankless prospect for Di Matteo next season with the likes of Miller, Carson (once such a bright loanee at Hillsborough - oh no, I've mentioned them again!) Brunt (ex-Owl, I'm afraid!), Dorrans and Moore amongst a lengthy list seemingly unable to effectively step up to the higher grade and standard required within the Premiership. Still, I said much the same about McLeish's chances this season!

My forecast that Wolves will teeter on the tightrope of relegation to the bitter end prevails and therefore appears chillingly accurate too. In truth I can take little credit for this as they were most people's hot favourites for the drop anyway. A respectable 2-2 draw at Villa Park recently was up-lifting, even more so was a crucial 2-0 win at Turf Moor where Burnley continue to suffer the bewildering mismanagement of (ex you know who!) Brian Laws. Financial problems and a nine point deduction surely mean that Portsmouth will accompany Burnley through the trapdoor, leaving Wolves or Hull I believe to take the final and unwanted eighteenth spot. Hull have rather rashly sacked Phil Brown and the unfathomable appointment of his successor Dowie may just send the Humberside team down and spare the men of Molineux.

I understand that a few Villa followers have corresponded with this magazine in an acidic manner, questioning my resounding assertion that their idols will not finish in the top four. Of course they won't! A small squad and a likely replication of last season's weakened resolve in the final quarter will only secure a position of seventh, maybe even eighth. (Okay, my original prediction was ninth, but there is no way that O'Neill's team is ready to seriously challenge for a top four berth.)

Walsall FC is ready for a rather uneventful end to their League 1 season. The curtain will fall with neither an interest in promotion or relegation. Hate to mention it, but I predicted this as well to an absolute tee. However, I failed to highlight the possibility that my beloved Owls maybe visiting the Bescot Stadium next season if they cannot unravel themselves from an ugly relegation fracas at the bottom of the Championship. A handful of Villa fans plus those many, many Blues supporters who wanted me to be sorry may yet have their wish!

W.M. LEE

By W.M. Lee

W.M. Lee has watched and followed Sheffield Wednesday from his Worcestershire base for the past forty years. He was a prolific writer for football fanzines in South Yorkshire throughout the 1990’s and beyond and has an extensive knowledge of the game in all four divisions of the English league. He has no particular ‘axe to grind’ in terms of our five local league clubs so his comments should be viewed within that context.