Premier League

Pompey and Everton will not do as well as last season. ESPNSTAR.com's Countdown to the Premiership continues.

By Dez Corkhill

They were knocking on the door of the Top four last season, but this term expect Portsmouth and Everton to take backward steps. ESPNSTAR.com's Countdown to the Premiership continues with "Top of the Flops".

FA Cup winners, Portsmouth, have built solid foundations under Harry Redknapp over the past two seasons - culminating in that Wembley win over Cardiff in last May's FA Cup Final.

But, having secured some silverware and eighth position in the League, it seems as if Harry's rested on his laurels a little bit and - Peter Crouch apart - hasn't improved his team for the coming campaign. Indeed, the loss of Sulley Muntari to Internazionale, and the natural ageing process that will eventually kick in on defensive lynchpins Sol Campbell and David James points to Pompey losing ground to some of their more ambitious rivals.

The pairing of Crouch and Defoe - with Kanu in support - is an attempt to improve on a goal scoring record that has seen Portsmouth fail to reach the 50-goal mark in any of the past five seasons. No additions to the defence suggests Redknapp still has total faith in Sylvain Distin, Campbell and James to maintain the improvement defensively which has seen them keep their "goal against" tally down to just over a goal a game (a decent record) over the last two seasons.

To this observer, though, neither seems to be enough to maintain Pompey's progress which saw them ninth two seasons ago, and eighth last term. A slither down the table surely beckons.

Much the same can be said of Everton. David Moyes has proven himself to be an accomplished manager, but when even he talks of his frustration at not being able to strengthen his squad, you know there are problems.

The off-field disruption can't be helping matters. If - as happened to Everton - your Chief Executive moves on in less-than-positive circumstances, you know that things aren't right behind the scenes. Add the likely cancellation of a move to a new stadium in the Kirkby area of Merseyside after the UK Government "called in" plans for the scheme and Everton are in real danger of undoing all the good work of Moyes' reign. Add to that the sale of goal-scoring threat Andy Johnson, and Everton have problems.

As usual, the self-styled "People's Club" will be solid, and difficult to score against.

But with Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Sunderland making pro-active moves to improve their standing, Everton - like Portsmouth - could be the ones swept aside. They're far too good to be in relegation trouble, but at the same time the Boys in Blue are not set up either on or off the pitch to challenge the big boys.

Defensive solidity is all well and good, but Moyes has identified a need to ease the burden on Mikel Arteta as creator-in-chief and been unable to bring in players to achieve that. Joao Moutinho from Sporting Lisbon would help, but funds seem to be a problem in this summer of turmoil at Goodison. If Everton are to move forward, they need to improve their goal-scoring record.

Top four teams invariably score 56 or more goals per season. Everton last scored that many back in the 1999-2000 season. In a season when the Scot had been looking to move Everton a bit closer - if not into - the elite four - his managerial skills will be needed just to steady the ship.

The bad news for Everton is that it could mean Moyes getting frustrated, and being approached by other clubs more able to show their ambitions. It's a big year for Everton and I expect them to drop the baton.

Who'll end up where?
20: Stoke City; 19: Blackburn Rovers; 18: Hull City; 17: Bolton Wanderers; 16: Fulham; 15: WBA; 14: Wigan Athletic; 13: Middlesbrough; 12: West Ham Utd. 11: Portsmouth; 10: Everton; 9: Sunderland; 8: Manchester City; 7: Newcastle Utd.; 6: Aston Villa; 5: Arsenal; 4: Tottenham Hotspur; 3: Manchester United; 2: Liverpool; 1: Chelsea