2015-2016 EPL Relegation Predictions

Sunderland, Newcastle, and West Ham are teams that usually find themselves clinging for life at the end of the season. But these teams have made great summer signings and I believe they will avoid a relegation scare. But, there has to be three teams that find themselves in the bottom three.

18: Aston Villa

Villa fans have seen it all. From making the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) to escaping relegation, they have been on a wild roller coaster.

But they won’t escape it this year.

Christian Benteke, the man who played a major role in their survival of last season, is now at Liverpool. Benteke was their saving grace for when they went through their 612 minute goalless streak, and now Villa are left without their prized striker.

Not only did their star-striker leave, their creative midfielder Fabian Delph departed to Manchester City. They are now left without two best attacking players and have failed to fill the hole. Recent rumors with Emmanuel Adebayor fell through, which would have been a great addition as he played very well under Tim Sherwood.

Their best defender, Ron Vlaar, is out for the first four months. For someone that crucial to be gone for the first part of the season, Villa may find themselves in a deep hole from the start. The Dutch defender has also been linked with Southampton and Lazio, but both clubs are concerned with his injury.

While they have a few good youngsters, They won’t be able to remain in the top the division. For a team like Aston Villa, they need solid Premier League experience, which they lost over the Summer.

19: Leicester City

The Foxes pulled off a famous “great escape” last season, going from dead last at Christmas to finishing 14th. The man who has been credited with being the reason Leicester miraculously staying in the first division was Nigel Pearson.

But Pearson was sacked in June, leading to the appointment of Italian manager Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri doesn’t have many momentum coming in. His last job ended horrendously as he only lasted five games as the Greek National Team manager, with his record being 0-1-4 and famously losing to the Faroe Islands.

Leicester also suffered the loss of Esteban Cambiasso. The 34 year old defensive midfielder chose to turn down an offer that would keep him at Leicester, and leaves some big shoes to fill leadership wise.

They haven’t made that much improvement either. They signed Robert Huth on a permanent deal, who can be key as the season goes on. Also, Shinji Okazaki is a good signing, but he may not fit well in the Premier League.

Leonardo Ulloa will have to step up again as he did last season. But as everyone does, he is getting older and may slow down.

20: Watford FC 

Watford come into the season with a new manager and a new team. This usually doesn’t end up well, especially for newly promoted teams.

The Hornets haven’t made any significant transfers to bolster their defense. Defense proves to be a major key in survival for a newly promoted team.

However, Watford do have some good players. Troy Deeney is a great player and is predicted by many to take the Premier League by storm. They also signed Etienne Capoue, a midfielder who has experience in the Premier League.

But I think Deeney will be similar to Charlie Austin. He will score a lot of goals and be near the top of the highest goal scorers of the season, but the rest of his team isn’t the same caliber. While Deeney enjoys personal success just as Austin did, his team may end up back in the Championship – just as Austin and QPR did.

The relegation dog fight is always entertaining to watch. For the fans of teams in the battle… Not so much. But there isn’t any better relief than avoiding the drop.

Disagree with what I said? Comment below what you think! I would love to discuss and hear what you think!