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Birmingham City: 2010 Team Preview | Odds

Matt Martz weighs in with Barclays Premier League 2010 futures betting article on Birmingham City. Just one year after being relegated on the last day of the 2007-08 season, Birmingham City fought their way backing into the Barclays Premier League

English Premier League – Birmingham City 2010 Preview

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Odds to win the 2010-11 Premiership outright: 1000/1

Just one year after being relegated on the last day of the 2007-08 season, Birmingham City fought their way backing into the Barclays Premier League by finishing their 2008-09 campaign as Championship runners-up getting an automatic promotion back into the top flight.

The Blues proceeded to put together an impressive first season back in the upper ranks getting points against top table sides Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool, finishing ninth; their best ever season in the Barclays Premier League.

Now Birmingham will attempt to improve on the club’s best top-flight finish in 51 years, but will have to do it without the help of goalkeeper Joe Hart who’s now back at Manchester City with his loan stint at an end.

Manager Alex McLeish is hoping that the intense work ethic and a unyielding defense inspired by the form of Hart will carry thorough to the new season and over to former England goalkeeper Ben Foster who was picked up during the transfer season from Manchester United.

As backup, should Foster not live up to expectations, McLeish brought in and added physical presence to his anemic forward line with the purchase of lofty Serbian striker Nikola Zigic and young NAC Breda midfielder Enric Valles. Bet on Soccer at Sportsbook.com

The two will be expected to integrate straight away with striker Cameron Jerome who led the team with 11 of the sides 38 goals, sixth worse in the league, and forward James McFadden, who contributed with five goals and three assists.

One of the biggest challenges for the Blues will be to improve their abysmal record away from St. Andrews — a place where the side went an incredible 8-9-2 and were able to pick up 33 points at home against top-table sides.

But the road was not forthcoming as Birmingham dropped 12 of their 19 away matches and concluded the season with a dreadful –15 goal differential.

Birmingham City 2010 Prediction: Holloway’s group of journeyman is heavy favorites to be relegated, but with Birmingham City’s heart, they will certainly make things interesting.

If keeper Joe Hart was still between the sticks, Birmingham City could be a contender for a European spot and would have most likely finished higher than ninth on the Premier League table.

But without him I just can’t see the Blues doing as well as they did in 2009. I don’t think that they will eclipse 33 points at home again either, especially against topside clubs.

And without improving their form on the road, they could be in a heap of trouble. With that being said, I expect Birmingham to drop a couple of spots but still finishing in the top 13 of this year’s Barclay’s Premier League campaign.

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Matt Martz is a sportswriter for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. “ Football (soccer) is a game in which a handful of fit men run around for one and a half hours watched by millions of people who could really use the exercise.”