Sizing up the Premier League table: Boxing Day and the 15-point rule
By Travis Tyler
15. Newcastle United: 18 Points, 5-3-11, -4 places, Possible Finish: 7th-20th
Things have not just gone wrong for Newcastle. They have gone catastrophically wrong. If anyone besides Rafael Benitez (who stayed with them through relegation and easily got them promoted) was manager he would have been sacked. There is also the prospect of a takeover looming, which keeps Benitez safer than he normally would be. But a new owner will be vastly less interested if they go down. And the old owner will not reinforce before selling, so they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
16. Crystal Palace: 18 Points, 4-6-9, +4 places, Possible Finish: 7th-20th
The most impressive thing about Crystal Palace right now is they have not lost since playing Tottenham on November 5. For a team that lost virtually every match before then, it is a massive turn around in fortunes.
The bottom of the table is getting heavy, which has metered their rise a bit. But it is still quite an achievement to go from rock bottom to 16th. Commentators were already preparing for Palace to drop, and now with Roy Hodgson and a new system they are towards the top of the bottom.
17. West Ham United: 18 Points, 4-6-10, +1 place, Possible Finish: 7th-20th
A huge win over Chelsea aside, there really has not been much to write home about for West Ham. David Moyes has made them appear more organized, but the results are still hard to come by. A solid transfer window could just about save them but questions will still linger about what style the squad is built for and how exactly Moyes’ is going to flip his personal narrative.
Keeping them up will be a slog. They need results and reinforcements to have a shot.
18. Bournemouth: 17 Points, 4-5-11, -1 place, Possible Finish: 8th-20th
Bournemouth has not had a Premier League win since November 18 when they smashed Huddersfield. Since then it has all gone up as they have been smashed by various opponents.
Eddie Howe is adamant they stick to the style that saw them rise up the divisions, but at some point pragmatism will have to kick in if they are to survive another relegation scrap. Howe is probably still the safest manager in the league for his history at the club, but at some point that goodwill may turn into a parting of ways.
19. West Brom: 15 Points, 2-9-9, -3 places, Possible Finish: 8th-20th
Tony Pulis did what he could but failed to turn the tide. Despite having never been sacked, the football was poor and the fans had turned so there was really no other option for the Baggies.
Enter Alan Pardew as he finally returned to the league after an unusually long absence. And things still are pretty bad. Pardew has not freed them up as expected and they continue to tumble. The club has the resources to strengthen in January and will need to do so to keep an edge in the relegation battle.
20. Swansea: 13 Points, 3-4-12, -1 place, Possible Finish: 8th-20th
Paul Clement’s demise was dragged out for seven matches before he finally got the boot just before matchday 19. The sacking had been coming for a while, especially as relegation rivals almost universally saw success after switching managers.
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They have had no offense to speak of and could not overcome conceding at the other end. It is hard to tell who can fix a squad that regularly sells their best players. The drop may become inevitable in short order.