The Break-Up

After relegation there is always the gamut of emotions: despair, anger and introspection. Inevitably now, thanks to the likes of Skybet, there is fevered speculation to contend with as well. West Ham, Blackpool and Birmingham can all curse that their points tally on another year might have kept them safe. The stark fact is that they will need to adjust to life in the Championship; that inevitably means the best players move on.

All three teams have players good enough to perform in the Premier League. If we indulge in others’ misfortune for a moment, it is interesting to imagine the starting XI you could cherry-pick from those squads.

Skybet has kindly priced up prospective buyers for our ‘relegation XI’. All the players in our team are expected to move, with the odds of the team most likely to snap them up in bold.

Goalkeeper: Robert Green (Aston Villa – 4/7)
Defender: Roger Johnson (Wolvers – 6/4)
Defender: Matthew Upson (QPR – 4/1)
Defender: Scott Dann (N/A)
Defender: David Vaughan (N/A)
Midfielder: Charlie Adam (Liverpool – 6/4)
Midfielder: Scott Parker (Tottenham – 4/7)
Midfielder: Sebastian Larsson (N/A)
Midfielder: Thomas Hitzlsperger (N/A)
Striker: Carlton Cole (Newcastle – 6/4)
Striker: Demba Ba (Sunderland – evens)

Even with a few players waiting to be priced up, this is a team that could be competitive in the Premier League. Perhaps the likes of Norwich and QPR should take note.