훌륭한 선수들을 영입한 맨체스터 유나이티드 첼시 아스널 등 프리미어리그의 명문 팀들에게 지난 몇 주는 유익한 시간이었다.

그러나 다음시즌 프리미어로 돌아올 선더랜드 버밍엄시티 더비카운티가 어떤 활약을 할지가 더욱 흥미롭다.

선더랜드와 버밍엄은 한 시즌동안, 더비카운티는 5시즌동안 프리미어리그의 이방인이었지만 그들은 지난 시즌 챔피언십(2부리그)의 승자였다.
　
이 들 중 가장 강팀은 선더랜드다. 선더랜드는 구단과 팬들로 부터 훌륭한 지원을 받고 있다. 4만8000명을 수용하는 선더랜드의 홈은 맨유· 아스널· 뉴캐슬에 이어 프리미어리그에서도 4번째로 큰 경기장이다.

선더랜드에서 가장 관심이 가는 사람은 단연 로이 킨 감독이다. 지난 시즌 팀 지휘봉을 잡았을 때는 바닥권이었지만 결국 팀을 수위로 끌어올렸다.
　
선더랜드는 레딩에서 그렉 할포트를 스코틀랜드 대표 선수인 러셀 앤더슨을 애버딘으로 부터 영입했다.

이것은 대단히 훌륭한 선수 영입이다. 그들은 킨처럼 흔들리지 않는 단단한 성격을 소유했다.
　
버밍엄은 승격한 팀 중 가장 활발한 선수영입을 시도하고 있다. 이미 올리비에 카포 , 개리 오포노, 슈튜어트 바나비 등을 영입했다.

특히 프랑스 오세르에서 영입한 카포는 재능이 넘친다. 그는 유벤투스와 계약했으며 지난 시즌에는 스페인 레반테에서도 뛰었다. 또 스코틀랜드 대표 스트라이커 오포노는 힘이 넘치는 스타일로 프리미어리그에서도 살아남을 것으로 보인다.

내 생각에는 에밀 헤스키(리버풀에서 뛰었고 현재 위건 스트라이커) 처럼 성장할 것 같다. 그러나 버밍엄이 프리미어리그에서 살아남기 위해서는 더 많은 조율이 필요할 것이다.
　
플레이오프를 통해 프리미어리그에 입성한 더비는 아마 바로 하부리그로 돌아갈 것이다. 빌리 데이비스 더비 감독은 오직 로버트 언쇼우를 노르비치 시티에서 50만 파운드(약 9억2000만원)에 영입했을 뿐이다. 그 언쇼우마저 많은 기회를 날려버리는 모습을 나는 보았다.
　
확실한 것은 아직 시즌이 시작하려면 6주가 남아있고 앞으로 두달간 선수를 영입할 할 기회가 있는 것은 사실이다. 그러나 나는 선더랜드는 톱 10이 될 수 있고 버밍엄도 프리미어리그에서 생존할 수 있다고 본다. 그리나 더비는 강등권에서 힘겨운 싸움을 해야 할 것이다.

skysports 부편집장

<칼럼 원문>

Mark

Having looked at Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal over the past few weeks, it is perhaps a good time to round up the three promoted clubs for next season.

Sunderland, Birmingham City and Derby County will be back in the Premier League for the new season and it will be interesting to see how they get on.

Both Sunderland and Birmingham have only been outside the top division for one season, while it is five years since Derby were last in the Premier League.

Not just because they were winners of the Championship last season, but I do feel Sunderland have the best chance of staying up.
Sunderland have an extremely passionate support, a very promising manager, an enthusiastic chairman and, perhaps most importantly these days, money.

Starting with the club's fans, when Sunderland supporters are behind their team, there are few noisier atmospheres in the country.
With a capacity of around 48,000, the Stadium of Light is the fourth biggest ground in the Premier League behind Man Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle so if Sunderland can fill it for every home game, that will be a major factor.

Certainly, results will decide if they do, but the first few games should be played to a packed house and, if Sunderland can pick up points in those matches, then the fans will stick by the team for the rest of the season.

In Roy Keane, Sunderland have perhaps the most promising manager in English football after the work he did last season in taking the team from the bottom of the table to the top.

Managing in the Premier Division is completely different, but if there is one thing Roy Keane loves then it is a challenge. He will enjoy the chance to test himself against the more experienced managers and he has shown tactical versatility already, which will be very useful next season.

Next up is the chairman and I do not think there is a more cheerful, enthusiastic chairman in English football than Niall Quinn.

He always seems to be smiling and positive, and that can only be good for any football club. He ensures there is a great relationship between the club and fans, and that will be vital to make sure the supporters do stand by the team when they have a bad run of form, which is bound to happen at some stage.

Finally, with Sunderland, there is the issue of money and the fact the club have a fair bit to spend in the transfer market to make sure the squad is strong enough to stay up.

Greg Halford has already been signed from Reading after failing to make an impact there. It is quite strange that his value has gone up by million without really playing, but if he shows the same promise he did at Colchester United then he will be a good signing.

Sunderland have also signed Russell Anderson from Aberdeen. He is a Scotland international, who plays at centre-half and cost just million.

That is a good value deal and he is the type of player that Keane likes as he has a strong character and puts the team first. A sign of his character is that he gave his signing-on fee back to Aberdeen to help the club's youth academy.

Keane loves that type of player and a few more of those will see Sunderland in good shape, particularly with the likes of Dwight Yorke, Darren Ward, David Connolly and Stern John to provide more experience.
Sunderland are trying to sign David Nugent from Preston North End, but he really wants to move to Everton, so that deal may not go through.

However, with Keane's name and reputation, along with the money to spend, I think Sunderland will be in very good shape to stay up.

Birmingham have been the most active of the three clubs in the transfer market so far, having signed four players in Stuart Parnaby, Fabrice Muamba, Olivier Kapo and Garry O'C onnor.

Parnaby is a full-back from Middlesbrough and he has joined on a free transfer. He is not a player who is going to help Birmingham into the top half of the table, but if he stays fit, he will be a solid option to have in defence.

Muamba is untried at this level after spending last season on loan at Birmingham from Arsenal. He has now joined permanently and could be very good, however it would be dangerous to expect too much from him in his first season at the top level.

The signing of Kapo is an interesting one as he certainly has talent, but his career has not really taken off as it seemed it would when he was with French club Auxerre.

He has been signed from Juventus, but spent last season in Spain with Levante. He is a midfielder who, on a good day, could win a game for Birmingham, but on a bad day he could be a luxury the club can not afford.

Steve Bruce will have to hope that he has more good days than bad. O'C onnor is a Scotland international striker who has signed from Lokomotiv Moscow after his family failed to settle in the Russian capital.

He is a powerful figure up front and he should particularly come into his own away from home when Birmingham need someone to hold the ball up and take the pressure off.

I am not sure he is going to be capable of scoring enough goals to keep the team up and I think he has similar traits to Emile Heskey. He certainly has it to prove at this level.

Bruce could still have more money to spend, if Carson Yeung buys more shares in the club. I feel Birmingham do need a touch more quality to be certain of staying up, but their current squad gives them a chance in any case. Derby, who won the play-off final, will be the favourites to go straight back down and I think that is a fair assumption at this stage.

So far Billy Davies has only signed Robert Earnshaw from Norwich City in a club record transfer for .5million.

Earnshaw has a mixed record in the Premier League from his time at West Brom as he did not always convince me in front of goal.

When he is on song, he is one of the best finishers in the business, but there are times when he misses too many good chances and that could prove costly. He is quite similar to Andy Cole and Louis Saha in the sense he can be frustrating for 89 minutes, and then come up with a cracker of a goal when you are not expecting it.

Derby, clearly, have to sign more players and every area of the squad will need to be strengthened.

It is unclear who manager Davies is looking to sign at the moment. Derby do have some good youngsters like Giles Barnes and former Man Utd midfielder David Jones.
They do also have the potential to cause the odd surprise, but they need at least four or five more quality signings to be capable of staying up.

Obviously, there are still six weeks until the start of the season, and two months until the close of the transfer window, but at this stage, I can see Sunderland pushing towards the top 10, Birmingham staying up and Derby struggling in the relegation zone.