A look at the clubs hoping to steer well clear of any relegation battles next season. Maybe a top-half finish could even be on the cards...

Newcastle
Last season was one to forget for Newcastle, with a decent Europa League campaign offset by very nearly getting relegated. There’ll be no European distractions this season, and while another top 5 finish seems unlikely, they’ll hope they’ve got enough about them to at least challenge the top half.

That will require them being able to hold everything together though, which since the appointment of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football may well be easier said than done. His list of gaffes so far don’t need repeating and the fans will be hoping that Alan Pardew, for all his faults, sticks around to ensure there’s at least one sane person at the asylum. If he’s gone by Christmas (we’re all thinking it) and replaced by Kinnear, then who knows what will happen, or how far they’ll fall.

For now though, Joe’s just there to oversee transfers, not that they really need much. Providing they can keep hold of the likes of Cabaye, another striker and perhaps a bit of defensive cover should see them straight. They’ll be hoping the January signings will have settled and are able to contribute more this season too.


Fulham
The Cottagers (narf) looked comfortable last season, until a shocking spell of form in the Spring saw them dragged in to a relegation battle. They fought back to finish 12th, but it was much closer than they’d have liked. Next season promises more of the same for the league’s oldest squad, fresh energy and ideas are needed if they have any ambition of kicking on from mid-table.

Unfortunately their transfer activity so far this summer doesn’t indicate a change in policy. Old and cheap is fine when you’re talking about Dimitar Berbatov, less so when it’s Derek Boateng and Sascha Reither. Maarten Stekelenburg looks a decent addition in goal, but he replaces Mark Schwarzer, who wasn’t bad either. It can hardly be called progress.

Martin Jol’s no mug and built a good, youthful squad at Spurs, so the current state of affairs must be dictated by economics. It’s time Mohammed Al Fayed stuck his hand in his pocket again. Or they could always sell the statue?


Stoke
Anyone remember when the Charlton fans forced Alan Curbishley out after growing frustrated with ‘only’ finishing mid-table in the Premier League year after year? What happened to them again?

OK, Tony Pulis didn’t make many friends with the agricultural style of football played during his time at Stoke, and probably could have done better given the amount of money spent. However, sometimes it’s better the devil you know, and having Mark Hughes as your manager is no guarantee of success, just ask a QPR fan.

Sparky will hope to fare better than he did at Loftus Road (he’ll never work again if he doesn’t) and with a more measured transfer policy should do OK. Stoke don’t need wholesale changes, just some wise additions to an already decent squad. He’s already signed a left-back, something Tony Pulis didn’t manage in 8 years!


Southampton
I’ve written here already about the Saints' transfer activity this summer. Since then, Diego Lovren has signed and Leandro Damiao is the latest name to be linked, all £20m of him.

Of course it’s one thing to be linked with these sorts of names, and another to actually sign them. A deal for Celtic’s Victor Wanyama fell through recently, and the club’s unwillingness to cave in to agents’ demands (they spent the least on agents fees of all 20 Premier League clubs last season) could see one or two more get away.

But even if they don’t sign another player all summer, these are still exciting times for Southampton fans and the current squad could push for a top-half finish. Of course if the likes of Damiao or Banega were to arrive, then expectations would be raised still further.