Last year: 20th, Premiership
Ground: St Mary’s
Capacity: 32,551
Manager: Harry Redknapp

CLIVE WOODWARD has been credited with working a miracle on the England rugby team, but what will be left for the bald cheerleader to work on at Southampton?
The Saints have gone marching out since relegation with the top players making for the exits like rats on the proverbial sinking ship. On top of that, chairman Rupert Lowe has engineered an extraordinary situation where he arguably has a lame duck (Redknapp), a busted flush (Woodward) and a loose cannon (Wise) all presumably trying to run things.
It could go horribly wrong but there’s enough residual strength in the Saints squad to give them a fighting chance. Spend some of the Crouch money boldly, and the Saints are right in the title mix, but at this stage avoid them for punting purposes.

We say: 2nd 7-1

Stoke City
Last year: 12th
Ground: Britannia Stadium
Capacity: 28,384
Manager: Johan Boskamp
(new for this season)

NEW Potters boss Johan Boskamp is probably still wandering around looking in cupboards at the Britannia Stadium wondering where they’ve hidden the strikers.
The Dutchman has taken on a big task at Stoke. Predictions of meltdown in the wake of Tony Pulls’ departure may prove wide of the mark but Kampy must solve the goal-scoring problem pronto. The departure of Gifton Noel-Williams has left an already goal-shy outfit looking bereft of attacking threat.
Boskamp is hugely experienced, but his arrival so late in the summer has all but ruled out any chance of him changing Stoke’s status significantly this term.
However, a points tally in the low 50s looks achievable making them a decent punt at 10-11 in a match bet with Plymouth (Totesport).

We say: 13th 100-1