Managers involved in the battle to avoid the drop have played their last cards with the closing of the transfer window. All are now stuck with the players at their disposal - so who is best-placed?

Portsmouth last year followed the lead of Birmingham City in showing that a few shrewd signings can see a team escape what appeared to be inevitable. Birmingham were awful in the first half of the 2002/03 season but with the acquisition of Stephen Clemence, Jamie Clapham, Cristophe Dugarry and a certain Matthew Upson they avoided the drop at the expense of West Ham.

This year, the tables have been turned with the nouveau riche Hamsters splashing the cash. Lucas Neill, Calum Davenport, Luis Boa Morte, Kepa Blanco and Upson again have all been drafted in to bolster the squad, along with Nigel Quashie. Quashie, it seem, is viewed as a relegation specialist, having sampled the drop with QPR, Forest, Southampton and WBA. Some may say this is more than coincidence…

Of course West Ham should survive - they really shouldn’t be down among the dead men in the first place - but I don’t think it's just Charlton, Wigan and Watford fans who love to see them plummet.

Watford appear destined for the drop but have used their tenuous grip to snap up some useful young lower league and continental talent in a bid to come straight back up. The only name of note is Steve Kabba, who may prove to be an adequate cut-price replacement for Ashley Young. I’m sure they know the die is cast – they may overtake one of West Ham, Wigan or Charlton, but not all three - and have been prudent in their dealings by banking the majority of the Young money.

Wigan have also shuffled the deckchairs more than panic-buy. Caleb Folan may prove to be a steal at $500,000 eventually, but January is hardly the time to bring a lower league cup scorer in and expect him to pay instant dividends week after week (DJ Campbell, anyone?) Again, Wigan have quality on paper but in Chris Kirkland and Emile Heskey they also have ‘enigmatic’ players at each end of the park. I think they are at most risk when and if West Ham get themselves sorted.

Charlton manager Alan Pardew stated that he wanted ‘English’ style defenders to get out of trouble, and so drafted in a Welshman, Chinaman, Algerian and Frenchman. The effective swapping of Ben Thatcher for Djimi Traore is a satisfying one for Addicks fans but I’m still concerned about firepower and back-up defenders, particularly as the versatile Jonathan Fortune has been allowed to leave for Stoke. However, with Andy Reid, Darren Bent and Luke Young to come back into an improving side (Young and Reid are yet to play under Pardew) the Addicks can also haul themselves clear.

Those are the four in trouble at the moment but I think its to early to be saying it’s two from three to join Watford just yet. Any one of the teams from Manchester City (13th place, 30 points) downwards will be peering a little nervously over their shoulder. Indeed, City themselves perhaps appear a little complacent. No major signings, experienced men (Claudio Reyna, Thatcher) leaving and a manager with two jobs? Don’t bet against them being dragged into danger.

www.reallifenews.com

Could Manchester City really be dragged into the relegation mire? Who do you think will be the three teams to be relegated? Sportingo would love to hear your views.