(makes clear Wigan are at home to Manchester City on
Saturday in para 13)
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, Nov 29 - Sunderland and Derby County, who
were celebrating promotion six months ago, meet on Saturday with
an immediate return to the Championship staring both teams in
the face after awful starts in the Premier League.
Although they were well aware of how difficult it was to
stay up, they would have hoped for a better return with more
than a third of thee season already gone.
Derby are bottom with six points after just one win, scoring
only five goals, none away from home, and conceding 33. Those
results led to the replacement of manager Billy Davies with
former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell this week.
Sunderland are two places above them on 10 points but they
have not won since September and suffered a humiliating 7-1
thrashing at Everton last week.
Jewell, who kept Wigan up on the last day of the season in
May, faces an even bigger job this time.
Another defeat at the Stadium of Light would underline the
challenge he faces to prevent Derby's first taste of the Premier
League for five years proving short-lived.
"It's going to be very difficult but I'm not here to wave
the white flag. We're not adrift," he said after his appointment
on Wednesday.
"At the moment we are the worst team in the Premiership. If
at the end of the season we are the fourth-worst, everyone will
be happy."
On paper, the trip to Sunderland looks an ideal first game
for Jewell but the home side are unlikely to repeat the
appalling defending that helped Everton to their thumping win --
not if manager Roy Keane has anything to do with it.
"I expected setbacks but not to that extreme," said the
Irishman, who did however shoulder much of the blame for picking
the wrong team.
Sunderland fans, who saw their side romp to the Championship
(second division) title in 2005 only to fall straight back down
with a measly 15 points the following year, will be desperately
hoping Keane can prevent a repeat.
Two other new managers will be on duty this weekend when
former Scotland boss Alex McLeish takes charge of Birmingham
City for the first time at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Birmingham's former manager Steve Bruce has a tough task in
his first game in charge of second-from-bottom Wigan on Saturday
at home to third-placed Manchester City.
Leaders Arsenal, whose 28-game unbeaten run in all
competitions ended in Tuesday's Champions League defeat at
Sevilla, visit in-form Aston Villa on Saturday.
Manchester United, three points behind, host Fulham on
Monday while fourth-placed Chelsea are at home to West Ham
United in a Saturday lunchtime kickoff.
Liverpool, who are fifth, host Bolton Wanderers on Sunday
with Rafa Benitez's side buoyed by their 4-1 Champions League
thrashing of Porto on Wednesday and Gary Megson's team on a high
after beating Manchester United last weekend.
(Editing by Rex Gowar)