Blacks Cats look like bad luck

Sunderland have been splashing the cash in the transfer market like there's no tomorrow and if manager Roy Keane keeps on in this vein, there won't be, at least not in the Premier League.

The Black Cats are out to 4/1 to go down this season after parting with £15.5m but none of the five summer signings Keane has lured to the Stadium of Light so far have added significant quality to the side.

Greg Halford, Michael Chopra and Dixon Etuhu have all pitched up from Championship clubs and Russell Anderson joined from SPL also-rans Aberdeen. Of the new recruits only Kieran Richardson has recent Premiership experience and he only made 41 appearances in five years at Old Trafford.

Keane smarted when former team-mate Gary Pallister suggested that he might be panic-buying after struggling to persuade players to move to Wearside and suggested he should "get a life" but Pallister clearly touched a nerve as Keane has shelled out on players as unproven at this level as he is as a manager.

Another club looking likely to struggle next season are Aston Villa. They signed Marlon Harewood from West Ham with manager Martin O'Neill hoping he had bought the 2005/06 version, which produced 16 goals, rather than the one who mustered last season's measly four.

If Harewood is to rediscover his scoring touch, though, who will be there to create the chances for him? Nigel Reo-Coker, another underperformer last season, is not a creative player and only Gareth Barry and Stiliyan Petrov can claim to be anything like near being a playmaker.

It is certainly difficult to see Harewood outmuscling Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Carew and Luke Young for a place in the starting line-up – all of which suggests William Hill's Evens about big Marlon scoring eight Premiership goals or less is a steal.

Villa made a flying start to last season but unless they improve on a defence that has been weakened by the departures of Aaron Hughes and Phil Bardsley they will struggle this term.

They can be expected to finish in the bottom half of the table and might even find themselves rooted to the foot of the table after ten games as those initial fixtures include Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton. That bet is available at 66/1 with Skybet.

Verdict: 2pts Sunderland to get relegated @ 4/1 (General)
2pts Aston Villa to finish in bottom half of Premiership @ 6/5 (Blue Sq)
3pts Marlon Harewood to score eight Premiership goals or less @ Evs (William Hill)
1pt Aston Villa to be bottom of Premiership after ten matches @ 66/1 (SkyBet)