When Michael Bridges scored twice in 20 minutes as a substitute at Everton recently, his first goals of the season instantly made him top scorer. Their flotation on the stock market today means he now has pounds 7m to spend on players to make sure they are still in the Premiership by the time they vacate Roker Park for Monkwearmouth next season A regular scorer must be his main priority. Lack of scoring power could see them sucked into the relegation dog-fight.STAR PUPIL: Slaven BilicMUST DO BETTER: Iain Dowie16th SunderlandPeter Reid took Sunderland to promotion on a shoe-string. Perhaps ominously, David Mellor's favourite full-back is joint top scorer. Florin Raducioiu's goal against Manchester United gave a glimpse of his potential, although the other marksman that day, Julian Dicks, has more of the qualities to see them to safety. Harry Redknapp has had more success finding good defenders abroad than attackers. Essex man's favourite team, the club who fielded 11 Englishmen in the 1964 FA Cup final, are blending all manner of overseas talents with the home-grown variety personified by Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard Jnr.
An eventful final chapter beckons in the Baseball Ground story.STAR PUPIL: Paul McGrathMUST DO BETTER: Christian Dailly15th West Ham UnitedWhat a strange hybrid West Ham have become. Smith's sides like to push the ball about, a style unsuited to heavier pitches. But the run-in is likely to be as tight and tense as in their promotion campaign. Throw in the pace and finishing of Dean Sturridge, from which Arsenal suffered most spectacularly, and that should constitute enough of a backbone to beat the drop. He has since repeated the trick with a pounds 200,000 outlay for Paul McGrath, currently playing as well as any defender in the land alongside Igor Stimac.
If he succeeds, the Sky Blues have the experience to defy the doom-laden predictions once more.STAR PUPIL: Darren HuckerbyMUST DO BETTER: Noel Whelan14th Derby CountyJim Smith secured the best buy of last summer, pound for pound, by paying pounds 900,000 for the Croat schemer Aljosa Asanovic. Strachan has to find a balance between the pragmatic approach he knew under Howard Wilkinson and the cavalier style of Atkinson. Signs are that he will help Dion Dublin score more, though the giant target man is currently occupying a defensive role and striking at set-pieces. Gordon Strachan's first buy, the quicksilver Darren Huckerby from Newcastle, could be crucial in '97.